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Hahn Plumbing Heating

Fort Collins Plumbing & HVAC Experts

home plumbing

Prepping Your Home For Winter & The Cold Weather

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Winter is fast approaching and with it comes colder weather and if you live in Colorado, lots of snow!! This means prepping your home for winter is extremely important. Not only to help prevent frozen pipes that burst but also to help ensure your heating system is in proper working order & heat is not escaping from your home, increasing your energy bills! Here at Hahn Plumbing, we know how important prepping your home and your home plumbing is during the freezing months to come. Check out tips on how to prepare your home for winter before the first freeze, so that there are no surprises!

Tips On Prepping Your Home For Winter

Outdoor Faucets – Before the first freeze it is important that you remove any water from outside faucets and drain hoses storing them indoors. It is also suggested that you utilize a faucet cover over any open faucets. This helps to ensure no cold air can make its way in through the opening, letting a cold draft flow into your home or space.

Pipe Inspection – It is very important that you have your pipes inspected & any leaks big or small are fixed immediately. Leaking pipes in the winter is never a good thing and can only lead to bigger problems.

Wrap Pipes – Any pipes that are in an unheated area of your home (attic or crawl spaces for example) should be insulated with heat cable & pipe insulation. Keep in mind pipe insulation is useless without also utilizing heat cable too!

Shut Off The Water – Should you be going out of town it is best to shut off all water within your home. This will help to make sure that pipes do not freeze and burst to cause thousands of dollars in damage to your home. Many times when pipes burst more damage is done than your Home Owners Insurance will cover!

Water Heater Tune-Up – Now is the time to schedule a water heater tune-up or inspection. It is best to drain and maintain your water heater now before the cold weather really gets going. Finding any leaks or issues and having repairs done now will prove to be beneficial once the snow & ice are here!

Furnace Service – Make sure to clean your filters and schedule any furnace service or repairs needed. Having a properly working furnace will not only help with your heating issues during the cold months it also helps to combat inflated energy bills that could have been avoided with minor repairs and plumbing fixes.

Heating System – Now is the time to make sure that all aspects of your heating system are in proper and effective working order.  Here at Hahn Plumbing, we have seen all kinds of heating system issues during the winter months and we know that being stuck without heat for even a short period of time is not fun and can be dangerous to the occupants of your home. Scheduling a heating system inspection before the cold weather really gets here will help to ensure you stay warm and comfortable this winter season!

As always, Hahn Plumbing is here to help with all of your heating, cooling & plumbing needs throughout Fort Collins & surrounding areas. With 24/7 emergency service, we are here to help when you need it most!

 

Clogged Toilets – Keep them from clogging…

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A clogged toilet has not only the ability to ruin your day, but also your plumbing and flooring as well. In order to prevent a costly repair and the unwanted toilet clog, let’s talk toilet.

There are many things you can do to make sure this nightmare doesn’t come to a toilet near you. Proper toilet plumbing can help prevent a problem for as long as you live, well hopefully anyway. The main thing you need to know is what can be flushed and what can’t be flushed down the “john”.

What Can Be Flushed – It’s Really Simple

  • Human Waste
  • Toilet Paper

What Can’t Be Flushed – Everything Else

Yes, believe it or not toilets are not meant to dispose of any other material, included but not limited to:

  • Paper Towels
  • Napkins
  • Facial tissues
  • Wet wipes
  • Gum
  • Medications
  • Dirt, rocks, or clay
  • Sponges
  • Coffee grounds
  • Dental floss
  • Grease or oils
  • Feminine products

  • Soap
  • Perfume
  • Diapers
  • Disinfecting wipes
  • Plastic sheets
  • Toys
  • Glasses
  • Contacts
  • Band aids
  • Gauze
  • Medical tape
  • Your pet fish

Toilet paper is designed to dissolve in water within a couple hours after flushing. Even too much toilet paper flushed down at once might create a clog because the wad won’t dissolve as easily. When any of these non-flushable products get flushed down your toilet, they don’t dissolve. And so called flushable items usually don’t dissolve enough to be considered truly flushable.

Medications should also not be flushed down the drain. Flushing medications can damage the bacteria used to help decompose the waste, and it can also pass through the water treatment plant where that water is released into the local streams and lakes, damaging the local habitat and ecosystem.

What To Do If You Encounter A Clog

If you encounter a clog, first try fixing it with a plunger. A plunger is used to create a seal that vacuums the waste down. If that doesn’t work you can try a home drain snake. If that doesn’t do the trick, it’s likely you may need to call a plumber. If your toilet has more frequent problems with flushing it can be a sign that something might be wrong, such as

  • A clog has formed but isn’t completely blocking out your pipes
  • The flushing components inside your toilet are wearing out and need to be replaced

If you don’t know a lot about plumbing or how toilets work, you might want to call a professional to check out your toilet and be able to diagnose and if any issue exists.

If you’re reading this article too late or you are concerned about any of your plumbing systems in Fort Collins, Loveland the northern Colorado area please contact Hahn Plumbing by phone at 970-484-7668 or by email at hahn@hahnplumbing.com for a free estimate or to schedule a repair. Hahn Plumbing is a family business that has been servicing homes and businesses plumbing, heating and air conditioning since 1967.