Comfort is on the Horizon

Save Energy, Time and Money

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You can save energy, time and money by making intelligent decisions in many areas of your life, as most of us already know.  Sometimes, though, we are prone to ‘second-guess’ the intelligent decisions and revert solutions to problems that might not bear optimum results.

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Plumbing is one area of home-ownership that sometimes provides examples of making decisions that can be costly in the long run. For example, many homeowners do not shy away from attempting to fix simple leaks; faucets, toilets, supply tubes, and other “wrench-tightenable” fixtures, fittings and hardware we all have in our homes.  Sometimes, that kind of plumbing repair works out just fine, but there are times when even some of those “simple repairs” can lead to much frustration, and can lead to costly solutions.

Faulty plumbing systems waste energy, time and money.  If simple repairs turn out to be more than simple, the equation becomes even more dire, and can become much more costly. There is really no substitute for “doing the job right the first time”, and it can be difficult to know when it is prudent to just call a plumber. Probably the safest way to avoid headaches and heartaches is to at least consult with a reputable plumber on ANY plumbing issues you might face.  That way, they can help you understand more about the risks of attempting a DIY repair.

Let’s take a look at a basic plumbing system in a typical house in Jacksonville, FL so we can understand better how crucial it is to our “creature comforts”.  As noted earlier, there are different kinds of “plumbing systems”; for water supply, drainage and venting, some heating and/or cooling systems, bathrooms, kitchens, laundry areas, garages, outside hose-connections, and more.

The water supply plumbing is the piping that comes into the house, either from an outside well or from a municipal source, and the network of piping connected to that main supply feeds myriad fixtures, fittings, and hardware throughout the house. Most modern houses are built using copper tubing as the water supply plumbing, and some plastics are popular, as well.

Water supply plumbing might be installed to the water heater; some might be installed to the furnace and air-conditioning equipment; some to the bathrooms for toilets, sinks, tubs and showers; some to the kitchen for sinks, refrigerators, dishwashers; some to the laundry room for the washing machine and maybe a ‘slop-sink’; some to the garage for another ‘slop sink’; some to several outdoor faucets, and there might be other items/areas that use water, as well.

We all know how damaging leaking water can be inside a house.  Nobody wants to learn of any of their plumbing springing a leak, because that means “imminent damage” until the water is stopped and the leak is ultimately repaired.  It is a good idea to at least know where your main water supply shut-off valve is located, so you can turn off the water in the event of leaks. If possible, you should also familiarize yourself to where all other shut-offs are located (under sinks, at washing machine, toilet, etc.).

The drainage and venting plumbing is the piping that carries used water OUT of the house to your septic system or the municipal sewage-treatment facility for Jacksonville, FL.  Very often, this plumbing is plastic (ABS, PVC, etc.), and of larger sizes than the supply plumbing.  Drainage and venting plumbing is not under the same pressures that the supply plumbing is under, so it does not carry the same risk for leakage, but a leaking sewer drain pipe is nothing to sneeze at, unless you don’t mind foul odors or dripping sewage in your basement or wherever the piping is located.

Even attempting to repair leaks in non-pressurized plumbing can be risky, especially if dealing with older materials or otherwise ‘compromised’ drainage and venting piping.  Again, it is a good idea to at least consult with a reputable plumber, even on this kind of plumbing.  You might save even more energy, time and money.

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