How to Prep Your Plumbing for Vacation

Leaving for vacation? Don’t forget your plumbing! If you haven’t taken a summer trip just yet, don’t forget to prepare your home for your absence. Whether you’ll be gone for a few days or an entire week, here are some necessarily steps to remember before packing your bags and heading out the door:

Step 1: General plumbing
The last thing you want is to come home after a relaxing vacation and find that your plumbing is leaking. To prevent issues while you’re away, turn off the main shut-off valve, unless specified otherwise. While some household items, such as the ice maker and the auto sprinkler system, don’t require the valve to stay on, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t also take safety precautions for them as well. Ask your trusted plumber to help you look out for potential problems until you return.

Step 2: Water heater
Don’t let your electric bill shoot through the roof while you’re out of town! What’s the point of keeping your water heater on when you won’t be using it anyway? Instead of letting it run regularly, set the temperature to “vacation” mode. Most new water heaters come with such a setting, which allows it to run occasionally, but not nearly as often as it normally does.

Step 3: Toilets
Between flooding and bacteria, it’s important to prep your toilets before your departure. Besides turning off the main shut-off valve, another precaution you can take is to clean the bowl with a cup of chlorine to prevent bacterial strains. If you plan to be away for a while, ask a friend or close neighbor to occasionally flush the toilets for you.

For more ways on how to prep your plumbing for a vacation in your absence, click here.

Need help getting your house ready? Call the experts at Nassau Plumbing & Sewer Rooter! We understand the importance of keeping your home functioning properly and safely, which is why we’re here for all your emergency needs 24 hours - 7 days a week. Give us a call at 516.874.7937 or visit our website for more information.  

Smart Home Plumbing Tips for Your Extended Vaca

Are you as sick and tired of this cold and snowy winter as much as we are? If so, (and if you're lucky) you're probably packing up and heading out on a nice family (or friend) vacation!

Don't run so fast! To avoid coming home to a plumbing disaster that might make you feel worse than when you initially left, follow these smart tips before leaving your home on a week long vacation.

• Turn off the main water supply to prevent bursts
• Test the sump pump
• Set the thermostat at 55 degrees
• Winterize the drainage systems

You can turn off the main water supply, test the sump pump and turn down the thermostat in a matter of minutes. You may, however, need help from a professional for winterizing the drainage systems and this really only has to be done once a year.

If you are leaving for an extended period of time (say you spend the winter in Florida) you should complete the above steps, as well as unplugging all of your electronics.

If you're worried about leaving the house empty and dark, it's advised to set lights on a timer, as opposed to leaving them on for the entire time you're away. 

Nassau County Plumbing and Sewer Rooter offers all of the plumbing, sewer and drain services you need to keep your home up and running perfectly. Call us today at 877.713.8136 for emergency services or visit our website for more information. 

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How to Prevent Plumbing Problems While on Vacation

Deciding to go on a last minute vacation to get away from the cold this winter? We don't blame you! However, there are some things you might want to add to the to-do list to ensure you come back to a problem-free home. Red Beacon suggests considering these 8 things before flying off to paradise:

1. Turn Off Main Valve: With this valve turned off, water shouldn't be coming into your home. This means that any leaks or bursts shouldn't pour uncountable gallons of water into your home while you’re gone.
2. Check water lines: Look at all the water lines connecting appliances, sinks and toilets to make sure you don’t find leaks and cracks. If you find signs of problems, try to replace water lines before you leave.
3. Sump Pump: Use a bucket to pour water down the sump pit to make the water level higher. Watch to see what happens as the sump pump deals with the extra water. It should pump it out of the basement. If your sump pump doesn't get rid of the water, you have a potential problem on your hands. 
4. Exterior Faucets: Turn off the water supply to all outdoor faucets. Open the faucets after you turn off the water to make sure there’s no water remaining in the pipes that could expand and cause a crack.
5. Water Heater: Check the floor around your water heater to make sure you don’t see any evidence of leaks. Also, it’s a good idea to set the thermostat to a “vacation” setting so it won’t use energy to heat water while you’re gone.
6. Drains: Add a little water and a special drain maintenance product to every sink, shower and bathtub drain in your house. This will maintain a moist environment in the drains and stop undesired odors from starting.
7. Final Check: Check every appliance with a water supply  (washing machine, refrigerator, dishwasher and hot water heater) to make sure these appliances are dry and there’s no corrosion on the water lines or connections.
8. Checking In: Ask a trusted neighbor or friend to keep an eye on your house while you’re gone. Just walking around the house and looking carefully at the foundation will probably be enough to detect problems going on inside your house.

Now go on vacation with a piece of mind! For problems you find that need to be fixed fast, call NY Plumbing and Sewer Rooter at 212-235-1436.

Thanks Red Beacon!