If you have a reputable plumber, someone who really cares about you and your family, they’re going to want you to know some very simple and specific things about your home. These are all related to your plumbing and they’re definitely going to help keep your lines running right and keep you from having to pay for services you shouldn’t need. By keeping aware of all of these things you’re going to be in much better shape overall and your house is definitely going to be too.

1.  Where your water comes from

Your plumber in Richmond, TX, is going to want to know what kind of water you have when you book a service. You should know if you are hooked into a city water lane, or if you have a private pump or a residential well. You want to know how your water is coming in because this could affect what the problem is if you ever have one.

2.  What your water quality is

You should always know about your water quality because this is water that your entire family is drinking and bathing with. You want to be sure that it’s safe for you to be doing so and that means performing your own water tests. If you’re connected to city water you may be able to trust the reports that they put out, but it’s still better for you to test your own water periodically.

3.  How to turn off the water main

Take a look around your house and figure out where the water main is and learn how to turn it off. Usually it’s going to be either a wheel or a bar that you can pull to shut the water flow off into the house. You should know how to do this in case you ever have a water emergency, like a serious leak. You should also make sure at least one other person in your household knows how to do this in case you aren’t home when the problem occurs. You don’t want to have to call a plumber to turn things off.

4.  How to turn off the water to appliances

Any of your appliances that use water have their own shutoff valve that you should know how to access. These shutoff valves are not going to turn off water anywhere else in the house. They only turn off water to that appliance if there’s a problem or if you’re going to replace or swap out an appliance. You should know where these are and how to turn them off. It usually doesn’t take much and then you can work on different sections of you Richmond, TX house easily.

5.  What your water bill is

You should have a good idea of how much your water bill is each month and just how much water you’re actually using. This is important because if there’s a sudden change in the amount of water that your bill says you’re using you want to know about it and you’ll want to look into it. It could be a problem with the city meter or it could be a problem where you have a leak or are using water in some way that you don’t realize.

6.  How to adjust your water pressure

The amount of water pressure that you want is actually entirely up to you (and the settings available through your water connection). You’ll want to know where the regulator is for your house, which could be located in your home, near your water shutoff valve or even by the street where the water main is. You can adjust the pressure but make sure that you do slowly and that someone is keeping an eye on the pressure to make sure it doesn’t get too intense, which could damage your appliances. Of course, a plumber in Richmond, TX can take care of this too.

7.  How to check for leaks

One of the easiest ways that you can check for leaks is actually to watch your water meter, and it can be done in as little as 10 to 20 minutes. All you have to do is turn off your water entirely by turning off every faucet and spigot in and around your home. Then, you take a look at your water meter and wait. After the time has passed look at your water meter again. If the water usage counter hasn’t gone up it means that you aren’t leaking any water. If it has you’ll want to call a plumber to take a look at what’s going on.

8.  How your water heater works

You’ll want to know how to turn off your water heater both the water and the electric or gas supply without needing a plumber. You’ll also want to know how old the water heater is and what the temperature is. Plus, you should know how to adjust the temperature and what pipes are leading directly into it. Then, you should be able to monitor each of these pipes and pieces for any sort of leaks.

9.  How to keep your pipes from freezing

If you live in an area that get really cold and your house doesn’t have enough insulation you could find yourself with frozen pipes and that’s going to be an extremely dangerous problem. That’s because those frozen pipes can easily burst and you end up with even more problems on your hands. You should know how to insulate your pipes by wrapping them or by allowing cold water to drip slowly from the faucets to keep movement through.

If you know all of these things you’re going to be on your way to preventing your need for a plumber for basic tasks. This can be extremely important and it also makes sure that you can save a bit of money at the same time. Why would you want to spend all your money on a plumber for simple tasks in Richmond, TX? You could take care of these things on your own and then, when you have a more major problem, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® of Rosenberg will be able to take care of it for you.