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New Home Check List

New Home Check List

New House Check ListWe’ve learned the hard way that there are some very important things that should be checked before signing the papers to buy a new home. Of course, you’ll have a professional do an inspection and look over the place to make sure the home is termite and flood damage free, but these 9 things fall into a different category; the immediate to-do list, which is something you may not want to be adding to right now.

Even though there will always be cosmetic changes to make to a new home, trying to avoid costly repairs upon first moving in is always wise. Being able to save that money for the dining table of your dreams (or simply for gas and groceries!) is a big deal. Here’s a few things we suggest checking before you sign the papers and inherit all of the previous tenants past problems.

1. Check The Drains: This might sound silly, but we’ve had two homes with the same issues in the last several years. Somewhere between the house and the sewer line, there’s a backup. Usually tree branches or a collapsed pipe, but either way, it’s hard to spot unless you run a load of laundry, fill up the tub and sinks and let them all attempt to drain at the same time.

2. Open All The Windows: Replacing windows isn’t fun and it isn’t cheap either. Open them all to find out if they stick, are stuck or just plain old won’t open.

3. Turn On All The Faucets: Although changing out faucets isn’t exactly rocket science it’s always a pain to lay under a cabinet and reach for the sky with funny tools to get things removed. Just check to make sure they all work before buying to eliminate the back ache.

4. Light A Fire In The Fireplace: Even though chimneys are usually installed by professionals, that doesn’t mean they’re always in pristine shape. Cleaning them is as simple as a phone call to a local chimney sweep, but finding out if all the fireplaces in the home draft correctly is another.

5. Taste The Water: This lesson is always learned the hard way. Even if your city has great water, your pipes might be old enough that they’ll send a little extra something out of the tap and into your glass. Knowing up front if you’ll need to install a whole house filter or invest in a few Brita pitchers is always helpful.

6. Flush The Toilets: Knowing that all the toilets in the home can handle toilet paper is a bonus. Although they’re easy enough to replace or fix, finding ones that flush well are a bonus. If you’re dissatisfied they could issue you money back to make the replacement in order to get you to sign on the dotted line!

7. Open The Electrical Panel: A clean and labeled panel is a happy panel. Something that looks like squirrels got up inside can signal trouble. Look for loose wires or ones that simply don’t connect to anything. It could signal that there’s live wires inside the walls!

8. Turn On The Heat/Air: Knowing that both of these things work prior to actually needing them can be a serious bonus. Check to make sure they blow their respective temperatures in addition to just turning on.

9. Pull The Carpet Back: Before you move in, you’ll want to find out if there’s hardwood floors and also any mold or mildew under the carpets. Look for the lowest side of the room and if possible pull a corner back. Many homeowners will have a section of carpet removed in a closet to allow you to see the condition of the floors below.

Avoiding Overflow

Avoiding Overflow

AVOIDING OVERFLOW

It happens all the time, toilet overflows. When this happen while you are in the house it’s annoying, I know, but not overly damaging. However, once in awhile this happens after you have left the house then come back to an absolute mess. avoiding overflowThere is perhaps nothing a homeowner dreads more than an overflowing toilet. Many toilets are designed to hold all the water in the tank without flooding over. However, this is not the case with all toilets. So, if you are one of those unfortunate enough to have a clogged toilet, then dealing with it immediately is the only option left. However, prevention is always better. If your toilet has already clogged up then you should first clean it up and then think of preventative measures.

* Clogged pipes can often lead to overflow, sometimes that can be quickly alleviated by turning on the cold water elsewhere.

* If you have a tap stuck on or a toilet being slow to drain, turn on another tap to reduce water pressure and slow the flow in the problem area.

Call Immediate Response Plumbing to clear out your clogged pipes. 210-599-3500

Reduce Water Waste

Reduce Water Waste

reduce water wasteThree Simple  Plumbing Upgrades that Reduce Water Waste

If you’ve lived in the south for more than five minutes, you know how precious water is regardless of your living situation. Investing in water-saving plumbing upgrades is always a good idea. Here are a few simple ideas that aren’t complicated or prohibitively expensive.

A Faucet Aerator

A faucet aerator is hands down one of the best ways to reduce water waste in everyday home and office scenarios. Furthermore, they reduce noise and mess while creating the illusion of increased pressure. The best thing about aerators is that they’re ridiculously inexpensive considering the benefits that they confer. A high-efficiency aerator can reduce water flow to as little as 0.5 gallons per minute without impacting performance in the kitchen or bathroom.

A Hot Water Recirculation Pump

A tremendous amount of water and energy is wasted each year waiting for the tap stream to heat up. A hot water recirculation system ensures that you don’t have to run the water forever for your faucet outflow to reach the right temperature. If you’re not handy, there Immediate Response Plumbing Technicians can install one for you in just a few hours.

A Dual-flush Toilet

Nowadays, even the most efficient toilets use over 1.5 gallons per flush. Older models are far worse and can suck down 5 gallons or more depending on age and design. A dual-flush toilet allows a home or business owner to slash water waste by giving users options. The latest dual-flush models are roughly the same price as conventional toilets and just as easy to install.

Immediate Response Plumbing, Inc.

210-599-3500

Plumbing Repair Issues in Your Home

Plumbing Repair Issues in Your Home

Plumbing repair issues can cost a small fortune, but you can minimize the chance of repair issues from developing by taking a few steps.

Helpful Tips to Keep plumbing repair issues at Bay

As a homeowner in San Antonio, you may take regular steps to keep your home well maintained.  It is easy to overlook your plumbing system with your regular efforts. plumbing repair issues can quickly stack. Especially dealing with an leaking pipe or a sewage issue. By following a few helpful tips, you can reduce the chance that your home will be plagued by these costly issues in the months to come.

Keep Your Drains Clean

Clogged drains and backed up toilets are among the most common reasons why a plumber is called to a San Antonio area home. Some clogs will develop quickly, but many clogs will develop slowly over time with regular use of your plumbing features. You can schedule periodic drain cleaning service with a plumber to remove debris that may be building up in your pipes and that may eventually completely block the drains.

Schedule a Plumbing Inspection

Another step that you can take is to schedule a plumbing inspection from time to time. A plumbing inspection can provide you with valuable information about the current condition of your pipes. When pipes are weakened with age and regular use, they are more likely to burst or to develop a slow leak. Both of these can be costly to repair and may result in additional water damage to the property. Identifying weakened areas early on is a wise idea that can eliminate the need to call a plumber for an emergency repair service.

Take Preventive Maintenance Steps Regularly

Most homeowners in the San Antonio area fail to consider the benefits of maintenance on their plumbing system. Instead, they may be more likely to schedule repair service when something goes wrong with the pipes and other features. These are only a few of the preventative steps that you can take with your plumbing system to improve the condition of your home and to reduce the likelihood of your features breaking down, getting clogged or developing other related issues. Immediate Response Plumbing offers three different kinds of preventive maintenance programs. Call Us We Have One Just For You!

210-599-3500

 

 

Things To Not Put Down Your Garbage Disposal

Things To Not Put Down Your Garbage Disposal

1. Bones

 

They’ll just keep spinning around and around with the blades. And if you’re lucky enough to get them down, they definitely won’t make it down the drain pipes.

2. Celery

 

The fibrous strings tend to tangle around your disposal’s blades. This same rule applies to asparagus and corn husks.

5 Mistakes to Avoid with Drain Cleaning

5 Mistakes to Avoid with Drain Cleaning

When it comes to drain cleaning in your home, often times, we do everything we can to avoid calling a plumber so we can save a few bucks. However, more often than not, these DIY drain cleaning techniques will cause more harm than good. Here are 5 Mistakes to Avoid with Drain Cleaning:

  1. The Garden Hose – Some people think the added water pressure of a hose will flush out the pipes and unclog drains. Usually, all this does is create a giant hassle for you and risk damaging your pipes. Leave the garden hose where it belongs– in the garden.
  2. Drain Augers – These tools can be very useful in the hands of someone who knows what they’re doing. In the hands of an amateur, however, a drain auger can quickly damage your pipes. It is also ineffective for larger piping.
  3. Chemical Drain Cleaners – Besides the obvious safety hazards, many chemical drain cleaners simply don’t work, and they often cause more of a mess than they clean up. Chemical drain cleaners just aren’t capable of removing solid obstructions.
  4. Coat Hangers – This shouldn’t need to be mentioned, but just in case, please do not unbend a coat hanger or a similar object and slide it down the drain to clean or unclog it. Not only is this extremely ineffective and frustrating, but you are also taking the risk of getting the coat hanger stuck in the pipe and causing even more damage.
  5. Fixing it Yourself – Unless you are a plumber or have experience plumbing, it is highly advised that you do not disassemble the piping to find the obstruction yourself. Again, you are more likely to damage your pipes than to actually fix the problem.

It is important to have your pipes cleaned and inspected regularly– at least once a year. Rather than stressing yourself out trying to clean your own drains, it is wise to find a reliable plumber or plumbing service that will be able to perform drain cleaning properly and efficiently without causing any damage.

 

For drain cleaning in San Antonio TX. Contact us at Immediate Response Plumbing. We have over 15 years’ experience in the industry, and would be glad to answer any questions you may have. Give us a call today! 210-599-3500