Here we are just a couple of weeks away from the many festive holidays of December. Maybe you’ve hung lights, perhaps invited some sort of tree into your home for a few weeks. If you’re like us, you’re running around trying to get those last minute items for everyone on your list.

Of course, with the holidays comes travel, whether it’s you heading out of DIA or people you’ll be hosting in your home. Unfortunately, with the winter holidays (and winter in general) comes all sorts of plumbing problems that many people aren’t even ready for. After all, there’s so much to do! Thinking about plumbing is often at the far back-left of people’s minds, right between the is-it-New-Year’s-Eve-already? incredulity and the soon-to-be-arriving fear of what to do on Valentine’s Day.

Here are a few things that might show up with plumbing in December. If you have problems, be sure to give your local plumbers a call…but we’d rather you didn’t have problems at all!

If You’re Sticking Around…

If you’re sticking around for the holidays, chances are you’ll be cooking some big meals. And there’s also a good chance that you’ll be having lots of people over using your plumbing.

Avoid Drain Clogs

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat…and the goose fat can clog up your drains. Turkey fat, pig fat, beef fat, and chicken fat can all do the same thing. As we mentioned in our Thanksgiving blog, you shouldn’t be sending anything fatty down the drain, including grease, fats, and oils. They solidify quickly and will lead to drain cleaning…and you certainly don’t want to have to stop cooking and visiting just to deal with a clogged drain.

Also, there are those food items that just shouldn’t go into the garbage disposal or down the drain. Pumpkin parts, potato peels, asparagus ends…all of these should be heading into the trash (or better yet the garbage disposal).

Extra People

Whenever you have extra people over, you’re going to be putting a bigger strain on your plumbing system. They’ll be flushing more often, and maybe flushing more than they should. If you currently have trouble with your plumbing, give your local plumber a call and we’ll perform drain cleaning service before they get there. You’ll be saying goodbye to years of gunk that are built up in your sewer system, and you’ll get to enjoy the benefits for years to come. We can also fix your toilet if it isn’t working properly. After all, if it’s not flushing correctly, it could lead to a lot of embarrassment for your guest and for you around the Christmas holiday.

If You’re Heading Away…

If you’re leaving for the holidays, you don’t have to worry about people coming in and clogging your toilets with too much toilet paper, or your mom trying to grind ham bones in the garbage disposal. But leaving for the holidays brings about its own problems. Let’s take a look at how you can avoid calling a plumbing company this December.

Protect Your Pipes

We wrote an entire blog about protecting your pipes during the winter, so be sure you click on that link and find out how to prevent broken pipes due to freezing. You’ll want to leave the furnace at above 55 degrees Fahrenheit and expose as many pipes to room temperature air as much as possible. Opening up cabinetry under sinks is the first step in doing so.

Also, it’s probably a good idea to have a friend on call in case the temperatures are predicted to plummet. You can have them leave a slow drip going in your sink to keep the water moving. Better yet, just have them turn up the heat overnight!

Protect Your Home

If you’re leaving for a few days or a few weeks, make sure that you take some “anti-burglary” steps to protect your home. Buy light timers, have a friend come check on things, and make sure you lock everything up before you leave

Wait, what does “protecting your home from theft” have to do with your plumbing? Well, there are many movies that run on a constant loop on TV during the holidays, and one of them is Home Alone. As you might remember, one of the criminals in that movie has a weird inclination to burgle a home and then stuff a rag in the sink, turn on the water, and cause extensive water damage. And, as it turns out, there have been copycats in real life who do the same thing. Are the chances that great that it will happen to you? No. Are some people just destructive jerks? Absolutely!

The holidays can be a great time, but they can also lead to big plumbing problems. Stop these problems before they start with a little prevention. And if something does go wrong, be sure to contact Garvin’s!

In our previous blog we discussed the first four things you should watch out for when hiring a plumber, including their lack of history with clients, a price so low that no one could offer it and make money, and the fact that they’re going door to door looking for work. Any of these is enough to raise red flags and cause you to go with a more reputable company.

As it turns out, those aren’t the only things you should be looking for. We’re back this week to give you a few more tips on what you should be wary of when you’re vetting a plumber or sewer cleaner.

Lack of References

It’s incredibly important to get references when it comes to anything having to do with your home. After all, you’re letting a person come in and fix the parts of your home that deal with life-giving water and human waste removal, neither of which is to be taken lightly. If that person can’t give you five references off the top of his or her head, there’s a good chance that they haven’t been making their customers happy.

Even if it’s a brand new company, the training a plumber has to go through before they can strike off on their own will leave them with enough references. Always ask for references or read testimonials!

Lack Of Certification

Considering the job of a plumber is to help you bring in fresh water and remove harmful blackwater, it’s understandable why it would be a regulated trade. Plumbers are required to have licenses in 44 states, and Colorado is one of them. If your plumber can’t show you a license and proof of insurance, there’s really no reason to hire them no matter how good the price is.

They Have No Signage

There have probably been times when you open the front door to a tradesman you’ve called — maybe a landscaper or roofer — and they have absolutely no identifying characteristics to prove that they’re from the company you hired. They have no embroidered shirts and no markings on their van. It just doesn’t feel right, does it?

In cases like this, one of two things has probably happened. First, you might have found a new plumber. There’s nothing wrong with that; we understand that every new plumbing company has to start somewhere, and we welcome the competition. But doesn’t it seem weird that they’d invest thousands of dollars in plumbing equipment and not spend $100 to get a uniform and van decals? What are they trying to hide?

The other possibility is that someone has sent you a subcontractor. You called a company, and their one guy turns out to be busy that day. So they called their handyman friend (who may or may not be a plumber) and sent him to your house. The reason he doesn’t have any identifying characteristics is that he works for one company on Monday and then two different companies on Tuesday. Garvin’s will never send you a subcontractor, and we’ll always arrive in a marked van and identifying Garvin’s clothing.

Unfortunately, you’ve got to be careful out there. Try Garvin’s plumbing and sewer service once and you’ll be convinced that going with long-lasting professional is the right choice.

You come home from eating at a nice restaurant in Lodo and park your car in the garage. Uh oh, there’s water coming from under the door! You rush in and discover that there’s a burst pipe that’s spewing gallons and gallons of water all over your kitchen! You obviously need plumbing repair, and fast!

Not all leaks are that obvious, though. Sometimes leaks can go for days, months, or years before you notice anything is wrong. While that might at first seem reassuring, leaks in the walls and under sinks can cause mold and mildew to grow, causing your family respiratory problems. So no matter how bad the leak is, you want to get the best plumbing services to take care of it as soon as possible. Here are a few ways to discover leaks before they get any worse.

Unexpected Rust In The Walls

Let’s say you’re repainting a room. You obviously need to take down framed art that’s on the wall, which means you’ll also be removing the nails from the walls. If you pull out the nail and it’s rusty, you’re going to want to check for other signs of moisture that might be in your walls. If you find any other indications of a leaky pipe or if it’s a wall in which you’re sure there are pipes, contact your local plumber immediately. (If you’re certain that there are no pipes in those walls but still find rust, you might want to have a roofer check for leaks in your shingles or siding.)

Bad Water

If your freshwater is tainted in any way, give a plumber a call. This includes bad smells as well as any discoloration. Even if you run it through a water filtration system, something could be wrong with it; a leaky pipe somewhere in your freshwater pipes could be the culprit.

Moisture

If you’re walking across the carpet one day and your sock gets wet, you’ll probably think that someone simply spilled some water. But if it happens again, look up…it might be dripping from above.

The same is true with spots on the carpet that you can’t explain. If you start seeing multiple spots in places you’re sure have never seen a spill, those might be due to moisture from a leaky pipe.

Low Water Pressure

If you’ve lived in your house for any length of time, you’ll be familiar with your water pressure. Even if you don’t consciously know the exact number of seconds it takes to fill a glass of water, you’ll know something’s off. If you have a feeling your water pressure isn’t normal, give a plumbing contractor a call and we can help you investigate any leaks in your home.

If you’re a homeowner, it pays to be diligent when it comes to your pipes. Like we said before, you know your house and can tell when something is wrong, so make sure to follow up on that bad feeling and investigate any signs of leaks. If you want more help, we’ll be there for you. Contact Garvin’s at the first sign of trouble!

Here at Garvin’s, we’re big believers in letting the experts do their jobs. When the furnace breaks down, we call our favorite HVAC company. If we need a transmission rebuilt on one of our plumbing trucks, we’re not heading out there ourselves with a screwdriver. So, even though we make our living as professional plumbers, we’d suggest calling the pros for major plumbing problems even if we weren’t in the business.

Still, it doesn’t take an expert to tell you that saving water is a good idea. Colorado might not be a desert, but much of it is arid despite our mountains being a major water supplier for many states. Saving water also saves you money, because the more you use the higher your water bill.

What steps can you take on your own to save money? Here are some things you can do without the help of a professional.

Rain Barrels!

Who would have thought this would have been such a big deal, but it took a law taking effect August 10, 2016 to make it legal for Coloradans to collect rainwater in rain barrels. You’re allowed to collect two 55-gallon barrels of rainwater; simply attach it to a gutter and let the barrels fill. This water is perfect for watering plants on your property, but you certainly shouldn’t drink it (shingle/gutter water doesn’t taste very good). Also, make sure to keep it covered so that the mosquitoes don’t use it as a breeding location.

Be Careful With That Lawn Watering

Watering the lawn is one of the biggest uses of water for many households, and there are many steps you can take to reduce the amount of water you use. First of all, you can eliminate your grass completely and replace it with xeriscaping materials. This will reduce your watering by 90%, and maybe even 100% when the plants become established.

If you can’t give up the grass, make sure you have the right variety. Some grasses are thirstier than others, requiring much more water to stay green. Find the right type of grass for Colorado and you’ll have a grass that lasts through the entire season while requiring less water.

Also, know when to water. Watering during the hottest part of the day is counterproductive, because much of the water evaporates before it even hits the ground. After that the hot sun will evaporate the droplets from the grass blades before the water can soak into the ground.

Finally, maybe it’s time to change the way you water. Drip irrigation can help make watering more efficient for your landscape by keeping the water closer to the ground, avoiding the wind and sun as much as possible.

Watch Your Water Bill and Water Meter

Most of us are aware of what we’re paying for our utilities. The internet bill stays the same, natural gas prices go up in winter, and as long as something isn’t completely out of the ordinary you simply pay bills and move on. But with so many of us utilizing autopay systems and electronic bill paying, it can be harder to notice when the water bill is spiking. Be sure to take a look at the actual bill, not just the payment amount on the bill.

Do you know how to read your water meter? Most people don’t. After all, you don’t actually own the water meter, and with most of them in out-of-the-way places at the side of the house it’s not something that most people think about that often. But if you suspect a leak due to your diligent water bill reviews, learning how to read the meter can help you verify the problem. You might have hidden leaks in your house that are costing you a ton.

Those are three great ways to save water here in Colorado, and you didn’t even have to call your local plumber! We have some more ideas you’ll want to check out in our next blog, so check back!