Why Does My Water Smell Like Rotten Eggs?

This is a question we get all the time here at Magnolia Plumbing. The rotten egg smell comes from hydrogen sulfide gas, which occurs naturally in groundwater but can also be produced by sulfur bacteria or chemical reactions inside water heaters. In certain cases, it can also be caused by pollution.

Fortunately, the rotten egg smell does not mean your water is unsanitary, except in the rare case that the gas is caused by sewage. However, hydrogen sulfide gas in the air can be harmful in high concentrations. When removing the gas from the water (which is possible – we’ll get into how to do it in a bit), it’s important to vent the gas outside so it doesn’t collect in low-lying places like well pits or basements or in enclosed areas like well houses. If you’re worried you have hydrogen sulfide gas, don’t enter the space where it might be – call a Magnolia Plumbing technician to inspect the area.

How can I find the problem, and how do I fix it?

Having water that smells like rotten eggs is no fun, but it’s very fixable. The first thing you need to do is figure out where the rotten egg smell is coming from:

• If the rotten egg smell only comes out of hot water faucets, there’s probably a problem with the water heater.
• If the smell is coming from both faucets, but only comes from water that has been treated by a water softener, the problem is most likely sulfur bacteria in the water softener.
• If the smell comes on strong when either the hot or cold faucets are first turned on, but it diminishes after a little while, you probably have sulfur bacteria in the well or distribution system.
• If the smell is strong when you first turn the faucets on and doesn’t go away, there’s probably hydrogen sulfide gas in the groundwater.

Once you’ve located the source of the problem, call Magnolia Plumbing! We can take care of the rotten egg smell in your water in a variety of ways, including:

Water heater maintenance

• Many water heaters have a magnesium anode attached to a plug on the top . The plug can be removed by turning off the water, releasing the pressure and unscrewing the plug. Once removed, the magnesium anode can be replaced by an aluminum/zinc alloy which should solve the problem.
• The water heater can also be disinfected with a chlorine bleach solution and flushed, which should kill all the sulfur bacteria that produce the rotten egg smell. This should only be done professionally, because if you don’t kill all the bacteria the problem could return before long.
• If all else fails, the water temperature in your water heater can be increased to 160 F for a few hours to kill the bacteria. Note that this solution should only be attempted by a licensed Magnolia plumber, who can monitor the water heater pressure and reset the thermostat back to normal before it presents serious scalding risks and high energy costs.

Groundwater treatment

If the rotten egg smell is coming from your groundwater, the problem may be harder to eliminate permanently without digging a new well. However, there are several treatment options available:

• Installing an activated carbon filter is effective for low level hydrogen sulfide problems, usually less than 1mg/L. Since the carbon filter can remove substances in addition to hydrogen sulfide gas, it is difficult to predict how long the filter will last before it needs to be replaced - some large carbon filters have been known to last for years, while some small filters may last for only weeks or even days.
• An oxidizing filter is better for hydrogen sulfide levels up to 6mg/L. Oxidizing filters should be periodically recharged before the filtration material is exhausted.
• For serious hydrogen sulfide problems, you’ll need to install an oxidation-filtration system. These will inject a chemical such as chlorine into the water supply line that can change the hydrogen sulfide to sulfur, which can be removed by a particulate filter.

Rotten egg smell in water is a common problem in the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC area, but it doesn’t have to be. If your water smells like rotten eggs, call Magnolia Plumbing today!

The Best Plumbing Service in Virginia!

Winter is coming – is your home ready for it? From Arlington to Vienna, families all over the Northern Virginia area are gearing up for what’s looking to be a long, cold few months. If your plumbing doesn’t look like it’s going to be up to the task, it’s time to call Magnolia Plumbing!

The expert plumbers at Magnolia Plumbing offer residential and commercial plumbing services to homes and businesses throughout Northern Virginia and the rest of the Maryland / DC metro area. Whether you live in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Herndon, Reston, Vienna or anywhere else in the region, call Magnolia Plumbing today!

What makes Magnolia Plumbing the best plumbing service in Virginia?

Since 1950, Magnolia Companies has been providing top quality residential and commercial plumbing service throughout the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC area. Simply put, there’s no job too big (or too small) for our expert plumbers! Our Virginia residential plumbing services include, but are definitely not limited to:

• Water heater installation, repair and replacement
• Sink and faucet installation, repair and replacement
• Shower and toilet installation, repair and replacement
• Garbage disposals
• Sump pump testing and battery backups
• Well pumps
• Drain cleaning
• Sewer and water line repair

No matter what your Virginia plumbing service needs are, you can be sure Magnolia Plumbing can take care of them in a timely and professional manner.

Got a plumbing emergency at 2AM? No problem – call Magnolia!

At Magnolia Plumbing, we know most plumbing problems don’t happen during normal business hours. That’s why we offer 24 hour emergency plumbing service for all of our Virginia customers! We also offer a variety of plumbing service contracts that will keep your Virginia plumbing systems protected at all times. Peace of mind and total coverage – that’s the best plumbing service Magnolia Plumbing offers.

Need a plumber in Virginia? Call today!

Not only do we provide unparalleled plumbing service in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia, but we also install top-of-the line plumbing products and appliances. We carry everything from faucets to water heaters from some of the industry's leading manufactures, including Rinnai, AO Smith and Rheem.

Whether you're building a new home or upgrading your existing appliances to energy-efficient plumbing systems, contact Magnolia Plumbing today for a no-hassle quote on all your plumbing related needs.

Beat the Holiday (Plumbing) Blues!

Here at Magnolia Plumbing, we’re getting our things together – not for the holidays, but for the busy holiday season! Winter is the biggest season for plumbers everywhere, as holiday guests pour in from out of town and plumbing systems are taxed more than any time of year. You wouldn’t believe how many calls we get from people whose garbage disposals are broken, or who can suddenly, a week later, smell food that didn’t go down all the way the first time! Fortunately, holiday plumbing disasters are fairly easy to avoid – if you follow our holiday plumbing tips!

One of the most common post-holiday plumbing problems many people have to face is a broken garbage disposal. And it’s no wonder – between the pumpkin seeds and pulp, the potato peels and all that leftover turkey going down the drain at Thanksgiving, it’s a wonder any garbage disposal gets out alive!

But aren’t garbage disposals designed to handle whatever you put down them?

Yes, but to a point. Think about it this way: garbage disposals work by turning small chunks of food into liquid so they can easily slide down the pipes. If you put too much food down there, the disposal will create basically a huge, sludgy mess that can stick to the sides of your pipes, resulting in clogging and foul odors.

The best way to avoid garbage disposal repair is to treat your garbage disposal the way you would treat it any other day. This means not putting tons and tons of food down it at once. You can avoid 90% of garbage disposal breakdowns if you’re careful to not put too much food down them at once. In addition, you should never put pumpkin anything down your garbage disposal. Pumpkin pulp is extremely fibrous, and all those fibers can get caught up and wind around your disposal, causing it to jam up pretty severely.

This year, before you put anything down the drain, scrape large pieces of food into the trashcan before rinsing them off. Also, don’t forget to run the disposal with plenty of cold water and do your best not to let any fats or grease go down.

If you need more plumbing tips, or if you find yourself needing garbage disposal repair this holiday season, call Magnolia Plumbing!

Myths About Polybutylene Pipe Replacement

As one of the biggest construction mistakes of the last century, polybutylene pipes have been causing major headaches for homeowners for the past several decades. The story goes that polybutylene pipes were hailed as a construction miracle between the years of 1978 – 1995. Unfortunately, the pipes degraded quickly and without warning, and when they failed, they failed spectacularly. These days, people still have questions about polybutylene pipes, the damage they can do and what they can do about them.

Polybutylene myth 1: Only polybutylene pipe systems with plastic fittings are at risk

While the plastic fittings are at a higher risk for catastrophic failure, systems with metal fittings are by no means safe – they are slightly less dangerous, but should still be replaced as soon as possible.

Polybutylene myth 2: Poly problems are related to poor installation

While improper installation may be a part of it, the real problem with polybutylene pipes is the material with which they are made – it corrodes easily, especially when it comes into contact with all those chemicals in the water. While perfectly installed pipes may last you a little longer, it’s only a matter of time before the floodgates open (literally!).

Polybutylene myth 3: The class action settlement against poly will take care of any problems

Cox v. Shell, the class action settlement against poly pipes, was one of the largest consumer settlements in US history. But even the generous settlement won’t cover everything – significant limitations exist on eligibility for free pipe replacement, such as installation date and the location of the leaks. If you suffer damages, definitely contact the class facilities, but don’t count on getting it.

Polybutylene myth 4:If my poly pipes leak, the damages are usually minor

If you qualify for the free pipe replacement, then sure – pipe replacements won’t cost you a lot. But what happens when the leak causes $100,000 worth of structural damage to your home and you don’t qualify?

Polybutylene myth 5: Replacing pipes is seriously expensive

Replacing poly pipes is not really much more expensive than recarpeting your home or replacing your shingles. Not to mention the money you could save by avoiding $150,000 catastrophes!

Polybutylene myth 6: My pipes look fine, so they probably are fine

Water flows on the inside of the pipes, right? This means even if your pipes look fine on the outside, you have no way of telling what’s going on inside. Poly leaks start on the inside – often the only time you’ll see any outward signs of them are when your pipes burst and flood your home!

Polybutylene myth 7: My pipes have been fine for 10 years, they’re probably immune

Do you really want to test that theory? Polybutylene pipes between 10 – 15 years old are ticking time bombs – you can never be sure quite when they’ll fail, but rest assured: you don’t want to be there when that day comes!

Polybutylene myth 8: I’m selling my house – the new owners can worry about the poly pipes

If you can even sell! Most real estate agents are well aware of the dangers of poly pipes and say these types of homes take longer to sell and generally sell for far less money. Often the seller is required to replace the pipes before the sale moves forward.

Polybutylene myth 9: The pipe replacement will destroy my home

Pipe replacement is a messy job – there’s no question about that. But if you call the right company, you can minimize disruption to your home and have your job finished right, and fast! At Magnolia Plumbing, our pipe replacement experts can have your job finished in as little as one week, after which you’ll never know we were there.

Polybutylene myth 10: Any plumber can take care of poly pipe replacement

Technically, yes – any plumber SHOULD be able to take care of pipe replacement. But that’s not the question you should be asking yourself. Really, you want to know if the plumber can take care of it, cleanly and at a fair price. Magnolia Plumbing has been providing the most reliable plumbing services in the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC area for more than 60 years, and we are the area’s polybutylene pipe replacement experts. If you want to have polybutylene replacement to save yourself a world of trouble, call Magnolia Plumbing today!

How to Bleed Your Radiators to Improve Boiler Efficiency

It’s pretty uncommon to see steam radiator heating systems in new homes these days – they’re usually only found in older homes. Radiator heating systems provide pretty even heating, even if they tend to require a lot of maintenance. Fortunately, the most common steam heating maintenance step is pretty easy to perform. If only one of your radiators is losing heat, it may just need to have the air bled out.

How to Bleed a Radiator

Before we get into the specifics of how to bleed a radiator, it helps to know why they would have to be bled in the first place. Occasionally, air leaks into your radiators. This prevents the hot water from completely filling the coils in the radiator, making it much more difficult for the system to provide heat. There are a few ways air can get into your radiator:

• Leaks from the system radiators, boiler or piping.
• Maintenance work causing air to enter the system.
• Airlocks caused by this maintenance work.
• Corrosion inside the system releasing hydrogen and other gasses into the radiator.

The actual act of bleeding your radiator is extremely easy. Look near the top of your radiator for a small valve. Open the valve using a valve key, a small ratchet or a flat head screw driver. Before too long, a little bit of water should come spurting out. This will release the trapped air and let hot water flow easily through the radiator again.

Bleeding your radiators may cause your radiator system to lose pressure, so you may have to add water back into the system after you do it. To add water to your radiators, go down to the boiler and open and close the valve on the water pipe above the boiler. Water pressure in boilers can be read in feet or pounds, and for most homes should be set between 12 – 15lbs (25 – 30ft).

If your radiator heating system is losing heat, or if you think your boiler is losing efficiency, first try to bleed it and then see how it runs. If it’s still not great, call Magnolia Plumbing for steam radiator maintenance!

How to Unclog a Drain

Is your bathtub filled with water when you‘re finished showering? Does your sink take forever to fully drain after you wash the dishes? It can be confusing and frustrating to unclog your drains. Common areas where you need to fix clogged drains are:

• Dishwashers
• Garbage disposals
• Sewers
• Showers and tubs
• Sinks
• Toilets

For some of these areas, you can perform drain unclogging on your own, but in order to completely unclog your drain, a professional plumbing company is best. Magnolia Plumbing will take care of your clog in no time!

Prevent Clogged Drains

The best way to keep your plumbing system running smoothly is by preventing clogs from ever happening! There are some fairly simple techniques to avoid clogs. In your shower or bathtub, use hair traps to keep hair from building up in your drain and causing a clog. In your kitchen sink, don’t pour grease or fat down the drain because it helps to build clogs. If you don’t have a garbage disposal installed in your sink, you should avoid putting any solid materials down your drain. If you do have a garbage disposal, this does not give you a free pass to put anything down your drain. You should never put certain types of items down your drain:

• Bones
• Pasta
• Popcorn kernels
• Seeds
• Stringy vegetables such as lettuce

The above foods can’t be broken down properly by a disposal and might build up in your drain and cause a clog. If you pay attention to what goes into your drains, you won’t have to worry about unclogging them all the time.

DIY Drain Unclogging

Sometimes it is impossible to avoid drain build-up, and you have to unclog your drain. For minor back-ups in accessible areas such as your sink or your shower, you can try some techniques to unclog your drain on your own. If you are comfortable using tools, you can pick up a few from your local hardware store: a sink plunger or a drain snake. Both of these tools can remove minor clogs.

Another method to unclog your drain is by using vinegar and baking soda. This way, you won’t have to go out and buy extra tools; you can just use what is already around your kitchen! Remember mixing these two together for the science fair as a child? Well, now you can use them to unclog your drain! Simply pour ¼ to ½ cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by ¼ to ½ cup of vinegar. Then wait for 15 minutes for the two substances to work on the clog. Once the time is up, pour hot water down the drain. And just like that, no more clog!

Unclog a Stubborn Drain: Call Magnolia Plumbing

For clogs in more difficult locations, such as in your sewer system, or for clogs that won’t go away, all it takes is a call to your local plumbers to take care of the problem once and for all. If the idea of unclogging your drain by yourself disgusts or overwhelms you, call Magnolia Plumbing!We understand that you need a trustworthy company to unclog your drain so you can get your home back to normal. We unclog drains in all the areas of your home listed above, and we do so with 50 years of experience behind us! You won’t have to wonder whether you really unclogged your drain with your home methods or if the problem will just come back in a few days. Using our video technology and expertise, we will rid your plumbing system of the clog in no time! Contact us to unclog your drain today!

How to Prevent Frozen Pipes

There are a lot of good things about winter – getting to make hot chocolate, enjoying a snowy day, lighting up a fire in the fireplace, the list goes on. However, there are also a lot of not so good things about winter. Notably, the freezing cold! While many of you out there in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC may really enjoy the cold weather, there is one thing no one enjoys – frozen pipes that burst because the temperature got too low!

Every winter, hundreds of people in our area call our plumbing company with tales of burst pipes that are now leaking and causing major water damage (a 1/8 inch crack can leak up to 250 gallons a day!). And it’s no secret that leaky pipes can spell major problems for your home, including mold, flooding, water damage and more.

Tips for Preventing Frozen Pipes

Obviously the best thing to do to avoid the hassle that comes with frozen pipes is to prevent them from happening in the first place! At Magnolia Plumbing, we usually recommend that you have your pipes installed in heated areas and out of unconditioned crawl spaces and attics. This isn’t always possible (especially if your pipes are already installed!) but there are still a few things you can do to keep your pipes warm and toasty all winter long.

Disconnect outdoor hoses and turn off the water supply to the outside of your house (you probably weren’t planning on using the hose this winter, were you?). The risk of freezing gets significantly greater as your pipes get further from the inside of your house.

Keep your pipes insulated with sleeves or foam, especially pipes that are located in your attic, unfinished parts of the basement, the garage and other unheated areas in your home. You should be able to find insulation tools at your local hardware store.

If we get a sustained extra cold snap, open your faucets and let them drip a little warm water. This won’t directly prevent freezing, but it will decrease the pressure in your pipes, meaning that if the water in the pipes does end up freezing, it won’t make the pipe burst.

If you leave to go on vacation, make sure to keep your thermostat setting no lower than 55F. Any lower and you run the risk of your pipes getting too cold.

What to Do if Your Pipes Freeze

If you open a faucet this winter and nothing happens, chances are your pipes did end up freezing. Don’t worry yet though – it’s not too late to    save them. The first thing you need to do is find your water main shut off valve and flip it as soon as possible – this will prevent more water from entering your pipes. Next, see if you can tell where the freeze is located. To do this, feel along the pipes that lead to the non-working faucet and try to find the coldest spot. Once you’ve found it, you can use a hair dryer to heat the pipe enough that the ice starts to melt and the water starts to flow again. If you act fast, in many cases you’ll be able to thaw the pipe out before it causes any big problems.

If you’ve never had to deal with frozen pipes, you may not know how badly they can damage your home. Fortunately, if you take the above precautions, you should be able to eliminate much of the risk and make it through the whole season ice free. And if something happens and your pipes do end up freezing, just call Magnolia! Our expert plumbers will be able to repair your pipes in a non-invasive manner to minimize damage and get your life back to normal as soon as possible.

Why You Need an Effective Stormwater Management Plan

It seems we’ve had a lot more rainfall than usual in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC over the past few weeks, so if you haven’t spent any time thinking about your company’s stormwater management plan, this is probably a good time to do so. Stormwater, as the name suggests, is runoff from heavy rainfall and melting snow that doesn’t seep into the ground. As it flows across the ground, it accumulates all sorts of contaminants, such as debris, chemicals and sediment. If left untreated, pollutants carried by stormwater can seriously affect water quality.

Who needs to worry about stormwater management?

The EPA lays out specific stormwater management guidelines for three main sources: municipal storm sewer systems, construction activities and industrial facilities. Specifics pertaining to stormwater management regulations are laid out by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).

Stormwater management for municipalities – polluted stormwater is usually untreated when it is sent through Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) into local bodies of water. In order to prevent harmful pollutants from being washed or dumped into an MS4, operators must obtain a NPDES permit and develop a stormwater management program. MS4s can be broken into two categories:

• Phase I requires medium and large cities with populations over 100,000 to obtain NPDES permit coverage for their stormwater discharges.
• Phase II requires small urbanized areas with MS4s to obtain NPDES permits to cover their stormwater discharges.

In general, Phase I stormwater management permits are individual and Phase II are more general. Each regulated MS4 is required to have a stormwater management plan that reduces the contamination of stormwater runoff and prohibits illicit discharges.

Stormwater management for construction sites – even more than municipal sewer systems, stormwater runoff from construction sites can have significant impacts on local water quality. When stormwater flows across a construction site it can pick up numerous pollutants, including sediment, debris and chemicals and bring these to a nearby MS4 or directly into a body of water such as a river or lake. Sometimes this stormwater runoff can be so polluted that it can kill fish, birds and other wildlife, destroy aquatic habitats and cause stream bank erosion. Debris can clog waterways and over time can reach the ocean, killing marine wildlife and destroying habitats there too.

NPDES stormwater management programs require construction site operators who are involved in clearing, grading and excavating areas of one acre or more to obtain a permit for stormwater management.

Stormwater management for industrial facilities – since many of the activities that take place at industrial facilities are exposed to the elements, stormwater runoff that flows through industrial sites can collect pollutants and drop them off in a nearby MS4 or directly into a body of water.  The NPDES program includes an industrial stormwater permit section that covers 10 categories of industrial activity. These categories are:

• Facilities subject to federal stormwater effluent discharge standards in 40 CFR Parts 405-471
• Heavy manufacturing (for example, paper mills, chemical plants, petroleum refineries, and steel mills and foundries)
• Coal and mineral mining and oil and gas exploration and processing
• Hazardous waste treatment, storage or disposal facilities
• Landfills, land application sites, and open dumps with industrial wastes
• Metal scrapyards, salvage yards, automobile junkyards and battery reclaimers
• Steam electric power generating plants
• Transportation facilities that have vehicle maintenance, equipment cleaning or airport deicing operations
• Treatment works treating domestic sewage with a design flow of 1 million gallons a day or more
• Light manufacturing (for example, food processing, printing and publishing, electronic and other electrical equipment manufacturing, and public warehousing and storage).

If you are trying to get an NPDES permit and need help designing a stormwater management plan for your Maryland, Virginia or Washington, DC municipality, construction site or industrial facility, call the experts at Magnolia Plumbing today. We have decades of experience helping companies throughout the area design effective stormwater management plans that minimize the effects of stormwater runoff on the environment.

Fall is the Season for...Mold?? Tips for Avoiding Fall Mold Allergies

We don’t know a single person who doesn’t like the fall, at least a little bit. The changing leaves, the slightly chilly but not yet cold temperatures, football – it seems like there’s something for everyone to love!

Unless you’re allergic to mold. Mold spore populations tend to spike around the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC area in the fall, and it’s really no wonder – fall weather, like spring weather, creates the perfect environment to spur mold growth: a lot of rain, not-quite-cold temperatures, and the kicker – piles of leaves on the side of the road that act as incubators for mold spores and allow them to be picked up and carried by the wind easily.

Mold allergies can affect everyone, including people who are not particularly allergy affected. Breathing in mold can lead to mostly typical allergy symptoms, including runny noses, sneezing and irritated eyes. For some, especially people with asthma, mold can cause respiratory problems such as asthma attacks that can be potentially life threatening.

So how do you alleviate mold allergies in the fall? One of the easiest (and most important) things you can do is manage the humidity level inside your home. It’s too cold to leave the windows open but too warm to turn on your heating system in the fall, meaning that it’s tough to get fresh air inside. To combat this, switch on your furnace for about a half hour a few times a day. Not only will this help move air through your air filters, but it will also evaporate some of the humidity in the air, making it harder for the mold to grow and spread.

If you have pets, make sure you groom them even more frequently to prevent mold spores they bring from outside from getting into your home, especially on your clothes, furniture, bedding, etc. When you clean clothes and linens in the washer, make sure you dry them in the dryer instead of outside – you don’t want any airborne spores to attach to them while they’re on the line!

Finally, if you don’t have one already you should consider getting a HEPA vacuum cleaner (or electronic air cleaner) and vacuuming about once a day. HEPA filters are excellent tools for catching mold spores and can really make a difference when it comes to keeping your home free from fall mold.

If you have moisture problems in your basement or bathroom that’s causing an increase in fall mold, call Magnolia Plumbing. We can inspect your home’s plumbing system and help minimize moisture so your home stays comfortable for you but not for mold!

Fall Plumbing Maintenance Tips

If the past few days have been any indication, it looks like it’s time to pack up the bathing suits and beach towels and break out the ugly sweaters and hot chocolate mugs - another summer has come and gone and fall is rolling in right behind it. Now is a perfect time to check on your pipes and do a little bit of Fairfax plumbing maintenance – before freezing cold winter temperatures have a chance to do any damage!

Disconnect any hoses – this should seem like a no-brainer, but it bears mentioning anyway – disconnect any hoses you have attached to your house and store them. If you leave your hoses connected, any water in them can freeze and expand, causing faucets and connecting pipes in your house to freeze.

Make sure outside hose bibs are not dripping – do a quick sweep around your house and look at all your outdoor hose bibs. Are any of them dripping or leaking? If so, try to tighten them a little more (not so much that you break them or make them impossible to open, of course). If that doesn’t solve the problem, call a plumber to repair the pipes before the winter freezes set in. Trust us: if leaking water in your pipes freezes, building pressure WILL crack the pipes – doesn’t matter whether they’re plastic, copper or steel. And even a tiny crack in one of your pipes can leak out more than 250 gallons of water a day!

Insulate your outside hose bibs – you should be able to find a Styrofoam insulation kit designed specifically for faucets at any hardware store. Just liberally spray insulation around the pipe right at the point where it enters the house.

While you’re at it, insulate any pipes in unheated areas – this includes pipes in places like the garage and any drafty crawlspaces. Wrap heat tape or thermostat controlled heating coils around any pipes that are especially susceptible to freezing.

Check your home’s interior shut off valves – if you have shut off valves that lead to outside faucets, close them off and drain them.

Make sure your water heater is ready for the winter – your water heater naturally is going to have to work harder in the winter. Make sure it’s prepared! The first thing you should do is flush out any sediment that has settled in the heater – otherwise this sediment can corrode the water heater, shortening its lifespan and reducing its efficiency (you can refer to our previous post for tips on how to drain a water heater).

Additional water heater fall plumbing tips - next, carefully test the pressure relief valve by lifting up on the lever and letting it snap back. This should allow a burst of hot water into the drainpipe. If not, you may need to have a plumber come and install a new pressure relief valve.

A few notes on this one:

• Be very careful not to touch any of the water – it’s going to come out scalding hot.
• If your water heater is more than 5 years old and you’ve never tested the pressure relief valve, testing it can actually cause it to leak – the valve might be corroded or its seals may be stuck.

One final water heater fall plumbing tip – make sure the water heater’s temperature is set to 120 F. This temperature is a good balance between safety, efficiency and optimal temperature.

Clean out the gutters and down spouts – clogged gutters lead to water backups, and in the winter, water backups can create ice dams which will cause all sorts of problems. Save yourself the hassle and spend an afternoon cleaning the gutters – trust us, it’s worth it.

Clean out your sump pump and sump pit – sump pumps are subject to freezing when it gets extra cold, preventing them from working properly and potentially causing serious damage.

Take precautions during winter vacations – before you leave for the holidays, shut off the main water valve and drain the system by opening the faucets at the highest and lowest points of the house. Before you leave, make sure you set the heat to no lower than 55 F.

If you want more fall plumbing tips, or if you need a plumber to come out for some fall plumbing service, call Magnolia Plumbing today!