Though pet ownership comes with many positive aspects, there are still some issues that come along with it. For example, your pets may decide to mess with your plumbing, which can result in substantial damage to your property. Pet-proofing your plumbing can help to reduce issues and minimize the likelihood that damage will occur to your plumbing due to the actions of your pets. At S & B Plumbing, we strive to provide the services to protect the plumbing of your property. Here are a few of our pet-proofing tips for your plumbing.

Give Baths Outside

Whenever your pet requires a bath, you should ensure that you give them baths outside. This can help to prevent fur from your pets clogging the drains of your plumbing system. By preventing this fur from entering your plumbing system at all, you can reduce the risk of clogs and damage to the plumbing of your property. Use the hose outside to wash your pets, rather than washing them in the bathroom of your home.

Never Flush Cat Litter

It can be tempting to flush cat litter when you clean out the litterbox. Similar to fur, flushing litter can cause clogs to the plumbing system. This can lead to a substantial amount of damage to the plumbing of your home. It is important to dispose of cat litter outside in the garbage bin, rather than flushing it down the plumbing of your building. This helps to mitigate likely problems and protect the plumbing system of your home.

Prevent Digging

When pets dig in your yard, they can easily uncover the pipes to your plumbing system. Though this is often easier said than done, it can be extremely beneficial to train your dogs to not dig in the yard of your home. This will help to prevent them from uncovering the pipes that are supposed to remain safely buried on the property. When the plumbing is uncovered, it becomes much more vulnerable to damage. Additionally, your pets may be tempted to chew up the plumbing after they uncover it. If you notice them digging, you will have to take the steps to train them away from that specific behavior.

Keep Water Dishes Full

When your pet’s water dish becomes empty, they may be tempted to find water some other way, such as in the toilet bowl. Not only can this cause damage to the toilet bowl, but it can also be dangerous for your pet. They may swallow chemicals or other products that can be devastating to their health. Keeping their water dishes full is important to prevent them from seeking out your plumbing. Additionally, it is important to ensure that your pet stays hydrated for their health. Dehydration can lead to substantial problems with their health, which is another reason to ensure that you keep their water dishes full.

Store Plumbing Chemicals out of Reach

In most situations, it is recommended that you refrain from using plumbing chemicals to dissolve clogs or other issues with your property. These chemicals can cause damage and deterioration to the plumbing system of your building. However, if you keep these chemicals in your home, you will need to ensure that you keep them out of reach of your pets. When your pets ingest these harmful chemicals, it can have devastating consequences. Store plumbing chemicals in locations where they can’t be reached by your pets. This same thing applies if you have children within your home.

Conceal Exposed Piping

Some plumbing systems leave piping exposed. In these situations, the shiny, exposed portion of the piping can serve as a temptation for pets. They may decide to chew on the piping, which will cause damage to the piping and can even cause injury to the pets. When you conceal this piping, it will be less of a temptation for your pets. There are many methods for doing this. Cabinets may be the ideal method, because it can ensure that you or your plumber can still access the exposed piping, while simultaneously cutting off the access of your pets. Alternatively, you may be able to use curtains or rugs to conceal the exposed piping. This can help to prevent your pets from becoming tempted to chew on your piping.

Keep Toilet Lids Closed

Another important thing to do when pet-proofing your plumbing is to keep the toilet lids of your building closed. As was previously mentioned, drinking from the toilet bowl can be dangerous for your pets. When you keep the lids closed, you help to cut off your pet’s access to the toilet. This is important, even if you keep the bathroom door closed most of the time. It is possible that someone will forget to close the door and, if the toilet lid is left up, your pet will then have access to the toilet bowl.

Use Drain Stoppers

Drain stoppers can be a valuable addition to your home if you have pets. These fixtures can help to prevent damage to the plumbing system of your building. These stoppers are essentially like filters that you can put over your drains. These stoppers can help to prevent hair, fur, and other foreign components from entering the plumbing system of your building. This goes a long way toward preventing blockages that can otherwise impact the plumbing of your home.

Implementing pet-proofing strategies for your plumbing can go a long way toward preventing damage to your plumbing system. It is crucial to ensure that you take the appropriate steps to protect both your pets and your plumbing from potential damage. In general, it seems to be most effective to ensure that you prevent your pets from accessing your plumbing. When they can’t access the plumbing, they can’t damage it. You should also use drain stoppers to prevent clogs to your system. To learn more about the best solutions for pet-proofing your plumbing system, or to have damage repaired to your plumbing after the pet has damaged it, contact our team at S & B Plumbing today!

When it comes to the water heater of your property, you will want a water heater that will meet all of your needs. There are many benefits to installing tankless water heaters to your property. Understanding the ins and outs of tankless water heaters will go a long way toward helping you to make the best decision for your property. Here are a few things that you need to know about tankless water heaters.

How they Work

Tankless water heaters work differently than traditional water heaters. A water heater that has a tank keeps the tank full of heated water. This means that the water needs to be heated after it has filled the tank, which can result in quite a bit of energy expenditure. It also means that the hot water will be gone after the tank is empty, until it has a chance to heat another tank full of water. With a tankless water heater, the process is different. These water heaters instantly heat the water as it makes its way to its final destination. This comes with many benefits, such as a consistent stream of hot water and reduced energy expenses.

Conserve Energy

The process that tankless water heaters use helps to conserve the overall amount of energy that you use. These water heaters only heat the water as it is needed, rather than keeping it heated all of the time. This is much more energy efficient. It can save even more energy, depending on how much hot water you use daily in your household. In addition, having tankless water heaters installed at each hot water outlet can go an even longer way toward conserving energy. When you reduce your overall energy consumption, you reduce your energy bills.

Lower Water Pressure

It is important to keep in mind that tankless water heaters may provide lower water pressure than waters that have a tank. It heats the water instantly, but there is a limit to how much water it can heat at one time. This often won’t have much of an impact on a shorter shower, but it can impact other aspects, such as how quickly your washing machine fills up with hot water. This water pressure problem can be avoided when you obtain multiple tankless water heaters for the property, though this will depend on your specific needs and situation.

Continuous Hot Water

With a tankless water heater, the water is heated on its way to you. Due to this, you don’t have to worry about having your tank run out of hot water. A tankless water heater is able to provide you with a continuous stream of hot water to meet all of your needs. However, you should also consider the fact that it will unlikely to be able to keep up if you are using hot water in multiple sources at one time, such as washing dishes, doing laundry, and taking a shower.

Gas and Electric Tankless Water Heaters

There are multiple energy sources available for tankless water heaters. Some tankless water heaters use gas, while others get their energy from electricity. There are advantages and disadvantages to both gas and electric tankless water heaters, so you will need to do your research when deciding on the ideal one for your home. Gas tankless water heaters, for example, may heat more quickly, but often use more energy in order to provide heating services.

More Expensive Installation

Tankless water heaters will often come with larger initial expenses. They need to be installed by a professional and the individual unit tends to be more expensive. However, you are often able to eventually recover your installation costs through the reduced energy expenses from a tankless water heater. Keep in mind that the amount of water that you use will impact how quickly the tankless water heater will pay for itself.

Last Longer

Tankless water heaters generally last longer than their counterparts with a tank. In fact, they generally last between 5 and 10 years longer than these other water heaters. In addition to this, replacement parts can be obtained for tankless water heaters. This capacity helps to improve the condition and the longevity of the water heater.

Compact Design

This type of water heater ultimately has a much more compact design than water heaters that has a tank. This seems somewhat obvious, because the water heater doesn’t require a tank in order to keep the water in. Tankless water heaters can be a great idea for buildings that have limited space available for the water heater.

Minimal Leakage

A tankless water heater doesn’t hold a tank of water. Due to this, you won’t have to worry about the same level of leakage that is generally common with other water heaters. Water heaters that have tanks may begin to leak as they reach the end of their lifetime. This can result in flooding and many additional issues. When you implement a tankless water heater to your home, you won’t have to worry about this. This is because the tankless water heater doesn’t hold water in a single location. It heats the water at the time it is needed, which results in a reduced risk of leaks that can substantially damage your home.

You rely on your water heater every single day. From taking showers to washing dishes, you use it for many of your everyday tasks. At S & B Plumbing, we provide the services that are necessary in order to keep your water heater in great condition. These services can help to reduce the risk of break downs and issues that may arise with your water heater. When you have a tankless water heater installed to your property, it is likely that you will obtain many benefits, such as reduced energy expenses and improved comfort. Keep in mind that tankless water heaters and water heaters with tanks both require regular maintenance. To learn more about tankless water heaters and the services that we offer for your plumbing needs, contact our expert team at S & B Plumbing today!

Previously, we’ve discussed how to regularly maintain your water heater and steps for improving its functionality. However, it is also crucial to understand how important it is to obtain regular water heater maintenance. This will help to ensure that you do your best to obtain the services that you need to keep your water heater in the best possible condition. Here are a few of the reasons why it is incredibly important to obtain water heater maintenance for the water heater of your home.

The Importance of Water Heater Maintenance

You use your water heater on a daily basis. It comes into play every time you wash dishes or take a shower. When you don’t provide the appropriate maintenance for your water heater, many issues can arise with your water heater. With the right maintenance, you can prevent issues and ensure that you have access to hot water when you need it.

Extends Lifetime

Water heaters are designed to last for many, many years. However, when you don’t provide them with regular maintenance, they are sure to deteriorate much more quickly. For example, harmful materials can build up when you don’t flush your water heater on an annual basis. This can cause the water heater to work much harder, which will ultimately result in it wearing down more quickly. With the right maintenance, you can ensure that your water heater lasts longer and has fewer issues over time.

Prevent Issues

Due to your extreme reliance on your water heater, problems with your water heater can be extremely disruptive to your regular routine. Maintenance is often used to prevent issues from ever occurring in the first place. In addition, regular maintenance can help to ensure that potential issues are found in the early stages, when they will be much easier to resolve.

Calcium Buildup

Regularly flushing out your water heater is an important component in removing potentially harmful particles from the tank. For example, areas that have hard water will rapidly accumulate calcium in the water heater. This accumulation can lead to blockages that will prevent your water heater from functioning as intended. When you ensure that your water heater is flushed out on an annual basis, you will be able to more thoroughly protect your water heater and prevent these blockages from occurring.

Monitor Water Temperature

Regular maintenance helps to ensure that your water heater is continuing to function as intended. Monitoring the temperature of the water is an important part of its maintenance. When there is an issue with the water temperature, it is an indication that there is an issue with the water heater. Restoring the water temperature will go a long way toward ensuring that the water heater is in great condition and capable of meeting your regular demands.

Detect Rust

Rust often results in the necessity of replacing your water heater. It can impact the quality of the water in your building and often leads to many additional problems. With regular preventative maintenance, you can ensure that you find rust when it occurs. You can also take additional steps in order to prevent rust from accumulating inside of your water heater.

Increased Efficiency

Regular maintenance helps to ensure that your water heater operates more efficiently. This reduces the total amount of energy that is required to obtain hot water in your home. With increased efficiency, you reduce the total amount of work that the water heater has to do. When you decrease this effort, you decrease the total amount of wear on your water heater. This extends the lifetime of your water heater and reduces the likelihood of substantial issues arising.

Saves Money

When you minimize the amount of energy that your water heater requires, you reduce the amount of money that you have to invest in heating water. This goes a long way toward reducing your energy bill. In addition, regular water heater maintenance helps to prevent the water heater from breaking down. This prevents the likelihood of expensive repairs. It can also lower the risk of water damage from a leaking water heater tank. Water damage can be incredibly expensive to repair, so this is just one of the ways in which regular water heater maintenance saves you money.

Full Use of Tank

Regular water heater maintenance ensures that you can make full use of your water heater’s tank. With full use of the tank, you are able to extend the amount of hot water that you have available. If you find that you are regularly running out of hot water in the shower, it is possible that your water heater requires maintenance to ensure that it can be utilized at its full capacity.

Check Anode Rod

The anode rod of the water heater is used to attract rust and prevent it from forming on the other components of your water heater. Due to this important function, it is crucial to ensure that the anode rod is in good condition and is capable of protecting your water heater. With regular maintenance, you can ensure that your anode rod is continuing to function as intended.

Test Pressure-Relief Valve

The pressure-relief valve is another incredibly important component of your water heater. This valve prevents the pressure from building up within the water heater. Ensuring that this pressure-relief valve is functioning as intended will help to protect your home and prevent substantial issues. A working pressure-relief valve is important in regulating the pressure inside of your water heater.

At S & B Plumbing, we provide the services that you need to keep your plumbing systems and fixtures in the best possible condition. Water heater maintenance is incredibly important in protecting the condition of your water heater and preventing many potential problems. With the appropriate maintenance, you can lower your expenses while simultaneously ensuring that your water heater functions as effectively as possible. To learn more about the importance of water heater maintenance or the other services that we offer, contact us at S & B Plumbing today!