5 Ways to Protect Your Sewer Line This Spring

Washington is a great place to live. The beautiful, scenic views and excellent weather are just a few of the things that draw residents here. However, the heavy spring rainfall can result in some serious headaches and repair bills if you do not prepare in advance. Sewage overflow is a common, but manageable problem faced by Washington residents. Below, we’ll take a look at five ways that you can protect your home’s sewer line this spring. Install Water Alarms Water alarms are a simple, but effective way to protect your home from flooding and sewage back-ups. A water alarm is an affordable wireless device that is connected to your home’s Wi-Fi. These devices typically have a battery life of three years or more, which means that they are extremely low maintenance, as well. A water alarm can be placed in areas of your home that are susceptible to flooding. This includes your basement and even your bathrooms. The bathroom closest to your sewer line is the most prone to sewer back-ups and is usually a great location for a water alarm. If water levels rise, the water alarm will become damp. It will then sound an audible alert or issue a text alert to your phone, allowing you to take prompt action and protect your home. Install a Sump Pump If your home has a basement, you may need a sump pump. Sump pumps are installed inside of a water tank or pit within your basement. As rainfall accumulates along the perimeter of your home, it is filtered into this pit through a piping network. The pump activates when the water rises and shuttles the water away from your home through a drain pipe. Excessive rainfall and flooding can place added strain on your sewer line. It can also flood your basement. A sump pump prevents both of these common problems. Use a Backwater Valve An automatic backwater valve may be necessary if your home is connected to a municipal sewer system. When your city experiences heavy spring rains, the sewer system can become overwhelmed and flood. If the water level rises past your home’s drain, you will experience flooding. The backwater valve works by only allowing the sewer water to flow one way. Rising water causes the valve to seal your sewer line. As the water level returns to normal, pressure changes will automatically reopen the valve. Clear Your Sewer Lines Just like any other aspect of your home, your sewer lines require regular maintenance to function properly. Over time, various items can clog your lines and restrict the flow of wastewater. Common sources of clogs include: Hair Grease Roots Foreign objects While any of these items can cause serious drainage problems, grease is one of the most difficult types of clogs to overcome. The best way to protect your sewer lines from back-ups is to schedule professional sewer line cleaning. Generally, you should have your lines cleaned every 18 months or so. Waiting longer than recommended can allow grease and other harmful debris to accumulate and clog your pipes. Severe clogs and roots can even cause your pipes to crack or burst, resulting in costly repairs. Preventive maintenance is the most cost-effective way to keep your sewer line working at its best. Clean Your Pipes All of your home’s drain pipes are funneled into your mainline or sewer line. These smaller pipes should also be cleaned regularly because they can become clogged. Contact Steve’s Plumbing If you need the services of a qualified plumber, Steve’s Plumbing is the team for the job! With over four decades of plumbing experience, Steve and his staff can handle any plumbing problem, big or small. We offer affordable pricing and prompt, friendly service. We can ensure that your home’s sewer line is functioning at its best before the heavy springtime rainfalls. Contact us today for a free quote or to schedule your service. We look forward to serving you!

Which Plumbing Pipes Freeze First?

It is just about freezing here in Lynwood, Washington. Literally… our temperatures are dropping into the 30’s at night! And, we here at Steve’s Plumbing wanted to make sure you know how cold weather affects your plumbing, so your pipes run smoothly throughout the holidays and into the new year. Here is an outline of which pipes to keep an extra eye on during the winter months. Listed are the plumbing pipes (starting with the pipes most likely to freeze) that are in jeopardy of freezing-up this winter. Pipes That Freeze Frequently Outdoor Water Lines Basement Pipes Attic Plumbing Pipes In Your Garage Kitchen Cabinet Piping Exterior Wall Pipes What do all of these pipes have in common? They all lack insulation. And, when a pipe gets cold enough, the water within that pipe will freeze and wreak havoc on your plumbing. Frozen pipes can cause a myriad of plumbing fiascos. Signs You Have A Frozen Pipe If you experience any of the following plumbing symptoms, contact a professional plumber for pipe repair. Your water pressure drops. If your shampoo is no longer washed away in minutes, your water pressure is inadequate. Low water pressure is a sign that you may have a frozen pipe. A lack of pressure directly correlates to the development of a leak in your plumbing. When water freezes, it expands in your pipes, causing pressure to build-up until your water line can no longer take it. Broken pipes will need to be repaired in order to restore substantial water pressure. You notice water spots, or pooling water, throughout your home. If you see water spots on your floors, your walls, or your ceiling, you have a leak. Contact a professional plumber to repair your broken pipe and conduct leak repair before irreparable damage ensues. There is a musty stench in your home. When water freezes in your pipes, it inhibits water from flowing properly. This can cause backflow, which is the unwanted reversal of water flow within your plumbing. Not only will backflow contaminate your potable water supply, but it will also emit a foul odor. Additionally, your plumbing is no longer airtight; hence, the putrid smell that will waft throughout your home. Your foundation looks cracked. If you notice foundational damage, you may have a ruptured pipe. When a pipe freezes, the water within that pipe does not stay completely frozen for the entire winter. That scenario is actually extremely unlikely. Instead, the water within your pipes fluctuates from ice to water, and from water to ice, as temperatures outside vary. The expansion that occurs when your water freezes can cause cracks that, when the ice thaws, water will leak out of. Leaking water then drips into the structure of your home, threatening its integrity. Your water bill increases out of nowhere. If your monthly water bill is uncharacteristically high and doesn’t match your usage, a pipe is likely leaking! This can occur from a crack, but it can also result from loose plumbing connections. Connections can separate when the water within your pipe freezes and expands. The pressure that accumulates within the pipe, pushes your plumbing connections apart. A frozen water line will increase your utility costs, as your plumbing is struggling to properly function. Prevent Frozen Pipes Disconnect all outdoor water sources, such as hose bibs and water features. Insulate your attic, garage, and basement. Keep your garage door shut when you can. Maintain an even indoor temperature above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Seal any air leaks around your window and doors. Place electrical heat tape and insulation around your easily affected pipes. For all of your pipe repairs this winter, contact Steve’s Plumbing, LLC at (425) 979-7376. We will make sure your pipes are ready to take on the chill. 

What You Need to Know About Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Coronavirus or COVID-19 is a new disease and doctors across the globe are still learning how it spreads, the severity of the symptoms tied with it, and how contagious it may be. In Seattle, schools are closing and many employers are letting people work from home for the remainder of the month. This is a huge step to prevent the spread of disease and thankfully, the CDC has shared information to keep your home and family safe from illness. How is the Coronavirus spread? Person-to-person contact While details are still being established, at this time the disease is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person contact. As a respiratory disease, COVID-19 can be spread through an infected person coughing or sneezing within 6 feet of an uninfected individual. Contact with infected surfaces The main way COVID-19 is thought to be spread is through contact with an infected individual, but health officials are also cautioning the public about coming into contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. The CDC, in particular, warns about contact with a contaminated surface and then touching your nose, mouth, or eyes. Prevention The best way to prevent a disease with no vaccine is to avoid catching it. Many of the everyday actions you do to prevent catching a regular cold apply to COVID-19. These include: Avoiding contact with those who are sick Staying home when you’re sick Cleaning and properly disinfecting heavily used surfaces and frequently touched objects Washing your hands with soap regularly and for at least 20 seconds Proper sanitization techniques Clean first, disinfect later. Cleaning refers to the removal of germs from whatever surface you’re using. Disinfecting is the process of killing germs left on said surface. It goes without saying that it’s better to fully remove germs and then worry about killing those that remain. Use household cleaners on frequently touched objects. Doorknobs, tables, keyboards, toilets, remote controls, and light switches are all heavily used objects around your home that come into contact with many germs. When cleaning these, use soap and water to remove germs, then disinfect with an alcohol solution that is at least 70% alcohol. You can also use any common household disinfectant that is registered with the EPA, such as Lysol or Clorox. As a family-owned and operated company, we understand firsthand how important it is to protect your loved ones from COVID-19. Steve’s Plumbing is taking every precaution possible when it comes to keeping our people healthy. Our technicians wear gloves, wash their hands, and have hand sanitizer easily accessible in their trucks. We guarantee that we won’t send a sick employee to anyone’s home. We keep our team healthy so you can rest easy knowing your home and family will stay healthy. For more information about COVID-19 please visit the CDC’s website.

Don’t Let Toilet Troubles Ruin Your Valentine’s Day

We here at Steve’s Plumbing, LLC want you to have an ideal Valentine’s day. That means, no flooding toilets, no clogs, and definitely no backflow. But, sometimes the unexpected and unimaginable happens. So, how can you ensure that your night doesn’t end tragically, and in one of the least romantic scenarios known to man? By following these tips on how to get out of toilet trouble! How To Stop Rising Water If the water in your toilet bowl begins to rise, you have an obstructed drain line. From flushing incompatible items to simply using too much toilet paper, this can happen out of nowhere. One day, the build-up of undeteriorated waste and other items can simply revolt—blocking your waste pipe. How do you stop the water from filling the entire bowl, and flooding onto your bathroom floor? Stop trying to flush! Continuously flushing the toilet will only fill the bowl with more water. What you’ll need to do is locate your water valve, which is typically installed behind your toilet. Turn the valve to the right to shut off the water supply to the affected toilet. This will prevent flooding. Then, you’ll have to grab your plunger. Once you establish a strong connection between your plunger and the toilet, begin repetitive motions, moving forward and backward. This will generate the suction needed to evacuate the water in your bowl. After the water is drained, turn your water valve to the left to resupply water to your toilet. If the above does not provide resolution, contact a professional plumber to assess the damage. How To Restore Proper Water Levels If you notice low water levels in your toilet—you have entered the drain danger zone. Insufficient water in your bowl means that your flapper is likely malfunctioning. What is a flapper? The round, rubber stopper within your toilets’ tank. A working flapper will open when a toilet is flushed, signaling for waste to be sucked down your drain. If this piece is defective, your toilet will have a weak flush and become exceedingly susceptible to clogs. How do you rise up to this predicament? By repairing the flapper. You’ll need to lift the lid off of your tank to locate the rubber stopper attached to a chain. This chain is actually your target. When this chain is too long, your toilet won’t flush. You’ll need to shorten the chain to regain proper flapper function. Keep shortening the chain until normal water levels are restored when you flush! How To Prevent Backflow First off, what even is backflow? When the pressure within your pipes becomes unbalanced, and shifts, pushing water in the opposite direction than intended—that’s backflow. As you can imagine, this poses potential problems with respect to sanitation and the state of your plumbing systems. This can result from old plumbing and will manifest as discolored water, foul odors, or uneven water levels in multiple drains. If you notice any of the above backflow symptoms—contact a professional plumber ASAP. This is not a calamity you can tackle solo. For all of your emergency plumbing needs this Valentine’s Day, contact Steve’s Plumbing, LLC at (425) 979-7376. We will take care of your plumbing, so you can focus on what really matters—your special day.

We’re Taking Extra Safety Measures Against COVID-19

The Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has us all nervous; there’s no doubt about it. With the sickness being particularly dangerous for those in questionable health or of elevated age, people everywhere want to slow the spread as much as possible, flattening the curve until it fizzles out for good. That means taking a number of additional precautionary measures to ensure safety, sanitation, and limiting the spread to the best of our ability. However, when we visit so many different homes each and every day, that becomes a challenge that we need to take additional precautionary measures to overcome. Here at Steve’s Plumbing, these precautionary measures are great not only for us, as they keep our team of skilled and knowledgeable technicians protected and healthy so they can continue to serve you, but they also help protect you and your family as well. This means you can enjoy total and complete peace of mind, knowing that your home will both get the service it needs in a prompt and high-quality fashion, and that you’ll remain safe, secure, and healthy throughout this quarantine period. Here are just a few of the additional steps we’re taking in order to keep you and your loved ones protected during this time: All employees are required to monitor their health and stay home if they are not feeling well. Any employees who exhibit signs of potential COVID-19 symptoms are being asked to self-quarantine for a minimum of 14 days before returning to work. We have stocked all of our service trucks with latex gloves and hand sanitizer. Employees are required to use both at every job site to ensure their hands and equipment remain clean and virus free. They are also required to sanitize their work area before they begin and after the work is completed. Technicians who visit your home are required to wear respirator masks in order to protect your home and prevent the potential airborne spread of the disease. Should it make you more comfortable, you may also request that they wear a Tyvek Coverall suit that covers their entire head for greater peace of mind. Field technicians are required to clean and sanitize their tablets and other electronic devices that receive a lot of hand traffic after each job and before bringing them into your home. Employees are also being asked to thoroughly clean their tools and equipment each day in order to ensure they remain safe to use in any home. We are also regularly cleaning our larger tools and machines for maximum sanitation Of course, we will also continue to wear shoe covers and keep our work area clean when servicing your home. Our goal is to leave your home in better condition than it was when we arrived. We are continuing to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely and our protocols we have put in place remain flexible and subject to change based on information available and guidelines provided by the CDC and governmental authorities. Our mission is to do everything in our power to not only continue to serve our community with the same great plumbing services you’ve come to know and trust, but also to help our community remain healthy by stopping the spread of the Novel Coronavirus as much as possible. While we are doing everything in our power to continue to protect our community, we ask that our community do us a few small favors in return. When you call to schedule an appointment, we ask that you please notify our staff in advance if anyone in your home is feeling ill or has traveled outside of the country within the last 30 days. This will allow us to coordinate with you while continuing to keep our team protected. If anyone in your home does fall ill, our team would be happy to work with you to reschedule for when it is safe for us to complete our visit. We thank you for your continued trust during this difficult and uncertain period. If you need your plumbing serviced, our team at Steve’s Plumbing, LLC is here to help. Dial (425) 979-7376 now to schedule an appointment.