|
I'm sure you have all noticed around town that the Snow Birds have migrated back for the winter. As this might get stressful for everyone else, let’s take a step back, breathe, and focus on preventative measures for your home.
One thing that comes to mind is making sure your home has a pressure reducing valve. A pressure reducing valve (PRV) regulates high incoming water pressure to a lower, constant downstream pressure. This will protect your plumbing, appliances and water fixtures from damages such as burst pipes, flooding, leaks, and pipe banging. The PRV will also maintain a stable and consistent water pressure to your home even if the county water’s pressure fluctuates. So how does a PRV work? It has an inlet where the high pressure water enters and an outlet where the lower pressure water exits. A spring and diaphragm are the core components. The spring provides a force, and the diaphragm responds to the downstream pressure. When the downstream pressure rises, it pushes against the diaphragm. This will partially close the valve to reduce the flow and lower the pressure. Then, when the downstream pressure drops, the spring pushes the diaphragm to open the valve. This allows more flow to maintain the set pressure. You can adjust the desired pressure on the PRV, usually using a screw on the top of the valve. How do I know if I need a PRV? It is always the safest to install a PRV on your home’s incoming water pipe, but especially, if the incoming water pressure exceeds 80 PSI. This high of pressure can damage the water fixtures, appliances and pipes. We can check the water pressure using a pressure gauge, and confirm if a valve is needed. Some counties may require a PRV to be installed on new or remodeled homes as well. PRVs are typically located on the main water supply line just after the water meter or where the water enters the house. It could be found on an interior wall, in the basement or crawlspace, and even underground. You can identify it as a bell-shaped component with an adjustment screw on the top. We highly recommend installing one if your home does not already have one. It will prolong the lifespan of your water pipes and appliances. By regulating the pressure, it can also save money on your water bill. High water pressure exerts more water per minute. Please give us a call and we will come out and assess your home, test the pressure and install one the same day!
0 Comments
Wishing you all a safe and wonderful Halloween! If you are carving pumpkins, please throw the guts and seeds in the garbage and not down your sink or toilet. The amount may cause the pipes to clog and back up your home. That would definitely be scary!  I hope everyone is having a great fall so far. As we approach the holidays where we are cooking the entire day and using a bunch of electricity, it got me thinking...what kind of wiring was used for my house? Do I have enough power to safely run everything? What do I need to do? Here are a few tips to think about when it comes to the electrical side of your home.
Rewire the House - You may need to have your house rewired due to age, damage or wire type. If your home is over 50 years old, it might be a good idea to have it rewired to make sure the wiring is updated to handle the modern electrical components. Sometimes there might be damage due to an accident or from animals that will require the wire to be replaced. The type of wire could have an impact too. I used to live in an old house that had aluminum wiring, so we made the choice to have it rewired. We didn't want to run the risk of having it cause a fire. Increase Circuit Breakers to Panel - Your current electrical panel may only be able to handle so much power for your home. If you are adding new appliances or adding more electrical outlets, you may need to add more breakers to accommodate the extra power needed. This would help balance the electricity and not overload it and cause a fire or damage to your appliances. Upgrade Electrical Meter - Lastly, you may want to have your electrical meter changed. Today, there are many advanced meters that are "smart" meters. They can effectively read your meter correctly and in real time. Some even have an app you can access and see what is going on. I had my meter changed out a few years ago because my old meter was the original and was not accurately reading how much usage I was using. One month my electric bill was over $600 and it was just myself. I reached out to the electrical company and they came out and advised that my meter was not working correctly. They quickly changed it out but I still had to pay the super high bill. Now my meter is accurately keeping track and I can log in and see the numbers myself. I would advise to call us to check out your electrical wiring and components so you do not run the risk of electrocuting yourself or causing a fire. We can come out and do a thorough check of your electrical panel, outlets and meter for you. Just give us a call! Pumpkin spiced things have arrived which means Fall is here. This is a gentle reminder that if you are wanting to have a picture-perfect home for the holidays, now is the time to get started. Rip out that outdated carpet and install new luxury vinyl plank flooring, or remove all the old built-in cabinets with that laminate countertop and replace with fresh new cabinets with granite tops. We can make your dream home into a reality. Now, home projects can take 3-8 weeks depending on what you are wanting to have done. We might have to special order things which can prolong the time period as well. Doing it now gives us time to get it all done right before the festivities begin. Annette has a wonderful talent for finding the right fixture or slab to fit your vision in your price range. Make sure to call us today to get your vision started!
|
AuthorAndrew is the son of the owners. He has worked for them throughout his life starting at the age of 14 as a laborer. He now manages the website and blog. Archives
February 2026
Categories |
RSS Feed