Unfortunately, this creates the perfect storm for flood weather. But wait – there’s also some good news because you’re not completely helpless. There are a few preventative measures you can take to ensure your yard and basement don’t spend this April drowning in showers.

Grade Your Yard

To avoid incoming water, the ground should always slope away from your home. To achieve this, you’ll need to understand the high and low points of your home, and use extra dirt to slope accordingly.

Add Mulch

Fill garden areas graded away from your home with a few inches of mulch to help keep soil in place for when it rains. If mulching near your home, make sure the mulch is at least six inches from your siding to avoid creating an environment that can develop into rot.

Plant Grass

The root structure of grass can help absorb water. Once it grows in, avoid cutting your lawn too short, as it weakens the roots and can lead to flooding in your yard, and possibly your home.

Make Sure Downspouts Are Turned Away From Your Home

This may seem obvious, but it’s worth mentioning. Be sure to direct your downspouts toward lawn areas that are graded away from your home so that the water does not simply flow back toward your outside walls and sit.

Install A Sump Pump

Finally, you may want to put a little money into prevention. In the long run, it’s cheaper than the alternative. For all you sump pump newbies, it acts like a big floor drain, sucking any water out of your basement or out of the surrounding foundation and redirecting it elsewhere out of harm’s way.

If you have a question about how you can help prevent your yard or basement from flooding, call your Louisville Dauenhauer, any hour.

But fear not, should sewage issues ever befall you, diagnosing what went wrong usually comes down to one of three things.

Tree Roots
It’s amazing how determined some tree roots can be. Some roots can extend two to four times out from the diameter of the crown and penetrate the smallest of sewer line cracks. But there’s a reason for this. Wastewater is actually nutritious for roots, so they’re drawn to it. And when tree roots bust through pipes, chaos is sure to follow. If your property has an abundance of trees and you suspect your plumbing issues are from their root system, a plumber will need to perform an inspection to ensure the pipes aren’t damaged.

All Clogged Up
There’s a simple rule to follow: if what you’re flushing doesn’t completely dissolve in water, then it probably shouldn’t be flushed, as such items will eventually accumulate and create a clog. Some common items to avoid flushing include cat litter, hair, diapers, floss and other hygiene products. Be careful, even if it’s labeled as “safe to flush,” it can still pose a hazard to your plumbing system.

Broken Pipe
Increased pressure, soil shifts and freezing weather can all affect a pipeline’s integrity and create a break in the pipe. Similarly, corrosion and seals between your pipes can also become damaged, which results in water filtering out into the ground around it. If this happens, you’ll have some pretty obvious clues. Just look for mystery puddles of water that appear. They will also carry a strong, unpleasant odor around your property. Just to be safe, it’s a good idea to have your septic system inspected every three years to ensure your pipes are in good shape.

If you have any other questions about sewer line issues, call your local Louisville Dauenhauer, any hour.

Fun fact: The water heater reset button is also sometimes referred to as the ECO
(emergency cut off) switch.

Ok, now that you know what the ECO switch is, let’s talk about the reasons it may be
tripping. As you may already know, 120 degrees Fahrenheit is considered the sweet spot for
most water heaters. This is because it’s hot enough to prevent the growth of harmful
bacteria, but not so hot as to pose a serious scalding hazard.

If your water heater starts tripping the ECO repeatedly, something isn’t right (obviously,
right). But also, this is something you don’t want to mess on your own either because there’s
a good chance the water in the tank is dangerously hot. It’s time to call Dauenhauer.
If you’re wondering what could be causing your ECO to trip, we’ve put together a quick list
you can reference.

Bad Thermostat
Your thermostat is designed to control a heating element, which in turn heats the water.
When the water reaches the desired temperature, it’s the job of the thermostat to shut the
heating element off. This can’t happen if your thermostat is bad – resulting in overheating
water.

Bad Heating Element
It’s not unheard of for a heating element to go on the fritz with age. When they do, they’ll
just stop heating, or they’ll develop a short and overheat.

Bad ECO
The ECO itself is yet another part that is susceptible to failure. This could be due to wear
and tear from repeated instances of overheating, or it could just be a spontaneous failure.
Still, have more questions about your ECO or your thermostat? We have an easy answer. Call
your local Lexington Dauenhauer, any hour.

And one obvious reason is that there’s lots of water and humidity in the bathroom.

Think about it. There is frequently running water in the bathroom basin, the bathtub and the shower; which creates wet surfaces and puddles of water. If you don’t dry this moisture out quickly it can easily lead to mold growth.

On top of this, when the water in the bathroom does dry out it evaporates into the air and increases the humidity. You can’t win, right? Steam from the shower or a hot bath also makes the bathroom more humid. Since bathrooms are often not well ventilated the humidity tends to hang around, thus leading wet surfaces to take a long time to dry out.

Reducing Humidity in the Bathroom

Ideally the humidity in the bathroom should be kept below 55% to prevent mold growth. You can maintain this by ventilating your bathroom well, especially after you’ve had a shower or bath. Turn on the bathroom fan while you shower and leave it on for about five minutes afterward to remove the steam and dry out the air.

Besides leaving the window and door of the bathroom open after having a shower or bath, if you are concerned about the moisture levels you can also wipe down wet surfaces so they dry faster.

Regular Bathroom Cleaning

Regularly cleaning the bathroom will prevent mold starting to grow. Once a month wipe down the bathroom with an anti-fungal solution. Remember to include the ceiling when you do this as it is a prime area for mold growth. The floor can be mopped with mold inhibiting solutions such as vinegar.


Drying Wet Surfaces in the Bathroom

Drying wet surfaces manually will reduce moisture sources as well as the humidity level of the bathroom since the water on these surfaces would otherwise evaporate into the air. After you have had a shower or bath wipe down the tiles, glass, mirror, walls, window or any other wet surfaces with a towel or squeegee. It’s also a good idea to minimize the number of potential wet surfaces by removing any objects from the bathroom you don’t need.

For more answers about dealing with bathroom mold, call your local Lexington Dauenhauer, any hour.

In fact, the only better feeling is when you’re able to watch as your home increases in value. There are many ways to do this. Sometimes it’s major overhauls that will add some value to your home, and other times it’s just minor upgrades. Here are some potential ideas that could add a little boost to your home’s worth.

Bathroom Appliances
The first easy thing you can do is to update all of the major plumbing appliances in your bathroom, such as bathtubs, showers, sinks, and toilets. This will improve the look of your bathroom, as well as, most importantly, make it more appealing for you as a homeowner. Just give Dauenhauer a call, and we’ll install whatever you need, like a new bathtub, sink or toilet to make your home look more up to date and trendy. The bonus: newer appliances tend to conserve water better as well, saving you money on water.

Drain Repair
Another way to improve your home’s value is to have your drains inspected, perhaps even replaced. While this isn’t as attractive as upgrading utilities, it is an investment that will lead to longer lasting pipes.

Dishwasher
There’s nothing like knowing you no longer have to wash another dish by hand. So, making an upgrade at dishwasher will always be a welcome sight in the kitchen. Not only will it make you want to eat in more often, but it also will add a little boost to your home’s value.

Tankless Water Heater
A tankless water heater is a big upgrade for any home. First, they are known to reduce energy costs by as much as 35%. Then there’s the reliability factor. When properly utilized, you can get an unlimited supply of hot water, even with more than one person showering at a time. Lastly, their life expectancy is close to 20 years, making them a worthy investment.

Have any other ideas for upgrading your bathroom or plumbing? We’d love to hear them. Just call your local Louisville Dauenhauer, any hour.