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Main Drain Blockage
I visited Deb J. this week for a main drain blockage.
It took a surgical approach to remove the 4” cast Iron pipe to get to the problem.
While going the painstaking process Deb started talking about other issue’s she was having in the house.
She said that she had been using the same pluming company for 30 years.
As I proceeded through the repair she mentioned the outside faucets that kept freezing preventing her to use it over 10 years, and the water heater that was out of warranty.
My Dear Watson resolved Main Drain Blockage
We then moved to the basement.
I showed her the outside faucet’s ball valve and its drain location to allow her to drain the line.
I made clear that shutting off the ball valve was not enough to solve her problem.
Her response was that no one had ever explained to her how to properly shut the outside water off to keep it from freezing.
My Dear Watson resolved Outside Faucet Issues
The “sacrificial rod” in the water heater is to allow the minerals to attack the rod instead of the tank.
The plumbing contractor just kept showing up every spring to repair the plumbing.
He never made suggestions on how to re-pipe the line to keep it from freezing.
Then our attention turned to the water heater.
She asked about the anode road she noticed; I explained that it was the “sacrificial rod” in the water heater to allow the minerals to attack the rod instead of the tank.
The other maintenance she could do herself would be to drain the water off the bottom of the tank once a year.
That too was never explained to her.
The most important thing we can do for our clients is to allow them to ask questions about their plumbing/heating and cooling systems in their house.
I was able to pull the 4” main drain apart, remove the blockage while keeping her basement clean by putting plastic down first and using a large trash barrel to catch the waste.
I asked why she didn’t call her other contractors, she said she did but they were not available until next Thursday. It was only Monday.
The most important thing we can do for our clients is to allow them to ask questions about their plumbing/heating and cooling systems in their house.
Show the homeowners the things they can do on their own and reassure them that they can call us anytime if they need further assistance with main drain clog or any other plumbing issues.
We, at My Dear Watson are only a phone call away.
So click www.4mywatson.com or call us today at 978-251-2994!
We are always here to help.
