Hurricane Season Is Here — Prep Your Plumbing!

Hurricane Season Is Here — Prep Your Plumbing! Banner Image

The peak time for hurricane season is August and September, but it pays to be vigilant about hurricane preparedness throughout the season. Once a storm is on the horizon, and your house is boarded up and stocked with non-perishable food and water, use your last bit of preparation time to spare a thought to your plumbing. After all, the last thing you want to deal with during or after a hurricane is broken plumbing.

Follow these tips from Quality Plumbing of Gainesville Inc. to keep your plumbing in business before, after, and during a hurricane. If there are any issues when the coast is clear, contact us for expedited plumbing services.

Before The Storm

  • Reserve water. Clean water services are frequently interrupted during and after hurricanes, so it’s best to prepare for this eventuality in advance. In addition to stockpiling drinking water, consider reserving some water for toilet use, washing hands, and cleaning dishes. Bathtubs make for easy and ready water reservoirs.
  • Check drains for debris. Do a quick examination of the sewer drains on and around your property and remove grass clippings, branches, leaves, and other debris. Any clogged drains left unattended, may accumulate excess water, flood your home, or cause other property damage.
  • Be mindful of tree roots. Hurricanes often bring gusts of wind powerful enough to uproot trees. If your tree’s roots are around your outdoor pipes, these can become uprooted as well, opening your plumbing to mud and debris, and causing a backed up sewer lineBe proactive — have a plumber inspect your property to ensure that all trees are at a safe distance from your pipelines.
  • Shut off the main water valve. Even if you’re evacuating your home, be sure to shut off the main water valve. Doing so can help keep contaminated water from entering your system and making your family sick.

During The Storm

While there’s not much to do during a storm than to sit back and ride it out, you can be proactive by keeping an eye out for any flooding and being frugal with your water use. Because you don’t know how long you’ll be without potable water, it’s best to use what you have saved up sparingly. In the event you run out of water, you may be able to use water from your water heater. Just make sure that your electricity and gas are turned off before accessing the water heater.

After The Storm

  • Maintain your water reserves. While the storm may have passed, there’s no telling how much damage it caused or how long it will take before services resume as usual. Be sure to keep your water reserves until local authorities announce that public water is safe to use.
  • Turn on the main water valve. After you’re sure that the water isn’t contaminated, remember to turn the main water valve back on.
  • Clear debris from the drains. Once the storm has passed completely, and it is safe to venture outside, clear the drains once more. Most likely, there will be more debris clogging the sewer drains now than before the storm. Clearing storm refuse will help excess water drain away faster.
  • Call a plumber. If you’re having any issues with your plumbing after a hurricane, call a professional plumbing company as soon as possible. Quality Plumbing of Gainesville Inc. offers emergency plumbing services to get your system back up and running sooner!