Happy Holidays From Simmons Plumbing & HVAC

 

 

Happy Holidays From Simmons Plumbing & HVAC

   Now with Thanksgiving over and Black Friday(or as we at Simmons Plumbing like to call it the busiest time of year) it is time to look forward to December, the holidays and beyond.
   There is a lot going on around the area this holiday season! We hope everyone enjoyed the Annual Christmas Stroll in Haverhill, MA. and Portsmouth New Hampshire's Vintage Christmas has events straight through to December 22cd.

    We would also like to invite you to join us at Giggles in Saugus, MA Thursday December 19th to see our very own spokesman Dave Russo for a night of laughs and good times. It is also for a VERY GOOD CAUSE -all proceeds go to benefit GLOBE SANTA!! So come on over and give yourself a break from the Holiday rush and all the cold and snow.

    And speaking of cold and snow we are always here twenty four seven(even Christmas!!) for any
heating or plumbing emergency.

    So once again Simmons Plumbing would like to wish everyone a  happy holiday season. And we wish you a warm  and comfortable 2014, and as always we are always here to make sure it stays that way.

   Truly Yours,
                           Simmons Plumbing & HVAC

Turkey Day

 

 

With THANKSGIVING just days away, we are all thinking of Family, Food and Football not to forget the Bruins and Rangers on Friday,  we at Simmons would like to offer some things you can do to prevent expensive repairs to your Garbage Disposal.

*DO keep your garbage disposal clean. Pour a little dish soap inside and let the garbage disposal run for a minute with some cold water after washing dishes.
*DO run your garbage disposal regularly. Frequent use prevents rust and corrosion, assures that all parts stay moving and prevents obstructions from accumulating.
*DO use cold water. Why cold water? It will cause any grease or oils that may get into the unit to solidify, so that they can be chopped up before reaching the trap.
*DO grind small chicken and fish bones, small fruit pits, etc. A scouring action is created by these particles inside the grind chamber that cleans the garbage disposal’s walls.
*DO grind peelings from citrus fruits such as lemons or oranges to freshen up drain smells.
*DO cut large items into smaller pieces. Put them into the garbage disposal one at a time instead of trying to shove a large amount in at once.

And as always if all else fails let a professional fix your garbage disposal.


Image courtesy of vectorolie at freedigitalphotos.net

NOW ON TO NOVEMBER....

With the WORLD SERIES WON and HALLOWEEN behind us it is now time to look ahead at the upcoming holiday season.
November means Thanksgiving.
Along with family, food and football it also means extra stress and use on your plumbing both in the kitchen and bathroom.

  With that in mind we at Simmons Plumbing would like to provide  some easy tips to that could possibly help you save on expensive repairs. Today we would like to offer some advice on keeping  your garbage disposal running at tip top condition:

* Don’t pour grease, oil or fat down your disposal or drain. Grease will build up, impede your disposal’s grinding ability and also clog your drain.
 
* Don’t put fibrous material like celery stalks, onion skins, and corn husks down the disposal. They can get tangled and jam the motor and also clog drains .
 
* Don’t put too many potato peels down the disposal. Potato starches can turn into a thick paste and cause blades to stick.
 
* Don’t put large amounts of food of any kind down the disposal all at once. Feed food a little at a time with the cold water running; this will help the food scraps flow down freely and avoid clogged drains.
 
* Don’t put expandable foods like pasta and rice down the disposal.They expand when you add water in a pot and do the same once inside your disposal or pipes. These are a very common cause for jams and clogs.
 
* Don’t grind beef and pork bones.
 
* Don’t put coffee grounds down the disposal. They won’t harm the disposal but they can build up in drains and pipes and cause clogs.

*Don’t use hot water when using your disposal. Hot water will cause grease to liquefy, causing your drain to clog.

*Don’t turn off the motor or water until grinding is completed. When grinding is complete, turn off the the garbage disposal first. Let water continue to run for at least 15 seconds.. Then turn off  the water.

*Don’t use harsh chemicals like bleach or drain cleaners in your disposal. They can damage blades and pipes. Use Borax instead. It is a natural sink cleaner and sanitizer that effectively works on odor-causing mold and mildew that accumulates in garbage disposals.

10 Tips to prepare your plumbing for the upcoming winter.

Ahh October in Northern New England, the leaves are getting to peak color, the holidays are right around the corner
and let's not forget about the Sox - we WON the World Series again!

   But it is definitely getting chilly in the morning if not downright cold. A perfect reminder that winter is on the way. And as we know from the Halloween blizzard a couple of years ago it can come early and suddenly. Don't be caught unprepared for plumbing problems associated with cold weather. 

The hassle and extra expense can be easily prevented by following these tips or a quick call to Simmons Plumbing. In our area, whether it be Haverhill Ma or Portsmouth NH, we should be taking preventive action to protect our plumbing systems by late October. By not preparing early it will prove costly when your pipes freeze, which is why the Simmons Plumbing suggests taking these precautions now, instead of waiting until winter is here. 

These 10 tips can save you money and all be done before the baseball season is over(at least if you are a Red Sox fan;).




1. Make sure all outside water hoses are disconnected. Connected water hoses, in winter weather will freeze and expand and it turn can cause your connected faucets and pipes to freeze and break.

2. Check your outside faucets for drips or leaks. If they are make the necessary fixes or call Simmons for repairs.

3. If you have interior shut-off valves leading to these faucets, all the better, close these and drain water from the pipes.

4. You can also purchase a faucet insulation kit to put on the outside faucets they are easy to install and inexpensive .

5. You should insulate pipes in any unheated areas. Use heat tape or better yet thermostat-controlled heat cables.

6. If you are going to be away from your home for any extended period of time in the coming months, make sure your furnace is set no lower than 55 degrees to prevent pipes from freezing. Keep in mind that when pipes freeze, water pressure can build, causing cracks. Even a tiny crack can unleash 250 gallons of water in a single day. It makes no difference whether the pipe is made of plastic, copper or steel.

7. We all know our water heater works harder during the winter. But did you know that draining corrosion-causing sediment from the tank increases it's energy efficiency? If you are not sure how to do this Simmons is always here to help.

8. You should set your water heater thermostat to 120 F for optimum performance without risk of scalding.

9. Clearing leaves and debris from roof gutters and downspouts will ensure proper drainage all winter long.

10. If you have a sump pit inspect and clean it by removing any rocks or debris. Then dump a bucket of water into the sump pit to test the pump. If it pumps the water out then turns off, it is operating properly.




That's it from Simmons Plumbing and HVAC for now. We will periodically post more money saving tips. Until then enjoy the autumn season and GO SOX!

We at Simmons Plumbing and Heating can think of no better way to launch our blog than to offer a little bit of humor.

 

Be sure to check out our "vertically challenged" spokesperson Dave Russo

on October 19th in North Andover at the Lots of Laughs Comedy Lounge beginning at 9:00 PM! He will also be filming this show for NESN's Dirty Water TV, so be sure to sit close to get some camera time. LOL Comedy Lounge is located at: 946 Osgood Street, North Andover, MA. Tickets available here