Family Water Safety & Plumbing
If you are someone who looks for a safe, green city to raise a family in, you won’t find much better than our gorgeous Ottawa Valley. Family oriented and a low crime rate, Ottawa boasts one of the safest places to allow your children to roam freely. Of course, safety measures must start in the home; the most innocent of things can prove to be dangerous if we don’t pay attention sometimes and water is one of them – especially around our most vulnerable. Here at John the Plumber Ottawa we take pride in the role we play as plumbers providing families throughout the area with safe and efficient plumbing. In keeping with that thought, we felt it would be a great idea to show how plumbing in your home relates to your family’s water safety.
Check For Leaks
A great habit to get into is taking note if there are any leaks coming from your tub or toilet; this is an easy thing to do and can prevent someone from falling on a slippery floor. The other thing a routine visual inspection will do is leaks will be noted before water begins to seep into your walls and ceilings and cause mold to grow. The presence of mold can become a health hazard both to your family and your chequebook alike; the faster you spot a leak, the safer it is all around.
Valves Are Important
It is critical that you ensure valves in your home are working properly, specifically mixing valves for your hot water tanks and your pressure and regulating valves. A mixing valve ensures that the water in your gas or electric hot water tank stays hot enough to prevent bacteria growth, but never so hot that it will scald you when you turn on your kitchen tap or shower. A mixing valve is now code on new builds, but there are many older homes in the Ottawa area that may have hot water tanks without mixing valves.
Regulating Temperature
Pressure and temperature regulating valves prevent the water from turning very cold or very hot when a toilet is flushed or a tap is turned on in the house while a shower is already in progress or a tap being used elsewhere. People with slower reflexes such as small children and seniors can get burned very easily if these valves are not in place, not to mention the added fall that could happen from the shock in temperature change.
We are a team of licensed and professional plumbers who have families of our own, so we know all households can benefit from these plumbing safety tips. Give us a call if you have any questions, we’re happy to help!
To discover more on the full range of services offered by our Ottawa-based John the Plumber, please call our offices today at 613-227-7465 or visit our business website at johntheplumber.ca
TIP: If a member of your family has issues with their back, knees or hips and/or you have an elderly person living there, you may want to consider investing in a right height toilet. Right height toilets are easier to rise from, and as this is a basic need all people require use of multiple times daily, it is worth the cost to switch over.
