Beacon’s "Stop Freakin’" Test

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Here’s why knowing these answers is important:

The fastest and easiest way to limit water damage to your residence in the event of a leak is to stop the flow of water into your home. The shut off valve is the valve that shuts the water supply off to your entire residence. A Beacon tech will be happy to show you where the valve is and tag it at no charge.
If you can’t locate the shut valve to your home, an alternative is to shut off the water to your home at the meter box. A Beacon tech will be happy to show you where the valve is at no charge.
Knowing what kind of water heater you have is important. There are many different types of water heating systems so if you are experiencing a problem, having this information is useful when you call in for help. Make sure your Beacon tech notes the age and type of water heater on a sticker that they’ll then place on your water heater.
All water heaters will fail at some point. Typically, conventional water heaters have a useful life on average of about 10 years. So knowing the age of your water heater is important—especially if you want to plan for the cost of its replacement as opposed to having no choice if the water heater has to be replaced because its useful life has ended.
If repair or replacement is needed, the size of the water heater can play a role in the its cost. Also, you may not need to replace your current water heater with the same size if you’ve downsized your household. Ask your Beacon tech as to the best size water heater to fit your needs.
Water heater prices will vary depending upon the kind of water heater you are using. Assuming that a 50 gallon electric water heater will cost the same as a gas power vented water heater or direct vent water heater is incorrect. Your Beacon tech can advise you on the cost differences.
Furnaces have a useful life. However, the average useful life for a furnace can be highly variable and depends upon the type of furnace. Some furnace types can, with proper maintenance and repair, run for years and years. Ask your Beacon tech for what is a normal useful life for your type of furnace.
Knowing the type of filter you use and its size is important information to keep on hand. You should be replacing filters twice a year. If you’re a preferred customer, an annual inspection is included as one of the many benefits to the plan.
If your gas furnace is not heating but will turn on and blow cold air, check the pilot light. If the pilot light has gone out, the heating element can’t be ignited. A Beacon tech will be happy to show you how to check to see if the pilot light is lit and how to re-light it if it should go out.
Sometime if the furnace won’t turn on no matter how you adjust the thermostat temperature, it is just that the batteries are dead. Check this along with checking the pilot light before making a call for service.
. “Clean outs” function exactly as they are named: it is an access point to a pipe system that allows the pipe to be cleaned. Clean outs are used as part of your main sanitary waste system and can be located inside and outside of the home. You’ve probably seen a large pipe that “Y’s” into your waste pipe system that has a cover, and frequently, a square peg in the middle of the cap that is used to unscrew that cap. A Beacon tech can point out the location of clean outs both inside or outside of your home, or, if your home doesn’t have any clean outs the cost and location where a clean out can be installed. It’s always more efficient and convenient to clear a backed up sewer line that is outside of the house from outside of the house through a clean out than removing a toilet and trying to clear the line starting inside of the house.
If your plumbing is backing up in your house and you’re on a septic system, the first thing you will want to check is the holding tank to determine if it is too full and in need of pumping. Knowing the location of the tank lid is the only way it can be dug up and exposed. If the tank is not in need of pumping, then the odds are high that the blockage is somewhere between the inside of the house and where the main waste line empties into the holding tank.
A shared line can pose special problems for obvious reasons if a repair is needed. The blockage/problem could originate in your portion of the line, but also exist in the shared portion of the line. Many cities maintain sewer maps so it may pay to see if you can get a map for your property to confirm if you and your neighbor share some or almost all of a sewer line.
If your dishwasher won’t work, check for a red button (usually on the bottom of the disposal). This is a re-set button so if your disposal suddenly stopped working and shut itself down, the re-set button will allow the disposal to be turned on again. A Beacon tech can show you where this button is located.
If you’ve pressed the re-set button and the disposal still won’t work, sometimes the disposal can be manually cleared. There is a hexagonal slot on the bottom of the disposal into which an “Allen” wrench (a hexagonally shaped metal stem that is bent at a 90 degree angle at one end) will fit. You can twist the Allen wrench back and forth and sometimes this will clear the disposal if it was jammed by some object.
There is a supply line that will come out of the wall near the toilet. A hose will be connected to it that then connects to the toilet. There will be a knob/handle at the wall where the supply line begins. Turn the handle/knob counterclockwise to shut off the flow of water to the toilet tank.
Knowing how and where your rain/stormwater runoff drains can save you from unnecessary water damage to your foundation, standing water in your crawl space, or water penetrating into your basement. You’d be surprised how many times roof downspouts just drain onto the ground and are not connected to foundation drainage system designed to carry that water away from the foundation walls. If you have a foundation drainage system, do you know where that water is going to flow? Do you know if the water is being carried away from the foundation or instead allowed to pool up?
Water hoses to washing machines that burst are a primary cause of major water damage to homes. Often the hoses burst while people are away from the home and these supply lines can carry a considerable amount of water. Just imagine bringing the garden hose inside your house then turning the water on full! Ask your Beacon tech about replacing your old washing machine hoses with “no-burst” high strength metal braided hoses.