Blackmon Mooring Blog

From your home's best friend - Blackmon Mooring

With freezing temperatures threatening the North Texas and Oklahoma areas, it is not uncommon for water pipes to burst as a result. Blackmon Mooring is ready to help your family if your property experiences any water damage due to bursting pipes.  We are available 24/7 to meet your needs.  You can visit our website at www.BlackmonMooring.com or call us at 877-730-1948.  We will respond quickly to your call.  We recommend taking these precautions to prevent property damage and uncontrolled water loss due to freezing and possible broken water pipes.

Before Freezing Weather
      

• Wrap all exposed pipes located outside or in unheated areas of the building.

• Remove garden hoses from outside faucets. Insulate outside faucets with Styrofoam cover, rags, bubble wrap or paper.

• Cover vents around the foundation of your home.

• Know where your property owner's cut-off valve is located and how to use it. Apply oil such as WD-40 to the cut-off valve before operating to prevent the valve from breaking. The valve is located adjacent to the water meter box under a 6" metal lid.

In Sub-Freezing Weather

• Drip outside faucets 24 hours a day (5 drops per minute). This is not necessary unless temperatures are expected to be 28 degrees or below for at least 4 hours. (Be sure to turn off the faucets after the threat of freezing weather.)

• Open cabinet doors under sinks adjacent to outside walls.

• In unheated garages, shut off water to washing machines. Water softeners should be drained and protected from freezing temperatures.

• In sustained sub-freezing weather, let water drip slowly from inside faucets.

• Take extra precautions to protect pipes that have frozen in the past.

 

If a Pipe Freezes     

     

• Don't take chances. If you turn on your faucets and nothing comes out, leave the faucets turned on and call a plumber. If you detect that your water pipes have frozen and burst, turn off the water at the main shut-off valve in the house; leave the water faucets turned on. (Make sure everyone in your family knows where the water shut-off valve is and how to open and close it.)

• Never try to thaw a pipe with a torch or other open flame. Water damage is preferable to burning down your house. You may be able to thaw a frozen pipe with the warm air from a hair dryer. Start by warming the pipe as close to the faucet as possible, working toward the coldest section of pipe. Do not use electrical appliances in areas of standing water because you could be electrocuted.

If You Are Not Going To Be At Home

• Cut water off at the property owner's cut-off valve.

• Drain all outside water faucets if your building will be unoccupied for several days (leave outside faucets open).

• Leave heating system on at a low setting.

• Open cabinet doors under sinks adjacent to outside walls.

Contact us at Toll Free: 877-730-1948 or visit www.blackmonmooring.com

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Almost every building in the United States is subject to severe winter weather. Buildings in the northern and central parts of the country may be more at risk, but the south is not exempt from ice storms and arctic blasts. Actually, recent history shows that areas most vulnerable to damage are those in the southern portions of the country because they are not used to long periods of freezing temperatures. For these reasons, it is critical that every facility prepare for winter weather. Part of this preparation MUST include the fire protection systems.

As you might expect, the most common types of sprinkler problems during the winter months are freezing water in pipes. Two problems are most prevalent: water accumulating in dry pipe sprinkler systems from the compressed air in the sprinkler pipes or from water not thoroughly drained from past trip tests, and inadequately heated portions of wet pipe sprinkler systems. The following checklist focuses on these two issues. It is designed for a building owner, or responsible party, to supplement an existing sprinkler system maintenance program. It is not designed to be all-inclusive, or a replacement for regular inspection, testing and maintenance of fire protection equipment.

Winter Weather Preparedness Checklist

Wet Pipe Fire Sprinkler Systems

          Ensure that the building shell is in good condition; close up any unnecessary openings

          Maintain building heat at a minimum of 40°F in all normally heated areas and any area with a wet pipe sprinkler system

          Check coldest points of building to ensure temperature is at least 40°F (i.e., eaves, over shipping doors, spaces without direct heat)

          Consider low temperature alarms in areas where heat is suspect

          Identify vulnerable areas, such as crawl spaces, attics, and above suspended ceilings, where water piping pass through and provide a way for heat to reach these areas

          Place thermostats and/or low temperature alarms at strategic locations to monitor building temperature

          Check insulation in attic areas or other areas near wet pipe sprinkler pipes.



Dry Pipe Fire Sprinkler Systems

          Maintain heat in dry pipe valve rooms, fire pump rooms and all areas protected by wet pipe sprinkler systems, at a minimum of 40°F.

          Heaters should be thermostatically controlled. Use of portable heaters is discouraged.

          Drain all low point drains weekly during freezing weather. Have additional drains installed if necessary.

          Have air leaks repaired to keep system from tripping if compressor power is lost.

          Air supplied to the compressor should come from a dry, room-temperature source. If this is not possible, or moisture build-up is a problem, consider installing an air dryer or using nitrogen instead of air.

          Have the pitch checked on any pipes where the pipe or hangers have been hit, altered, or appear sagging.

Other items to consider in preparing for winter weather conditions:

Hydrants, Control Valves and Fire Department Connections

          Check private hydrant fittings for tightness.

          For areas prone to significant snow, identify hydrants with flags or markers located above the average snow line.

          Check around hydrants and post indicator valves for soft or wet ground. This is an indication of a leaky underground piping and should be further assessed.

          Ensure all control valves are in their normal operating position and secure from tampering.

          Check fire department connections for accessibility. Keep clear by shoveling away snow to access connections.


Antifreeze systems

          Have antifreeze solution checked for mix strength.

Gravity and Suction Tanks

          Flush heaters, water circulating equipment and piping

          Turn on heaters and water circulating equipment and monitor equipment throughout winter months

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:  The Information contained in this blog is not, and is not intended as a substitute for advice from a safety expert or legal counsel you may retain for your own purposes.  It is not intended to supplant any legal duty you may have to provide a safe premises, workplace, product or operation. SouthWest Fire Protection, Inc.

At Blackmon Mooring, customer service is our number one priority, so we love it when customers write to us about their experiences.  One of our Fort Worth carpet cleaning customers, Kristin, wrote to us about her recent experience. Here's her story:

No More Water Stains!
I've got to be honest, as much as I care about the cleanliness of my home, before my recent experience with Blackmon Mooring, I had never hired a professional carpet cleaner.  My carpet cleaning routine has always consisted of vacuuming, spot cleaning and occasionally renting one of those machines from the grocery store (which I'm sure I don't have to tell you - is not an enjoyable experience).

A couple weeks ago, our over-worked A/C backed up and a substantial amount of water  leaked onto the carpet in our back hallway.

So, between working, family, cooking, cleaning, etc I just didn't have the energy or time to clean this one myself... so I decided to call Blackmon Mooring.  From the first encounter, my experience was enjoyable.   When I called, the lady I spoke with on the phone was not able to find an availability for that weekend (I was operating at the last minute as usual), so OK I thought, I'll just book a time the following week and we got off the phone.  However, what I didn't know was that behind the scenes she was actively searching for something that may better fit my schedule and called me back less than 5 minutes later with an availability for that weekend.... Customer Satisfaction Check 1.

Then when the carpet cleaning team arrived (5 minutes early I should add), I was highly impressed with their professionalism and respect for my family and home.... Check 2.

We spoke about the areas of concern, then they were off cleaning my carpets. In the process, they handled my furniture with great care and worked quickly, but thoroughly.  Before I knew it, they were finished and allowed me to review their work to ensure I was completely satisfied.  The water stain was gone and my carpet definitely looked (and was) cleaner than anything I could have done myself...  Check 3.

I was very satisfied with the work done and will definitely add scheduling Blackmon Mooring Carpet Cleaning to my annual household duties.

Your Grateful Customer,

Kristin