Are You Ready for Hurricane Season?

By Billy Aldridge

While we may have dodged a bullet when it came to Tropical Storm Andrea, this may only be a taste of 

Tropical Cyclone Bingiza (Photo credit: NASA Goddard Photo and Video)

what’s to come as we Floridians slog through yet another hurricane season.  Since it’s always a good policy to hope for the best and prepare for the worst, I thought I’d take some time to talk about how to prepare your home’s plumbing for nature’s wrath.  While most people are more concerned with stocking the shelves and making sure that they have enough batteries and candles should the lights go out, there are a number of plumbing-related issues that you need to cross off your hurricane checklist before the next big blow.

     1.      Nobody is concerned with potable water until there is none to be had.  When hurricane conditions are imminent, you should fill your bathtub and a number of pots and pitchers with water, since the flooding that accompanies a hurricane brings with it a host of bacteria.  While you can always boil water in order to kill pathogens, if you have an electric stove and the power goes out, this might not be feasible.  So stocking up on water to drink and bathe in before the storm hits is always a good idea.

      2.      Once the water starts to rise, the last thing you want to do is flush the toilet.  This is a sure way to flood the bathroom.  As distasteful as this might sound, you need to have a bucket, plastic bags and baby wipes handy for just such a contingency.  Better safe than sorry.

      3.      Make sure all your drains and sewers are free of leaves and debris.  The last thing you want to do is have water back up into your home when the lightning is flashing and the rain is coming down in sheets.   If your drains have been slow to remove water after an afternoon shower, now is the time to have your local plumber inspect them for root intrusion.  I have actually seen water geyser up from blocked drains during major storms.  While most people worry about wind damage, flood damage is far more prevalent and costly to repair. 

      4.      Other nasty things that can accompany storm waters are snakes, rodents, bugs and mold, all of which would much prefer to spend their time inside your home during and after the storm.  This means you need to check for holes in screens, missing or damaged weather stripping and cracks in walls and broken seals around pipes, all of which can admit creepy crawlies.

5.      Locate and test all the water shut off valves in your home.  Should a pipe burst or water start to backflow into your home, you need to know how to shut off the water to part or all of your home.  (See video above to learn how to locate and shut off your water main.)  As bad as conditions are outside, the last time to start looking for the shutoff is when crud starts infiltrating your home via the plumbing.  You also need to locate and test the shutoff valves on your toilets, sinks, water heater and washing machine to make sure they shut completely.  If you haven’t exercised these valves in years they may have frozen shut and need to be either lubricated or replaced

     Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctors of Plumbology at Aldridge & Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida.  To see more helpful how-to videos go to http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com