Carroll's Plumbing Service Inc.

01/16/2024

Be safe out there!!

01/12/2024

Freeze Break Alert!!

When is it Cold Enough to Freeze?

When should homeowners be alert to the danger of freezing pipes? That depends, the “temperature alert threshold” is 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

This threshold is based upon research conducted by the Building Research Council at the University of Illinois. Field tests of residential water systems subjected to winter temperatures demonstrated that, for uninsulated pipes installed in an unconditioned attic, the onset of freezing occurred when the outside temperature fell to 20 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

This finding was supported by a survey of 71 plumbers practicing in southern states, in which the consensus was that burst pipe problems began to appear when temperatures fell into the teens. However, freezing incidents can occur when the temperature remains above 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Pipes exposed to cold air (especially flowing air, as on a windy day) because of cracks in an outside wall or lack of insulation are vulnerable to freezing at temperatures above the threshold. However, the 20 degrees Fahrenheit “temperature alert threshold” should address the majority of potential burst-pipe incidents in southern states.

Why do Pipes Burst?

Surprisingly, ice forming in a pipe does not typically cause a break where the ice blockage occurs. It’s not the radial expansion of ice against the wall of the pipe that causes the break. Rather, following a complete ice blockage in a pipe, continued freezing and expansion inside the pipe causes water pressure to increase downstream – between the ice blockage and a closed faucet at the end. It’s this increase in water pressure that leads to pipe failure. Usually the pipe bursts where little or no ice has formed. Upstream from the ice blockage the water can always retreat back towards its source, so there is no pressure build-up to cause a break. Water has to freeze for ice blockages to occur. Pipes that are adequately protected along their entire length by placement within the building’s insulation, insulation on the pipe itself or heating, are safe.
Thank You for this information.

12/25/2023

Mery Christmas!

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07/04/2023

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05/12/2023

Happy Mother’s Day Weekend!

05/03/2023

Thank you Nextdoor for recognizing Carroll's Plumbing Service Inc. We appreciate you!

04/19/2023

Call Carrolls Plumbing for all of your Backflow testing. Great rates and professional service 770-946-9339.

01/18/2023

Still praying for Griffin and surrounding counties.

01/13/2023

Prayers for Griffin and surrounding counties!❤️

01/02/2023

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01/01/2023

Happy New Year To All! Be Safe!

12/28/2022

How to find and shut off water at the curb.   This is the first thing you do if you have a pipe break in you house

Most of the time, these shutoff valves are located underneath a cover that is indented just below your grass level. The cover plate itself will look different depending on when your city was built and where you live, but in this example property, it is a circular lid and actually services two houses, which means it is a bit larger than other single home-sized ones.

To open this cover, you will need to rotate the pentagon-shaped latch 90 degrees to get the lid to open. There are special tools that can make this part easy, but in most cases, a pair of vice grips or a crescent wrench will do the job perfectly well.

It is essential to be careful when you lift the actual lid up after unlocking the latch, as most cities have moved from a manual meter to a digital meter. What this means for us homeowners is that there will likely be a load of electronics and hardware directly underneath the lid. Ensure that you’re wearing gloves, and lift the lid open carefully and set it gently to the side.

Once you have the lid safely removed, you should see the main water line a meter and the shutoff valve. The depth of the hole will differ again depending on where you live; in the midwest, it is approximately three feet deep where the frost line will be.

While the depth of the hole itself may differ, this is the stage of the process where you will most likely require a specialty tool. The one I used for this project is called a curb key, though it may have a different name depending on the store you frequent. It has a long shaft with a large T-handle at one end and a U-shaped fitting on the bottom. Especially for those located in colder parts of the country, this tool is essential for accessing the deeply buried valve.

Once you have your curb key, simply attach the end of it to the valve inside the access hole, and rotate either 90 or 180 degrees depending on the valve style. This process will shut off the water coming into your house, and then you can service your main water line or main water shutoff valve.