Deep Behind the Washing Machine!

Most of us rarely look behind our washing machine to see what’s there. There usually are a few dust balls, that

That Sock!

lost sock, and a toy or two. But there is also a hidden danger lurking back there that homeowners are not informed about. That is those vinyl or plastic hoses connecting the water supply to the washing machine. These are the hoses that come with the new machine and have a life cycle of less than 10 years on average. As they age, they lose their strength and leaks develop. A leak in one of these hoses can easily spew out 500 gallons of water an hour which would quickly flood a first or second floor laundry room or an entire basement. This could easily become a catastrophic loss for a homeowner.

Fig. 2 Future Leaker

Some of the statistics indicate that washing machine leaks are one of the top 10 water losses insurance companies are involved in. One in 15 of these losses occur when the home is unoccupied. The homeowner is on vacation, out for the evening or at a child’s activity. In over 75% of the cases the washing machine hoses (which came with the washer) were less than 11 years old. Many laundry rooms have floor drains which seldom get used and  plugged strainers or partial plugged drain lines. These cannot handle a potential leak of 500 gallons per hour. Some laundry rooms only have a drain pan under the washing machine. These can also have issues with restricted drainage capacity and they don’t even protect the hoses which are not over the drain pan.

fig.3 Floodsafe

What are some of the options for the homeowner? One of the best options is to turn off your water at the meter if you are going to be away from the house for several days. This will protect you when you are gone from leaks at the washing machine and other parts of the house.

Specifically for the washing machine the hoses should be replaced every 5 years. Today we have available stainless steel hoses with a patented “Floodsafe” option (fig.2). Be cautious of bargain brand hoses without this feature. They may be more prone to leaks than your old hoses and don’t have the “Floodsafe” option. We also have available easy to operate shutoff valves for your washing machine water supply (fig. 3). For the best protection we have the patented “Intelliflow” device (fig. 4) that shuts the water off automatically unless the washing machine is operating.

fig. 4 Valve

Yet another leak area at the washing machine is the drain hose. Although these don’t wear out as quickly as the water supply hoses, they do come loose from the drain piping and flood the laundry area or the drain line can become clogged and prevent the water from flowing properly. Check it regularly.

fig. 5 Intelliflow

Contact us for more information on these safety options.

Phone us for more information or visit our website at www.CallBurton.com.

Burton & Sons Inc. is a customer focused plumbing, heating, and cooling service company that was originally started in 1979. Located in Garden City, MI, we employ highly trained people whose goal is to make our company the best service company in Metropolitan Detroit Area.

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The Plumbers’ Eco-Friendly Secret

Bio-Clean is the world’s best drain cleaning solution.  It’s an environmentally friendly combination of natural bacteria and concentrated enzymes that eats through organic waste, based on the same technology scientists use to clean up oil spills.  Bio-Clean can eat through grease.  It can eat through hair.  It can eat through cotton.  It can eat through paper.  It’s amazing.

When drains are clogged, most consumers use harsh chemicals that are even dangerous (read the warning labels).  Not only are they a hazard, they don’t work very well.  They drain down by gravity until they encounter a blockage in a drain pipe and burn a hole through it.  As soon as a hole is created, the liquids follow gravity and drain away, without fully cleaning the stoppage.  So the pipe is cleared temporarily, but soon clogs back up.

Bio-Clean uses a different strategy.  Enzymes break down organic solids.  Bacteria will eat through the organic waste, breaking matter down into water, carbon dioxide, and other harmless elements that run out the system.

The beauty of Bio-Clean is that gravity is used to deliver the chemical to the clog, but once it begins to work, the enzymes and bacteria follow the organic material, taking it all out.  Once the job is done, the Bio-Clean washes safely out the drain.

Bio-Clean actually multiplies as it proceeds.  This means you do not need to use much of it for a relatively big job.  It also means it works faster than liquid drain cleaners.

Bio-Clean is also fully biodegradable.  You can even eat it!  It’s a natural produce without the caustics, solvents, and acids you will find in store-bought products.  Bio-Clean is completely safe around your children and your pets.

This product truly is amazing.  It can eliminate garbage disposal odors.  It will fix slow running drains. People even use it in cat litter boxes, and to clear back yard ponds.

Want to try Bio-Clean?  Give us a call.  We would be happy to sell you a can, good for 100 treatments.  If you aren’t happy with the product, we will give you a full refund.  It’s 100% guaranteed.

Contact us for more information or visit our website at www.CallBurton.com.

Burton & Sons Inc. is a customer focused plumbing, heating, and cooling service company that was originally started in 1979. Located in Garden City, MI, we employ highly trained people whose goal is to make our company the best service company in Metropolitan Detroit Area.