ASSINIBOIA — It’s common to think department stores and malls are busy during Black Friday. However, in the plumbing industry, they might joke that they do their best to help your household avoid a Brown Friday, or a cold experience this holiday season.
We reached out to Assiniboia business, Rasmussen Plumbing & Sewer Service, which has been in operation in the community since 2011. Derek Rasmussen responded saying they will have a staff member available for emergency calls during the holidays.
“The most common issue we get called out for during the holidays is backed-up drains and no heat calls, “affirms Rasmussen.
The province’s plumbers are kept working round the clock during the holiday season due to issues that lie mostly in the kitchen sink.
Grease from cooking hardens and can cause severe backup and could potentially damage sink pipes. Solid waste should be thrown in the garbage and never down the sink.
However, Rasmussen notes that one of the big issues they run into in Assiniboia is tree roots.
“Once your line has tree roots, it will always have tree roots. So, it is always a good idea to get things cleaned out preventatively, or the get the line scoped. Better to be proactive than reactive by getting things cleaned before it becomes an emergency,” adds the Assiniboia business owner.
For no heat calls, Rasmussen states that most issues end up being user error, such as dirty filters, so recommends changing them. As well, he recommends changing the battery in your thermostat every fall.
Rasmussen offers a tale of caution, “We got a call down south at 1 a.m. on a Saturday for a house with no heat, already sitting around two degrees Celsius inside the house when we got the call. We got the furnace going but the damage had already been done. We ended up having to run new waterlines all because of two AA batteries dying in the thermostat.”
We asked Rasmussen if there is anything a homeowner can do at a home if a plumbing issue arises, and he responds, “DO NOT use chemicals - it almost never works and just makes things more dangerous and difficult for the plumbers, and if you do try chemicals before calling, please inform us that you did, so we can take the proper precautions.”
As far as the best advice he can offer households, Rasmussen states, “Change your furnace filter regularly, don’t wait for issues to change it. If it is a clean household with no pets, 2-3 months at minimum. If lots of pets, change monthly.”
The Assiniboia business says the best action for a homeowner is preventative maintenance. Stop waiting for an issue before you call.
“If your sewer line has given you issues before, it will give you issues again.”
The service area for Rasmussens Plumbing covers Mossbank to Coronach, from Ponteix to Ogema and everything in between.
An ounce of prevention can help plumbers who want to help you keep your holiday entertaining "flowing" smoothly.
