by admin | Sep 1, 2018 | DIY Plumbing Tips, Helpful Info
Ten Tips to Keep Your Plumbing System in Good Working Condition If you own your home, you will at some point encounter plumbing problems that require a professional. There are simple things you can do around your house to help keep your plumbing in good shape for years to come. 1. Clean your Shower Heads Sediment buildup in your shower heads can lower your water pressure. Fortunately, it is easy to remove shower heads and soak them in a calcium/lime/rust agent to remove any clinging sediment. 2. Leaks Leaks are sometimes easy to find and other times they can be within the walls themselves or even in your sewer pipes. It is a good idea to keep on a regular lookout for leaks throughout your home and property, so that you can prevent small problems from growing into larger problems. To find leaks, simply look for wet spots in the walls and ceilings, puddles on the floor and wet spots in your yard. 3. Leaky Faucet Tighten all of your faucets as much as you can and make sure you don’t have any water leaking out of them. 4. Mildew This problem is a health hazard, and is often the result of a puddle of standing water that has dried up. Standing water may be indicative of a leak, so watch for mildew. 5. Drainage Water should drain fast enough that it swirls around when going down. Watch for the swirl, and listen for bubbling which will alert you to whether or not your drains are getting clogged. 6. Corrosion Not only can corrosion contaminate your water, but it...
by admin | Sep 1, 2018 | DIY Plumbing Tips, Helpful Info
How to Save Money on Your Water Bill With the downturn in the economy, financial times are tight for most people these days. We could all use a little help when it comes to cutting our monthly expenses down. Fortunately, there are some very simple things you can do to conserve on your water usage and save extra money each month on your water bill. Plumbing Fixtures Did you know that your shower head may be using as much as five and a half gallons of water per minute? By switching to a low-flow shower head, you can conserve up to three gallons of water per minute. That’s a considerable savings. Low-flow shower heads are relatively inexpensive, and super easy to install, so you simply cannot afford to not make the switch now. Have a few bucks to spare? Install a new toilet with low flow technology to reduce the amount of water used when flushing the toilet. The savings you will get on your water bill will pay for itself quicker then you think. Displace Toilet Water Don’t have the cash to get a new toilet? Here is a cheaper alternative that will help you use less water when flushing the toilet. Lift the cover of the toilet chamber and place a brick or large rock in there to displace the water so that you use less with each flush. Turn Off Water This may seem like common sense, but the truth is that there may be times you are unnecessarily using water that you are not even aware of. For example, if you are brushing your teeth...
by admin | Sep 1, 2018 | Helpful Info
5 Benefits of Using Copper Plumbing If you are weighing out the pros and cons of all the plumbing material options available to you, then you should consider using copper plumbing to outfit your home’s plumbing. For over seventy years, copper plumbing has been the gold standard of plumbing materials and is installed in over eighty percent of today’s homes. Here are five benefits of using copper plumbing: 1. Durability Copper is a naturally occurring material, not a synthetic one so it does not break down over time the way synthetics plumbing materials do. Copper plumbing materials are so durable that it’s not unusual for copper plumbing to actually outlast the building it is installed in. Copper plumbing materials will not begin to sag over time like other plumbing materials do and copper plumbing joints are tight, resistant to corrosion, and most likely never to leak water over the lifetime of the plumbing. 2. Clean Water Copper is manufactured without lead, so there is no risk of lead poisoning from water that travels through copper piping (as opposed to galvanized piping). Copper has a biostatic property, meaning it does not enable the growth of bacteria. It maintains a healthy pH level (perfect for circumstances in which the water supply may be too acid), and is resistant to corrosion and ultraviolet light. This translates to safer and better tasting drinking water for your family. 3. Easy Installation Copper is a naturally flexible material and can bend making it easy for installers to fit it into awkwardly shaped areas. Copper piping is also thin, which means it can handle a lot...
by admin | Sep 1, 2018 | Drains, Helpful Info
Why A Drain Cleaning Service is Better Then DIY Most homeowners give little thought to their plumbing until a problem happens. If you do not have regular maintenance like you would with your car, you will experience much bigger problems down the road. Like a vehicle, your plumbing system must be kept clean so it can function optimally. Your plumbing intake pipes do not pose a problem since they only carry clean water, however your drain pipes and sewers will be extremely dirty. If left untreated, dirty pipes can cause a complete sewer break that will require much more money and time to fix. You can avoid potential future problems by getting your drains cleaned each year by a professional local plumber. You may not be aware that your pipes are dirty since we do not see them, but a top indicator that you may have a problem it the smell. Fumes from these pipes can sometime come up through the drains and leave the house smelling like a sewer. Another concern is the germs, molds, and bacteria that your dirty pipes can harbor. These microorganisms come with serious health hazards and can cause a number of illnesses to your loved ones. Homeowners can take preventative measure to keep your drain pipes relatively clean. Be careful of using harsh chemicals that line the aisle at your store, as these chemicals can do more harm then good as they have caustic ingredients that can actually erode and damage your piping system. They can also cause rashes on skin contact and are very harmful to the environment. The best way, however,...
by admin | Sep 1, 2018 | Helpful Info, Sewer
Common Indicators of Sewer problems Sometimes it is difficult to tell whether your slow drains or backed up toilet are just a matter of too much hair and build up in your pipes or if you have a more serious problem. If you are having an issue inside your house with your drains, look for whether the problem is isolated to one drain or all of the drains. If you notice that there are several parts of your house with plumbing issues this is a big indicator that your sewer system may be in need of repair. Your toilet will often present the first indicator of trouble by flushing slowly or not all. If you have eliminated a clogged toilet and all of the other drains are also slow, your next step is to have a plumber diagnose your sewage system for a possible blockage or break that may require you to do a sewer repair job. Your local plumber may be able to do a visual inspection of your pipes in the home as well as use a special fiber optic video camera to inspect the underground sewage lines for any clogs or breakage. Older sewage lines are usually made out of clay which is will break down over time. Clay pipes only have a short lifetime of fifty to sixty years as opposed to the newer PVC piping which has a lifetime of one hundred years. This means if your home was built before the 1980’s you likely have clay pipes and will be dealing with a pipe repair or replacement at some point during the duration...
by admin | Sep 1, 2018 | DIY Plumbing Tips, Helpful Info
Help for Plumbing System Problems Most, if not all, homeowners should expect plumbing and water system issues to be a problem sooner or later. A toilet will clog, the kitchen sink may stop draining properly or the basement will flood; saturating the inner walls and weakening the foundation of the home. Any and all of these issues may happen at any given time. If one or more of these water system emergencies happen to you: this advice will help you when its your turn to experience a plumbing catastrophe. Sediment and other foreign particle buildup is a very common problem effecting your home’s water system pressure. Though a good cleaning of your faucets aerator will do the trick to remove the sediment, most professional plumbers will perform this task for a minimum fee. Natural and chemically based cleaning solutions will lend a helping hand in breaking up difficult or stuck particles. If you’re willing to risk not replacing the parts correctly and spending much more in plumbing fees to fix it; you can remove the aerator yourself and clean it. Materials for the task include: vinegar or another suitable cleaning agent, a wire brush and gloves. After removing the aerator, clean it of sediment and other foreign material, rinse the piece and replace it on the faucet. If done correctly, the water pressure should be stronger. As water travels through metal, copper pipes they usually expand. The fittings holding the copper piping into place may not be able to hold them once hot water has passed through. Damage and warping can occur resulting in degradation of the pipes and...
Ten Tips to Keep Your Plumbing System in Good Working ConditionTen Tips to Keep Your Plumbing System in Good Working […]
How to Save Money on Your Water BillHow to Save Money on Your Water Bill With the downturn […]
5 Benefits of Using Copper Plumbing5 Benefits of Using Copper Plumbing If you are […]
Why A Drain Cleaning Service is Better Then DIYWhy A Drain Cleaning Service is Better Then DIY Most […]
Symptoms of Sewer Repair ProblemsCommon Indicators of Sewer problems Sometimes it is […]