Replacement Faucets

May 21st, 2013 Posted in Faucet Repairs
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One of the most economical and dramatic changes that can be made to an existing bathroom or kitchen is to replace the existing faucets with new ones.  The number of different faucets that are currently being offered by all of the manufacturers at all price points is amazing!  There are almost too many choices, as faucets are now an architectural and designer feature of a bathroom or kitchen, in additional to having a practical purpose.

In addition to the type of handles being offered, there are numerous finishes available besides chrome.  These finishes include, brass, nickel, oil-rubbed bronze and a variety of painted finishes, such as black.  The handles are either round or lever style, with many variations of each.  The available styles vary from very contemporary to very traditional.  In addition, the new faucets on the market are reliable and virtually maintenance free.

In addition, many of the manufacturers now are offering a variety of bath accessories that are of the same style and finish of the faucets for the bathroom.  These accessories include towel bars, robe hooks and toilet paper holders.  There are even light fixtures that are coordinated with new faucets as well.  Pop up drains and flush handles for toilets are also being made to match the style and finish of the faucets.  Everything is now coordinated!

In most cases a qualified plumbing contractor can change out the faucets in a bathroom or kitchen quickly and economically.   The key to keeping the cost down is to use the existing shower valve if at all possible.  They can also offer guidance on which manufacturer to choose based upon their experience with the manufacturer.

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Septic System Inspections

May 21st, 2013 Posted in Septic Systems
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Every person buying a home with a septic system should have the entire system inspected by a qualified plumbing  or sewer-septic contractor that constructs and services septic systems.  The septic system inspection should occur prior to closing on the home and a satisfactory report should be part of the purchase agreement of the home.  Septic system repairs can be expensive, disruptive and messy, so it is best to know the condition of the septic system before you buy the home.  An inspection will allow the buyer to make an informed decision on the property.

The plumbing contractor will look at the design criteria of the septic system, as well as the actual condition of the system.  In many jurisdictions it is not the number of bathrooms that determine the design of the system, but the number of bedrooms, as this is a better indicator of how many people are going to live in the home.  The number of people is what determines the load on the system when it is designed.   The plumbing contractor will be able to determine the design load on the system and compare it to the number of bedrooms in the home.  If it was designed for 4 bedrooms or 5 people and there are 8 people in the house because the current owner added two additional bedrooms in the basement without a permit, there could be an issue.

As a part of the inspection, the contractor will look at the actual system including the septic tank and drain field and determine the overall condition of the septic system, with a focus on the condition of the drain field to determine if there are signs of it failing.  Once the inspection is complete, the plumbing contractor will provide the potential purchaser a written report detailing the findings.

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Replacement Toilets

May 21st, 2013 Posted in Toilets
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Bathrooms and bathroom fixtures, such as toilets, have become an architectural and designer feature of every home.  No longer are people forced to have a standard white, green or pink toilet that came with the house.  Every toilet manufacturer is offering a number of different price points, styles as well as colors, including white, almond, black and a variety of other semi-custom colors.  The styles vary from the traditional shape to more contemporary toilets, which have a lower profile.

As required by the government, all new toilets will be environmentally friendly, requiring much less water to flush, which will save on the cost of water.  These new “water saver” toilets perform very well compared to the older models.  Believe it or not there is a “science” behind the flush and the manufacturers have put a significant amount of time and effort and making sure these toilets perform.

One of the interesting options is the “comfort height” toilet, which has the seat higher than a traditional toilet.  It is marketed to those people, such as the elderly, who may have difficultly getting up and down from the toilet.  They have become more and more popular, especially as “baby boomers” age.

A qualified plumbing contractor will be able to provide guidance on the best toilet to use based upon your budget.  They will be able to do the replacement quickly and cost effectively with minimum inconvenience to the homeowner.  One thing to keep in mind before you discard that old toilet is it may have some value.  In many areas of the country, there are firms that buy and sell old building materials including toilets.  That old green toilet may be worth something!

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Residential Water Heaters

May 21st, 2013 Posted in Water Heaters
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Some homes are equipped with gas or electric tankless water heates, but most water heaters in the United States are traditional tank type water heaters that heat water utilizing either electricity or gas.  A thermostat with a factory preset controls the temperature of the water, however, the temperature can be adjusted as well.  There is also a setting that can be used to turn down the temperature while the owner is away on vacation.  This prevents the continuous heating of the water in the tank.

The size of the water heater will vary depending upon the number of bathrooms in the home as well as the anticipated load.  Often newer homes with 2-3 bathrooms will have a 50-gallon water heater, while homes with the same number of bathrooms will have a 75-gallon tank, if they have a soaking tub.  Equally important to the size of the tank is the recovery time of the tank.  This is the time that it will take the tank to heat up the water once the existing hot water is used.  A smaller tank with a quicker recovery time is preferred in many cases.

Water heaters usually have a long life span, but they do go bad.  Often the first sign of trouble is water leaking from the tank.  Usually the reason for the leak is either the tank leaking or the water being released via the overflow pipe due to a build up of pressure in the tank.  It is critical that a professional plumbing contractor determine the cause of the leak.  The contractor can make the repair if it can be repaired or install a new water heater.  The repair or replacement is a straightforward job for a qualified plumber and can be accomplished at a very economical price in less than a day.

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Minor Plumbing Repairs

May 21st, 2013 Posted in Plumbing Maintenance
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Every home will need minor plumbing repairs and preventative maintenance from time to time, even if it is a new home.  Common plumbing repairs include clogged drains, leaking water pipes, stopped up toilets, leaky faucets and toilets that run all of the time.  While most are an inconvenience, they can be expensive and result in property damage, if not repaired properly.  Preventative maintenance includes such things as draining down outside faucets before the first freeze and periodic faucet cartridge replacement.  As with minor plumbing repairs, if periodic maintenance is not done, it can lead to expensive repairs.

Often homeowners are tempted to do the repairs and maintenance themselves but often fail because of the lack of expertise, lack of the proper tools and lack of the correct parts.   Plumbing is a very specialized trade with plumbers needing 4-5 years to learn their craft thru trade school or an apprentice program.  Most people have no idea how to do the work.  As far as tools are concerned, many plumbing tools are specialized and may never be used again once purchased.  Everyone has experienced the 3-4 trips in a single day to the local big box building supply store for a mysterious plumbing part.  Do you really want to spend 5 hours at the local big box hardware store searching for plumbing parts?   Most people will find that it is not a good way to spend a Saturday morning!

In most cases, the homeowner will find that it is more economical in the long run to hire a qualified, professional plumber to make repairs and perform routine preventative maintenance.  In addition, it is the best way to make sure that the repairs are done properly, in order to protect your mot valuable investment, which is your home!

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You Don’t Have to Put Up With Low Water Pressure

May 9th, 2013 Posted in Water Line Repair
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One of the “so-called” little irritations in life is suffering through a shower with low water pressure when you are in a hurry to get somewhere; it just seems like everything takes more time. Needless to say, perhaps, is that it is also not very fulfilling, relaxing or soothing. Most of us tend to look forward to a refreshing shower after a long day of work, or play; but, if you have low water pressure, you may dread taking your next shower or, at the very least, tolerate it just as a necessary, unavoidable, ordeal.

First, determine if your neighbors also have low water pressure. If that is the case, there is really nothing to do but call the water company and complain. If, however, your home is the only one with the problem or if only parts of your home have the problem, then there are some things that you can have checked. A plumbing service company can check the water valve coming into your house from the city supplier. Your pressure reducing valve (by your household shut off valve) could simply need adjusting. Also, make sure that the home’s shut off valve is completely open. If your home is older, you could have rusted or clogged pipes or a broken or leaking water line.

If you think the low pressure is only affecting one faucet or showerhead, they may just need to be cleaned. Besides clogged aerators (screens), or partially closed valves, a blockage somewhere within the pipes can cause low water pressure. Once you’ve checked some of the common, simpler to remedy, causes for your low water pressure, make sure to call your local plumbing professional for a maintenance check of your plumbing system.

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Does Hard Water Matter?

May 9th, 2013 Posted in Water Softener
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Yes, it does! Most of us know that we prefer soft water since it feels better on our skin, in our hair, and we tend to use less soap. Rarely do we give any thought as to the difference between hard water versus soft water; nor, do we spend much time worrying about the potential damage of using hard water. Perhaps we should give it some of our attention.

Simply put, hard water is water that has a high mineral content, in contrast to soft water which does not. There is a lot of chemistry that we could go into here relative to the concentration of positively charged metal complexes, ions that enter the water supply from common minerals containing primarily calcium and magnesium sulfates. Rainwater and distilled water are soft because they contain few ions.

It is important to note that there has been no correlation between drinking hard water and human illness. However, hard water can seriously damage machinery and equipment that handle the water. This could also negatively affect your home’s piping, boiler, water heater, and other plumbing fixtures. Therefore, wherever water hardness is a concern, most homes and businesses install modern water softeners to help combat its effects.

Hard water forms deposits (like soap scum) that clog plumbing. These deposits build up on the surfaces of pipes and heat exchangers, resulting in restricting the flow of water in pipes or causing corrosion. For the maintenance and safety of your plumbing system, you may want to have your local plumbing professional test the hardness of your water and, if necessary, look into various softening options.

 

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Does Your Home Have Hard Water?

May 9th, 2013 Posted in Water Softener
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A vast majority of American homes, about 4 out of 5, have hard water. While some cities may claim some softening of their water, no city really provides soft water for their consumers. Many people have older water purification systems that they’ve just never felt the need to upgrade or, for that matter, even test as to its effectiveness. Unfortunately, water is something that most of us simply take for granted.

If you want to determine if you have hard water in your home, here are some signs that you can look for. With hard water, it feels difficult to get a lather worked up on a dish cloth or bath cloth from your bar of soap or liquid dish detergent; however, it will usually leave a scum-type appearance on top of your water or along the side of your sink. One of the first places to look for this white scum-like substance would be your showerhead; check to see if there is a build-up of white, crusty, material. Does your kitchen sprayer not work because of white, encrusted, mineral build-up? Also, look inside your dishwasher to see if the heating element is encrusted with minerals.

If you suspect that your home has hard water, you may want to call your local plumbing professional to test your water and check your overall plumbing system for any damage or corrosion. While a good water company can test the hardness of your water, they may also come with a convincing sales pitch for their particular water softening or refining product.  Your plumber should be able to help you narrow down the options as to what would be most beneficial and cost effective water softener for your home.

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What Is the Best Type of Plumbing Pipe?

May 9th, 2013 Posted in Polybutylene Pipe
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Surely, if you are building a new home or remodeling an existing home, you are buried under the weight of innumerable selection choices that must be made, everything from cabinets, countertops, carpet, tile, window treatments, etc. The very last thing that you probably want to spend time haggling over is the material used in your bathroom piping. Nevertheless, it just may be important to you and a choice that you wish to consider yourself, rather than just leaving it to the discretion of your contractor.

Believe it or not, plumbing systems have been around for thousands of years; the early Greeks used clay sewage pipes, the Roman had lead aqueducts and our early colonialists used hollowed out logs. Plumbing pipes today can be made from a variety of materials including several versatile plastic-types (PVC, CPVC, PEX) that have become useful throughout the world because of their lower cost and ease of installation. Their multitude of quick connecting fittings make almost any configuration possible. While they have become a popular replacement of copper, brass, steel, and old polybutylene pipe, they have some disadvantages, such as leakage or bursting when freezing. More traditional materials can have their own benefits, depending on the exact application.

All the available materials today for use in plumbing pipes (copper, plastics, brass, steel and concrete) have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. You can make a more appropriate and informed choice of the best materials for your plumbing project by working with your well informed local plumbing professional in narrowing down these choices, based on the specific needs of your individual project.

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Have You Done Your Routine Plumbing Maintenance Yet?

May 9th, 2013 Posted in Faucet Repairs
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By the very nature of its word, routine “maintenance” (to prevent failure or decline) of all of your home’s plumbing systems is important to perform periodically. You can potentially save time and money by proactively addressing whatever minimal plumbing problems may currently exist by committing yourself to an annual plumbing maintenance schedule.

Start with your bathroom, check for leaking faucets, slow drains, lower water pressure and running toilets. While a small amount of leaking water may appear insignificant, it can eventually cause costly damage, not to mention the gallons of water wasted. Debris can collect and partially clog drains and faucet aerators. A build-up of encrusted calcium can easily obstruct the flow of water. Of course, the working parts of toilets can start to wear down over time and cause problems, as evidenced by the toilet handle sticking or the sound of water running long after the toilet has been flushed. Tremendous amounts of water are wasted by running toilets. Follow the same procedure for your kitchen. In addition, check your kitchen sink for leaks, either at the faucet, disposal or sprayer. Check the cabinet underneath the sink for water damage and around your dishwasher.

Regular maintenance is the best way to avoid a main water line or sewer back-up. Having your septic or sewer lines inspected by your local plumbing professional is the easiest way to prevent sewer line catastrophes; a little time and money spent now can save you much in the future. Also, at the time of your routine plumbing maintenance service, you will want to have your regular sewer main snaked if you’ve been plagued in the past by tree root problems.

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