Hire a Plumber For Your Water Heater Replacement

June 26th, 2012 Posted in Water Heaters
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If it’s time to replace your water heater, you may be tempted to go to the nearest home improvement center, buy a similar sized storage type water heater, and let a contractor from the home improvement center install it.  However, for best results you should call a reputable local plumber before you commit to purchasing your new water heater.

An experienced professional plumber may charge a little more for the installation than the handyman from your home improvement center, but like most things in life, you get what you pay for when it comes to plumbing and a water heater is a very important component of your home’s plumbing system. A good water heater will last from 15 to 20 years so it’s worth spending a little extra for expert, professional advice and installation from your local plumber.

A good plumber can help you save money in the long run by helping you choose the most energy efficient way to meet your family’s hot water needs.  You may be better off with a tankless water heater or an energy efficient storage type water heater.  In either case, your plumber will help you choose the right size water heating system to avoid spending too much for an oversized system or running out of hot water with an undersized system.

Professional installation is important too!  An experienced plumber will make sure your water heating system is up to code and properly installed for maximum efficiency and service life.  In addition, if there is any problem with your water heater or the installation, you can rest easy knowing that your plumber is licensed and insured, unlike that guy from the home improvement center.

It pays to have a professional help you choose the right water heater for your home and to install your water heating system.  You can count on an experienced plumber for expert water heater advice and installation.

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Sewer Gas Smells

June 14th, 2012 Posted in Bathroom Repairs
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If you have noticed an unpleasant smell in a bathroom or elsewhere in your home but can’t track down the source, it can be a sign of a serious sewer or septic problem that needs the attention of an experienced professional plumber.  It’s possible you have leaking or broken drain line, or a broken sewer vent line.  But there may be a simple answer to bathroom odors that are hard to track down – a dry trap.

Plumbing traps are curved sections of drain pipe that are designed to hold a little water and prevent sewer gas smells from entering your home through the drain pipe.  The easiest place to see a plumbing trap is under the bathroom or kitchen sink.  You will see a curved section of pipe just under the sink.  This section of pipe is often called a “J trap” or “P trap” because it’s shaped like a J or a sideways P.

These plumbing traps are installed on every drain in your home including sinks, showers, tubs, utility sinks, washing machine drains, and so on.  The lowest section of the pipe holds water that prevents the sewer gas smell from your sewer or septic system from backing up through the pipe and entering your home.

However, if the drain is not used for a long period of time, the water can evaporate and allow sewer gas into your home creating a sulfer or rotten egg smell. Many homes have bathrooms that are rarely used such as in a guest bedroom and this is a very common source of sewer gas smells.

To solve the problem, simply run some water down the drain.  The plumbing trap will fill with water and stop the smell.  In addition to the unpleasant odor, sewer gas is also dangerous so it’s important to track down the source and fix the problem.  If the source of the smell turns out not to be a dry trap, call a professional plumber right away.

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