Leaky Pipes

Some people have a good grasp of plumbing, especially when they grew up with a father or a grandfather who was pretty handy around the house. If you were the kid who wore your Dad’s tool belt as he repaired a clogged garbage disposal or a leaky faucet, you may have a good understanding of how indoor plumbing works. On the other hand, perhaps you grew up in apartments. Whenever your single mom had a problem with the plumbing, the apartment manager would dispatch a handyman or a professional plumber to fix the issue. Or, perhaps your parents were very busy people with demanding careers. Your father was traveling all the time and your mom was always at the office, so you were cared for by your grandmother or a babysitter. In other words, your father didn’t have time to do work around the house so he called a professional

In many situations, renters and homeowners have different mentalities when it comes to home maintenance. When something breaks down or stops working, usually the first thing a renter does is put in a call to their landlord. Renters may not think twice about what they put down the garbage disposal or the toilet because they automatically think their landlord will foot the bill when a problem arises. Homeowners, on the other hand, know that if anything were to go wrong, they have no one to rely on but themselves. So, homeowners do their best to take care of their property so they can minimize all home-related costs. From their roof to their HVAC system, to their carpeting, and their indoor plumbing system, most homeowners are actively looking for ways to take care of their property and reduce repair and replacement costs. Are You a Landlord? Real estate can be a

Whether you’re a business owner or a manager, there’s one thing you know for sure: You can’t afford to have plumbing “problems.” After all, time is money! When it comes to DIY practices for preventing toilet clogs, clogged drains, and leaky faucets at home, you’re probably pretty good at maintaining your plumbing, but when it comes to controlling how employees, customers, and visitors take care of the plumbing in your building – not so easy and is part of why commercial plumbing can be so important. Whether you’re running a small business, a retail store, or an office building, you need the plumbing to work smoothly. If you’ve been at it a while, you already know that plumbing problems are inevitable. Aside from mentioning “proper plumbing maintenance” in an employee meeting, there’s not much you can do about what people flush down the toilet, but that doesn’t mean the situation

The last thing you need during the mad holiday rush is to have something go wrong with your plumbing, right? Unfortunately, if you don’t prepare your plumbing for the winter, you could end up paying a big price, and you don’t need any added expenses during a time that your budget is already stretched to the limit. There’s no such thing as a “good time” for a plumbing emergency. Emergencies often occur when our minds are on something else, like preparing for out-of-town guests over Thanksgiving and Christmas. While you’re stocking the fridge for your annual holiday dinner or the linen closet with new sheets and towels for your in-laws, don’t forget that the colder weather means more than holiday travel, it means temperature shifts that can cause your plumbing to fail at the worst of times – when you have a house full of guests! Here are some of

A plumbing emergency or worse, a plumbing disaster, is every homeowner’s nightmare. An overflowing toilet, a flooded basement, a leaking hot water heater, or a leaky pipe that causes significant water damage in your flooring and ceilings are all bad news. Issues with hot water and cold water sides of your faucet, fresh water line issues, drainage system issues, sewer gas odors, or problems with your vent system. Back ups in your sewer line, broken water meters, or plumbing issues or blockages with your drain system – such problems can cause thousands of dollars’ worth of damage and destroy expensive flooring and furnishings. If you are in the dark about plumbing or know little about it, learning a few beginners basic plumbing tips and how plumbing works can go a long way in preventing plumbing and water system emergencies before they begin, and the need to call a professional plumber

Do you have an issue where water is flooding under your kitchen sink, even if you haven’t used the dishwasher or faucet in several hours? Does this mean you need to replace the faucet? Before you run out to the nearest home center to buy a new faucet, we recommend having an experienced plumber take a closer look in case it’s not the faucet. When you’re noticing mysterious flooding, it would be wise to have a professional inspect your sink in person before “guessing” what the problem could be – that’s because it may or may not be the faucet. It Could Be a Leaky Faucet The source of the leak could be coming from the kitchen faucet or from one of the supply lines that go to the faucet. If the culprit is the faucet, the leak is probably one of the following: 1) a crack that’s located in

As a homeowner, a water leak can wreak havoc on your home and it can lead to costly water damage; a plumbing leak can turn into your worst nightmare in the blink of an eye. From leaky faucets left running, plumbing problems with the connection from your appliances to your plumbing system to small leaks from corrosion on a water line or a water main that burst; no matter the type of leak when you have uncontrolled leaking water so much can go wrong.  Left unchecked, a water leak can: Damage flooring Destroy furnishings Damage ceilings and walls Cause hazardous mold Require mold remediation Destroy cabinets Whether you have a small, barely noticeable leak, such as a dripping sound behind a wall,  or you have a very obvious leak, such as a burst pipe, it’s important to STOP the leak as soon as possible. Unfortunately, water leaks are common household

If you’re like most people, you’ve heard or read stories about “toxic mold” in people’s homes, usually caused by excessively moist environments and plumbing leaks. While mold spores can definitely be toxic to your health, the bigger issues are usually the property damage that mold causes. Learn more about mold from the CDC here. One of the biggest issues about mold growth in a person’s home is property damage. While mold is usually caught before anyone’s health is put at risk, unfortunately, that is not always the case for their wallet. In general, homeowners’ insurance policies will not cover property damage caused by mold growth. If a homeowner tries to submit such a claim, it will usually be denied. Mold inside people’s homes usually comes in one of the four categories: Alternaria Aspergillus Cladosporium Penicillium So, what do you do if a leaky pipe or showerhead leads to mold, fungus

As the weather gets warmer, we have much to look forward to. Our lawns will be green again, flowers will be blooming, and the leaves on our trees will be lush and full, which not only provides shade but makes our yards look beautiful after a long winter. For homeowners, the spring means lots of things. It means it’s time to organize garages and clean rain gutters of leaves and debris and give the inside of the house a thorough dusting and cleaning. While you’re contemplating which flowers to plant in your yard this spring, don’t forget about your indoor plumbing, especially if your family has spent a great deal of time indoors this winter, heavily using sinks, showers, and tubs. Just like your rain gutters, air ducts and carpets, indoor plumbing systems and sump pumps need to be periodically maintained, otherwise, you can be in for a clogged drain or toilet, a

Plumbing is one of those modern-day conveniences that we rarely think about until we have a problem. But, as we all know nothing says pain in the neck more than a clogged toilet, loss of water pressure, or broken garbage disposal. Or worse, a burst sewer line that has sewage spilling into your home instead of the septic tank or sewer system! If you’re not the DIY type, you may not understand your home’s plumbing system all that well, but it’s really not that complicated. The trick is to gain a basic understanding of how everything works so you can maintain your system and prevent major problems before they start. Here’s a basic plumbing checklist to help you get started with maintaining your home plumbing. Review this inspection checklist and ask yourself whether any aspects of your plumbing system may be in need of attention, inspection, or repairs. 1. Do