It can be argued that plumbing does the most important work in your home. It not only brings in fresh water for drinking, bathing and brushing your teeth, it also, removes the smelly waste which could be harmful to you. Knowing the life expectancy of your plumbing can help you be prepared for when it starts breaking. Or, better yet, to now when to pre-emptively strike and have it replaced before there is a busted pipe or major leak. Pipes To know the longevity of the pipes you have in your home, it is necessary to know exactly what kind ...
Read MoreThe weather has been crazy this past year for much of the country including Florida. There were more cold snaps this year than recent memory. And for places like Texas and even parts of Florida there was deep freezing, something which is rare. PEX is a type of plastic pipe that has been used in plumbing for years now. Plumbers have replaced the use of copper with PEX because it is more affordable, it is corrosion proof and, as it turns out, is more resistant to cracks from freezing. Copper pipes are more rigid and the freezing process causes the ...
Read MoreThis question is very common. You smell urine coming from your bathroom. So, you get in there and give it a good cleaning. The next day, the smell emanates from the bathroom again. Frustrating! So, what is going on in your bathroom that is causing it to smell like pee even though it is squeaky clean. The most common reason for this is that the seal which exists between your toilet and the bathroom floor has a leak. The seal goes bad over time and urine makes it way onto to the floor. But the gases from the drain also ...
Read MoreBeing in this business for several decades, we have pretty much seen it all. Some of the problems people face with their household or residential plumbing is very common and we see it all the time. Other, more rare occurrences, do happen. But we are saving that topic for another blog. Today we want to list and discuss the most common calls we receive. As you can imagine, they have to do with plumbing wear and tear. Dripping Faucets - The dripping faucet has been a problem to most everyone who has ever lived on Earth. It starts as just ...
Read MoreMany people out there enjoy high water pressure for their shower or outdoor garden hose. But there is such thing as too high water pressure. In this article we will look at some of the effects of having too high water pressure. First let's set a number for what is too high. Basically anything over 60 pond per square inch is consider too high in the plumbing industry. The industry standard is 45-55 PSI. (more…)
Read MoreMany homes here in Central Florida are made from concrete block. Consequently, the external pipes to items such as water sprinklers or outdoor spigots run on the outside of the home and are bolted or fastened against the surface of the concrete. Many of these pipes are made from PVC or other plumbing plastics. Day after day these pipes are exposed to the rays of the sun. It may seem innocuous but over decades time, the suns rays can have a warping and degrading effect on these pipes. The pipe becomes brittle and one day while you are watering your ...
Read MoreWhen you own a home you want to keep your expenses down anyway possible. This goes for the short and long-term. Pipes eventually go bad in a home and replacing them can be very expensive. In this article we will go over methods to keeping your pipes lasting as long as possible. Checking Water Pressure This is a big one. Too much water pressure is bad for your pipes. Just a few PSI above the recommended level doesnt seem like much, but over years time it can do serious damage. It is suggested that you keep your PSI below 85. ...
Read MoreThe dreaded repipe. Many home-owners are aware of the process. Your home's piping is old and decaying and it is time to replace it. Sounds like an enormous project, one in which there will be workers walking through your house all day and plastic covers are draped from wall to wall. It really isn't that bad. The fact is that you can get a nice repipe for a very affordable price. You don't have to rip out your existing plumbing system. Many times the plumber can go through the attic and create a work around. (more…)
Read MoreThe only reason we are writing an article on this topic is because it happens. More often than you may think. Here is what to do if this ever happens to you. You and your significant other go out for dinner and a movie. When you come back home there is an inch or two of water covering the entire floor. Ughh. Step 1: Don't Panic. Step 2: Find the source of the problem. Yes this mean walking through your water covered floors. Its a tough job but somebody's got to do it. Step 3: After you have identified what ...
Read MoreUnfortunately, its that time of year where big swirling storms arrive from the lower Atlantic. This is all part of nature's way of redistributing heat from the equator. Florida just happens to be in the way a lot of the time. There are some simple steps you can take to help prepare your plumbing for the oncoming storms. In this article we will go over what you can do. (more…)
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