The hot and mostly beautiful summer is upon us. We will visit the beach, go swimming, maybe do some boating and basically do all the things that we love to do in the summer. It's part of the benefit of living in America's southeast. But, we all know with those benefits come some risks, like violent storms, for example. As you probably know, hurricanes are the biggest natural disaster Floridians face every year. The big swirling storms brings with them many billions of gallons of water and extreme natural energy. These intense storms can cause wind damage, flooding, lightning fires ...
Read MoreFixing your own home plumbing can be something simple or it can be something very challenging. There are two variables in this equation. The first and most important is what sort of plumbing issue you have. If it is something as simple as a lose pipe which is allowing liquids to drip, most anyone can handle this with a wrench and some elbow grease. The second variable is the skill level of the homeowner. Is working on plumbing something this person has done previously? Did they work in the industry? Maybe they took some courses in trade school. The degrees ...
Read MoreIt's a terrible feeling to be taking a shower and have to stand in dirty water that is not draining. In fact, it feels very counter-productive. You are cleaning your body at the same time you are standing in dirty water. Shower drains deal with the largest amount of water of any drain in your home. Showers typically last 10 minutes on average and the average shower uses 2 gallons per minute. That's 20 gallons of water per shower. The average household showers several times per day combined. It is not uncommon for 100 gallons or more of water to ...
Read MoreIn single-story homes where plumbing is located in the attic or in multi-floor houses, a leak from above can seem catastrophic. Gravity pulls the leaking water down into the walls and floors. The result can be ruined drywall, flooring and even worse, black mold. As you may know, black mold is more than just an eyesore. The spores from this mold can be harmful to human biology. Instantly, the mold can cause sneezing, coughing, congestion and eye irritation. Over the long term in can cause lung damage and cognitive decline. It's bad news. Black mold must be removed by professionals ...
Read MoreThere are several types of professionals you want to establish a good report with throughout your life. These are usually the following: doctor, barber, mechanic & plumber. Yes, a plumber. There is no doubt that as you go through life you will need to call on the services of a plumber multiple times. And some of those times it will be an emergency situation. Whether it be for a burst pipe, a sewage backup, a severe clog or just replacing your water heater, you will need to call a plumber at some point. Here are the things you should look ...
Read MoreAre you experiencing discolored water coming out of your tap? Want to know what is causing your water to look brown or reddish? Look no further. We have an answer. The most common reason water can come out of your pipes with a brown or reddish color is that it contains rust or minerals. They make their way into your water when it passes through old and outdated plumbing systems. Here is a brief list of how else your water may be getting its brownish color. Iron particles that have rusted and weighed down long-standing water An increase in water ...
Read MoreThere are devices in your toilet which measure how much water is in the tank then signal another device to close the incoming water valve when it is full. If there is a problem anywhere along this process then you can end up with a toilet that doesn’t stop incoming water flow. The result is a toilet which makes an annoying noise and an elevated water bill. So, what causes this issue? Find the Issue Figure out which device is malfunctioning. It will be the fill valve or the flapper valve. The flapper valve is the device which controls the ...
Read MoreThe best part about modern plumbing is that we can take the nasty gross things about everyday life and literally wash them away in seconds. Carefully designed pipes which use gravity and water pressure whisk your waste away in a very efficient manner. Let’s dig further into what is going on inside your pipes. When plumbing pipes are new they are highly efficient. The smooth surfaces allow water and waste to flow freely with zero impediment. But over time, the flow within these pipes can start to degrade. Here are some of the reasons this happens: Damaged pipes - Tiny ...
Read MoreSome folks may answer this question with something like "you know when you know." This statement would imply that it will be so obvious to you when it is time to replace your toilet that you will just do it. But let's not forget that people get used to their situation and may not realize the true problem they have. They may not be aware of the constant trickle of water being pumped into the tank because of a leak and they simply have become used to the sound and may be tuning it out. They may not realize there ...
Read MoreWater purity is something humans have known is important for thousands of years. And even though our ancestors may not have known exactly what impurities in water were or how it affected us, they knew the value of clear and clean drinking water. The cleaner the water, the clearer and better tasting it is. But some impurities could go undetected by visual inspection or taste. Oftentimes, toxic metals found their way into the water and negatively affected the populace. It was perfectly normal to have lead pipes bringing your drinking water in not that long ago. Science has helped us ...
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