Showing posts with label green plumber. Show all posts
Showing posts with label green plumber. Show all posts
Monday, April 26, 2010
Know When to Call a Plumbing Professional...and When Not To!
Plumbing repair is certainly not for the faint of heart, but how do you know if that leaky faucet or other plumbing repair job is something you can fix yourself or if it requires the golden wrench of an experienced plumber? Here are some suggestions the plumbing technicians at Horizon Services recommend to help you make the decision whether to call a plumber or try to take on the plumbing job yourself.
If you have a damaged gas line, don’t even try to work on it yourself. You are putting yourself at a major risk for worsening the leak or even triggering an explosion. A professional plumber has the specialized tools needed to contend with serious issues like this.
If your house is severely flooded, you should have called a plumber an hour ago! If you didn’t, call a plumber NOW! If the water back-up is being caused by a clogged drain that you’ve tried unsuccessfully to dislodge, a plumber can access places in the pipe work you wouldn’t think to check and get to the root of the plumbing or drain problem.
If your plumbing issue lies in the water or sewer lines connected to your home, don’t go it alone. These systems are complicated and repairs require the work of a plumbing or water line/sewer line professional. A reputable plumbing or water line/service line contractor will know how to obtain the appropriate city or county permits that may be needed to tackle this kind of project.
If you think your pipes have frozen or that you have a leak caused by a cracked pipe, call a plumber immediately. Cold weather is one of the biggest threats to your home’s plumbing system and can cause serious damage; a plumbing professional will be able to thaw frozen pipes and seal or repair cracks before things get worse.
If you have raw sewage backed up into your yard or basement, you need professional help. Septic leaks can contaminate ground water and wells, not to mention cause embarrassing and messy spills. The area around the septic tank may have to be excavated to find the source of the problem and repair it. This is not something you want to have anything to do with.
If you suspect a problem with your water pump, call a licensed plumber. You might need replacement parts or a whole new pump; the average weekend warrior doesn’t have the right tools for this kind of job. And pump system replacement requires a specialized set of plumbing skills that can only come from years experience and training.
If your water heater is not functioning properly and you’ve tried simple fixes like adjusting the thermostat and checking the pilot light, hire a plumbing professional. You could have a bigger problem like tank corrosion or electrical system malfunction, neither of which you want to try to fix on your own.
If you have any doubts about your ability to fix even the simplest plumbing problem, don’t hesitate to call in a plumber. You could end up causing even more damage to your home and plumbing system by pushing ahead with the plumbing repair yourself.
Bottom Line: Do-it yourself plumbing can be a real crap-shoot. Home-gamers need to ask themselves if the reward of saving some bucks is worth the risk of making the plumbing problem worse and costlier down the line. These days, we all need to watch every penny, but when it comes to your home’s plumbing, spending a little more now can save so much more in the long run.
Related Plumbing Information from Horizon Services...
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Build a Plumbing Arsenal
Seven Plumbing Supplies, You Absolutely, Positively Must Have on Hand At All Times!While many of us would prefer to call in a professional plumber rather than risk flooding the kitchen, bathroom, laundry or entire home for that matter, there are plenty of simple plumbing repairs and adjustments you can make on your own in a pinch—if you have the right tools.
The following are seven essential plumbing supplies that Horizon Services recommends that you should have in your home that will allow you to fix common problems and handle many plumbing emergencies without necessarily having to hire a pro.
The following are seven essential plumbing supplies that Horizon Services recommends that you should have in your home that will allow you to fix common problems and handle many plumbing emergencies without necessarily having to hire a pro.
- A Plumbing Repair Kit: Most home improvement, hardware stores, and plumbing supply retailers carry especially designed plumbing repair kits that will provide the tools and equipment you need to fix many common plumbing problems. Toilet and sink repair kits include all the basic parts and materials required to repair most simple issues. Having these on hand will leave you much better prepared to deal with a dripping faucet, a running toilet, water that won’t shut off and many other common plumbing problems.
- Plumber’s Putty: This substance is a temporary cure-all for a variety of common household plumbing problems. Though it’s not meant to provide a permanent solution, plumber’s putty is perfect for sealing minor leaks and minimizing water damage until you can get a plumber to take a look at the problem, or perform more permanent plumbing repairs yourself. Plumber’s putty is sold at most hardware and home improvement stores.
- Pipe Epoxy: Similar to putty, pipe epoxy will temporarily plug holes in pipes and hoses until a more permanent plumbing repair can be done. The difference between putty and epoxy is that the latter can generally be used on wet or dry surfaces, and the bond it forms is more secure. Epoxy can be difficult to remove, though, so it should be used sparingly and with care.
- Pipe Wrench: Sometimes a leaky faucet is caused by something as simple as a loosened nut or bolt. A pipe wrench lets you get at hard-to-reach places, and is long enough to reach and hold those distant pipes located at the back of your cabinets or walls.
- Nuts, Bolts, and Washers: Perhaps the most inexpensive piece of plumbing equipment ever, it’s almost insane not to have extra fasteners on hand for plumbing and household emergencies. Small and easy to store, nuts, bolts, and washers are plumbing essentials that you can never have too many of.
- A Drain Snake: Clogged drains and plugged toilets can bring a household to a stand-still. A drain snake is the quickest and most effective way to eliminate clogs without the use of harsh chemicals or dissolving agents. Untreated clogs can lead to more serious drain and plumbing problems, which can cost thousands to repair. A decent snake won’t cost you more than $20 or so; compact packaging means you can keep the snake wrapped up and tucked away until you need it.
- A Fully-Equipped Toolbox: Having all your plumbing supplies in one place can save tons of hassle when you need to repair a leaky toilet in the middle of the night. Be sure to have the basic tools, too. Screwdrivers, both Phillips head and flat, wrenches of varying sizes, screws, hammers, a level, tape measure, etc. Keeping everything together in a toolbox will ensure you have the right plumbing tool handy when you need it most.
Related Plumbing Information...
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
More Green Plumbing Tips!
We all want to save money during these challenging economic times, and making green plumbing improvements is one of the best money-saving changes you can make. But in addition to saving you a lot of green in your wallet, green plumbing solutions around the home are some of the most effective and easy things you can do to reduce energy consumption, to improve your health and to help the environment.Green Plumbing and Energy Reduction
When it comes to your energy bills, most people focus on their furnaces or air conditioners. But your plumbing system also has a big impact on how much energy you consume.
- Unprotected pipes, especially ones in exterior walls, are responsible for a huge amount of heat loss as water flows from your hot water tank to a faucet. Insulating pipes keeps more of this heat in, significantly cutting into your energy usage and saving you money on your utility bill.
- If you are considering a plumbing remodel, upgrade or new home construction, keeping pipes out of exterior walls altogether will eliminate unnecessary heat loss. Instead, run pipes through insulated and interior spaces where temperature is more regulated.
- Invest in an on-demand hot water pump. These devices send hot water to fixtures in seconds, eliminating costs that arise when hot water is left to sit unused in your pipes and reducing water usage overall.
- Hot water heaters constitute up to 15 percent of your home’s total energy usage. A new, energy-efficient water heater can cut a big chunk out of high utility bills.
Green Plumbing and Your Health
It’s true-—improving the efficiency of your home’s plumbing can have a positive impact on the health of everyone in your household.
- Request a copy of your town’s most recent water report or hire an independent tester to analyze your water. Before you can do anything, you need to know what kinds of substances may be in your water.
- Install a chlorine filter on your showerheads. Eliminating chlorine from your water can ease symptoms of chlorine sensitivity, which include dry skin, itchiness, flaking, rashes and tightness.
- Look into a whole house filtration system that will get rid of chemicals, heavy metals and micro organisms that may be present in the water you use for cooking, bathing, cleaning and drinking. A comprehensive filtration system will also prevent staining and corrosion caused by hard water, and will extend the life of appliances that use water.
- If you live in an area with particularly poor water quality, install an activated charcoal filter or reverse osmosis system. These water purifiers filter out contaminants and make water safer to use.
Green Plumbing and the Environment
Many of us are looking for ways to reduce our impact on the environment. Green plumbing solutions help you do just that. Coincidentally, many of these initiatives can save you money, too.
- Install low-flow fixtures, which can reduce your water consumption by about 60 percent.
- Low-flush toilets are also a great way to restrict unnecessary water usage, saving about 28 gallons of water per person every day.
- Purchase a leak monitoring device that will notify you of leaky faucets, pipes and toilets so you can have the problem taken care of before too much water is wasted.
- Faucet flow reducers are easy to install and can cut water usage by more than 40 percent.
- Replace old appliances with energy efficient models. Dishwashers and washing machines with an Energy Star rating can reduce water use by more than 50 percent.
More About Green Plumbing from Horizon Services...
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