There is always a demand for plumbers in the job market and it’s no secret why—it’s work that no one else wants to do! Plumbing issues are a given for any homeowner (or renter for that matter) and they can be costly if not quickly identified and remedied. Water damage never gets better, only worse. It’s important to familiarize yourself with the signs of the following common plumbing emergencies so you know when to call your friendly neighborhood plumber.

• Clogged Pipes

If you have ever noticed water draining slowly (or not at all!) in your sinks, bath tub, or shower, chances are your pipes are clogged. Pipe clogs are caused by debris in the pipe that block the flow of water, usually by the presence of foreign substances, such as hair or grease. Your first line of defense is to use a plunger to try to unclog the pipe and if that doesn’t work, try using a declogging chemical solvent. While there are many products you can purchase to unclog your pipes, such as drain-o or hair snaking tools, you may need to call a plumber if you can’t resolve it.

• Burst Pipes

The signs of burst pipes are pretty obvious—water everywhere! This is a common occurrence during especially cold freezing temperatures—which is why it’s important to leave your faucets on slightly to keep the water flowing. You can also open up the cabinet under the sink to allow more heat to warm the pipes. Sometimes, however, burst pipes have nothing to do with the weather. Pipes can burst simply because they are old or because something is causing them to crack—such as tree roots growing inside. Your first line of defense here is to shut off your water at the main valve and then call a DC emergency plumber immediately.

• Running Toilets

Not only is a toilet that won’t quit running annoying but it can also be very expensive! A running toilet is wasting gallons of water which is bad for the environment and your pocketbook. There are three main components of a toilet that could be malfunctioning for this to happen: the chain, the flapper, or the balloon. Before diagnosing anything, it’s probably a good idea to turn off the water valve to the toilet or things could get messy.

• Sewer Back-Up

Finally, sewer back-ups happen. It’s important to know the signs so that you can react quickly before things get worse. You might notice your toilets gurgling or a sewer odor (yuck!). You may have multiple clogs at once in your home. All of these things indicate a sewer back up. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do yourself here except call a professional. Trust me, you won’t want to handle the clean-up yourself either. Sewer back-ups can happen when there is an abnormal amount of rainfall, when tree roots grow into pipes, or simply because of old pipes that need to be replaced.

As spring approaches, many homeowners start tuning up their appliances and home systems, as well as purging and deep cleaning their homes. One area of the home that is often overlook but very important: your plumbing system. Taking a quick look around your home, you can prevent costly repairs by checking on the following items each year.

Leaky Pipes and Faucets

Doing an once-over of your whole house is a great way to check for leaks. Not only should you look for actual water, but also signs that water has been where it shouldn’t. Signs of water leaks include wood rot, water damage, mildew odors, and mold. You check the areas around pipes, sinks, faucets, and even ceilings below your bathroom for any signs of leaking.

Water Heat Inspection

Check the age of your water heater and replace if appropriate. Your owner’s manual will likely have a recommended age of replacement but the general rule of thumb is 10 years. Water heaters also need to be serviced periodically and your technician will likely leave a sticker indicating the last service date. Look for any signs of damage to the system or surrounding area.

Water Pressure

Not only is low water pressure annoying but it can also be the symptom of a larger issue, such as a clogged pipe. Turn on each of your water fixtures, such as sink faucets and showerheads and put your hand in the water stream to gauge pressure. On the hand, too much water pressure isn’t good either. You know what they say, too much of a good thing is a bad thing. High water pressure is not only wasteful and environmentally unfriendly but it also cost you more on your water bill than you need to pay. Call your local plumber to sort out either of these issues easily.

Drain Issues

While you are running the water to check the pressure, this is a great time to check your drainage. If you notice any of your pipes are taking a long time to drain, or even not draining at all, you may have a clogged pipe. If that’s the case, it’s time to call a company offering DC drain services. Clogs can be caused by a variety of issues, including foreign objects such as hair, cooking oil, foreign debris, or even toilet paper. You’d be surprised the types of things that can be found in a kitchen sink drain. Literally, everything but the kitchen sink.

Preventing Sewer Back-Ups

Lastly, you should inspect your sewers and pipes where visible. If you live in an older house, you may have pipes made of clay or cast iron which are susceptible to breakage. In this case, you would want to replace your clay pipes with PVC piping which can be a daunting task but one that will pay off in the long run. A broken sewer line can lead to serious financial troubles, so it’s important to be proactive. If you live in a heavily wooded area, you may want to pay for a plumber to periodically jet your sewer line in order to break up any tree roots that may have crept in, in order to prevent breakage to your line.

If you are thinking of remodeling your bathroom, you might be curious about what’s currently in style, lest your remodel look outdated in a few years. While the classic and very popular marble on white cabinetry will always be in style, here’s a quick overview of the new trends that are taking 2018 by storm. Looking for the cliff notes version? 2018 is the year of taking a simple element and turning it into a beautiful statement piece, such as bathtubs, tile, shower doors, and fixtures. A DC bathroom remodeling company can help you achieve all this and much more.

Spa Features

More and more homeowners have taken an interest in making their homes a place they want to be—an oasis, if you will. This trend has certainly extended into the bathroom, with pieces like glamorous soaking tubs, large walk-in showers with rain shower heads, or even the addition of saunas or steam rooms to aid in relaxation. While once windows were somewhat taboo in the bathroom, more and more designers are adding natural light to invoke that spa-like feel.

Free-Standing Bath Tub

My, how trends change over time. Just a few short years ago, every home had a shower/tub combination. Then came the birth of the luxurious, gigantic, walk-in shower and its jetted tub counterpart. After a while, home owners noticed they weren’t actually utilizing jetted tubs and longed to get that square footage back, which led to many homeowners opting for just showers, especially in the master bath. It appears, for 2018 at least, the sweet spot is somewhere in between. A walk-in shower paired with a free standing bath tub is as much a statement piece as a functional fixture, and your local plumber can move your plumbing pipes to accommodate this new modern look.

Pattern Tile

The patterned tile engine has come to full steam in 2018. From patterned floors, backsplashes, and entire showers, more and more homeowners are renovating their bathrooms with a statement tile while leaving everything else neutral in order to let the tile shine.

Steel Framed Shower

A quick search of Pinterest for shower doors will bombard you with hundreds of pins exhibiting what #ShowerGoals truly looks like and it might surprise you. A theme that appears over and over is the black steel framed glass shower doors—whether just simply framed shower walls or broken up in panes resembling windows. A common thread of all 2018 trends couldn’t be better exemplified as it is here: taking a simple element and making it swoon-worthy.

Matte Black Fixtures

While mixed metals are certainly having a moment, it looks like brass may finally be losing its spot as #1 metal trend in favor of a newcomer, matte black. Matte black fixtures certainly skew more modern and tie in beautifully to the on-trend black and white color palette that has taken bathrooms by storm. At the end of the day, black is a classic and timeless color that won’t look outdated in a few years, so it’s a relatively safe investment.

Water heaters are such an essential part of everyday life considering they provide heated water to all parts of your home whenever and wherever you need it.  Unfortunately, these vastly used and important units get neglected and forgotten about too often, until a problem arises.  Replacing your water heater because of failed maintenance or misuse can be very costly.  Not to mention the major inconvenience of not having any hot water until the issue is resolved or a new unit has been installed.  Luckily, there are a number of ways that you can increase the years you get out of it as well as better and more efficient performance while in use.  Let’s examine three well-known tips for getting the most out of your water heater.

Setting The Thermostat To The Proper Temperature

The temperature you decide to set your water heater at will have a constant impact on several daily activities.  The average recommended temperature to set the thermostat at is 120 degrees Fahrenheit.  This will properly heat your water for all major and minor uses throughout your home along with not putting strain on the life of the tank.  If you notice your water having an unpleasant odor, this may be a sign of higher bacteria levels and require an increase in temperature to 140 degrees to kill the bacteria.  The same outcome will be true if you are having trouble getting your dishes clean in your dishwasher, an increase in temperature on the water heater may be necessary for your circumstance.  Changing the temperature of a gas-powered water heater is simple, just turn the dial located on the front of the gas control valve.  If you have an electric water heater, you will need to turn off the breaker, remove access panels and locate the thermostat to adjust.  It is often the safest bet to allow a professional plumbing company to adjust and maintain your water heater, especially if you are unfamiliar with them.

Drain The Sediment Build Up Every So Often 

Over time, the micro amounts of sediments in the water get deposited in the bottom of your tank and can accumulate if left untreated for too long.  Luckily, there is an easy trick you can do periodically to help avoid any unwanted build-up.  First, drain the remaining water in the tank into a bucket.  Next, stir up the sediment by opening the cold-water supply valve.  Then you will drain the water and repeat the process until the water is looking crystal clear.

Use Some Pipe Installation

A simple, quick, and inexpensive method to help you get the most out of your water heater is installing some 3/8-inch-thick self-stick pipe installation.  You will want to cover the pipes leading away from your heater as far as you can see.  This will be multifunctional, helping keep the hot water warmer and cold-water cooler with less condensation in the summertime. For any other concerns or questions, don’t hesitate to contact a professional that offers DC water heater repair services.

Choosing to remodel your bathroom can be a very exciting yet overwhelming feeling. A lot of things will need to happen correctly, and in order, to achieve your vision of what you want your bathroom to look and feel like.  Even doing small simple projects can make drastic improvement throughout the entire atmosphere of your bathroom.  With enough creativity and persistence, you can turn your older styled outdated bathroom into a highly aesthetically pleasing area that will bring you pleasure every single day.  Below are three outstanding tips to help get you on your way to your new bathroom paradise.

Form A Plan With A Budget

Nothing halts progress on a project faster than running out of available money to use for completion.  It may seem like a waste but hiring a professional to help you plan and properly budget your project will provide you with much greater success in a more organized and realistic time frame.  A professional can lay out an elaborate plan of specific action to help you complete your desired goals in the most realistic fashion possible.  It’s best to get a general idea of what you wish to change and then further discuss your plans with an expert so they can help get you on your way as soon as possible.  Another benefit of planning and using a budget is that you will actually save money, in the end, considering you’ll only be purchasing the essentials for each stage of completion, as opposed to guessing and buying things that may not do the job.  Save yourself a headache, guesswork, and costly errors by hiring a professional plumber to help you get the most affordable and efficient plan of action for your new bathroom.

Redo Your Lighting

One of the most noticeable aspects of a bathroom, really any room for that matter, is the lighting.  A bathroom that is too light or too dark can deliver an uncomfortable and unpleasant feel from the start.  Changing old traditional lights for new led bulbs of your choice can make a huge improvement in visibility right away.  Removing, adding, or changing the placement of light fixtures will make a drastic impact on where the light is shining, as well as how much.  There are many unique lighting options that can literally help brighten your day when you find what is right for you and your bathroom.

Adding Or Replacing Mirrors

The third useful tip on the list of ways to remodel your bathroom is having a better mirror.  If you have a small bathroom that is tight on available space, you may want to replace your protruding wood framed mirror with a larger and sleeker flat mirror that will hug the wall.  This will not only give you more space at eye level but also make the bathroom feel larger with more space for reflection.  A new mirror will also make the bathroom look more modern and you can measure to hand pick the appropriate size to fit each area nicely.  If you have any other questions, you can always reach out to a professional that offers DC bathroom remodeling services.

Educating yourself as much as possible about the plumbing in your home can make a crucial impact on how often annoying and expensive problems arise.  When you are more aware of the processes happening in your home each day, you can better predict and react when an issue may come up with your plumbing/pipes.  Sometimes you might stumble across small minor issues that you don’t want to pay a professional to come out and fix every time.  If so, you will need to have some basic knowledge of what may be causing the problem and how you properly fix it before it develops into a more series issue.  Fortunately, there are three excellent tips to always remember when dealing with a plumbing repair issue in your home.

How To Locate Non Visible Pipes

Sometimes you may experience a problem with one of your pipes however, things may be more difficult if you cannot see the pipe and what may be wrong with it.  Instead of breaking through floors and demolishing areas of your home to locate the problem area, try using a high strength magnet to locate hidden pipes.  For pipes under the floor, attach a rare earth magnet to a fishing line and feed it down through a drain to see where the pipe leads underneath.  You can then track the magnet down through the floor using an ordinary compass which will turn accurately with the magnet’s placement.  This is a much quicker, easier, and less expensive way than tearing up floors throughout your home in search of pipes.

The Power Of The Picture        

Whether you are rebuilding the walls and structure of your home, or in the process of building your new home from scratch, one important tip to always remember is to take a picture.  More specifically, take a number of high-quality photos with good visibility and lighting of all major plumbing and electrical fixtures throughout your home before they get covered up with walls and floors.  Once you have several good pictures of what kinds of important features there are and where they are located, be sure make note of them in writing or digital storage as well.  It would be very disappointing to find out a few years down the road when you want to remodel the kitchen and can’t remember where major pipes and wires are.  Breaking through walls with pipes can result in extremely costly repairs, as well as more time and hassle to complete the project with a new problem to deal with.  Always take pictures so you can document and reference down the road where crucial plumbing and electrical elements are located in your home.

How To Use The Toilet During Plumbing Projects 

During the time of changing or fixing pipes and anything involving plumbing in a home, you will most likely have the water shut off which means you can’t flush the toilet.  The good news is a very simple and easy way to still use and flush the toilet whenever necessary does indeed exist.  If you have a two-gallon bucket of water and dump it in the bowl before you flush the toilet, it will work properly each time you repeat this process.  For any other concerns or questions, contact an expert that offers DC commercial sewer repair services.

One of the most crucial aspects to remember and do correctly is winterizing your pipes when necessary.  If you live in a region that experiences different seasons and temperatures that dip down below freezing, chances are you will need to winterize certain aspects of your plumbing at some point.  Failing to prepare your pipes for frozen temperatures can lead to a host of small and large-scale problems.  Frozen pipes can end up cracking or busting, leaving you with a costly but necessary plumbing repair to regain full functionally of your plumbing.  Be sure to always be aware of expected temperature and weather patterns as sometimes frozen temperatures can arrive sooner than normal and catch people by surprise; leaving them urgent and costly issues.  Below are three essential tips for properly winterizing your plumbing and always staying one step ahead so you can avoid catastrophic problems.

Remove Any Water

The first step in preparing your pipes for any freezing weather is shutting off the main valve that allows water into that pipe or pipes.  Next, you will want to open all of the drain valves and taps to ensure that no water is stuck, which is caused by a vacuum effect.  After you have ensured that water is no longer being supplied and the valves and taps are open to remove any remaining water, you can start to use air to your advantage.  Using some type of appropriate air compressor or blower, hooked up to the pipe, will allow you to push out the last bits of remaining water so that nothing can freeze inside.

Winterizing Appliances

If you wish to winterize other aspects inside your home, such as toilets or sinks, other precautionary measures will be necessary.  If you are preparing your toilet, you will want to flush it several times, getting rid of as much water from the tank and bowl as possible.  After you have removed as much water as you can, you can add some antifreeze liquid which will prevent any remaining water from freezing and breaking through a pipe. To prepare a kitchen sink for example, just add antifreeze to the drain trap so any remaining water down inside can’t freeze.

Inspect And Insulate

Once you have accomplished all of the necessary measures to remove water from pipes/appliances along with adding antifreeze where necessary, you can proceed to the final steps for good measure. Taking a good look outside of your home in edges and corners will allow you to see any cracks or areas where cold air could come in and harm parts of your home.  If you find any exposed areas, be sure to get them closed up and properly insulated as soon as possible.  You can also further protect exposed pipes that might experience colder air than usual like in garages, barns, or basements with insulation.  If you have any other preparation or general plumbing questions don’t hesitate to ask for help from an expert plumber.  If you do have any frozen pipes, contact a plumbing service that offers professional DC pipe thawing services immediately.

Above all, avoiding frozen pipes is always the main goal for any plumbing/winterization situation if at all possible.  Many easy to follow steps can be taken early on to avoid the chance of having any pipes become frozen and eventually cracked.  If winterization is done early enough and correctly, you should be in the clear for the entirety of any winter or freezing temperature period.  Unfortunately, accidents and improper winterizations can happen, which lead to a pipe becoming partially or completely frozen before you can reverse the situation.  There are many different possibilities and specific circumstance involving pipes that have ultimately succumbed to the freezing temperatures.  Knowledge and caution must be applied whenever dealing with this type of situation.  Let’s examine three important aspects when approaching any kind of frozen pipe.

Safety First

First off and always the most important aspect is understanding the severity and potential risks of attempting to solve the problem without a professional.  When the water inside of a pipe becomes frozen and solid, the pressure is vastly increased since water expands and pushes outward when it freezes.  This buildup of pressure can lead to explosions and pipes breaking violently if thawed incorrectly.  If you are in anyway unsure as to which pipe is frozen, how badly it is frozen, or how to approach the situation, call a professional that specializes in DC commercial pipe thawing services.  This may seem like a more expensive route, but it will not only ensure your safety, it will also prevent further accidental damage to your problem area and plumbing in general.

Locating And Opening A Frozen Pipe

With most homes having multiple pipes leading in different directions and some being exposed while others are not visible, locating a frozen pipe may seem like an overwhelming near impossible task.  However, this is far from the truth and can be scoped out rather quickly if the right measures are taken.  Try each faucet, appliance, and any unit that receives and expels water in your home to see which ones are working and which ones are not.  If you stumble across something that is not releasing any water or just a small drip, you can bet that the pipe leading to it is indeed frozen.  Once you locate the fixture that the frozen pipe sits behind to be sure to open the faucet/handle.  If there are hot and cold handles be sure to turn both of them to open so pressure can more easily be released.

How To Approach The Thawing Process   

Exposed pipes can be thawed with a hair dryer, space heater, hot towels, or heating tape.  Be sure to always start the thawing process at the end of the open faucet so pressure and melted water have a place to continuously escape.  You will also need to perform this action consciously of any electrical outlets or wires.  Melting water in plumbing and electrical areas could trigger a very dangerous electric shock.  If you experience any situation that appears potentially dangerous in any way to you or your plumbing, seek professional plumbing help before progressing.

Natural gas is a commonly used source of fuel for many of the appliances and units that power our homes, day and night, year after year.  It’s also a relatively inexpensive route to take for the cost per month, while being a very efficient source of fuel. With that being said, there are some very important aspects to always be aware of regarding things like safety, proper use, and the many options that it offers.  The best mindset to have when regarding the use of natural gas is that safety always comes first and hooking up/installing appliances and units must be done properly.  In order to become more familiar with certain specific uses, safety precautions, and valuable information let’s take a look below at three key aspects of natural gas and its use by plumbing professionals in the plumbing world.

What Is Natural Gas And How Can It Be Dangerous

Natural gas is a naturally occurring element found underground that is highly flammable, consisting largely of methane and other types of hydrocarbons.  A sulfur smell known as mercaptan is added to natural gas before it commercial and residentially used so we can always identify it by smell.  A small amount of this odor may be present when attaching or unstitching new appliances and pipes even when the valves are closed and turned off since a small amount remains in the pipes that have been used.  The time to be alarmed is when you smell the gas inside your home during normal operation This can be a sign of a gas leak which can become very dangerous if too much is breathed in.  It is ideal to have a gas, smoke, and carbon monoxide detector installed in your home so you are alerted long before it could become harmful to you and your family.  Always be sure you have the proper up to date safety detectors installed in your home.

Installing And Connecting Gas Appliances   

Whatever gas-powered appliance you are trying to install, there will be several necessary steps to take to ensure it is done safely and properly.  The first thing to always do is turn off the valve allowing natural gas to the pipe or appliance before dethatching any pipe or old appliance in preparing for something new.  Next, be sure to read all the directions very carefully on whatever appliance you are installing.  You will then want to assemble any parts that need to be added to the appliance so it’s complete and ready for hookup.  Once you have read and assembled everything correctly, you can focus on the gas connection and line to make sure it there are no leaks and the threaded connection will be a very snug fit.  When you’re sure that your gas line, connection, and the appliance is ready to be safely hooked up, use the necessary tools to properly make the connection.  When everything is tight, in place, and complete, you can turn the gas on and try out your new appliance.  Always read all instructions and use proper safety equipment whenever dealing with gas appliances.  If you have any concerns or problems, you can always call a professional who specializes in DC gas plumber services to help get your issue resolved.

One of the basic considerations when buying a water heater is its functional and operational nature based on its basic design. You can either choose a model with an inbuilt storage tank or on without. Each of these designs offers a number of benefits and limitations. While still focusing on their functional and operational nature, you can further classify or categorize water heaters according to the kind of energy they use. Commonly referred to as the fuel type subcategories, most water heaters are either electric, gas, solar, or hybrid. Again the different fuel types come with different advantages and disadvantages. Due to space limitations, we won’t be able to cover all these design and functional variations here. We will only look at the two main water heater designs — storage and tankless — in this article. But you can always visit our blog for a full coverage of this topic.

Conventional Storage Water Heaters

As the name implies, conventional storage water heaters have a storage tank or reservoir for holding water before and after heating. Water flows in and out of the pipe via connecting pipes and heating is facilitated by either electricity, gas, or even solar.

Advantages

According to industry reports, conventional storage water heaters are the most popular models in the United States. Their popularity emanates from the following financial, functional, and operational benefits:

• They are the cheapest or the most affordable water heaters.
• They are very easy to install especially with the help of a professional DC commercial plumber.
• They are functionally reliable and dependable even for multiple/simultaneous hot water needs.
• With proper maintenance, conventional storage water heaters are very durable.

Disadvantages

As mentioned above, all water heater models and designs offer the consumer various advantages and disadvantages. The major limitations of conventional storage water heaters are:

• They are highly inefficient, due to standby heat loss in their reservoirs.
• They require regular inspection and maintenance.
• Compared to tankless models, conventional storage water heaters are very expensive to operate and maintain.

Tankless Water Heaters

Unlike the conventional storage models, these water heaters lack a water storage tank or reservoir. They use gas or electrical power to heat water instantaneously or on demand without storing any.

Advantages

The functional suitability of tankless water heaters depends on a number of factors, including the size of the heater, energy efficiency, operating & maintenance costs, fuel type & availability, and so on. Some of the benefits of acquiring, installing, and using tankless water heaters are:

• They are more energy efficient than conventional storage models.
• They have lower operating costs and their replacement parts are tough and long-lasting.
• Due to their simple design, tankless water heaters are quite small and hence require less installation space than conventional storage models.
• They maintain constant hot water flow without getting exhausted.
• Their cumulative energy savings are huge making them the cheaper model in the long-term.

Disadvantages

Tankless water heaters are not as popular as conventional storage models. The following limitations undermine their adoption.

• They are more expensive to purchase and install than conventional storage models.
• More than one tankless water heater is needed to fully furnish simultaneous/multiple hot water consumption especially in large residential or commercial settings.
• Their instantaneous water heating process requires a brief lag time to heat the water to the required temperature.
• To enhance their functionality and energy efficiency, tankless water heaters need special and expensive maintenance.