5 Summer Home Maintenance Tips

5 Summer Home Maintenance Tips

Summer is here, the kids are out of school, and here in north Georgia we’re  seeing recording breaking high temperatures! Summer is a great time to get outside and get active with your family, but its also a great time to do a little home maintenance. No one likes adding to their to do list, but as a homeowner you can save yourself lots of money by doing a little preventive maintenance. Keeping up with regular home maintenance can also help keep your house safe for you and your family!

At Masterflo Plumbing we like to help you keep your life simple. 

Today we’re bringing you 5 summer home maintenance tips–

  1. Test your smoke detectors. You should test your smoke detectors at least twice a year! During the summer there are lots of cook outs! Grills and smokers can increase your risk of having a fire in or around your home. Make sure your smoke detectors are working so that you can keep your family safe.
  2. Touch up the exterior paint on your home. This includes siding, doors, trim, and shutters. Now that its warm outside, its the perfect time to touch up the pain on the outside of your home. Touching up your home’s exterior paint each summer can keep you from dropping thousands of dollars on having the entire exterior of your home professionally repainted. Plus, once the touch ups are done, your home will look great for all those backyard cook outs!
  3. Clean your air conditioner filter. This is an important tip that is often overlooked by most of us! During the summer when your air conditioner is working the hardest, you should try and clean the filter every couple of weeks. This will help your unit to run much more efficiently, saving you money on your power bill. You can clean the filter by using warm, soapy water or a vacuum cleaner. Some newer air conditioner units may have a self cleaning option.
  4. Check your furnace filter. Changing your furnace filter is another great way to save money on your energy bill by keeping the appliance working as efficiently as possible. If the filter needs to be cleaned or replaced, turn off the power and locate the filter. You may need to unscrew and remove a couple of panels. If the filter has a cardboard frame, you’ll need to purchase a replacement. If the frame is not cardboard, you can clean it with warm, soapy water.
  5. Check your hoses. This includes all the hoses to your dehumidifier, washing machine, dishwasher, ice maker, toilets, refrigerator, and any outdoor garden hoses. These hoses should all be visually inspected for any signs of cracks, leaks, or wear and tear. Generally, these hoses will need to be replaced every 3-5 years to prevent any major leaks. 

Follow these 4 summer home maintenance tips for a safe, sunny summer! For any help with plumbing maintenance or emergency plumbing problems contact us at (678) 822-7095. We service all of metro Atlanta and north Georgia 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

Slab Leak Repair Marietta, GA

Slab Leak Repair Marietta, GA

Any homeowner knows that any plumbing problem is an unneeded and unwanted hassle, but slab leaks are one of the worst possible plumbing problems! What makes slab leaks one of the worst possible plumbing problems to have is that even a small slab leak can end up causing quite a bit of damage. Unfortunately, slab leak repair can be quite costly sometimes. The amount of damage caused by a slab and the amount of money it will cost you to fix it can sometimes depend on the location of the leak.

slab leak repair

So, what exactly is a slab leak? Your home sits on a concrete foundation called a slab. This helps to keep your home stable and prevent it from shifting over time as it settles. Underneath the slab are many pipes, including your water and sewer lines. If one of these pipes develops a leak underneath the slab, the water from the leak will travel up through the slab and into your home, coming up through the floor. This is a slab leak.

slab leak repair

Slab leaks are a huge problem. Sometimes, they can be really large and can create tons of damage underneath your home. Also, they can go unnoticed for long periods of time. The longer a slab leak goes unnoticed, the worse it gets and the more damage it causes. Unfortunately, its next to impossible to recognize a slab leak before its had the opportunity to fester and create extensive damage.

As soon as you believe you have a slab leak, turn off your water! This will aid in keeping any more water from leaking out of the pipes and creating further damage. The next thing you should do is call a plumber in your area for slab leak repair immediately! A professional plumber will be able to tell you for sure if you’ve got a slab leak. If you do, a professional plumber will be able to pinpoint the exact location of the leak and will be able to begin working to fix it immediately.

For slab leak repair, call the trusted experts at Masterflo Plumbing immediately! The longer you allow a slab leak to continue underneath your home, the more damage you will have. For slab leak repair in Marietta, GA, call Masterflo at (678) 822-7095 or send us a message!

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day!

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day and is a day for us to remember the men and women who have died in service to the USA. There are many cities across the United States that claim to be the birth place of Memorial Day, but in 1966 Waterloo, New York was officially declared the birthplace of the holiday.

Memorial Day originally came from the Civil War as a way to honor the dead and was proclaimed a holiday on May 5, 1868. General John Logan named it a holiday by saying  “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land.” The date was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any Civil War battles.

New York was the first state to recognize the holiday in 1873, and by 1890 all northern states recognized the holiday. Southern states began officially acknowledging the holiday after World War I. In 1971, Congress passed the National Holiday Act making Memorial Day a Federal holiday.

MoinaMichaelStamp

In 1915, Moina Michael penned a poem that inspired her to wear red poppies on Memorial Day in honor of those who died serving our country during war:

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

Moina was the first to wear the red poppies and she began selling them to her friends and co-workers and donated the money to servicemen in need. In 1922, the VFW became the first veterans  organization to begin selling the poppies. Later, the Buddy Poppy program began selling artificial poppies made by disabled war veterans. In 1948, the USPS honored Moina Michel by issuing a red 3 cent stamp with her face on it.

In December 2000, the National Moment of Remembrance resolution was passed. This resolution asks that at 3p.m. local time all Americans pause for a moment of silence out of remembrance and respect for those who have died serving our country.

All of us at Masterflo Plumbing wish you a very happy, safe, and relaxing Memorial Day weekend!

DIY Plumbing Repair

DIY Plumbing Repair

At some point, most of us will run into plumbing problems at home. If you are renting, this generally means you will call your landlord and have them take care of it. If you own your own home and are not a professional plumber, this can mean calling an experienced plumber out to your home to take care of the problem. Sometimes, this can result in you spending tons of money. Today we’re going to discuss some DIY plumbing repair tricks that you can attempt yourself before calling for professional reinforcements!

DIY plumbing repair

Unblock Traps- Undo the sink trap, remove the blockage, and reassemble the trap. Although some clogs can be fixed by using a snake, oftentimes the best way to remove the clog and prevent future clogs is to remove it entirely.

Fix Pesky Sink Clogs- Remove the spring tab from the drain plug, remove the ball valve from the trap, remove the pop up plug, then thoroughly remove all debris in the drain. Sink drain clogs are super common, and contrary to popular belief, its NOT a good idea to use chemical drain cleaners.

Leaky Pipes- Check your pipes periodically for signs of rust or lime scale. This can indicate that you may have a small leak. If left alone, small leaks can turn into big leaks which can cause lots of damage.

If you have a plumbing emergency or have tried these easy plumbing fixes and still find yourself with a plumbing problem, call your local, trusted professional plumbers at Masterflo Plumbing today- (678) 822-7095! 

Gas Line Repair Marietta, GA

Gas Line Repair Marietta, GA 

Most of us are familiar with natural gas as an energy source in our homes. Natural gas is one of the most common and affordable forms of energy for homeowners throughout Marietta, GA and its surrounding areas. Because of its popularity, affordability, and availability, its important that you know the potential hazards that can come along with using natural gas as an energy source in your home. If you are facing any problems with your gas lines, it is imperative that you call a licensed professional for gas line repair immediately! 

  • Carbon Monoxide- Carbon monoxide is a by-product of using natural gas. Unfortunately, carbon monoxide can be very hazardous to the health of you and your family. If it is inhaled, it can cause major health problems. It is odorless and colorless, making it virtually impossible to notice on your own. If you have inhaled carbon monoxide, you may experience symptoms that are very similar to the flu. 
  • Gas Line Leaks- Although gas line leaks are generally very rare, they are very dangerous. If natural gas has the opportunity to build up in an enclosed space, it can cause illness to those inhaling it, as well as an explosion. Leaks can happen inside or outside your home, and are very dangerous in either place. Before doing any landscaping or other outside work that requires digging, you should call your local utility company and have them come out and mark the gas lines in your yard. Natural gas smells like rotten eggs. If you notice this smell, make sure to shut off any gas valves at your home and call 911 and your local utility company. 

gas-line-repair

Gas leaks and carbon monoxide can be extremely dangerous! Preventing these issues is as simple as having your gas lines inspected and maintained regularly by a licensed professional. At Masterflo Plumbing we have the skills and experience necessary to prevent gas line issues in your home. We are also able to do gas line repair in an emergency if needed! To schedule your routine gas line maintenance inspection or for emergency gas line repair, call us today at (678) 822-7095!

Water Heater Wednesday

We’re willing to bet that the only time you’ve really ever thought about your water heater is when you needed a plumber to do some water heater repair for you or when you had to replace it. Here are some fun facts you may not know about your water heater

  • The average household spends between $400-$600 on water heating every year
  • The average household uses 64 gallons of water a day
  • There are five types of water heaters: storage, tankless, heat pump, solar, and tankless coil and indirect
  • The most expensive type of water heater is the solar water heater, but it will last about 20 years!
  • Storage, heat pump, and tankless coil and indirect water heaters all have a life expectancy of 10-15 years
  • About 27 million Americans have a water heater that is more than 10 years old
  • Regular maintenance can extend the life of your water heater and maximize efficiency

Check back with us next week for more Water Heater Wednesday! In the meantime, if you need a plumber to do water heater repair, call Masterflo Plumbing!

Toilet Repair Tips – Caulking

Toilet Repair Tips – Caulking Your Toilet

toilet-repair-services-canton-gaToilets should always be caulked to the floor in order to prevent any movement of the toilet. When a toilet moves, the wax seal could get broken and water can collect under the toilet and rot the floor. Oftentimes, homeowners will set a toilet and then caulk around the outside edge. This method generally isn’t strong enough to hold and it also leaves a large, visible line of caulk. Read on to find out the best way to caulk a toilet!

  • Set the toilet in place, making sure its square against the wall
  • Use masking tape to make an outline of the toilet on the floor
  • Remove the toilet and lay it on its side
  • Measure the depth and width of the gluing edge of the bowl
  • Use your caulk gun to apply caulk directly to the floor using the depth you measured in the previous step
  • Install the wax ring
  • Lower your toilet onto the floor
  • Stand on the toilet to make sure its properly adhered to the wax ring
  • Use a paper towel to clean up any extra caulk