What Is A Tankless Water Heater?

What Is A Tankless Water Heater?

We’re willing to bet you’ve heard of a tankless water heater before, but do you really know what it is? Tankless water heaters are gaining in popularity and come with some great benefits.

A tankless water heater provides hot water as it is needed instead of holding on to a bunch of hot water that isn’t needed (which costs you extra money). Its a similar concept to running the heat in your home during the winter- if you aren’t home you don’t run it. If you don’t need the hot water, don’t heat it up. This simple concept can save you tons of energy and money on your utility bill. You can read more about the energy efficiency of tankless water heaters at Energy.gov.

Tankless water heaters work by heating water directly as opposed to heating up a stored tank of water. When a hot water faucet is turned on in your home, cold water travels through a pipe into the water heater unit. Tankless water heaters can be electric (an electric element heats the water) or gas (a gas burner heats the water).

Tankless water heaters provide hot water at a rate of 2-5 gallons per minute. While this is a great rate, some tankless water haters can’t keep up with the demand for hot water in a large household. To circumvent this problem, you can install two or more tankless water heaters to keep up with demand. Since you’re not paying extra money to heat water that isn’t needed, the only additional cost to you is the initial cost of the water heater. You can also install tankless water heaters that are designated for certain appliances.

Don’t get stuck without hot water or high energy bills this winter! Call Masterflo Plumbing today for your brand new tankless water heater at (678) 822-7095!

tankless water heater

 

 

8 Easy Steps To Prevent Frozen Pipes

Easy Steps To Prevent Frozen Pipes

Plumbing problems never seem to come at a convenient time, but not having warm water during the harsh winter months is the ultimate in inconvenient plumbing problems. Frozen pipes plague millions of Americans each year, and if you live in an area that sees freezing temperatures during the winter, your pipes are at risk of freezing. If your pipes freeze, you could end up without any hot water to your home!

Don’t get stuck with frozen pipes and no hot water this winter, just follow our 8 easy steps to prevent frozen pipes!

frozen-pipes

  1. Insulate pipes that are in colder areas of your home with foam.
  2. Wrap pipes that are at risk of freezing with heater tape.
  3. Seal any gaps in insulation near your pipes.
  4. Replace older plumbing.
  5. Call a professional plumber to reroute plumbing that is exposed to the elements.
  6. During particularly freezing temperatures, allow warm air to circulate around pipes in cooler areas of your home. This may mean opening cabinet doors or opening the door to your basement or your garage from your main living space.
  7. Consider keeping the temperature in your home slightly warmer than normal overnight when outside temperatures drop the most drastically.
  8. Turn on your faucets to allow a slow drip overnight. This will ensure that water continues to flow through your pipes.

While these 8 easy steps can surely help prevent frozen pipes, nothing is guaranteed! If you find that your pipes are frozen and you are without hot water, call a plumber immediately! Many times frozen pipes can be fixed easily and without resulting in any problems, but sometimes frozen pipes can cause major damage to your home and property.

For more information about the safety of you, your family, and your home during freezing winter temperatures, read more from the Red Cross.

For an emergency plumber in your area, call Masterflo Plumbing immediately at (678) 822-7095! We’re on call for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

Water Heater Installation Special

Water Heater Installation Special

Don’t forget- for the month of December, Masterflo Plumbing is offering you a great deal on water heater installation in Atlanta, GA!

This month ONLY we will install a 40 gallon electric water heater for you for only $699!

Don’t get stuck without hot water this winter!

Plumbing Services Canton GA | Water Heater Repair Canton GA

At Masterflo Plumbing we’re bringing you deals that can’t be beat by trusted, professional plumbers you can count on! December will be over before you know it, so don’t hesitate to contact us today for your water heater installation in Atlanta, GA at (678) 822-7095!

How to Caulk a Toilet in 9 Easy Steps

How to Caulk a Toilet in 9 Easy Steps

Now that the weather has cooled off and outdoor projects aren’t top on the to do list, its time to tackle some projects inside the home! Whether you’ve got a brand new toilet to install, or you need to touch up an old one, caulking a toilet is easy! Today we’re going to teach you how to caulk a toilet in 9 easy steps!

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

If you love to tackle DIY home repair projects (or even if you don’t!) these 9 steps will make caulking a toilet easy! For any plumbing projects you don’t want to tackle yourself, call Masterflo Plumbing today at (678) 822-7095!

 

Water Heater Installation Atlanta, GA

Water Heater Installation Atlanta, GA

For the month of December, Masterflo Plumbing is offering you a great deal on water heater installation in Atlanta, GA!

This month ONLY we will install a 40 gallon electric water heater for you for only $699!

canton ga plumber

December will be over before you know it, so don’t hesitate to contact us today for your water heater installation in Atlanta, GA at (678) 822-7095!

Canton, GA Leak Detection Services

Canton, GA Leak Detection Services

Plumbing leaks should be easy to detect- you see water dripping from a pipe and you know you’ve got a leak, so you call a plumber. Right? Sometimes it is that easy, but what about when you have a tiny pinhole leak? Or what about if you’ve got a leak in a pipe that’s not exposed?

Most of your plumbing system is hidden. Nearly all of the pipes that supply fresh water to your home or remove waste water are hidden behind drywall, studs, floorboards, concrete, or dirt. Fortunately, this means you don’t have to look at your plumbing system. However, it also means that you may have a hard time detecting some leaks. Even small leaks can turn into big problems, so its important that you make sure you know about any and all leaks and have them taken care of.

With winter coming, its especially important to make sure there are no hidden leaks in your home or on your property. A small leak can quickly become a big problem during the harsh winter weather and low temperatures.

canton-ga-leak-detection

The first sign of a leak is an increase in your water bill if you haven’t knowingly increased your water consumption. There may also be some outward signs such as discolored spots on your walls, warped floor boards, or an increase in the humidity in your home. If you notice any of these signs, call a plumber immediately as it may be time for some professional leak detection. Leaks that are occurring in hidden pipes have to be detected and repaired by a professional before they cause major damage to your home or property.

While some of the outward signs of a leak may give you a general idea about where the leak is, actually reaching the pipes can be problematic unless you’re a professional plumber. Sometimes, in order to reach a leak, you may have to cut through drywall, break through concrete, or dig through large amounts of earth. This can cost tons of money and could also create more damage than the leaky pipe. In order to avoid large amounts of excavation, its best to have a professional come pinpoint the exact location of the leak. If the leak is small enough, even if its hidden, a professional plumber may be able to fix it without doing any excavation.

Plumbers can perform leak detection in a variety of way. Most of these ways employ the use of technology such as acoustic listening devices, ground microphones (these can detect the sound of water leaving the pipes) and pressure detectors (these find areas of rising pressure coming from leaks).

Perhaps the most effective way to find a hidden leak is by using video pipe inspection equipment. Video pipe inspection equipment uses miniature cameras mounted on the ends of fiber-optic cables that can be run down a water or sewer line. The image from the camera is then fed back to a monitor so your plumber can find the exact location of the leak. Being able to view the leak will also allow your plumber to determine its exact size and magnitude.

Trying to detect and fix a hidden leak on your own can be tricky and can result in further damage. If you’ve got a hidden leak, your best choice is to call the professionals right away! At Masterflo Plumbing we have the technology, skills, and experience necessary to find your leak and find a solution for you.

For Canton, GA leak detection services, Contact us today at (678) 822-7095, 24 hours a day 7 days a week, for all your plumbing needs!

 

Water Heater Wednesday: Dip Tube Problems

Water Heater Wednesday: Dip Tube Problems

We’ve talked a lot about hot water heaters, hot water heater maintenance, and hot water heater repair on our Masterflo Plumbing blog. Today we’re going to focus on dip tube problems- something we’ve talked about before, but you may not be totally familiar with.

Your hot water heater supplies hot water to your home by heating up cold water and then storing it for future use. The dip tube is essential to the functionality of your hot water heater. Dip tubes are a component of every hot water heater that has a storage tank, and can sometimes experience problems that can lead to you having no hot water.

So, what is a dip tube? A dip tube is a long plastic tube that is attached to the cold water intake valve at the top of your hot water heater. The dip tube extends to approximately 8 inches from the bottom of the tank. Cold water enters your tank through the dip tube and is pushed to the bottom so that the hot water can be at the top of the tank. This process ensures that the water you receive through the hot water taps in your home is only hot water and not cold. If the dip tube was too short, the cold water and hot water would mix inside the tank and you would have luke warm water all the time in your home.

Unfortunately, just like any other plumbing item in your home, dip tubes can sometimes experience problems. The most common problem with dip tubes is that they can crack and break. If your dip tube has cracked or broken, you’ll notice that there will be a decrease in the temperature of your hot water inside your home. Another sign is that you may notice small pieces of plastic in your water or in the mouths of your faucets. These are small pieces of the disintegrating dip tube.

Certain dip tubes made and installed between 1993-1997 were not manufactured correctly and are more likely to break than other dip tubes. If you believe your dip tube may be one of these, check out the serial number on your hot water heater. If the last two digits are 93, 94, 95, 96, or 97 then your hot water heater may have a faulty dip tube inside.

If you have dip tube problems, then chances are that you don’t have the hot water that you need! Its important to hire a professional plumber to solve this problem for you. If you need a plumber because you don’t have hot water, call the trained professionals at Masterflo Plumbing today! We understand that hot water is vital to your everyday life and will come fix your hot water heater quickly! Call us today at (678) 822-7095!

Plumbing Services Canton GA | Water Heater Repair Canton GA

Masterflo Plumbing: Now Hiring!

Masterflo Plumbing: Now Hiring!

Masterflo Plumbing is now hiring experienced plumbers!

We are a rapidly growing company based in Canton, GA and serving all of metro Atlanta. We offer highly competitive salaries based on experience and promote a work environment you can thrive in. 

To take advantage of this opportunity to work for Masterflo Plumbing please call (678) 822-7095 or email your resume to [email protected].

Plumbing Services Canton GA | Water Heater Repair Canton GA

5 Easy Plumbing Tips

5 Easy Plumbing Tips

 

Owning a home can be one of the most rewarding yet challenging opportunities of your adult life. All kinds of things can go wrong that can end up costing you a lot of money. Plumbing problems plague many homeowners, but there are a lot of plumbing tricks that can help save you big bucks.

canton ga plumber

 

Here are a couple of money saving plumbing tricks that every homeowner should know-

  • Maintain your septic tank. Having a backed up septic tank can cost you tons of money. Make sure to only flush things that are flushable. Its a good idea to have your septic tank professionally checked yearly and have it pumped out as needed.
  • Make your own drain cleaner. If you’ve got a bad clog, you can easily make your own drain cleaner. Combine half a cup of baking soda and half a cup of vinegar and pour it down the drain. Make sure to flush it out with hot water afterwards. Store bought, chemical drain cleaners can be dangerous for your health and your pipes.
  • Use the right plunger. For sinks, a rubber bowl plunger works best. Toilet plungers have additional plastic that allow them to get inside the opening.
  • Know how to shut off your main water supply. If you have a plumbing emergency, you may not be able to prevent the disaster or prevent any damage, but you can drastically reduce the damage by knowing how to shut off your main water supply. Shutting off the water supply can stop the flow of water if you’ve got a broken pipe or leaky toilet.
  • When cold weather is coming, know how to protect your pipes from freezing and know what to do if they do freeze.

Using these 5 easy plumbing tips can make home ownership just a little bit easier! While following our plumbing tips can help you out, our best tip is to always call a plumber if you aren’t sure what you’re doing or if you have a plumbing emergency! If you need a Canton, GA plumber, call Masterflo Plumbing today at (678) 822-7095!