Limescale 101

Limescale 101

Chances are you may have heard of limescale and you’ve probably seen it, but you may not know much about it! If all of your plumbing fixtures seem like they need cleaning and you often find them covered in a chalky film, you may be dealing with limescale! Limescale is mineral rich deposits that buildup in your plumbing pipes and on your fixtures. Not only does limescale look ugly and dirty, but it can also cause some serious damage to your home’s plumbing system.

 

What causes limescale? Limescale is a naturally occurring by product of clean water with a higher than average concentration of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, etc. This is more commonly referred to as hard water. While hard water is safe to drink and wash with, it may leave a bad taste in your mouth or make rinsing off in the shower more difficult. The leftovers from hard water also buildup on your faucets in the kitchen and bathroom, your shower head, and pipe joints. If left to fester, this buildup can leave you dealing with recurring clogs.

While your first reaction may be to simply wipe limescale away, this may prove tricky. The mineral content in limescale makes it difficult to simply wipe away with a wet rag. You may have to dissolve it using an acidic solution. Fortunately, white vinegar is a great match for dissolving limescale. Soaking any affected shower heads and faucets in a bucket of vinegar for an hour should do the trick. After soaking your fixtures, simply scrub away any remaining limescale with a scrub brush. 

If you find yourself dealing with limescale on a regular basis, you may need to consider a water softening system. Water softening systems add in a sodium based solution into the water supply entering your home. This sodium based solution can counteract the effects of limescale buildup. 

If you need help with tough, recurring clogs from limescale buildup, call the professionals you can trust today. At Masterflo Plumbing we’re available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Call us now at (678) 822-7095!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preventive Drain Care Maintenance

Drain Maintenance

Clogged drains are a nuisance every homeowner deals with at some point. Oftentimes, clogged drains are nothing more than a nuisance that can be cleared quickly. Sometimes, there can be more serious implications. There are lots of options for clearing minor clogs, and there is even drain maintenance you can perform to keep clogs at bay. Keeping minor, annoying clogs at bay can prevent more serious clogs and problems from occurring. Some clog clearing options include chemical cleaners, organic cleaners, plumbing snakes, and plungers. However, its cheaper (and easier!) to do some basic maintenance and keep the clogs away altogether.

If minor clogs continue to present themselves or are allowed to persist, you can be facing some nasty consequences. The first consequence you may notice from a poorly cared for drain is a bad smell. Foul odors are more common to kitchen drains, where food particles have been allowed to rot, but foul odors can occur in bathroom sink and floors drains as well. 
If you don’t care for your drains at the first sign of a foul odor, you will more than likely begin to develop minor clogs. Clog formation first causes your drains to work slowly, and eventually they will become so clogged that they won’t work at all. 
If you still don’t take care of your drains after minor clogs begin to present themselves, you could be facing permanent damage. Drains aren’t built to last forever, but some basic preventive drain care maintenance can greatly extend the life of your drains. 
The most basic step in drain maintenance is to be mindful of what is going down your drains. In bathrooms, the main culprit is hair. You can easily stop unwanted hair from going down your bathroom drains by placing a wire mesh filter over the drain and cleaning it out every few days. In the kitchen, its important to watch what food particles are going down your drain. Many food products can go into a garbage disposal. If you don’t have a garbage disposal, its important that only water goes into your sink drain. Floor drains, such as in the basement or laundry room, should always have drain covers on them as its hard to monitor debris falling into your floor drains. 
Drain maintenance also includes cleaning the inside of your drain twice a year. This prevents the accumulation of biofilm, hair, and other clog inducing things. Cleaning your drains is easy! Simply pour two cups of white vinegar down the drain, wait ten minutes, then flush out the drain with hot water. 
For more help with drain maintenance or if you’ve got a tough clog that won’t go away, call the professionals at Masterflo Plumbing at (678) 822-7095 today!
 

Hydro Jetting Solutions

Hydro Jetting Solutions

Winter is creeping up on us here in Woodstock, GA and inclement weather may be just around the corner! If you’ve got clogged pipes or sewer lines, hydro jetting solutions may be the answer you’ve been waiting for! If you’re not familiar with hydro jetting, read on to find out more about this great solution.

hydro jetting solutions

What is it?

Hydro jetting is a highly effective method used by professional plumbers to clean out clogged sewer lines. A blast of water at an extremely high pressure- usually about 4000 psi- is sent into the lines. This blast generally removes any and all clogs, blockages, and buildups.

What happens first?

Oftentimes your plumber will do a video inspection of your lines to determine what has caused your clog and exactly where the problem is located. Even if tree roots are the cause of your problem, hydro jetting will usually cut right through them. Sometimes, if the tree roots are extra heavy and thick, your plumber may need to run a snake through the line first. Video inspection prior to hydro jetting is also a good idea to check for broken pipes or weak areas. Hydro jetting weak pipes can wreak havoc on your plumbing system.

Who can benefit from hydro jetting solutions?

Hydro jetting solutions can be used in residential or commercial settings. For residential purposes, hydro jetting can clear out sand, silt, lime scale, and even hair clogs. Yearly hydro jetting can help maintain your plumbing system in a way that routine snaking can not. Hydro jetting not only breaks up clogs, it also completely clears the pipes of any residual buildup. Its also very environmentally friendly as no harsh chemicals are used!

Why should I opt for hydro jetting solutions?

Hydro jetting solutions are a great way to maintain your plumbing system and get rid of pesky clogs or slow pipes. It should only be done by a trained professional in order to avoid causing any damage to your plumbing system. A trained plumber will know exactly how to use the hydro jetting system in order to maximize benefits and prevent damage.

If you find yourself with frequent clogs or a generally slow plumbing system, our hydro jetting services may be right for you. This service can greatly improve older plumbing systems and is great for sand, silt, and limescale buildup. Contact the local professionals at Masterflo Plumbing today to discuss our hydro jetting services. You can call us 7 days a week at (678) 822-7095!

Easy Plumbing Fixes

Easy Plumbing Fixes

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. Unfortunately, if you own your own home and are not a professional plumber, this often means 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 easy plumbing fixes that you can attempt yourself before calling for professional reinforcements!

easyplumbingfixes

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! 

Bathroom Plumbing Tips

Bathroom Plumbing Tips

Do you want to avoid bathroom plumbing repairs? Of course….who doesn’t? Plumbing repairs can sometimes be costly, and are always inconvenient! Bathroom plumbing repairs in particular always seem to occur at the worst possible time. After all, if your bathroom plumbing isn’t working properly, its not something you can ignore. Most of us need our bathroom plumbing to be working in tip top shape every day! If you let your broken bathroom plumbing fester, you can end up with a huge sanitation disaster on your hands.

Bathroom Plumbing Tips Canton, GA

Because bathroom plumbing problems are such an inconvenience for any homeowner, we’ve compiled a list of helpful bathroom plumbing tips that can help you avoid needing repairs!

  1. Use a drain cover. The main cause of drain clogs in the shower or bathroom sink is too much hair. Hair can get stuck to pipes that are covered in sludge, or the hairs can gather in the the curved section of the pipe below your sink. Hair clog in the bathroom happen to all of us at one point or another! Having a drain cover that prevents all this excess hair from going down the pipes can save you some serious hassle.
  2. Don’t use store bought, liquid drain cleaner! Contrary to popular belief, these drain cleaners are not the answer to all your clog problems! Most of us try to solve the pesky clogged drain problem by going out to the store and buying one of the many liquid drain cleaners on the market. These chemicals are actually not that great at dissolving most clogs, and they can also damage your pipes which will lead to further costly repairs. Also, these cleaners can cause serious injury to your skin or eyes if not used properly. If you’ve got a tough clog that can’t be removed by a snake or plunger, it may be time to call in the professionals.
  3. Use a water softener. Using a water softener is another way to help prevent your bathroom plumbing from harm. Hard water has an excess of minerals, and these minerals can gather in your bathroom pipes and collect until your water pressure is significantly reduced. If this is allowed to occur, you’ll have to call a professional plumber to come descale your pipes, or if the damage is too significant you may need total pipe replacement.
  4. Schedule yearly plumbing maintenance. Scheduling a yearly visit from your plumber is a great way to keep your bathroom plumbing maintained and in good shape. A yearly maintenance visit from a plumber you trust will include a thorough pipe cleaning and inspection. This can prevent seemingly sudden, severe plumbing problems from creeping up on you!

Bathroom Plumbing Tips | Canton, GA Plumber Masterflo Plumbing

Following these bathroom plumbing tips can help save you a lot of time, money, and hassle! If you do happen to find yourself with a plumbing problem, call the trusted experts at Masterflo Plumbing! Remember- you can reach us any time 24 hours a day, 7 days a week no matter what kind of plumbing problem you find yourself facing. Call us today at (678) 822-7095!

 [wpseo_address show_state=”1″ show_country=”0″ show_phone=”1″ show_phone_2=”0″ show_fax=”0″ show_email=”0″ show_url=”1″]

Signs of Sewer Repair

Signs of Sewer Repair

All of the drains and drain pipes in your home eventually go to the same place- they all connect to one big pipe called the sewer drain. While most of us never even give it a second thought, the sewer drain is perhaps the single most used piece of plumbing in your home! It gets so much use because it has to handle every single drop of waste water from your home. In most homes with modern day plumbing, the sewer drain is buried underneath your property. Fortunately, this means you don’t have to see it! Unfortunately, this can make it hard to detect small problems before they become large, disastrous problems. Today we’re going to talk about a few signs that you can be on the lookout for to let you know if you need sewer repair!

Signs you need sewer repair:

  • Soggy patches in your yard- If your sewer line is leaking, then a ton of extra water is going to be getting leaked out underneath your yard. All this extra water will create soggy patches in your yard, even if it hasn’t rained recently.
  • Lush patches in your yard- All the extra water underneath your yard will help your vegetation to flourish. If you notice patches of grass, flowers, or other plants that are growing rapidly it may mean that there is extra water underneath from a sewer line leak.
  • Odor- This one is a no brainer! If you smell any noxious odors in your yard or around your property it could possibly be a sign of a sewer line leak.
  • Stubborn drain clogs- If you have multiple drains that are clogged and you’ve tried all the typical drain clog solutions and the clogs are still there, you may have a major clog in your sewer pipe. Like we mentioned above, all your drains lead to the sewer line. If there’s a major clog in your sewer pipe, it will eventually affect all your other drains.

 

If you believe you may have sewer problems, don’t hesitate until you have a plumbing disaster on your hands. Call the trusted experts at Masterflo Plumbing today. We’ll come out quickly and assess your sewer line. If you have a sewer problem, we’ll check it out and determine the best course of action to get your sewer line repaired quickly.

If you need sewer line repair call us at (678) 822-7095!

 

Drain Cleaning in Cherokee County, GA

Drain Cleaning in Cherokee County, GA

Drain cleaning- I’m sure the word evokes sighs in many of you accompanied by the words “yuck”, “gross”, or “ew”. Drains are a vital part of the modern day plumbing system that allow our waste water to escape our homes. This is a crucial part of maintaining our comfort, health, and sanitation in the home.

In an ideal world, our waste water would escape down the drain and we’d never have to give the process a second thought. However, this isn’t realistic for most of us. 99% of us have dealt with a clogged drain before- whether in the bathroom or kitchen- and some of us deal with recurring clogged drains on a semi regular basis. To combat clogged drains, we’ve all done a little DIY drain cleaning. Who hasn’t attempted to use a chemical cleaner or snake purchased at the store or a homemade baking soda remedy? Chances are, if you’re using one of those methods your clog keeps coming back. Drain cleaning is serious business!

Think about how much you put down your drain everyday- soap, hair, food waste, etc! Because we put so much down our drains, its important to have a professional drain cleaning scheduled as part of your annual home maintenance. If you’re dealing with tough clogs or recurring clogs, you’re past due for your professional drain cleaning! If you aren’t dealing with these pesky problems yet, schedule your professional drain cleaning to head the problems off before they start! When tackling drain cleaning, a professional plumber will take into account the age and location of your plumbing, as well as the nature of the clog (if there is one).

Not convinced, yet? Here are some reasons why you need a professional drain cleaning in Cherokee County, GA!

  • Commercial drain cleaners- Commercial drain cleaners are widespread, readily available, and affordable. But did you know that they’re also dangerous and not always effective? Store bought drain cleaners contain harsh chemicals that can be extremely dangerous. They’re also “one size fits all”. These chemicals aren’t custom designed for the nature of your clog. Every clog is different and won’t respond the same to commercial drain cleaner.
  • Roots- While many clogged pipes are caused by debris washed down the drain, some clogged pipes can be caused by plant roots. Plant roots can slow or prohibit the flow of water making repairs necessary! Oftentimes if you have pipes that are being clogged by roots, its more than a simple DIY fix. A professional, experienced plumber can clear the roots causing the clog quickly and without causing unnecessary damage.
  • Maintenance- The main reason to have a professional drain cleaning is to prevent any future problems! Clogs don’t happen overnight; they build up over a long period of time. If left to fester, clogs can cause a lot more damage than just slow water drain. Having your drains professional cleaned once a year can keep you from having to shell out money for repairs that could have been avoided. Eliminate the problem before it starts!

If your drains are clogged or if you’d like to stay ahead of the curve and prevent them, contact us today for your professional drain cleaning in Cherokee County, GA. At Masterflo we have years of experience doing drain cleaning and guarantee we’ll get your pipes in working order and keep them that way. Remember, you can call us any time, day or night, seven days a week!

 

[callout add_button=”no” button_text=”Learn More” button_url=”#”]

(678) 822-7095

[/callout]

Do You Need An Emergency Plumber?

Do You Need An Emergency Plumber?

While many minor plumbing issues can be handled by a homeowner, there are many more plumbing issues that can’t. Sometimes these issues aren’t pressing and can be handled by your plumber during a routine appointment, but other plumbing issues may require an emergency visit from your plumber. Although its rare to need an emergency plumber, its important to have the number of a trusty worthy and responsive plumber on hand, just in case! 

Knowing when to call an emergency plumber is crucial! Plumbing problems can cause a wide variety of problems for homeowners. A plumbing problem that may seem minor to a homeowner could actually cause serious complications. Plumbing problems can affect the integrity of their home and property, affect the health of the occupants in the home, and can affect how high your water bill is.

Because its not always completely obvious when you need to call an emergency plumber, we’ve put together a list for you.

  1. Flooded basement: This one is pretty obvious! A flooded basement is usually caused by burst pipes. Without immediate attention, your house and property could be subject to even further damage.
  2. Clogged drains: Clogged drains are fairly common place, so this one isn’t as obvious! If your drains do not unclog when you use baking soda, a plunger, or commercial drain cleaner (which we do NOT recommend using), you should call a plumber immediately. Stubborn clogs can lead to burst pipes and are unhygienic.
  3. No water from the faucet: This generally occurs during low temperatures when pipes have frozen. When water freezes and becomes ice, it expands which can cause burst pipes. If your pipes have frozen, call a plumber immediately to avoid burst pipes and even more damage.
  4. Bad smell: If there is a bad smell coming from your drains, this is a sign that your sewer pipes may be leaking. Leaking sewer pipes can cause damage to your property and is also a huge health risk to humans and pets.
  5. Exceptionally high water bill and/or the sound of running water: If you don’t believe that your water consumption has gone up (be sure to take into account if you’re doing any outdoor watering!), but your water bill has increased or you can hear running water even when all faucets are turned off, you may have a slab leak. A slab leak can lead to extensive damage and repairs can be costly. To avoid any further damage, you should call an emergency plumber as soon as possible.

At Masterflo Plumbing, we pride ourselves on being extremely responsive and available to our customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! If you need an emergency plumber, or even if you think you may need an emergency plumber, don’t hesitate to call us any time of the day or night! We’ll come out immediately to assess the problem, determine your needs, and find a customized solution just for you!  Call your dependable, local emergency plumber today at (678) 822-7095!

 

Kitchen Plumbing Maintenance

Kitchen Plumbing Maintenance

When you think of your home’s plumbing system, what’s the first room that comes to mind? Probably your bathroom, right? The word “plumbing” often gets associated with bathrooms, but how often do you associate it with your kitchen? Sure, we all know that there are pipes in the kitchen, but most of us don’t realize that the plumbing in our kitchens does a huge amount of work every day! The plumbing in your kitchen brings fresh cold water to your tap, brings fresh hot water to your tap, carries out waste water containing food parts from the sink, and supports appliances like a dishwasher and a garbage disposal.

With all the hard work that your kitchen plumbing does, it should come as know surprise to you that your kitchen plumbing is at a high risk to break down and potentially cause huge problems for you! Problems with your kitchen plumbing can get quite costly. To help avoid a costly kitchen plumbing repair, its important that you schedule a kitchen plumbing inspection and maintenance visit with Masterflo Plumbing. Annual kitchen plumbing maintenance and a check up will help safeguard you from potentially huge problems.

During an annual check up from an experienced plumber, your whole kitchen plumbing system will be thoroughly inspected. This includes checking all pipes for leaks (including small, hard to detect pinhole leaks), sagging or raised spots in your cabinets or floors that could indicate a leak, and a thorough drain cleaning to prevent debris from building up and causing a clog.

Here are some reasons why kitchen plumbing maintenance and an annual check up benefit you-

  • Early leak detection- Some leaks, like pinhole leaks, can be hard for homeowners to detect before they become large, problematic leaks. If a minor leak is not repaired quickly, it can become a huge leak and cause many other costly problems. During an annual maintenance visit, an experienced plumber can catch these small leaks early and fix them before they can cause any more damage or cost you any more money!
  • Clogs treatment and prevention- No matter how careful you are at your kitchen sink, a certain amount of organic debris will make its way down your kitchen sink drain. Over time, this organic debris (fat, grease, food waste, etc.) can build up in your kitchen pipes and cause a major, problematic clog. During a maintenance visit, our plumbers will clean out all the debris in your pipes, leaving you with better water pressure and a much lower risk for those aggravating, and potentially hazardous, clogs.
  • Appliance maintenance- All those expensive appliances in your kitchen- your dishwasher, garbage disposal, sink faucets, etc- are at risk if you don’t have your kitchen plumbing regularly inspected and maintained. By having kitchen plumbing maintenance done, you can drastically decrease the odds that something will go wrong with your appliances and increase their lifespan.
  • Lower water bills- In the end, we all really just want to save some money and have some extra cash in our pockets, right? An annual maintenance visit will keep your kitchen plumbing working efficiently! If your kitchen plumbing isn’t being maintained chances are that its working inefficiently. If its working inefficiently, that means its costing you extra money!

Call Masterflo plumbing today to schedule your annual kitchen plumbing maintenance visit! If you’re having an emergency kitchen plumbing problem, we are available to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! We boast a team of highly skilled, experienced plumbers who can find a solution for you right away!

[callout add_button=”no” button_text=”Learn More” button_url=”#”]

(678) 822-7095

[/callout]

 

 

 

 

Do You Need A Plumber in Canton, GA?

Do You Need A Plumber in Canton, GA?

Because your modern day plumbing system is designed to be “out of sight, out of mind”, its sometimes hard to know if you need a plumber. There are, of course, some obvious reasons why you would need to call a plumber in Canton, GA. We all know that major leaks require a plumber, as well as having a broken hot water heater. There are some other, less obvious reasons, why you would also need a plumber in Canton, GA. Are you happy, overall, with your plumbing system? Do you have a problem with hot water supply or low pressure? All these things are vital to the functioning of your home and your personal comfort. Everyone remembers to keep their house pressure washed or their grass cut because those are things that are seen everyday, but your plumbing system can sometimes become an after thought. Keeping your plumbing clean and in tip top shape is crucial. A working plumbing system is key in your personal comfort, health, cooking, cleaning, etc.

Here are a few reasons why you may need to call a plumber-

  1. Leaks. This one is probably fairly obvious. All leaks should be taken care of immediately! If a leak is allowed to continue on, it will more than likely get worse and can lead to further damage, costing you more money! There are pipes running all underneath your house as well as your yard, so oftentimes small leaks can go undetected. Sometimes leaks can only be found by a professional plumber. To prevent damage from leaks, its a good idea to have an annual plumbing inspection.
  2. Low water pressure. While most of us think that low water pressure is simply a minor annoyance, the truth is that it can be a sign of a much larger plumbing problem. If you’re on well water, it could be a well pump issue. If you have a municipal water supply pipe, you may need to call a plumber in Canton, GA to test your pressure. Low water pressure can also be a sign of a leak.
  3. Reoccurring or tough clog. Clogs that can’t be taken care of by using a plunger or clogs that continue to come back quickly definitely require a visit from a plumber! Professional plumbers have tools and are knowledgeable about other drain cleaning techniques that can take care of your problem and keep your drain pipes safe.
  4. Energy efficient appliance installation. Low-flow toilets, faucets, and shower heads can save you tons of money each month! If you’re not 100% positive you know how to install these appliances, its a good idea to call a plumber so you don’t accidentally cause any damage.
  5. Water heater maintenance. If you find that you’re suddenly having a hot water supply issue or that your water heater is making a strange sound, call a plumber immediately! Oftentimes these issues are minor and can be repaired. However, if you notice these issues and don’t call a plumber, the situation can fester and turn into a huge issue, resulting in a costly repair or the need for a whole new unit.
  6. Strange sounds. Its not just your imagination, those strange gurgling noises from your sink drains, screeching sounds from your faucet, or rattling pipes can be an indicator of blockages or trapped air.

If you have any of these plumbing issues and are in need of a plumber in Canton, GA, contact us today at (678) 822-7095 so we can find a solution for your plumbing problem!