Easy Plumbing Fixes

Easy Plumbing Fixes

Plumbing problems are never a good thing and can give many homeowners heat palpitations! Often, plumbing problems result in calling a professional plumber and sometimes spending hundreds (or thousands!) of dollars for a solution. Fortunately, we’ve got some easy plumbing fixes for you! 

While its almost certain that you will face a number of plumbing problems throughout your life time, the good news is that there are many common plumbing problems that can be solved fairly easily and without a plumber. If its not a problem that can be solved completely on your own, there are some things you can do to prevent the problem from worsening and causing further damage.

Today let’s take a look at some easy plumbing fixes!

easy-plumbing-fixes

Hot Water Heater Problems

No hot water? Or do you have luke warm water? Are you running out of hot water too quickly?

  • Make sure your pilot light is lit
  • Double check your temperature setting
  • If you’ve got a big family or you use unusually large amounts of hot water, you may need a larger hot water heater or a second hot water heater installed

Clogged Drain

Is your drain clogged up? Is the water backing up into your sink?

  • Try not to pour hot grease or oils down your sink drain
  • If its already backed up, try to use a different sink
  • Don’t use chemical drain cleaners that you find in the store
  • Try using a plunger to move the clog

Stinky Drains

Do you cringe every time you’re near your sink? Are there foul odors coming out of your drains?

  • If you have a garbage disposal run it every time you put food in it
  • Try pouring vinegar and baking soda down the drain and flushing it with hot water

Leaky Pipes

Do you see water damage on your floors, walls, or ceilings? Do you hear a leak coming from your pipes?

  • Leaky pipes occur due to age
  • If you notice a leak shut off the water supply to that area
  • Pipe repair should only be done by a licensed, professional plumber

easy-plumbing-fixes

If you live in Marietta, GA and are facing any of these common plumbing problems, call us today at (678) 822-7095! At Masterflo Plumbing we have a huge team of professional plumbers who have the knowledge, training, and experience necessary to deal with your plumbing problems correctly the first time!

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!

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Plumbing Statistics

Water Softener Installation Canton Ga

Plumbing Statistics

Its time for another one of our fun fact posts! Today let’s talk about some plumbing statistics that may blow your mind!

  • The average person spends approximately 3 years of their life on the toilet, so this post is completely applicable to every single one of us! That’s approximately 2500 visits to the toilet per year, or 6-8 visits per day.
  • 75% of us use our phones on the toilet. Mobile usage on the toilet is now the most popular bathroom pastime, surpassing reading.
  • On that note, 7 million cell phones are dropped in the toilet each year.
  • 40% of us fold our toilet paper and 60% of us crumple.
  • In America alone, we use 433 million miles of toilet paper per year. That’s enough toilet paper to stretch to the sun and back.
  • 85% of bathroom related injuries occur when someone falls because the toilet seat has been left up. Sorry guys, but this means the ladies are right and you should absolutely be putting the toilet seat down.
  • The majority of people like the toilet paper to hang over the roll, not under, and nearly a quarter of us get annoyed if its done the wrong way.
  • 70% of house guests snoop through other people’s bathroom cabinets. Maybe you should think twice about what you have in your cabinets!

Tune in tomorrow for Water Heater Wednesday!

Homebuyer’s Checklist

Homebuyer’s Checklist

Buying a home can be (and usually is!) very stressful. There are so many steps in the process, so many things to check up on, look at, finish, etc. It seems like there’s always one more thing to do, find out about, or look into before you actually sign those papers and get your keys! Inevitably, the second you get your keys and move in you discover something that you forgot to check or you see something you didn’t see before.

The plumbing system is a vital component of any home that often goes unnoticed or overlooked. This is because the plumbing system is mostly hidden from view so that we don’t have to look at our plumbing system on a daily basis. Although the plumbing system is hidden from view, it is an incredibly important thing to take a look at before buying a home. An average family of four uses nearly 400 gallons of water each day and more than 25% of that comes from flushing the toilet!

Here is a helpful homebuyer’s checklist specific to plumbing:

  • Flush the toilet in each bathroom to make sure they’re in working order (no pre-existing clogs or leaks).
  • Check the size of the pipes. To get proper water pressure the pipes from the water source to your home should be at least 3/4″ and the pipes to your faucets should be at least 1/2″.
  • Check the water pressure in all the showers.
  • Look at the hot water heater to check for signs of damage or corrosion. Ask about its age and when it was last serviced.
  • Ask about the pipes and avoid homes with lead piping.
  • Check out the basement or crawl space for any signs of leaks or water damage.

Hopefully this homebuyer’s checklist can help you if you’re in the market for a new home. If you’re trying to sell a home or have recently purchased a new home and need a plumber you can trust call Masterflo today. Our plumbers are available to you for all your plumbing needs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

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(678) 822-7095

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Plumbing Tips: Garbage Disposal Repair

Plumbing Tips: Garbage Disposal Repair

We all love our garbage disposals, but none of us truly realize how much until it breaks, right? Without a doubt, the garbage disposal is one of the greatest inventions because it can make your life in the kitchen a thousand times easier. While its not one of the most common plumbing issues people have, your garbage disposal can break just like a toilet or shower head can. Here are some great, simple tips for keeping your garbage disposal healthy and avoiding the need for garbage disposal repair!

  1. Make sure you know what’s safe to put down it and what’s not. There are definitely some obvious things that you shouldn’t be putting down your garbage disposal- namely, plastic and metal. Solid objects like forks, spoons, and serving utensils definitely shouldn’t go down your garbage disposal. Although these things are obvious, there are some other objects that shouldn’t go down your garbage disposal that aren’t so obvious. Fibrous vegetables like celery and onion skins can get tangled up in the disposal. Fats, oils, and grease can also clog up the garbage disposal because as they cool off they solidify. Bones and fruit pits are also not supposed to go down your garbage disposal.
  2. Flush is out with boiling water. Pouring a pot full of boiling water down your garbage disposal every once in a while will flush it out. The boiling water will help break up and loosen and waste that has collected in the disposal chamber or the drain pipe. We recommend doing this once a month to help clean out old waste and prevent future build up.
  3. Don’t push your luck, get it repaired! This one may seem obvious, but we’re ALL guilty of it. How many times has one of your appliances started acting up and you just ignore it and hope it goes away on its own?? If your garbage disposal is making a funny sound or vibrating more than normal, call a plumber for garbage disposal repair! Contrary to popular belief, garbage disposals CAN be repaired- they don’t always have to be completely replaced! Having a garbage disposal repaired quickly can prevent having to have it totally replaced, saving you lots of money!

If you need help with your garbage disposal or need garbage disposal repair help, call Masterflo Plumbing today at [callout add_button=”no” button_text=”Learn More” button_url=”#”]

(678) 822-7095

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History Class: Plumbing Repair and Maintenance

History Class: Plumbing Repair and Maintenance

Although modern day plumbing and advances in sanitation technology are fairly new, plumbers and the plumbing industry have been around forever. Today we’re going to run through a quick plumbing history lesson with some fun facts. You can check out some of our other fun fact posts about toilet paper, plumbers, or plumbing terminology.

  • The Egyptians were skilled in plumbing drainage construction as far back as 2500 B.C.
  • In 1700 B.C. the Minoan Palace of Knossos on the isle of Crete featured four separate drainage systems that drained into giant sewers made of stone.
  • Aqueducts to supply water to the Roman Baths were first built in 312 B.C.
  • In 800 B.C. the first Roman sewers were constructed.
  • In 1738 JF Brondel introduced the first valve type flush toilet.
  • The Tremont Hotel in Boston became the first hotel to have indoor plumbing in 1829.
  • The National Public Health Act was passed in England in 1848. It became the world’s first model for a plumbing code.
  • In 1870, Thomas Twyford designed the one piece toilet.

For all of your plumbing repair and maintenance needs in the Woodstock, GA area, make sure to call Masterflo Plumbing at (678) 822-7095!

Water Heater Wednesday: Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless Water Heaters

 

This Wednesday we’re going to begin a mini series on tankless water heaters. Today we’re going to talk about what a tankless water heater is and how it works.

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.

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.

 

Next week, we’ll talk about more benefits of tankless water heaters and how they can save you money!

 

Residential Plumber Heroes

When most people here the word hero they think of police officers, firefighters, and soldiers. 99% of people would never include their residential plumber on their list of heroes. If you’re one of those people who don’t think residential plumbers are heroes, read on to find out why they should be included on your list!

  • Clean water can reduce water related deaths by 21%. Sanitation can reduce them by up to 38%. Plumbers are a key factor in maintaining clean water and sanitation.
  • Residential plumbers have been around for about 3,000 years. Even ancient Egyptians had plumbers.
  • Residential plumbers make up less than .2% of the world’s population, and the world’s population uses approximately 3,542,000,000,000,000 liters of water per year.
  • The United States uses the most water per capita of any country in the world.

You can help out your local residential plumber by regularly checking your pipes for leaks, not running the water when it isn’t necessary, and switching out your faucets and shower heads to aerated ones that use less water.

Next time you see a plumber, be sure to thank him. In the meantime, if you find yourself in need of a residential plumber call us at (678) 822-7095!

Plumbing Terminology 101

Plumbing Terminology 

To kick off the weekend, let’s learn some plumbing terminology! You probably aren’t familiar with some of these, so read on to learn something new!

  • drip channel- a metal channel installed on your shower door that keeps water from running down the door and puddling onto the floor
  • nipple- a short piece of pipe installed between fittings
  • o-ring- a rubber washer used to create a tight seal
  • hardness leakage- traces of hardness in the mineral bed left by calcium and magnesium
  • ballcock- the fill valve controlling the flow of water from the supply line to the toilet bowl
  • sweating the pipe- soldering two pipe fittings together so that water can’t leak out

Quick Tips: How To Drain Your Hot Water Heater

Quick Tips: How To Drain Your Water Heater

Every homeowner should know how to drain a hot water heater. Over time, sediment can build up in the bottom of your tank which can cause problems. Draining your hot water heater is easy. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide on how to drain a water heater.

  1. Turn off the water supply- If its electric, turn off the power at the breaker box. If its gas, turn the thermostat to the pilot setting. Connect a drain hose to the valve near the thermostat and turn off the cold water supply.
  2. Drain the water- To prevent forming a vacuum, turn on one of the hot water faucets in your hosue (the tub, the sink, etc.). Open the drain valve on the hot water heater. Make sure the end of the hose that the hot water is draining out of is far away from anything that could be damaged by hot water.
  3. Get rid of any remaining sediment- Once all the hot water has drained out of the water heater, turn the cold water supply back on to flush out any sediment that remains in the hot water heater. Once all sediment has been washed out, close the drain valve and turn off the faucet inside your house. Make sure to read all the warning labels and instructions that go with your hot water heater- some hot water heaters need to remain full in order to prevent any damage.
  4. Check the pressure release valve- Turn your power supply back on once your tank has refilled. Once the temperature has come back up, check your pressure release valve by using the instructions that came with your hot water heater.

For all your water heater and plumbing needs, call Masterflo Plumbing at (678) 822-7095 today!