Woodstock, GA Plumber

Woodstock, GA Plumber

Owning a home is a good feeling and is something that many of us work towards. Once you own a home, though, you’re responsible for keeping everything in it working. We’ve all become pretty accustomed to the comforts of modern day plumbing. If your ceiling fan breaks, chances are you can live quite a while without it. If something goes haywire with your plumbing, though, you generally have to fix it pretty quickly. If you need a Woodstock, GA plumber to come help get your plumbing system back on its feet, look no further. At Masterflo Plumbing, we can fix any problems that plague your home’s plumbing. 

Here are a few ways a professional plumber can assist you:

  • Kitchen- properly install your refrigerator so all water lines to the fridge and ice maker are working, dishwasher installation, new sink faucet installation, repair leaky faucets, repair clogged drains, repair slow drains,  and garbage disposal repair and installation

  • Bathroom- install water saving toilets, install new faucets for your tub, shower, or sink, repair leaky toilets, repair dripping faucets, repair clogged sinks, and repair clogged bathtub drains

  • Outside- repair slab leaks, repair broken pipes under your lawn, install new sewer lines and systems, repair existing sewer lines, repair frozen pipes, water heater repair, water heater installation, hydro jetting, gas line repair and replacement, and leak detection

If you find yourself in need of a Woodstock, GA plumber, call the local professionals you can trust at Masterflo Plumbing. Our large team of professional plumbers has the experience and skills necessary to take care of all your plumbing problems! Letting plumbing problems worsen will only cause more damage and cost you more money to repair, so give us a call today at (678) 822-7095!

Slab Leaks 101

Slab Leaks 101

Owning a home is a source of pride and a goal for many of us, but its also a huge responsibility and can sometimes be a huge headache! There are all kinds of problems that can affect your home, and even a home in pristine condition will probably have a few small problems here or there. Plumbing problems are some of the worst problems that can affect your home. Plumbing problems aren’t always cut and dry or easy fixes. They are often hard to detect and can manifest themselves in other ways causing more damage to your home.

Slab leaks are one of the worst problems. Slab leaks are often very hard to detect, are hard to repair, and if a slab leak goes unnoticed it can really wreak havoc on your home. A slab leak can greatly impact the integrity of your home’s foundation, potentially putting the safety of you and your family at risk. After a long dry spell, we’ve had tons of rain so far this spring, and we’re projected to get even more! With all this rain after such a long drought, the ground can quickly become over saturated, and any extra water will quickly make its way into your home through any method possible. If you’ve got even the tiniest beginnings of a crack in your slab, you can bet the rain water will make its way in. Let’s take a look at the basics of slab leaks and what you can do to be proactive if you’ve got a slab leak!

What is it?

A slab is the concrete foundation that your home sits on for stability. Underneath the slab are numerous plumbing pipes, including your water and sewer lines. If one of these pipes beaneath your slab begins to leak, you have a slab leak! The water from these pipes then travels up through the slab and, eventually, into your home through the floor. Because these pipes are buried and not visible to you, leaks can go unnoticed for long periods of time. This allows the leak to cause much more damage to your home than a leak that gets detected early on. Spotting a slab leak before its had the chance to cause major damage to your home’s foundation is nearly impossible.

What can you do?

If you notice that you may have a slab leak, make sure to turn off your water to try and prevent any additional damage. Next, call a professional plumber and have the slab leak fixed ASAP! The longer it festers, the more damage you’ll have and the more money you’ll have to spend to get it fixed. 

At Masterflo Plumbing, we have the skills and experience necessary to fix your slab leak quickly and correctly the first time! If you suspect you have a slab leak, don’t hesitate, call us today at (678) 822-7095! 

 

 

Leaky Pipes 101

Leaky Pipes 101

Earlier this week, we talked about the different types of pipe corrosion that can affect your plumbing system. The biggest danger of pipe corrosion is ending up with leaky pipes! Now that you know more about pipe corrosion, we’re going to move on to talking about leaky pipes and why this issue is so important to you if you’re a homeowner! 

leaky-pipes

Your home’s plumbing system is something that is vital to the comfort, health, and safety of you and your family. We’re all familiar with plumbing leaks- that annoying dripping sound coming from your toilet or kitchen sink. While leaky pipes may seem like just a minor annoyance, leaky pipes can actually turn into huge, disastrous, expensive problems. 

The best way to avoid spending thousands of dollars on repairs from plumbing leaks is to know what you’re looking for, know the implications, and fix any plumbing leaks immediately by calling a local plumber.

Signs you may have plumbing leaks-

  • an unexpected increase in your water bill
  • visible mold or mildew
  • warped, sagging, or stained spots on your ceilings or walls
  • warped, cracked, or sagging floors
  • sporadic wet or lush patches in your yard

Most common places you may have plumbing leaks-

  • bathrooms
  • kitchen
  • laundry room
  • basement
  • underneath your foundation

Dangers of plumbing leaks-

  • If you suffer from allergies, mold can further irritate your allergies or cause chronic allergies
  • Mold inhalation can lead to chronic dizziness, headaches, and respiratory issues
  • If you have a sewer leak, toxic bacteria can leak into your home
  • Mold can destroy your drywall
  • If you have extensive mold damage, you may need major home renovations to reverse the effects
  • Potential flooding

Ways of detecting plumbing leaks-

  • radar
  • gas
  • video 
  • geophone

If you haven’t had your home’s plumbing system inspected this year, call us today to schedule your appointment! If you suspect that you may have some leaky pipes, don’t hesitate to call! Leaky pipes can affect the health of you and your family and your home’s structural integrity! Call us today at (678) 822-7095!

Pipe Corrosion: What You Need To Know

Pipe Corrosion: What You Need To Know

Copper is now the main material used to make modern day plumbing pipes. Copper is sturdy and resilient and will last for a long time. Not only is it a great material, its also cost effective! If modern day copper plumbing pipes are maintained well, they can last for nearly 100 years! Fortunately, your plumbing system is built to last!
While copper pipes are extremely resilient, they aren’t fool proof. Pipe corrosion can drastically shorten the life of your pipes, threatening the lifespan of your plumbing system. With regular plumbing maintenance, pipe corrosion doesn’t have to be a threat to your plumbing system.
There are two main types of pipe corrosion. Hopefully, you’ll never have to deal with pipe corrosion, but let’s take a look at the two types that could threaten your pipes!
pipe-corrosion

2 Types Of Pipe Corrosion-

1. Formicary Corrosion– Formicary corrosion is more commonly call “ants nest corrosion”. This type of pipe corrosion is causted by the interaction of formaldehyde particles in the air coming into contact with your copper pipes. Formaldehyde can eat tiny tunnels through the copper, which weakens the metal. If the metal is weakened, it becomes susceptible to pinhole leaks and larger leaks. Formicary corrosion is nearly impossible to see, so keeping up with your annual plumbing maintenance is extremely important! If formicary corrosion has begun to occur in your pipes, catching leaks early is key. 
2. Pitted Corrosion– Pitted corrosion is focused on a much smaller area of the pipes than formicary corrosion. Pitted corrosion is caused by chlorine particles interacting with the copper pipes instead of formaldehyde particles. Because pitted corrosion affects a smaller area of pipe, it can lead to corrosion and leaks much more quickly than formicary corrosion. Pitted corrosion can quickly lead to pinhole leaks. If pinhole leaks aren’t caught early on, they can turn into larger leaks or cause rotting. Fortunately, pitted corrosion can be seen and detected! Its incredibly important to have your pipes inspected annually to check for this type of pipe corrosion. 
While pipe corrosion can seem like a scary monster just waiting to eat away at your pipes, having your pipes regularly inspected by a professional plumber can keep the problem at bay! If you haven’t had your pipes inspected this year for pipe corrosion, now is the time to act! Give us a call today at (678) 822-7095!

Annual Home Maintenance Checklist

Annual Home Maintenance Checklist

Fall begins in just a couple short weeks. With slightly cooler temperatures coming, its a great time to get started on your annual home maintenance. Keeping up with your home maintenance before the winter months is a great way to make sure that you and your home make it through the winter months unscathed. If your home isn’t ready for winter, you could end up facing some costly repairs.

With temperatures remaining steady in the 90’s this summer, we all know it was hard to get motivated to do anything. Cooler temperatures are on the horizon, and we’ve got your annual home maintenance checklist ready to go! Owning a home comes with a lot of responsibilities, but we’ve made this easy for you! Just follow our checklist below!

annual-home-maintenance-checklist

Here are some key things to check off on your annual home maintenance checklist-

  • After you cut your grass the last time for the year, drain all the extra gasoline out of your lawn mower and make sure any extra gasoline is properly stored.
  • Roll up your hoses and store them indoors. Nice hoses can be expensive, and properly storing them indoors and out of the elements can add years to the lifespan of your garden hoses.
  • Insulate any outdoor faucets and winterize your sprinkler system. This one is easy to forget, but frozen pipes can be very destructive to your home and property! Check out more about frozen pipes here and here.
  • Have your chimney professionally cleaned and inspected before lighting it up for the year. Creosote can build up in the flue and cause a fire. Better safe than sorry!
  • Be sure to cut down any branches hanging over your roof. If the branches ice over during the winter, they may get too heavy and fall on your roof.
  • Clean your gutters and downspouts.
  • Check out the caulking and weather stripping around all doors and windows. This is an easy, cheap fix and can save you tons of money on your utility bills by making your home hold heat more efficiently during the fall and winter.
  • Have your HVAC unit checked out. If you wait till the first cold night to check it out and discover there’s a problem, you may have a hard time getting an HVAC technician to come out quickly as they’re sure to be busy.
  • Change your air filters. Old, clogged air filters can decrease the efficiency of your unity, which increases your utility bills. Also, its gross. Changing the air filter can help improve the quality of the air you’re breathing.
  • Drain your hot water heater. Sediment in your hot water heater can cause major problems. Read our post on draining your hot water heater!

Keeping up with yearly maintenance on your home is important and can go a long way in saving you money. Performing maintenance tasks can make your home run more efficiently, saving you money on utility bills, and can prevent you from needing major repairs throughout the winter or in the spring.

Follow our handy annual home maintenance checklist, and for help with plumbing maintenance or to get a head start on plumbing repairs, call the local professionals you can trust at Masterflo Plumbing. We’re here for you 24/7 at (678) 822-7095!

Hot Water Heater Installation

Hot Water Heater Installation

Today we’re going to talk about why its so important to hire a professional for your hot water heater installation. DIY and money saving hacks are trending these days, but when it comes to your hot water heater installation, hiring a professional is a must. If you need to install a hot water heater, it can be very tempting to just Google it and try to follow a YouTube video and do it yourself. To make sure that your water heater is installed correctly and that it performs correctly and efficiently, its absolutely necessary to hire someone with experience.

Here are a few reasons why its important to hire a professional plumber for your hot water heater installation:

hot water heater installation

Size

Choosing the correct water heater for your home may sound like an easy task, but in reality it involves some advanced calculations about the flow rate and temperature rise that you will need for your home. You might also need to take into account information about the peak hour demand and the number of people who regularly use hot water in your home. If done incorrectly, these calculations can result in you purchasing the wrong hot water heater for your home. A professional plumber who has lots of experience working with these complicated calculations will be sure to get it right and get you the correct hot water heater the first time around. If the calculations are done wrong and you end up with a unit that is too small, you may find yourself lacking hot water on a regular basis. On the other hand, if you end up with a unit that is too large, you may use unnecessary energy, costing you more money up front and on your monthly bills.

Mess

Hot water heaters can be very large and complicated to install. If you don’t have experience installing a hot water heater, you could be in over your head. Professional plumbers know how to safely remove your old hot water heater and dispose of it, so you don’t have to think about it or have it sit around in your garage while you find a way to dispose of it. A professional plumber will also get your new unit safely installed and can ensure that your new tank fills properly and doesn’t leak into your home and foundation.

Less Maintenance

If you have your new hot water heater properly installed the first time around, chances are that you will need to repair it far less frequently than if it gets installed incorrectly. A professional plumber can make sure that all the valves are working properly, the heating element is functioning, and that there will not be any leaks! As long as you have your new hot water heater professional installed by a skilled, experienced plumber, you can rest assured that you won’t have to do any early repairs.

If you need a professional plumber for your hot water heater installation, contact the professionals at Masterflo today at (678) 822-7095! We’ll be there anytime, any day, to help you pick the correct unit and install it!

Masterflo Plumbing Acquires LaBlanc Plumbing

Masterflo Plumbing Acquires LaBlanc Plumbing

Local Plumbing Company Increases Residential Service Business with Acquisition

atlanta-plumbering-merger

Masterflo Plumbing, a leading plumbing company located in Canton, GA,  announced that they have acquired LaBlanc Plumbing and all of its residential plumbing assets in an effort to enhance its residential plumbing division.

The purchase of LaBlanc Plumbing, based in Canton, GA, further increases Masterflo Plumbing’s share of the Canton and Woodstock residential plumbing market. “The combination of LaBlanc Plumbing with our existing residential plumbing division will provide our clients with better service in a more timely fashion,” said Mike Roberts, president of Masterflo Plumbing. “The buyout is also expected to result in greater efficiencies and significantly increase our market share,” added Mr. Roberts.

LaBlanc Plumbing, founded by Michael LaBlanc in 1999 in Canton, Ga has deep roots in Cherokee County. Starting his plumbing career in 1979, Michael LaBlanc built his plumbing business the old fashioned way, through great service, honesty and referrals.  With almost 40 years in the residential plumbing industry, Mr. LaBlanc has built a name for himself as an honest plumber that has always put his customers before himself. This is reflected in his referral-based business model. When asked about the sale to Masterflo Plumbing Mr. LaBlanc replied stating, “I can’t think of a better, more honest company to take care of my clients than that of Masterflo Plumbing and its leadership from Mike Roberts”.

LaBlanc Plumbing and all of its accounts and assets will now operate under the Masterflo Plumbing name. As part of the acquisition, all of LaBlanc Plumbing’s associated phone numbers are forwarded to Masterflo Plumbing, where existing LaBlanc Plumbing clients can expect to receive the same great service during the transition.

For more information please feel free to reach out to Mike Roberts at 678-822-7095.

Hydro Jetting Services

Hydro Jetting Services

Summer is halfway over and there’s no better time to take care of all your home maintenance issues well before any type of inclement weather sets in this fall or winter. If you’ve got clogged pipes or sewer lines, hydro jetting services 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 service!

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.

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.

Hydro jetting 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!

Hydro jetting is 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!

10 Pool Safety Tips

10 Pool Safety Tips

Spending time at the pool is a great way to keep your kids active during the summer and can help prevent your kids from uttering those two words every parent dreads hearing- “I’m bored!”. Hanging out at the pool is always a family favorite and is a great pastime for all members of your family no matter how old they are.pool-safety-tips
Although spending time at the pool is the perfect family friendly summer activity, it does come with certain risks. Nearly 400 children drown each year in the United States, and 58% of those drownings occur in pools. This is a scary statistic, but it shouldn’t keep you from soaking up some sun and enjoying your family poolside this summer!
Today we’re bringing you some pool safety tips that can help keep you and your family safe all summer long. Whether you have your own pool or you’re hanging out at a neighborhood pool or a public pool, its important to take all the necessary precautions and safety measures. 

10 Pool Safety Tips-

1. Swim lessons! Swim lessons are a great way to keep your kids safe at the pool. A child who knows how to swim is at a significantly lower risk of drowning than a child who can’t swim. You can start swim lessons with babies as young as 6 months!
2. Supervise, supervise, supervise! Always make sure there is at least one set of responsible eyes on your kids when they are in or near a pool! While one set of eyes is a must, two sets are even better! You can never have enough supervision when it comes to pool time.
3. Know CPR! This is a life saving tip that everyone should know! Check with your local county rec center, fire department, or Red Cross chapter to find a CPR class.
4. Create physical barriers. If you have your own pool, installing fences and other physical barriers is a great way to prevent young kids from accidentally falling into your pool.
5. Create pool time rituals. If you create a process your child has to go through before entering the pool (swim diaper, swim suit, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, life vest, etc.) it can hinder them from making impulse decisions and jumping into the pool on a whim.
6. Teach your kids to swim without flotation devices! Flotation devices definitely serve an important purpose, but when you’re actively trying to teach your kids how to tread water, stay afloat, or swim, its important that they learn these skills without the assistance of flotation devices.
7. Forget the goggles. This may seem counter intuitive, but teaching your kids (and yourself!) to be comfortable looking around under water can be crucial. If your child is comfortable opening his or her eyes under water, it will help them feel less disoriented if they do accidentally fall into the water.
8. Blow bubbles! Teach your kids to put their face underwater and blow bubbles in the bathtub. This encourages your kids to not inhale or drink the water in the pool.
9. Set some rules. You should always have pool rules that your kids are familiar with. If you have guests over, no matter how old your guests are, you should make sure your guests are familiar with your pool rules, too.
10. Use proper flotation devices. If you and your kids are on a boat or any other type of watercraft or are in an open body of water, life vests are a must!
Following our 10 pool safety tips can help ensure that you and your family have a safe, fun filled summer at the pool this year. Don’t let plumbing tasks around the house take the fun out of your summer. Relax with your friends and family at the pool and contact Masterflo Plumbing today for all your residential plumbing needs! Give us a call at (678) 822-7095!

Fire Safety Tips

Fire Safety Tips

Earlier this week, we talked about the drought in Georgia and ways you can save water and reduce your monthly water bill. Along with the drought comes a higher risk for fire. Fire safety tips are generally drilled into us in elementary school through demonstrations by the local fire department, but how many of us still remember what we learned all those years ago? The risk of you and your home being involved in a fire increases during the summer due to things like drought and fireworks during the 4th of July. Did you know that if your home catches on fire you may have less than 2 minutes to escape?

fire-safety-tips

Today let’s go over some quick refresher points so that you’ll be prepared in case of a fire in your home!
Fire Safety Tips-
1. Make sure you and your family members have a fire escape plan and that you practice it a couple times a year. Try to seek out two ways to escape from each room in your home. You should also have a designated meeting spot outside of your home so you can account for all family members if you do have a fire in your home.
2. If your home does catch on fire, get out immediately and don’t go back in. 
3. Teach all your family members to stop, drop, and roll in case their clothing catches on fire. This one is basic, but it can be life saving!
4. Check your smoke detectors once a month. If they aren’t working, replace the batteries. All of your smoke detectors should be completely replaced every 10 years.
5. Make sure your home is equipped with enough smoke detectors. You should have at least one on each level of your home.
6. Know the difference between a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector. Both are important and life saving and neither can be substituted for the other!
7. Ensure that everyone in your family- especially young children- is familiar with the sound of a smoke detector! The high pitched sound can be scary, especially to children, so making sure that everyone is familiar with the sound is crucial.
8. If you use space heaters in your home, make sure all flammable objects are at least three feet away from the heaters. If you leave your home, make sure all heaters are turned off.
9. Having a portable fire extinguisher handy can be key to stopping a fire before it gets out of control. However, you should be properly trained in how to use it!
10. The word PASS can help you remember how to use a fire extinguisher. 
       -Pull the pin and hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointed away from you.
       -Aim low. You should always point the fire extinguisher at the base of the fire.
       -Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.
       -Sweep the nozzle from side to side.
Make sure to review these fire safety tips to help keep you and your family safe this summer and all year long! If you have experienced a fire in your home and need plumbing restoration help, call the local professionals you can trust at Masterflo Plumbing. We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (678) 822-7095!