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Plumbers: Back Then, Today, and Tomorrow

When talking about any profession, most people tend to focus on the here and now. That's understandable. it's really important to know what's going on in the present tense. But you are missing out on some vital information if you never read and learn about the history of a profession. This applies to plumbing, in particular. You can really further your understanding of the profession by knowing how it began and what changes have been made over the years. That's why we sometimes reference the history of plumbing on this blog. We'll also dive into the future of the profession from time to time because, after all, you have to know where you're headed.

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Plumbers: Back Then, Today, and Tomorrow

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6 Items That Will Clog Your Drains
A clogged drain can create backflow, slow drains, leaks, and water damage. Your best offense against drain clogs is a good defense. When you know what will damage your plumbing system, you will make better choices. Learn about 6 common items that will clog your drains. 1. Grease, Oil, Fat Grease, oil, and fat probably cause water treatment centers the most trouble. While liquid when hot, the material becomes solid as it cools.

What Repairs Might A Short-Cycling Furnace Need?
Short-cycling is a behavior that occurs when your furnace turns on, then off, then on again many times in an hour. Each time it turns on, it only blows heated air for a short period. Your home may or may not ever reach the temperature on the thermostat while the furnace is acting in this way. So, why do furnaces do this? Sometimes it is because the air filter is clogged.

Installing Bathroom Fixtures? 4 Ways A Plumber Can Help You
You may view a plumber as someone who only comes to your house to fix a leaky faucet or install a new toilet. But plumbing is a lot more complicated than that. If you're planning on installing new bathroom fixtures, there are many things you need to know before installing the fixtures yourself. This is why you should work with a plumber instead of going about it yourself. Several benefits come from hiring a plumbing professional.

Four Reasons To Incorporate Hydro-Jet Cleaning Into Your Drain Maintenance Schedule
Drain cleaning is an essential aspect of a plumbing maintenance routine. It eliminates blockages in the drains and allows wastewater to flow smoothly into the sewerage system. One of the best techniques for cleaning residential drains is hydro-jet cleaning. It pushes highly pressurized water into the drain pipes and sewer lines to clear dirt, debris, tree roots, and grease. Below are four benefits of incorporating hydro-jet into your annual drain maintenance schedule.

When To Engage Plumbers For Water Line Reroute Service
If you're undertaking an extensive home renovation project, you might need to reroute some plumbing pipes so you can relocate plumbing fixtures accordingly. In this case, you should engage a plumbing contractor from the project's onset and let them take care of the relocation. Professional plumbers have the experience and expertise to properly reroute your home's water line so that you can continue to have running water in your home. Here are scenarios when you need the professional's intervention.

Discolored Hot Water? It Means It Is Time For Service
Discolored water can arise for several different reasons, including an issue with the water supply, such as the local water municipality, or it can be an issue that is originating from inside the four walls of your home. When it comes to a local issue, most often it is the result of a problem with the water heater. Since discolored water is not a feature your water heater should be displaying, it is important to understand what might be going on and how to resolve it.

Want Clear Drains? 4 Important Things You Should Do
The drains in your home are supposed to filter debris like food particles and drain out wastewater. Unfortunately, the drains will clog over time and fail to serve their purpose. Different things can contribute to clogged drains, including little pieces of soap, hair, and solidified grease. Depending on the cause of the clogs and where it happens, you may need the help of a drain cleaning expert. However, you should first know the measures you can take to keep your drains clog-free.

The Value Of Hiring Professional Residential Gas Line Repair Services
You rely on your home's gas services to function properly and safely throughout the year. You want to avoid any worry of them leaking poisonous gas into your home or becoming damaged or clogged. However, you also may not know how to tell if or when the lines are posing a risk to your home and family. To keep them in the best condition possible, you can hire professional local gas line repair services to inspect and fix them for you.

What Factors Determine New Water Heater Choices Today?
If the water heater you use today doesn't meet the requirements due to old age or inefficiency, you should buy a new one. Through hot water tank installations, you can get another heating unit that will be efficient, powerful, and durable. If you want a smooth installation process, you should create time to understand the primary factors to consider. Some of these factors will be outlined below. What Forms of Heaters Are Available on the Market?

2 Questions for When Your Home's Plumbing Suddenly Develops Water Hammer
You may not think much about the plumbing in your home, especially when it has always been relatively quiet. However, lately, you may have discovered that the pipes have started to bang loudly whenever you turn off a faucet in your house. If this is the case, the problem is most likely caused by water hammer. If you have never heard of and/or experienced this issue with your home's plumbing, you may have a couple of questions in regard to it.

4 Instances When You Need to Contact a Plumber Promptly
Plumbing issues can result in inconvenience, frustration, and extensive property damage in more severe cases. In addition, these emergencies may occur or escalate at times when most specialists are unavailable. In such cases, e.g., if there's an emergency in the middle of the night, pro-tips, e.g., turning off the water at its main, are invaluable as you wait for the professional to arrive. Nonetheless, most problems require the intervention of an experienced plumber.

When To Get Your Home's Sewer Line Repaired
A properly functioning sewer line is essential to keep things running smoothly at home. However, sewer line problems can creep in and cause significant disruption to your household activities. In some cases, these problems can even affect the health of your family. To avert a potential plumbing disaster in your home, you need to know the signs of impending sewer trouble and perform the necessary repair work in a timely manner.

Crucial Things You Ought To Know About Drain Cleaning
With all the dirt and grease that goes down your sink and bathtub, it's crucial to have your drains cleaned often. It's the only way you'll get them to perform optimally and serve you for decades. But what should you know about drain cleaning? Well, read on to find out. What Are the Best Drain Cleaning Techniques? Most people prefer to clean their drains but don't always do it right. As such, it's better to hire a drain cleaning service than take the DIY route.

Top Benefits Of Hiring A Private Waste Management Service
Keeping your business free of clutter is one of the most important things you can do. Not only is excess waste unsightly and unattractive to both employees and customers alike, but it also poses a hazard as well. Someone could easily trip and fall over an errant item or bag of trash that is left in an open area. If that individual is hurt, you could be looking at a huge lawsuit that hurts your wallet and business reputation.

Rules To Follow When Completing A Water Heater Replacement
If certain signs are showing up with your home's water heater—such as repeated breakdowns and loud noises—then you may need to find a replacement. It's not an overly difficult appliance to replace if you just follow a couple of simple rules. Consider Getting a Larger Unit Under the Right Conditions Something you'll want to think about when replacing your water heater is the size of the new unit. You may want to get something larger because it's going to provide more hot water.

Why Do Soft Blockages Often Require Hydro Jetting?
There are plenty of ways for your home's drains to slow down or back up. For example, flushing a large, solid piece of trash down a toilet can create a "hard" blockage that physically obstructs your plumbing. This blockage will stop some amount of water from flowing down the drain and may also serve as a point for other debris to accumulate. Of course, solving this type of blockage is usually relatively straightforward.

Want to Buy a House but the Water Main Is in Bad Condition? Cured-in-Place Pipe Lining May Be the Answer
A water main break can be a very costly and messy experience. If you are considering purchasing a home that a property inspector has determined has a water main that is in bad condition, don't let that turn you away from an opportunity to become the owner of that house. While replacing a water main can be significantly costly and intensive due to the excavation of the property, it may not be necessary to entirely replace the water main.

A Septic Tank Field Line Inspection Lets The Contractor Know If Perforation Holes Are Clogged
Your septic tank empties through a drain line that connects to a distribution box. The box has the main drain coming in one side and multiple drains exiting out the other. The multiple drains go to the drainfield. The drainfield lines have holes in them that allow wastewater to seep out. If the holes get clogged, you'll have problems with your field or tank. If your contractor thinks the drain lines are the cause of your septic problems, they'll want to inspect the lines.

Three Ways To Get The Most Efficiency From A Brand New Water Heater
Newer water heaters will likely be more efficient than their predecessors, but there are still some modifications you can make to make them work even better. From additional components that give you more control to adding insulation to selecting a different model, all these options will help ensure you get the very most from your new water heater. Add a Timer Even with new water heaters, there is often lost energy in the form of heat dissipation.

5 Regular Professional Plumbing Services You Need If You Are Operating A Restaurant
When you're running a restaurant, it's crucial to have a plumbing system that is working properly. Neglecting regular maintenance and inspections can lead to serious problems that can shut your business down. Here are some of the most important professional regular plumbing services you need if you are operating a restaurant: 1. Grease traps need to be emptied regularly If you have a grease trap, it needs to be emptied on a regular basis.

5 Benefits Of Having Access To 24/7 Plumbing Services For Your Restaurant
There's nothing more frustrating than a plumbing emergency popping up at the worst possible time. If you're a restaurant owner, having access to 24/7 plumbing services can make a big difference when it comes to minimizing the impact of such emergencies on your business. When something goes wrong with your plumbing, you need to be able to get it fixed as quickly as possible so that your customers don't have to go without service.

3 Instances When You Should Engage Your Local Plumber
Acknowledging the crucial role your plumbing system plays in your residential home enables you to be intentional about keeping it in top condition. A healthy plumbing network and efficient plumbing fixtures allow you to maintain sanitary indoor spaces. So when you notice the plumbing system acting up, don't hesitate to contact your local plumber for their professional intervention. It's quite common for homeowners to ignore plumbing issues until they get out of hand.

The Benefits Of Contacting An Emergency Plumber When A Sink Is Clogged
If you have a clogged sink, you undoubtedly want to remedy the situation so you can utilize the basin as soon as possible. There are several reasons why contacting an emergency plumber to fix the problem is a preferable choice over trying to make a repair on your own. The Job Is Insured If A Mishap Occurs If you attempt to unclog a sink on your own, and you use methods that are not safe for the sink or piping system, damage can occur.

Is It Time For Septic Pumping? Find Out
Septic tanks are mainly used in areas that do not access the municipal sewer system. It is a common system in rural areas, and if properly maintained, it can serve you for many years. The septic system works by collecting and managing wastewater from your toilet, washing machine, shower, and garbage disposal. It holds the waste until the solids from the liquids separate. The solids sink into the bottom of the tank while the liquids flow to the drain field.

3 Circumstances When It Is Advisable To Invest In Kitchen Remodeling
Your kitchen is an important place where you store, prepare and cook food for your loved ones. It can also be used for different activities like dishwashing or as a dining area. So, it should be spacious, clean, and well ventilated. Unfortunately, if your home's kitchen is filthy, congested, or poorly ventilated, it may not function properly, exposing you to danger. Therefore, you should invest in kitchen remodeling to improve its efficiency and functionality.

Maintaining The Septic System Your Home Uses
Despite your septic system being effective at breaking down solid waste, it will still gradually accumulate solid waste inside it. This can be due to these materials settling on the floor of the septic tank and being covered by other solid waste. As a result, the bacteria in the septic tank may be less capable of breaking it down. Septic Tank Additives Increasing the population of the bacteria in the septic tank can help to improve its ability to break down solid waste.

Trenchless Sewer Line Repair
Sewer line repair can be a nightmare since sewer lines exist underground where we have limited access to the pipes. Of course, your sewer line must be in proper working order in order for you to feel comfortable in your home. Traditional repair methods involved digging into the ground and accessing the pipes at the direct location of the problem, taking a lot of time and coming with large repair bills.

3 Top Reasons Why You Should Install a Foundation Drain Design
As a homeowner, you may be tempted to neglect the importance of installing an effective drainage system in your home. Unfortunately, it is not advisable because poor drains may pose a health hazard to the occupants of your home. They may also cause flooding, damaging the foot of your house. Fortunately, you can prevent this by hiring a professional to install a foundation drain design on your property. It will prevent water damage and increase the value of your residential home.

Get A Plumber To Check Out Your Sewer Problems
When you flush your toilet or run water down your sink, it goes into the sewer line that leads out of your house. That sewer line will meet up with the larger line that runs under your street, and that line will eventually meet up with a larger line until everything gets to the sewerage treatment plant so that it can be treated. Most sewer systems are gravity-driven, which means that as the sewer lines get bigger on their way to the treatment plant, the lines tend to get deeper.

3 Circumstances When You Should Consider Water Heater Replacement
Most homeowners buy a water heater hoping that it will serve them for several years. However, the heater can prematurely break down due to accidents or poor maintenance. If the unit is damaged beyond repair or is old and worn out, you may need to replace it. You can also replace the heater if you want a more modern and efficient unit. Before buying a new water heater, you should engage a professional to determine if you really need a replacement and which new model best suits your needs.

Why Pipe Descaling Is Necessary And How It's Done
If you've noticed your drains are slow to empty or you keep having frequent clogs, the problem might be with scale buildup inside the drains. Scale can build up in pipes as well as drains. Some types of metal pipes develop scale more than others, but most all pipes can be affected over the years when you have hard water. Here's what causes scale to develop, the problems it causes, and how pipe descaling is done.

How To Spot The Signs Your Water Heater Needs Repairs
A broken water heater can leave you uncomfortable. There are few things more irritating than not having hot water when you need it. Unfortunately, water heaters do need repair sometimes. It is best to know the signs that your water heater needs repair before things go bad when you least expect it. By knowing the signs that your water heater needs repair, you will be able to prevent any inconvenience that can be caused by not having hot water.

3 Parts Of Your Septic Tank That Protect Your Drainfield
A typical gravity-fed residential septic system consists of a septic tank that temporarily stores waste and a drain field that allows effluent to flow out and filter through the surrounding soil. The design of these systems relies on steady flow and good drainage in the drain field. If portions of the drain field become clogged, effluent can back up into the system and create clogs. Drainfield failures can occur for many reasons, but one common cause is sludge or scum (grease) exiting the septic tank.

Drain Cleaning Tips You Ought To Follow
Drain cleaning plays a vital role in preventing clogs in your drain and septic lines. Sadly, most homeowners don't think about their drains unless they notice problems brewing up. Luckily, you don't have to fret about nasty clogs if you clean your drains regularly. And while at it, follow these tips. Try Hot Water A simple hot water cleanse always works whenever you need to dislodge clogged particles from your drain pipes.

Actions to Reduce the Impact of Burst Pipe Emergencies In Your Home
A burst pipe is one of those dreadful plumbing emergencies that you don't want to happen in your home. Like the forethoughtful person that you are, you'll want to stay prepared just in case. While a pipe burst can occur anywhere in your house, it occurs a lot in unheated areas of the house such as the basement, crawl space, and the attic. That said, burst pipes not only waste water and increase your domestic water bills, but can also cause extensive water damage to your home.

When Is "Preventative" Drain Cleaning A Good Idea?
If your drains are not draining, then of course you should call a drain cleaning service. However, drain cleaning services also can do what's called "preventative drain cleaning." Basically, this means they come clean drains that are technically still working. There is often still plenty of gunk to clear away, and when they clean the drains at this stage, they prevent outright clogs long-term. So, when might you want to opt for this so-called preventative drain cleaning?

When Should You Have Your Drains Rooter Cleaned?
Those drains in your home will eventually fill up and clog if you aren't particularly careful with them. They can fill up with food particles you've been sending down the drain rather than using the drain stop or all of those times you put crumbs into the drain instead of walking them to the trash bin. Your drains are also going to fill up if you are putting feminine products into the drains, or are using flushable products that your sensitive drains aren't able to withstand.

3 Instances To Hire A Commercial Plumber
Your commercial plumbing lines play an essential role in keeping your business establishment functional and sanitary. That's why you should address any arising issues before they get out of hand. Having a designated commercial plumber ensures that you get prompt professional assistance and maximize business uptime. Your plumbing contractor will ensure that they get an accurate diagnosis of the problem before proceeding with the repair so that they can offer a lasting solution.

Drain Cleaning Fundamentals: Knowing When It's Time
Many homeowners dismiss the importance of drain cleaning because they don't realize how much it can help. In addition, they often don't recognize the early signs of drain troubles in their homes. It's important for you to spot the signs that your drain lines need cleaning to help keep your plumbing system flowing properly. Here's a look at a few of the key indications that you should call and schedule a drain cleaning for your plumbing system.

Assessing The Condition Of Your Sewer Line
Having a sewer line inspected can reveal valuable information about the condition of this line and the potential problems that it may be experiencing. When it comes to these inspections, video systems can be among the most convenient options available. Myth: A Sewer Line Inspection Will Damage Your Landscaping A reason that a homeowner may not decide to have a sewer line inspection completed is due to the belief that this will cause immense damage to their landscaping.

Water Heating Solutions For The Hospitality Industry
As a hotel or motel owner, your primary concern is the comfort of your guests when they visit your premises. There are many ways you can guarantee them a comfortable and memorable stay at your facilities. One significant way is by creating a warm and comforting environment by investing in heating solutions. You will want cost-effective, convenient, and stylish heating and ventilation systems to keep you and your clients happy. However, choosing a water heating system is not easy, primarily when targeting maximum client satisfaction.

Things To Consider When You Install A Water Heater
Installing a water heater may sound like installing any other appliance in your home, but this is not necessarily the case. In fact, installing a new water heater is often more of a task than many people think. These four tips will help you install your water heater correctly on your first attempt. Leave Plenty of Space One of the first things you need to do is leave plenty of space around the water heater.

Well Pump Care 101: Things To Know
When you're having a well drilled on your property, one of the most important components of that system is the well pump. In fact, without the right well pump, you may face water delivery issues that negate many benefits of having your own independent water source. That's why it's important that you take steps to protect your well pump beginning right after its installation. Here's a look at some of the things that you need to know.

Does Your Well Pump Need To Be Replaced Or Repaired?
Your well pump is a very important and vital part of your well system. A well pump collects water from the earth and moves it to your home by a network of pipes. If you don't have a functioning well pump you won't have clean water in your house. When well owners find their pumps malfunctioning, they figure that they can either replace or repair them. But how can you tell which is the correct choice?

4 Pro Steps To Dewinterize Your Air Conditioner When The Cold Season Is Over
The air-conditioning system plays a fundamental role during spring and summer. For that reason, you need to ensure the unit is in good shape before the onset of the hot season. One way to achieve that is by dewinterizing the system once the cold season is over.  Failing to dewinterize your air conditioner can lead to inefficiencies and even devastating breakdowns in the dead of spring. Below are some valuable dewinterization guidelines plumbers recommend: 

Damp Flooring In A Slab-On-Grade Home: Do You Need To Have It Waterproofed?
Waterproofing is most often associated with keeping basements and crawlspaces dry, but slab-on-grade homes need waterproofing as well. This is most often done during construction — the slab is poured on top of a vapor barrier that prevents water in the soil underneath from rising up into the slab. Unfortunately, not all slab-on-grade homes were built this way, and some may have damaged vapor barriers that still allow water into the concrete slab.

A Bad Condenser Fan Motor Allows Your AC To Overheat And Shut Down
The fan motor in your condenser works hard all summer. It has to start the fan blades and keep them turning, so it gets a lot of use every time your AC kicks on. If the motor goes bad, your air conditioner won't keep you cool, and you'll need to call an air conditioner repair service for help. Here are signs the AC fan motor is bad and how it's replaced.

3 Gas Line Leak Mistakes Every Homeowner Needs To Avoid
Do you suspect a gas leak in your home? This can be a danger to you and your family members. For example, it can cause several health issues such as vomiting, nausea, dizziness, and headaches. It will help to understand the signs of gas line leaks in your home and take immediate action if you suspect it could be happening. This way, you can avoid possible dangers associated with gas leaks.

Adding A New Water Line To Your Home
Expanding your home's plumbing system can be necessary for installing new plumbing fixtures or even making additions to the house. Adding a new water line to a home is a relatively common plumbing project, but it is still one of the more complicated undertakings you can take for your home's plumbing system. Assess The Appliances That Will Utilize The New Water Line As you are planning to install the new plumbing line, it is important to consider the number of appliances and fixtures that will utilize it.

4 Types Of Toilets To Consider For Your Next Installation
If you are in the market for a new toilet, you may have a hard time selecting the right toilet with nearly infinite styles available. There are far more choices than color and shape that can have a dramatic impact on the efficiency of your toilet and reduce the chances of clogs. Single-Flush Single-flush toilets are the most common and least expensive option. Since this type of toilet is common, it is easier and less costly to repair and find replacement parts.

What Can You Get From Professional Commercial Plumbing Services?
Whether you need to install new water channels, sewerage, or pipework, attempting a DIY is risky and costs you a lot. Plumbing involves fixing complex systems such as the water channels, heating system, construction projects, and more. Because of the complexity, it's imperative to enlist a commercial plumbing company. But before you do, you can ponder some things. Here is the reality concerning commercial plumbing. Plethora of skills Your plumbing structure has many channels supporting lots of users.

Why Sewer Line Installations Are A Very Precise Job
Modern advances in technology have allowed for a very high standard of living across America, and while many take little things for granted, including your sewer system when you need to install a new one, it becomes clear just how well thought out these processes really are. If you are building a new home or adjusting your old one and need a new sewer line installation, then you are probably hoping for a quick construction turnaround.

Sewer Clogs: Repair And Prevention
A blocked sewer line can affect every drain in your home. When this occurs, the worst-case scenario can lead to raw sewage backing up the drains. Proper clog removal and ongoing cleaning can prevent this from ever occurring. Clog Causes Sewer line clogs are caused by one of two factors: drain usage patterns or outside damages. Drain usage clogs occur when items are placed down a drain that simply shouldn't be.

Why Would Someone Choose Boiler Heating These Days?
With all of the innovation that has occurred over the past few years, it may seem strange that some people would purposefully choose boiler heating, a type of heating that has been around for hundreds of years. But in fact, these people are not just stuck in time and refusing to move forward. Boiler heating does still have some advantages over more modern systems, and it works really well in some situations.

Why You Should Regularly Clean Your Residential Sewer Pipes
If you're like the vast majority of American homeowners out there, you're probably guilty of cleaning your sewer pipes only when they become clogged. While residential sewer cleaning will help to get your blocked sewer pipes flowing smoothly again, you don't have to wait until the water flow slows down or stops completely to deal with the problem. By this time, the problem may have escalated, resulting in a whole host of problems.

What To Consider When Installing A New Hot Water Heater At A New Location
Do you need to have a new hot water heater installed in your home and feel like this is a great opportunity to move where it is located? If so, you'll need to consider the following things to ensure the job goes smoothly. What Kind Of Water Heater Will You Install? The kind of hot water heater you install will play a lot of factors in the entire process. Are you also using the opportunity to upgrade from electric to gas?

Keys to Moving Forward With a Sewer Pipeline Replacement
For your sewer system to work around your property, pipelines need to be free of problems. Sometimes, they're just too severe for repairs and replacements instead are required. If you have a sewer pipeline, proceed with these key steps. Contact a Plumber at the First Sign of Trouble You may not know too much about your property's sewer pipeline, but you do probably have the ability to tell when something with it is not working.

Precautions To Take When Dealing With Residential Foundation Repair
A problem you always want to stay mindful of around a residential property is foundation damage. It can ultimately affect many structural systems, so you want to be particular about how you approach this repair process.  Find Out the Severity of Damage First Before a solution can be worked out by a foundation repair company, you must figure out just how severe the foundation damage is. Are there a bunch of cracks developing or are entire sections of your house sinking downward?