Cosmetic VS Plumbing

Would you get cosmetic surgery first, knowing that you if you don’t get the quadruple bypass you need, you might die from a heart attack?.. Of course not right!?!

Believe it or not, there are people out there who renovate their home and give it all the cosmetic touches, knowing that they have plumbing pipes that in some areas leak, and need are in need of replacement.  What a waste of money!  When those pipes are ready to completely crack or break due to corrosion, those renovated walls will need to be cut open in order to access the pipes that are within.

Save yourself a lot of money and headaches. If your going to renovate, make sure you budget for your plumbing, and if your budget doesn’t call for it, then you might want to choose to fix your plumbing first, before fixing the cosmetics.  It just makes sense.

Emergency Water Shut Off

When you have a Plumbing Emergency and water seems to be overflowing or leaking from your sink or toilet, Don’t Panic.  know the location of your shutoff valve’s for every fixture in your home, as well as the main water shutoff valve for the house.
 
~~ The Hot & Cold shut off valve’s are usually located underneath your Kitchen, and Bathroom sink.  The shut off valve for the Toilet is usually located behind the toilet just right under the toilet tank. For a problem with your Washer machine, the Hot & Cold shut off valves are right where the water supply connects to the washer machine.

If for some reason you can’t turn off the fixture shut off valve, go to the Main shut off valve to turn off the main water supply to your home.  Note: The main shut off, will turn off the water supply to the entire house.  

If for some reason the Main shut off valve can not be turned off, contact your local department of water & power, they will at least be able to turn off the main water supply located at the water meter or call a professional 7 Rico Plumbing technician for help!

Preventative Plumbing Maintenance for your building.

You can’t afford to be without a Preventive maintenance program.

A preventive maintenance program will allow for less emergency calls and frequent plumbing repairs and or replacements.  
 
By regularly inspecting and maintaining your fixtures, water heater and drains, your assurance that a costly emergency plumbing problem will arise when you least expect it lessens.  Regular inspections and maintenance will prevent the need for service,  replacements and additional service.

Always take care of a Plumbing problem right away and make the necessary repairs as soon as your aware of it, as this will prevent a more serious and costly situation from happening.

Not all DIY are created equal. Trust your Plumbing repairs to a licensed professional Plumber. You save time, money, and stress in the long haul of it.

It’s best to do a complete inspection on every apartment or Condo when they become vacant or at least once a year when there are tenants. Always check for the following to avoid future problems and save money on your water bill:

Faucets:  Check for drips, leaks.

Toilets:  Leaks, ghost flushing when the tank is full, is the toilet a water saver toilet, does human waste go down at the first flush.

Shut off Angle stops:  Check for leaks around the valves - Make sure they still turn.

Garbage disposal:  Is it running properly, check for slow draining

Sinks:  Check for slow draining- Slow to drain now, leads to a clog later

Shower/Tub:  Check for slow draining.

Water Heaters:  Does it make banging noises? Sediment/mineral build up can reduce the efficiency of the unit. The buildup can harden and sometimes clog the drain valve.
 Does it turn off regularly, or does not heat the water sufficiently??.

Storm Drains: Inspect and clean at least every year to avoid clogging during the rains

Lawn Sprinklers:  Inspect, check for leaks, replace heads where needed, test.

Sewer drains:  Clean every 6 months to a 1 year to help prevent debris build up & clogging.   

If your apartment or Condo complex suffers from constant sewer back -ups and drain clogs, your building might benefit from having Rooter & Drain cleaning done every 3-6 month or a year. Give us a call and we’ll have a 7 Rico Plumber discuss which option is best for your building.

Tree Root Intrusion in your Pipe

Tree roots.. We get calls to clear the main sewer pipe line all the time because of Roots, and once we clear the line, we get the same call some time later because the Roots grow back!  This is a never ending cycle. The root hairs will always seek out the water source, they’re already inside your pipes because there is a crack or break in your pipe to begin with. The only cure once and for all for this problem, is to replace the Pipe, and or cut the Tree or Shrub that’s causing the problem, but you may have to consult with your local city first for permission. And remember, you still have a cracked or broken Pipe that really should be replaced.

If you still don’t want to have the pipe replaced, or cut down the root source, another alternative although temporary is Rooter cleaning.  In some cases this is an effective way to temporarily clear the pipe line. The spinning blades of the Rooter (Snake) will scour though your plumbing line, and cut through some, if not most of your tree roots that is causing your stoppage, depending on the root intrusion. You can rent these machines at your local large home store, however, if you don’t know how to use one or you just have no time for the messy task, we recommend you call a licensed professional Plumber.

There is always a possibility that the Sewer pipes may burst, or break, due to the current existing status of deterioration, and or current damage your pipes have before the Rooter service process. And again remember, eventually your Tree roots will grow back, and you will have to deal with the same drain blockage all over again.