FAQs

We don't charge by the hour. Instead we use standardized pricing. When our professional technician looks at your problem he is able to show you from our customized price book the exact cost of your repair.

You know what the cost will be before we do the work which means you have control of the price. It also means that the price will be consistent. With hourly billing it is within the plumber's interest to drag out your job. Not so with our pricing. Once you approve the price you can sit back and relax, no matter how long the job takes, your bill will remain the same.

Yes we do. You can pay by check, cash, Master Card, or Visa.

Absolutely! We are licensed, bonded, and each technician we send to your home or office will be personally licensed as well. Ask to see his card. We are proud of our professionalism.

Yes we do. Our philosophy is to hire the best, train them to keep them the best, use top quality product and back everything with the best warranty going. We want to far exceed your expectations. In fact we would like to leave each customer so pleasantly surprised by their encounter with us that they feel the need to call a friend and tell them about us.

Water rates are usually consistent. Sudden increases are therefore generally symptoms of a bigger problem. If you notice that your water bill increases by more than 20% without explanation (such as guests or a new bathroom having been installed) in any given billing period, it’s time to start looking for causes.

An incredibly sharp increase is almost always due to a leak of some kind. If you cannot find the leak, check your property – there could always be water coming up from a water line somewhere. Whether you can find the problem or not, when faced with a leak or even the idea that you might have one, it’s important to call a professional early to prevent any unnecessary damage.

Every water–using appliance and fixture in your home contributes to your water bill, so be on the lookout for ways to reduce your consumption for each. The following products and practices are all practical ways you can easily reduce your daily water usage:

• Low flow shower heads
• Low flush toilets
• Only run your dishwasher when full
• Energy efficient washing machines
• Fix drips and leaks as soon as they are noticed.

These are some simple tips, but there are plenty more. Just be on the lookout for ways to keep water from running continuously in your home. The cost can add up fast.

Drains are designed to prevent smells from coming back inside your home, so if you suddenly find yourself wrinkling your nose whenever you enter the bathroom, there is a problem. Fortunately, it is almost always an easy one to fix. The vast majority of odd smelling drains are the result of a dried out trap.

Every drain has a U–shaped trap designed to hold a small amount of water at all times. This water blocks sewer gasses from travelling back up your plumbing and into your house. When the trap dries out, there is no barrier and you’ll begin to notice a smell when you enter the room. The simple solution is to pour water down drains in your house that aren’t used often. If this doesn’t resolve the problem, you’ll need to call a professional who can thoroughly inspect your system to track down the problem.

A sudden shift in water pressure can be the result of many problems, but the simplest to solve are often those related to the water line or shutoff valve. Check your incoming lines and the valve to make sure there isn’t a kink and the valve is open all the way. Another problem you may face is mineral deposit in old pipes. This is common in homes that haven’t had their pipes replaced in three or more decades, and while cleaning is an option, you should also discuss the possibility of replacement with your plumber.

Frozen pipes only occur when the temperature around the pipes gets below freezing for an extended period of time. To stop this from happening, ensure your pipes are well insulated. If your water lines are inside, this shouldn’t be a problem. However, outdoor or garage water lines may need to be wrapped in extra insulation.

For the most part, tank water heaters are good for 10 years or more, so older units in particular will need a professional inspection to assess the situation and help you review your options. Replacement is the easiest solution in most of these cases, especially given the energy efficiency of modern systems. However, in some others, a broken heating element or sensor can also be a problem. Try to turn up the temperature setting on your water heater and see if it produces hotter water. If not, it’s definitely time to talk to a professional plumber.

The drains pipes in your home are impressive in that they can remove many things from your sinks, bathtubs and toilets without you ever seeing how and without any effort on your part. However, that doesn’t mean they are designed to carry off anything you might put down the drain. To avoid major problems with your drains and sewer line, you must avoid putting certain things down the drain that might cause clogs. Some of the things that people commonly put down drains (but shouldn’t) include:

• Paper towels
• Napkins
• Tissues
• Whole food
• Grease
• Hair
• Hygiene products

To avoid the problems that tend to arise from clogged drains, make sure you only send things down the drain that the plumbing system is designed to handle. In the toilet, obviously this means only toilet paper. In sink drains, this means only liquids and foods that have been properly chopped up in your garbage disposal.

If you smell something from your drains, the traps are likely dried out. All drains are designed with a simple U–shaped trap that holds a small amount of water after each usage. This keeps sewer gasses and odors from entering your home.

Usually, the problem occurs when a drain hasn’t been used in a long time – such as when you’ve been on vacation or if you have a guest bathroom that’s only used when you have company. Simply put some water down the drain every week or so, and you should be able to resolve the issue and prevent future problems.

If a clog occurs, don’t pour chemicals down the drain. These may break up the clog right now, but they also corrode your pipes, putting them at risk of a much bigger problem in the future. If you cannot get the clog cleared with a plunger, boiling water or a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, you need to call a professional for more advanced mechanical drain cleaning methods.

Modern technology allows plumbers to take a look inside your pipes, with video inspection tools, to isolate and thoroughly inspect all problems before making any repairs. Video inspection involves a thin scope inserted into the affected pipe to check for leaks, cracks or clogs. Once the source of the problem is pinpointed, action can be taken.

This not only keeps your plumber from making the wrong guess and digging up your yard or cutting into your wall in the wrong place, but it makes for a great preventative measure during annual plumbing maintenance. Video pipe inspection can also help to check for possible root intrusion in your sewer line, which can develop into a major problem if not caught early.

A tankless water heater is one that uses direct heating to only heat the water you need. They are slightly more expensive to install than tank water heaters, but unlike tank water heaters you can place them anywhere in your home. They are portable and are much more energy efficient, especially if you don’t use hot water at a consistent rate.

If you’re interested in a tankless hot water heater or want to know if one is right for you, the first thing to do is measure your average hot water use. You also need to take into account the number of places where hot water is needed and you should discuss potential pitfalls of tankless heating with a professional technician.

A hot water heater needs to be replaced about once every 10 years, though some newer models can last as long as 15–20 years with proper maintenance. To get the most out of your system, annual maintenance is important.

During these annual service visits, basic cleaning and maintenance is done to replace worn out parts and check for any looming problems with your water heater that may require replacement in the near or immediate future.

A hot water heater is one of the simplest pieces of equipment you’ll have installed in your home, but it should be done by a professional for a number of reasons. First, you must understand and follow all local building codes, not only for installation, but for possible future inspections. If your hot water heater is gas or oil fueled, safety is of the utmost importance.

Second, you must have your old hot water heater disposed of. A professional has the resources to dispose of your hot water heater for much less money than it would cost you, and it’s less of a hassle as well. Professionals are also better equipped to deal with factors like proper insulation, secondary heating sources, and backup water supplies.

Hot water heating should be done according to your particular needs, but most people have their tanks set too high. The default setting on many hot water heaters is 140°F. This is about 20°F warmer than is necessary for household tasks like showering, washing dishes or cleaning clothes. Follow your manufacturer’s instructions or have a professional help you turn your hot water temperature down to no more than 120°F.

The most common sign that there’s a problem in your hot water heater is a lack of hot water. If you notice your hot water supply dropping sharply or if it doesn’t last nearly as long as it once did, it may be time for additional service.

You can perform some basic maintenance on your own as well. You should remove sediment from your hot water heater at least once per year by following the manufacturer’s instructions. This usually involves simply turning off the device and draining it through a tap provided at the base. If you have hard water, this should be done more frequently, sometimes as often as every six months.

However, if basic maintenance does not solve the problem, it’s time to call a professional to check your hot water heater for problems that may have developed since their last visit.

There are a number of alternative hot water heating sources these days. The most common is currently solar powered hot water, which uses simple panels on your roof to collect the energy from the sun to heat your water. Another popular method is to use the excess heat generated by a geothermal heat pump when cooling your house in the summer. Ask your plumber when they arrive about these alternative options and to find out if they can be incorporated into your particular system.