5 Reasons for Low Water Pressure in the Shower

A Last Minute Home Plumbing Inspection: Just in Time for the Holidays

A Last Minute Home Plumbing Inspection: Just in Time for the Holidays

The holiday season is a time for family and friends. While some people welcome the extra guests in the house, other people dread it. One of the worst-case scenarios is too few bathrooms for all of the guests. The problems are only made worse when the plumbing goes out. Perhaps the showers stop running. Maybe the toilets become clogged. Regardless of what happens, this is a disaster waiting to happen. For this reason, and several others, it is important to perform a home plumbing inspection before all of the guests come into town.

The Water Heater

A potential disaster would be losing the water heater just as all of the guests arrive. A water heater is like other important parts of the home and requires an annual inspection. Over time, a residue can build up on the inside of the water heater. This residue can impact the efficiency of the water heater and reduce its volume. For this reason, the water heater needs to be inspected and cleaned annually.

Dripping Plumbing Fixtures

Over time, the plumbing fixtures can start to degrade. This can lead to dripping faucets that can lead to a dramatic increase in utility costs. A dripping faucet can waste thousands of gallons of water over the course of a year. This can lead to hundreds of dollars in added utility costs. Make sure to avoid these unnecessary expenses by performing all routine plumbing maintenance on time. Make sure those fixtures are tight.

Ensuring Pipe Insulation

Many people neglect the insulation of their pipes. While freezing conditions are unusual for the state of Florida, they do occur from time to time. If the pipes freeze over, they can rupture. This can lead to a home disaster. To avoid this, it is important to make sure that all of the pipes are insulated properly. Make sure that this inspection is performed annually. This can prevent the pipes from rupturing and can save a family a large amount of money.

Check the Supply Lines

The supply lines are often forgotten in the home plumbing system; however, if these break, it could spell disaster very quickly. Examples of appliances that are fed by the supply lines include:

Be sure to check the shower heads for mineral buildup and change the filters in the water filtration systems. These can clog very quickly. Finally, don’t forget to check any of the drains as well as the septic tank pump-outs. If these systems back up, it could be a costly repair.

The Last Minute Inspection 

Like other parts of the home, it is important for homeowners to keep up with the routine maintenance of their plumbing system. This can help identify problems before the guests arrive, helping to avoid a potential holiday disaster. Don’t wait for something to go wrong. Perform a home plumbing inspection today.

Trending Topics Right Now

This post first appeared on http://www.atozstatewideplumbing.com

How to Prepare Your Home’s Plumbing System for a New Baby

The arrival of a new baby doesn’t call for celebration alone, but also some serious changes around the house. These include changes to the home’s plumbing system.

Most parents already know the basics home preparations to make their home safe for their newborn baby – keeping harmful objects away, adding child locks to doors, drawers, and cupboards, checking for sharp corners, etc. – but they wonder what connection exists between preparing the home’s plumbing system and having a new baby.

If you are one of such parents, believe it or not, your home’s plumbing system has to do with the comfort and safety of your new baby.

Yes! Everything about safeguarding and caring for your new baby gets easier when the environment is safe and comfortable for everybody.

According to the World Health Organization, risk minimization boils down to the maintenance of plumbing equipment.

Follow these simple tips to know how to prepare your home’s plumbing system for a new baby:

  1. Find and Fix all Plumbing Leaks

The first step is to go around your home and ensure that there are no plumbing leaks. Wondering what plumbing leaks do to a newborn? They create an unsafe environment for the new baby.

Plumbing leaks increase the moisture in the home, creating an avenue for mold or mildew to grow. Mold and mildew can negatively affect the health of anyone in your family, most especially that of the newborn who has a fragile immune system.

Therefore, the baby is susceptible to wheezing, sneezing, sniffing, or any other symptoms caused by mold. Excess exposure to mold can make the newborn develop asthma or any other ill-health conditions, which may affect the baby all through his/her lifetime.

The best way to avoid this is to find and fix all plumbing leaks within the home. And if you already noticed mold growth, get rid of it yourself fast or hire a mold remediation company.

  1. Install a Water Softener

If you’ve noticed that the water supply to your home is hard water, you would have to address this before bringing in your newborn.

Hard water is not good for your hair and skin. This makes it worse for newborns. Using hard water on your baby may cause your baby’s skin to develop eczema or become uncomfortably dry and itchy

More so, hard water makes general cleaning more difficult as soap won’t lather. Installing a water softener is better not only for your newborn but also for every other member of your household.

  1. Adjust the Temperature on Your Water Heater

This point is very important! Remember your baby’s “tender” skin is not as tough as your “leathery” skin, no matter how smooth it looks.

So, if your water heater had been turned up because you love using scalding hot water when taking showers or when washing dishes, it’s time to turn it down now that you’re bringing in a newborn into your home.

It’s advisable to set the temperature of your water heater to about 37°C or below 110°F. This will help to prevent chilling and as well as prevent burning the baby.

  1. Install a Diaper Sprayer

Mind you, the number of diapers you would be using in a day for your baby is astounding. If you opt-in for disposable diapers, that’s a huge cost on your budget.

Most parents prefer using cloth diapers for their new baby. If that’s your choice too, then be prepared to do a lot more of washing and drying of the diapers.

You can’t toss a filthy diaper into the washing machine unless it is rinsed. And if you aren’t comfortable with rinsing poops off diapers with your hands, then you would need a tool to help you.

A good idea is to have a diaper sprayer installed on your toilet. With diaper sprayer, you can easily and quickly wash off the poop and other mess from the diapers before tossing them into the washing machine.

As stated above, hard water is not good for washing diapers, aside from the fact that hard water makes washing difficult, it can also cause discomfort for your baby’s fragile skin.

More so, irrespective of the type of diaper you use, never let it end up in the toilet closet. It can clog your plumbing and you may need to call a plumber to remove the mess.

  1. Clean Your Sediment Filled Water Lines

Take note of this! This is a common problem and nobody is immune to sediment slowly filling and choking water lines, even if it’s from the water station.

Aside from the fact that the sediments will accumulate and clog the water line eventually crippling the home’s plumbing systems, it is unhygienic and detrimental to the health of your fragile new baby.

You can easily avoid this by adding a filtration system to your water line to filters every drop of water that comes into your home.

Filtering the water will not only prevent sediments from getting into your drinking water but also offer other potential benefits, such as easier laundering, healthier skin, and better-tasting water.

Except you are using newer filters that can back-flush and automatically clean themselves, you would need to clean your filter at least once every three months.

  1. Install Baby-proofing Products

This is important especially when your baby starts crawling. You wouldn’t want to worry about any devastating accident around your home.

If your baby is the curious type, he or she might crawl into the toilet, fall into even a small amount of water and get drowned or suffocated.

Even when you are careful enough to get harmful things off the way, you wouldn’t want your baby to crawl into the kitchen or the toilet and dip his or her hand or head into the closet or flush down the toys.

Hence, installing baby-proofs, such as the toilet lid locks, outlet covers, silicone soft faucet cover, cupboard locks, etc. will help. Some baby-proofing products offer high-tech water temperature measurements.

There are lots of baby-proofing products out there that are specially designed to help keep your baby safe in the bathroom. Ask your plumber for baby-proofing products to safeguard your baby.

Some products even offer high tech water temperature measurements.

  1. Prevent Frozen Pipe

With the arrival of your baby, your need for water would increase greatly – you would need a constant supply of water for proper washing and cleaning of those dirty baby clothes and diapers and other household works.

Having frozen pipes in such a situation is a serious problem, especially in winter months. So, ensure that the water pipes are properly insulated to prevent the frozen pipe problem.

  1. General plumbing inspection

After you have done everything in your capacity to prepare your home’s plumbing system for the comfort and safety of your new baby, it’s highly recommended that you call a professional plumber for a general plumbing inspection.

At times, there are some plumbing issues that you may not be able to detect on your own. But plumbing experts would be able to properly check your plumbing system and rectify any defects found.

Conclusion

If you’re expecting the arrival of a new baby in your home, you would probably want to ensure that everything in your home is comfortable and safe for the baby. This calls for making some serious changes in your home.

So, when you make preparations like painting the nursery, clogging the electrical outlets, and getting rid of harmful objects, don’t forget to include preparing your home’s plumbing system as well.

To wrap up, make use of these tips for preparing your home’s plumbing system to reduce the likelihood of causing an injury to your baby:

  • Check if your water heater is faulty and adjust your water heater to below 37 degrees Centigrade
  • Cover all faucets with burn-prevention devices
  • Install child-proof latch on bathroom and kitchen doors
  • Invest in a toilet cover lock
  • Never leave your baby alone in the shower or bathtub
  • Place anti-slip mats in your shower or bathtub
  • To prevent the risk of electrocution, use a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs)
  • Wipe up water spills immediately to prevent a slip or fall.

The few tips listed above will help you in preparing your home’s plumbing system for your new baby.

This post first appeared on https://blog.antaplumbing.com

Why You Should Install a Tankless Water Heater

Testing Tap WaterAnyone who comes from a large family knows the struggle of ensuring there’s enough hot water for everyone. Traditional water heaters store water that is kept at a pre-set temperature, and when that water is exhausted, it takes time for the average hot water heater to catch up. That can mean cold showers for those who didn’t get in the front of the line for the bathroom. You could always have a home plumbing repair service install a larger water heater, but that doesn’t always solve the problem.

Fortunately, there’s a household appliance that can make an endless supply of hot water available for anyone who needs it at the mere turn of a spigot. Tankless water heaters have revolutionized the way homeowners heat their water for cooking and hygiene, as they provide instant hot water that can be summoned on demand. By contacting a company specializing in hot water heater installation and plumbing repair in Pittsburgh, PA, you can put this new technology to use in your household. Keep reading to learn more reasons that you should install a tankless water heater.

Smaller Footprint

A traditional water heater is a hulking household appliance that takes up a tremendous amount of space. As a result of its large profile and unsightly appearance, it is often relegated to less frequently visited corners of the home. A gas water heater also requires gas supply lines with proper ventilation, and even electric water heaters require dedicated electrical wiring. However, a tankless water heater takes up a fraction of the space dedicated to traditional water heaters. They can be mounted on walls out of the way so they don’t occupy floor space and are non-intrusive.

More Hot Water

A water heater with a tank can only heat the water that is stored inside it. Though it may have a large capacity, it’s not difficult to expend all the available hot water, at which time you must wait for additional water to fill the tank and be heated. A tankless water heater heats on demand. When you turn on the faucet, the water is instantly heated, and any water flowing through the appliance is heated for as long as you need it. Therefore, you can never exhaust the supply so long as water is flowing into the unit. 

Reduces Energy Costs

Traditional water heaters are considered inefficient by many since the water in the tank must be routinely heated to maintain the desired temperature, even when the hot water isn’t in use. That means that you’re paying to keep water hot for many hours a day during which there’s no chance that you’ll need it. However, a tankless heater heats water on demand, which means there’s no need to reheat the water throughout the day to maintain the right temperature. That will save you money on your energy bills.

More Durable

ShowerA tankless water heater is more durable than a traditional water heater because it does away with the most common point of failure. Traditional water heaters wear out when the internal tank corrodes or rusts through. That will leave you with not only a mess, but an expensive replacement as well. Because there’s no tank, a tankless water heater will last much longer and the components that are exposed to corrosion can usually be replaced without purchasing a new appliance.  

If you’re in the market for a new hot water heater, consider taking the leap and installing a tankless model. They offer many benefits that can aid in convenience, a reduction in utility bills, and a dependable supply of hot water. To learn more about why you should install a tankless water heater, contact Stahl Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning at (412) 273-1000.  

 

The post Why You Should Install a Tankless Water Heater appeared first on Stahl Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning.

Pipe Age, Pipe Materials: When You Need New Pipes

PVC-pipesDo you know that historians have extensive information about the plumbing system of Ancient Rome? The Romans were masters of civic engineering, and much of their original plumbing system to carry fresh water into the city and remove it through massive sewer systems still stands today. We even know they used lead pipes as long ago as 200 BC thanks to archaeological digs that turned up large amounts of lead in the soil.

These amazing facts should not deceive you into believing plumbing is as immortal as the Immortal City. The structures of sewers and aqueducts may survive, but pipes have a limited life. Those archaeologists found lead dust, after all, not fully formed lead pipes.

Let’s keep that in mind as we look at the materials that make up the much less ancient plumbing system of your home and when you need to put in new pipes.

The Iron and Steel Age

How old is your house? If it was built before 1970, then it likely was part of the Galvanized Steel Age of piping. Even older may put it in the Cast Iron Age. (Usually pre-World War II. Even clay pipes were sometimes used.) Both iron and steel are durable metals, but they’re also no longer used for plumbing systems because of some limitations. Both are susceptible to corrosion over time, and internal corrosion is what can lead to toxins like lead getting into the water supply. Corrosion also weakens the pipes and makes it more likely for them to break. You may already have hidden leaks around your home if you have 50+ year-old piping. We recommend having leak detection done to discover the condition of the plumbing system. Our plumber can then tell you if it’s best to put in new piping.

The Polybutylene Age

As new types of piping material started to appear in the 1970s and ‘80s, one of the most popular types of plastic pipes was polybutylene. It’s easy to recognize this material from its battleship gray color. Polybutylene was used extensively in the ‘80s—until it was discovered how easily it becomes brittle and breaks. We advise having any polybutylene pipes in your house replaced with other types of plastic.

The Copper and Plastic Age

In history, the Copper Age comes long before the Iron Age. But in household plumbing, it comes later. Copper became the most common type of metal for plumbing systems in the 1970s thanks to its lightweight, lower cost, and corrosion resistance. If you have extremely old copper pipes, you may need partial repiping, but probably not whole-house repiping. Different types of plastic pipes also become common, with newer and better types being developed through the 1980s and ‘90s. The two most common are CPVC and PEX, which are excellent for freshwater systems and offer flexibility not found in metal pipes.

If you aren’t sure about the condition of your home’s pipes, call on an expert plumber in Glendale, AZ .

This post first appeared on https://www.thetrustedplumber.com

Main Reasons for a Slow-Flushing Toilet

ToiletYour toilet is one household appliance that you probably don’t appreciate enough until it stops working. It’s a simple device, but there are a few common issues that can develop as your plumbing ages. One such problem that is widely experienced is a slow-flushing toilet. The cause of this confounding issue can be difficult for the average homeowner to diagnose, partially because several causes can be behind a slow-flushing toilet. While the rate of flush may not warrant a call to a local emergency plumber, it can be indicative of issues that can jeopardize the operation of your much-needed bathroom facilities in the future.

By understanding the potential causes of a slow-flushing toilet, you can better discern what factors may be at work. Though the slow rate of flush may seem like a mere inconvenience, a little attention when the problem develops can prevent a situation that may require local emergency plumbing services in Pittsburgh, PA, at a later date. Keep reading to learn more about the common causes of a slow-flushing toilet.

Low Water Level in the Tank

Your commode is a simple appliance that uses the combination of gravity and the action of flowing water to dispose of waste. The tank on the back of the toilet fills with water, and when the toilet is flushed, a flapper valve opens and allows that water to forcefully enter the bowl to wash away everything in it. However, when there’s not a sufficient amount of water in the tank to do the job, that can lead to a slow flushing rate. Many homeowners purposely adjust their toilets to use as little water as possible to help reduce utility bills and decrease water usage. However, when the water level in the tank is too low, a slow flush can occur and the conservation efforts are for naught since the toilet will need to be flushed a second time.

Sewer Clog

If the level of water in your toilet tank is acceptable, then next thing to check is your sewer drain. The water that flushed through the bowl must go somewhere, and that somewhere happens to be down the toilet drain and into the sewer line. If there is a partial blockage of the line downstream from your toilet or within the toilet itself, that can limit the amount of wastewater that can pass through the sewer line and slow the flushing rate dramatically, especially if there’s heavy water usage concurrently in other parts of the house. A plumber can help you diagnose sewer clogging and efficiently clear the line so that your toilet functions flawlessly once again.

Sediment in the Toilet Water Lines

Dog with ToiletFor the toilet to flush successfully, the water that enters from the tank must have some velocity. However, if you live in an area noted for hard water, the water lines in your toilet may become clogged overtime with calcification from hard water or sediment from leaks in the water line upstream from your toilet. Both sediment and deposits can clog water supply into the toilet, which means the water doesn’t flow into the bowl at the desired rate. If your sewer is clear and the water level in your tank is acceptable, your slow-flushing toilet likely has clogged water lines that need to be cleared.

If you’ve experienced a slow-flushing toilet, use this information to determine the cause and subsequent repair. Or, contact a professional plumber to take care of your toilet and restore its normal function. To learn more about the common causes of a slow-flushing toilet, contact Stahl Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning at (412) 273-1000.

 

 

 

 

The post Main Reasons for a Slow-Flushing Toilet appeared first on Stahl Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning.

Can My Sewer Drain Lines Freeze in Houston and Katy, Texas?

When people think about cold weather and Houston and Katy, Texas, they think about the hot, humid summers we typically experience. They often do not think about the possibility their sewer drain lines could freeze and break in the winter months.

Houston and Katy do have several days in the winter where temperatures dip below freezing. If your sewer lines are not properly protected, the water inside could freeze. As water freezes and turns into ice, it expands. It is this expansion that causes sewer pipes to burst and break, resulting in emergency sewer repairs. The same thing can also happen with unprotected freshwater supply plumbing lines.

Transparent icicles on a protective tape macro

So, the answer to whether your sewer lines can freeze in Houston and Katy is, yes, it is possible. Fortunately, there are several things you can do so you do not wake up to burst sewer pipes and freshwater plumbing lines.

How to Protect Your Houston Home’s Sewer Drain and Water Lines

Some of the things you can do to protect your sewer and water lines from freezing you might be able to do yourself. For more complex things, you will want to get help from our experienced plumbers to ensure your pipes are protected correctly.

1. Close Crawl Space and Basement Vents in Winter

If you have vents on the side of your home for your crawl space or basement, make sure to close these when the weather starts turning colder. Closing the vents limits airflow and cold air from getting to your drain lines and freshwater lines.

2. Have Your Plumber Insulate Your Plumbing Lines

Insulate any exposed hot and cold freshwater lines and sewer drain lines. You want to make sure that all pipes that are exposed to cold air are insulated. If you have a well and septic system, do not forget about insulating any pipes that are above ground too.

Besides protecting your pipes from freezing, insulating has a secondary benefit: Hot water will take less time to reach your faucets and remains warmer. Your hot water heating costs will also be reduced.

Man fitting insulation to pipes

3. Protect Storm Sewer Drain Lines

Storm drains can also freeze and burst. You want to make sure the storm drain lines are buried deep enough in your yard so that they are insulated from freezing temperatures. If they are not buried that deep, talk to your plumber about either adding insulation around the drain pipes or having them re-plumbed and buried deeper into the ground.

4. Run Cold Water if It Gets Really Cold

If temperatures are expected to dip down into the 20s or lower, even with insulated pipes, it is still a good idea to turn on your faucets. All you need is a small trickle of water to keep water flowing. Flowing water does not freeze as easily, so it lowers the likelihood of frozen water and sewer lines. Just remember to shut off the faucets once temperatures warm back up enough.

Contact Us for Help with Plumbing

For help protecting your freshwater and sewer drain lines from freezing, please feel free to contact MET Plumbing & Air Conditioning at 281-994-6698 today! We also offer 24-hour plumbing service and HVAC service should you have a plumbing or heating system emergency.

The post Can My Sewer Drain Lines Freeze in Houston and Katy, Texas? appeared first on Met Plumbing.

Tips for Saving Money on Home Heating Costs This Winter

It is that time of year again when colder air can force us to turn on our furnaces to keep our homes warm and comfortable. Yet, heating costs have been on the rise for the past several years and are expected to increase this year again too. If you are looking for ways to cut your home heating costs this winter, you will want to use one or more of the following great tips!

Tip #1: Schedule Heater Maintenance Service

Text on blackboard with money - Reduce your energy bill

It is a good idea to have your furnace or electric heater inspected by a qualified HVAC technician. Heater maintenance service will ensure everything is in working order and the unit is outputting heat the most efficiently. Well-maintained furnaces use less energy than units that have not been serviced.

If there are potential problems with your heater, you can have those inspected and fixed, as well as any of the parts and components, now. The last thing you want to worry about is having to call an emergency HVAC technician because your furnace stopped working on the coldest day of the winter.

Tip #2: Change Your Air Filters

Depending on the type of heating and air conditioning installation you have, you could have more than one air filter on your system. For packaged systems, where the heater and AC are both contained outdoors, you normally just have the air filter in the return air vent.

For split systems, where the AC unit is outdoors and the furnace indoors, there could be an air filter next to the furnace unit that is part of the blower and another in the return air vent. If you are unsure where to look for your air filters or need help changing them, call your furnace maintenance HVAC technician.

A dirty air filter makes it harder for your furnace to get air. It will cause the unit to run harder and hotter and use more energy to keep your home heated. Dirty filters also shorten the lifespan of your heating system. A clean filter allows the air to flow correctly and helps keep heating costs down.

Tip #3: Upgrade to a Smart Thermostat

If you take advantage of the holiday shopping season, you can pick up a new smart thermostat on sale. After you get your thermostat, contact your furnace installation technician to have them install it for you. There are different wires and wiring configurations. You need to make sure to use the right one. Otherwise, your furnace and AC may not turn on.

With a smart thermostat, you can create different heating schedules that will help reduce your heating costs. For example, you could have your home set a few degrees lower during the day when everyone is at work and school.

Then you could have it automatically turn back up about 15 minutes before getting home, so you arrive to warm comfort. At night, after going to bed, you could have another schedule that reduces the thermostat back down, and then have it turn back up shortly before waking in the morning.

Tip #4: Get a Humidifier

Electrician fitting a thermostat system

If you do not have a humidifier, you want to get one and use it this winter. Winter air tends to be dry with little humidity. This is why we get chapped hands and lips. Dry air also helps promote the spread of viruses and bacterial infections like colds and the flu.

By increasing the amount of humidity in the home to around 40 to 50%, you can address these skin and health concerns. In addition, using the humidifier also makes your home feel warmer, so you can turn down your thermostat a few degrees and save even more on your heating bills this winter.

Talk to your furnace maintenance technician about humidifiers for your home and getting a humidistat to measure the amount of humidity in your home. The humidistat also controls when the humidifier runs. There are some humidifier models that can be attached to your furnace so when it runs the humidifier also runs, and it adds the required humidity throughout the rooms in your home.

Tip #5: Have Your Ducts Sealed and Cleaned

Air duct leaks can allow heated air to escape and cold air into the ducts. When the furnace kicks on, that cold air is blown into the rooms in your home. Having your furnace repair technician seal your air ducts will stop the cold air from getting in and lower your heating costs.

Plus, air leaks draw in dust and dirt and blow it around the home. If you notice your home gets dusty fairly quickly, chances are you have air duct leaks that need to be sealed. Cleaning your air ducts after they are sealed helps remove excess dust, which keeps your air filter cleaner longer.

Tip #6: Reverse the Direction of Ceiling Fans

If you have ceiling fans in your home, you want to move them from “summer” mode to “winter” mode. On most models, it just requires sliding the switch on the ceiling fan housing up or down. To verify your ceiling fans are turning in the right direction, they should be moving clockwise.

The best way to see which way they are moving is to turn the fan on, lie down on the floor and look up at the fan. Clockwise means the same direction a clock’s hands turn, so the blades should be spinning in this same direction. If not, turn the fan off, wait for the blades to stop moving, flip the switch, and turn the fan back on.

Running ceiling fans in “winter” mode helps push the hot air from on top of the ceiling and recirculates it back into the room. This also helps make rooms more evenly heated and feel warmer. You could even turn down the thermostat a few degrees because you will feel warmer.

Tip #7: Improve the Insulation in Your Home

One of the biggest heat losses in homes is insufficient insulation. Most home builders only install the minimum insulation required for building codes, which is insufficient to keep your home warm in winter and cool in summer.

There are different ways to add more insulation to the walls of your home, such as having small holes drilled in key locations and blowing in loose insulation. Spray foam insulation is another option that fills in all open spaces inside the walls. Spray foam can also be a good choice for improving insulation around windows and sealing air leaks.

For attics, adding insulation is much easier, as you just apply new insulation on top of the existing insulation. For homes in the south, you want to make sure the insulation in the attic has an R-value between R-44 and R-49. As a general rule, one inch of insulation in the attic has about an R-3 rating, so you would want about 16 to 18 inches of insulation in the attic to maximize your home heating and cooling energy savings.

Boiler and pipes of the heating system of the house.

Don’t forget to improve the insulation in exterior doors. If you have a hollow metal door, consider upgrading it to one that has a core inside. The core helps better insulate the home and keeps it warmer. Make sure to apply weather-stripping around doors if you notice air leaks.

One area homeowners tend to overlook when adding more insulation is their garages. Even though you may not heat your garage, it can still get rather cold and cause your furnace to run more often due to the heat-loss transfer as the cold air gets into the home and heat is lost into the garage.

Insulating your garage helps reduce this heat-loss transfer and lowers your heating costs. You can also upgrade to an insulated garage door or purchase insulation panels and install these behind the existing door.

Tip #8: Get New Furnace Installation

If your furnace is getting older and nearing the end of its lifespan, it will cost more to operate and heat your home. Getting a new furnace installation could be the best solution to reducing your heating bills this winter. Your furnace repair technician can help you decide when it is best to get a new furnace.

To schedule furnace maintenance, repair, or to get a quote for a new furnace installation in Houston and Katy, please feel free to contact MET Plumbing & Air Conditioning at 281-994-6698 today!

The post Tips for Saving Money on Home Heating Costs This Winter appeared first on Met Plumbing.

8 Christmas Plumbing Tips for a Happy Holiday

The Christmas holiday is a time for families to come together and enjoy good company and good food. Unfortunately, an untimely clogged drain or toilet can quickly undermine the good spirits and bring the festivities screeching to a halt. By keeping a few important plumbing tips in mind, however, you can ensure that your Christmas holiday will be remembered for the tasty turkey legs than the plungers.

Read More

FAQ: What’s an Automatic Shut-Off Valve?

If you’ve ever dealt with a plumbing leak, then you’re probably very well aware that they can very quickly become a costly expense. No, we’re not just talking about the cost of fixing a leaking or burst pipe, but the immense amount of wasted water that can come from it as well. Water that gets wasted from burst pipes or leaks is essentially going on your budget, so if you’re in the market to save a bit of money on your plumbing in Clifton, NJ—you might want to invest in an automatic shut-off valve.

If you don’t know what these handy devices are, don’t fret. Not many homeowners do! These are pipe parts that are designed to monitor the water pressure in your plumbing system. When a leak or burst occurs, this part then identifies that there has been a drastic change in pressure, and it acts accordingly to cut the flow of water. Read on to learn more!

Why Does Pressure Matter?

As we mentioned earlier, an automatic shut-off valve measures the pressure in your pipes and shuts off the water flow if it detects a change in pressure. Pressure matters in this case because when there’s a break or leak in your pipes, water will flow at an irregular pace, creating an obvious change in pressure that’s easy to detect.

This means that your plumbing system won’t be wasting water when a leak or burst occurs, because the automatic shut off valve can already detect that something is wrong.

Can’t I Just Shut Off My Water?

While sure, you can shut off your water when you detect that there’s a plumbing leak occurring, but it’s also a safe bet that you won’t always be around when plumbing leaks do happen. If you’re on vacation and one of your pipes freezes and bursts, only to thaw and waste hundreds of gallons of water? That’s as close to a nightmare as you’re going to get!

An automatic shut-off valve automatically senses the water pressure change and cuts off the water without the need for a homeowner to do it manually. The extra layer of protection can save you a ton of money and give you peace of mind, knowing that your plumbing is safe even when you’re away.

How Do I Know If I Have an Automatic Shut-Off Valve?

That’s a good question! Unfortunately, we don’t have the magic capabilities to know exactly if you’ve got one already installed or not. However, if you’ve got access to a professional plumber, that question can be answered pretty easily. A plumber will know exactly where to look for an automatic shut-off valve in your home. For anyone not well-acquainted with plumbing systems, it could prove troublesome with many web searches and wasted time trying to locate your valve.

Just call a plumber that knows what they’re doing. They can help ensure that your automatic shut-off valve is working properly. And, if you don’t have one, a plumber can get one installed so that you’re ready for anything.

Give your local plumbers a call today for your automatic shut-off valve installation!

This post first appeared on https://margoplumbing.com

+1-877-959-3534