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Love Is in The Air: Top 6 Indoor Air Quality Tips For Valentine’s Day

Love should be the only thing in the air this Valentine’s Day. If harmful pollutants are causing you and your Valentine to feel sick (and no, we don’t mean lovesick), then it’s time to take action. Here are the top 6 indoor air quality tips for a happy and healthy Valentine’s Day.

1. Use Exhaust Fans

6. Invest In Indoor Air Quality Solutions

Maintaining clean air quality is an important part of preventing aggravated asthma, allergies and contagious illness. There’s nothing like being sick to ruin a romantic evening. Consider investing in indoor air quality solutions. Cool Touch offers a variety of indoor air quality services, such as air cleaners, humidifiers and UV germicidal lights.

Cool Touch Is Here For All Your Indoor Air Quality Needs In the Phoenix and Prescott Valley Metropolitan Areas!

We are here for all your indoor air quality needs in the Phoenix and Prescott Valley Metropolitan Areas! For over 20 years, we have been your trusted home comfort specialists for all things HVAC, plumbing, and indoor air quality. Contact us today to schedule your indoor air quality appointment by visiting us online here.

The post Love Is in The Air: Top 6 Indoor Air Quality Tips For Valentine’s Day appeared first on Cool Touch Air Conditioning & Heating.

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

The process of fixing municipal sewer pipes can be complicated. Given that there are so many aspects that can affect the process of repairing sewer lines, there is no golden rule for pricing a standard municipal sewer pipe lining repair project.

Sewer repair prices change on a case-by-case basis, as do the techniques used to repair pipe lines in the first place.

Let’s dive into all you need to know about municipal sewer pipe lining and associated costs for these kinds of projects in California.

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You’ve seen them on your hardware store shelves: plastic bottles labeled liquid drain cleaner. And if you have slow or clogged drains at home, it’s understandable that you’d be tempted to buy some and pour it down your sink. But should you do it? Definitely not!

There are a variety of reasons why liquid drain cleaner is a bad plan, and they fit into three main categories: your health, your plumbing, and your clog. We’ll give you some information about all three, to help you understand why we feel so strongly about it. Then, we’ll offer some alternatives.

Liquid Drain Cleaner and Your Health

The pH scale ranges from being acidic at the lowest numbers (with battery acid at zero) to extremely alkaline at the highest numbers. At the highest end, substances are so alkaline that they are referred to as caustic.

Merriam-Webster defines this as “a substance that burns or destroys organic tissue by chemical action,” and according to the EPA, the pH of drain cleaner is 14, at the highest end of the scale. This makes it more caustic than bleach or oven cleaner. If you get drain cleaner on your skin, even a tiny amount can cause painful burns. And it’s not just the liquid that’s hazardous. The fumes coming from the liquid can cause major irritation to your eyes, nose, and respiratory system.

Liquid Drain Cleaner and Your Plumbing

The material your pipes are made of can depend on the age of your home (or when your piping was most recently redone). Many homes still have plumbing made of galvanized iron or steel, which is vulnerable to corrosion.

Modern plumbing is mostly copper, which holds up better over time. Due to the extremely caustic nature of drain cleaner, it can even cause corrosion in your copper pipes, degrading them and leading to bigger problems. Having your drains professionally cleaned might seem like a bit of a bother, but it’s a walk in the park compared to having your home repiped.

Liquid Drain Cleaner and Your Clog

This clog is driving you bonkers! Might it be worth the risk just to get rid of it right now? No, and here’s why. That corrosion it can cause in your pipes leaves a roughened surface, which makes it even easier for obstructions to develop. At best, liquid drain cleaner is a very short-term solution. What’s more, it’s not great at dissolving all types of clogs. For example, you see that the bottle it comes in is plastic, and it hasn’t dissolved that. If there are any inorganic materials in your obstruction (and you might have no idea that there’s a plastic picnic knife or a child’s toy lodged in your drain) they’ll be unaffected by the drain cleaner.

Safe Drain Cleaning Options

A plunger, disposable plastic drain snake, or hand-cranked auger might help you to dislodge your own clog. But if you need professional drain cleaning, our team has access to the most effective modern methods. Video pipe inspection will allow us to find that picnic knife, a motorized auger accomplishes much more than the hand-cranked models, and hydro jetting can clear your whole plumbing system of all accumulations with just the power of water.

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

On Groundhog Day this year, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. That means we’re supposed to get 6 more weeks of winter, much to the chagrin of people in the northeast.

But before you get too disappointed, just how accurate are Phil’s “predictions?” Can a groundhog in Pennsylvania really affect your heating in Montclair, NJ?

Let’s take a look at just how accurate Phil’s prognostications are.

Although you shouldn’t decide on whether to get heater maintenance based on whether a groundhog sees his shadow, we’ll also discuss the many benefits of heater maintenance.

Groundhog Day in a Nutshell

Groundhog Day stems from a Pennsylvania Dutch superstition and ceremonies are held all over Canada and the US. The most famous and highly attended ceremony is obviously in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania and the star of the show is the beloved groundhog, Phil.

The tradition states that if Phil sees his shadow (in other words, if it’s sunny that day), it means six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, supposedly spring will come early.

Just How Accurate Are Phil’s Predictions?

Groundhog Day has been celebrated and recorded since 1887! Since then, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club has held firm to their belief that Phil’s predictions have been accurate.

However, other sources have confirmed that Phil’s not that great at predicting future weather. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates that only 39% of Phil’s prognostications are accurate. It’s a good thing he’s so cute.

What Can Groundhog Day Tell Us About Heater Maintenance?

Here’s a fact about Groundhog Day that you can count on to tell you something about your heating system. Groundhog Day falls about halfway between the December solstice and the March equinox.

Or in the world of HVAC, about halfway through the heating season. That means if you haven’t had heating system maintenance in the last year, there’s no time like the present to get it done.

The Heater Maintenance Myth

Many people believe that heater maintenance has to occur before the heating season even starts. Although that’s the ideal time to do it, your heater will benefit from maintenance at any time during the heating season. This is especially true if you haven’t had your heater maintained in a while.

Heater Maintenance Facts

Here are some of the many benefits of mid-season heater maintenance:

• Reduce the likelihood of repairs: Avoid unexpected repairs or even worse–a total breakdown in the system–through maintenance. It’s estimated that 85% of repairs a heater may need during its lifetime can be avoided through regular maintenance!
• Save energy: Did you know that when a heater is maintained regularly, it’ll operate at a rate of 95% efficiency?
• Extend the lifespan of your heater: Supposedly Phil is fed some magical juice that extends his life. Well, annual maintenance is the best way to help your heater reach the tail end of a heater’s life expectancy of 15-20 years.

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

Call Us at (877) 959-3534 for Plumbing Service

There are household chores, and then there is cleaning the toilet. Check out these dos and don’ts when it comes to doing the job right.

Don’t Fall for the TikTok Fabuloso Hack

While scrolling through TikTok dances and how-tos, you might have come across a TikTok video suggesting the use of cleaning agent Fabuloso inside the bowl to self-clean your toilet with each flush.

Tempting to imagine your bowl cleaning itself, but the reality is that placing a large bottle of cleaner inside your toilet tank can do more damage than good.

The constant chemicals can damage toilet parts like seals and gaskets made of plastic and rubber. That damage can cause your toilet’s inner workings to leak and fail. In addition, the bottle inside the tank displaces water used to adequately flush the toilet. That can lead to clogs and backups.

So, while a clean toilet is fabulous, leaving a bottle of cleaner inside your toilet tank is not.

Don’t Use Drano in Your Toilet

When you have a clog in your toilet, you want it gone quickly. Here’s the right way to unclog your toilet instead of using chemicals to do the job.

Harsh chemicals like traditional Drano use bleach, an active, caustic ingredient, to break down a clog. The chemicals are flushed down the drain as it works.

In the case of the toilet, the chemicals can get trapped in the S-shaped part of the bottom of the toilet, called a trap. The toilet, including the trap, is made of porcelain. The chemical process of the Drano emits heat in the process, which can crack the porcelain.

In addition, if you used the chemical to clear the clog and also used a plunger, you risk splashing the dangerous product onto your skin, which can cause skin irritations or burns.

Don’t Flush Cleaning Wipes

Disposable cleaning wipes are a convenient way to clean your toilet quickly, especially for getting rid of bacteria on the toilet handle and seat. However, the United States Environmental Protection Agency urges homeowners not to flush anything but toilet paper.

Cleaning wipes and even sanitary wipes labeled as “flushable” should never be disposed of down your toilet because they don’t break down in the sewer or septic systems and can damage your home’s internal plumbing and local wastewater collection systems.

So, go ahead and try that latest dance challenge, but be cautious of those toilet-cleaning hacks that might cause damage to your plumbing system.

Call Us at (877) 959-3534 for Plumbing Service

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

5 Reasons To Hire A Professional Commercial Plumber

While there are some plumbing jobs that can be done on your own, such as plunging a clogged toilet, there are many that require the skills and expertise of a plumber. Especially if you have a commercial establishment, it’s important you never attempt to fix the plumbing problems yourself. Any type of commercial job is best left to the professionals. Here are 5 reasons why.

1. Access To The Right Tools

Commercial plumbers have high-quality, industry-leading equipment to tackle even the most complex commercial jobs. If you use DIY methods and the wrong tools to try and fix the problem yourself, you could actually cause more damage to your pipes. Commercial plumbers use the right tools in order to fix your plumbing issue without creating more problems or costing you more money. Let’s face it, a commercial plumbing system is far too complex and large for just anyone to attempt to fix.

2. Available 24/7

Most commercial plumbers work around the clock to help with your plumbing troubles. Rarely do plumbing troubles happen during normal business hours, so finding this 24/7 availability is very helpful. Plumbing issues could cause a variety of issues if not addressed swiftly, like decreased employee productivity, lower sales, and more, so it’s important you find someone who can fix your situation as soon as possible.

3. They Follow Plumbing Codes

Your area might have certain plumbing codes that you need to follow, otherwise you could risk being shut down if any violations are discovered. It’s risky business to try and handle plumbing issues yourself, as you could violate these plumbing codes. Commercial plumbers are well-versed in what these plumbing codes look like based on the areas they’re working in. They will help ensure everything they do is in accordance with the plumbing codes established in your area. That peace of mind, alone, is reason enough to hire a professional commercial plumber.

4. Insight and Training

Commercial plumbers have gone through extensive training to be able to handle all plumbing issues, no matter how big or small. They are well-equipped to troubleshoot all equipment, as well as being able to identify issues and come up with solutions. When you attempt to fix commercial plumbing problems on your own, you run the risk of creating even bigger issues. Not only can this be damaging to your plumbing system, but it can also cost you more money in the long run. It’s better to hire a plumber right off the bat.

5. Help Minimize Disruptions

You have a business to run. When plumbing problems come up, this can really disrupt your business operations. Luckily, commercial plumbers can help minimize this as much as possible. They will work efficiently and quickly, as to not waste your time. Nothing can truly beat the knowledge and hardwork of a commercial plumber.

Cool Touch Is Here For All Your Commercial Plumbing Needs In the Phoenix and Prescott Valley Metropolitan Areas!

We are here for all your commercial plumbing needs in the Phoenix and Prescott Valley Metropolitan Areas! For over 20 years, we have been your trusted home comfort specialists for all things HVAC, plumbing, and indoor air quality. Contact us today to schedule your appointment by visiting us online here.

The post 5 Reasons To Hire A Professional Commercial Plumber appeared first on Cool Touch Air Conditioning & Heating.

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

As cold as it can get in the Mid-Atlantic region, frozen pipes are always a possibility, especially when temperatures drop below 32 degrees overnight or for a sustained period.

Should any of your pipes burst, it could mean costly damage to your home. For the best chance of avoiding damage, follow these tips for thawing a frozen pipe, what to do if a pipe bursts, and how to prevent frozen pipes in the first place.

Call Us at (877) 959-3534 for Plumbing Service

How To Thaw Frozen Pipes

There are signs you have frozen pipes. Look out for areas with frost accumulation or condensation and foul sewage smells from your sink. If you lose water during a period of extreme cold, frozen water supply lines are the culprit. Use the following tips to attempt to thaw the pipes:

• Shut off the main water line
• Open the faucets to prevent excessive pressure in the water lines
• Thaw the frozen pipes using a hair dryer or space heater aimed at the pipe, starting from the side nearest the faucets and moving toward the main shut-off valve

Be prepared to call an emergency plumber if the pipes do not thaw easily or begin to leak.

Call Us at (877) 959-3534 for Plumbing Service

What To Do if a Pipe Bursts

A burst pipe happens when the water freezes and expands, causing the pipe to split. This can result in large amounts of water spilling into your home, leading to significant water damage.

You need to act quickly if a pipe bursts, and you should shut off the main water supply valve as soon as possible. It is usually located near where the water line enters your home or just after the water meter. Turn the valve clockwise to shut off the flow of water.

After that, shut off the power if the electrical panel or any wiring is in danger of getting wet, and move any belongings near the burst pipe.

You’ll need to call an emergency plumber for pipe repair or replacement, so the sooner you call, the better.

How To Prevent Frozen Pipes

A little preparation can go a long way toward preventing frozen pipes. At the beginning of winter or before the weather report calls for a deep freeze, follow these steps to get your plumbing system prepared for the cold:

• Disconnect garden hoses and drain exterior hose bibs.
• Drain the irrigation system and blow it out with compressed air.
• Disconnect any pool heater or supply lines and drain them.
• Install pipe insulation on any pipes that are exposed to the cold, such as those in crawl spaces, unfinished basements, garages, or attics.
• Add heat tape to any pipes exposed to the outdoors or extreme cold.
• Keep your thermostat at a minimum of 55 degrees.
• Let your faucet drip and leave sink cabinets open during overnight freezes.
• Consider upgrading your home’s insulation if you’ve had frozen pipes before.

Call Us at (877) 959-3534 for Plumbing Service

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

Call Us at (877) 959-3534 for Plumbing Service

If you’re concerned about something in your home, you may be wondering who to call to get it sorted out, or just to find out more about your home’s systems. Our team is committed to helping our customers understand their homes and their needs as fully as possible because a knowledgeable customer will be better equipped to make decisions they’ll be happy with in the long term. A satisfied customer is more valuable to us than a big check, because satisfied customers keep coming back, and they also pass along the word that Modern Plumbing Industries is a reliable and trustworthy partner in home plumbing service in Orlando.

We’d like to explain what plumbing services we offer, and what is included in those services, so you’ll be better able to get the plumbing help you need.

Routine Maintenance

One service we strongly recommend is regular plumbing inspections. It’s all too easy to have something go quietly wrong in a place that’s hard to detect. With techniques like video pipe inspection, our skilled and experienced plumbers are able to actually look inside your plumbing. They can give you a lot of information about the age and condition of the piping throughout your home, pinpoint small concerns before they become big problems, and help you make a plan for any future repair needs. Maintenance service also includes drain cleaning, giving your home a fresh start free of clogs and buildup.

Call Us at (877) 959-3534 for Plumbing Service

Installation and Replacement

Do you need to have a new home plumbing system or fixture installed? The first thing our plumbers will do is a thorough inspection. The layout of your home, the capacity of the plumbing system, and the needs of your family will all be factors in determining how to make this installation work as well as possible for you. Sometimes, the inspection will reveal that replacement is unnecessary and repairs will be an effective and less costly solution. As we said, we’d rather have a happy customer in the future than more money now.

We can install new water-saving equipment to lower your bills and benefit the environment, multiple fixtures if you’re adding a bathroom to your home, water heaters, sewer pumps, backflow prevention systems, and even new sewer lines or main water lines.

Repair

If a plumbing fixture in your home is broken, leaking, or just not working right, our team is qualified to handle it. We use sonar leak detection, which can pinpoint the source of a leak using just the power of sound, so we don’t waste time or do unnecessary damage trying to uncover where water is coming from.

We repair sinks, tubs, showers, toilets (including low-flow and dual-flush models), and much more. Whether you need emergency repairs on a Sunday night for a gushing leak or you want to schedule a time to get your garbage disposal working more smoothly, we’ve got your back.

Gas Services

Did you know that the pipes bringing natural gas into your home for your furnace or other appliances are also serviced and repaired by plumbers? It’s absolutely critical that amateur homeowners or DIY enthusiasts never attempt gas line repair. If you have any concerns about your gas system, we’d be happy to discuss them with you.

Call Us at (877) 959-3534 for Plumbing Service

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

Call Us at (877) 959-3534 for Plumbing Service

The winter weather seems like it’s here to stay. New Jerseyans either love or hate the cold and the snow. But if there’s one thing we can all agree on it’s this: being able to tolerate our cold winters depends on having a reliable furnace at home.

There’s nothing better than coming home to a warm, toasty home after a day of being out and about in the cold weather. A dependable furnace isn’t a luxury here; it’s a necessity.

Now that you’ve been running your furnace for several months, how confident are you in it’s ability to warm your home through the rest of the season?

Although we’re always available for any heating repair in Wayne, NJ, it’s best to avoid repairs in the first place. To avoid unexpected and problematic heater repairs during the time when you need your heater the most, follow these tips.

Be on the Lookout for Potential Problems

Luckily, your furnace will let you know when it’s struggling to do its job. Call us if you experience any of the following issues:

• Odd noises or bad smells coming from your furnace.
• Uneven heating or lukewarm heat coming from the vents.
• Increased utility bills (when you know they shouldn’t be rising).
• Short cycling.

Call Us at (877) 959-3534 for Plumbing Service

Change the Filter Regularly

This simple task is one that homeowners can do themselves.

Changing your furnace filter prevents dirt and dust that circulate your home from entering the internal components of your furnace. Just like with any complicated piece of machinery, you want to keep out contaminants that can interfere with how well it runs.

It’s been proven that furnaces that have their filters changed regularly last longer than furnaces where the air filter is neglected.

Ideally, you should replace or clean the filter before the heating season starts and change it every 1-3 months for optimal performance.

Don’t Crank the Heat Up

Homeowners who experience lackluster performance from their furnace will often crank the heat up to make up for it. They assume that doing so will get their home to that desired temperature faster. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work that way.

Turning the heat up won’t heat your home more efficiently or any faster. It certainly won’t help a furnace that’s struggling to do its job. It’ll just make your furnace work even harder and longer than it needs to which could result in a complete breakdown if it’s pushed past its breaking point.

A more efficient furnace means less annual heating costs. That also boils down to less wear and tear on your unit, which will help you save money in the long run (and you’ll replace your furnace less often as well).

Schedule Furnace Maintenance

If you didn’t schedule furnace maintenance at the start of the heating season, it’s not too late to do so! Your furnace will benefit from maintenance any time of year, especially if it’s been a while since it was maintained.

Look at it this way: it’s easier to schedule maintenance now than it is to call us when your furnace needs a repair or even worse: has completely broken down on the coldest day of the year.

Call Us at (877) 959-3534 for Plumbing Service

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

Discovering you have a burst water pipe on your hands is never fun. You have several options once this problem arises at your Sacramento home. You can repair the water pipe or you can replace it.

Your ability to simply repair it will be contingent on just how severe the condition of the pipe is in. Replacing water pipes in Sacramento can be costly, so evaluating the condition of your water lines is crucial when it comes to budgeting for plumbing systems.

Other factors will influence your decision as well. For example, if your plumbing pipes are many years old, then you may want to consider replacing it altogether rather than attempting to fix it.

Call Us at (877) 959-3534 for Plumbing Service

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