Boston Plumbing and Heating Blog

In this housing market, many people are building new homes rather than buying. In most cases, they rather build the home they want and need rather than inherit old problems. Breaking ground on a new home can be an exciting time. But did you know that you don’t necessarily need to use your contractor’s plumber? You can hire a plumber for new construction on your own when you are building a home.  In fact, hiring a plumber on your own may save you money and time.  By hiring your own plumber you can ensure that you have a reputable, reliable licensed and insured plumber who is interested in your needs and requirements.
 
Initially, you will meet with your plumber with your home plans to determine the layout of your home and where you want everything to go. The plumber will layout the plumbing pipes, the fixtures, which rooms will have water and why, and they will be sure that all the plumbing will be coded for those rooms. Having a great plumber is very important because all plumbing will have to pass inspection before you can move in.

You need a plumber to handle the water supply lines that go into your new home. Sewer and water ‘tie-ins’ are taken care of during the site work. After the foundation is built, the water and sewage and gas lines are brought into your home from the street.

The plumber will also help you with specifications for which plumbing materials are needed for new construction and they will help guide you in the most efficient and longest lasting appliances.  Of course, once the home is built, toilets, sinks, water heaters and gas lines also need to be placed and tied into the sewer and water lines. Having a plumber you can trust ensures that your new home does not encounter plumbing problems after you move in.

If you are building a new home, and you would like to hire your own plumber, contact Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating.

Water conservation has become essential as we see watering bans pop up each year. Even in areas where there seem to be no water issues, we see water bills rise higher and higher. But saving water not only saves money on your utility bill, it also helps prevent water pollution in area beaches, lakes and rivers.

Many homes in towns around Boston and Worcester have private septic. Conserving water can help your septic system last longer by reducing soil saturation. For homes on city sewer, overloading city sewer systems allows untreated sewage to flow into lakes and rivers. How many times around Boston have you looked for the blue or red beach flag in the summer? The less water flowing through these city systems, the lower the likelihood of water pollution.

Homeowners can conserve water and lower their water bills merely by calling the plumber.

Fixing a leaking faucet or drain can lower your water bill. A small drip from a leaking faucet can waste 20 gallons of water a day and larger leaks can waste hundreds of gallons. Hiring a plumber for a typical repair can cost more than four times what it would cost to do it on your own. Even if you are handy around the house, consider hiring a professional plumber if you’re unsure because damaging your pipes can do even more damage to your finances than a leaking faucet. Homeowners should call a plumber if there are leaky faucets or drains in their home.

Leaking toilets can cost you even more money, in fact, a leaky toilet can waste up to 52,800 gallons a year. But, you can check your toilet for leaks too.  Put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank. If the color shows up in the bowl, without flushing, within 30 minutes, you have a leak that should be repaired immediately.

Another way to check for water leaks in your home is to read your water meter. Read the meter, wait a couple hours without using any water. If the meter isn’t exactly the same, there is a water leak, call the plumber.

If you want your leaking faucets and toilets fixed, contact Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating.

There are items that are made to go down the drain, flushed or otherwise travel into your septic system. Essentially, these things are human waste and toilet paper. Everything else is off limits. So what about the items that marketers deem “flushable?”

Take disposable wipes and disposable household cleaning wipes. These items have been identified as flushable by the marketing industry. But that does not mean they are good for your plumbing or good for your septic system if you have one.

Once these disposable/flushable wipes get through your drain, they can cause serious problems in the home main sewer line. These wipes are tough, they need to be for what they are designed for. They are also disposable, into your trash can. When a plumber is called into a home, and these wipes are the culprit, most often they have caused a softball sized toilet clog. The wipes don’t disintegrate, and they have a snow ball effect with the other paper, or other wipes in the drain causing a massive pile up, or clog.

Unfortunately these large clogs take some time to remove from your main septic drain. As you know, the longer the time spent, the more costly the job. So take the extra time and don’t flush the disposable/flushable wipes.
 
Flushable Fact: In 2009, Consumer Reports tested leading brands of toilet paper and flushable wipes. They found that all of the wipes completely failed the disintegration test and even the strongest, thickest toilet papers squeaked by with a low passing grade.*

If you suspect you have a wipe’s clog, or your toilet is having any type of clogging issues, please contact Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating.

*networx.com

If you are a homeowner, your bathroom has surely had its fair share of plumbing problems.  Either the toilet keeps running, or it is stopped up, or it overflowed. Maybe your bathtub won’t drain, your sewer line backup up, or under the sink leaks. Any of these scenarios can result in a huge mess and a call to a plumber.
 
There are some things you can do yourself, but there are other for which you should call in a professional plumber. However, of all the plumbing woes nothing is worse than a clogged toilet. Here are some possible tips for fixing your own toilet.  These tips actually work in many cases.

1. Do nothing but wait, then flush.
Toilets, and all drains, work by gravity. A full bowl of water exerts its own pressure on the clog and, over time, often will clear the clog for you. If you have more than one bathroom just wait, then try to flush again. If the clog is just too much paper, this solution can work.
 
2. Pour in some hot water. Wait. Flush.
If you don’t have the time or you want to help gravity along, pour a few cups of hot water into the bowl. It is believed that the hot water helps to break down the waste, loosening the clog.

3. Add soap. Wait as long as possible. Flush.
This is the preferred method when you’re not at home and don’t want to tell the hosts that you have stopped up the toilet. The theory is that the soap breaks down the waste faster than water alone.

4. Plunge.
Standard cup-type plungers don’t work well on toilets because they can’t provide a good seal over the drain hole. Use a flange plunger, which has a rubber sleeve that extends down below the domed cup. Make sure the flange is extended then lower the plunger into the toilet at an angle so the boot fills with water and isn’t trapping air. Insert the flange into the drain hole and press down so the boot seals tightly around the hole.

Make the plunge action count on both the down stroke and upstroke, since both forces will help loosen the clog, and maintain a good seal at all times. If you have no success after several tries, let the clog sit and try again.

Important Toilet Tip:
If your clogged toilet is about to overflow, here is what you can do: Remove the tank lid and close the flapper, which is the round, rubber trap door that seals over the big hole in the tank. This will stop the flow of water into the bowl. Or, you turn off the valve in the water supply line. On the wall behind the toilet, several inches above the floor. It has a football-shaped handle, turn to the right. However, old valves can be stuck and corroded, they may leak after turning.

If none of the above tips work, you have a toilet that clogs regularly, or your water supply leaks after you have turned it off, contact Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating.

Networx