Month: May 2021

Month: May 2021

How to Detect Plumbing Problems That Commonly Cause Water Damage
May 27, 2021 Blog Jeffrey Steeves

How to Detect Plumbing Problems That Commonly Cause Water Damage

 

Water damage in your home is caused by one of two sources – water coming in from the exterior or issues with the plumbing system causing water leakage from the interior. Statistics state that the average water damage claim is around $8,000. Homeowners can avoid these expensive problems by keeping a close eye on certain areas and keeping up with regular maintenance.

Under the Kitchen Sink

You will find supply lines and drain pipes under the kitchen sink. Both of these elements can cause damage when worn out, cracked, or broken, but it is the supply lines that present the greatest danger. Filled with pressurized water, a crack in these pipes can produce a continual stream of water that will soak everything in the area very quickly.

IHeart Organizing: Organizing Under the Kitchen Sink

Checking for potential problems is simple. Touch the pipes for moisture, especially around any elbows and seals. This is often where the plumbing can grow weak or spring a leak. It’s also worthwhile to have a look at the bottom of the cabinetry, watching for discoloration and spongy spots on the laminate. If you can see any of that your plumbing may have already leaked and there is a risk of mold and mildew spreading.

Behind the Toilet

A toilet overflow is one common cause of water damage. When something is blocking the drain and the toilet is flushed or running a backup can easily spill onto the floor damaging walls, framing, and cabinetry. But there is another area of potential danger in your bathroom.

Install a Grab Bar

Behind the toilet, there are supply lines very similar to those found under the kitchen sink. They may be chrome, PVC, stainless steel, or copper. Many are braided for flexibility and the pipe is actually quite short in length. Feel around the connections for any moisture or sweating, as this can be your first clue that a problem exists. Even braided plumbing can burst, crack or split and cause serious damage in the bathroom.

In the Laundry Room

Many newer homes place the laundry appliances in an area that is finished (second-floor laundry rooms, for example). Although this is much more desirable for the appearance and comfort of the room, it spells serious trouble if there is a leak. Large pans that are plumbed in with drainpipes can be placed underneath your washer to avoid problems. Those pans will not be of any help if the plumbing behind your washer breaks, leaking water into the room and potentially through the walls to damage the framing, drywall, and even the electrical.

9 Helpful and Cool Things To Add To Your Laundry Room

Water and leak detection devices are wise things to include in laundry rooms, especially those that are located on the second floor or main floor above a finished basement. Often connected to the main water valve, these detectors will automatically turn off the main valve and stop the flow of water, reducing the total amount of damage incurred. Look for products with a simple design and dependable history to properly protect your laundry room from potential leaks.

Problems in your plumbing system could be the source of major damage to your home and possessions. Look under the kitchen sink, behind the toilet and in the laundry room to discover the common problems. Keep a close eye on these areas in order to catch problems early and consider simple, reliable leak detectors for even better protection. Your home is worth the effort it takes to properly monitor the plumbing for any sign of an issue.

Posted by: Diana

5 BENEFITS OF HIRING A PROFESSIONAL PLUMBING SERVICE
May 26, 2021 Blog Jeffrey Steeves

5 Benefits of Hiring a Professional Plumbing Service

A bluefrog Plumbing + Drain, we understand how tempting it can be to “fix” your own plumbing. However, hiring a professional plumbing service can save you money in the long run and ensure the problem is taken care of once and for all.

If you’re like most people, you probably take your plumbing for granted — until it doesn’t work anymore. Then, getting it fixed becomes an emergency. Without proper plumbing, it’s impossible to clean, cook and bathe. That’s why it’s important to partner with a plumbing company you can trust.

Here are five advantages of hiring our professional plumbers for all your plumbing needs.

  1. Trained and Licensed Plumbers

If you hire an inexperienced plumber to install your new water heater or shower, you could end up with water pressure and temperature problems. Unlicensed plumbers might be cheaper, but you take a big risk in hiring them.

An untrained plumber can actually do a lot more harm than good, leaving you with a headache and, possibly, higher future plumbing bills. Instead, you can rely on our well-trained technicians, who know how to handle a broad spectrum of plumbing issues.

Some of our services include:

Our plumbing service comes with guaranteed quality control. We want you to be happy when we leave. After all, our future business depends on satisfied customers.

  1. The Right Equipment

Few things are more annoying than waiting around for a plumber to show up only to learn they didn’t bring the right tools for the job. So, you have to wait for them to go get the appropriate equipment and return to finally start the job. That rarely happens with a bluefrog Plumbing + Drain technician. We emphasize the need to stock the van with all the equipment needed for the job at hand, and we vet our plumbers to ensure they have the high standards for customer service we expect.

Whether the job requires tube cutters, wrenches, and screwdrivers, or augers and video cameras, we have state-of-the-art equipment or traditional tools that help us get the job done efficiently.

  1. Provides Multiple Services

Bluefrog Plumbing + Drain provides a variety of plumbing services. Each plumber receives comprehensive training. That means you can ask for multiple services to get your plumbing system in order with a single phone call.

Some plumbing companies specialize in one type of service, such as unclogging drains. Our plumbers can install water heaters, showers, faucets, and other hardware, as well as unclog, repair or replace your pipes.

So, if you need a dishwasher or garbage disposal installed, let us know the next time you call us for a plumbing problem. We’ll be happy to help.

  1. Get a Better Outcome

When you hire an experienced plumbing service, you gain access to a team of highly skilled professionals. Our experts have been in the business for many years, if not decades. They know how to deal with plumbing systems in brand new homes but are just as adept in figuring out how to tweak the plumbing in your decades-old home.

If you are renovating your home and need advice on how to marry new plumbing systems to your original piping, we can help. Inexperienced plumbers and motivated DIY homeowners could end up doing more damage than good. Without the proper equipment and protective gear, you could end up with injuries and unhealthy living conditions due to the nature of toxic waste in your pipes.

  1. Emergency Services

When a pipe breaks in the middle of the night or the hot water heater bursts, who are you going to call? We invite you to take advantage of our emergency plumbing services at any time of the day or night.

If you can’t get other plumbers to pick up the phone on the weekend or during holidays, call bluefrog Plumbing + Drain. We’ll be there quickly to stabilize your plumbing and clean up unexpected flooding before it damages your flooring, walls, and furnishings.

Our professional plumbers run on a customer-focused model. That means you can rely on our trained, licensed technicians, even if another plumbing company has let you down.

We Deliver

Four Plumbing Projects to Improve Water Quality in Your Home
May 21, 2021 Blog Jeffrey Steeves

Water quality remains a vital issue around the world. Canadians have access to clean, safe water, but there are several plumbing upgrades and home improvement projects that provide your family with good tasting, safe and clean water in a convenient way. Check these out and consider how to enhance your home.

Install a Drinking Water Filter

No matter where your water comes from, municipal supply, or a well, adding a filter helps to improve quality and taste. Modern innovations have made residential water filtration systems even better, moving from simple pitcher filters to in-faucet filters and those incorporated directly into your plumbing. Choose the best type for your family, depending on budget and supply needs.

  • Faucet Filters – these products screw into your existing faucet and act much like the pitcher systems made widely popular by companies like Brita. With a more convenient design, faucet filters allow you to fill your drinking water glass directly from this faucet, with several key contaminants eliminated from the water. Maintenance includes filter changes and typical costs are affordable.
  • Single Stage Filters – a larger, more advanced version of the faucet filter, single-stage water filters are installed at your kitchen sink by a licensed plumber and often come with a drinking water tap for easy visual reference. The filter removes dirt, sediment, and contaminants such as copper, lead, and chlorine. Maintenance includes filter changes and typical costs range from $100 to $300, depending on the brand and installation costs.
  • Reverse Osmosis Filters – the ideal home water filtration system, this design uses carbon filters and various membranes to eliminate nearly all of the contaminants present in our drinking water. The unit is mounted within your plumbing system and may have a separate tap, depending on the brand. Several manufacturers offer reverse osmosis systems, including General Electric, Kohler, and Culligan. Maintenance includes filter changes and typical costs range from $500 and up, based on the brand and installation fees.

Water filters allow for tastier, healthier drinking water but do not have the capability to purify water, in case of contamination after a storm. Always stay on top of your regular maintenance and keep track of filter performance to ensure your family receives the cleanest water possible.

Replace Rusted Plumbing

Old galvanized plumbing rusts, creating a mess in your appliances and resulting in premature wear and damage. Rust in the dishwasher or washing machine is a common sign of this problem. Although rusting pipes may not affect drinking water, this condition often shows up in your hot water, affecting bathing and showering, as well as the washing machine and dishwasher.

Some plumbers recommend installing a filter on the hot water pipe. This could be a temporary solution, but eventually, decay will eat away at your plumbing and a full replacement becomes necessary.

Replace the pipes with copper or high-quality PVC. Your plumber can provide a cost estimate for both options. Any connections made with the aged galvanized plumbing require copper piping and dialectic unions to prevent further corrosion.

Are you planning any other home improvement projects in the near future? Bathroom renovations, kitchen remodels, finishing the basement, replacing trim, or patching up old drywall provide an opportunity to upgrade the existing plumbing before rust becomes a problem. Avoid rust stains on your clothing and dishes by planning to replace older pipes before corrosion sets in.

Install a Water Softener

Water softeners deal with hard water issues naturally present in many areas of Canada. Supplying hot and cold softened water to your plumbing system and appliances, this equipment allows for a more comfortable lifestyle. Hard water creates staining and often makes it difficult to get completely clean during a bath or shower. Your family will appreciate the function and results of a quality water softener.

Water softeners improve efficiency in your home. Soft water heats faster, cutting down on the energy needs of your water heater, and soft water creates less strain on your appliances. Experts state that using soft water in your hot water system cuts down energy usage by at least 20 percent for both electric and gas-powered hot water heaters.

Minerals and metals found in hard water are deposited in pipes, …

Where to Start and What to Look For
May 18, 2021 Blog Jeffrey Steeves

Chances are if you found this article you’re in the middle of a plumbing situation or emergency and you’re looking for good plumbers to help you out of the bind you’re in… On the other hand, you may also be in a position where you’re just looking to remodel a bathroom or even add a bathroom to your existing structure. Whatever the case you’re going to need a plumber or plumbers and you don’t where to start…

Well first things first, if you’re in the middle of an emergency I strongly recommend you check out this article: How To Hire A Plumber In An Emergency which was written specifically for homeowners who find themselves in the midst of plumbing. There are certain steps you should make sure you take if you leak into your home. One of the first things you want to do in an emergency is turn off the water supply to the leak to stop any further damage from occurring to your home. Shutting off the water supply will also buy you more time, especially if it’s a holiday weekend or the middle of the night, so you can take your time and hire a good plumber during regular hours where you’ll pay regular and not “emergency” rates and save yourself a lot of money in the process. In any event, make sure to check out the above link for how to handle a plumbing emergency.

It’s important to note that there are different types of plumbers with different specialties. The same plumber that fixes a leak at your property probably won’t

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be helping you add a new bathroom to your existing home. Some plumbers specialize in remodeling and addition projects and plumbers specialize in emergency repair situations. Obviously, one of the most important things you can do is decipher what type of plumber you need for your specific project.

Regardless of what type of plumber you’re looking for, there are several tips and steps you can follow to ensure that you do indeed find and hire a good plumber for your specific project. You can find our insider tips and recommendations for finding and hiring a good plumber in your area by following this link: How To Find And Hire Good Plumbers.

Different Types of Plumbers

Regardless of what type of plumber you need it is wise and recommended to look for and hire a plumber that is familiar with the type of work you need to be done. Sounds like common sense but most folks don’t realize that there are different types of plumbing specialties within the plumbing profession. For instance, some plumbers specialize in the installation of new pipes into new residential homes and plumbers specialize in the installation of new plumbing systems into commercial buildings. There are also plumbing contractors that focus on the repair of residential plumbing and plumbers that specialize in the repair of commercial building plumbing systems.

Commercial Plumbing

Fredericksburg Commercial Plumber | Commercial Plumbing Contractor

Commercial plumbers deal with larger commercial buildings and will typically use blueprints to guide them in their work. Commercial plumbers often deal with custom pipes and fittings that you probably won’t find at the local home improvement store. Commercial plumbers will read blueprints for new buildings and install the plumbing system per instructions. Chances are you probably won’t need commercial plumbers unless you’re involved in commercial real estate.

 

Residential Construction Plumbing

The three best residential plumbing systems and their importance | My Beautiful Adventures

Plumbers that work in residential plumbing install new plumbing systems into new homes. While the blueprints are not as extensive as you would see in commercial plumbing, a new construction plumber still has to be familiar with how to read blueprints and more importantly be familiar with current local code requirements. The great thing about hiring a plumber with commercial or new residential plumbing experience is that they have experience with how plumbing systems work. These types of plumbers are familiar with “what is behind the wall” and are familiar with how plumbing systems work and that experience can be invaluable.

Service/Repair Plumbers

Most homeowners are most familiar with this type of plumber. When you have a leak or a clogged sink you will often call a service or repair plumber to solve the problem. Service …

A Residential Plumber Contract Agreement; Why and How to Develop Plumber Work Orders and Contracts
May 11, 2021 Blog Jeffrey Steeves

A Residential Plumber Contract Agreement; Why and How to Develop Plumber Work Orders and Contracts

 

Many owners of plumbing projects are not knowledgeable about the differences between terms like “residential plumber contract agreement”, “plumber work orders”, and “plumbing industry standards”. The purpose of this article is to educate and inform businesses and homeowners about these terms. And drive home the importance of a detailed residential plumber contract agreement.

According to a 2006 Global Foresight, Inc. report outlining information on plumbing industry standards, trends, and forecast:

  • Plumbing Industry standards promote safe, healthy, and sustainable work practices on plumbing systems for efficient, effective plumbing problem resolution. (Licensed plumbing professionals are highly skilled and are trained to abide by rigid plumbing industry standards.)
  • Plumbing industry trends include better consumer education that results in increased energy consumption awareness, greater water conservation efforts, and the demand for more multi-purpose, water-efficient plumbing fixtures and products. Including “smart” high-tech plumbing fixtures and products. (I.e. the Japan-oriented “intelligent toilet’ that measures sugar levels in urine, blood pressure, body fat, and weight.)
  • The plumbing industry forecast predicts an upswing in environmentally correct home plumbing product use, like toilets that flush using recycled washing-machine and dishwasher water. And the services of eco-friendly licensed journeyman plumbers; expected to be standard practice by the year 2015.

 

Plumber work orders differ from a residential plumber contract agreement. A plumber work order is for common, non-complex plumbing services; everyday leaks, basic water heater repair, and replacement of U-joints and simple plumbing fixtures like faucets and sprayers.

The primary purpose of a plumber work order is to provide a formal point-of-reference; documentation that a particular service was provided for a certain individual, using specific materials and/or plumbing fixtures, by a licensed plumbing professional, for amount-specific compensation. And that payment for plumbing industry services was either received or billed.

Plumber work orders generally contain the following information: date, name of plumbing industry company and/or licensed plumbing professional with contact information, name of plumbing projects owner with contact information, plumbing projects location, service provided, materials and plumbing fixtures required, material costs, service cost, and payment receipt or billing notation. Note: plumbing projects’ contact information usually includes mailing address, physical address/location, telephone number, and plumbing professional fax/e-mail.

residential plumber contract agreement or any type of plumber contract agreement is for complex or larger plumbing projects. It exceeds basic services outlined in a plumber work order and helps ensure the licensed plumbing professional will perform services according to plumbing industry standards.

A plumber contract agreement should provide a detailed blueprint for each aspect of plumber projects, listing specific expectations, requirements, and plumber contract agreement information. Like plumber work orders, a residential plumber contract agreement is critical for legal footing; for both project owner and licensed journeyman plumber.

Unfortunately, many owners of plumbing projects rely on a verbal plumber contract agreement. Discovering after a problem arises that oral agreements are of little value in a courtroom. Note: this is true even in states where a verbal plumber contract agreement is considered legally binding. Without written proof, a court ruling could swing either way; not necessarily in favor of the person in the right.

Choosing the Right Licensed Journeyman Plumber for Plumbing Projects

Of course, the first step before developing plumber work orders or a residential plumber contract agreement is to select the right licensed journeyman plumber or certified master plumber.

Journeyman plumbers have invested years of classroom education, apprentice program participation, and on-the-job training to become licensed plumbing professionals. Not to mention meeting stringent state-specific plumbing industry testing and license requirements.

A certified master plumber has far exceeded licensed journeyman plumber requirements and is a master at fulfilling plumbing industry standards. A certified master plumber is qualified to instruct and oversee all aspects of commercial and residential plumbing projects large or small. They are adept at developing complex commercial and industrial plumbing work orders, project plans, and blueprints. A certified master plumber can design and install entire plumbing systems – from start to finish.

A good licensed journeyman plumber or certified master plumber is dedicated plumbing professional with an eye for detail. Trained to ensure all plumbing industry standards and state and local building codes …