Frozen pipes are always a serious problem, one that will become more common as the weather gets colder. Frozen pipes can burst and cause severe water damage that can cost you thousands of dollars to repair, on top of replacing the destroyed pipe. A good plumber in Pittsburgh will be able to help you winterize your pipes so you won?t have to deal with this problem, but there are some simple things that you can do as a homeowner to keep your pipes from freezing this winter.

1. Know Which of Your Pipes are Prone to Freezing

Just about any of the pipes in your home can freeze if the weather gets cold enough, but some are more prone to freezing than others. These include pipes on the exterior of your home, pipes in the exterior walls, and any exposed pipes in unheated areas of the home. There are plenty of Pittsburgh plumbers and companies offering plumbing repair services that can help you identify the pipes that could potentially be a problem, but in any case you should find these pipes and keep a close eye on them.

2. Wrap Vulnerable Pipes

Pipes that are prone to freezing can be protected with some insulation sleeves or another form of wrapping. Foam rubber and fiberglass sleeves can be found at just about any hardware store, but sometimes a thick towel will do in a pinch. Contact a plumber in Pittsburgh if you don?t know what pipes to wrap or aren?t comfortable doing the job yourself.

3. Turn on Your Taps

Running water doesn?t freeze, so simple having your taps open will keep your pipes from freezing and bursting. You don?t (and shouldn?t) turn on all of your faucets all the way when you?re not home; a slow drip or trickle will be enough in the extreme cold.

4. Open the Cabinet Under Your Sinks

The cabinets underneath your bathroom and kitchen sinks usually contain the plumbing for these faucets. Your cabinets do a good job of keeping your exposed pipes hidden when you have guests, but they also shield them from warm air. When it gets particularly cold outside, open your cabinets to let warm air circulate around your plumbing.

5. Drain All of Your Pipes

If you?re going to be away from home for a while this winter, drain all of the water from your pipes to keep them from freezing. All you have to do for this is to shut off your water pipes and open all of your faucets. The water will drain from your plumbing, and you won?t have to worry about coming home to any burst pipes.

6. Get Rid of Drafts in Your Home

A drafty home in the winter is definitely uncomfortable, but it is also really bad for your plumbing. If you notice any drafts around your windows, doors or cracks in your home?s foundation, seal them up with some caulk or weather stripping. Not only will it help keep you and your family warm this winter, but it will keep your pipes from freezing.

Don?t let pipe bursts blow your budget this winter and stay on top of all your home plumbing repairs and maintenance by contacting Mister Sewer. Our Pittsburgh plumbers have over 25 years of experience providing Pittsburgh and its surrounding communities with quick, courteous and effective plumbing repairs. No matter what your plumbing repair needs are, make sure the job is done right the first time by calling Mister Sewer today!

Here?s a great piece of feedback we received from a customer in the Leslieville neighbourhood. This one touches on many of the points we usually raise about how we?re different than other companies in the city. You can always rely upon our Toronto plumbing services when you call DrainWorks.

My wife and I recently moved into a beautifully renovated 100 year old semi in the heart of Leslieville. While the inspection report noted significant upgrades to the waste piping, within 3 weeks my sewer system backwashed (thankfully it was only laundry machine water). The original company I called rushed to the scene and cleared the immediate problem. Scoping the system they noted severe tree root penetration in the clay pipe. Maybe it was the number of times he referred to me as ?buddy? or maybe it was the way he easily pulled $6,000 out of thin air to rectify the issue, but something told me to get a second opinion. The next day I logged onto Homestars and came across Drainworks Plumbing. Recognizing the trademark vans around town, I scrolled through the endless sea of positive reviews. I picked up the phone and made the call. The gentlemen that answered the phone was extremely pleasant and dispatched a member of their team that day. Mike showed up a few hours later and informed me that he?d have to re-scope the pipe as the other company conveniently neglected to write down any sort of diagnosis. While I didn?t really enjoy paying for the service again, I felt like I was in good hands from the start. Confirming the extent of the issue, Mike provided a much better quote and was patient enough to listen to my endless series of questions, all of which he answered perfectly. The crew showed up as scheduled and began their work. Digging the hole by hand, they reached the trouble spot and replaced the line with 4? PVC SDR pipe. Battling through loose sandy soil, ground water and 2 hole collapses, the crew carried on with a degree of professionalism that is rarely seen these days. There was no complaining or passing comments of ?oh this is gonna cost you more.? Concerned with all the rain we?ve been having, the crew backfilled the hole that day, replaced my temporary pavers and re-attached the stairs leading to my front porch. Had you not seen the monsterous hole earlier that day you?d never have known they were there. To Walter and crew, thank you so very much for all of your hard work, you guys definitely went the extra mile and beyond! The next day Mike returned to re-scope the system. Walking me through it step-by-step, Mike confirmed that everything was ?perfect,? giving me back that piece of mind that I so desperately needed. When we settled up, the price was what he quoted me for, no surprises. I would highly recommend Drainworks to anyone in need of plumbing/drainage services. Their professionalism, expertise and courteous service is a rare find these days. Keep up the fabulous work!

Mike, East Toronto

Visit HomeStars.com for more reviews.

Don?t hesitate to give us a call for your plumbing, Toronto: 416 486 0000. Our friendly and knowledgeable dispatchers are standing by for your call. Or, if you?d prefer, book a plumber online.

It?s always great to step into a nice hot shower, which is why it?s just as dissappointing when the hot water runs out after you?ve barely been in there for a minute. Or maybe it doesn?t run out completely, but there?s a noticeable drop in temperature. Why is this happening? There are a number of potential reasons. In this week?s blog, we?ll talk about some of the reasons why the hot water in your shower might be running out too fast, and what to do about it.

Why is there no hot water in the shower?

Shower Hot Water Problems

Temperature Decreases Slowly

Many are quick to point to the hot water heater as the source of the problem here, but there?s a good chance it could have to do with the pressure balance. If you have a temperature control faucet, it has a spring in it that is used to adjust the hot water temperature as necessary. But when the spring wears out, you end up with a shower that starts hot and ends up cold. Fixing your problem might just be a matter of replacing that old spring.

Temperature Decreases Quickly

If the hot water quickly runs out, it may be because of a problem with the dip tube. This is a pipe that connects to the cold water inlet pipe in the water heater and brings cold water to the bottom of the heater. As it warms, it rises, and leaves the heater through the hot water outlet near the top of the heater.

Sometimes, the dip tube can become displaced, and the result is that it deposits cold water near the top of the hot water heater. So now when you take a shower, the heater pulls out this cold water from the top. In this case, you?ll need a plumber to check the hot water heater to see if this is the problem, and fix the dip tube if necessary.

The Most Common Shower Hot Water Problem

The most common shower hot water problem isn?t necessarily a problem, but rather just a design issue. If your home has a hot water heater that stores hot water in a tank, you have a fixed amount of hot water at any time. If several people take a shower consecutively, you can simply use up all the hot water you have, and you?ll have to wait for the heater to heat up more water.

Tankless water heaters are a solution to this problem, because they provide hot water on demand. Instead of having a fixed amount of hot water in a tank, this method uses a heater to heat water when you call for it. This way, you won?t run out of hot water right in the middle of a shower.

To learn more about tankless water heaters, or to discuss a shower hot water problem you?re having, contact Abbott?s Plumbing today! And don?t forget to check out last week?s blog on low water pressure!

Abbott?s Plumbing, Your Baltimore Plumber

Abbott?s Plumbing serves many areas in the Baltimore region. Call us today at 410-536-5700 to talk with one of our friendly staff. You can also use our online form to request an estimate.

Plumbing clogs rank among the most common issues homeowners have with their systems. It?s very easy to let theawrong foods slip down the drain, while toiletries, toothpaste and similar materials can gum up your pipes in a very short amount of time. Generally speaking, we urge people to contact a professional plumber to deal with clogs, since store-bought solutions like cleansers or snakes rarely do the job as effectively as they should.

The next question becomes how to spot a clog before it becomes a big problem. Specifics vary, but in most cases, you should be able to notice when trouble is brewing in your pipes, and call in a plumber to address it before it gets too serious. Here are 3 signs to watch for that could save you a great deal in time and aggravation.

1) Slow Draining

The most obvious sign or a growing clog is water draining more slowly down your pipes than you?d expect, or even water which refuses to drain at all. If it?s the kitchen sink that?s affected, you might want to run the garbage disposal to see if that fixes the problem. Otherwise, you?re likely looking at a clog.

2) Odd Smells

Food or other material which gets trapped in your pipes can give off an odor after several days or more. So can wasteawater from your toilet or similar outlet. If there?s an odd or unpleasant smell coming from your pipes, you?d best call a plumber to give it a look.

3) Strange Noises

Strange noises canainclude anything from dripping noises after the faucet is turned off to gurgling sounds which occur when the water runs through the substance causing the clog. Even if the source lies elsewhere, noises like this are a good reason to call a plumber.

Tips for Garbage Disposal

It?s hard to imagine life without your garbage disposal. Nevertheless, we here at Dutton Plumbing know that disposals are not designed to handle everything. Here are a few things that you don?t want to put down that mini pit of furry.

1. High-Fiber or Stringy Vegetables

Artichoke leaves, broccoli stems, and cornhusks are very fibrous materials. The thick strings can tangle and clog your disposal even before getting down the drain.

2. Solid Grease, Oil, or Fat

Grease does not immediately damage your system, but it does accumulate over time. This eventually leads to blocks in your drain or pipes. Moreover, oil waste is harmful to the environment and costly to filter out.

3. Coffee Grounds

Resist the urge to use coffee for odor removal. Like grease, coffee grounds do not affect your garbage disposal; however, they are notorious clogging up your drain and pipesa

4. Fruit Pits

Large fruit pits are hard enough to damage your disposal by jamming moving parts and wearing out your motor.

5. Large Animal Bones

Most garbage disposals can handle small soft bones; however, larger bones can jam up your system just like fruit pits. The pieces that do make it down the drain can get stuck and lead to blockage.

6. Excessive Amounts of Starch

If you put too much in your garbage disposal at one time, expect a clog. Starchy foods like potato peels, rice, and pasta will expand in your drain and pipes, so remember to feed these items through slowly.

7. Non-food Items

Obviously, you should never put glass, metal, plastic, paper, rubber or combustible material down your disposal. In most cases, these materials simply won?t break down enough to wash through the drain. Any pieces that do slip though will only hurt the environment.

Should you find yourself testing the limits of your garbage-eating machine, you may need professional assistance. Our dedicated team of Simi Valley Region plumbers can help. If ever in doubt, contact Dutton Plumbing for honest answers and quality service you can trust.