Is the Old Farmer’s Almanac reliable? Well, some years it is more reliable than others. This year, however, the Almanac and more modern weather forecasters seem to be in alignment: both are calling for a rainy winter! What does that mean for Millis homeowners? We talked to your Millis plumber, and he knows one thing for sure: When we have lots of rain in the forecast, it’s essential that your sump pump is working right!

Millis Sump Pump Installation

The sump pump is your home’s first and best line of defense against the flooding that can occur during periods of heavy rain. Bear in mind that there are many areas in our region where the ground is frozen. When it rains, the water can not permeate the frozen ground. Instead, it pools on the surface, seeking always to reach the lowest point. All too often, our basements can be that lowest point!

Sump pumps have a useful life of approximately 10 years, although this can vary significantly by usage. If your sump pump is not removing water from your home quickly, your home is suffering needless damage! If your sump pump doesn’t work at all, you need Millis sump pump replacement. There are two types of sump pumps, pedestal and submersible. Your Millis plumber will help you select the beset sump pump for your home and install your new sump pump.

A toilet that won’t stop running is a serious plumbing problem.  As our Sherborn homeowner said, a constantly running toilet can cause your water bill to skyrocket.  You’re paying top dollar for water that’s being wasted! In this economy, who can afford to do that?

Sherborn Plumber: When The Toilet Won’t Stop Running

There are a number of reasons why your toilet may be running constantly. You may have a leaky toilet.  The lift chain may need repair or replacement.  Over time, the flapper valve and seals wear out. There may be a problem with the float assembly. Your Sherborn plumber will check all of these items to determine what is causing your toilet to run all of the time. In most cases, a constantly running toilet requires a simple Sherborn plumbing repair.  In some instances, such as a cracked or leaky bowl, you may need Sherborn toilet replacement.

Is Fixing the Toilet A Do It Yourself Job?

Homeowners are trying to save money! That leads many people to question whether fixing a constantly running toilet is a do-it-yourself job. To answer that question, first take a look at your handyman (or handywoman!) skills. Are you comfortable making repairs? Have you done any plumbing work before? Are you confident that you’ll be able to assess the situation, correctly diagnose the problem, ascertain what’s needed to repair the situation and perform those repairs? If you have the ability, do you have the tools to do the job? What about the time? Your Sherborn plumber is equipped and ready to handle the situation – and they know how to do the repair right the first time. Save yourself time, stress, and money by calling in the pros!

“In the long run,” she said, “I’m not sure we’re really any better off financially.”

There are home heating choices that you can make that can help you stretch the family budget. One of these is having your Watertown plumber perform a heating service call. The annual furnace service call ensures that your furnace is operating as efficiently as possible: you get the maximum amount of heat possible, without wasting fuel or energy.

Every home needs a dependable, reliable source of heat.  Winters in Watertown are no joke! Older homes in our region often have older, inefficient heating systems. These older boilers and furnaces have a lot of hours on them: they’ve been working for many years, often with minimal attention and maintenance.  If your furnace breaks, you need to consider whether you’re better off calling for Watertown furnace repair or having a new furnace installed. Newer furnaces are more energy efficient, saving you money on your fuel and energy bill. You may also qualify for tax credits or other incentive savings – ask your financial planner or tax professional if you qualify.

Another issue that can make you feel confused (and a little nauseated!) is sewer drain clogs. Clogged sewer drains mean that when you flush the toilet, the water and waste material doesn’t go down the drain! Instead, that mess can back up and overflow, resulting in a flooded bathroom.

What causes sewer drain clogs? Well, even though he doesn’t behave properly on airplanes, we’re pretty sure that sewer drain clogs are not Alec Baldwin’s fault.  The most common causes of sewer drain clogs are improperly flushed items, such as hand towels, baby diapers, and newspapers. Tree roots can grow into your sewer drain pipes, causing a clog.  Sometimes weather events, including localized heavy rains, can cause the ground to shift. This can cause sewer drain pipes to partially collapse, which contributes to sewer drain clogs.

Your Sudbury plumber can perform a visual inspection to determine the location and nature of your sewer drain clog.  They use a special camera to enter your sewer drain system through the toilet.  Your toilet won’t be hurt or damaged by this process.  The plumber watches an image on the screen to pinpoint the exact location of the clog.  There’s no need for expensive exploratory excavation. This is great news for your yard and your budget!

Regular drain cleaning is one way to prevent sewer clogs before they start.  Talk to your Sudbury plumber about your sewer drain cleaning schedule.  Most homes in our region need sewer drain cleaning once every 2-3 years.  Your needs may vary with usage and local conditions.

Wellesley Sump Pump Installation

Sump pumps are the first, best line of defense against water in the basement.  There are two types of sump pumps: pedestal and submersible.  Both function in much the same way: they are installed in the lowest point in your basement, where water pools naturally. In some instances, your Wellesley plumber may dig a small hole, also known as a sump pit, for sump pump installation.  When water accumulates to a pre-determined depth, the sump pump comes on, quickly, quietly, and efficiently removing the water from your home.

What can go wrong with your home’s sump pump? There are many issues that can keep a sump pump from operating correctly.  The first, and most common, is advanced age.  While the useful life of a sump pump will vary with the type of sump pump you have, how heavily it is used, and the quality of the water being pumped, most sump pumps won’t last longer than 20 years.  With heavy usage, that age span can be cut dramatically. With time, sump pump components can fail.  Then it’s time for sump pump replacement!

Flood water is dirty water. Sump pumps can become clogged when large items or objects block the screens that allow the sump pump to operate.  Do not enter a flooded basement in an attempt to clear a clogged sump pump yourself: the water can be filled with hazards!

Add a sump pump to your home during new construction, or when you add rooms onto your existing home.  Remember that changes to your landscaping can affect the quantity of water that enters your home. Dramatic changes can cause a home to need a sump pump, even if they’ve never had a sump pump before.

Is installing a sump pump a do-it-yourself job? Not for most! Call your Wellesley plumber for sump pump installation.  They’ll know where to place the pump for maximum effectiveness, as well as the proper way to integrate the sump pump into your home’s drainage system.  Your home is your largest investment! Protect yourself by hiring a licensed, qualified Wellesley plumber to do the job.

There are ways to protect your pipes from freezing.  Talk to your Franklin plumber about your insulation and heating options.  Folk wisdom recommends keeping at least a small trickle of water running through your lines on days you know it will be especially cold, on the grounds that running water won’t freeze.  This may not be entirely true, as anyone who has witnessed a frozen waterfall can tell you, but it certainly can’t hurt.  Other items that won’t hurt are keeping cupboard doors open to allow warm interior air to reach any pipes concealed behind.

How will you know if your pipes are frozen? The most common way people discover that their pipes are frozen is when they discover that water no longer drains from the shower, tub, sink, or toilet.  Depending on which pipe is frozen, only one plumbing fixture may be affected, or you may  have multiple sinks, toilets, dishwashers, and more out of commission. Discovering you have burst pipes is a messier process: you may find that your basement is full of icy, cold water if your pipes have burst.

If you have burst pipes, call your Franklin plumber immediately! Don’t go into any flooded areas: this is dangerous, especially if there is electrical current in the water. This can happen in finished basements and unfinished basements. Don’t take needless chances! Your Franklin plumber will repair and replace pipes as needed so your home is safe and operational once again.

Thanksgiving Plumbing Tip: Avoiding Kitchen Sink Clogs

As your Sudbury plumber, we know that the hours after Thanksgiving dinner are meant for specific activities: watching the football game or getting ready for some serious Black Friday shopping.  What you don’t want to do is deal with a clogged kitchen sink.

Regular drain cleaning is the best way to prevent kitchen sink clogs before they start.  Another great way to minimize kitchen sink clogs is to scrape all dinner plates into the trash before rinsing them off.  Garbage disposals are amazing things, but many of them aren’t up for the challenge of some items that traditionally take place of honor on the Thanksgiving table.  Turkey bones can be especially problematic, particularly if you’ve cooked a 20 pound monster with big, thick leg bones. Squash, yams, and pumpkins have a slimy, fibrous texture that can gum up the inside of your garbage disposal faster than you can say “Pass the cranberry sauce!”

If you need emergency plumbing repair on Thanksgiving, give us a call.  We know that plumbing emergencies don’t watch the calendar! Our commitment to prompt, courteous service is yours to count on.   Sometimes well-meaning friends and relatives who may be visiting when plumbing problems occur will ‘volunteer’ to fix the clogged sink for you.  If your friend or relative is a qualified, licensed plumber, go ahead and take them up on their offer.  Otherwise, it’s a good idea to find a polite way to decline: your home is your largest investment, and you want only skilled professionals working on it.  (And really? Your guest doesn’t want to spend their holiday dealin with your kitchen sink clog!  Eating awesome pumpkin pie is much more fun!)

“I don’t know what happened!  All I know is I came home from school, went to the bathroom, and flushed the toilet.  The water is all over the place!”

A clogged toilet is a big problem that requires an immediate fix.  If you’re suddenly confronted with a clogged toilet, call your Marlborough plumber. Chances are, he’ll tell you need sewer drain cleaning.

Our home’s toilets are connected to a series of pipes, called drain pipes.  Sewer drain pipes are the pipes that carry water and waste material away from the toilet to the community sewer system or your home’s septic tank.  These drain pipes are generally 3-4 inches around.  Water and waste material should pass easily through – but sometimes that doesn’t happen.

Why do sewer drains clog?

Your Marlborough plumber can tell you that there are several reasons why sewer drains clog.  Anything that blocks the passage of water and waste material through the drain pipes is a problem.  This can be inappropriately flushed items, like baby diapers, hand towels, or children’s toys.  Another common cause of clogs is the simple accumulation of waste material over time.  Every home needs regular sewer drain cleaning for this very reason!  Tree roots and damage to your sewer lines are other reasons why your toilet can clog.  Your Marlborough plumber can perform a visual inspection, using a specialized camera to see exactly where your sewer drains are clogged, and what’s causing the problem.  This saves you money on costly exploratory excavation! Once the problem has been located, your Marlborough plumber will have it fixed in a flash.

Finding a good Marlborough plumber means you have expert assistance available for clogged toilets, sewer drain cleaning, sump pump installation, low water pressure and other common plumbing problems.  Put your Marlborough plumber on speed dial for emergency plumbing repair.

Hopkinton Laundry Room Drain Cleaning

Every home needs regular drain cleaning.  Our homes have several drains, all involved with carrying water and waste materials away from our houses.  Sewer drains take care of bathroom waste; kitchen drains handle waste water from sinks, dishwashers, and refrigerators, and laundry room drains are primarily concerned with washing machine and utility sink waste and water.

How do laundry drains clog? Often, it’s soap scum and clothing fibers at fault, according to your Hopkinton plumber. These materials line and accumulate within drain pipes, building to such a point that water can no longer pass freely.  When only a portion of the pipe is clogged, water can pass through, but not as quickly as normally.  When a pipe is completely clogged, water can no longer pass through at all.  It’s time to call your Hopkinton plumber.

It’s not that we don’t love the laundrymat.  But it does save a family a lot of time and money to do their laundry at home. It is certainly much more convenient!  Have your Hopkinton plumber perform drain cleaning to get your laundry room up and running again. Drain cleaning removes accumulated materials from within your pipes without damaging them. If you are experiencing slow drainage or clogged laundry room pipes, contact your Hopkinton plumber for drain cleaning today!

Dover Furnace Service & Repair

Every year, you should have your furnace, boiler, or other home heating system serviced by your Dover plumber.  During a heating service call, your Dover plumber will thoroughly inspect your furnace.  Any problems or repair concerns can be addressed at that time: this keeps your family safe and your furnace working properly.  During a heating service call, your Dover plumber will check filters, belts, gauges, nozzles, and other critical components.  Changing and replacing filters, belts and other components improves your furnace’s efficiency. You will save fuel and money!

How can you tell if your furnace needs repair? The first cold, snowy weekend is often when we discover our furnaces aren’t operating properly.  It’s time to call the Dover plumber for furnace repair if your furnace will not come on, if the furnace comes on but produces no heat, if the heat you’re getting isn’t warm enough, or if the furnace is making unusual noises and sounds. Keep an eye on your home heating fuel bill: a sudden spike in consumption that can’t be explained by really cold weather may be a sign that there’s something wrong with the furnace.

Older home heating systems aren’t always as energy efficient as they could be.  Talk to your Dover plumber.  Often, upgrading to a newer furnace can save you fuel and money while making your home warmer and more comfortable than you ever imagined possible. The time to act is now, before winter arrives in earnest!