Hot water heaters are an essential part of our daily lives. They help power our washing machines and dishwashers, not to mention our showers and baths! However, if you have an older model, it may not actually be serving your needs efficiently or effectively. The traditional hot water heaters found in many homes have been surpassed in both design and performance by modern tankless styles. Learn how tankless models work and about the performance, cost, and energy benefits they offer. You may decide that going tankless is right for you.

A traditional water heater works by keeping a tank of hot water at the ready. A heating element cycles on and off throughout the day and night to make that possible, and then the hot water is fed to different faucets and appliances as called for. A tankless hot water heater, on the other hand, does not have a storage tank in which heated water is kept. Instead, it uses a sophisticated calculation process to provide hot water as needed on a case-by-case basis. When a hot water tap is opened, for example, the tankless heater’s flow turbine gets a signal to start the heating process. Based on the incoming water temperature, the desired water temperature, and the difference between the two, the heater’s control board adjusts the gas or electric flow to the burner assembly so that the water starts heating. When the tap is turned off, the heater shuts down and goes into standby mode until it’s called upon again.

This “on call” style of water heating provided by tankless models is useful for a number of reasons. Most of us have experienced the displeasure caused when a nice warm shower suddenly turns cold as the hot water runs out. This never happens with tankless water heaters because there isn’t a finite amount of water in a tank–instead, the water is heated as it’s called for, and for as long as it’s called for. In addition to making life a lot more pleasant, this approach also means that you’re not using as much energy–or spending as much money–to keep a tank of hot water ready to go day and night. When no hot water is being requested, the tankless heater doesn’t heat any up. Over time, the energy and cost savings that this provides can prove substantial.

The essential difference between a tankless water heater and a traditional model is that the former heats up water for home use as it’s called for. This intelligent functioning means that you and your family can enjoy unlimited hot water and can rest assured that you’re only paying for the hot water that you need.

Penny Jones is a home improvement enthusiast and an Internet marketer for Prospect Genius, a leader in the field of search engine optimization.

Anyone who has lived in a home with either an exceptionally nice or an exceptionally unpleasant bathroom will attest to the value that an aesthetically pleasing and functional bathroom space can provide! In order to achieve this marriage of form and function, it’s important to make sure that you consider, plan for, and execute both an internal and external remodel of your bathroom space when you embark upon such a project. Getting your bathroom contractor to work in concert with your residential plumber will allow you to rest easy knowing that your whole bathroom will turn out the way you want it to.

When it comes to renovating your bathroom, you and your remodeling contractor can conceive of and design anything that you want. In reality, though, any changes to your bathroom’s structure or layout will either have to fit in with your existing plumbing structure, or you’ll have to change and adapt your plumbing to support the new design. Either way, it is in your best interest to coordinate with both your general contractors and your plumbing team to make sure that everything you have in your vision will work together. Unless you know both a great deal about plumbing in general, and about the specific plumbing situation in your home, trying to tackle this type of infrastructure-based planning and work is a task best left to the professionals.

Working with both your contractor and your plumber during a bathroom remodel not only allows you to make sure that all the changes you have in mind are possible and get executed correctly, but it also provides you with a great opportunity to make sure that your bathroom’s plumbing is in the best shape it can possibly be. Remodeling isn’t just for the surface level. When you embark on a remodeling project in your bathroom, you also have a great opportunity to engage in a full scope of drain clog clearing and pipe repair as necessary. No matter how old or young your home is, or how well you take care of your plumbing system, it’s likely that there’s at least one part of it that could use a little TLC. Since you’re in the middle of a renovation process, there’s no reason not to get a comprehensive diagnosis of your plumbing situation and address any trouble spots before they get worse. Nipping any potential issues in the bud will make your life easier and will likely save you money in the long run. Plus, you’ll be able to enjoy your new bathroom knowing that it’s in tip-top shape inside and out.

Whether you’re looking to spruce up the layout of what you already have, or you want to gut and revamp your whole bathroom space, it is worth your while to employ both a general contractor and a residential plumbing contractor to make those changes happen. Unless you have a lot of time, energy, and know-how, doing any bathroom renovation work, from installing waterproof tiling to conducting extensive drain cleaning, is best left to the professionals.

Almost every homeowner has had to deal with a blocked drain in their home at least once in the past. If you’ve been faced with this problem, you know just how stressful fixing it can be. Your first thoughts are probably going to be that you’ll need a plumber to come out and help you clean the drain out. While using the services of experts can be beneficial, there are lots of thing a homeowner can do on his or her own to relieve the problem. By trying some of these tips at home, you may be able to free up the drain on your own.

Dealing with a clogged drain does not necessarily have to be a stressful ordeal. Sometimes, homeowners can fix these blockages by purchasing a simple drain clog cleaner. There are a wide variety of products out there for homeowners to choose from, so there may be one that has been more effective for you in the past that you’d like to try out on your drain. Chemical drain cleaners usually work very quickly and can have your drain running freely in a matter of a few minutes. This is a logical place to start when you have a blocked drain in your home, and it might turn out to be an easy fix.

If a chemical drain cleaner doesn’t help, or if the blockage soon returns, it might be time to try another of the most common methods used for drain cleaning: a plumbingsnake. These are available at your hardware or home improvement store, and you can use this tool to retrieve or dislodge the blockage in the drain. Drain snakes are a bit more expensive than chemical drain cleaners, but they can often be much more effective at clearing out the obstruction, and unlike chemicals, drain snakes can be used again and again. If liquid cleaners have failed you, then you may need to move on to trying a plumbing snake. In most cases, you’re going to need to remove the cover of the drain, and possibly even the P-trap, before you can work on unclogging it, so you’ll need to be prepared with a few tools to open it up.

If none of these tips and tricks works to help with your clogged drain, then you may need to call a professional plumber to help you with the issue. You should wait, though, until you have tried some of these inexpensive fixes before you hire a plumber. Many times clogs in a drain are simple matters that homeowners can take care of on their own in a more cost-effective way. If the problem persists, though, professional drain cleaning service is in order.

Dealing with a clogged drain can majorly derail your day-to-day activities. Once you start hearing strange noises, smelling odors, or noticing sluggish water flow or backflow, you know you need to take care of the problem as soon as possible. Here we’ll break down what to consider when you have a drain blockage and how to decide whether or not you need professional plumber service for clogged drain repair.

When your shower or sink drain appears to be clogged, most likely you’ll head out to buy a drain cleaning liquid. These products are usually strong enough to at least partially dissolve a clogged drain. If you’re successful in breaking up the clog in your drain, then you’re done. However, if the obstruction ends up being more serious, the issue may return soon after using the drain cleaning liquid, even if it seemed like it was cleared up initially. This because most drain cleaners are only powerful enough to clean away part of the blockage. And remember, beware of overusing drain cleaning liquids or homemade creations, as they could eventually begin to damage or corrode the pipes.

Whether it’s a stubborn problem or not, it’s a good idea to try to discover the source of your clog.
Common causes include a tree root interfering with pipe flow, hair, or
greasy buildup. Don’t wait too long to take care of your clogged drain pipe because you may risk this blockage becoming worse. Cleaning it could become more costly and difficult in the long run, requiring major drain repairs.

When you call a professional plumbing service, you’ll have the advantage of superior tools and techniques ideal for breaking up even the most persistent clogs. A plumber can assess the location, material, and size of the clog before deciding the best way to clear it out. Some common methods include:

• Hydro jetting: The use of hydro jetting involves a large volume of water and high pressure to scour the walls of your clogged drain.
• Rooter or drain snake: This process involves sending stiff metal cable down your drain, sometimes several hundred of yards, to clear out your blocked pipes.

So if your home needs root removal for a blockage in your drain pipe or you just have a stubborn clog keeping you from having steady drain flow, it may be a good idea to call a professional plumber to take care of your clogged drain. The most essential goal is to completely dissolve or remove your drain clog and restore your pipe system to perfect working condition again.

If you asked ten people to describe what a plumbing service does, you’d probably get close to ten different answers. A young couple that just moved into a brand-new townhouse, for example, would give a drastically different answer than a construction contractor who deals with plumbers on a daily basis. Other demographics would also come into play, such as age, education, and geographic location. Although you can still depend on plumbing services to provide the standard options, such as fixing leaking pipes, clearing out clogged drains, and providing toilet repair, many progressive plumbing contractors are diversifying and branching out to meet consumer expectations and needs. Three of the major factors behind these changes are technology, competition, and health concerns.

Technology

As technology becomes more sophisticated, plumbers who want to keep pace with the times are improving their services by using advanced techniques and equipment. For example, if you want to find a plumbing service that offers video pipe inspection, a quick search on the Internet should lead you to the professional you are looking for. Twenty years ago, it would have been much more difficult, if not impossible, to find plumbing companies that used devices such as sewer cameras. But today, high-tech tools offer faster diagnostics, less-invasive service, and improved results.

Competitive Factors

Today’s consumer expects a lot more from residential plumbers than bathtub faucet repair and water heater installation. In order to compete with other local plumbing services, plumbing contractors need to stay current with the latest market trends. In addition to standard services such as pipe repair, clogged drains, and toilet repair, more and more local plumbing companies are offering services ranging from trenchless sewer repair to installing reverse osmosis water filtration systems. This means that you, the consumer, reap the benefits of lower prices and broader service offerings.

Consumer Health Awareness

Health-conscious consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the potentially harmful toxins and contaminants that are present in unfiltered tap water. The installation
of home water filtration systems, a service that some plumbing companies now provide, can help reduce the risk of several kinds of cancer and gastrointestinal ailments. More and more parents are recognizing the benefits that filtered water has on the developing immune systems of children. A house water filtration system or other water treatment services can help reduce or eliminate contaminants, such as lead, chlorine, pesticides, herbicides, industrial runoff, and bacteria. With more clients searching for these services, more residential plumbers are stepping up to meet their needs.

Choosing a Plumber to Fit Your Needs

There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a dependable plumbing contractor in your area, but the ones who are well versed in the latest techniques and trends can often provide superior service over those who just know the basics.

It’s easy to forget about where your running water is coming from when you can just turn on the tap and enjoy all of the clean, free-flowing water you’d like. But that water has to get to your home’s plumbing through water mains, and those pipes aren’t infallible. Over time, your water mains could become damaged due to root penetration, crushing, or pipe deterioration, leading to costly damage and leaks. Continue reading to learn what to look for in identifying water main damage and how to go about fixing the problem.

Symptoms

If you’re not looking for them, the symptoms of water main deterioration could completely pass you by unnoticed. Here are some major symptoms of water main damage to take seriously:

• Water Costs: This is a big red flag. If there are no other new fixtures or plumbing services that could account for higher water costs, this can indicate that there is something amiss with your water main–like a big leak!

• Old Pipes: Knowing how old your water main pipes are can help determine if there is risk of damage. Consider inspecting your plumbing with a high-tech video camera system to see if there is any visible damage.

• Water color: If a water main breaks, you may find brown or cloudy water running from your tap.

Solutions

When you discover the damage to your water main, the best course of action is to call in a professional to pinpoint the problem and repair it. While many homeowners may feel inclined to be their own handyman, amateur work when it comes to water main repair could put you at greater risk in the future for leaks and other malfunctions. If your water main is irreparably damaged from tree root penetration or a rupture, the water line must be dug up and replaced.

This may come as a surprise to property owners who don’t put much thought into their water main infrastructure, but it is possible to relocate your water main if the situation calls for it. Professional plumbing contractors can handle any type of water main relocation or repair that could arise, so be sure to ask if your water main would be better off in a different location. Whether encroaching tree roots are causing an issue with the water line or a remodeling project interferes with the current placement of the main, your plumber can install the water main in a new location.

It’s best to be aware of the symptoms of water main damage to know when to act quickly to fix any growing issues before it’s too late, so make sure you keep an eye out for the issues listed above.

You try to take a shower, and end up ankle-deep in murky water. You brush your teeth, and the
sink doesn’t drain. We’ve all been there. There’s nothing pleasant about a clogged drain or blocked pipe. Fortunately, there are a number of drain cleaning solutions that can have things running smoothly again in no time. How do you know whether to tackle the problem yourself or to call your local plumber in? Here are a few tips to help you make the decision.

Taking the DIY Approach

From hair to grease and beyond, many clogs and blockages are easily resolved at home, using a number of DIY techniques. These work particularly well on soft blockages that are located relatively close to the
surface of the drain. If you know what is blocking your drain, or you want to try a quick fix before calling a professional, these options may be for you.

Corrosive Drain Cleaners

The first thing that many people do when faced with a clogged drain is reach for the drain cleaner. There are a number of drain cleaners on the market that use corrosive chemicals to power through soft clogs near the surface of the drain. These cleaners typically come in liquid form and contain highly concentrated bleach, lye, or potassium hydroxide. Some drain cleaners contain two components that are mixed when poured into the drain, creating a gas that is trapped inside the plumbing by a thick foam. The foam is designed to coat the insides of the drain pipe, removing the substance causing the clog. Chemical drain cleaners can be very convenient and easy to use. Most of them just require you to pour them into the clogged drain, wait awhile, and then rinse with warm water. The downside to chemical drain cleaners is that they are typically ineffective on more difficult clogs, or on blockages that occur further down the sewer line. The corrosive nature of these products also makes them potentially dangerous if they come into contact with your skin, eyes, or even lungs if you inadvertently breathe in their fumes. If you decide to use a chemical drain cleaner, take care to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and take proper caution to prevent injury.

The Natural Approach

A safer (but equally effective) alternative to chemical drain cleaners comes from combining ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. Do you remember building volcanoes for the school science fair by combining vinegar with baking soda to make an “eruption?” This technique builds on that same principle. First, pour about 3/4 of a cup of dry baking soda down the drain. Then, pour about 1/2 a cup of vinegar down the drain. White vinegar and apple cider vinegar work great, but any type will do. As soon as you pour the vinegar down the drain, you’ll want to cover the drain opening with a rag or some type of drain plug. The mixture of vinegar and baking soda will cause a chemical reaction, creating a foam that will rise up through the drain (just like the volcano!). Covering the drain will keep as much of the foam inside the pipe as possible, where it can unleash its cleaning power. Let the foam do its thing for about 30 minutes, then flush it thoroughly by pouring hot water down the drain. It may take multiple applications, but this method often leaves your drain clean and flowing smoothly. Using baking soda and vinegar is great when you need a drain cleaning solution on the fly, or if you are looking for a natural alternative to corrosive cleaners.

Clearing the Trap

A third DIY solution requires a little bit more work on your part, but is well-worth it if you are
faced with a large hair clog, or some foreign material caught in your sink drain. The first thing you’ll want to do is clear out the area under the sink. Then, place a bucket (you can use a pot in a pinch) under the sink pipes to catch any water or other debris that might fall out of the sink trap. Use pliers to loosen the metal slip nuts, and then finish removing them by hand. If you’ve got a plastic trap, you can usually skip the pliers, and just turn the slip nuts manually. You can use your hands to knock any blockage from inside the “elbow” of the trap into your bucket. If the clog is higher up near the drain (as is often the case with hair clogs in bathroom sinks), you can straighten a wire hanger and use that to pull the clog down through the pipe. Once the blockage is clear, just put the elbow back on and re-tighten the slip nuts. Dispose of the water and debris in your bucket (do NOT pour it back down the drain!), and voila–as good as new!

When to Call in the Pros

There are some times when it is just better to leave the plumbing repair work to the professionals. Examples of professional draining cleaning jobs include when you have:

• Recurring or persistent clogs that don’t respond to DIY treatment
• Thick grease blockages
• Clogged sewer pipes
• Invasive root growth

Master plumbers and other professionals have access to a number of tools made specifically for handling difficult drain clogs and blockages. Professional drain cleaners, such as those containing sulfuric acid, can be extremely dangerous when used by someone other than a licensed professional. Other professional tools, such as those used for hydrojetting, are far too expensive to be practical for anyone other than a master plumber. With the right tools and their extensive training, your plumber can effectively clear your drains of even the toughest blockages.

If you have tried to attack a difficult clog to no avail, it is possible that the blockage is in a place beyond your reach. With a bathtub drain, you might have to go into the pipes behind a wall. Some clogs can even
occur further down the water main, outside the house. A licensed plumber has the knowledge andexperience to handle complicated situations, making sure that all of your pipesend up back in the right places, avoiding further issues down the line. Amaster plumber can clear a drain and conduct additional troubleshooting todetect invasive root growth or other issues that you may have overlooked. If you’ve got a leaking faucet in addition to a blocked drain, you might want to call in a professional who can take care of everything at once.

The pros of calling in the Pros include:

• Expert knowledge and experience
• High-quality tools made to get the job done
• Convenience of having someone else do the work
• Troubleshooting knowledge to prevent other issues

When it comes to simple drain clogs, you can often resolve them on your own. For larger, more difficult jobs, don’t let the cost of hiring a professional deter you. Many plumbing specialists offer reasonable rates for their services, and you can’t put a price on your personal safety and peace of mind. Resolving a problem like a persistent leak can also save you on your water bill–savings that are well worth enlisting the help of a
professional.