Spencer: The Curse of the Slowly Leaking Toilet
August 23, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
At first glance, my nemesis doesn’t seem all that intimidating. A simple toilet, the type of commode you could find in any Spencer home. It’s white, with what I assume are classic lines. There’s a handle on the side you depress when you want to flush; there’s a lid to lift and a seat that in this entirely female household remains in the proper (down!) position at all times.
It also has a persistent slow leak. I discovered this fact by using my razor sharp observation skills. Also, I kept stepping in small puddles that formed at the base of the toilet. This, unsurprisingly, grossed me right out. There are things that you might want to step in at four in the morning. None of those things are in your toilet.
No problem, I was told, by the manly-men colleagues in the office. All I had to do was remove the toilet, replace the wax ring gasket that was underneath, and put the toilet back in place. Easy as pie – there was no reason, absolutely none, that I should call my Spencer plumber.
You know what happened next, don’t you? I’m a reasonably smart woman. I’m handy. We’ve got a toolbox full of all the regular tools – wrenches, screwdrivers, the whole bit. How hard could it be?
So off I went to the home improvement store. A wax ring was procured. I was ready to replace my toilet.
Did you notice any key instructions that weren’t in the list I shared earlier? Here’s a hint (and something your Spencer plumber would know): before you even attempt to remove the toilet, you need to shut off the water supply first. If you don’t – well, let’s just say that the small puddles from the small leak don’t even begin to compare to the mess you’ll make.
And toilets are really, really heavy. At least mine is. Once I got the whole water supply shut off figured out, I discovered that actually maneuvering the toilet out of the way was no small task. And the smell! One whiff, and my roommate was calling our Spencer plumber.
They arrived in record time, and discovered that the wax ring wasn’t even the issue! There was a crack in the toilet’s overflow pipe. That’s what was causing the leak. So even if I had been able to perform the repair as directed, it wouldn’t have fixed the issue!
That’s what sealed it for me. When I have a plumbing problem, I call our Spencer plumber. And if the manly-men have an issue with that, they can come fix the toilet themselves. So far, no one has volunteered…which I think means something. Call the plumber. It’s less stress, WAY less mess, and you don’ t have to try to learn plumbing as you go!
Shrewsbury Kitchen Remodel: Whole Family Friendly Design
August 16, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
The American family is changing. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it’s not “Leave it to Beaver” land out there. Whether it’s due to tight economic circumstances or changing cultural values, more and more families are what researchers term “multi-generational” – grandparents, parents, and children all living under the same roof.
When our families change, our homes need to change. One of the biggest places we’re seeing these changes is in the kitchen. Kitchen designers are working hard to come up with layouts and designs that accommodate a family’s needs for easy meal prep and clean up while acknowledging the special requirements of aging parents and grandparents. Making the safe space and attractive is essential as well. It sounds like a tough job – but don’t worry! Your Shrewsbury plumber can help!
Shrewsbury Plumber: Remodeling The Kitchen
Making the right plumbing choices can make your entire kitchen more family friendly. A great example of family friendly kitchen design is the pull down faucet.Pull down faucets can be used in a variety of positions. This makes it a great choice for family members who have difficulty lifting or moving heavy pans: fill the pan on the counter, and you don’t have to lift it out of the sink! Your Shrewsbury plumber can install your new faucet. You’ll find that it only takes a gentle pull from one hand to extend the faucet, and it retracts on its own.
The kitchen sink is another area that can be made more family friendly. Sinks that are very deep were once very fashionable: they’re great for cleanup and many people like the farmhouse look they evoke. However, if you have back problems, bending or stooping to get something out of a deep sink is difficult. The newest trend in kitchen design involves multiple sinks: one shallow sink makes clean up easy, with no bending or stretching involved. Talk to your Shrewsbury plumber about having a second sink installed. You’ll be glad you did – and so will the rest of your family!
Millbury: How To Tell When It’s Time To Replace The Water Heater
July 28, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Is there anything better than a soothing bath at the end of the day? What about an invigorating shower in the morning, or steaming away aches and pains after a tough workout?
All of these things require hot water.
Washing dishes, laundry, and cleaning up around the house isn’t nearly as much fun, but you need hot water for that as well. Not having hot water can really disrupt how well your family functions.
Is there a way to tell if your water heater is near the end of its useful life?
Absolutely, according to your Millbury plumber. There are a number of signs that every homeowner should watch for. If you see one or more of these signs, it’s definitely time to call your Millbury plumber. At a minimum, your water heater needs a service call. If your water heater is beyond repair, it’s time to consider water heater replacement.
Signs That There May Be Something Wrong With The Water Heater
- A lack of hot water. Does it take a very long time for the water to ‘heat up’ after you turn on the tap? If your water is consistently cold, or alternates between cold and lukewarm, there is a good change the water heater could be going.
- Extremely hot water – especially if it is hotter than you’ve ever experienced before – is also a sign something is wrong. Be extremely cautious if this has happened, and under no circumstances let children operate the taps until the issue is addressed – it is incredibly easy for them to get scalded and burned.
- Loud noises, thumps, bumps, and shudders coming from the water heater.
- Puddles forming at the bottom of the water heater. Look for any visible cracks, holes, or damage to the tank.
Water heaters generally last between 10-20 years, after which point they must be replaced. Your Millbury plumber can help you select the right water heater for your family and install it for you so you can enjoy a hot shower whenever you’d like!
Auburn: The 411 on Sewer Cleaning
July 18, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Who knows what horrors lurk within your sewer drain pipes? Your Auburn plumber does – and that’s great news for the homeowner who wants to avoid expensive excavation and the inconvenience of having the yard torn up.
Here’s everything you need to know about sewer cleaning:
Every home needs regular sewer cleaning. How often your home needs sewer cleaning depends on a number of factors. These include family size, how heavily your sewer system is used, and local environmental conditions. Talk with your Auburn plumber. They’ll be able to give you some information about how often homes in your region need their sewer drains cleaned.
Many times, people don’t call their Auburn plumber for sewer cleaning unless there’s a problem. That means clogged or obstructed pipes. There are a number of reasons why your pipes might clog. Unfortunately, there’s no way to know for sure why your sewer drain pipes are clogged from the outside: sewer drain pipes are underground, hidden from view.
Enter the wonderful world of visual inspection. Check out the camera in the picture. This specially sized and designed camera can be fed into your home’s sewer drain pipes. Your Auburn plumber can watch the screen and with pinpoint precision identify the cause and location of your problem. If you have accumulated sediment and residue blocking the sewer pipes, they’ll see that. If you have foreign objects, such as a child’s toy or a former boyfriend’s commemorative t-shirt, blocking the pipes, they’ll see that. If you have tree root penetrating your sewer drain lines, obstructing the flow of sewer water and organic material, they’ll see that. If your sewer drain pipes have collapsed or are otherwise damaged, this will be revealed.
Identifying the problem this way allows your Auburn plumber to find the fastest, best way to resolve the issue. Every problem has its own best solution. No more costly unnecessary excavation! Visual inspection saves you time, money, and inconvenience.
Franklin Plumbing Spotlight: Emergency Service
June 23, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
There are many different times in your life when you need a plumber.
For example, you need a plumber during new construction. If you’re building a new home in Franklin, you’ll need a plumber who can install new water supply lines and drainage pipes in your new kitchen, bathroom, and utility room. You’ll also need a plumber to install plumbing for outdoor living: installing outdoor spigots is only the beginning.
Another time you might need a good plumber in Franklin is if you’re renovating or remodeling the house. Upgrading the kitchen often means installing a new sink, changing the kitchen faucet, installing new appliances such as refrigerators or dishwashers that need water supply and drainage lines, and more. Renovating the master bath or adding a half bath for the kids? A great Franklin plumber is your best resource!
Franklin Emergency Plumbing Service
Another time you’ll need a plumber is when you have a plumbing emergency. There are many types of plumbing emergencies. For example, your toilet can clog, causing it to overflow and creating a big mess in the house. Frozen pipes can burst, flooding the basement or even the interior of your house. Heavy rainfall and flood events can leave you needing a new sump pump fast. Who do you call?
The best time to find a plumber to handle your plumbing emergencies is before you have a catastrophe! Talk with your neighbors and colleagues who live nearby. Discover who they call when they have a plumbing emergency. You want to work with a plumber who offers 24/7 emergency response service, who answers calls quickly and promptly, and has the resources to respond when you need them.
When you call for emergency service, try to explain as best you can what the problem is, what, if anything, you’ve done to deal with the problem – such as shutting off the water, and have clear directions to your house. That will help your Franklin plumber get there faster!
Central MA: Need A Great Gift for Father’s Day? Ask Your Plumber!
June 8, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
What did you give Dad for Father’s Day last year?
Can you remember?
More importantly, can he?
This year, knock your Father’s socks off with a gift that delivers luxury, comfort, and style – all at a surprisingly affordable price! Just get your Central MA plumber on the phone and tell them you want to talk about having a vertical spa installed. This year, you can make Father’s Day memorable.
What is a Vertical Spa?
A vertical spa is a special shower unit. There are multiple shower heads – the one in the picture has six! – that can be set to deliver water at exactly the temperature and pressure that your Dad likes the best. Experiencing a vertical spa is like walking into luxury. The water cleans and soothes the body, leaving you feeling invigorated and energized. A vertical spa is a great way to unwind after a tense day in the office or after a particularly tough workout.
Central MA Vertical Spa Installation
Vertical spas are available in a wide range of styles and finishes. You can find a vertical spa to complement any home decor – or if your Dad’s bathroom hasn’t had an upgrade since 1973, installing a vertical spa can be part of a whole new look!
Many people ask if installing a vertical spa is a do it yourself job. The answer to this question is that while some homeowners who have advanced plumbing skills would find the job doable, the majority of homeowners will want to turn to their Central MA plumber. Your plumber can remove your old shower, installing the new vertical spa, install the multiple showerheads, install and set the controls, and leave your Dad’s bathroom looking better than it ever has before.
Vertical spas are a particularly great gift for the active Dad. If your Dad works a physically demanding job or works out regularly, they’ll really appreciate how a vertical spa can leave them looking and feeling great!
Worchester County: Secrets of The Sump Pump
May 23, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Image: think4photop / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
No one has released any official statement yet, but it’s pretty easy to see that this has been one of the wettest springs in recent Massachusetts history. Heavier than usual snowfall this winter has coupled with lots and lots of rain this spring to produce high water conditions throughout the region.
While we’re lucky to not be facing as much water as some of the rest of the nation, localized flooding and heavy rain can lead to water in basements throughout the Worchester County area. When that happens, you need to have a strong, dependable sump pump.
Worchester County Sump Pump
Sump pumps are your home’s first line of defense against water in the basement. Whether that water enters your home as a result of a flood event, heavy rains, snow run off, or a burst pipe within the home, you want it out as soon as possible. Water doesn’t have to be in your home long before it starts doing damage. In a finished basement, this can mean ruined carpeting and wallboard – not to mention any possessions you may have stored in the basement. Treasured holiday decorations or an entire season’s worth of clothes can be gone.
Sump pumps are installed in the lowest point in your basement, where water would naturally accumulate. You can do this yourself, or have your Worchester County plumber do it for you. This is often the best choice as sump pump installation can require digging a sump pit in the basement, installing the new sump pump, installing a check valve to prevent water from flowing back into your basement, and connecting your sump pump to the drainage pipes that carry water away from your home.
Talk to your Worchester County plumber to select the best sump pump for your home. Sump pumps with battery backup provide peace of mind: you’ll be able to keep your basement dry even if the power goes out!
Worchester MA Plumbing Spotlight: Constantly Running Toilet
May 5, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
What Are The Signs Your Toilet Is Running Too Much?
There are two ways to tell if your toilet is running too much. The first is the noise. The sound of a toilet striving to fill the tank is distinctive. You’ll hear the sound of running water, just as you do after a normal flush, but the sound continues for a long time: minutes, sometimes even hours. The second way to tell if your toilet is running too much is to glance at your water bill. A spike in usage, which often accompanies a higher than expected bill, can be a sign that your toilet is running too much.
What Causes The Toilet To Run Continually?
Your Worchester, MA plumber can tell you that the primary cause of a toilet that runs too much is a problem with the toilet’s flushing mechanism. This mechanism is simple but has several parts. If any of these parts are broken, compromised, or failing to perform as required, your toilet will run continually.
There is a flapper that is supposed to seal the bottom of your toilet tank while it is being refilled. Often this flapper is the source of all of your problems. The rubber it is composed of can deteriorate; allowing water to escape all the while your toilet valiantly struggles to fill the tank. The result? A constantly running toilet!
What Can Be Done About A Constantly Running Toilet?
The one thing you don’t want to do if your toilet is running constantly is ignore the situation. It’s not good for your water bill or your sanity! The sound of running water can be soothing – but when you know you’re paying for every drop of water that’s being wasted down the drain, it’s just not the same.
Call your Worchester, MA plumber. They will inspect your toilet and determine the cause of your constantly running toilet. Repairing or replacing the flushing mechanism will get your home’s toilet running properly again.
Millbury Plumbing: What Trustworthy Means
January 26, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Owning a home is a big responsibility. There’s a lot on your plate. Upkeep and maintenance on a home in the Millbury area is a big job, make no mistake. As such, you’re continually bombarded with messages from service professionals of every type – plumbers, heating contractors, drain cleaning services, and more – touting their skills and services. They want you to trust them with your home.
Let’s be real here. After reading this news story it’s clear that you’re trusting your Millbury plumber with far more than your pipes and fixtures. Any time we let someone into our home, we’re making ourselves vulnerable. Our homes, our possessions, and most terrifying of all, our children and grandchildren, are being exposed to someone we hardly know at all.
This story, like far too many news stories like it, will take center stage for a while, creating fear and anxiety for homeowners who need to get their plumbing fixed. When the toilet’s backed up or the sewer line breaks, doing the repairs yourself is really not an option. You need professionals to service the furnace and restore lost water pressure. How do you know that the plumber you’re letting into your home is trustworthy?
Finding a Millbury Plumber
There are no guarantees in this world, but you can take steps to minimize the chances that you, your home, and your loved one becomes the victim of an unscrupulous plumber. Child safety experts recommend the following:
- Do your research. Find out what you can about a plumber before letting them into your home. Established, professional plumbing companies are considered safer than one-man operations, where there is no accountability or oversight.
- Keep your kids away from the plumber. Little children, especially boys who like to tear everything apart and girls who want to see how things work, often want to ‘help’. Unfortunately, this can present an opportunity for abuse. Keep the kids in another room, supervised. Do not leave your children alone with any unknown adults.
- Be alert. Pay attention to where the plumber is in your home and what they’re doing. Your plumber may need to work in the bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room to effect repairs. They may also need to access the basement, where pipes are. There’s no reason for your plumber to access other areas of the home: if they tell you they need to, accompany them.
Boylston: Your Home’s Plumbing – When Attention to Detail Matters
January 19, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Controversial musician Kanye West creates buzz with every statement that he makes. The latest tempest in a teapot has to do with Kanye’s displeasure over his snacks. He’d tweeted Room service uguugh! I hate when I order fruit and I can taste the other food they cut with the same knife. Beef flavored pineapples Love him or hate him, you’ve got to admit the rapper has a point: there are times when attention to detail matters.
Boylston homeowners know that one place where detail matters is your home’s plumbing. Our homes are our largest investment. The maintenance and upkeep of our homes is not something to take lightly.
Boylston Furnace Service
One of the areas where it’s essential to pay attention to every detail is your home’s heating system. This has been one of the roughest winters in recent memory, and we’re all depending on our furnaces and boilers to keep us warm.
If you haven’t had your furnace serviced recently, you’ll want to schedule a call now. That way you can have the peace of mind of knowing you’ll have heat for the remainder of this brutal winter. Forecasts include potential record low temperatures yet again over the next few weeks: don’t take chances with your family’s safety.
Attention to detail matters during a furnace service call. During a furnace service call, your Boylston plumber is performing all of the tests and checks needed to make sure your furnace is operating safely and efficiently. This includes checking and replacing filters and belts as needed. Fuel nozzles and electronic components are inspected to make sure everything is working properly. The entire unit is checked for cracks and leaks. A thorough cleaning and inspection can identify problems before they start – and save your family from a chilly surprise on a frigid February night!
Boylston Plumbing
Water heater installation, sump pump replacement and drain cleaning services are all common jobs for your Boylston plumber. Attention to detail matters: something as simple as ensuring your water heater is perfectly level can really impact the performance you can expect from your water heater. Don’t be afraid to ask your plumber questions! They take pride in doing the job right – down tot he last detail!
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Get the Red Carpet Treatment
Sure there are a lot of hard-working plumbers available to you. But how many of them will truly give you the Red Carpet Treatment?
FiveStar Services will literally roll out a protective red carpet before stepping foot in your home. We work hard to treat you the way we like to be treated when inviting a service professional into our home.
We show up when we say we will. We listen to you to properly diagnose the problem. And we clean up after ourselves leaving your home in pristine condition.
Experience a true professional plumbing and heating company by calling 1-866-Fivestar or submitting a service request right now.