Dorothy Skinner

Water leak detection: Stop That Plumbing Leak

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Some leaks are obvious and show themselves readily, other plumbing leaks aren’t apparent unless you know what to look for. The leaks that are harder to find can do far more damage than those that are easily noticed. Many homeowners don’t realize that many of the faucets and handles available today consist of plastic parts that easily crack under frequent use, and replacement washers aren’t helpful in the newer washerless designs. When that is the case, water leaks can end up puddling in an area that may not be readily visible, and you’re going to have to look a little harder to see if damage is evident.

Look for:Leaking faucet fixture.

  • Bulging drywall
  • Peeling paint
  • Mineral deposits
  • Sagging wood beneath the sink or the wall behind
  • Mold or mildew, especially in an area that should be entirely dry
  • Buckling or loose floor tiles or
  • New insect populations

Sometimes those leaks aren’t originating from the sink faucets or drains, sometimes they are due to old shut-off valves that are located under and behind the sink. Those need to be repaired, usually replaced, as soon as possible because they are often problematic behind the wall for some time before a leak is evident. What could have been a simple repair can then become more costly.

Protecting your home or property from a significant plumbing leak will save you money. It’s better to take care of those types of problems before they get out of control. If you notice rust around your drain, fixtures, or valves, that is also a clue that moisture is going where it shouldn’t be going.

Take a closer look around your home for plumbing leaks in the laundry room behind or under the washer, under the kitchen sink, below the dishwasher, around all your bathroom fixtures, and outside at your hose bib. Remember to call us at 972-424-6479 to get on the schedule as soon as possible if those repairs involve more than you feel confident doing yourself.

Don’t be embarrassed if you end up over your head in a do-it-yourself repair! We understand, and we can help. If you have a story about a plumbing leak that got out of control, leave us a comment and tell us about it, and let us know how you handled the repair. We love to hear from you.

Running Water?

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When you hear water running and can’t figure out where it’s coming from, or you walk on the floor and it feels unusually warm – don’t ignore those symptoms. You have a problem and it’s time to call your Plano plumber.

We will locate and repair that leak for you. Call us right away because running water under the slab can cause foundation problems that can be very costly.

Why I Love my Family Business

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I’m feeling thankful today, so I thought I would tell you all about it.

About 3 years ago I found out I had prostate cancer and colon cancer. I was still working every day, but now I needed chemotherapy every day and couldn’t work.

I am thankful for my men. Three of them are my sons and one is my son-in-law. They, with my daughters, have kept things going around here. Our daughter, Debi, takes care of the office and schedules work. She’s my youngest. My firstborn, Shari, lives in Wisconsin and has built my website. My daughter, Susan, is a local copywriter, and  works on this website with Shari. If you need a website built and customers driven to it, they can do it for you.

My wife, Dorothy, runs this business with the help of our sons and daughters – so you can see why I am thankful. I am also thankful that my cancer is under control and I will be able to start bidding jobs again when this chemo fog lifts out of the way.

If you still haven’t met my sons Steve, Danny, and Jason – or my son-in-law, Adam, give us a call. They will do a good job for you.

Customer Safety – How Do You Know it’s Us?

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When you’re having an emergency, you wait and look … and look … and drive yourself crazy looking for your plumber to pull up to your house. There is NEVER any plumber ANYWHERE that can be there fast enough for a customer’s emergency! In that case, you’re plenty aware of who is knocking at your door. But what if you are simply having routine maintenance done, or a less urgent situation? We all know it’s very easy to be distracted in the home and not really think about who is at your door. If you are already one of our valuable customers, you know us all by name. But if you are a new customer, how can you be sure it is our company at your door?

First of all, look out a near window to see if our clearly marked company vans are outside where you can see them. If you can’t see the truck, ask through the door, “Who is it?”  It is possible that while you were looking out the window our man may have walked back to the truck for something, or stepped far enough away from the door that he didn’t hear you. Our men wear shirts with “Gary’s Quality Plumbing” clearly marked on the back, and their names are on the front. If you don’t see those words, you’re not dealing with Gary’s Quality Plumbing, and you need to make an excuse to get back behind the door and lock it until you can find out if who you’re dealing with is legitimate.

Our goal is to provide you excellent products and service, safely. We want to encourage our customers to be aware of who is at their door, and to call our company to speak with Dorothy or Debi if you have any doubts whatsoever. We do our best to be easily identified by our customers, and value their safety at all times.

Spring Spuce-Up

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Polish and shine the fixtures you have, and if they still look dull and outdated, new faucet trim or fixtures will make your home sparkle again. Often those details are exactly what’s needed to pull the whole room together.

Are obnoxious odors coming from your sink drains or garbage disposer?

For fresher sink drains:

  • Pour bleach down the emergency drain slowly, using a funnel if necessary to limit the amount used. Follow with water.
  • If pouring bleach down the drain irritates the ‘green’ out of you, then try baking soda and an old toothbrush reaching as far as possible into that emergency drain without losing grip of the brush. A pipe cleaner may be necessary.

For garbage disposers:

  • Baking soda and ice while disposer is running. Use short bursts and rinse with hot water.
  • Lemon juice and baking soda with ice is also helpful, but remember NOT to put the peel through the disposal.

Remember: NEVER under any circumstances should you ever put your fingers down the disposal side of the drain.

If these tips don’t help, call your Plano plumber to clean your drain lines or replace a poorly working disposal with a newer model.

Do you have tips that have worked just as well? Share them with us!