Plumbing Repair

Bradford White Water Heaters Are Four for Four

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According to the CLEAReports by Clear Seas Research, our own company favorite – Bradford White water heaters – are still the brand most purchased by plumbing contractors nationwide for the fourth year in a row. Why? In our opinion, it’s because they continue to be the most dependable water heater on the market.

This American made water heater is solid, long lasting and easy to repair. They have the best gas control valve on the market. Engineered with quality in mind, Bradford white water heaters continue to outperform their competition. It’s nice to be involved with a company that takes excellence into consideration.

Rusty old water heater.You can’t get a Bradford White at your local home improvement store, but you can get one through us. Make sure you take some time this weekend to look at the date on your water heater. It will be on a panel on the side of your water heater.

If it’s out of date, start paying attention to it. Give it a little inspection by checking around the base to see if there’s moisture present. We highly recommend getting it replaced before it leaks water everywhere and makes an awful mess.

And when you decide to replace your water heater, call us to install a new one and remove the old. We’ll make sure it’s installed up to code and safely situated.

 

Local Restaurants and Plumbing Maintenance

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As a local copywriter in the Richardson area, I have the opportunity to do some blogging for local businesses. Every once and a while, you’ll see me author some posts for my dad’s blog, Ask the Plumber. Today, I have a couple of questions I’d like to ask both restaurant patrons and area restaurant management.

For the Restaurant Patrons:
Do you ever get concerned when you take your family or friends out to eat, and a slight putrid odor wafts through from the kitchen or bathroom? Does it make you wonder if you’ll be ill later? Do you find a clogged toilet or a leaky, puddled sink to be a nuisance that’s hard to keep your young children from when you take them to the bathrooms? Does poor plumbing maintenance make you wonder if the restaurant respects your patronage?

I can’t be alone when I share my concerns with management. I leave my dad’s business cards with them frequently. I love to dine out, and many will notice the reviews I post on Yelp.com about the places I enjoy. I tend not to post about the places I won’t return. I know that not returning is a far better way to get the point across, and I’m just not cranky. I hear so many of the waitstaff talk about the slow down in business these days, and wonder if they understand that something so small can make a huge impact on repeat business. If you agree, I encourage you to respond to this post. Maybe we can make a difference.

For Restaurant Management:
Do you frequent the bathrooms to see if they are in need of repair? Do you believe that no one notices poorly maintained plumbing? Do you realize that the bathroom is typically the  last place your patrons visit before they leave your restaurant, and that visit may change the way they felt about everything you tried so hard to do for them?

Seriously.

If you are managing a local restaurant and pride yourself on clean practices and good plumbing maintenance, leave a response to this post with your strategy and a link back to your website for our readers. If you have never thought about this before, it may be time to give Gary’s Quality Plumbing a call and see what a difference decent bathroom and kitchen plumbing protocol can make for your patrons  – and the way they speak about their experience after they’ve left your restaurant.  Please leave your comments below, including any questions, links, and success stories.

Plumbing Woes Can Ruin Your Holiday Fun

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With the onset of fall, we want to remind you that we are heading for the inevitable colder weather! Don’t let freezing water catch you by surprise. North Texas typically won’t freeze over for a couple more weeks, so we’ve got time to take some preventative measures that can save a lot of money in the long run.

  • Now is the time to make sure you don’t have any leaking hose bibs. (outdoor faucets)
  • Remember to remove your hoses before a freeze to prevent costly repairs.
  • Styrofoam caps or other covering will protect your hose bib from cracking under a freeze.
  • Leave your pool running before, during, and just after a freeze.
  • Consider getting your waste lines cleaned out before holiday entertaining.

Enjoy your beautiful autumn days, and take advantage of this friendlier time of year to get around your house and check out the state of things. Get a game plan together so you’re not caught off guard when it gets nasty outside!

Related Article: Plumbing Woes Can Ruin Your Holiday Fun

How Do Below Freezing Temperatures Affect My Plumbing?

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Anytime the air gets below the freezing point, water has a chance to freeze. That’s especially true for outside faucets exposed to the elements. As water drops below the freezing point, it expands. When water freezes within your pipes, it’s never a good thing.

When water expands, it can burst the pipe or faucet fixture it was in. It may not happen the first time, but it can. Texas winters can be hard on our pipes and fixtures. Water freezes and thaws, exposing them to significant pressure. In time this may undermine the strength of the pipe or fixture.

You can protect your exterior faucets with the installation of a freeze-proof tap. This preventative measure will save you trouble and money in the long run.