Home » Ask the Plumber – Handy Tips and FAQ’s

Ask the Plumber – Handy Tips and FAQ’s

Losing Too Much Water Down Your Toilet:

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Plumbing Solutions That Work

Dog rose leaves covered with frost in Sweden.There are a lot of community incentives for replacing your toilet. Plumbing advice used to be, “Don’t install low-flush toilets or you’ll get what you asked for, and you won’t like it!”  Nowadays, those toilets actually work pretty well, and you should consider the savings advantages a little more closely.

Last year, the cities of Dallas, Plano, and Allen all offered financial incentives to conserve water through low-flush toilet replacement. The incentives varied slightly, but basically put a dollar figure on a voucher towards the toilets themselves, or a reimbursement on your water bill. Like last year, we’ll keep you posted on the programs that will help you get the replacements you need.

Several low-flush options are on the market now. They offer different levels of water use per flush. Get a toilet that isn’t built for volume and you could have a problem on your hands. When they aren’t built well, the slow flush and clogs are frequent and annoying. I don’t believe you use less water when you flush over and over, or need to have a clean out performed weekly.

Instead, contact us to learn our current recommendations. There are cost variables, of course, but also performance variables – and you need to know what will be the best value for your circumstance.

Don’t flush money down the toilet. Plumbing advice can be very beneficial. 972-424-6479

A Plumber is Your Advocate

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Hand coming out of toilet.Family-owned operations like ours have your best interest at heart. We’re not just out to fill quotas or pocketbooks with quick-fixes to see how many appointments we can manage in a day. Our strongest desire is to help you with your plumbing issues and add you to the list of clients that call us over and over because they know they’ll get personable and reliable service.

Besides water leak detection, what can you expect from us?

If you wonder whether or not we can help, call us and see! 972-424-6479

Photo Credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapitol.com on Flickr made available through a Creative Commons License.

Are You Staying Warm In The Shower?

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Water heaters.Water heaters are funny sometimes. You probably notice it first in the shower. Repair a toilet and you can tell right away, but a water heater in need of repair isn’t so evident until you start getting cold water for what seems to be no reason.

Before you head out of the bathroom and look for a baseball bat to find out who used all the hot water, see if you notice any trends:  [Read more…] about Are You Staying Warm In The Shower?

Is Your Plumbing Leak Bad Enough To Call A Plumber?

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Inside parts of faucet handle.You’ve asked this question before, I’m sure. Believe me when I tell you we understand that you’d rather fix a plumbing leak yourself instead of spending the money on a plumber. So many times we’re called out to jobs that were quite intensive – and expensive – because the call was delayed for that reason.

That sentiment is not new, and it doesn’t hurt our feelings! But we’re regular people, too. We have families. We get it. Fortunately, we’re all capable of doing our own plumbing repairs. We’ve learned a few things over the years that might help you make a smart decision before you end up with more trouble that you bargained for.

  • If your downstairs floor becomes unusually warm in a spot you never noticed before, call us, and read our previous post You Have a Slab Leak, Now What?
  • If water damage is evident at the base of your rocking toilet, again, call us.
  • If you notice standing water under your sinks, pay attention to where it is originating. A bowl only helps for a short while! Where the leak is originating will make a difference in the time it takes to repair. The more damage, however, the more it will cost you in drywall or cabinetry, etc.
  • Leaking faucet handles at the base can drip down inside cabinets and rot out materials all around the sink. Don’t let that go. Talk to Debi, Dorothy or one of the guys and get some advice about reliable brands for replacement. You don’t want to use anything that will have plastic parts inside. We can usually get you on the schedule within 24 hrs.

Whatever you do, don’t attempt gas line repairs yourself. A gas line repair may look simple, but this is not do-it-yourself territory. Our licensed plumbers participate in regular continuing education to stay up-to-date on the most effective repair techniques and code changes. You want to make your home as safe as possible for your family.

We hope this post has caused you to think about whether or not your plumbing leak is really bad enough to call the plumber. When in doubt, call! 972-424-6479

Photo Credit: jronaldlee on Flickr made available through a Creative Commons License

We Know Those Necessary Permits Can Be a Pain

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Most cities have required permits for years on things like water heater, gas line, water and sewer installations. They vary slightly from city to city, but we take care of that for you and obtain the necessary permit for your job.

We know that it’s difficult for you to take time from work to be home for the work to be done, and then you have to be available to see it through the permit process. We try to make it as easy as possible!

Truth be told however, they really are an important part of ensuring that the work you have done is up to code. It’s a protection from many things. It protects you from having work that is not safe and up to code and it protects us because we are required to take out the proper permits by the State of Texas or be subject to large fines or even losing our license to work.

For instance, you need to have a plumbing license to do certain types of work. Often handymen are hired for those jobs because they are lower-priced, but you have to consider the trade-offs. The licenses and insurance, even the continuing education, all cost money, and a licensed plumber has to offset those fees. By comparison, those illegally doing that work without the proper licensing can cause you to be unarmed if the work goes haywire. Where’s the insurance to kick in when damage to a person or property is due to an illegally non-permitted job?

Those permits can’t be taken out by just anybody. We have to show that we are a licensed and insured plumbing company, and on file with the city. A homeowner can do work themselves if they live in the home where the work is to be done, but a hired contractor who knows what they’re doing is the safer bet, and they must have necessary permits.

We wanted you to know why we take those steps. They truly are for your protection, so we wanted you to know that we feel your pain! Even so, we’ll always do our best to err on the side of right. It’s ultimately in your best interest.

Gary’s Quality Plumbing Uses Local Suppliers

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Happy couple enjoying the holidays.For those of you who can appreciate the value of buying local, we want you to know that all of our suppliers are local companies that you support when you purchase your items from us.

We know some things can be purchased yourself from the home improvement stores, but for many people, even that much activity is quite burdensome. With Gary’s Quality Plumbing, that never has to be an issue. We can get anything you need to get the job done, and we have vans that are stocked with the many parts and supplies that are usually needed for your repairs.

Just ask us, we’ll supply everything needed for a beautiful, quality installation or dependable repair. 972-424-6479