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Many homeowners don’t pay much attention to their household plumbing until something goes drastically wrong — and when that happens, it’s often an expensive fix in more ways than one. Not only is a major plumbing crisis expensive to have repaired, your home may be unlivable until everything is back in working order. If you don’t have accommodating relatives or friends nearby, you may be on the hook for a motel room until your plumbing is up and running again. Fortunately, proactive strategies exist that make it possible for homeowners to circumvent many plumbing dilemmas. You probably already know that […]
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Pools are great in the summertime. There are few things better than sitting around by the pool with a group of friends on a hot summer day. The one thing that does make it better is if you’re not the one responsible for maintaining the pool. There’s an old saying about boats. “Don’t buy a boat, find a friend who has one.” The same can also be said for pools – depending on how much you use them. Pools are a great asset to any home. As long as they are maintained. So, what are some costs associated with owning […]
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There are few things more irritating than a clogged drain. It can lead to unclean sinks or showers, potential odor issues and unnecessary costs if you need a plumber to unclog it. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent drain clogs and minimize those issues. With some easy proactive steps, you can greatly reduce the risk of clogs in your kitchen and bathroom drains. Below are a few tips to consider: Rinse your drains regularly. Perhaps the easiest step you can take is to simply clean your drains on a regular basis. That’s especially true of your kitchen […]
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Summer downpours cause basement flooding. Depending on your situation, even just a little bit of rain can cause a huge mess. In climates like Pittsburgh’s, it’s pretty important to consider waterproofing your basement – whether it’s finished or not. Because you want to spend more time outside, and less time inside with the shop-vac. Find the Leak First The easiest way to find the leak is to cover the walls in your basement with plastic. Once it rains, see where the plastic gets wet and then patch the area. This is just the first step in waterproofing your basement. Once […]
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If you’re the outdoorsy type, summer is awesome. Warm weather. Maybe a summer vacation. Playing outside with your kids, or calling off work to spend the day at the pool. All in all, people love summer. There’s nothing like it – especially after a long Pittsburgh winter! However, one thing that can derail a perfect summer day is plumbing issues. Here are a few common plumbing issues we see come up each summer, as well as some tips to make sure you’re being proactive about them. Sprinkler Issues Not everyone has sprinklers, but those who do have probably run into […]
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Whether you have a well or you’re on city water, it’s important to make sure you’re using some sort of water filtration system to ensure the water coming out of your faucet is safe to drink. Tap water is great. It’s cost effective, environment friendly, and it means you don’t have to lug those heavy cases of water from your car into your house. Who would’ve thought 35 bottles of water would be so heavy? Water Filtration Options There are numerous water filtration options ranging in price and functionality. You can buy a whole house water filter if you really […]
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Most companies send their utility bills electronically these days. So, there’s no need to dread heading to the mailbox to see if your kids racked up your water bill for the second month in a row. Now you just have to close your eyes when you log into your account. The summer can be a tough time for water usage. Just think about it: whether you have a pool, or the kids are home for the summer and everyone is taking more showers because it’s so hot, the water bill can take a significant hike during the dog days of […]
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Yes, it can be tempting to just flush a lot of things down the toilet. After all, it’s an easy way to get rid of things, isn’t it? Whether it be Q-tips, toilet paper, etc., all of those things can be flushed with no problem. Baby wipes, on the other hand, look harmless, right? Well, unfortunately, they’re not. Why can’t I flush baby wipes? We can make a long blog post really short and just tell you not to flush wipes down the toilet because we said so. But nobody ever appreciates that sort of tone. So why can’t you […]
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Plumbing issues come up over the course of time. Whether you have a brand new home, or you’ve inherited a home built 100 years ago, chances are, you’re going to have to hire a plumber at some point during your homeowner adventure. It’s important to ask the right questions when contacting a plumber to ensure they’re qualified, capable and reliable. Experience is Key It’s a general rule of thumb that the more experience you have, the better you are. Sure, there are exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, an experienced plumber is a good plumber. If you […]
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Do you need to call a plumber? Obviously, we would love for our phone to be ringing off the hook. However, there are a few plumbing related issues that you can fix fairly quickly and easily. Also, for the major issues, there are a few things you can do to keep the situation under control until a plumber arrives at your house. Let’s dive in! Running Toilet There are numerous ways to troubleshoot a running toilet. In fact, we wrote a whole blog post on it! However, in most cases, you can fix a running toilet by just adjusting the […]
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