Prestige Plumbing

Chemicals can be extremely harsh on your drains, so it's important to manage your  plumbing drains  in different ways. How are you supposed to take care of your drains when they become clogged or you just want to do a little preventative maintenance? Today we’ll be focusing on three of the most common problem areas and how to deal with them. The bathroom is home to showers, sinks, and toilets, which are three of the most  common plumbing problem  sites, and the fourth being the kitchen sink. 1. The Kitchen Sink Kitchen sinks see a lot of things they shouldn’t necessarily see. Focusing on keeping excess cooking grease out is one of the top ways to keep your drain in working order. Ensuring you have a drain plug with a catch while doing dishes is vital to keeping food that doesn’t belong in the drain, out of the drain. Things like eggshells, leafy vegetables, and stringy vegetables (like celery) are some of the most common culprits of food clogs. If you are one of thos...

Sewer backup describes what happens when water comes up or is pushed into your home through the pipes from sewer or drainage systems. It is a very unpleasant type of water damage because it often involves dirty water from the sewers that will not only destroy your personal property but can also impact your health because it's so unsanitary. There are several potential sources of sewer backup: Blockage of a city sanitary main: If the city main gets blocked, it may cause water to back up into your home through your pipes. Aging sewer systems that require updates or repair. Tree roots: When you have older pipes, sewer lines and water entry pipes, tree roots can find their way into the pipes and cause blockages. You can check for this problem on your own lines by having a plumber check your pipelines with a camera and do some basic preventative maintenance on your home, which we will address in a little bit. City-related pipeline issues like combined pipelines or problems in the sanita...

The calendar has turned over to September, and now cooler weather is on the horizon with winter weather looming behind that! This is time of year to get your plumbing in your home ready for the winter months, so here are some tips to keep you from costly emergencies! 1. Put away hoses. This means disconnect, drain and store your hoses in a place where they will be protected from freezing. If any water that didn't drain out freezes, it could ruin your hose! 2. Turn off the spigot. Stores do sell "frost-free" hose bibb, also known as spigots or outdoor faucets. Now is the time to install one if you don't have one. If you don't want to invest in one, make sure that you turn off the inside line that leads to the bibb. If freezing air gets to the water in the line and it's not shut off, you risk getting frozen and then busted pipes! 3. Get any necessary maintenance. Have your sewer checked. Some plumbers offer camera inspections of lines. Getting your water heater ...

Did you know that you’re 3.5 times more likely to experience water damage than theft in your home? And water leaks can cause more damage than burglars can. Just imagine a home security system that would not only let you know when there is an intruder, but could also stop that intruder in their tracks — that’s how leakSMART® works when water threatens your home.  There are 4 main components to the leakSMART® system, and we'll explain those in a little bit. First, how does the system work? The system detects water leaks throughout your home, shuts off the water at the first sign of a leak, alerts you with both audible and visible alarms, and sends you an app notification on your smart device — all in less than 5 seconds.  The first part of the leakSMART®  system are wireless, waterproof and reusable leakSMART® Sensors that monitor both moisture and temperature and will signal your leakSMART® Hub at the first sign of a leak. These sensors are placed strategically througho...

Low water pressure in your house can be aggravating. When you are taking a shower, it takes longer to rinse the soap off. When you are washing dishes, it takes forever to fill the sink. Your washing machine will probably never fill up! What can you do? The first step in fixing the problem is determining its cause. Let’s say that you’ve recently purchased a home with low water pressure. First consult with neighbors to find out whether the issue plagues the entire community. If it does, you can install a water pressure booster, which operates by increasing the pressure of water on its way from the main water line to your kitchen and bathroom fixtures. In situations where the neighbors have good pressure but you don’t, the culprit may be a water pressure reducing valve. A previous owner may have had a regulator added to limit the force of water diverted from the municipal supply line. Determine whether such a valve exists at your home; if you discover one, ask a plumber to adjust the se...

Water heaters are something you kind of take for granted...until it stops working. You can picture taking a nice, hot shower when suddenly the water turns ice cold. Kind of made you shudder, didn't it? Checking out your water heater every so often can save you a world of trouble, so here are a few tips. Check the water heater for signs of leakage, rust or other problems. Look at the hardware and other parts and see if there is any corrosion. Use a bright flashlight to inspect underneath and around the bottom, and/or you can run your hand all around and under the base to see if you feel the water. A typical, tank-type water heater lasts 10-15 years depending on the model, level of maintenance and the kind of water running through it. Hard water can cause mineral deposits to build up and impede water flow, so it helps to clean off any accumulated materials occasionally. Sediment builds up on the bottom of the hot water heater tank but can be flushed out every so often by releasing a ...

One of the most common calls plumbers get is to "get rid of this clog." So this blog is here to help you know what not to put down your drains so your pipes will run clean and you won't have to call a plumber! Your toilet is the last thing you want to have clogged and backed up, so avoid flushing these things: Baby Wipes Cotton Swabs Feminine Hygiene Products (even if they say they are flushable) Paper Towels and Facial Tissues Diapers Medication Kitty Litter Cleaning/Disinfectant Wipes Your garbage disposal is something that is so useful, you can sometimes forget that it does have limitations. Many of these things will gum up the gears (or break them), clog your pipes, or stick everything and the rot will cause a horrible smell! These things are a "no go" when using your disposal: Grease & Oil Rice, Pasta, Anything That Swells Egg Shells Non-Edible Food Items Animal Bones Harsh Chemicals Fibrous Vegetables like celery, asparagus, etc. Coffee Grounds  This o...