Posts by Newman's Plumbing

If the past few weeks are any indication, winter is not going away and subfreezing temperatures are not leaving anytime soon. Nonetheless, your body is not the only one feeling the brunt of another winter. Your home, including your pipes, has to live through these cold months.

While homeowners could take every possible precaution to avoid frozen pipes, when the winter chill comes knocking, certain pipes freeze. Frozen pipes don’t only take away your shower, but can ruin your dinner or run up your utility bills.

This article is by Jason Hargraves and published by Angie’s List   Endless hot water, additional storage space and lower energy bills are just a few reasons homeowners are switching to tankless water heaters. But those perks may not be enough for some people to offset the extra purchase cost and installation expense. The U.S.…

If you plan to sell a house, you need to ensure it’s in excellent condition to maximize profits. Potential homebuyers will want to know if they’re investing in the right property or not. They will even hire house inspectors to examine the house before buying.

Besides, doing the necessary repairs will increase your home’s value and even attract many potential homebuyers. The plumbing fixes are one of the most vital repairs to do before listing your house in the market. So, what are the things you have to fix first?

When water freezes, it expands. That’s why a can of soda explodes if it’s put into a freezer for too long. When water freezes in a pipe, it expands the same way. If it expands enough, the pipe bursts, water escapes, and you are hit with a huge invoice. No matter how cold it gets, there are certain precautions all homeowners can take to avoid frozen pipes. 

What is the No. 1 issue consumers need to think about to keep their plumbing working?

One of the most common plumbing issues people face during the holidays is a clogged sink or malfunctioning garbage disposal. I always recommend being wary of the “FOG.” Fats, oils, and grease are your garbage disposals worst enemy. While this material is in liquid form when it’s initially poured into the disposal, it congeals into a viscous sludge as it cools. The FOG then sticks to the walls of the disposal chamber, as well as the walls of the drain pipe. This can gum up the impeller, as well as clog the drain. Don’t pour FOG down the garbage disposal if you want to avoid these issues. Throw it away, instead.

When closing a vacation home for winter in colder climates, you need to make sure that everything is set to withstand freezing temperatures. Failing to do so can cause large, costly problems for your sometimes home. If you’re winterizing a home for the first time, or just not sure how to proceed, these tips will help you protect your vacation property with proper winter precautions.
The main concern for winterizing any home is preventing pipes from freezing. This can be especially important in vacation homes, since there isn’t a full-time occupant to quickly react and prevent pipes from freezing at the earliest warning sign.
Pipes, especially those that are near the home’s outer walls or in exposed areas such as crawl spaces. Pipes in these exposed areas should be insulated, preferably with foam, to prevent frost build-up or freezing. Hoses should be disconnected from outdoor spigots or faucets, and in colder climates, frost-proof covers should be installed to prevent freezing.

Are you unhappy with the quality of the water in your home? Does your tap water have a weird taste or smell? Are you worried that your family may be ingesting or absorbing dangerous substances through your water supply? In an ideal world, everyone would have access to safe and clean drinking water, but unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Consuming contaminated water can cause many diseases that bring unpleasant symptoms, including diarrhea, vomiting, and pneumonia. In severe cases, consuming contaminated water can even lead to death.

The water heater is something most of us take for granted, until it suddenly stops working. As cold water imposes reality, we desperately dial a plumber or rush off to get a new water heater. All this might be avoided with some regular preventive maintenance.
Water heater maintenance is easy to overlook because the tank just sits there and has no moving parts to worry about. Inside though, two things are constantly attacking your water heater: sediment and rust.
Most steel water heater tanks are lined with glass to prevent rust, but the glass lining is never perfect and constant temperature fluxes cause minute openings. When water eventually penetrates the lining, the tank begins to rust.