The Importance of Pulling Permits for Plumbing Work
So you made the decision to sell your house, and to save some money, you did a lot of the plumbing work yourself. Now you’ve got yourself a buyer and it’s smooth sailing, right?
Wrong.
Now you’re going to run into the major stumbling block that a lot of sellers have run into. If you didn’t pull the proper permits for the plumbing work you did, you’re going to have to call a licensed plumber to come in and inspect the work. And if the work wasn’t done properly according to the Massachusetts Plumbing Code, you’re going to have to have it done all over again by a professional. So much for saving some cash.
There’s a mistaken belief that if you have a building permit, you can fix or upgrade the plumbing yourself. It’s not true. You have to pull a separate plumbing permit to make renovations, additions, removals, or changes of any kind. And don’t think as a homeowner you can pull the plumbing permit yourself. In Massachusetts, only a licensed plumber can do that.
And money concerns aside, attempting plumbing projects yourself can be incredibly dangerous. You could accidentally tap a gas line. You could wind up filling your home with deadly carbon monoxide. You could cross connections between potable (safe for drinking) water and contaminated water (used for heating systems).
Don’t risk it. Plumbers protect the health and safety of the community! Call a licensed professional for all your plumbing needs, and rest easy that everything was done properly and legally the first time around.
AAA Plumbing and Heating are experts when it comes to plumbing and heating needs. Based in Danvers, Massachusetts, AAA Plumbing and Heating handle all aspects of bathroom remodeling and fixture replacement, installations, and general plumbing repairs, and also install and repair water heaters, storage tanks, gas stoves, and more. Contact AAA Plumbing and Heating today!
Keeping Your Pipes from Freezing and Bursting
The temperatures continue to dip here in New England, which can cause all kinds of problems for property owners including the dreaded frozen pipes. In this post, we will cover a few tips to help prevent your pipes from bursting and what to do if this happens to you.
While it is the cold that causes pipes to burst, it’s not just the ice in the pipes that causes breakage, but an increase of water pressure. A complete ice blockage, the continuous freezing and expansion of the water, and the increase of the water pressure between the ice blockage and a closed faucet are what cause pipes to fail.
In New England, most pipes are contained behind insulated walls. However, sometimes cracks or holes, such as those in outside walls for cable or telephone lines, can allow freezing air to seep through. Or, if a house isn’t heated and water is left in the pipes, breakage can occur. And, pipes in attics or outside are vulnerable to freezing temperatures, such as outdoor showers or even garden hose spigots.
How to Prevent Frozen Pipes
During winter months, it is a good idea to shut off and drain all outside water lines to prevent pipes from freezing. It may also be a good idea to do this if you are going on a trip and the heat will not be on the house. Keeping a small amount of water dripping out of faucets may also help to prevent pipe breakage, but not always.
What to do if You Have a Frozen Pipe
Do not try to thaw a pipe with an open flame because you could end up starting a fire. And if a pipe has burst, do not use electrical appliances to thaw pipes as you could get electrocuted. If you suspect that a pipe has frozen or if one has burst, you should call a plumber to have it taken care of immediately. If a water pipe bursts, make sure to turn off the water where the main line comes into the house; keep your faucets open until the problem can be take care of.
Water Heater Insulation
Before you read another line of this post, go touch your water heater. Is it warm? That’s proof that you could use some insulation.
Water heaters that aren’t properly insulated lose heat and cost you money. By insulating your water heater, you can reduce heat loss by up to 45%, which can reduce your water heating bill by up to 9%. Your options for adding extra insulation to the tank are to install a rigid piece of insulation, called a bottom board, beneath your tank or to wrap it with an insulating blanket or jacket.
Homeowners can easily find insulating blankets and jackets for sale, but if your tank is gas or oil fired, it is best to ask a plumbing and heating professional who is aware of safety issues to add the extra insulation. Although the process isn’t difficult, it’s easy for someone inexperienced to block airflow to the burner, or accidentally cover a drain or flue.
Tankless Water Heaters
Continuing our discussion of water heaters, in this blog we look at tankless water heaters.
Most water heaters in North America are tank water heaters. They are a familiar cylinder shape, and keep gallons of water (typically 20 to 100 gallons) continuously hot and ready for use. Natural gas heaters are most popular in the United States since they are cheapest to use, but tank water heaters also use electricity, propane, heating oil, solar, or other energy sources.
A newer technology that is quickly gaining popularity is the tankless water heater. Also known as instantaneous, inline, on-demand, or instant-on water heaters, tankless water heaters instantly heat water as it flows through the device, and do not keep any water internally except for what is in the heat exchanger coil.
Tankless heaters can be installed throughout a house at more than one point of use, far from the central water heater; larger models can provide all the hot water for an entire house. One advantage of tankless water heaters is a continuous flow of hot water. Another is energy savings, as compared to a limited flow of continuously heating hot water from conventional tank water heaters.
Should you convert from a tank water heater to a tankless model? It’s best to check with a licensed, experienced plumber to see if it’s practical, cost-efficient, or in the case of some older houses, even possible. Call AAA Plumbing and Heating today to find out more.
Dead Hot Water Heater? Check Your Warranty
In the last few blog posts, we have been discussing tips to keep your water heater in good working order. Most people probably never think about their hot water heater until one morning they are shocked into consciousness by a freezing cold shower. This is when we get called in.
Sometimes some simple repairs will do the trick to get a water heater back in business, and sometimes the water heater is old, corroded, or leaking and simply needs to be replaced. Occasionally, a water heater dies before its time. If you find yourself in this situation, make sure to check the warranty. Most warranties cover six, nine, or twelve years. And, it could be possible that your hot water heater is still under warranty. If this is the case, you would only have to shell out money for the installation of a new water heater. So, before you purchase your next hot water heater, make sure to check the warranty!
Dealing with Sediment in Your Water Heater
In most homes, hot water heating is the third largest energy expense, and hot water heaters are expensive appliances. So it makes sense to do everything you can to extend the life of your hot water heater and make it as energy efficient as possible.
One important part of hot water heater maintenance is draining it to prevent sediment buildup. The sediment is calcium carbonate, a mineral that separates from water when it’s heated and settles to the bottom of water heaters where it wreaks havoc.
Sediment can form a thin layer of insulation between the water heater’s gas burner or the electric element and the water. This insulation slows heat transfer, which makes the tank less energy efficient, and overheats the tank bottom, which weakens the tank and can cause it to fail. The sediment could also cover the heating element in electric water heaters, which would cause the element to burn out.
It’s best to have your water heater drained at least once a year, but if you have very hard water, you should consider doing it more often. Call a professional in your area for advice on frequency and assistance with draining.
You Can’t Afford to Wait
Let’s face facts. There are some seriously old houses in Massachusetts. And a lot of those old houses have old plumbing and old heating systems, and sooner or later, something is going to need to be serviced or replaced. Not that plumbing and heating issues are exclusive to old houses; newer houses can just as easily have the same problems.
If you do have problems with your pipes, water heater, valves, et cetera, it’s important to have them fixed as soon as possible. Things that start small can get very big and very bad very quickly, so time is of the essence. But sometimes things just start big and require major repairs, which can get expensive. Should you put off fixing them because money is tight?
Of course not. Luckily, AAA Plumbing and Heating offers financing. If you qualify, you can have the work done today and pay for it over time. Call 978-774-6300 to find out more. And don’t let the potential cost of installation or repairs keep you from getting the necessary work done. Old or new, you want to keep your home safe and operational for a long time to come.
Take Care of Your Hot Water Heater and It Will Take Care of You
Since they have been in existence, basements have long been held as some of the scariest places on earth. While Halloween will soon be upon us, this post is not about ghosts and ghouls in the basement but about the frightening ways that people mistreat their hot water heaters, and we provide a few tips to help keep your hot water working properly and safely.
Because hot water heaters generally are located in the basement of a home or building, they often tend to be surrounded by the stuff that people store in basements. Oftentimes, the water heater gets crowded by all kinds of junk, from laundry lines to paint cans to stacks of old newspapers.
Hot water heaters should be free from these types of encumbrances. This may seem strange, but hot water heaters need their space to function properly. Because they can get extremely hot, storing things too close to a hot water heater can be dangerous. Vapors from things like gas cans, paint cans, and other flammables could potentially create a hazardous situation. If this sounds familiar, take heed. Move the clutter somewhere else!
With proper maintenance and care, your hot water heater should last for years to come.
In upcoming posts, we will cover other topics about hot water heaters:
- Dealing with sediment
- Insulating a hot water heater
- Installing a new hot water heater
Cash for Clunker Commodes
Residents of Danvers, Massachusetts, interested in making their homes a little greener this year are in luck. Through its Water Use Mitigation Program (WUMP), the town of Danvers is offering rebates to water account holders who upgrade their current appliances to one of the new, water-saving models. Eligible appliances are toilets, washing machines, faucets, showerheads, and rain sensors. Residents will receive either a $150 or $200 rebate for a new toilet, depending on its size, as well as compensation for the cost of the plumbing permit. Washing machines earn $200, showerheads and faucets each earn $50, and rain sensors earn $100. This is a great opportunity for Danvers residents to help the environment and save a little money in the process.
To receive the rebate, simply fill out an application, which can be picked up at the Danvers Business Division on 2 Burroughs Street, and provide the town with proof of your appliance purchase dated after July 1, 2009, and a copy of your plumbing permit, if applicable. But hurry! The town has a specific fund set aside for these rebates and when the money is gone, the program will end. For more information on the rebate program and appliance eligibility requirements, click here. And be sure to call AAA Plumbing and Heating for help with your installation!
All Systems Go
AAA Plumbing and Heating’s blog is now online!
We encourage you to visit each week as we post updates about all things plumbing and heating. We’ll be featuring information, tips, tricks, industry updates, and reports from the field that will keep you up to date and safe, and more importantly, help you save money.
Just to give you a little background, AAA Plumbing and Heating is a Danvers, Massachusetts-based business owned by Master Plumber Gary Reynolds. We proudly serve all of Essex County, come highly recommended, and have the most competitive rates in the area. Below are some of the services we offer:
Bathroom Remodeling & Replacement of Fixtures:
- Shower Valves
- Showers
- Toilets
- Tubs
- Gas Piping
General Plumbing Repairs:
- Back Flow Preventers
- Faucets
- Frozen Pipes
- Garbage Disposals
- Hose Connections
- Ice Maker Filters
- Leaking Pipes
- Showers
- Sinks
- Toilets
Heating Services:
- Gas Piping
- Boiler Conversions Oil to Gas
- Tankless Water Heaters
- Indirect Water Heaters
- Steam Boiler w/ Indirect Hot Water
- Storage Tanks
- Gas Stoves
- Gas Fireplaces
You can contact us at 978-774-3159 or aaaplumb22@aol.com. Thanks for reading! See you next week!
