Are you looking to replace or purchase a new water heater but baffled as to which option is best for you and you and your family? Because both options offer such great overall benefits, choosing between gas and electric heating can be quite difficult. Here are some things to consider before making your decision.
Short and Long Term Cost
One of the biggest factors to consider when choosing between gas and electric is the expense. While both options are inexpensive to purchase initially, electric heaters don’t require the piping needed by gas heaters, making them less expensive to install. In addition, because electric heater components are not exposed to direct heat, they are more likely to last past their life expectancy. As far as long-term expenses are concerned, individuals who choose gas heating over electric can expect lower monthly costs.
More to Consider
If safety is a concern for you and your family, an electric heater might me a great option due to the simple fact that there is no risk for gas leaks. Additionally, in contrast to the bulkiness of gas heaters which require quite a bit of plumbing to function, electric heaters are generally taller than they are wide, making them a great option if space is an issue. Gas heaters, on the other hand, have a high first hour rating (FHR), allowing you to get hot water when you need it. A high FHR is essential in making sure no one is stuck having a cold shower during chaotic mornings.
Still not sure as to which decision is right for you and your family? Call Rodger’s Plumbing at (972) 931-1021 today!
Think frozen pipes are nothing to worry about in Dallas, Texas? Because of the fact that temperatures don’t usually dip below freezing, pipes in warmer climates are often located in areas that are not well insulated. For this reason, it is not uncommon for pipes to be more vulnerable in the event that temperatures do reach freezing. Keep reading to find out how to keep your pipes in tact during the winter months.
Why you should care:
One of the main reasons to be diligent with keeping an eye on the safety of your pipes is simple: frozen pipes cannot perform their intended function. This means, in the event your pipes do happen to freeze over, having access to running water will be difficult or impossible. Another aspect to consider is the fact that frozen pipes are susceptible to burst, causing unnecessary – and often costly – damage to your home and belongings.
Prevention:
With proper proactive measures, you can rest easy knowing your pipes have a lower risk of being damaged as the result of a freeze. One such measure is adding insulation to areas that need it and making sure to repair any cracks in walls near pipes to prevent cold air leaking in. Allowing heat to properly circulate throughout the home is also essential. Be sure to keep all interior doors open whenever possible, including any cabinet doors that contain pipes. Also make sure crawl spaces are not deprived of your home’s heat. In addition, it is important to always keep the heat on during colder months, even if you and your family will not be occupying the space for a period of time.
Signs of a frozen pipe:
One of the more obvious signs of a frozen pipe is a strange smell coming from the suspected pipe. Another obvious sign is the fact that there is not any water coming from the pipe. The exterior of a frozen pipe will also be visibly frosty.
What to do next if you’ve noticed signs of or experienced damage from a frozen pipe:
It is important to respond as quickly as possible to warm the pipe before it bursts. This can be done simply with warm rags if the pipe is easily accessible. If the pipe is not easily accessible, you will have to call a plumber in order to properly thaw the pipe and assess any damage.
If you suspect that you may have a frozen pipe on your hands or need help dealing with the aftermath of a burst pipe, give Rodger’s Plumbing a call at 972-931-1021! We’ll give you the help you need!
Now that the kids are back in school and you’re not running around with the family on some awesome summer trips, it’s time to relax and take a good look at your home. We’re sure you keep your home in tip-top shape, but with the increase of foot traffic during the summer months, sometimes your house can take some wear and tear, especially your plumbing.
Experiencing any of the follow issues? Give Rodger’s Plumbing a call!
Slow Showers
Have you noticed that your shower takes longer to drain? Not 100% sure of what’s down there? A clogged drain can be an inconvenience but also cause low water pressure. A plumber can complete a full evaluation of your shower drain and extract whatever may be causing the clog.
Drip, Drip, Drip
If you came home from a vacation to wet carpets and floors, there’s a good chance you have a leak somewhere in your house. Or if you have a discoloration in your ceilings, you definitely have a water leak. That’s when you should call in the professionals who can find the source of the leak and fix it.
Lying Low
Low water pressure is a sure party pooper and can make basic tasks, like washing dishes or watering your garden, rather frustrating. If two different plumbing fixtures are being used at the same time, then you’ll experience low water pressure. And if your house is the go-to fun house in the neighborhood, you don’t want to ruin your plumbing fixtures.
Garbled Garbage Disposals
Nothing says “summer” more than a barbeque and just because summer is over doesn’t mean you need to put the grill away. When it comes to prepping all of those yummy foods, be careful what you put down your garbage disposal. Scraps like egg shells and potato peels can clog the drain and omit an unpleasant odor in your kitchen. You don’t want your party guests smelling that. If you do find that your garbage disposal is worn or clogged, it’s time to call in a plumber.
If you feel like your home’s plumbing isn’t running at full capacity, then give Rodger’s Plumbing a call! We can help with clogged showers, low water pressure, water leaks, and more!
Life’s unpredictable. Bad things happen to the best of us. Sometimes things are out of our control. Like when water decides to rush onto your kitchen floor. Or if your garbage disposal is completely clogged. It’s important to stay aware of your plumbing, water habits, and if anything seems out of the ordinary. Because you might end up with a plumbing emergency.
Most common plumbing emergencies:
- Clogged sinks
- Leaky faucets
- Broken water lines
- Burst pipes
- No hot water
Think you’re facing a plumbing emergency? Here are some tips to follow while you’re running around for extra towels to soak up the water.
- Shut off your water: Every home has a main water shut-off-valve that cuts off the water supply to your entire home. If you suspect something is wrong with your plumbing, shut off the water to keep the issue from getting worse.
- Determine if it’s a true emergency: If you know where the issue is and can try to contain it, try to wait until a plumber can make a regular house call. However, if the plumbing issue brings your entire home to a stop or your house is under water, you’ll need to call an emergency plumber.
- Is it your responsibility?: The emergency or plumbing issue may not be something you can fix or are responsible for. If you can’t locate the source, call your water company and utility provider. They should be able to tell you if the problem affects just your home or if it’s neighborhood wide.
Give Rodger’s Plumbing a call if you suddenly find yourself with a plumbing issue. Our plumbers are reliable and act as a convenient resource for any and all plumbing solutions. We’ll correctly diagnose the issue and explain it to you in easy to understand language. Often times, our quotes can be given over the phone upon request, and same day service is frequently available!
Spring Cleaning? More Like Spring Plumbing!
Spring is a time for fresh starts, new beginnings, and lots of cleaning! Is plumbing on your to do list? It should be! The following are some helpful tips to ensure your plumbing system is running efficiently all spring long.
Kitchen and Bathrooms
- Check for leaky faucets- repair if necessary
- Make sure all shower and tub drains have strainers to prevent clogging
- Check toilet tank and bowl for cracks or leaks
- Turn the water supply valves under any sinks and toilets to prevent them from getting stuck in one place
- Make sure all toilets flush properly
- Clean shower head in bag of vinegar overnight to get rid of mineral deposits
Water Heater
- Make sure water heater is set to 120° F to reduce energy use and risk of scalding
- Flush water heater to get rid of sediment deposits
- Consider replacing water heaters greater than 10 years old- Rodger’s Plumbing can install your new water heater!
- Remove any flammable materials from the area surrounding the water heater
General
- Check supply hoses in your washing machine, ice maker, or dishwasher for signs of wear and damage- replace if necessary
- Test any drains that don’t get used often- if drains are slow, contact Rodger’s Plumbing for drain cleaning services
- Inspect any exposed pipes for signs of leaks- repair if necessary
- Check sump pump by pouring a few gallons of water into it and making sure it works properly
- Install water leak detection devices
Outside
- Clean out yard drains, gutters, and downspouts
- Make sure plumbing vent pipes are clear
- Ensure that faucets and hoses flow freely
For help with spring plumbing or other plumbing services, call Rodger’s Plumbing today at 972-931-1021!
6 Signs That You Should Replace Your Toilet
You and your family rely on your toilet every day. However, it’s not something that anyone thinks about having to replace. If you are experiencing any of the following signs, it may be time to replace your toilet!
Constant Clogging
Clogging of toilets is not uncommon. However, if your toilet clogs more than once a week or clogging seems random and odd, you should consider replacing your toilet.
Cracks and Puddles of Water
If you notice puddles of water around your toilet, check for cracks in the bowl or tank of the toilet. If the crack is more than a simple leak, the toilet will need to be replaced. Professionals at Rodger’s Plumbing can help make this determination
Your Toilet is Old
Any toilet is likely to have issues after years of use. Newer toilets are more efficient and less expensive to maintain. Toilets made after 1994 use significantly less water. If your toilet was made prior to 1994, it is probably time to upgrade to a new model. You may want to consider a low flush or dual flush toilet, which maximize savings in water use, utility costs, and environmental impact.
Surface Damages
If the surface of your toilet has excessive scratches it can be cosmetically unappealing and difficult to clean. If you have to clean your toilet often, it may be time for a replacement.
You Feel It Wobble
It is not normal for a toilet to wobble or rock! If your toilet is unsteady, call Rodger’s Plumbing as soon as possible to determine the root of the problem.
You Have To Fix It Often
If you regularly call a plumber for toilet repairs, it is probably time to get a new one. Frequent repairs can be costly, so replacing your toilet will save you money in the long run!
The professionals at Rodger’s Plumbing are experts in toilet repair, replacement, and installation. If you have any questions about your toilet or need a plumbing service, call Rodger’s Plumbing at 972-931-1021!
Thinking About an Outdoor Shower? Consider These Plumbing Tips First!
Outdoors showers are becoming increasingly popular and as the weather warms up, the prospect of showering in the fresh air sounds more and more appealing. Outdoor showers are great for washing off beach dwellers and cleaning up grimy gardeners, sweaty little leaguers, and muddy mutts. There are many benefits to having an outdoor shower and you have every reason to make this addition to your home. However, consider these factors before you make the actual installation!
Location and Water Supply
This is the most important issue with outdoor showers! Choosing a location should be your first step. Installing your outdoor shower on a wall adjoining a kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room is your best bet. This is because these rooms already have hot and cold pipes. Although, some homeowners have a specific reason that they want their shower in a different location. For example, you may want the shower by the pool for a post swim rinse or close to the backdoor for easy access after a sweaty jog. If this is important to you, you can make it work. However, when deciding on a location, it is important to consider that piping your water supply to a new area can often get pricey.
Drainage
You should also consider drainage when installing an outdoor shower. Many state or local governments require citizens to dispose of gray water or water contaminated by soaps and shampoos. To keep this grey water from draining into the soil surrounding your shower and possibly contaminating groundwater, you must install an appropriate drainage system. This will be easiest if your location is close to your home’s plumbing and you can drain the contaminated water into an existing line.
Too Hot! Too Cold!
If you want both cold and hot running water in your outdoor shower, you may want to consider installing a pressure-balance valve to prevent scalding. Another huge concern is the ability to drain pipes when the temperature drops outdoors. Water that is trapped inside can freeze and crack pipes. To prevent this from happening, homeowners should install shutoff valves in their home with pipes traveling on a downward slope. It is also a good idea to invest in a shower head and riser that can unscrew to get the maximum amount of water out of the pipes.
Common Causes of Toilet Clogs
Nobody intentionally clogs a toilet but when it does happen it is one of the more embarrassing plumbing mishaps. Clogged toilets can be tricky at times because it can be caused by a variety of reasons. The good news is that most toilet clogs can be avoided altogether by some prevention or can be cleared up within a minute or two. Here are the most common reasons why your toilet might be clogged:
You flushed the wrong stuff
You are taking a risk whenever you flush anything down the toilet that is not human waste and toilet paper. If you are flushing things like tissues, cotton balls, cotton swabs, dental floss, feminine products or diapers, it can get caught in the drain line and won’t be easy to break down and move on.
A jam in the trap
All drain pipes have something called a trap, which is a u-shaped bend in the pipe that remains filled with water. This is meant to prevent foul odors from coming up the pipes, but unfortunately this bend can be easily clogged with stuff such as too much toilet paper.
Ineffective Flapper
If you take the lid off your toilet tank, you should see a round rubber gasket at the bottom. This opens during a flush, which allows the water to run into the bowl. If this flapper does not open fully then you will get a weak flush, making it more difficult for waste to go down the drain.
First steps to recovering from water damage
Whether it’s from a flash flood or a broken pipe, water damage can be one of the most devastating home disasters for a homeowner. Water-damaged possessions are often unsalvageable, cleaning up the mess can be long process, and the threat of mold development can linger for weeks. But with a smart plan, you can make your water damage recovery as painless as possible by following these steps; Put electrical safety first, stop the flow, cover your assets, call help and dry out.
Put electrical safety first
If a flood occurs in your home near any outlets or wiring you should be concerned about electrical safety. If you have a minor leak affecting a small area, you should shut off the circuit breakers that power all wiring and outlets near the leak. Multi-room damage from a major pipe break will necessitate shutting down the entire circuit panel. If you are unsure of how to shut down your breakers you should contact an electrician or your utility server.
Stop the flow
If water is coming from household plumbing, then damages can be getting worse by the second. Make sure that you know where your main water valve is at so that you can turn it off immediately to minimize water damages.
Cover your assets
Once you have eliminated the risk of electrical shock and the flow of water, you should call your homeowners insurance to protect your assets. You should also plan to take photos of all the water damage in your home before beginning cleanup. Failure to do so could result in contested claims that may cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Call Help
If you are willing to put in the work and long hours you can clean up the flood yourself, but it can be a very difficult task. Your best bet would be to hire a water damage remediation company to assist.
Dry out
Remove any standing water with an electric pump and/or a wet/dry shop vac. Take all water damaged items out of the home and sort them into salvageable and unsalvageable piles. Carpeting, carpet padding, paper products, food products and many electronics will be a total loss. Open all windows in damaged areas and use a fan to blow on other areas.
For most of us we count on water heaters to get us through every shower and sink full of dishes. But even the best water heaters are not built to last forever, so in that case we must preempt water heater failure by replacing units that are nearing the ends of their lives. Predicting water heater failure is not the easiest thing to do but these occurrences are most common when a water heater is reaching the end.
Water Heater Age
After years of service, lots of things can begin to go wrong with a hot water heater, such as parts wearing out, corrosion, and tank cracks. Ten years is the life span for most tank heaters. Knowing the age of your water heater is the key to being proactive in your replacement.
Compromised Hot Water Supply
One of the first symptoms of the water heater going is one that you can feel. When the hot water from your shower and taps become cooler than usual or run out faster than before, you know something is going wrong. This could be because of a failing heating element, which a licensed plumber can diagnose or repair.
Rusty Water
You’ll get a full life out of your water heater if you routinely drain it yearly and/or check the anode rod and replace it when necessary. This rod attracts corrosive elements in your water, gradually rusting away so your water heater tank doesn’t have to. If you do not replace this rod before it is used up then these corrosive elements will begin attacking the entire unit.
Leaky Tank
Whether it is due to rust, manufacturing laws, damage or other reasons, water tank heaters can spring a leak on a long timeline. This means you need to check your tank regularly for leaks and stop the earliest signs of dripping.