Tureks Plumbing Services Blog: Posts Tagged ‘residential plumbing service’

What to Expect During a Plumbing Inspection

Thursday, December 24th, 2020
What to Expect During a Plumbing Inspection

What to Expect During a Plumbing Inspection 

As most of us may know, it’s easy to fall behind home maintenance, from plumbing to electrical and HVAC and appliances. There’s a lot to take care of as a homeowner, which is why many people only fix things until it’s broken. To ensure appliances in your home run smoothly and to also save you from extra costs incurred due to breakdowns, you need to be aware of different systems in your home and how they’re functioning. To do this, you can schedule a plumbing inspection by a Fox Valley plumbing company at least once a year. Below, we explain what to expect during a plumbing inspection.

Why Are Plumbing Inspections Important?

While you can perform these inspections on your own, having a professional inspect your home has various benefits. First and foremost, you can rely on the expertise and experience of a Fox Valley plumber from Tureks Plumbing Services to locate and fix any problems that your plumbing system has.

Additionally, hiring a professional to perform a plumbing inspection for your system means that you don’t have to do it yourself. That way, you can spend your Saturday relaxing after a long week instead of housework. Having a professional inspection done also makes sure that all issues, both big and small, are fixed, from having your outdoor pipes insulated properly to prevent freezing over the winter to having your water heater flushed and tested regularly. 

This saves you a lot of time and leaves you with peace of mind. What homeowner wouldn’t want that?

What Should You Expect During an Inspection?

A plumbing inspection done by our plumbing company in Appleton, Wisconsin, will include:

  • Discharge and sump pump inspection
  • Shut-off valve inspection
  • Video camera inspection of your sewer pipes and subsurface drains. Locating any misalignment and cracks and getting them fixed may prevent future pipe blockage or collapse
  • Inspection of your tankless water heater or storage water tank. Your water heater will have its pipes and pressure relief valves tested, then get its water temperature checked before it’s flushed.
  • An inspection of your laundry room, kitchen and bathroom venting, and drainage systems
  • Inspection of toilets, showers, and sinks. Here, toilets will get their filler mechanisms, flappers, and water levels checked
  • Examination of any and all exposed plumbing. This includes traps beneath the laundry room, bathroom, and kitchen sinks as well as shut-off valves
  • Inspection of the water filtration system
  • Checking your hydrants for leaks

Benefits of Having Your Plumbing Inspected

  • You get to save water and money by repairing any small leaks before they develop into big issues.
  • You lower your risk of plumbing emergencies. However, if an unanticipated plumbing emergency does arise, contact an emergency plumber in Appleton, Wisconsin, for assistance
  • Like everything else, plumbing systems have lifespans. Having an inspection done extends your system’s lifespan. Locating any faults in pipes and repairing them will keep your pipes from clogs and leaks, thus lengthening their lifespan
  • You can present your most recent inspection report to your Fox Valley plumber, making it easier to fix any issues without spending extra time searching for the sources   
  • You get to maintain the value of your home. Your plumbing system’s condition plays a very important role in the home appraisal. Well-maintained pipes (with an inspection report as proof) gives you the upper hand in negotiations when selling your house
  • You identify pipes that are broken or cracked.

Should I Hire a Residential Plumbing Company?

If you already had your house inspected, but you have noticed leaks, you should contact a professional plumber at Tureks Plumbing Services as soon as possible. Leaks are destructive hence the need to address the issue quickly. 

Despite not noticing any problems with your plumbing but you haven’t an inspection done, you should hire a plumbing company for annual plumbing maintenance services. McQuillan Bros, a Minneapolis plumbing company, agrees that this will save you time and money in the long run. If you decide not to get an inspection despite our recommendation to do so, you should be on the lookout for any issues that might arise and draw up a plan on how you wish to handle any problems if an issue arises or something breaks down. 

Furthermore, having a home inspector carry out an inspection is no different from you doing it yourself. This is because they do not possess the technical knowledge to advise you on any issues your plumbing may have. 

Contact a Fox Valley Plumber

If you have any concerns that you would like addressed, Tureks Plumbing Services can help you with your residential or commercial plumbing needs. Just give us a call today!

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Plumbing Tips When You’re Away from Home

Wednesday, November 18th, 2020
Plumbing Tips When Your Away From Home- Tureks Plumbing

Plumbing Tips When You’re Away from Home

Are you planning on going on a mini winter vacation? You should consider following these plumbing tips when you’re away from home. This will help you save money and prevent the shock of coming back to unpleasant plumbing surprises.

Make Sure You Set Your Water Heater to the Lowest Setting

Please ensure that you turn down the temperature of your water heater before you leave your house. This will keep your energy on the low while you’re away. Alternatively, you could also shut off the water heater completely and drain it. This may help to prevent flooding. There is no point in paying for hot water that no one is going to use. 

While you’re at it, you should check the condition of your water heater. If there’s an issue, call a plumbing company in Appleton, Wisconsin, for water heater replacement services.

Fix Any Issues with Faucets and Other Appliances

Before leaving, you should set aside time to check on your appliances and faucets for any signs of leaks and loose hoses. Additionally, any small issues, such as your toilet continuously running, should be fixed before you leave.

Make a list of everything that has an issue ad get it fixed before your departure. You can contact Tureks Plumbing Services to fix leaking faucets at an affordable price. 

Leaving these issues unfixed can be costly, especially if the leak worsens while you are away. Prevent damaged flooring by getting the leaks fixed immediately as they may also increase your water bill. 

Empty and Clean Your Refrigerator

A few days before you leave, empty your fridge of the items that can easily spoil, such as meat, dairy products, fresh produce, and tofu. This will allow you to turn up the fridge thermometer, which will help cut down on energy costs. 

If you do end up throwing these perishables out, ensure that you dispose of the waste properly. Fox Valley plumbers warn that pouring everything down the drain may clog your garbage disposal.

Also, if you are using trash bags, please take everything out for garbage collection before you leave. Forgetting may mean you are coming back to your house smelling of rotten eggs and spoilt milk, and no one wants that!

Adjust Your Thermostat

Turning up down thermostat during the summer, whether manual or programmable, may help avoid wasting energy. However, do not turn off your AC as the heat buildup may affect wood floors, doors, cabinets, etc.

Our friends at Gilmore Heating and Air, a heating and cooling company in Folsom, says that if you are leaving during the winter, turn down your thermostat but do not turn off your furnace completely.

Check on Your Sump Pump

If you live in a house with a basement, Tureks Plumbing Services recommends that you ensure that your sump pump is working properly before you leave. A sump pump’s work is to divert water from a house to other places like a dry well or a municipal storm drain. Unexpected weather changes such as heavy storms may damage your property, especially if your sump pump is not working and your basement may flood. A working sump pump prevents the basement from flooding.

Have a professional plumber from a Fox Valley plumbing company come to your house and perform routine maintenance to make sure your sump pump is running smoothly at least a week or two before your departure.

Do Not Turn Your Pool Pump Off

If you have a pool, turning off your pool pump before you leave may cause a buildup of algae in your pool. Instead of turning off your pool pump, you should keep it running at optimal settings and have a friend come to your house once every few days to check on your pool and make sure that the pump is operating properly.

Ask a Trusted Friend to Check on Your House

It’s always advisable that you have a relative or friend look after a house when you are out of town. Ensure that you leave them with your emergency contacts, including your plumber’s phone number. 

Alert Your Alarm Company

If your home has a monitored alarm system, ensure that you contact the company to let them know that you will be away. Provide them will your contacts as well as that of a trusted neighbor, just in case the company can’t be able to reach you.

Checking on these things before you leave for vacation will wipe any worry away. You can actually enjoy your vacation without any hassle, knowing that your house will be dry and clean when you come back. 

For more expert plumbing tips, contact the team at Tureks Plumbing Services. We are more than happy to offer our plumbing services!

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How To Install An Outdoor Faucet

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2018

If you love spending time outside your home, you will find having one or more outdoor faucets really handy. With an outdoor faucet, you will have an easier and quicker time watering your garden. It will also be highly useful whenever you cook outside and clean your outdoor space.

Placing an outside tap is something you can do as a DIY project. If you want to know how to install an outdoor faucet,  Tureks Plumbing Services provides the steps and tips you need to follow (take note that if any part of the process becomes too challenging, or if you don’t have the time or skills to do it, don’t hesitate to call in the professionals — they’ll be happy to get the job done for you).

 

  • Choose the location of your tap. Start by looking in your basement or crawl space for an area near a pipe where you can install your faucet. If there is no cold water line near the location where you’d like to install the faucet, you’ll have to run the pipe to a water supply line elsewhere.
  • Select your pipe. For an underground pipeline, plumbers recommend using PEX tubing. This is because PEX tubing is easier to install and cheaper than copper pipe. You can also make a continuous run from your house and make turns without installing a single fitting when you choose this type of pipe. However, if you choose this material, be prepared to buy a PEX crimping tool as well.
  • Prepare to dig a trench. In case you will have to run a pipe underground, call 811 several days before you dig so that a utility company can locate buried pipes and cables in your yard. Once you’re given the go-signal, dig your trench. A plumber in Appleton, Wisconsin says that you only need to bury the water line about six inches deep.
  • Protect the water line. Once you’re done placing the pipe underground, cover the tubing with at least two inches of soil and pour in about two inches of dry concrete mix before backfilling the trench. This will protect the water line from shovel attacks or any external force.
  • Install the post and faucet. You can use a hollow PVC fence post or any material you have or want to use as the post for your faucet. Run the PEX run inside the post to protect it from sunlight since UV rays can reduce its life. Set the post at least 18 inches deep. Screw the sillcock flange to the post; make sure it is tight and secure.  Afterward, install a screw-on backflow preventer.

 

If you will be installing the faucet on a wall, follow the steps below:

 

  • After choosing the location for your outdoor faucet, drill a hole through the wall. Once you’ve chosen the right water supply pipe for your outdoor faucet, clean the pipe and turn off the water.
  • Cut through the current pipe and solder the old pipe together with the new line. Run the pipes all the way up to the spot where you will install the faucet in the wall.
  • Install the faucet using plumber’s putty around the back of the faucet piece. Next, insert the faucet into the hole from the outside of the house. Push the faucet against the wall of the house so that the plumber’s putty squeezes out and spreads through the sides of the faucet. Wipe off any excess putty that squeezes around the edges of the faucet
  •  Lastly, connect the faucet piece to the pipe inside the house. Solder these two parts so that they are completely connected and secure as well.

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The Importance of a Water Heater Flush

Friday, July 1st, 2016

water heater flush

The Importance of a Water Heater Flush  | Reasons to Flush Your Water Heater

Thanks to modern water systems, the water you drink is reliably clean, safe and healthy for your household’s use. That’s because the sediments and minerals you don’t want in your drink have already been filtered by the system.

But these substances do not completely disappear. Some of the materials simply settle at the bottom of the water heater tank. This residue — or more accurately, sludge — is not only extremely unappealing to look at. The worst thing about excessive sediment build-up is that it can cause several problems in the performance of your water heater which can lead you to experience extreme inconvenience and unnecessary expenses.  

These problems are the main reasons to flush your water heater. If you want to avoid these problems, you need to make it a habit to get a water heater flush  on a yearly basis. Doing so will deliver the following benefits:

You can expect more reliable service from your water heater

 Sediment build-up can make it difficult for your tank to heat water up. A water heater flush will get rid of sludge. At that point you enable your water heater tank to run more smoothly and reliably.   

You enjoy lower energy bills

If your heater is in good condition, it won’t need to work as hard and consumer energy that’s more than necessary. You’ll see a reduction in your power bills once your water heater regains its efficient operations.

You reduce water heater damage

An overworked water heater due to excessive sediment at the bottom can easily leak, get rusty or even burst.   

You avoid costly water damage

A leaking or faulty water heater tank can cause water to seep into your property. As you know, moisture and excessive water can cause water damage, weaken the structure, and ruin your walls, ceilings, electrical systems and more. You significantly lower the possibility of all these when you vigilantly flush your water heater annually.  

Why get experts?

Some homeowners who are confident with doing DIY work can do it themselves. The process entails opening the drain located at the bottom of the tank and then removing the sediment by running clean water on it.

However, many prefer the more practical and efficient way: contacting plumbers at Turek’s plumbing to handle the job. When you get reliable experts to do it for you, you ensure thorough results. Moreover, reliable professional plumbers will not only focus on solving the excessive sediment issue, but they will also look into the overall condition of your water heater, ensuring good performance for the years to come.

 

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