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Don’t Be Fooled: Plumbers Without Licenses Aren’t Plumbers

. Posted by in • Austin
Texas law requires plumbers to be licensed

Don’t waste your money.

So, you called Joe the “Plumber” whose number you found in your mailbox one day. Maybe he worked out, maybe he didn’t. But hey! At least, he offered you a taillight warranty! (That means the warranty expired the moment his taillights disappeared down the road.)

The city of Austin has few regulations in place that protect homeowners from shady workers without licenses. Often, a contractor without a license will do the bare minimum work required, if they even finish the job at all. If their work proves to be insufficient, you’ll never reach them on their phone or hear from them again.

When you hire an unlicensed worker, you take full responsibility for anything that goes wrong. You are liable for any injuries or damages to you, your home, or to the so-called “plumber,” who often isn’t licensed because they haven’t gone through proper training.

Texas requires that plumbers have a … Read Full Post »

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How to Protect Plumbing on Exterior Walls in the Winter

. Posted by in • Bryan-College Station

While true cold spells – the long-lasting polar fronts that settle on the northern parts of the country – are rare in sunny Texas, even a short burst of arctic weather can do some serious damage to your home’s fragile pipe system. When hit with a sudden chill, unprotected pipes can freeze and burst, causing a flood of water to come pouring into your living room. The good news is that a pipe-related flood can be completely avoided with simple preventative care. Here’s what to put on your to-do list to prep your home’s pipes before the next freeze strikes:

  1. Insulate all unheated pipes. Besides the system that runs along the exterior, you also want to insulate faucets and exposed pipes inside the home. You can find affordable insulation materials at any home improvement store.
  2. Cover the vents around your home’s foundation. While necessary for reducing humidity and maintaining good … Read Full Post »

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Is a Water Leak Driving Up Your Monthly Bill?

. Posted by in • Austin

Tracking down stubborn leaks to save water and money

Hidden leaks around the house or in exterior infrastructure can sap your water supply and jack up your bills. If you suspect a leak, follow these steps to figure out where all that water is going and how to stop it.

Look at the Meter

Your water meter should have a leak detector that moves to indicate unwanted water usage. You can check this or read the meter, wait about an hour without using any water, then read it again. A change could indicate the presence of a leak.

Should you find a problem, shut off the water to your home from the main valve and go have another look at the leak indicator. An exterior leak will cause it to continue to move while no movement suggests a leak inside the house.

Check the Usual Suspects

Faucets and toilets are the most obvious sources of indoor … Read Full Post »

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Shower Water Not Hot Enough During Winter? Here’s What To Do

. Posted by in • Austin
Shower Water Not Hot Enough

Have you ever hopped in the shower on a winter day, only to be greeted by a jet of freezing cold water? Several different factors could explain why your water heater might be having trouble maintaining a consistent temperature during colder weather.

Should You Turn Up Your Water Heater During Winter?

If it starts taking longer for your shower water to warm up, your first instinct might be to turn up the temperature to your hot water heater. Before you take that step, you may want to consider other solutions, and whether the problem with your hot water isn’t linked to the weather outside.

Why Water Temperature Drops

Just as summer weather makes it harder to get cool water in the shower, colder weather means lower temperatures in the air and underground. These conditions chill the water entering your water heater, causing the unit to have to work harder to reach the right temperature. … Read Full Post »

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Do Plumbers Need a License in Texas?

. Posted by in • Bryan-College Station

The Importance of Working with a Plumbing Professional

It can be tempting to turn to a local unlicensed handyman if you need plumbing work done in your Bryan-College Station home, but this’ll leave you without the protection that is associated with utilizing a licensed professional. In fact, the state of Texas requires individuals who perform plumbing services to have a license that verifies they’ve received the proper training. Anyone who holds a plumbing license in Texas has passed a board-certified examination, and this means that they should be properly equipped to handle any of your plumbing needs.

Are Plumbing Licenses Permanent?

Just like your driver’s license, it’s necessary for plumbers to periodically renew their license and registration. In order to obtain these renewals, licensed plumbers must attend continuing education courses. This helps ensure that they stay up-to-date on the latest techniques, and it also helps prevent the erosion of previously obtained knowledge. After … Read Full Post »

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5 Reasons to Avoid a Plumbing Snake

. Posted by in • San Antonio
DIY Plumbing Snake Problems

When you have a drain that’s hopelessly clogged, it’s tempting to grab a plumbing snake to take care of it. Also called pipe snakes, these coiled wire tools can be effective at clearing clogs, but they can also cause a great deal of damage if you don’t know what you’re doing.

5 Reasons to Avoid a Plumbing Snake

The top plumbing problem homeowners face is clogged drains. There are a number of tools you can use to unclog a drain, the most frequently used being a plunger, a plumbing snake and a drain auger. The last thing you want to do when using a snake to unclog a drain is to do further damage to your home. Here are five reasons you may want to hit the pause button before reaching for a plumbing snake:

#1: You May Have The Wrong Type of Snake for the Job

Most homeowners don’t realize there are several different types … Read Full Post »

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Signs of a Hidden Water Leak

. Posted by in • San Antonio

Detecting and eliminating unwanted dampness

Hidden leaks can waste thousands of gallons of water per year and often result in serious damage to the underlying structure of your home. Watch for these signs to detect leaks so you can take action before they become severe.

Increased Water Bills

A sudden spike in your water bill is one of the telltale signs of a hidden leak. If you can’t find any reason for the change and your bills remain high even when you’re trying to be conservative, it’s time to have the plumbing checked.

Discolored Patches

Hidden water can cause dark places, rings, or other color changes to appear on the ceiling and walls around your home. In some cases this may be the result of a leaky roof, but it could also mean that the pipes are sending water where it shouldn’t be going.

Peeling or Blistered Walls

Water inside walls can cause wallpaper and paint to … Read Full Post »

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Is Your Plumber Properly Licensed?

. Posted by in • San Antonio

If you’re like most homeowners, you want to solve unexpected plumbing problems as quickly and cheaply as possible. When a drain gets clogged or your toilet won’t stop running, you may be tempted to call a friend who knows a thing or two about plumbing. It’s possible that an amateur can indeed fix a small problem if it turns out to be what he expected. However, if something goes wrong, the integrity of your entire house could be at risk. Unless you’ve always wanted to turn your home into a mold-infested water park, go the safer route and hire a licensed professional plumber instead.

The Value of a Plumbing License

It’s not easy to get a plumbing license. Plumbers must pass rigorous tests and obtain years of hands-on experience to make the cut. Unlike an amateur, a licensed plumber is prepared to handle any potential problem that arises while they’re working. They … Read Full Post »

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What Not to Do When Your Pipes Clog Up

. Posted by in • San Antonio

Avoid these DIY clog-clearing disasters

When your pipes are clogged, it can be tempting to try every trick you can think of to clear them. However, no matter how annoying it is to have standing water in your sink or a toilet that won’t flush properly, there are a few things you should never do in an attempt to get rid of clogs.

Don’t Poke at It

Drain snakes, also called augers, can be useful tools if you know how to use them. If you don’t, all you’ll wind up doing when you stick one down the drain is stuffing the clog further into the pipes. Using an auger is pointless for large clogs if they’re located further down than the instrument will reach.

The same thing goes for unbent coat hangers. These might work to clean out a clogged vacuum hose, but putting one down the drain in the hopes that it will … Read Full Post »

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Are Your Pipes Feeling Their Age?

. Posted by in • San Antonio

And how do you know when it’s time to update your plumbing system?

Even if you don’t have a commercial plumbing system that sees dozens of uses per day, your home’s plumbing will eventually wear out. You may notice small leaks, problems with your water pressure and constant fluctuations in temperature. If you wait too long to make necessary repairs, you could face a high repair bill and other unpleasant consequences, including property damage. These are some of the clearest benefits of making a timely plumbing upgrade:

More Efficiency

If you have an older plumbing system that hasn’t been upgraded in some time, it’s probably not as efficient as a modern system. In turn, this can lead to higher water bills and unnecessary water waste, a potentially serious issue in our drought-prone neck of the woods. Despite their upfront cost, low-flow toilets, showerheads and sink fixtures tend to pay for themselves over time.

Avoiding … Read Full Post »

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