For most homeowners, whether to insulate a home’s hot water pipes is an easy decision. When you can purchase effective insulating pipe sleeves for a few feet per dollar, it’s hard to resist the simple energy savings that will pay off for years. But not all homeowners know about this easy efficiency booster or the reasons why you might want to insulate your cold water pipes, as well. Learn more about the reasons why you should be insulating water pipes in your home and whether you can DIY it or need a professional. Reasons to Insulate Your Water Pipes There’s more than one! Hotter Water Faster ..read more

A dishwasher that won’t drain is extremely frustrating and can be a mess to deal with. If you’ve already tried the old “turn it off and back on again” trick and it just isn’t working, don’t worry. There are a few more troubleshooting tips you can try! Follow these tips to learn why your dishwasher isn’t draining and how to resolve the issue. What Causes a Dishwasher Not to Drain? Just like any drain connected to your plumbing system, your dishwasher drain can become blocked, clogged, or damaged. This can happen due to food buildup, wear, or issues with the dishwasher itself. Some of the most c ..read more

You already know the hassle that can come with clogged drains, but have you ever thought about your showerhead? If you haven’t cleaned your showerhead, you could be exposing yourself to bacteria and preventing your shower from operating efficiently. The following tips will help keep your showerhead working properly and free of clogging residue. Get your hands dirty While it might sound like an old school method to unclogging your shower head, many people still rely on toothpicks or toothbrushes to get into the nitty-gritty that can’t be easily removed with a sponge. This method might req ..read more

Do your plumbing fixtures seem like they need cleaning all too often? If the source of all that extra work is a white or green chalky coating on your faucets and showerheads, you may have a problem with limescale — mineral-rich deposits that look unsightly and wreak havoc on your pipes and fixtures from the inside out. Causes of Limescale The limescale you see in and on your household plumbing fixtures is a natural byproduct of clean water with an above-average concentration of minerals like calcium, magnesium and iron. This is commonly known as hard water. Hard water is safe to drink and wash ..read more

A shower is meant to make you feel clean, not surround you with dirty odors! If you’re often wondering why your shower drain stinks, don’t worry. We have some helpful tips to rid your bathroom of this odor. Find out what causes a smelly shower drain, how to get rid of the stink, and how to prevent it from happening again. What Causes a Shower Drain to Smell? A bad smell from a shower drain could indicate several issues, such as: A clog. Most often, a smelly shower drain is caused by dirt, grime, hair, soap scum, and other debris that has traveled down your drain. Over time, that debris can ge ..read more

Cold weather can create major issues for plumbing, but preventative measures can significantly minimise the risks As we stand on the cusp of winter there’s one thing we know; the weather is only going to get colder and with cold weather comes the risk of freezing and flooding. Obviously we can’t eradicate all risk but there are a number of things that you can do now to make sure you’re prepared for the cold weather coming and significantly reduce the risk of something going wrong. The best thing is, they’re mostly very easy things so you will definitely be feeling smug in deepest winter when y ..read more

Common causes of blocked drains in domestic properties Every home relies on effective pipes and drainage to ensure that water drains away from the house properly. Obviously if there is an issue such as a blockage or the pipe becomes compromised then that won’t happen and you could well end up with waste water in your home or your garden and that can be very unpleasant indeed. Here we look at the most common reasons that cause problems with drains and what you can do to avoid or deal with them. 1. Putting inappropriate items down toilets and sinks One of the most common causes of blockage it th ..read more

If you have noticed your sinks are draining slower than usual, you probably have a blocked drain. Grease, hair and detergents are always flowing through your drains and a build-up of these particles can cause a clog. The most obvious and cost-effective solution is to buy chemical drain cleaners and flush out your drainage. These drain unblocker chemicals aren’t quite as magical as they seem, in fact, plumbers and drain specialists are constantly dealing with the repercussions of chemical drain damage.   Chemical Drain Cleaners are not effective Drain cleaning chemicals can provide a fast, easy ..read more

There are all sorts of things that can go wrong downstream from your toilet, especially if you’ve been flushing things that belong in the wastebasket. But what about that jumble of parts hidden inside your toilet tank? There are plenty of things that can go wrong there as well, and some of them are simple enough for you to fix on your own. The Flapper We’re not talking about the famous dancing ladies of the Roaring 20s. In toilet terms, the flapper is a small rubber disc that covers a hole at the bottom of your toilet tank. It’s what’s holding back all the water in your tank from becoming the ..read more

For many homeowners, the smart home comes together piecemeal: a few smart outlets here, a smart appliance there, and eventually a smart thermostat — all of which can be controlled with a few taps of a smartphone. But while many elements of the smart home are focused on electrical and HVAC systems, there’s one device that can bring your household plumbing into the mix: the smart water meter. There are several different models of smart water meters, and unless you live in a water municipality that is on the cutting edge of technology, you’ll probably need to buy your own if you want to harness t ..read more