It’s easy to forget about your pipes – after all, they’re hidden under floors and between walls, but pipes don’t last forever.

They can corrode and burst, causing you all kinds of headaches, which can be avoided, if you catch the problem early enough.

The most obvious sign that your pipes have become compromised is a pipe leak, but leaks, especially small leaks, aren’t always so obvious. If your water pressure is lower than normal or your water bills are higher than normal, and you haven’t increased your usage, or you see evidence of mold or mildew in your home, you might want to have a plumber check things out.

Here in Florida, copper piping is especially vulnerable to pinhole leaks caused by corrosion that breaks through the surface of the piping, so keep an eye out for blue-green corrosion on copper pipes.

If your home was built over 40 years ago, and your pipes are not made of PVC, there’s a good chance your pipes have begun corroding.

The rule-of-thumb lifespan for different piping materials is:

•   Brass: 40 to 70 years
•   Galvanized steel: 20 to 50 years
•   Cast iron: 25 to 30 years
•   Copper: 10 to 20 years
•   PVC: indefinitely

If you have steel or iron piping, and you see rust-colored water in your water appliances, it could be time to replace your pipes. If rust-colored water comes out of your hot and cold-water taps, your pipes are probably corroded. If only the hot water is rust colored, the problem could be a rusty water heater—not your pipes. That problem should be addressed as soon as possible too.

To determine whether the rust is coming from your pipes or the municipal water supply, have a professional inspect your home’s plumbing.

Professional Plumbing & Design has the experience and equipment needed to repipe water lines and drain lines under mobile homes, in crawlspace homes, overhead in slab home attics, and under the floors of multiple floor homes and condominiums.

Clogged drains are one of the most common residential plumbing woes. This handful of tips will help you avoid most household clogs...

Kitchen sink clog are, more often than not, caused by food waste that is bound together by oil and grease. You can save yourself a lot of heartache by always scraping leftover food into the trash, using a drain screen, and never, ever pouring grease or cooking oils down the drain. Once the oil has cooled, pour most of it into a container you can recycle, then blot the remaining grease with a paper towel before washing the pan in the sink.

When it comes to the shower and bathroom sink, the number one culprit is hair that is bound together with soap scum. Believe it or not, traditional bar soaps are made from fats and oils (yuck). Installing a shower strainer and switching to liquid soaps will go a long way towards preventing clogs.

Lastly, don’t flush sanitary products, diapers, cotton balls, cotton swabs, or anything other than toilet paper down the toilet. Making sure you have a wastebasket in each bathroom will help you (and your guests) avoid the temptation of flushing things that can lead to clogs.

If you are a Home Owners Association Manager, chances are you have all had that 5am call regarding water pouring through the ceiling from the unit above.

Neighbors are knocking on the door of the resident upstairs and there is no answer. He isn’t answering because he’s in the shower and doesn’t know his shower water is pouring thru three floors. And he can’t hear the neighbor’s urgent knocks on the door, or their phone calls.

By the time the shower is over, three floors of units are wet and need drying out. What happened? One of the cast iron pipes in the bathroom burst and flooded three units below. The resident getting out of the shower is blissfully unaware of the situation, until he checks his messages.

By now the neighbors have all used the emergency number to reach the manager. The manager has dispatched the crew to look at the problem. The building maintenance crew is on their way to the unit or already knocking on the door.

The plumber will be called to make the repair. The resident is instructed not to use the shower until the plumbing problem is fixed. A remediation company will be called to dry out the units below. The insurance company will also need to be involved. Everyone wants to know how soon this situation is going to be fixed.

In addition to the stress, the condo is probably spending funds that weren’t budgeted. Welcome to management by crisis! This is a common situation. Don’t let it be common at your community! Cast iron pipes have a projected life of 25 – 30 years. Plan for replacement.

Being proactive can eliminate a lot of pain for the residents, the manager, and the board. That’s not to say it won't happen again. But having a corrective plan in place is far less costly in terms of stress and dollars than responding to an emergency.

How do you know you have bad pipes? Interior and / or exterior corrosion, rust, cracking, thinning of the pipe, deterioration visible by camera. Leaking, ruptures, frequent clogging, sewer backups, slow drains, foul smells, and pests such as rodents and roaches are also signs that plumbing problems are lurking...

Typically, it is the bathroom, kitchen, laundry room and vent pipes that burst. When you have to open the walls to replace a section of pipe - consider replacing all of the visible cast iron pipes in that section of wall before you close the wall back up. There’s nothing worse than having to come back and replace another pipe in the same wall. This definitely makes for unhappy residents! If the resident is doing a renovation on their unit, require them to have all of the pipes replaced while the walls are open. Which is much less expensive and you’re preventing a later disaster!

Bradford White AeroTherm Water Heaters combine the ease of installation and servicing valued by plumbing professionals with the energy and cost savings that are important to consumers.

The AeroTherm Series features 4 operating modes:

(1) Heat Pump Mode for maximum energy efficiency and cost savings,

the factory default (2) Hybrid Mode which combines the efficiency and savings of a heat pump with the rapid recovery rate of a standard electric water heater when needed,

(3) Electric Mode for the fastest, albeit least energy efficient, recovery times, and

(4) Vacation Mode for maximum saving while you are away from home for an extended period of time.

User-friendly electronic controls make it easy to adjust the temperature, switch operating modes, and it provides detailed diagnostic information including water heater fault codes, tank codes, need to assess codes, and heat pump codes.

Call The Professionals at (941) 355-5400 to see which AeroTherm water heater is right for you.

The Everlast delivers long draws of hot water without consuming large amounts of energy and its durable components, low standby heat losses, high recovery rates, and LIFETIME warranty make it the perfect choice for high-demand commercial applications.

With its high-quality stainless-steel construction, heavy-duty foam insulation, and cleverly-designed water connection that directs cold water to the heating element near the bottom of the tank, minimize the mixing of cold and hot water, the Everlast operates at up to 98% thermal efficiency rating.

And its high-performance Incoloy™ tank elements resist corrosion and scale build up for a longer tank life and their low watt density reduce the chances of element burn out for a longer service life than conventional elements.

The Everlast Commercial Water Heater is available in 6 models ranging from 10 to 50 gallons. These two 50-gallon, lifetime warrantied, stainless steel water heaters were beautifully installed by Professional Plumbing & Design plumbers Tony, Wayne, and Anthony at a spa in Sarasota.

If you’re looking for the perfect water heater for your commercial application Call The Professional at (941) 355-5400.

If you weren’t able to get out to Lido Beach to root for the Professional Plumbing RaceTeam on Sunday, July 1, don’t miss the one-hour Sarasota Powerboat GrandPrix special this Sunday, July 22 at 4:00 and again at 9:00 PM on CBS Sports.

https://youtu.be/x5NleKvJybQ

Thanks to everyone who came out to support the Professional Plumbing & Design Team at the Boats By The Bay Party In The Pits on Friday, June 29, 2018 at the Van Wezel parking lot.

Undeniably, "The Friendliest Catch" is one of our favorite events of the year. Part of the Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix Festival, "The Friendliest Catch" is a catch & release tournament in which local boat captains & law enforcement officials volunteer their time and boats to take special needs children and adults out on Sarasota Bay for a day of fishing followed by a picnic and awards ceremony at the Sarasota Outboard Club. We look forward to this event all year and, as you can see from all the smiling faces, were not alone in that.

{gallery}friendliestcatch-2018{/gallery}

All dressed up and ready to go for the 34th Annual Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix starting June 23 and culminating in the Bayfront Fireworks Spectacular on the 4^th of July. Professional Plumbing will, once again, be sponsoring Powerboat S-111 as well as our favorite event of the year, the Friendliest Catch catch & release tournament!

You probably received a letter, not that long ago, on “official” FPL letterhead, encouraging you to sign up for “Exterior Water Line Coverage” or a “Water Heater Repair and Replacement Plan” from HomeServe for just $3.99 to $6.99 per month, which is conveniently added to your FPL bill.

The letter claims that it costs $2,587 to repair an exterior water line and you probably already know how much you paid for your water heater but, for a small monthly fee, you can rest assured that, if anything happens, it will be fixed at no cost to you. Sounds like a good deal, right?

Not so fast…

HomeServe is not an insurance company. It’s a privately-held company, owned by billionaire brothers George and Michael Karfunkel, and their products aren’t affiliated with, or officially endorsed by any utility provider. HomeServe contracts with local water and power companies to provide services that are financially beneficial to the utility company and HomeServe – not you.

HomeServe USA, HomeServe’s parent company, has attracted a lot of bad press over the years because of their controversial marketing practices. Homeowners across the country have alccused the company of engaging in deception by sending out mailers that appear to come from local governments or utility companies.

They even have a website, www.fples.com, that looks like FPL but, if you read the disclaimer, you’ll see that FPLES is an unregulated subsidiary of FPL. The Water Heater Repair and Replacement Plan is offered by FPLES, not FPL, and it is managed by HomeServe, an authorized representative of ServicePlan of Florida, Inc. HomeServe is an independent company, separate from FPL and FPLES.

Proceed with caution!

If you’re thinking of purchasing an “Exterior Water Line Coverage” plan, you should know exactly what it covers, what it doesn’t cover, and what conditions void the contract. For example, HomeServe will not cover “pre-existing conditions” like longstanding leaks or claims arising from “acts of nature” like a flood or hurricane. These plans only cover the normal wear and tear associated with underground plumbing which, typically, lasts a very long time.

It is very unlikely that your exterior water line will fail without warning.

If your home is less than 40 years old, chances are you have a PVC water service line which is much less likely to fail. If you live in a much older home, chances are the water line has already been replaced at some point along the way. Your septic/sewer line, which is not covered by this plan, is far more likely to fail than your water line.
And, if it does fail, is it really that expensive to replace a water line?

If your water line were to fail, it would not cost $2,587 to replace. The average cost to replace a water line is about $1,300 and about $300 for a typical repair. The inflated price is just a tactic used to scare you into signing up for the coverage. And remember, your water line is not covered in the event of an accidental rupture, only normal wear and tear.

But what about the Water Heater Repair and Replacement Plan?

If you read the fine print there’s a 30-day waiting period for repairs and a 90-day waiting period for replacement and there are many things excluded from the coverage. Basically, anything other than the actual tank is not covered. Which means that things like the water lines going to and from the water heater, electrical wiring, accidents, defects, pre-existing conditions or “negligence” are not covered.

Another thing to consider is that HomeServe does not have its own technicians and they don’t typically use local contractors, so who are you going to call if there’s a problem after a repair or replacement?

HomeServe uses contractors from outside your area who need any work they can get – these guys are not the cream of the crop. A reputable plumber would never work for a company like HomeServe because these companies do the bare minimum, they try to get out of replacing anything, and they pay contractors as little as they can get away with for the work.

A great alternative would be to sign up for the Professional Plumbing & Design Pro Club which does cover anything in your home that is related to plumbing. Pro Club members get priority service, free yearly safety inspections, and a 10% discount and 2-year guarantee on all repairs and replacements. Best of all, the $4.95 monthly investment accrues and can be applied to any future service!

If you live in the United States, there’s a good chance you have “hard water”.

This means the water you’re using to cook with, bathe in, and wash clothes contains calcium, sulfur, iron, magnesium, lead, and limestone. In some areas, it’s even polluted with sewage waste and industrial run-off!

Hard water is not “technically” unsafe, but it does shorten the lifespan of your pipes and appliances, it’s terrible for your hair and skin, and it causes you to use considerably more dish soap, laundry detergent, and electricity. So why put up with all of these detrimental effects if you don’t have to?
The process of dissolving and eliminating these contaminants from water is called “softening”. By installing a whole-house water softening system, you can avoid all of this nastiness:

Clogged Pipes

If you’re experiencing frequent clogs, hard water could be the culprit. The calcium and magnesium in hard water builds up in your pipes impeding the flow of water and causing them to clog more easily. Eliminating these corrosive minerals will help prevent clogs and extend the life of your pipes.

Damaged Clothes

Washing your clothes with hard water actually damages the fibers of your clothes causing them to deteriorate and fade more quickly. The mineral content in hard water makes your whites dingy and your colors dull. Clothes washed with soft water not only last longer, but they feel better against your skin!

Hair & Skin Problems

Hard water dries your hair and skin. By eliminating these impurities from your water you’ll avoid skin conditions like eczema and your hair a will feel softer and healthier.

Bad Flavor

Eliminating these contaminants from your water will make it taste (and smell) better. That means your coffee and everything else you make with that water will taste better too!
Start saving time and money and protect the environment in the process!

Water heaters are the second biggest consumer of electricity in most homes. Hard water causes scaling inside your water heater; this makes electric water heaters approx. 21% less efficient and gas heaters approx. 29% less. This means that a water softening system will significantly reduce your electric bill.

Soft water makes soap and detergents lather more and clean better, so you’ll use up to 75% less laundry detergent, dishwashing soap, shampoo, and other cleaning products. Less soap also means less soap curd which makes cleaning faster and easier, and you won’t have spots on your glassware or silverware!

Your water softening system will also help you avoid costly plumbing repairs and extend the life of water-dependent appliances like your coffee maker, dishwasher, water heater, and washing machine.

When you add up all these savings, you’ll not only recoup your investment in as little as 2 to 4 years, but you’ll reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the environment by as much as removing a full-sized SUV from the roads for an entire year!

With a 50+ year life expectancy, pipe lining provides a long-term solution for cracked or leaky drain pipes without the need for digging up landscaping or tearing up walls and floors so it’s a cost-effective, minimally-invasive alternative to complete pipe replacement.

Pipe lining adds a durable protective layer inside the compromised pipe that enhances the structural strength of the existing pipe, prevents root intrusion, stops leaks, seals cracks, and increases flow.

Professional Plumbing & Design is a Certified Perma-Liner Industries installer.

Perma-Liner’s state-of-the-art is installation system uses a single point of entry to ensure that there is complete saturation and adhesion to the host pipe and, because the stand-alone design does not require a host pipe, Perma-Liner can even bridge missing sections of pipe!

Our Perma-Liner™ Drain Pipe Lining is the solution to your drain problems.

• Bridge missing sections of pipe
• Repair cracked or broken pipes without excavation
• Eliminate root intrusion
• Stop infiltration and exfiltration

All Perma-Liner materials are made in the USA and they carry a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty!

Professional Plumbing & Design is based in Sarasota Florida. We offer residential and commercial plumbing services for Sarasota and the surrounding areas including Bradenton, Palmetto, and Venice.

Suncoast Charities for Children & Powerboat P1 are pleased to announce that CBS Sports Network will be covering the 2018 Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix Race scheduled for Sunday July 1, 2018.

The Sarasota Grand Prix is one of the most historic events on the off shore powerboat racing calendar in North America, having just completed it’s 33rd year and bringing in millions of dollars of tourism revenue for the state and local hotels every year. The 34th Annual Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix Festival will take place June 29-July 1, 2018. For festival updates and information please visit our website. Sarasota Power Boat Grand Prix

We love the photo they used in the press release:

In 1974, Congress enacted the Safe Drinking Water Act which authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set national standards for drinking water.

The problem is that the list of regulated chemicals has not been updated in over 20 years and, in many cases, the contaminant levels by the Safe Drinking Water Act are higher than what scientific studies have found to be safe.

Data collected by Environmental Working Group (EWG) at over 48,000 water facilities across the country found 267 of the 500 unique contaminants they tested for. Many of these contaminants have been associated with an increased risk of cancer, developmental problems, and fertility and endocrine issues.

Long-term exposure to unfiltered tap water, from many of the nation’s public water systems can lead to serious health problems, in particular for pregnant women and children under 6, and bottled water is not the answer. Unlike public water suppliers, bottled water manufacturers are not required to disclose contaminant levels in their water, so the only solution is a good filtration system.

EWG has made their data available in a Public Database (https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/#.WX99BIjyvGg) that allows you to see which contaminants were present in your water supply. If you’re concerned about the water you and your family are drinking, call the professionals at 941-355-5400. Professional Plumbing & Design carries only the best Water Filtration Systems from top manufacturers like Aqua-Pure®, Everpure®, Watts®, Cuno®, 3M, and Nuvo H2O™.

Link to USA Today article and video https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/07/26/contaminants-water-legal-but-still-pose-big-health-risks/510237001/.

{gallery}friendliest-catch-2017{/gallery}

Check out the awesome commercial water softener that Jim, our water treatment specialist, just installed at the Tarpon Point Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Sarasota.

Professional Plumbing & Design is proud to be sponsoring the 19th Annual Jingle & Jog! Join us on Saturday, December 3 at Community Haven (4405 Desoto Road, Sarasota, FL 3423) and enjoy food from local restaurants, receive coupons to local vendors, and much more while you support The Haven!

All Participants in the 5K race or 1 mile walk will receive a performance T-Shirt, Goodie Bag, One Raffle Entry, and a Participation Medal. Winners receive Cool Cash Prizes!

Click Here to Register

Professional Plumbing is proud to have, once again, been one of the sponsors "The Friendliest Catch" tournament this past Wednesday, June 29, 2016.

Part of the Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix​ Festival, "The Friendliest Catch" is a catch & release tournament in which local boat captains & law enforcement officials volunteer their time to take special needs children & adults out on Sarasota Bay for a day of fishing followed by a picnic and awards ceremony at the Sarasota Outboard Club. The 74 participants, the boat captains, and all of the other volunteers and liaisons enjoyed a great day on the bay!

Click here to view more images

Some plumbing problems are slow-moving, such as a faucet that drips, drips, drips.

The sound is annoying, the water loss a waste. But you can call us at your convenience to schedule a repair. But then there’s the dreaded plumbing emergency – there’s no such thing as a convenient time for disaster. Plumbing emergencies require fast action. If a pipe breaks, a washing machine hose bursts, a toilet overflows, a faucet won’t shut off, or an ice maker goes haywire… the obvious first step is to stop the flow of water.

Make sure you and others in your household know how to locate and turn off the water supply shut-off valves for fixtures and appliances, as well as the main shut-off valve for the house. You’ll usually find individual shutoff valves underneath a fixture or behind an appliance where it’s connected to the water supply line. The main shut-off valve that sends water flowing through your pipes could be on an outside wall or utility area.

 Another option: The water meter near the street has a valve where you could turn off the house side of the water line. If a fixture or appliance is creating the emergency, use the shutoff valve at that location. If you can’t find the shut-off valve, or the emergency is not just a fixture (such as a leaking or broken pipe), turn off the flow of water to the house at the main shut-off valve. To shut off, turn clockwise.

 Next step: Call us. We can help.

Sometimes, you just need to scold your plumbing.

Without going into a physics lesson, heat and cold tends to expand and contract your pipes. The different rates of this ‘elasticity’ are what cause little leaks. That’s why early detection is the key to not having an indoor pond. Start here: Faucets, Showerheads, Toilet flappers. We find these are the most common culprits, and can do the most damage too. Check these first. Then move to… Washing machines. Make sure your hose here is braided stainless steel, not the dinky rubber one that may’ve come with it! We can swap this out for you with a quick call. Sink traps. This refers to the ‘U’ shaped portion under your sinks.

Do not neglect a drip here for even a day because it is on its way to a gross and gooey display right where you don’t want it. Water heaters. I can’t tell you the number of times we’ve found a pool of rusty water under the water heater. Go check yours now (at least annually thereafter) or call us out for an inspection. Outside Too! Check your hose bib connections for leaks, and irrigation heads if you have them. Also take a peek at your plumbing stacks or vents that come through your roof. A blocked vent can cause problems not suitable for this newsletter. Any questions? That’s why we’re here. Give us a call or an email, and we’ll be happy to answer or to come out to make sure your spring is as delightful as it should be!