Summer is officially here and that means the beaches are full, boats are on the water, and summer plumbing woes are in full bloom, but these easy-to-follow tips can help you avoid unnecessary headaches because – you just don’t need another problem right now…

Clogged Garbage Disposals

With so many of us doing a lot more cooking these days, garbage disposals are working overtime. To keep your garbage disposal running smoothly, be sure to run cold water down the drain for 15 seconds before AND after, and check out our recent blog to learn what NOT to put down the garbage disposal. 

Washing Machine Issues

With more outdoor activities like hiking, going to the beach and, let’s face it, sweating - summertime is laundry time. Avoid washing machine issues by making sure the washing machine is at least 4” from the wall so the hoses don't get kinked, replace the hoses every 3 years, and check them at least once a year to ensure they aren't leaking, cracking or bulging.

Leaky Faucets

All faucets eventually wear out and, with all the extra hand washing, this already common problem is sure to be particularly pertinent this year. Don’t ignore the drip, drip, drip - just one leaky faucet, leaking once every 2 seconds, is equal to 2.85 gallons of wasted water per day!

Clogged Toilets

With kids home from school since mid-March, this summer classic made an early appearance for many this year. The best way to avoid toilet clogs is to not flush anything other than toilet paper down the toilet. Keeping a wastebasket in every bathroom will help you avoid the temptation.

Sewer Line Backups

Summer storms and heavy rains can lead to sewer backups and invading roots from summer growth can crack pipes. If your plumbing smells, it could be a sign that sewer gas is leaking into your home. Our video inspection equipment can save you time & money by identifying the source of the problem, without unnecessary digging, so we can fix it without delay.

One surefire way to protect yourself from these or any plumbing problem is to join our Pro Club.

Pro Club members get front-of-the-line service, yearly safety inspections, 10% discounts and 2-year guarantees on all repairs and replacements and, best of all, it's all free!

Front of the Line Service

Pro Club members go to the top of our appointment list whenever they need services.

Yearly Safety Inspections

Once a year, one of our certified technicians will thoroughly inspect your plumbing system to ensure that everything is working properly and there are no potential plumbing hazards and, if you have any service done at the time of your inspection, you don’t pay a trip charge.

Discounts and Extended Guarantees

Pro Club members get 10% off plus a 2-year guarantee on all repairs and replacements.

Free Membership

Your monthly investment of just $4.95 accrues until you’re ready to use it so the front-of-the-line services, safety inspections, 10% discount, and 2-year guarantees are all free and, if you pay in advance, you lock in the low monthly price you got when you became a Pro Club member.

Let’s say you have a safety inspection this year and everything is A-OK. Next year, you’re still looking really good. On year 3, we discover that your garbage disposal is leaking or you’re ready to upgrade your toilet, but you have a $178.20 credit on your account so there is little or no out-of-pocket cost for your new garbage disposal or toilet. You can use your $59.40 credit every year or you can accrue it until you’re ready to use it, but the money is always yours - you just can't lose!

Click here to download the Pro-Club Application. Or call the us at 941-355-5400

Professional Plumbing & Design has been offering Residential and Commercial Plumbing services to Sarasota and the surrounding areas including Bradenton, Palmetto, and Venice since 1985.
If you need a plumbing contractor, or if you have any questions, call the professionals at 941-355-5400.

Angie’s List offers “FREE access to ‘top-rated pros’, exclusive online deals and more than 12 million verified reviews from real people” so how can you go wrong with a recommendation from Angie’s List?

Well, for starters, only advertisers are described as “top-rated pros” and they’re listed ahead of other contractors. They’re also given special treatment when it comes to negative reviews and, when a consumer asks for a recommendation – they’re only given the names of advertisers.

In fact, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) warns “If you use Angie’s List, ignore their recommended companies.” CFA recommends that “When possible, consumers should rely on nonprofit organizations that evaluate businesses and are not funded by the companies they are evaluating.”, but Angie’s List isn’t a great deal for advertisers either…

When consumers are sent 4 or 5 recommendations, they tend to choose the lowest priced option. On top of that, advertisers are encouraged to offer discounted prices and onsite search results seem to favor businesses that offer coupons. For this reason, established contractors who are unwilling to sacrifice quality in order to offer bargain prices avoid Angie’s List.

Angie’s List started out as a subscription-based service in 1995. In 2017, IAC bought the company, merged it with Home Advisor, and switched it to an advertising-based model that gives preference to their “top-rated pros”, otherwise known as their advertisers. Since the merger, Angie’s List has been flooded with Better Business Bureau complaints from their customers – again, their advertisers.

IAC owns over 150 brands and operates Vimeo and Dotdash, among others. They have majority ownership of Match Group, which includes Tinder, Match, PlentyOfFish, OkCupid and Hinge, as well as ANGI Homeservices, which includes HomeAdvisor, Angie’s List and Handy.

Read the Forbes article on Angie's List

If you need a Plumber, these simple guidelines will help you find the best contractor for the job:

1. Consider only licensed plumbers who carry liability and workers’ compensation insurance.
2. Find out how long the company has been in business. When it comes to plumbers, the longer they’ve been around the better…
3. Is it a drug-free workplace and do all employees go through high-level background checks?
4. Does the company have an excellent reputation in town?
5. Check the companies reviews on Google, Facebook, Yelp and other referral sites.
6. Ask friends, family and neighbors for their recommendation.

Or, if you’re lucky enough to be in Sarasota, Bradenton, Palmetto or Venice, you can just Call The Professionals at 941-355-5400.

The holidays are upon us and, for many of us, that means BIG family meals…

When it’s working properly, a garbage disposal reduces the amount of waste your family generates and it makes kitchen cleanup faster and easier, but how do you keep it from breaking or backing up when you have a house full of people and it’s working overtime?

Running cold water down the drain for 15 seconds before AND after you run the disposal will help flush the waste into the main sewer and prevent backups, but the most important thing to know is what NOT to put down the garbage disposal.

First of all, NEVER, ever put grease or cooking oils down the garbage disposal (or any drain). Once cooled, pour most of the grease into a container that you can recycle and blot the remaining grease with paper towels before washing the pan in the sink.

Other items to avoid putting down the garbage disposal are:

• Stringy or Fibrous Fruits & Vegetables - Corn husks, banana peels, potato peels, pumpkin guts, asparagus and celery stalks can all wrap around the blades of your disposal.
• Egg Shells & Onion Skins – The thin membrane on the inside of egg shells and onion skins can also wrap around the garbage disposal blades.
• Pasta, Rice & Oatmeal – These items expand when they come in contact with water and they can create a very stubborn clog.
• Fruit Pits – Keep peach pits, cherry pits, avocado pits, and any other pit out of the garbage disposal.
• Nuts – A few nuts won’t kill your disposal, but handfuls will line your blades with a nut-buttery mess that everything else will stick to.
• Coffee Grounds – Over time, coffee grounds accumulate and clog your drain.
• Bones & Shells – Bones, especially big ones, can cause irreparable damage to your disposal. The same goes for oyster, crab, lobster shells, and the like. Conversely, shrimp shells can catch in the drain so don’t put those down the garbage disposal either.
• Harsh Chemicals or Paint – Don’t put any harsh chemicals that can harm your drains down the disposal and paint can cling to the disposal or pipes.

If you’re looking to sharpen your garbage disposal blades, putting ice down the disposal is a great way.

And, if you’re looking to make everything smell great, put some orange or lemon peels down the drain – lime peels are more fibrous so you should avoid putting those down the drain too.

If you do run into trouble with your disposal, or you have any other plumbing problems, don’t let them ruin your holiday, just Call The Professionals at 941-355-5400.

Our favorite time of year is almost here! Mark your calendars for the 35th Annual Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix on Sunday July 7 and don't miss the Bayfront Fireworks Spectacular on the 4th & the Downtown Block Party on the 5th.

https://youtu.be/DhRxuRjOnvI

Call The Professionals at 941-355-5400 to find out how the Enviro Water Products Pro-Combo Whole-House Water Filtration & Salt-Free Water Softening system can protect your family, your home, and the environment!

Meet Flo by Moen™

Say hello to smarter plumbing with this all-in-one security system for your water and protect your entire home from water damage & leaks – guaranteed!

Flo learns your home’s water use and detects leaks anywhere in your house, no matter how small, even behind walls. Flo even checks for stuff that can lead to leaks, like high water pressure, so you can stop leaks before they happen. And, if a pipe bursts while you’re away, Flo detects it and automatically shuts off the water, preventing catastrophic water damage.

https://youtu.be/YTFKKNzCvkY

Call The Professionals at 941-355-5400 and start saving on your water consumption and your homeowners insurance with Flo by Moen.

Almost every drop of water you use goes through your water heater.

It sits there while it’s getting hot then it flows out when summoned.

Because unfiltered water is almost never perfectly clean, sediment tends to build up at the bottom of your water heater, reducing its efficiency.

Your water heater is an essential part of your home’s plumbing system, protect it by clearing all filters and flushing out these sediments once or twice per year.

Chemical drain cleaners are not great for your pipes, especially when dealing with older plumbing or if you’re not sure what material your pipes are made of. Rather than pouring potentially damaging chemicals down your drain, stock up on some good old-fashioned white vinegar. Vinegar can be used to break up mineral deposits caused by hard water which can lead to clogs and it can be used clear aerator on faucets or shower nozzles thereby improving water pressure.

Polybutylene is an inexpensive, flexible plastic that was used for residential piping from 1978 to 1995.

It was found to be extremely vulnerable to ruptures, which led to a class-action settlement and the material is no longer accepted by U.S. building codes.

Polybutylene pipes can be blue, black, white or gray, but they always have the letters “PB” on a printed label on the pipe. The easiest way to determine whether you have polybutylene pipes is to check the pipes near the water heater, the sink connections or at the main shut-off valve or water meter.

If you have polybutylene piping, we highly recommend that you replace it as soon as possible.

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.

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.

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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!