Here are a list of ways to help maintain your water heater:

• Tanks should be flushed at least annually.
• Pressure gauges and relief valves should be checked four times a year.
• For glass–lined tanks, replace sacrificial anodes every 2–3 years, or if 6 in. of the core wire is exposed.
• Check combustion chamber and flue for rust and corrosion.
• Limit hot water to maximum 140°F and provide separate heating capability for school kitchens.
• Verify that mixing valves deliver a maximum of 110°F water to fixtures.
• Install timers on water heaters to turn off during unoccupied periods.
• Draining a bucket of water will remove sediment from the tank bottom that could corrode the unit and reduce its heating efficiency.
• Drain and refill hot–water heater once a year to keep it fully functional.
• Check all the pipe connections and valves for leaks once a month.
• On gas models, be sure the vent pipe is properly installed and there are no obstructions.
• Routine flushes and replacement of anodes can extend the life of the tank – they can last 20 to 40 years with routine maintenance.

As you begin your search for a Tampa plumber, one of the first things that you might want to do is to get recommendations from other people who have recently hired a Tampa plumber. When someone makes a recommendation, be sure to ask them what they liked about the Tampa plumber and why they feel comfortable making that recommendation. This will give you a better idea of the characteristics and traits that may affect your decision. You might also consider doing a search online and reading reviews.

Look for a Tampa plumber that is licensed and certified. A Tampa plumber that has been in business for a long period of time is more likely to be able to provide you with expert services. Find out about their specialties. For example, if you are looking for a Tampa plumber who will be able to do renovations and upgrades to the bathroom or kitchen, choosing someone who has worked extensively doing this type of job would be a better choice than someone whose specialty is in drain cleaning or other repairs.

Of course, money is an important consideration. If you have a large job that needs to be done, it is a good idea to get estimates from several different Tampa plumbers. Not only will this give you a good idea of the normal price range for this type of work, it will also motivate contractors to offer more competitive pricing. As you interact with the Tampa plumbers, pay attention to their manner and pay attention to the character traits that reflect integrity, experience, and good work ethic. It is worth paying a little bit more for a Tampa plumber who will be able to do an excellent job.

Before making a final decision on your Tampa plumber, make sure to discuss any concerns that you might have. Carefully establish open lines of communication to ensure that you feel comfortable throughout the plumbing repair or installation.

Many times we take our water and softeners for granted.  It works hard to keep you with fresh, better tasting, pure water.  Combine a softener with a filter and WOW… it’s magically fantastical!  Regular softener maintenance can help keep your water softener working happily and smoothly for many years.  Water softeners are vital in areas of the country where hard water is common like here in Florida.  Mineral deposits make washing difficult and decrease the efficiency and life of water heaters, fixtures or any plumbing appliance prematurely.

Water softeners work using a process called ion exchange. Your water softener replaces harmful calcium and magnesium ions with neutral sodium or potassium ions depending on which you prefer to use.  For those of us that are dealing with high blood pressure or other heath issues, potassium is a magical replacement for salt. It is slightly more costly but may help relieve some of your concerns that come with salt intake. As an added benefit, most of our diets are lacking in beneficial potassium.  Water generated by a softener that uses potassium is known to be more environmentally friendly.

Did you Know?  Some water softener systems that use salt have been banned in some states

If you’re a plant person like me you should know that plants require a lot of potassium in contrast to the damage sodium can causes to your plants and land. In fact, for this reason water softener systems that use salt have been banned in some states or at least frowned upon near fresh water lakes.

It basically works like this a mineral exchange takes place in one tank as water passes over plastic beds coated with sodium or potassium ions. The yucky unwanted hard minerals are left behind or changed.  A second tank (called a brine tank) replenishes the sodium or potassium as it is used up during the mineral exchange process. It’s that simple softener fans!

Here are some notes to think about:

• Types of Salt: There are basically three different types of salt available for water softeners. Rock salt is the least expensive, but it has a high percentage of impurities. Solar salt comes in palletized form, making it convenient to load into your water softener.  Evaporated salt is the most expensive, but it contains the least amount of impurities. This means you’ll have to clean your brine tank less often and that’s a good thing.
• Your Salt Level: You should inspect the salt level in the brine tank at least once a month. If your water softener has recently been installed, you should check it more frequently until you establish how much salt your unit will require. Do not over fill your tank it can cause problems or “Bridging”. Consult your owner’s manual to determine the best method for inspecting the salt level in your water softener.
• Bridging: Salt in your water softener’s brine tank can form a solid cluster. This will inhibit the proper operation of the unit. As you inspect your brine tank, look for large clumps of solidified salt. This is where we get the term Bridge I looks like a natural rock formation bridge.
• Be careful: As a temporary measure, bridged salt can be broken up with a broom or other long, solid object. Bridged salt will bridge again at a much faster rate and should be removed and replaced as soon as possible. Be careful not to harm your softeners wall or components while trying to break up the bridge.
• Maintenance. At least once a year, your brine tank should be drained, emptied and cleaned with soap and water. The tank should be rinsed well and refilled according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Consult your owners or service manual for your particular softener.  Make it a routine habit to take a look at your softeners condition and overall happiness factor.  The manufacturer will give you there recommended maintenance ritual along with steps and tips to keep it running spectacularly.  Feel free to ask your Friendly highly trained CassPlumbingTampaBay.com technician about your softeners requirement. Ask us about the benefits of adding a filter alongside your softener.  I know he will be more than happy to show you how to drain and clean your tank properly.

Until next week….I’m off to find you even more savings!

In the event you may need any assistance or maintenance with your water softer in the Tampa bay Area, please call Cass Plumbing today.

Hillsborough: 813-265-9200
Pinellas: 727-821-0033
Pasco: 727-868-4303

There are Pros and Cons to all types of water heaters – both conventional and tankless.   We have even found substantial differences between some brands.  If you already have gas service within your home, well that’s a huge plus.  Adding gas service may be more expensive and a larger undertaking than expected at the front end, but eventually the savings will catch up.  Water filters and softeners, or better yet our NUVO H2O conditioners, (Check out our blog a few weeks ago) are recommended for every type of water heater and appliance.

For the sake of keeping this brief and less complicated,  we spelled out the comparisons for each type of water heater to make it easier for you to make a decision that works best for you and your family.

Remember, we at CassPlumbingTampaBay.com are experts at converting and installing gas appliances. We offer huge savings on gas tankless water heaters and conventional water heaters as well.  Please ask us our opinion on what would be the best option for your Tampa area home.  As always, we give FREE estimates and Team Member discounts.   So now is the best time to install a new water heater and feel the savings!

I’m off to find even more savings for you!

You know what?  We at CassPlumbingTampaBay.com are experts at converting and installing gas appliances.  We have huge savings on gas tankless water heaters and conventional water heaters as well.  There is no reason not to get the old one out and the new one in.

Next week, I will discuss more about the fabulous advantages of tankless Gas water heaters and gas appliances in general.   Here are some links I found explaining more about the rebates and taxes credits.

Peoples Gas Rebates

US Department of Energy: Tax Credits For Energy Efficiency

Do your homework and the call CassPlumbingTampaBay.com for the best prices in the universe!  Remember our Magical Plumber will beat any licensed plumbers written quote by 11%.    That’s Madness!   I’m off to find more savings for you!

Cass Plumbing provides 24 hour plumbing services throughout the Central Gulf Coast of Florida, including the following cities: Tampa, St. Petersburg, Brandon, Riverview, Gibsonton, Thonotosassa, Valrico, Plant City, Apollo Beach, Seffner, Bloomingdale, Sun City Center, Ruskin, Wimauma, St. Petersburg, Lutz and Temple Terrace.

Citrus NOT Salt

Call us today for the LOWEST PRICE GUARANTEE and installation.  Remember we give you free estimates and removal of your old softeners is a free service we provide to our Team Members.  You have nothing to loose but hard water!

Visit their web site at http://www.nuvoh2o.com for more information.

CONTACT Cass Plumbing TODAY to learn about the Eco-friendly nuvoh20 system.

Stevie said “I can sure use an extra 25 bucks!  All I have to do is refer a new customer?”  Yes replied the Magical Plumber BAM! 25 BUCKS!

Take a look at all our benefits rush now to: www.CassPlumbingTampaBay.com

(Note: This offer available only to Homeowners living in the Tampa Bay Florida area.)

Cass Plumbing provides 24 hour plumbing services throughout the Central Gulf Coast of Florida, including the following cities: Tampa, St. Petersburg, Brandon, Riverview, Gibsonton, Thonotosassa, Valrico, Plant City, Apollo Beach, Seffner, Bloomingdale, Sun City Center, Ruskin, Wimauma, St. Petersburg, Lutz and Temple Terrace.

• One of the most important things to remember is NEVER reach into the disposal without turning off the power.  Making sure the power is off at the breaker box insures your safety.  Don’t rely on only the switch alone. Your hands are your working tools if you want to keep them turn off the power.

• Do not put grease down the disposal.  Grease coagulates and turns to a pesky wax-like substance in your pipes.  After time this will decrease the overall drainage ability of your pipes.  In some cases it could even lead to nasty backups and costly repairs or replacement.

• Run Cold Water whenever using your disposal.  It keeps the motor and other crucial parts from overheating.  It also allows for the waste to go down more easily.  Hot water will cause any grease to melt and then re-solidify further down the pipe and cause the problems we mentioned earlier.

• Avoid putting large bones, small soft ones are okay however larger ones can get jammed and cause serious damage to the motor and dull the shredder blades.  The same goes for hard shellfish and even un-popped popcorn kernels.  So discard them in the trash before washing your dishes.

• In order to keep the odor to a minimum occasionally throw a hand full of loose ice cubes down there and finish up with a few lemon peels or other yummy citrus.

Get more information about Plumbing services with the experts of Cass Plumbing.

Cass Plumbing is Your Tampa Plumber to get the job done right at the lowest possible cost. Remember, estimates are FREE! Call us today!

Cass Plumbing provides plumbing services throughout the Central Gulf Coast of Florida, including the following cities: Tampa, Brandon, Riverview, Gibsonton, Thonotosassa, Valrico, Plant City, Apollo Beach, Seffner, Bloomingdale, Sun City Center, Ruskin, Wimauma, St. Petersburg, Lutz and Temple Terrace.

In the event you may need any assistance with your water heater in the Tampa bay Area, please  call Cass Plumbing today.

Hillsborough: 813-265-9200
Pinellas: 727-821-0033
Pasco: 727-868-4303

For anyone who is even little uncertain about what you’re carrying out, fooling around with a plumbing system can lead to not merely expensive repair bills and potential health risks, but also serious damage to your property.

Here are some helpful plumbing tips which you can make use of every year:

• Examine the toilets for any hidden leaks. To do soput6 drops of food color in the toilet tank. In caseit’s leaking, the bowl will have color in in less than 30 minutes.
• Check the bowl and tank for any leaks or cracks.
• Examine out the sinks for leaks or drips. In case there are any, have them fixed in order to save water.
• Check if all of the toilets of the house are flushing adequately. Should the handle of the flush needs to be jiggled to prevent the water from running continually or kept down for a proper flush, it may be time for you to replace some of the tank parts. They’re typically not very expensive and can help you save on your water bills.
• Observe the preset temperature inside your hot water heater. It ought to be no higher than 120°F to avoid any burns and also to reduce energy consumption too.
• Check if you can find any exposed pipes beneath the sinks that demonstrate signs of leakages.
• Properly drain out gallons of water from the water heater to permit elimination of corrosion causing sediments that shorten heater’s life and reduce its heating efficiency too.
• Since brand-new water heaters are always more energy-efficient, just in case yours is more than 15 years old, will probably be beneficial to your wallet to replace it now.
• Exercise the water supply valves placed directly under the toilets and sinks to ensure their smooth operation.
• Check the hose bibs and faucets, particularly the exterior ones for any damages during the previous season.
• Pour one gallon of water into the drains that are used rarely to prevent any odors and also to fill any traps. Floor drains that have become sluggish ought to be snaked to ensure that they are well prepared for rainy season.
• Make sure that all drains in the house have strainers to prevent debris, soap and hair from clogging up the drain pipes.
• See if there are any bird nests in the vent pipes.
• Ensure that downspouts, gutters and drains are free from debris, cleaned out and open.

In the event you may need any assistance with plumbing in the Tampa bay Area, please  call Cass Plumbing today.

Hillsborough: 813-265-9200
Pinellas: 727-821-0033
Pasco: 727-868-4303