5 Tips to Avoid Plumbing Disasters During Thanksgiving

Posted on by JimLouis
As the Thanksgiving season arrives, many Tampa homeowners will be entertaining guests and that can cause added strain to a home's plumbing system. Some preventative plumbing maintenance can help ease the burden on overloaded pipes. Many Tampa homeowners are planning extravagant Thanksgiving dinners and hosting overnight guests, but not many consider that the additional water use from guest showers or the added meal preparation can overload a home's plumbing system. Checking the plumbing is just as important as setting out the food. This should be something every Tampa homeowner does as pa...
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4 SIGNS IT’S TIME TO REPLACE YOUR PLUMBING

Posted on by JimLouis
Unless you just built your home or it’s a few years old, there’s a chance that your plumbing is outdated. Over time, pipes suffer from the elements, resulting in corrosion, rust, and eventual disrepair. However, you don’t have to live in fear of a leak of raw sewage flowing under your house or in your basement. Before catastrophe strikes, look for these telltale signs it’s time to upgrade the plumbing in your Tampa, FL home. Water Discoloration Unless Tampa is under a boil order, you have well water or live in a rural area, discolored water is usually a cause for concern. Brown or dark water...
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Thousands of Tampa Residents are Consuming Cancer Linked Toxins in the Tap Water

Posted on by JimLouis
The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a 501 (C) nonprofit organization, has recently released an alarming report on Tampa tap water. The report reveals that thousands of Tampa Bay residents may be unknowingly consuming tap water contaminated by “an invisible toxic cocktail” of cancer-linked toxins, a new report found. The Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) 2021 Tap Water Database revealed contamination levels of toxins like arsenic and lead, hundreds of times higher than recommended health guidelines. The tap water tested from the City of Tampa was found to carry 18 total contaminants ...
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Repiping Your Tampa Home? Copper Vs. Plastic Pipes

Posted on by JimLouis
If you need to install new pipes in your Tampa home, you may be wondering which is better, copper or plastic. Which is better quality? Which leaks faster? Well, just like anything else, there are positives and negatives to both kinds of pipes. Deciding which pipe to have installed is not simple, there are many factors to consider that can affect how to proceed with your plumbing dilemma. The Pros and Cons of Copper Pipes If you have an older Tampa home, chances are good that you have copper pipes. Plumbers have been installing copper pipes in people’s homes for centuries, and with good reaso...
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The Anatomy of Your Water Heater

Posted on by JimLouis
The traditional water heater looks like large metal cylinders and is usually located in the basement, a garage, or a closet. While tankless water heaters are becoming more popular in the Tampa region, this blog will focus on the workings of the more common traditional tank water heater. Your water heater performs an important task that you probably don’t often think about. It supplies warm or hot water to all parts of your home for hand washing, showers, dishes and more. How is it that you have hot water at the turn of a knob? We’ll cover the water heater parts that make it happen a...
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Pipe Corrosion and The Impact on Your Plumbing

Posted on by JimLouis
How Does Pipe Corrosion Work? In Tampa, with all the salt air,  pipes don’t last forever. Even copper pipes, despite their 50+ year lifespan, develop corrosion over time. How does pipe corrosion affect the plumbing and your Tampa home’s water? And how do you prevent your pipes from corroding? Corrosion affects different types of pipes in different ways. Cast iron pipe corrosion looks different than galvanized pipe corrosion and it can be caused by several factors. The bottom line: we want your plumbing and the water you drink to be safe. What are the Causes of Pipe Corrosion? Cor...
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Want to Avoid Hair Clogs in Your Drain? Here’s How.

Posted on by JimLouis
Most Tampa homeowners will agree, nothing is worse than standing in ankle-deep, dirty water thanks to a pesky hair clog in your shower drain. No matter what you do, you just can’t keep the hair from clumping together and causing your drains to slow to a painful crawl. Before you grab a razor and begin taking drastic measures, there are plenty of steps you can take to prevent hair clogs in your drains and eliminate them effectively when they do occur. Find out what you can do to fight against hair clogs in your drains by reading the blog below! HAIR CLOG PREVENTION FOR YOUR DRAINS The best ...
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Green Cleaners are the Rage – Caution: Don’t Mix These

Posted on by JimLouis
Thousands of homeowners throughout the Tampa region are trying to “go green” by using natural, home-made cleaning products. This can be a good decision. These green Tampa homeowners are taking a step toward a cleaner home with fewer chemicals in the air, and they can save a little money in the process. However, even when using all-natural products, one still runs the risk of a dangerous chemical reaction. To ensure safety, Tampa homeowners should follow this guide for properly mixing natural cleaners. Green Cleaners Tampa Homeowners Should Never Mix You have probably heard never to mix a...
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Hey Tampa, Does Your Tap Water Taste Like Bleach?

Posted on by JimLouis
Due to the coronavirus, there's a shortage of liquid oxygen at local Tampa hospitals, so Tampa Bay Water is using bleach to treat tap water. If your tap water tastes and smells strange, you can blame it on the coronavirus pandemic. Tampa Bay's water supplier is using bleach to disinfect water to save liquid oxygen for hospitals facing a shortage. Tampa Bay hospitals are receiving twice as many COVID-19 patients as they did during the peak of last year's pandemic. As a result, the hospitals are running low on liquid oxygen needed for critically ill patients on respirators. To...
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Tampa Set To Increase Water Utility Rates For PIPES Project

Posted on by JimLouis
In last week's plumbing blog post we explored the Federal Government's new infrastructure plan and how there would be upgrades to Tampa's public plumbing infrastructure from it. This week, Tampa rolled out information on small rate increases that were coming on water bills, if you live in the city of Tampa. If you’re wondering why the rate increase was made, the city says the pipes are old and it’s just about time. Those of you living within the Tampa city limits will experience an increase in your water bills. The city of Tampa implementing a Progressive Sustainable Infrastructure Pl...
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