Plumbing Challenges in Older Tampa Homes

Before you purchase an older Tampa home it is a good idea to understand the common plumbing challenges you may discover. Pipes, sewers and drains can require expensive renovations before they will be reliable. Replacing old water pipes and drains in a 1,500 square foot home with two bathrooms can run between $4,000 and $20,000, depending upon how difficult it is to reach the old plumbing in walls and floors. Before you buy a home, it is wise to have a professional plumber evaluate the condition of the existing plumbing. You will be charged a fee for this so ask for a price quote before they be...
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Signs Your Garbage Disposal is About to Go Out

Is your garbage disposal about it die? A garbage disposal is one of the most used appliances in the kitchen and is too often taken for granite because it is used so much. But when your garbage disposal goes out, it is a massive inconvenience. Don't get caught by surprise. Below, are signs that your garbage disposal is about to go out. It Always Restarts Resetting the garbage disposal is a pain in the neck. It’s one of those tasks that you should only need to do every few months. If you find that you need to do it several times a week, then your garbage disposal needs to be replaced. ...
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8 Signs that you may need sewer line repair

The average homeowner in Tampa pays between $600 to $1,200 per year on their home insurance policy. There is one major problem that a standard homeowners policy just won’t cover, and that's sewer line backups. The main cause of most sewage backups is due to a damaged sewer line. While many sewer line issues are preventable, you may not be aware always of the problem. Below, are 8 different tell-tale signs that it’s time to schedule a sewer line repair appointment to keep your home safe from damage. 1. THERE ARE STRANGE SMELLS AROUND YOUR HOME Sewage has a very distinct smell. But when ...
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The temperature you set your water heater is important

The water heater in most Tampa homes is around 18% to 20% of the total energy bill. If you set it too high, you’re going to pay a lot more each month on your monthly energy bill. But if you set the temperature too low, it’s possible that you are going to have water that isn’t hot enough. A water heater set too low is not only uncomfortable, but it might cause bacteria to grow in the tank in the tank. This sets up the goldilocks effect. You should never set your water heater below 120 degrees fahrenheit, because diseases & bacteria often develop when there’s stagnant water in your water hea...
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a Case for Cass

Usually, on our weekly blog, we try to bring you plumbing related stories, do's & dont's, and tips & tricks on the Tampa plumbing industry. This week, we are going to switch things up a bit. This week, we are going to make a "Case for Cass"! Recently, a large plumbing survey was conducted. The survey asked heads of households: How often do you call a plumber into your home for plumbing services?   The results were: 8% reported that they contact a plumber for their services more than once a year 16% said they contact a plumber once a year 24% contact a plumber once ev...
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5 Tips to Pet-Proof Your Tampa Plumbing

In Tampa, we love our pets. We also love when our plumbing works correctly. We don’t love when our pets prevent our plumbing from working. It doesn’t sound like a common problem… but you’d be surprised how often we at Cass Plumbing see issues caused by pets, but could have been prevented. Over one-third of Tampa homeowners have either a cat or a dog and pet-related plumbing problems are common concerns. How can you keep your plumbing safe from (and for) Fido and Fluffy? Easily! Check out these five useful tips to help you pet-proof your home’s plumbing. Incorporating these best prac...
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Why does your dripping faucets make that sound?

There are many plumbing problems more serious, expensive, and even dangerous than a dripping faucet. Obviously, right? At least, it seems obvious. Then, when you don't address it, you’re forced to hear the constant “plink, plink, plink, plinking” of a dripping faucet for days on end. Suddenly, you’re not so sure there’s anything worse than a dripping faucet - “plink, plink, plink, plink..." For how intimately familiar you are with the sound of a dripping faucet - plink (pause, wait...) plink (pause, wait...) plink (pause, wait...), do you actually know where the sound is coming from...
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Common Summer Plumbing Issues (How to Avoid Them)

For most people in Tampa, summer is their favorite season, and for good reason. People go on vacation, kids are home from school, and there’s something to do every weekend. Everyone can’t help but feel good from being more active and soaking up all that vitamin D. Among all the other things that happen during the summer, there are also changes to your Tampa home's plumbing ecosystem. Warm months can be hard on your plumbing. The heat and activity put your pipes and fixtures under new and varied strains. The best way to handle these new strains are to be prepared for them. Check out the mo...
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Leaving for vacation? Put your water heater on “Vacation Mode”

What Is Vacation Mode On Your Water Heater? Vacation mode is a water heater setting that enables water heater users to reduce a water heater’s energy consumption, while powering it with just enough energy to prevent frozen pipes. Luckily, you live in the Tampa region and should not have to worry about pipes freezing. If you'll be away for more than three days, turn your water heater down or turn it off. For an electric water heater: Turn the temperature dial down or turn it off at thecircuit breaker panel. For a natural gas water heater: Turn it down to "low" or to "vacation mode." Why You S...
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A Brief History of Plumbing

Plumbing in modern day Tampa Bay, was non-existant throughout the majority of the world, during most of human history. The history of plumbing is a long and winding trail that ultimately helped to shape human history! The creation and development of modern plumbing can be credited as one of the most important inventions of all time. Can you imagine not having regular access to clean water and the removal of waste? As plumbing practices have shifted and transformed along with technology, so too has the way we view and use modern plumbing technology on an everyday basis. Let’s trav...
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