If you’re a homeowner, a water leak can be a major headache. And often this occurs at night or on weekends – just what you need. The good news? There are a couple of ways you might be able to temporarily fix the leak yourself. A good patch could hold until a professional can visit your home and fix it permanently. More importantly, it could save significant property damage and inconvenience too. We’ll cover three methods: The first method is to use a gasket and hose clamp...

With things starting to return to a more normal, many of us are starting to plan some vacation time. While we can’t help you with what to see or do, we can offer you some tips about what to remember before heading out – plumbing wise. The PipeMaster Checklist includes: 1. Main Water Shut-off Turn off your water supply to ensure you do not return home to a flood in the event of a broken, frozen pipe. Going hand in hand with this to also shut off your hot water, gas or electric&nb...

Time for a new water heater? You may be wondering about tankless vs traditional tank heaters and which one is the right one for you. Both have their advantages and disadvantages – it’s all about what’s right for you.  You probably are familiar with that big tank of hot water in your basement, it is always on to keep your tank of 30-60 gallons of water hot and ready. Tankless heaters produce hot water only when you turn on the faucet, start a cycle on the washing machin...

Hot water tanks usually last about 7-10 years. When they do, often it’s leaking that you’ll notice. This can cause flooding and a host of other issues depending on how long before the problem is discovered. Having your tank checked/serviced regularly can help minimize this from happening. Emergency situations are beyond your control, knowing what to do quickly when your tank leaks is the best way to avoid costly damages. 1. Find the leak Determine the source of the leak. Hot wate...

Toilets don’t make good table talk, even though we have all heard at least one amusing story about them. Ignore your toilet and you could end up spending money on repairs. Or worse ignore the problem and end up with a plumbing disaster. We’ve put together a guide designed to help you know when to replace a toilet, signs it’s time so to speak: Age. Toilets don’t last forever or the inner workings. While it still may do the job, older toilets do often suffer from inef...

In this week’s second installment of the top trends in plumbing focuses in how these technologies and features can be installed or retrofitted to your kitchen and bathrooms. Last week we touched on how touchless fixtures have continued to evolve and how you can combine these new technologies to increase your savings. Traditionally the bathrooms and kitchens have not been very efficient. Now that these new technologies are proven to provide the same long-term reliability we look for in ...

Technology continues to factor heavily in fixture design as well as installations to have homes and facilities much more functional, economical and stylish. In this first of two--parts, we’ll cover the latest trends in fixtures. Younger homeowners have been driving the demand for “smart” technology in many areas, including the plumbing systems of where they live. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to technology and market disruption more than any other recent factor. The...

Bathroom mold is one of those cleaning struggles we tend to keep in the dark. No matter where you live, a high moisture level in your bathroom makes mold almost impossible to get rid of, no matter how much you clean. Eliminating bathroom dampness is the key to keeping bathroom mold from growing. Here’s a top 10 tip list: Always switch on the bathroom fan. Leave it running for half an hour to an hour after you shower. If you don’t have a built-in shower fan, get a fan and do the...

Rusty water can be caused by a number of things; rusty pipes, damage to your pipes from construction, sediment in your water, a rusty water heater, a break in your water main or a problem with the water source be it municipal or private well.  Where is it coming from? To find the source, your first step is to do a small test. Run the cold water for a minute and then stop and rerun it. Do the same with the hot water. If the rust is only in the hot water, it’s likely caused by your...

Canadian winters bring cold temperatures. Having your water pipes freeze or burst is a major inconvenience. It can also be an expensive frustration for home and cottage owners, easily causing property damage that can run into the thousands to fix. It’s pretty cost-effective to insulate your water pipes, so let’s look at the benefits of doing so over the long run. Some like it hot Insulating your water pipes will help keep your hot water hot. It helps save water too as you have ...