Are you connected to a public water supply or have a softener or other water treatment system in your home? You should consider having a backflow preventer installed. A backflow preventer stops contaminated water from flowing back into your home. Let’s look at how a backflow preventer works and the major benefits of installing one. Keeps your drinking water safe by preventing contaminated water from flowing into your home Prevents any backflow into the public water supply Also avai...

It is important that you stay up to date with the necessary preventative maintenance for this most important component of your home. Here’s a few quick tips: Inspections As a general rule, you should have your tank and system inspected once a year. This will help you make sure there aren’t any small issues within your system that could become larger, more expensive problems to fix down the road. These simple inspections are one of the best preventative steps you can take to keep...

Today you’ll find most pipes are made of PEX or PVC plastic, but copper also still maintains some popularity, albeit a more expensive choice. Which is best for you?  PEX PEX refers to “crosslinked polyethylene,” a type of piping that has been around for approximately four decades. The material is created by melting a type of high-density polyethylene and then extruding it in tube form. PEX is very easy to install, even more so than PVC, thanks in large part to its fl...

Your sump pump is an important part of your home’s plumbing system. Ensuring it works properly, with preventative maintenance, is highly recommended. Here are a few tips that will help you keep your sump pump in good condition for many years to come. Know how the system works: It’s a good idea to read the manual for the system and gain an understanding of how it works so you’re prepared in the event you need to make some repairs or perform some maintenance. You shoul...

Soon, the colder, harsher winter weather will be here and impacting our treasured cottages. We need to winterize the cottage before we close it up for the season. Even if you will use it all winter, you might still benefit from some winterization tasks.  A failure to winterize your cottage before the freezes of winter begins could result in your pipes bursting, causing catastrophic damage, including to water-based appliances and fixtures that can be challenging and expensive to repair. ...

When you’ve got plumbing issues, it’s tempting to head to Kijiji to find a “handyman” who can get the job done for cheap. However, there’s a lot of risk associated with this. Your best option is to work with a licensed plumber, and usually, it costs the same or less in the long run. Let’s look at why working with an unlicensed plumber could cause problems. Quality Perhaps the biggest reason to work with a licensed plumber is that their licensure acts as p...

Having problems with your toilet? Clogged again? It might end up being a simple repair. Here are some of the most common reasons why your toilet might be clogging and not flushing properly: It’s clogged. In many cases, a clog inside the toilet is the reason why it won’t flush properly. Toilets can only handle certain types and amounts of waste. Sanitary products or even large amounts of toilet paper can clog the toilet, obstructing the flow of water, leading to flushing pr...

Our team of commercial plumbers deal with a variety of businesses and we end up dealing with a lot of the same type of issues that affect many commercial washrooms. Let’s run thru those top issues, a few tips for maintenance and when to call us for service. Leaky water supply/faucets: By far the number one issue. Not only can this waste a lot of money (think water bills), and also cause significant other damage when the leak is not all being caught in the fixture. Water pool...

Top Tools for DIY Plumbing Projects A clogged drain, plugged-up toilet, leaking pipes; plumbing problems can occur at any time and are terribly inconvenient when they do. Overall, we recommend you leave the plumbing projects up to the professionals, as most jobs require a lot of experience and know-how. But there are some DIY plumbing jobs that are feasible for you to take on yourself. If you’re going to give it a try, it’s important to make sure you have the right tools for the ...

Having issues with a well pump frequently cycling on and off, or even doing so nonstop? When you have your own well pump, you know the advantages of having an independent water supply. Being on your own can be daunting when you have to deal with issues like short cycling. These pumps generally last around 25 years, so it might not be uncommon to have an issue with them from time to time. Let’s look at the top common well pump issues and what you can do to resolve them. Insufficient a...