Posted in Plumbing Tips

Do you ever have moments where you notice foul smells coming from your drains? This could be in your kitchen or bathroom, or it could be near floor drains in your basement or laundry room. And this smell can quickly spread throughout your home. There are some cases in which drains can build up a foul odor. To be able to remove that odor, you’ll need to know what causes the drain odor and the best methods of removal. Here’s what you need to know. What causes smelly drains? ...

If you’ve recently had flooding or other forms of water damage done to your home, your first concern should be your safety. First, stop the source of the flooding, and get all furniture and other affected items out of the way if possible. It may be necessary, depending on the amount and source of the flooding, to work with water damage restoration teams to thoroughly clean and sanitize your surfaces, furniture and materials, and to prevent the spread of bacteria or mold.  But once...

While we have fresh summer memories, before we know it our harsh, cold winter will be encompassing our treasured cottages. We need to winterize the home before closing it up for the season. Even if you will reside in the home all winter, you might still benefit from some winterization tasks.  A failure to winterize your home before the freezes of winter begin could result in your pipes freezing and potentially bursting, which could cause catastrophic water damage. There could also be is...

Sump pumps are your first line of defense against a flood or general dampness in your basement. When heavy rains occur, sump pumps get rid of excess water from around your foundation, pumping it out of the house to an area where it can safely flow away and not cause any flooding or water damage.  It’s important to test your sump pump on a regular basis if you have one. You’ll want to be sure the pump is in reliable, operational condition when you really need it. Checks to pe...

Often small problems can bring the biggest headaches. Nothing exemplifies this more than a simple clog in your plumbing. When your shower won’t drain or the water won’t go down in your sink basin, you could find yourself trying everything and anything to resolve the issue. And often, nothing seems to work.  Most people end up calling a plumber to snake their drain, which produces all sorts of unholy mess. Huge clumps of hair. Wadded-up toiletries. Something your kid flushed ...

Your septic system is one of the most important infrastructural components of your home. It is important that you stay up to date with the necessary preventative maintenance. Here is a quick overview of what you need to do to take care of your system and maximize its lifespan. Inspections As a general rule, you should have your tank and system inspected once a year, whether you do it yourself or have a technician do it for you. This will help you make sure there aren’t any small issu...

The spigot you use on the exterior of your house likely gets a lot of use during the summer for watering plants or running sprinklers. But once the winter weather hits, that faucet could be vulnerable to cold weather, leading to potential pipe freezes. While there are some strategies you can employ to winterize these outdoor spigots, you can also significantly reduce the risk of problems with your pipes during the winter by installing a frost-free faucet on the outside of your home. This ...

Picking the right plumber may not be as simple as it sounds. Pick the wrong one and you could be paying way more than needed. Be it a large or small problem, it's important you hire an honest and skilled plumber who can be trusted to complete the job efficiently and satisfactorily. Going with an inexperienced handyman you found off Kijiji, for example, could result in low-quality work that might cost you even more in the long run due to additional repairs or damages. Here are a few fa...

So, you've decided to finally remodel your kitchen? Update your bathroom? Build out that wet bar in your basement? Whatever home upgrade you've diving into, it's sure to improve your quality of life and add value to your home. But it's also not as straightforward as it might seem. For one thing, there are likely plumbing considerations you need to take before any work can actually begin. Plumbing is one of the most important things to consider before starting a remodel bec...

A garbage disposal is a great convenience in any kitchen. Rather than filling your garbage with scraps that'll start to smell in a few days, you can send them down the disposal and shred them! The problem is, garbage disposals can be fickle and troublesome - especially if you're too liberal with what you put down them. If you've got a stuck garbage disposal or one that's clearly clogged, there are a few things you can and should do to get it working again. Here's how: ...