What to Look For in a Professional Plumber

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When your plumbing troubles are too complicated for DIY fixes, you need the assistance of an experienced plumber. Finding quality residential plumbing services in a sea of companies and contractors is easy when you look for these key qualities:

Valid Credentials and Licensing

California plumbers are required by law to be licensed to prove they have the minimum training and experience for proper service. This specifically means they’ve spent at least four years as a foreman, supervisor, or journeyman, have at least one year of practical experience, and have passed the California Plumbing License Exam. This license has to be renewed every two years by the California Contractors State Licensing Board (CSLB). Make sure your plumber’s license isn’t expired.

Your plumber should also carry full insurance so if something goes wrong during service you won’t be charged. You especially want to be protected if a major plumbing appliance, like a water heater or sewer line, gets further damaged during repairs.

Good Reviews and References

The easiest way to verify a plumber’s work is by visiting review sites and online directories of pre-screened plumbers. Though it’s impossible for a business to have all positive reviews as they serve more clients, you should look for plumbers with consistently high reviews. An unsatisfied customer here and there shouldn’t be worrisome.

Another approach is asking your neighbors, friends, and family for recommendations. They can help you narrow your choices to local plumbers who’ve had great results in the specific projects you’re looking for, like trenchless sewer replacement. You can trust their referrals because their motivation is to help you, not make profit. Other recommendation sources include magazines, newspapers, and other publications that have “Best of” awards for local businesses.

Experienced and Regularly Training

Look for a plumber who has years of experience and still trains themselves. There is always something new to learn, especially when plumbing technology and techniques are constantly evolving. The best plumbers are humble enough to recognize this, and are dedicated to training their assistants and co-plumbers the same.

Experience is the top priority if you need work on major projects like tankless water heaters, trenchless sewer replacement, and pipe repairs. Though every plumber starts with zero experience, you don’t want to trade safe plumbing for a possibly cheaper job. If you choose to work with a newer plumber, they should still be licensed and accompanied by somebody with plenty more experience.

Family-Owned Residential Plumbing Services in the Bay Area

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating has provided quality plumbing services across the Bay Area since 1910. Contact us today to discuss our residential plumbing services. As a fully licensed and insured company, we are open 365 days a year to work on everything from major emergency repairs to simple fixes.

Small Leak, Big Problem – When You Should Call a Plumber

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Small leaks can quickly become big problems if they aren’t addressed. They can build up to require substantial repairs, including replacement of pipes and the repair of your ceiling, floor, and drywall. A household plumbing inspection will tell you about all the small leaks and other problem areas in your plumbing that could lead to larger problems in the future.

Here are three signs that you have a leak and should call a residential plumber for a household inspection ASAP:

Brown spots appear on the ceiling

If brown spots are starting to form on the ceiling, you likely have a water leak directly above. The leak could be new, but it could be an old opening that has grown large enough to impact your ceiling. Take the brown spots as a sign that your pipes are signaling for immediate help. The longer the leak is unattended, the more likely your pipes will break down from corrosion around the leak area.

Your water bill is increasing despite unchanged usage

If your water bill is gradually increasing and you can’t justify why, that’s a sign of a water leak. If a faucet even dribbles a few drops of water, your bills can increase. No matter how infrequent the dribbling, it will drain at your savings.

To be sure this is a water leak, check your home for loose or running faucets. If you have a sprinkler or water system for your garden, check those water lines for breaks. If everything appears to be in shape, contact a residential plumber to check for unspotted leaks and problems.

In cases where you can’t locate the leak yourself, the leak might be in the sewer line that runs underneath your home and yard. This would most likely require trenchless sewer replacement, a minimally invasive procedure that disrupts as little as possible of your landscape.

Peeling paint or mold growth in the bathroom

Bathrooms are frequent sources of excess moisture, but not all moisture problems are caused by the humidity of hot showers. Sometimes blistering or peeling paint is caused by water leaks behind the wall. Mold growth can also be caused by water leaking down the walls.

Moisture problems should be immediately treated, especially if they’re in the bathroom, because they can progress to cause the floor or ceiling to collapse. Not all mold is toxic to your health, but if stachybotrys chartarum (also called “black mold”) grows on your walls, it can severely affect your respiratory and immune systems.

Clear any mold immediately, then have a residential plumber determine if there’s a leak or if your bathroom merely has poor ventilation. You want the leak fixed before the damage can spread to your drywall and cause a need for major repairs.

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating provides local household plumbing inspections

You can stretch out time between repairs by applying plumbers tape to the problem areas of small leaks. Keep track of the leaks you find so your plumber can get to work faster.

Small leaks can be indicative of larger problems. Reach out to Ehret. Co Plumbing & Heating through our online contact form or call us at 510-528-4292 to schedule a household plumbing inspection.

How to Prepare Your Plumbing for Winter [5 Easy Tips]

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Ask any residential plumbing services expert about seasonal plumbing care, and they’ll agree that the winter can be especially harsh, especially if you live in an area prone to low temperatures. Cold temperatures can freeze the water in your pipes, causing them to expand, crack, or burst.

Before the temperature dives, prepare your plumbing by following these five simple tips:

1. Shut off outdoor faucets

Don’t let water rest inside your outdoor-leading pipes when the temperature starts to dip. Still water is prone to freezing, which can crack or burst your pipes. A household plumbing inspection can tell you if there’s already damage from prior winter years. If your pipes are already weak, you should have residential plumbing services to repair them before winter hits.

When you’re done using your outdoor faucets, turn off their shutoff valves, then open the faucets and the bleeder cap to let out any remaining water. Disconnect any hoses attached to the faucets and store them in a shed or garage. If left attached, the water inside the hose can freeze its way up into the pipe and cause damage.

2. Insulate your hose bibs

After your outdoor faucets are shut off and drained, they should be protected from freezing temperatures with insulation covers. Even if you have specialty outdoor faucets that are freeze resistant, they aren’t entirely frost-proof and will still benefit from additional protection.

Insulation covers are made of rigid thermal foam or flexible insulated bags that secure around the faucets, trapping the heat that radiates from the internal portion of their pipes. They don’t cost much, and can be purchased at most home improvement retailers.

3. Make sure your HVAC system is functioning properly

If you live in an area where winter temperatures reach freezing or close to it, your thermostat shouldn’t be left off, even when you’re away from home. You can reduce your thermostat, but not too low, because your interior pipes (kitchen & bathroom pipes) will freeze if they get too cold.

Interior pipes usually aren’t insulated, so they rely on your interior heating system to keep them warm. If the temperature outside is freezing, a day without indoor heating can damage your pipes and require repairs from residential plumbing services.

4. Insulate your pipes

Though your interior pipes might rely on your HVAC system to stay warm, pipes that are located in colder areas of your home, such as the attic or crawl spaces, might need to be insulated. This can be a simple DIY project; however, if you don’t want to get your hands dirty, you can have residential plumbing services insulate for you.

If you’re open to a DIY project, all you need to do is measure, cut, place, and secure the proper pipe insulation material. You’ll need to research which material is appropriate for your pipes and water heating system, how much insulation material you’ll need, and how to safely cut and secure the material.

The easiest way to insulate your pipes is to have a residential plumbing services contractor install the sleeves for you. It’s a simple enough job for experienced contractors, and after watching the process, you might feel up to doing the job yourself next year.

Open your bathroom and kitchen cabinet doors

You can improve the warm air circulation around your pipes by opening the cabinets that house them. When the cabinets are closed, the pipes are kept from ambient air that can help water flow more effectively in cold temperatures.

Get professional preparation from residential plumbing services

These are only five steps you can take to winter-proof your plumbing. Residential plumbing services might have other suggestions for you, such as professionally inspecting your home exterior for cracks that might let in cold air that freezes your pipes.

Ehret Co. Plumbing & Heating has provided quality residential plumbing services across the Bay Area since 1910. Contact us today for help preparing your plumbing for the winter. As a fully licensed and insured company, we are open 365 days a year to work on everything from major emergency repairs to simple fixes.