The secret to a shiny sink.

Posted on August 21, 2012 by theplumbersbride

Once upon a time, in a small farm house, in suburbia Spring, a handsome prince aka Bear   : ) walked into the kitchen of his lovely bride.  I had just finished cleaning everything in the kitchen and I was pleasantly satisfied with my job.  However the handsome prince was not very impressed with my job of cleaning the kitchen sink.  He went out to his truck and brought back a can of what I thought was Commet but in a gold can.   I said I already used Soft Soap on the sink, he quickly corrected me saying every kitchen should have a can of Bar Keepers Friend.  You see this is the key to polishing up any porcelain, stainless, or cast iron sink.  My grandmother’s 35 year old sink full of scratches from years of use looked brand new after Bear cleaned it with his secret gold can.

As I sat down to write this and came up with the title Bear said.  Bar Keepers Friend is not just for kitchen sinks, it is good for getting hard water stains out of toilets, showers, bathtubs, etc.  If you have never used Bar Keepers Friend I would love to follow up on this post with some before and after pictures, if any of you would be willing to share.  In the mean time I am going to be digging through my old pictures so I can show you the old kitchen sink from my Grandmother’s little farm house.

Posted in Kitchen Sink | 3 Comments

Gas…..

Posted on August 12, 2012 by theplumbersbride

Ok did that title get your attention?  : )  Really, my thought today came from a question this week from a friend.  Do Plumbers work with NATURAL gas lines? : )  Why yes we do!!!  Plumbers can run gas lines for outdoor kitchens, gas dryers, gas cook tops, gas water heaters, gas ovens.  Ok so this topic has got me thinking.  Way back when. . . . . .when I was a little girl I remember going to my great grandmothers out in the country. . . . .would you believe the country back then was just at the corner of Louetta and Ella : )  times really do change.  Anyway, my grandmother had this strange tank a little bit away from the house.  It was a Butane tank I believe.  Wrong, Bear said it was LP tank. What???? Liquid Petrolium. This tank provided her little pier and beam farm house with LP for her stove and hot water heater.  BEAR…….do you work on butane tanks or liquid petrolium? Yes, this requires a special certification.  You have to be certified by the Texas Rairoad Commission.

Sooooo remember if there is something running through a pipe you should be calling a plumber.  We don’t just work on water coming in and waste going out….gas, air, oxygen are also our specialties.

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There is a toilet for every stage in your life.

Posted on July 27, 2012 by theplumbersbride

Not too long ago Jake was helping Bear install some new toilets at a day care.  He asked Bear if we could install these in someone’s home.  The answer is absolutely.  Below I have listed several options.  You will see that selecting a toilet is more complicated than at first thought, due to all of the choices you have to make.  There are so many options and we are only touching on a few today.

There is the primary also known as the kindergarten which is 10″ tall.  Toilets don’t get any more precious than this.

There is standard height which is 14-15″ tall, my personal favorite.

and finally we have comfort height which is 17 – 19″.  This one is a little tall for kiddos and short people like me : )

Now we get into seat shape.  Do you prefer round or elongated?  I must say that the majority in my home prefers round, however I do have a couple of guys who prefer elongated.  So, my answer is to this, is to have at least one of each……. sounds fair, right????? 🙂

The next two options for today are color and gallons per flush.   What color do you prefer?  If you can think of it, you can find it.  Remember the avocado green of the 1970’s  : ) 

Before 1980 you would have a toilet that flushed 5-7 gallons.  Between 1980 and 1990 you would have toilets that flushed 3.5 gallons.  Between 1990 & 2006 you would have toilets that flushed 1.6 gallons.  Today you have toilets that flush 1.0 gallons.

As you can see there are many options and we did not even get into the look and style of the toilet.  If you are in the market for a new toilet please be ready to answer some questions, or if you have pictures of something you have seen that is even better.

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Have you checked your water heater lately?

Posted on July 12, 2012 by theplumbersbride

Would you think something was dreadfully wrong with your water heater if it looked like this? 

My oldest son called last week and said you have to come out and see the heater we just took out of a customer’s house.  It is perfect for your blog.  I was so excited he actually was paying attention to what I was doing and wanted to help. 

So I got the camera ready and the guys came by so I could take a picture.  I could not believe this was in a house and did not do more damage.  There was a leak and the pan was full but it could have been much worse.  The guys said if a customer just did a first glance look they probably thought it was fine,  but once the plate that blocked the pilot light was removed this is what they found.

Check out the picture from the bottom of the heater. 

If you have a slow leak of water that sits in the pan, you will eventually have this type of problem.  The drain is designed to protect you and drain out if there is a leak, however if the bottom of the heater rusts completely away then you can expect the pan to overflow and the damage to be great.

If your water heater is more than 10 years old call Bear to schedule a visit 832-287-5180.

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Could your toilet water supply line flood your home?

Posted on June 30, 2012 by theplumbersbride

We have had several customers call us in the Spring area this week.  A neighbor’s home was sadly flooded by an older toilet.  The water supply line going to the tank of your toilet should be replaced at least every 8 years.  You all know I need pictures to explain what that means to me.  Bear can get so frustrated with me, but he will just have to get over it won’t he : )

So I had him show me today what he replaced.  Guess what?  He said don’t take a picture of this toilet it has a stainless line which is ok.  He said go upstairs to our daughter’s bathroom…..of course hers is the kind which needs to be replaced, and you guessed it.  Hers is creeping up on 8 years.  So I have both the good and bad.  So when will my water supply line get replaced????? Who knows?  I just hope I am home if it does start to break and does not do too much damage.

So here is the good…                                                                                                                                       and the bad…

OK is it just me or do these look the same?  BEAR …… dear, can you please tell us what is breaking and causing the flooding?????

 Here is the skinny from Bear on the difference and what is actually breaking.  Do you see the white plastic pieces under the tank on both of the pictures?  It is the plastic that breaks not the line; however that is how he was explaining it to me so I of coarse was looking at just the line.  He prefers the stainless steel line as opposed to the reinforced PVC.  If you have any questions or concerns please give Bear a call.  One day you can call me, but as for now it is Bear.

Posted in Toilet | 22 Comments

Emergency shut off valve

Posted on June 16, 2012 by theplumbersbride

Did you know there is an emergency shut off valve under each of your home faucets?  Do you have the   ……

…..old style turn valve

…..or the new 1/4 turn valve. 

These are used for simple maintenance when repairing the toilet or faucet.  In extreme circumstances the individual faucet can be turned off to stop a flooding incident.  This could also save you an emergency plumbing call in the middle of the night by not having to shut all the water off to your entire house.  Do you know where the shut off is for your entire house?  This is where the cold water comes in from the utility line.   I had to ask where mine was.  It is in the utility room.  Behind a mountain of clothes, baskets and stuff.  If we had an emergency and needed to turn the water off from there we would be in a big mess.  I had to clean up to show you the picture of our shut off valve. 

Do you see what I see?  The same kind of rust I saw on one of the hot water heaters.  I am guessing this is a slow leak or just a leak at one time.  Another question for Bear?  HONEY??!?!?!

While I was in the utility room I noticed something else.  I thought it was electrical but found out it was plumbing.  More about that next week…..

Posted in Water Pipes | Leave a comment

Did your tile guy set your toilet?

Posted on June 1, 2012 by theplumbersbride

If you’ve had your floor or tile guy set your toilet, then that’s like having your mechanic fix your dinner. 

Not too long ago we reset a toilet.  The pipe in the floor was deteriorating and needed to be replaced.  This type of line issue can get costly.  Chances are toilets set by someone other than a plumber will have trouble.  Save time and money and have it done right the first time by using a licensed plumber.   You do not want to have sewer gas leaks in your home because your floor guy gets in over his head.

 A properly installed floor flange sits at floor level.  However, all too often floor flanges are installed incorrectly below floor level.  In this case, it may not leak right away but without a good quality seal it will begin to leak.

If you are doing some bathroom remodeling then make sure you seek the assistance of a licensed plumber.  You may be tempted by the half price offer of a non-licensed plumber, but you may end up paying double or more than you need to.  Call Bear’s Plumbing Services in Spring TX for all your plumbing needs.

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The Claw

Posted on May 21, 2012 by theplumbersbride

 I recently read an article…

 
There are so many tub styles available these days.  How do you know if what you want will look good?  I personally love the look and feel of my garden tub.  On the other hand, the claw foot tub is a timeless classic, and it is perfect for soaking!


We recently had the privilege of doing a bathroom remodel.  Take a look at the finished product.  After seeing the picture, the claw foot tub appealed to me even more!
I asked Bear if we could replace our garden tub with a claw foot tub. Unfortunately, he said when the motor in our garden tub goes out he wants an air bath:-(.  I guess the plumber and his bride will have that discussion another day!

 
If you are interested in replacing your tub, then we would be happy to either recommend a contractor or work with yours.  If you are unsure of what you want to do, then send us some pictures, or better yet, let us come out and take a look.

 
Stay tuned…

Posted in Bath tub | 2 Comments

Lurking continued……

Posted on May 11, 2012 by theplumbersbride

Last week I told you about the change in the water, specifically chloramines.   Bear started talking to me last night about the filter I told you about, in last weeks post.   HOLD ON!!!  What filter I asked him.  I did not write about any filter.   Was I suppose tell everyone about a filter?  What filter? 

The filter I was supposed to tell you about is a carbon filter.  This carbon filter is similar to the filter installed in most refrigerators.  If you would like all of the water in your home to be filtered you will need to install a carbon filter.  The filter is installed generally close to where the cold water enters your house.  It can be installed either inside or outside.  The preferred method is outside or in the garage.  

This filter will remove the majority of the chloramines from the water; however it does not remove all of it.  We received a letter from the water district to not use the new water source in fish tanks.  The letter went on to say not to wash dialysis equipment with it either.  This really troubles me.  If the fish and dialysis equipment can’t handle it how, is, it ok for me to drink?

I personally would like a Big Blue carbon water filter installed in my home.  I am married to the plumber; shouldn’t I be able to get on the schedule?

Posted in Water Pipes | Leave a comment

This could be lurking in your attic….

Posted on May 5, 2012 by theplumbersbride

                                   

The water source of the Spring area has been provided via natural wells since the community of Klein was established. Recently the water source was changed from the natural well water, to surface water (Lake Houston).  Surface water has been the primary source of water for the Houston area for decades.

How does this affect you? Well, the Houston water source has always been treated with chloramine. The Spring natural water source was treated with chlorine. Many subdivisions in the area built in the 1970s and 1980s have galvanized pipes feeding water into their homes. These pipes build up minerals and deposits over the years. Now with the new water source you may have noticed discoloration or taste differences in your water. This is caused by the chloramine breaking down these deposits in your pipes. We are servicing more and more customers who are developing pin hole leaks in their water pipes due to this change. In some cases the pipes can begin to crumble in your hands in some of the older homes. If you feel this water change has begun to affect your home you should have a plumber look into this sooner rather than later. You do not want your home flooding due to this type of preventable problem.

Some neighborhoods that can be affected by this change are Bridgestone, Bridgestone West, Candlelight Hills, Champion Forest, Champions, Colony Creek, Cypressdale, Cypresswood, Enchanted Oaks, Lakewood Forest, Memorial Northwest, North Hill Estate, Northgate Forest, Oak Creek Village, Oakwood Glen, Olde Oaks, Prestonwood Forest, Shannon Forest, Spring Creek Forest, Spring Creek Oaks, Terranova, & Terranova West.

Posted in Water Pipes | 1 Comment