Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. Blog: Archive for July, 2014

Why You Need Backflow Prevention in Longwood, FL

Wednesday, July 30th, 2014

When you turn on a tap in your house, you expect to see clear, clean water come from the faucet. The idea that the wastewater in your sewage system might contaminate this freshwater is awful thought…but it’s something that could occur without the protection of a backflow preventer on the plumbing for your home.

Your home may or may not already have backflow prevention on its plumbing. If you are unsure, contact a professional plumber. The plumber can recommend that right installation of a backflow preventer if you don’t have one. If you already have one, the plumber will perform tests on it to see if it needs repair work. Keep in mind that not all plumbing contractors are certified in backflow prevention and repair, so make certain that you a company like Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) that has a staff with the right certification for backflow prevention in Longwood, FL.

The Importance of Backflow Prevention

The fresh water that comes into your home through the municipal system is pressurized; that way, when you open up a tap, the water immediately comes out. The sewage system, on the other hand, relies on gravity and ventilation to remove wastewater from your home. If the pressure should change on either side—loss of pressure for the fresh water, increase in pressure for the wastewater—it will result in sewage pushing up the wrong direction and forcing into the firewater pipes.

This imbalance can occur for a number of reasons. Loss of water pressure can occur because of problems in the municipal water supply or due to an abrupt drain due to a water main breach. The influx of wastewater due to the drop in pressure on the supply side is known as back siphonage. The reverse can occur because of sewer line blockage or sewer system issues, and the result is known as backpressure.

In either case, you can have seriously contaminated drinking, bathing, and cooking water, leading to major health troubles. A backflow preventer placed onto the plumbing uses a check valve to stop the wastewater from entering into the freshwater. The valve permits the wastewater in the sewage lines to move only one direction.

A backflow preventer must be professionally installed to make sure that it fits your plumbing needs. It also requires regular maintenance, which you can have done as part of annual plumbing maintenance, to make certain the important mechanical parts are not wearing down and allowing wastewater to move two directions.

To find certified inspectors for backflow prevention or other plumbing services in Longwood, FL, call on Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI). Since 1975, we’ve helped central Florida homes keep their water clean and their plumbing healthy.

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The Benefits of a Tankless Water Heater

Monday, July 21st, 2014

When you first hear about the existence of a “tankless” water heater, the idea may sound a bit too strange to be true. Because we are so accustomed to thinking of a water heater as a large metal tank where water is kept hot for immediate use, it is difficult to break away to the idea of heating up the water as it runs through the pipes, which is essentially what a tankless water heater does. The device is attached to the water main, and uses a heat exchanger to warm up the water as it passes through.

If it sounds intriguing, you should know that a tankless water heater is far more than a neat gimmick. It can serve some useful purposes that will make life more convenient and save you money. Although not ideal for every home, we encourage you to look into a tankless water heater in Sanford, FL for your next installation. Call our water heater experts at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) for more details.

Why Go Tankless? Here Are 3 Reasons:

  • Never run out of hot water: That’s right… if you live in a household where somebody has to go with a lukewarm shower every morning, a tankless water heater is a great solution. Tankless systems heat up water “on demand,” activating the heat exchanger when a tap comes on demanding hot water. Because there is no standing supply in a tank that can be depleted before the system can heat up more, you won’t run out of hot water!
  • Save energy: The standard storage water heater is a “standby” system that keeps water ready constantly for use. This is an advantage when you want hot water without having to wait, but it also means that the water heater must remain on continually to replace heat loss and keep the water hot. This translates into large expenditures on utility bills. But tankless systems only heat up water when you need it, and they do not use energy at other times. You will cut down significantly on your heating bills with the installation of a tankless system.
  • Longevity: The stress of holding large amounts of water and continually using electricity or natural gas to keep that water heated eventually will take its toll on a storage water heater. Tankless systems in general will last many years longer because of the reduced amount of stress placed on them.

Tankless systems are more expensive to install upfront than storage systems. However, they compensate with their energy-efficiency and longevity. Check with a water heater installation expert to find out of the energy savings will offset the costs of purchasing the system. In some cases, a storage water heater is a better choice, but you may be surprised to learn how much you can save in the long run with installation of a tankless system.

Since 1975, Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) has installed and serviced water heaters in Central Florida. Count on us to help you with installation and care for a tankless water heater in Sanford, FL. Give us a call today to schedule your next appointment.

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Tools Plumbers Use for Drain Cleaning

Tuesday, July 15th, 2014

Drain cleaning is a service you can have done on a regular basis to help keep your home’s plumbing efficient and to reduce the problems that can afflict it. You can also have emergency drain cleaning to clear out thick and obstinate clogs that a basic sink plunger cannot eliminate. Professional plumbers experienced with drain cleaning in Winter Park, FL use a variety of special tools to make sure you have clean drains without causing any damage to them.

To schedule drain cleaning, whether for an emergency or as a preventive measure, contact Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI). We will bring the best tools to the job, placed in the hands of plumbers with the necessary training to do thorough work that will leave you satisfied.

Some of the tools professionals use for drain cleaning

  • Video pipe inspection equipment: These devices consist of a miniaturized camera and powerful LED light mounted on a long fiber-optic cable. The cable snakes down through a drain opening or other access point and sends back a feed to a monitor. This allows a plumber to see the inside of the drainpipes and pinpoint exactly where cleaning is necessary and what kind of cleaning will do the job. Video pipe inspections are useful for a variety of plumbing tasks, and they save time and permit plumbers to perform drain cleaning without using invasive procedures.
  • Mechanical drain snakes: These are basic tools for eliminating most clogs. Drains snakes are a coil of wires that work similar to a corkscrew: the plumber feeds the wire coil down into a drainpipe until it comes into contact with the blockage. The plumber then activates the motor, which screws down into the clog. At this point, the plumber can then either remove the clog or forcibly break it up. Although you can purchase manual drain snakes from stores, they are nowhere near as effective at cleaning obstructions from pipes as the professional motorized models.
  • Hydro-jetters: A hydro-jetter is a cleaning system that uses high-pressure, high temperature water to blast away clogs in pipes and also scour the inside of the pipes to get rid of a build-up of soap scum and fat, grease, and oil. Because of the physical danger from high-pressure water blasts, the job of hydro-jetting must always be left to a trained professional.

A note of caution: do not use liquid drain cleaners. Despite their name, these bottles full of acidic chemicals are poor choices for cleaning drains. Their caustic action will damage pipe interiors, and the chemicals are highly toxic and will leave behind dangerous fumes. No plumber recommends using liquid drain cleaners: if you can’t get rid of a clog or a slow drain using a plunger, call for a plumber.

Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) offers comprehensive plumbing services, including drain cleaning, in Winter Park, FL and the rest of Central Florida. We have almost 40 years of experience to bring to the job, and we have 24-hour emergency service.

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3 Common Water Heater Repairs

Thursday, July 10th, 2014

A well-installed and maintained water heater can sometimes last up to 20 years, which is a great bargain on an initial investment. But to reach a grand old age like this, a water heater also needs to have repairs done as soon as problems start to emerge. With fast action and a trained technician who knows how to handle any water heater problem, you can stop a malfunction from growing and threatening your entire hot water supply.

At Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI), we have almost four decades of experience with water heater repair in Casselberry, FL and all of Central Florida. When you call us for repairs (and we have staff ready 24/7 for emergencies), you will get top-of-the-line work from technicians who keep on the edge of plumbing technology.

These are 3 of the more common repairs that we do to help water heaters reach their full lifespan:

1. Flushing the tank

This is a standard step that is done as part of annual maintenance. However, it is often a necessary repair. Sediment build-up in the water tank can lead to problems with blocked valves, and will also encourage the development of scale along the inside of the tank and lead to overheating. If you notice discoloration in your water, or you hear rumbling from the tank, call for repair professionals; they will see if flushing the tank will fix the problem.

2. Replacing broken dip tube

The dip tube carries fresh, cold water from the municipal system down into the tank of a water heater and deposits it at the bottom, near the heating elements/heat exchanger, where it receives energy to heat it and then rise to the top of the tank. If the dip tube breaks, cold water will start to gather at the top of the tank and mix with the heated water, resulting in a drop in the water temperature from your faucets and showerheads and causing you to run out of hot water earlier than usual. To fix this, technicians will open up the tank and replace the broken tube.

3. Replacing burnt-out heating elements

In an electric-powered water heater, two heating elements inside the tank directly transfer heat to the water. Like any electrical device, these elements can fail. If the temperature of your hot water turns lukewarm, it may be the fault of a broken heating element in the tank. Repair technicians can replace the burnt-out element with a new one.

Do not try to perform repairs on your own without proper training and tools—especially for gas-powered water heaters. Instead, call on the people who can perform the job fast and accurately: Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI). We are ready to help you with your water heater in Casselberry, FL when you need it. Give us a call today to set up an appointment.

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The Famous Painting of the Declaration of Independence Isn’t What You Think It Is

Friday, July 4th, 2014

If you grew up in the United States, you probably first saw John Trumbull’s painting of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence in an elementary schoolbook. This oil-on-canvas 12’ x 18’ painting hangs in the rotunda of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. It is one of the most famous symbols of freedom in the country and almost every citizen can conjure it from memory.

Except… the painting isn’t of the singing of the Declaration of Independence. The actual title of the work is Declaration of Independence, and although it does portray an important moment in the history of the document that announced the Thirteen Colonies’ decision to break away from British rule, the event in the painting occurred on June 28, 1776, not July 4, 1776.

John Trumbull, a Connecticut native who fought in the Revolutionary War and whose father was the state governor, was commissioned to create the painting in 1817. He did painstaking research on the figures in the picture and also visited Independence Hall to see the actual chamber where the Second Continental Congress met. Trumbull only included 42 of the original 56 signers, because he could not find adequate likenesses for 14 or them, and added a few figures who were not present (most of whom declined to sign the actual document). In fact, the men depicted in the painting had never been present in the same room at one time.

So if the painting does not portray the signing of the Declaration of Independence, what is happening in the image? The Trumbull’s scene depicts the presentation of the draft of the declaration to the Continental Congress for editing and approval. The five-man drafting committee (John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin) is handing over their finished work, which congress would then edit carefully over the next few days before voting on it and signing it on the day that we now celebrate as the start of the United States of America.

One last, odd, fact: two of the five-man drafting committee, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, both died on July 4th—although many years later.

Our family at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. hopes that your Fourth of July (or Twenty-Eighth of June if you decided to start celebrating early) is a memorable and happy one.

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