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

Here Are Ways to Reduce the Need for Drain Cleaning

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014

When buildup in your drain pipes causes one or more drains in your home to move too slowly, many common household tasks become far more difficult than they should be. The most effective way to remove clogs entirely is by scheduling professional drain cleaning services. Professionals are equipped with the right tools to remove clogs completely and can even inspect for damages using video pipe inspection. But if your pipes tend to need frequent cleaning, you may wonder what you can do to slow down repair calls and keep drain cleaning as part of your annual maintenance visit instead. Here are a few quick tips to reduce the need for drain cleaning.

  • Maintain Your Garbage Disposal: The garbage disposal breaks down food into small pieces so that it can easily move into the drain pipes, preventing clogging. Keep your garbage disposal working as it should by dumping hard foods such as meat bones in separate trash containers, as well as fibrous foods that can wrap around blades and stop the motor, such as corn husks. Be sure to call for repairs at the first sign of trouble.
  • Avoid F.O.G. (Fat, Oils, and Grease): Fats, oils, and grease actually solidify as they cool, which may cause them to become stuck inside of your pipes. You should always pour these items into a trash receptacle instead.
  • Get Rid of Smells: You may not need to call for plumbing repair if you have smelly drains. In the event of a dry p-trap, the curved section under the pipe, you may only need to run the water to get rid of sewage smells. Otherwise, try a solution of baking soda and vinegar.

One of the most important things to remember is that the toxic liquid drain cleaners found in many grocery stores and hardware shops just don’t do the trick. While they may be effective at removing one or two problems, these cleaners cannot dissolve most solid clogs and may damage your pipes. For tough clogs, you need professional drain cleaning from a plumber with the right tools to get the job done. Besides, professional drain cleaning is the best way to prevent major problems from damaging your pipes in the future. For drain cleaning in Oviedo, call Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) today!

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Water Heater Repair Question: Does My Water Heater Need Flushing?

Wednesday, September 17th, 2014

Without a working water heater, your dishes would not be as clean, your clothes’ stains might linger, and your showers would be miserable. That’s why it’s important to maintain your unit and keep up with any water heater repair needs that may come up. One major problem that may occur with water heaters is mineral buildup in the tank. But this problem can be prevented if you call a repair technician to flush your heater. So how can you tell your water heater needs flushing?

One of the most obvious signs that your unit may need to be flushed out is a rattling sound inside of the tank. This sound may indicate that sediment has built up inside of your unit and needs draining before it becomes a problem. When you call for water heater repair, the technician will use the unit’s drain valve to empty the water and sediment from the tank. But don’t try this on your own. A rattling sound may indicate something else, such as a problem with the pressure in the tank, and you’ll want a technician to take a look at the pressure valve just in case.

Sediment in the tank may not cause problems as long as you get the unit flushed out early, but rust is a different issue entirely. If you notice rusty-colored water when you turn on a hot water tap, this cannot be solved with a simple flush. This likely indicates one of two problems. The anode rod that prevents rust from building up in the tank may have worn through, meaning you need a simple part replacement that a technician can take care of quickly, but it may also mean the tank is rusting, a problem which usually requires water heater replacement.

Want to avoid these problems altogether? Scheduling regular water heater maintenance with a technician is the best way to do so. During maintenance, a technician will clean and inspect your unit and check for problems such as a rusty anode rod. Your tank will also be flushed, a maintenance step that is recommended every one to three years. But when sediment or other problems in the tank indicates that you need water heater repair in Orlando, FL, call Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) today!

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Reasons That You May Need Pipe Replacement

Wednesday, September 10th, 2014

Your plumbing system is made up of fixtures, faucets, and drains that all rely on a complex network of pressurized pipes. Unfortunately, even the smallest change in pressure can affect your plumbing to the point that pipe replacement may be necessary. When leaks threaten your home, you want to fix the problem as soon as possible, which is why it’s imperative that you call a plumbing professional, like the technicians at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) in Casselberry. So why might your pipes need replacement? Is pipe replacement preventable?

If the water pressure changes even slightly inside of your plumbing system, you may need repairs or replacement. One example is the effects of hard water. If you have an excess of minerals in your water supply, deposits may build up along the inside of pipes, changing the water pressure to the point that a pipe may spring a leak. This issue is preventable if you install a water softener at the first sign of hard water.

Another reason pipes may need replacement is if tree roots infiltrate your water or sewer line. Roots naturally grow towards a source of water, so if there is a weak point in your pipes, a root may take hold and work its way inside. If water or sewage leaks into your yard, you may need to schedule pipe replacement services, but your new pipes may offer better protection against tree roots.

Finally, you may need pipe replacement if there are signs that your pipes are older and may soon corrode from rust. While modern plumbing systems are made up of copper or plastic pipes, some older homes may still have pipes made from galvanized steel that can rust through, causing major leaks. If your water is discolored or you notice reddish-brown flakes, pipe replacement may be urgent. If corrosion affects one part of your plumbing system, you’ll probably need to replace all of the older pipes with new copper or plastic piping.

One of the ways to prevent pipe replacement is with regular plumbing repair or maintenance. When you schedule maintenance, a plumber will clean and inspect your entire system to reduce the need for repairs or replacement later on. Whether you need maintenance, repairs, or pipe replacement in Casselberry, call Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) today!

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The Fashion of Wearing White and Labor Day

Monday, September 1st, 2014

You may have heard about the fashion faux pas of wearing white after Labor Day. In the present, this tradition is usually treated as old fashioned and a joke. Few people will criticize you for wearing white articles of clothing after the first Monday in September, or even take notice of it except to wonder why it was ever a major concern at all.

Where did this tradition of white clothing going out of fashion after Labor Day come from, and why did it fade away like colorful fabric washed in a hot load in the washing machine?

In general, white makes sense for the heat of summer. Light-colored clothing reflects away the radiant heat of the sun, instead of absorbing it the way dark colors do, so for thousands of years of human history people have preferred to wear white clothing during the hotter months.

However, the idea of white as strictly fashionable during the summer season only emerged in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries—the time when the very concept of “fashion” began to spread across the Western Hemisphere.

It was only the highest level of post-Civil War society in the U.S. that strict and often bizarre rules for fashion controlled whether someone was in with the “in” crowd. Compared to our ideas of what’s fashionable today, the Czars of Style in the 1880s were true despots. Things as trivial as sleeve length could determine whether a woman in high society—no matter her level of wealth—was fashionable or a pariah.

Wearing white during the only summer, when it was common for weddings and outdoor parties, was only of these restrictive society rules. When the U.S. government made Labor Day a federal holiday in 1894, the Fashion Czars gained a definite cut-off point for when wearing white was no longer “acceptable” in the upper echelons of wealthy society.

For many decades, this rule only applied to a small number of millionaire socialites in a few big cities, but in the 1950s it reached general fashion magazines that were read around the country and started to affect more people.

But time eventually broke apart this odd rule, and during the 1970s fashion became more individual. Some fashion legends, like Coco Chanel, also purposely rejected the restriction and wore white throughout the year. Today, the “no white after Labor Day rule” is little more than an amusing gag to tease friends, and almost nobody takes it seriously.

Whatever you choose to wear after Labor Day (and if it’s white, we won’t tease!), everyone here at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) hopes you have a happy end of the summer and great plans for the fall!

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