Plumbing Blog | Modern Plumbing Industries

Signs That Repairs Are No Longer Enough for Your Water Heater

February 24th, 2014

Your water heater is an important part of your daily life, even though it works mostly out of your sight. Without a steady supply of hot water, keeping yourself and your home clean would be difficult.

Water heaters are durable devices that can last for many years if they receive the proper level of maintenance and repairs done when necessary. But water heaters have a limited life cycle, and eventually a time will come when further repairs will do little good to restore its heating efficiency. At this point, you should schedule a replacement.

We’ll look at the some of the signs that water heater repair in Orlando, FL will no longer solve the problems and that it’s time for new installation. Contact Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. for high quality installation and a range of choices of advanced modern water heaters.

Signs a water heater needs replacement

Leaks around the base of the tank: Leaks may occasionally occur on a functioning water heater, but if you have a unit that is over 10 years old, extensive leaks that pool around the base of the tank usually indicate that the whole system must be replaced.
Erratic operation: Is your hot water supply frequently vanishing without explanation? Do you experience long periods when it won’t come on at all? If you answer “yes” to either question, consider how often you’ve needed to call for repairs to deal with these issues. More than once a year is too many times. Ask your repair technician about replacement options.
Rust: Water heaters have anode rods installed in them to prevent rust from entering their tanks. The rods will need regular replacement as they rust through. If you have kept up with regular maintenance and replaced the anode rod when necessary, the appearance of rust on the tank or in your hot water means the system has become too old to avoid corrosion. Schedule water heater replacement.

Look to professional replacement

Whether you have a gas-powered or electric-powered water heater in your home, you will need professionals to put in the replacement unit so it functions correctly and safely. Schedule the installation sooner rather than later when you realize your old unit is failing—you don’t want to be suddenly stuck without hot water.

At Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc., we install standard water heaters, high-efficiency storage water heaters, and newer options such as tankless models, solar powered-heaters, and hybrid heaters. Talk to us today about your options when water heater repair in Orlando, FL is no longer enough to protect your hot water supply.

Backflow Preventer Theft

February 17th, 2014

A backflow preventer is a crucial part of protecting your clean drinking water. This device prevents contaminated water from the ground and other undesirable areas from entering your pipes. Many Florida municipalities require that all homes have a backflow preventer installed, and that it receives yearly inspection from a licensed plumber.

Unfortunately, homeowners and businesses have had to endure a rash of thefts of backflow prevention devices in recent years. In some areas of Florida, up to 30 backflow preventers are stolen a month from a single major street.

Why is backflow preventer theft a major problem?

Aside from the expense involved in installing a new device after one is stolen, the loss of a backflow preventer causes water to flow freely from a pipe after it is removed. This results in a huge waste of water that is not only expensive, but risks flood damage to property. The thieves are not only causing problems for homeowners, they are putting the public supply of drinking water at risk.

Why would somebody steal a backflow preventer?

It sounds odd that thieves would target a piece of plumbing. However, backflow preventers offer a tempting target because they contain valuable copper and brass in their assemblies. The prices of both metals has risen in recent years because of a shortage in the U.S., making them tempting targets for criminals. Thieves can reap high profits from reselling the metal in backflow preventers to scrap yards.

How does backflow preventer theft occur?

Most thieves use metal saws to remove backflow preventers. But there are even more simple and brute-force ways of removing these valuable components from outside your home, such as tying a chain to the preventer, attaching the other end of the chain to a car, and then driving away to rip it off.

What can be done to prevent this theft?

Police advise that residents and business owners purchase a security cage with a lock on it to protect their backflow preventers. To help make the parts less appealing to thieves, police also suggest that homeowners paint the device with black or brown paint. This makes the parts less valuable at scrapyards and harder to resell as if they were new. In addition to steps to protect their own backflow preventers, people are encouraged to call the police should they witness metal theft occurring anywhere in their neighborhood.

If you experience theft of a backflow preventer, you should first inform the police. Then call for service from Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. for professional installation of a new device. We can also help you with maintenance for the unit to make sure that it is doing its job of keeping your drinking water healthy.

Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. featured in Plumbing Perspective

February 13th, 2014

Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. was recently featured in the magazine Plumbing Perspectives. We want to thank them for highlighting our past work and successes, follow the link below to check out the article for yourself.

Remember to call us for any of your Orlando, FL area plumbing needs at 407-327-6000!

Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. Plumbing Perspective Article

Some Ways to Start Conserving Water

February 10th, 2014

Water conservation today is about more than saving money on water bills. It’s also about helping the environment. More and more homeowners today are curious about ways to cut back on their water usage for themselves and for others.

Fortunately, there some easy steps you can take to help you reduce water use in your home. Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. wants to assist you with this effort, and we have fixtures and appliances that will help make your Winter Park, FL plumbing as conservation-friendly as possible. Contact us today to find out about how you can start saving water right.

We’ll help you get started with water-saving tips that are easy to do:

Fix leaky faucets: Although the water that drips from a leaky faucet may seem minimal and unimportant, it will add up quickly. According to a government study, a single leaky faucet in a home that drips twice per minute will waste 70 gallons of water a year. If you can’t repair a leaky faucet on your own, have a professional plumber take care of it.
Water your lawn in early morning or late evening: If you water your lawn during the day, when the temperature is high, most of the water will evaporate before it can do any good for the plants. You’ll just end up needing to water the yard more often.
Turn off the tap when you don’t need it: It’s simple to forget to shut off the water while doing simple tasks like brushing your teeth or doing the dishes. According to the U.S. EPA, you can save 8 gallons of water a day if you shut off the faucet while brushing your teeth in the morning and evening: that’s approximately 200 gallons a month.
Install low-flow fixtures: Professional plumbers can fit your home with low-flow faucets, as well as other water-conserving appliances. You can also consider moving from a storage water heater to a tankless water heater that works far more efficiently, which saves energy.

Ask a professional plumber how you can save water

At Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc., we have a wide selection of products to help you conserve water. But before you start thinking about low-flow faucets and other conservation fixtures, call our plumbers to fix any leaks in your home. They have the skills to take care of any problems with your plumbing in Winter Park, FL and help you get a start with saving water.

What You Need to Know about Slab Leaks

February 3rd, 2014

Any kind of leak in your plumbing presents a problem that requires immediate, skilled repairs. But some leaks are worse than others. One of the most potentially troublesome pipe leaks are slab leaks. The damage possibilities from slab leaks can affect your home’s structure and foundation and may cut off your water main or sewer line.

Call for slab leak repair specialists, such as those at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc., the moment you encounter a problem. Our plumbers are on call for 24-hour emergency plumbing repair in Orlando, FL, so you have no reason to delay.

But wait… what exactly are slab leaks, and why are they such a problem? And how can you detect them? We’ll answer these questions below.

What is a “slab leak”?

A large section of your home’s plumbing—sewer line and water mains—runs through concrete flooring. When a leak occurs in the pressurized water pipes inside concrete, it is known in the plumbing industry as a slab leak.

Why are slab leaks such a problem?

Where most leaks will take time to start affecting the building material around them, slab leaks will immediately begin to cause cracking and damage to concrete. Instead of a slow spread of further leaks and damage, slab leaks will affect the piping quickly, threatening to break whole pipes, leading to the loss of your water line or sewer line. The concrete cracking can cause expensive structural damage to your home’s foundation as well.

How do I know I have a slab leak?

There are a few signs, some of which apply to any leak: loss of water pressure, increases in water bills. Some specific signs to look for: unexplained mold growth or water on the floor in places that are otherwise dry; the sound of running water when no faucets are open; cracks developing over concrete.

How are slab leaks fixed?

Professional plumbers must first locate the location of the leak using listening equipment. After that, a plumber will discuss with you the possible methods for sealing the leak, which could involve direct access using jack hammering, but much more likely your plumber will use a non-invasive process if possible.

Who should I call to fix slab leaks?

Not all plumbers have extensive experience with slab leak repair, so make sure you choose your contractor carefully. Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. has done many years of work on slab leak detection and repair. Call us today for plumbing repair in Orlando, FL.

Ways to Prevent Sewer Problems

January 27th, 2014

Few hassles with your home’s plumbing are more potentially damaging than issues with the removal of sewage. The drains in your house all lead to a single sewer line that transports wastewater to the central sewer system that runs down the street. Damage to this pipe can cause sewage backup that will damage your home’s basement and/or foundations, create blocked sinks and toilets, and send noxious smells into your living spaces.

A plumber can fix your sewer troubles, but you can take steps to prevent these problems from occurring in the first place. If you need help with your Orlando, FL sewer problems, or if you want assistance with keeping your drains and sewer line as healthy as possible, contact Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. today.

3 tips for keeping away sewer repairs

Avoid pouring “FOG” down your drains: What is “FOG”? It stands for “Fat, Oil, and Grease.” These three items are one of the major threats to sewer lines and drainpipes. People often think they aren’t harmful in liquid form and pour them doing kitchen drains or disposals. But each of these liquids will turn solid when they dry, forming a waxy thick substance will clog up entire sewage systems, creating blockage that no simple plunger can remove. Put “FOG” in another receptacle and remove it to the trash instead of putting it down your drains.
Replace outdated sewer line piping: If you have an older home, you may have galvanized steel pipes for your sewer line. Steel is a durable metal, but it is also inflexible, and therefore more likely to break when put under pressure, and it suffers from corrosion over time. It is a good idea to replace old steel pipes with other materials, such as copper and PEX and CPVC. This will give your plumbing a much longer life.
Schedule regular drain maintenance: If you arrange for a visit from a professional plumber once a year to check up on your drains and sewage system, you will have potential problems taken care off before they develop into actual problems. You should also consider thorough drain cleaning along with video inspections that will keep your drainage open and flowing.

However, you cannot avoid all problems with sewers, so if you find yourself up against an emergency, you can contact Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. 24 hours a day for the repairs for your Orlando, FL sewer that will fix the problem. If your plumbing currently seems to be working well, make sure you keep it that way with regular maintenance from our experience plumbers.

Galvanized Steel, Copper, PEX, and CPVC: Pipe Materials and Repiping

January 20th, 2014

In the long history of plumbing, many different types of pipe material have been used to channel water and sewage. (The very earliest “piping” was actually grooved wood.) Depending on the age of your home, you might have metal pipes from steel or copper, or perhaps specialized plastic—and chances are high you may not know exactly which type you have, and whether it needs replacement.

To help you understand the plumbing in your home and if it’s time for repiping, we’ll go over four common types of pipe material. If you want more help with your plumbing in Apopka, FL, call Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. We offer pipe replacement and whole-house repiping services and will find the right material for your home.

Galvanized steel

This is the old standby of the plumbing world… and it’s also outdated. Galvanized steel was used in home plumbing for many decades because of its strength. However, steel suffers from the problems of inflexibility, making it susceptible to breaking when up against too much force, and eventual corrosion, which leads to leaks and contamination of the water supply. If your house is old enough to have galvanized steel pipes, you should give serious consideration to a whole-house repiping. It’s possible that your plumbing no longer lives up to local codes with steel pipes.

Copper

Copper took over from steel and became immensely popular in homes. Copper isn’t as strong a material as steel, but it has many advantages that make up for it. It’s lightweight and flexible, and it resists corrosion, making it longer-lived in general than steel.

PEX

Plastic piping is now very popular, and one of the most common types is cross-linked polyethylene, or PEX. It has become the principle alternative to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and is a top choice to replace copper pipes that carry drinking water. PEX costs less than copper, does not corrode or develop pinhole leaks, and has an expected lifetime of 50 years.

CPVC

Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) is frequently used as piping for hot and cold water. The advantages it has over standard PVC piping is an increased resistance to heat.

Consult with a professional plumber about your options and their specific benefits. At Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc., we offer full service replacement and repiping for your plumbing in Apopka, FL. We’ll help you choose the most cost-effective plumbing for your home.

Reasons Your Garbage Disposal Isn’t Working

January 13th, 2014

A kitchen garbage disposal is one of the finest modern conveniences available in the home. The disposal takes care of chopping up food waste so it can enter into the standard wastewater that flows to the sewer system. Without a working garbage disposal, cooking and cleaning would require more work—and you would also have more frequent sink clogs because of solid waste going down the standard drains.

Garbage disposals can run into mechanical or electrical troubles that will prevent them from working. When this happens, don’t stick your hand down into the disposal to attempt to fix the problem. This cannot be emphasized enough. If you can’t find a solution to the problem on the outside of the unit, then contact a plumber in Orlando, FL, like those at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc., to tackle the problem.

Why isn’t your disposal working?

The simplest reason is that the reset switch has popped out. This button beneath the unit under your sink is a circuit breaker that might flip because of too much strain on the flywheel in the disposal. Press the button to reset it, then turn on your disposal again. If you hear a humming noise, but the disposal still won’t work, then the issue is a stuck flywheel. If you continue to turn on the disposal while this trouble persists, the reset switch will pop out again eventually.

The flywheel can get stuck for a number of reasons. One is an excessive amount of grease, oil, or fat. These liquids should never be poured down the disposal (or any of your sinks) because they will dry into waxy solids that can jam your disposal and clog your pipes. A plumber will need to remove the flywheel and clean out the unit before it works again.

Another problem for the flywheel is objects that the disposal cannot effectively break down. People often think of the disposal as a garbage can (it does have the word “garbage” in it), but it shouldn’t have anything go in it that you couldn’t chew yourself. Don’t throw bones, unpopped popcorn kernels, or non-organic refuse into the disposal, since any of these things can break or jam the internal components of the disposal, not to mention clogging your pipes.

Finally, disposals can become clogged like any other sink: accumulation of debris in the pipes, lodged objects, or even a broken sewer main. Any of these issues requires a plumbing professional to solve.

However, most garbage disposal issues are simple fixes for an experienced plumber. Don’t risk your hand trying to repair it yourself: a plumber in Orlando, FL from Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. can fix the problem quickly for you—and we have plumbers on call 24 hours a day!

How to Reduce Your Water Usage with Your Bathroom Remodel

January 6th, 2014

If you’ve thought about remodeling your bathroom, perhaps you haven’t considered that this is an ideal time to also find ways to cut down on your water usage. At Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc., we take pride in our work with plumbing and bathroom remodeling in Orlando, FL. Call us to make your remodeling into a water-savings project as well.

Methods to reduce water usage during a remodel

Install low flow fixtures and faucets: Faucets with the WaterSense label can reduce a sink’s water use by up to 30%, with no noticeable reduction in their effectiveness. During your remodel, you can have all the faucets, including the showerhead, replaces with WaterSense certified products, which can add up to a tremendous savings on your water bills—all without you noticing much of a difference.
Replace your old toilet with a low-flow model: Chances are high that if you plan a full redesign of your bathroom, you’ll want to have the old toilet ripped out and a new model put in. Low-flow toilets were once inefficient, but the current “gravity assist” models are tremendous improvements, and according to a number of top water conservations they can save you as much as $100 annually in utility costs.

Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. has both remodeling and plumbing specialists on staff, so you can rest assured you are getting the best service possible. You’ll also have the assurance we’ll work diligently so you get the remodel you want with the plumbing benefits that go with it. Call us today to start planning your bathroom remodel in Orlando, FL.

The Best Options for Cleaning Your Drain

December 30th, 2013

Every homeowner can expect to experience a drain clog or a slow drain now and then; the pipes and drains in your home can’t handle everything that goes down them, so eventually you will have to deal with getting a drain unblocked. However, if drain clogging starts to happen to you frequently, then you may need to call in a professional drain cleaning service instead of fixing it on your own.

Scheduling regular drain cleaning will not only help you avoid clogs in the future, it will also lead to smoothly running plumbing and lower water pressure. With the right maintenance from an experienced company like Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc., you can get rid of those unpleasant drain clogs.

Here are some options for cleaning your drain:

Not chemical drain cleaners: This first one is a negative. Most people are quick to reach for a bottle of commercial drain cleaner when they want to clean out clogged drains. However, these caustic chemicals can harm both your drains and you. They leave behind toxic fumes and harm the environment because the residue inside the bottles gets into landfills. These inexpensive cleaners seem like an easy way out, but you will only create far worse problems in the future.
Motorized drain snakes: Drain snakes are commercially available in manual models, but you should only rely on trained technicians who use powered drain snakes. A drain snake works like a long, flexible corkscrew that maneuvers down into your drain pipes, drills into clogs, and then clears them away.
Hydro-jetting: Hydro jets are powered devices that blast hot, high pressure water down into drains to scrub away grease, oil, and other deposits that can pollute the inside of drainpipes. The strength and heat of the water is effective at removing most drain clogging without damaging the inside of the pipes. Because of the potential danger of high-pressure water, only trained plumbers should perform hydro-jetting.
Video pipe inspections: Sometimes it is difficult to know where a drain needs targeted cleaning. In these cases, professionals with video pipe cameras on long flexible cables can find the trouble without needing to open up pipes or remove floorboards, wall sections, or fixtures. Using this technology, plumbers can find fast solutions to your drain cleaning problems.

Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. offers a customized maintenance plan to our customers that adapts to your needs and budget. Get on the road to a cleaner, more efficient, and more durable plumbing system with Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc.