Boston Plumbing and Heating Blog

As the economy picks up, bathroom remodeling has again become a trend. Outdoor living spaces have also become popular. And, now that it is warmer, more and more homeowners are building outdoor showers. They are usually installed to complement the swimming pool at home or for homes on the water.

Outdoor showers do not require much space. Even without the excuse of swimming pools, a lot of homeowners have discovered and experienced how convenient and fun it would be to shower in the great outdoors. This type of space may be perfect for your lifestyle.

During these warm months, many homeowners want a better, more convenient space to wash up after playing in the pool, doing yard work, splashing in the ocean or enjoying other types of outdoor activities. Apart from feeling instantly fresh, outdoor showers keep the inside of your home cleaner longer because you have no water nor dirt to mop up.

Outdoor showers are practical particularly for those who live near the ocean. Showering outdoors instead inside prevents beach sand from being tracked and trapped indoors. Not to mention it is more fun and refreshing to shower under the open sky with the soft breeze.

But outdoor showers are not just for beach houses. These are also perfect for those garden enthusiasts who work hard in the garden on a hot day, for those children who need to clean up after playing outdoors on warmer months, and for those owners who have large pets like dogs to bathe and groom and for those who have pools.

Professional plumbers in Greater Boston can install outdoor water lines for both hot and cold water with shutoff valves to keep the pipes from freezing during winter. They can even include a draining system so the water will not settle around the foundation.

Greater Boston Plumbing & Heating experts can help you in installing a stand-alone shower away from but just near your house as it requires a complex plumbing and drainage system. After the installation, you can style your shower with your personal touch and go on having fun in the sun.

Today, outdoor plumbing has shifted because backyards and lawns are being upgraded with modern irrigation systems. Irrigation or sprinkler systems is one of the most popular outdoor plumbing projects in the Boston area.

Most garden enthusiasts make use of irrigation systems or sprinkler systems because it helps them use water efficiently and economically.

Automating
Automation of lawn care is the number one benefit from a sprinkler system. It keeps you from worrying about watering not just your lawn, but also your plants and flowers.

Customizing
The sprinkler system allows its users to customize their watering style to match the requirements of their lawn or yard which are different sizes and shapes and have different types of grasses and plants that need different amounts of watering.

Timing
With better outdoor plumbing in your sprinkler systems, you can now eliminate timing concerns when it comes to keeping your lawn looking lush rich and green. Irrigation sprinklers have irrigation timers. For example, you can set your watering for early morning or late evening, to maximize your water use, and you can set your sprinkler system to turn off after the appropriate amount of time.

Spraying
A sprinkler system now comes with micro-sprayers which allow homeowners to adjust the spraying patterns to match the specific water needs of their lawn. It can also be adjusted for water conservation, especially during a water ban or drought. The sprinklers can also be adjusted to water only a little at a time to prevent the risk of wasting water.

Outdoor plumbing not only provides you with a sprinkler system, it can also be a valuable investment that can help increase the value of your home when it comes time to sell. For more information, contact Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating.

If you have furnace problems, there is no need to panic.

Sometimes your furnace may not be heating because of the circuit breaker, pilot light or thermostat. When the circuit breaker, the pilot light, or the thermostat batteries have problems, your furnace may not function properly. So make sure to check these things first and replace a blown fuse and dead batteries or light the pilot light. If none of the above are the issue, then there might be a larger problem going on with your furnace that only a heating professional can solve.

Your furnace may not be heating enough. A furnace with a dirty filter or leaky duct may mean that the furnace is not delivering enough heat. Debris in the furnace's air filter blocks the flow of hot air needed to heat your home. Also, leaky ducts allow warmed air to escape, creating cold spots. Air filters need to be cleaned or replaced and leaky ducts should be sealed by a heating professional in Boston.

A furnace must be checked every regularly. A professional plumber can check the possible causes of the problems with your furnace. Do not neglect furnace maintenance and you will lower your expenses, especially on your energy bills during winter.

Many furnace issues require professional to fix them. Call Greater Boston Plumbing & Heating now for concerns on heating and air conditioning systems.

You have a clogged toilet again. To help you avoid any future clogs, floods or plumbing problems, we asked plumbers to share their customers’ biggest mistakes—and how they can be avoided.

1. Reach for the Drano.

Forget using chemicals to open or clear drains—they rarely get the job all the way done. Plus, not only are the chemicals very harsh and dangerous for you to handle, they can also ruin drain pipes and the equipment used to clear the stoppage. Hint: To prevent blockages in the first place, keep notorious cloggers like grease and hair out of drains.

2. Use the toilet like a garbage can.

Even if they’re labeled “flushable,” don’t toss feminine hygiene products, personal cleaning wipes, toilet scrubbers, make-up remover pads or cat litter into the toilet. The fact is, they don’t disintegrate quickly enough and can ultimately block the drain pipe.

3. Handle the plumbing problems yourself

Don’t try to diagnose and fix a plumbing problem yourself, or hire a handyman to do plumbing work. Plumbers can find and correct a problem faster than an amateur can, which will save you money in the long run.

4. No idea where the main water valve is.

Don’t be in the dark when it comes to knowing the location of the main water valve and every emergency shut off valve in your house. And while you’re at it, learn how to turn off these valves. It’s easy but if you’d prefer to have pro show you how, many plumbers will check emergency shut-off valves at no charge.

5. Use drop in toilet fresheners.

Ditch the drop-in tank toilet fresheners. You may love the blue water it makes in your toilet bowl, but these tablets often contain chemicals that wear out working parts inside the tank. Plus, as these tablets disintegrate, they can get stuck in the flush valve and prevent the toilet from flushing.

6. Forget to replace the hoses.

Water hoses don’t give any warning before they burst, so avoid a potential flood by changing out rubber hoses on washing machines and dishwashers every five years. When you do replace them, use stainless steel on all water lines, if possible.

7. No leak protection system.

Don’t skimp on water leak protection. It only costs a few hundred dollars to get a water leak protection system that offers both an alarm and a main water shut-off should a leak occur in your water heater, dishwasher, sinks and more.

8. The hot water heater is outdated.

Don’t think your tank water heater will last forever—the average lifespan is 8-12 years. Just like toast tends to fall butter-side down on the floor, your 20-year-old tank will inevitably fail and flood while you are on vacation.

9. Overload the garbage disposal.

Be kind to your garbage disposal: Don’t pour grease into it (the goopy stuff will eventually solidify and clog the drain), and don’t put in fibrous food like celery and artichokes. Also avoid pushing through large amounts of garbage at once. Instead, feed garbage slowly into the disposal with cold running water.

10. Mess with the water heater’s pressure valve.

Don’t try to drain your water heater or test the temperature and pressure valve yourself. These need to be done professionally. If the valve is not properly removed, the pressure from the tank can disperse scalding hot water that could cause serious burns as well as property damage.

For help with plumbing problems, contact Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating.

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