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How to Spoil Dad This Father's Day With a Plumbing Upgrade

Help Dad Relax With a Bathroom Remodel

Bathroom remodeling is a wonderful gift to surprise Dad with this upcoming Father’s Day! In this blog post, our professional plumbing experts share ideas for how to spoil Dad this Father’s Day with a variety of special plumbing upgrades. Fathers are known to appreciate practical gifts, and a plumbing upgrade is a gift that keeps giving.

Installing new plumbing fixtures and fixing old plumbing is a gift that can increase the home value, take the stress off Dad, and cut back on spending on the water bill! New plumbing fixtures are designed to be more eco-friendly and water conservative than ever before. There are many benefits to upgrading plumbing fixtures or remodeling the bathroom for Father’s Day.

Install a Showerhead Upgrade

Massaging showerhead
Low-flow eco-friendly showerhead
Showerhead with better water pressure
LED showerhead
Rain showerhead

Taking a shower is the perfect way to relax after a long day. Installing a new showerhead can help Dad relax this Father’s Day. There are many modern options for showerhead upgrades to choose from that Dad will love, such as LED light showerheads and showerheads with multiple massaging settings.

New showerheads are designed to offer more water pressure while using less water by aerating the water with tiny oxygen bubbles or pushing the water through tinier holes. Installing a new showerhead upgrade can help save money on the water bill by cutting back on water usage.

Rain showerhead installation is another popular gift that Dads will love. Rain showerheads are large showerheads installed directly above the shower to “rain” down. Rain showers create a luxury spa experience at home.

Plumbing Upgrade Ideas

Touchless faucets
Touch faucet
New sink
Toilet upgrade
Bathtub installation
Water-saving devices

There are many different plumbing upgrades for homeowners to consider this Father’s Day, such as water-saving plumbing fixtures, touchless faucets, or a new sink installation. Dads who get their dirty hands working on cars or woodworking will appreciate the benefits of a touchless faucet.

Touchless faucets use motion sensors to start and stop the water flow automatically. This means that Dad won’t have to touch the faucet with dirty hands to turn on the water. Touch faucets are also useful because they can be connected anywhere on the faucet to start and stop the water easily. A new sink faucet can help Dad to prevent the spread of germs.

Repair Small Plumbing Problems

Fixing a leaky faucet or showerhead is a thoughtful gift that Dad will surely appreciate. A leaky faucet can add up to more money spent on the water bill. Fixing small plumbing problems can help homeowners save a lot of money by improving the longevity of the plumbing system and preventing unnecessary repairs.

Hiring a professional plumber for even small plumbing repairs, such as fixing a leaky faucet or showerhead, is recommended. Improper installation and repair can cause plumbing issues and potentially void the manufacturer’s warranty on the parts. Hiring an experienced professional plumber will ensure that the repair or installation gets done right the first time.

About Affordable Plumbing, Heating & Air

Affordable Plumbing, Heating & Air is proud to provide its neighbors in Fairhope, AL, with outstanding service at fair and reasonable prices. They offer fully licensed and insured plumbers and HVAC technicians comprehensive home services. Give Affordable Plumbing, Heating & Air a call today to schedule an appointment for plumbing installation, maintenance, or repair in Fairhope, AL!

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The 3 Reasons To Have New Plumbing Installations Done This Year!

Update Plumbing Fixtures To Ring in the New Year!

Everyone always tries to better themselves at the start of every new year. They always make resolutions that will hopefully get them to eat better, work out more, or do something else along those lines. An easy way to help 2022 feel better than any other year is to update the home with a new kitchen sink or shower installation. There are plenty of small plumbing replacements that can make any home feel brand new, and professional remodelers have tips to make the process go as smoothly as possible.

Continue reading below to learn about fun ways to improve the home’s plumbing this year!

Update the Kitchen Sink!

The kitchen is often the heart of the home, so the kitchen sink is one of the most important fixtures. An outdated kitchen sink can make a home feel a lot older than it really is and as far as updates are concerned, replacing the kitchen sink is one of the easiest updates homeowners can do because it typically doesn’t involve a lot of construction to complete the process.

Still, it is something that homeowners should hire a professional to do to ensure it is done as safely as possible.

Those thinking about kitchen sink replacement this year should look at the following trendy sinks and faucets:

The farmhouse kitchen sink in stainless steel or porcelain
An undermount kitchen sink with drain assembly
Retractable arched faucets
Touch faucets
Double basin drop-in kitchen sink
Dual-ledge workstation sink

Bathroom Remodeling Can Make the House Feel New

Those with a little higher budget and ready for a bigger project should consider bathroom remodeling this year. Homeowners don’t realize how much time they spend in their bathroom until they have a few updates like a new bathtub installation or shower installation.

There are a few bathroom trends for 2022 that some homeowners might be interested in, like:

A vanity with built-in towel shelves
Purchasing a towel warmer
Heated tile floors
An open shower design with a single glass pane divider
Stand-alone bowl-shaped bathtub
Mood lighting
Touch faucets for the sink

Even just upgrading the showerhead can make it feel like the entire shower system got an upgrade. Some showerheads will conserve water to help save money as well!

Always Hire a Professional!

Before homeowners dive in on a remodel or plumbing installation project, they should always consider hiring a professional. Professionals are not only trained but experienced at what they do. They install, replace, and remodel kitchens and bathrooms daily, and they will be covered by insurance if something goes wrong.

Homeowners might think they can do a job cheaper on their own while still being safe and efficient. The truth is, it’ll probably cost them more time and money to do it on their own than it would if they hired a professional.

Affordable Plumbing, Heating & Air Cares About Their Community

When it comes to plumbing and heating issues in Fairhope, residents trust the professionals at Affordable Plumbing, Heating & Air. They have years of experience in the business and can handle anything their customers throw at them. They are open 24/7, so customers can feel safer knowing Affordable Plumbing, Heating & Air is only a phone call away. Call today for plumbing service!

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Preventing Pipe Corrosion in Home Plumbing

What Is Corrosion and How to Stop It?

For homeowners that live in older houses, it may come as no surprise to find that aging piping can be dangerous to the home. In the past, all of the plumbing that has been used in homes was some form of metal. Lead, steel, brass, and copper were all base materials for all of the piping and fixtures installed in homes. Unfortunately, there is a time limit on their service. One of the biggest enemies of plumbing is a problem called “corrosion.” Preventing and fixing corrosion problems can help protect homes from pipe bursts and other consequences resulting from aging plumbing.

In this article, local plumbing contractors teach homeowners the facts about corrosion and how to fix it if it is present in a home’s plumbing.

What Is Pipe Corrosion?

Until the last few decades, as plastics have been developed and implemented, all piping was subject to a process called corrosion. A perfect example of corrosion that most people are familiar with is rust. In the process of rusting, an iron-based pipe is oxidized. This process causes it to change from one form of iron to another.

What used to be pure metal is now contaminated with a red, brittle scale of iron more closely resembling iron found in nature. Other metals can also oxidize. For example, when copper corrodes, it turns green, while aluminum will form powdery white deposits.

Preventing Corrosion in Plumbing

Oxidation and corrosion will slowly take place over time despite the best efforts of a homeowner. However, special methods are in place to prevent the causes of most of the corrosion that happens within a home. When two dissimilar metals are joined, an electrical charge differential is created. As water flows through piping, it will dramatically speed up the corrosion of one of the two metals. This specific process is called “galvanic corrosion.”

When any plumbing is done on a home, especially an older one, extra precautions should be taken to preserve metal piping. Hiring professionals is necessary because they are specially trained to implement plumbing methods that prevent corrosion from happening to pipes.

Repiping to Replace Corroded Piping

At a certain point, it will become necessary to do away with metal piping totally through a process called “repiping.” One of the many benefits of modern plastic piping is that it isn’t subject to corrosion like metal pipes are. While some plumbers may still use copper pipes for hot water lines, one can repipe most houses to more modern materials.
Some of the signs that it might be time to plan on repiping a house are:

Multiple pipe bursts in metal piping, especially older galvanized water lines
Green buildup on copper piping, especially around the connections to the water heater
Rusty colored water that comes from the taps
Rust stains in tubs and basins
Poor tasting water
Problems similar to those caused by hard water
Constant clogs in freshwater lines or low water pressure

By repiping a home, homeowners can protect their property from damage and do away with all of the problems that old piping can bring.

About Affordable Plumbing, Heating & Air

Affordable Plumbing, Heating & Air is the local Fairhope, AL choice for expert plumbing services. Repiping jobs have never been easier to plan with upfront pricing and financing options. They always give tight windows for emergency plumbing repairs, so no one has to waste time waiting on their technicians. Call now for repiping services!

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A Brief History of White House Plumbing

Things Everyone Needs To Know About the White House

Many people pride themselves on knowing fun facts about the White House. Most tend to focus on its number of rooms, square footage, and history. However, White House plumbing facts tend to be a topic that most of the country hasn't heard much about. This stops today! Plumbing professionals are ready to share fun facts about the White House plumbing system's history.

When Did the White House First Get Running Water?

Running water was first introduced into the White House in 1833, and it was far from what homeowners would expect today. People wanted running water in the home for ready access to clean drinking water and something to fill buckets with to put out fires. This is exactly what the White House had installed at that time.

It didn't take long for the White House to label a designated area of the home, the "bathing room," which featured three things:

A cold bath
A shower
A hot bath

The water was heated via coal fires placed under copper boilers.

The First Flush Inside the White House

The same year the "bathing room" came to be, was the same time the White House first got a flushing toilet as well. Millard Fillmore had the first flushing toilet installed into the White House to bring the house into modern times. The year was 1853, and before that, water had to be carried to the White House on foot.

The White House was still behind the times during Trump's presidency because he's known for publicly making upgrades to the mansion. Regardless, the White House is one of America's most famous buildings, so it's only right that it was one of the first places to have a flushing toilet installed.

A Few More Fun Facts

Below are a few more fun facts about the White House that not a lot of people know:

The first White House telephone wasn't installed in the President's Office, but rather down the hall in the Telegraph Room. The Oval Office Desk didn't get a telephone until 1929.
In 1946 President Truman wrote a letter to his wife explaining the mansion was haunted. In 1949 Truman began a three-year renovation project on the White House and completely demolished everything aside from the exterior walls.
The White House requires 570 gallons of paint to cover the exterior.

About Affordable Plumbing, Heating & Air

When it comes to plumbing problems, homeowners need to have a company they can depend on. For Fairhope residents, Affordable Plumbing, Heating & Air is that company. They work hard to ensure their customers are always safe and satisfied. Not to mention they are all certified and insured professionals, so the job is always done right. Call today to schedule plumbing services!

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Plumbing Resolutions for the New Year

This Year, Set a Goal To Better Maintain a Home’s Plumbing System

Because the home plumbing system is mostly concealed behind walls and under floors, it’s often “out of sight, out of mind.” But modern daily life depends heavily on a properly functioning plumbing system. The minute a drain clogs or a toilet overflows or a pipe bursts, it disrupts schedules and requires expensive repairs.

But there is a way to prevent plumbing problems. This new year, homeowners should resolve to pay attention to their home’s plumbing system. They can save time and money by keeping drains cleaned, taking care of fixtures like the toilet, and staying alert for leaks.

Schedule Professional Drain Cleaning

Every sink, toilet, and tub in the house has a drain responsible for carrying wastewater away from the home. Those drain pipes can often clog because of how heavily they are used.

Clogs are most commonly formed of mineral deposits, soap residue, hair, dirt, debris, hard waste, grease, tree roots, and foreign objects. Clogs can form near the drain of a sink, tub, or toilet, in which case one may sometimes resolve them with a chemical agent and the help of a plunger or snake. Other times, clogs may form deep in the plumbing system and can be impossible for the homeowner to fix.

Scheduling an annual drain cleaning with a professional plumbing company will keep water and waste moving quickly and smoothly through the drain system. Plumbers may use a variety of methods to perform a drain cleaning, including snaking and hydrojetting. They may even offer video camera inspection of the sewer line to ensure the sewer pipe does not need repair.

Take Care of the Toilet

The toilet is one of the home’s most necessary plumbing fixtures. When the toilet is clogged, it can be a major inconvenience, especially if it’s the only toilet in the home! Clogged toilet repair is one of the most common requests for plumbing companies. Luckily, the average homeowner is not defenseless against toilet clogs.

Here are four easy ways homeowners can resolve to prevent a clogged toilet this year:

Switch to thinner toilet paper. Many-ply toilet paper may feel luxurious, but it is slow to break down and may become jammed in drain pipes.
Monitor what gets flushed. Never flush plastic, floss, wipes, or anything other than toilet paper and waste. Even “flushable” items can be really bad for the drain system.
Install safety lid locks. If there are young children in the home, it’s a good idea to install a child safety lock on toilet lids to keep out curious little ones.
Treat the toilet. Routine use of an enzymatic product or drain pipe maintenance chemical may help break down waste and keep drain pipe walls squeaky clean. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the label.

Watch And Listen for Signs of Leaks

Some plumbing leaks are obvious, but others can go unnoticed because they can’t see every pipe in their home.

This year, homeowners should keep an eye (or ear) out for these signs of a leak:

An unexplained spike in the water bill
Warped or spongy flooring
Mold or mildew on walls, ceiling, or floor
A dripping or gurgling noise
Puddles or excessive condensation

For homeowners that suspect they have a hidden leak, contact a professional plumber. A plumber has a few tools that can be used to aid in water leak detection, and they are familiar with the most common trouble spots in a residential plumbing system.

Get Help From Affordable Plumbing, Heating & Air

Affordable Plumbing, Heating & Air has been taking care of plumbing issues in Fairhope, AL since 1996. Their team of professional plumbers is experienced with all manners of plumbing services and can help ensure a safe and efficient home. Call now for professional drain cleaning services.