Have You Thanked Your Plumbing Lately?

Ah, plumbing. It's one of those things in life that no one really thinks about, and normally the only time it does come to mind is when something goes wrong with it. Yet, it is literally all around us and it gives us the quality of life we enjoy every day. Some may think they could go a day or two without plumbing, but the fact is that the average American uses around 80-100 gallons of water per day. Running water is so ingrained in our daily lives and habits that it's easy to forget about.

Have you ever taken a moment to think about all the good things your plumbing provides?

• Your sump pump works hard at all hours to keep your basement/crawlspace dry at all times.

• I don't think we even need to go into the benefits of having a working toilet. Just imagine what your everyday life would be like without one.

• Water filter systems and ice makers make it so much easier to stay hydrated and healthy.

• Sinks/faucets with clean water coming out of the tap make it possible to prepare food safely, wash your hands, wash dishes, and more. Imagine how the health of your home would be affected if you didn't have sinks!

• Speaking of running water, it'd be impossible to make coffee without it. We're very thankful for coffee around here.

• Hot showers. There is nothing more relaxing than a hot shower. You can thank your water heater and shower faucets for that.

• The underground sewer system is responsible for taking all the waste water away from your home. If the sewer system didn't exist, where would all that nasty water go?

• How would you water your lawn or garden, fill up a pool, or wash your car without an outdoor faucet and hose?

• The way drains are plumbed ensures that sewer gases don't escape into your house. We're all familiar with that awful smell; aren't you glad it's not all over your own home?

Take a moment today to appreciate your plumbing. It may not cross your mind often, but it is responsible for making your home a healthy and comfortable place to live every day, and that is definitely a good reason to be thankful!

How Much Water Does a Dripping Faucet Waste?

We're always telling you that leaks waste water, and you shouldn't ignore them. But if a faucet only has a slow drip, is it really worth worrying about? In this post, we're gonna get into the numbers to find out exactly how much that slow drip adds up to.

To figure this out, we first need to time out how often the faucet drips. Let's say you have one faucet in your home that drips once every second. That's 60 drips per minute, 3,600 drips per hour, which adds up to 86,400 drips per day and a whopping 31,536,000 drips per year.

Then, we must figure out the volume that all those drips add up to. There is no precise definite volume of a faucet drip (the exact volume of each drip can vary), so we are going to estimate that each drip's volume is 1/4 milliliter (ml). One gallon contains roughly 3,785 ml, so that's 15,140 drips per gallon, which means our 1-second-dripping faucet wastes over 5 gallons of water per day and just under 2,083 gallons per year. The numbers only get higher if your faucet drips more quickly, or if you have more than one drippy faucet in your home.

It goes without saying: all that wasted water makes quite an impact on your water bill. Wouldn't you rather use those 5 gallons that you're paying for every day? Imagine all the coffee you could make with that! (That was a joke, please don't actually drink 5 gallons of coffee.)

So, you may think this isn't much and may still be tempted to leave your leaky faucet alone. But wasted water aside, a leak will almost always get worse over time if you leave it alone and can even cause the faucet to corrode or leak under the sink, leading to water damage and mold growth. Don't wait! Call us at 586-459-0040 and we'll quickly fix it up.

Looking to Buy a House? Don't Make This One Mistake!

Imagine this: You finally find a house that you love. It passes inspections. You buy it, and you excitedly move into it with your family. A week later, your drains are running slow and there’s sewage backing up into your new basement. You call a plumber, and they tell you your new home’s sewer line is in bad shape and needs to be replaced, which will cost thousands of dollars. And you, the new homeowner, are responsible for paying for it.

Sounds like a nightmare, right? Unfortunately, it can happen easily; a typical home inspector only checks visible systems in the house, and the inspection does not include the house’s underground sewer line. Not only that, the seller may not disclose any known sewer issues to you. It is imperative to ensure a house’s sewer line is in good shape; the sewer is a vital part of the house that affects the entire plumbing system. One sewer problem can lead to a backup of sewage all over the home, making it a dangerous place to live.

If you’re in the market for a house, you can easily avoid this! 

Simply get a sewer camera inspection done before buying the house. This inspection allows you to literally see inside the house’s main sewer line, so any existing or potential problems can be found. It is important to get this done professionally; a tiny crack in the sewer line may go unnoticed to the untrained eye, but a highly trained and experienced plumbing technician knows exactly what they’re seeing. Even the tiniest cracks, offsets, and tree roots can lead to BIG problems down the road.

Buying a home is a huge investment, so it’s important to do everything you can to ensure it’s a good investment. The cost of a professional sewer camera inspection is minuscule compared to the cost of a sewer excavation and repair, and the complete peace of mind you will feel once you buy the house will be well worth the small cost.

When it comes to camera inspections, it’s important to hire someone you can trust. Universal Plumbing & Sewer is a family-owned company with a Master Plumber on staff, and we specialize in drains and sewers. Call us at 586-459-0040 to schedule your appointment now.