If you suddenly find yourself with a plumbing problem in your home, it’s important to hire the right professional to come in and take care of the issue reliably in a way that prevents future problems from occurring.
Many people try to avoid bringing in a licensed plumber, simply because they don’t want to pay the price associated with them. Instead, they’ll scour Craigslist advertisements and other local listings for the services of a self-described “handyman” who can come in and get the job done at a fraction of the cost.
It’s understandable why this is so tempting for homeowners—after all, who doesn’t want to save some money here and there? However, if you’re looking for reliability in plumbing work, you should absolutely work with a licensed plumber in Mesa, AZ instead. Here are just a few reasons why:
Lack of protections: If something goes wrong with the job, the handyman will just be able to walk away from the job without any repercussions. In addition, unlike most professional plumbers, they tend to be uninsured and unlicensed, meaning there are fewer protections in place for you as a homeowner and fewer guarantees that they’re actually capable of handling the work you hire them for. Licensed lumbers are insured and bonded and have professional standards they must uphold in all the work they take on.
Accountability: When you work with a licensed contractor, you have a greater ability to hold them accountable should anything happen to your home during the job. You’ll be able to file damage claims and complaints through the Registrar of Contractors if you experience monetary losses. This is a step you simply will not be able to take with an unlicensed handyman.
Research: You’ll find it much easier to research the credentials of a licensed contractor than you will a handyman you find on Craigslist. Not only is a licensed plumber going to be in various professional databases, but they’re much more likely to have a website and reviews you can find on Google, Yelp, Angie’s List, Thumbtack, etc. There’s no real way to verify whether a handyman has a certain level of research or expertise, because they don’t have the same sorts of professional standards to adhere to, so it becomes much harder to research them.
Relationship: Once you have worked with a licensed plumber, it becomes much easier to establish an ongoing service relationship with them that will give you some long-term perks and benefits. This is not the case when you hire a handyman.
With PlumbSmart Plumbing Heating & Air, you have added assurances through our exclusive lifetime warranties we offer on all of our workmanship—a benefit you certainly cannot get from a handyman. You will also be able to get our services for about the same price you’d pay a handyman, but we are also professional plumbers and NATE-certified HVAC technicians, adding a further layer of reassurance and peace of mind.
For more information about the benefits of working with a licensed plumber in Mesa, AZ, contact us today.
Garbage disposals make life in the kitchen — from cooking to cleaning dishes — so much more pleasant. But a garbage disposal is a complicated piece of equipment that should only installed by an experienced professional.
If you are considering adding a garbage disposal to your kitchen or having a problem with your existing garbage disposal, call PlumbSmart. We can typically offer a free estimate over the phone to install a new or replacement garbage disposal.
What Is The Ideal Solution?
In a word: Price. We want to resolve your issues and set you up with a working garbage disposal at the lowest price. A service visit and repair of your existing garbage disposal (when a repair is even possible) will almost always cost as much or more than simply replacing the garbage disposal. Meanwhile, the blades inside a garbage disposal dull and other mechanisms wear out over time, so simply replacing the defective or ineffective unit with a new one will almost always be the ideal solution.
Sounds expensive. Are you sure this is a good idea?
Adding a garbage disposal to your kitchen or replacing a malfunctioning one is remarkably affordable, even with the best-in-class professional installation services we offer. Typically, our price for a new garbage disposal installation is about HALF what our competitors charge.
So, whether you’ve put off upgrading your kitchen by adding a garbage disposal or your existing garbage disposal simply isn’t getting the job done anymore, please give us a call. We will be happy to install a brand new garbage disposal in your home that will make your kitchen a much more pleasant (if occasionally much louder) place.
If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and we’ll get back to you. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!
When it comes time for updating your pipes, there are two materials available for replacing the old pipes: copper pipe or PEX tubing. Copper is the old method that has stood the test of time, and is the favorite of many plumbers. PEX is the new material on the scene. While everything in construction has a lifespan, both of these materials have proven themselves valuable in the plumbing industry.
Copper Pipe
Is a long-lasting material, and has a proven history. It comes in pipe lengths of up to 10′ and assembles by cutting it to length and soldering fittings between lengths of pipe. However, for replacing the pipes in a house, you do have to deal with the fact it is rigid. In order to replace all of the pipes with copper, we will have to open a lot of the walls that contain the plumbing. If you are doing a major remodel or have extensive leak damage, the walls are open anyway.
PEX Tubing
PEX is cross-linked polyethylene tubing, and is the new product on the market. While it has been around for about half a century, it has not been commonly used for quite that long. It is showing signs of lasting well and has advantages that recommend it. While copper pipe comes in 10′ lengths, PEX comes in coils that are several hundred feet. It is also flexible and is not limited to straight runs, both of these features mean that there are less fittings involved in running PEX. Since your fittings are often your weakest point, less is better. PEX is prone to damage by sunlight, making it a poor choice for any exposed piping especially outdoors.
At PlumbSmart, we recognize that both of these materials have their strong points and benefits. We will advise you as to the best material options for your plumbing needs, and provide you with the best quality for your project at the best possible price.
Call us anytime with your questions or leave us a comment using our online form below, and don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!
The next time you consider replacing a water heater consider the advantages of changing to a tankless water heater. You will have all the hot water you want, when you want it. You will also have the benefit of not heating water when you don’t want it. Another benefit of the tankless unit is it hangs on a wall, freeing up useful space in your laundry room. You can even hide your tankless hot water heater in a cabinet if you want.
The regular hot water heaters have a tank that fills up and then heats that whole amount of water at one time. If you use all the hot water, it takes around half-an-hour to heat another tankful of water. If you don’t use that hot water, the tank style heater will continue to reheat that water over and over again until you do. This means you are using energy you don’t need.
The tankless hot water heater has a heat exchanger that heats the water in a coil as it flows. The water flows into the coil cold and leaves hot. That means you heat the water when you want it, and not when you don’t. You have all the hot water you need, when you need it. Do you have a large family all getting ready at once? Or a soak tub that takes a whole tankful of water to fill? With the tankless system, you will not have a cold bath or shower unless you want one.
At PlumbSmart Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning, you receive the highest quality service, the best warranty in the industry, and lowest possible price. Let us help you with any and all plumbing needs, including your new tankless water heater installation.
Got a question or comment? Please feel free to share your thoughts. And don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!
There are a lot of benefits of using gas appliances such as hot water heaters, ranges, and gas fireplaces. The biggest plus is the efficiency of gas for heating anything. This is because you put the heat straight to the purpose of heating, instead of electricity which is made by using gas to create heat to turn a turbine to make electricity. The effect of always losing some of the energy along the way, in the form of lost heat or resistance in the electrical lines means that it will always cost more to use electricity to heat things. Therefore, gas water heaters, furnaces, stoves, and ovens all cost more to operate when they are electric.
When it comes to cooking, gas has added benefits in the way of temperature control. Electric stoves have limited settings, and the whole eye is on whether your pot is large or small. Gas flames can be tuned to the proper setting that your heat stays under the pot where it does the most good. Food cooks faster, and some people would say better, with gas appliances. Gas grills have the conveniences of keeping the flame the whole time you cook at an even setting, verses charcoal which is as likely as not to cook too hot at first and not hot enough later. Not only that, but the mess of the charcoal is avoided as well.
The gas appliances have many pluses, however you must have a gas line to each appliance to run it. Whether it is to a new water heater or a new gas fireplace, you need properly trained and trustworthy technicians to make certain your home is safe and efficiently plumbed for all the gas you need and use. Our trained technicians will inspect your current gas system will make certain that your gas line is up to the demand of all of the appliances on the system. The inspection is free, and all of our other gas-line services are reasonably priced. When we install service to your new gas appliances, we will size the line to accommodate all of the appliances. This will insure that all of your gas-fired equipment will function properly, giving you the best value and safety.
If you’re considering making the change from electric to gas our advisors and technicians are here to answer any questions you may have. Don’t overpay for gas line repair or installation. At PlumbSmart Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning, we will give you honest answers to all your gas line and plumbing questions.
Got a question or comment? Please feel free to share your thoughts. And don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!!
Leaky pipes, low water pressure, rusty water, and cracked or corroded valves are signs of problems in your water supply system. Corrosion inside your pipes is a reality in older homes, usually caused by either having iron pipes that eventually rust or pH factors that interact with the copper over time. The usual result of this is a series of small fixes that never quite get rid of the problem. The solution is to have the whole house repiped. This entails completely replacing all of the supply pipes in your house. This is a project you should consider with a remodel if possible, as you open walls to redo things. However, we don’t always get to pick our timing for repiping.
Even if you don’t have a problem yet, if you are planning a remodel on an older home, this is something to consider. If you have plumbing walls open already, that makes the job easier and therefore less expensive. Also, it your house is older than the early 1980s, you may have lead solder in your plumbing. That is possible if you have copper pipes and the house has never been fully remodeled and repiped in the past. Any time you remodel, this is the time to look for the problems that may lay quietly inside your walls and fix as much as you can while it is easy to access.
Whether you are remodeling or just want to completely fix the problem with your water supply, we can have your pipes rerouted or repiped in a day or two and have you back to normal in no time. If the walls are not open, we remove some of the old pipe, and abandon some to preserve as much of your walls as possible. Then we replace the pipes with new copper pipe or pex tubing. We will reroute much of the pipes to keep from tearing up more of your house than necessary, and our workmanship has a lifetime warranty. For more information contact us at PlumbSmart Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning, we can make a same day or next day appointment to evaluate your problems and make a plan to solve your plumbing problems.
Got a question or comment? Please feel free to share your thoughts. And don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!
