Author: Amber

What are the benefits of a pump station? Should you have one also?

This week we were called out to investigate a possible issue with a pump station. The customer made us aware that the pump seemed to be full and possibly leaking. What is a pump station and why would you need one?

A pump station is a tank where your drains go which will pump sewage uphill to a city tap. Why are these used? These are used when a home sits lower than the city sewer. At times, you cannot rely on gravity for your sewage to flow into the city system.

These pumps on average can last between 10-20 years. Annual maintenance, inspection and grease breakup are also beneficial in extending the life of a pump station. Below are some before and after pictures of replacing the pump station.

Improvise, adapt and overcome

We had a customer reach out to us with complaints about issues with not getting hot water. Our technician arrived and was quick to diagnose the issue. The issue was their tankless water heater’s computer board was fried. So, what’s the next step if this is the case?

Our technician found that replacement was the best option. However, the new unit was not going to fit into the original box that was built for the old tankless heater. Our technician had to adapt and mount the new unit over the box to restore the hot water in the home in a timely manner. Our technicians are always willing and able to improvise, adapt and overcome.

Rerouting back wash? No problem!

A customer wanted his water softener to flow into the woods instead of the septic or the ground next to the house. Why did he decide to make this change? He had discovered that the discharge was killing the grass. Did you know that discharge can also affect your septic system? This water could kill beneficial bacteria that is in your septic tank. Look at the pictures below. As you can see this required a lot of digging for our guys, but of course they are always up for the challenge.

July 4th Hours

Our office will be closed on Thursday July 4th in observance of the holiday. We will be accepting EMERGENCY CALLS ONLY. Please do not use the contact us form on the website as we will be out of the office and will not be closely monitoring our email inbox. We will resume normal business operations on Friday July 5.

If you have any after hour emergencies please call us at 704-857-1600 and leave a message. We will return your call as soon as possible.

True emergencies consist of the following:
Main Sewer Line Back-up, resulting in you not being able to use your facilities.
A clogged toilet, but only if it is the only one in your home.
A bad water leak inside your home, which has resulted in your water being shut off.
No Hot Water, is NOT considered an emergency.
All other plumbing issues, may be an inconvenience, but are not an emergency.

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

A leaking outdoor spigot or an underground water leak?

Have you ever noticed an outdoor leaking spigot? Most of the time it could be just a simple leak. Other times, it ends up being a much bigger issue. How were our technicians able to tell that there was much more to this than a leaking outdoor spigot?  When our technician checked the spigot, he couldn’t find an issue such as a broken part or a leak. Upon further investigation he heard rushing water echoing in the basement of this home. The leak turned out to be a 4ft deep water leak at the foundation. As you can see in the pictures it took quite a bit of digging to repair the leak, but our technicians are always up for the challenge.

Water Heater Maintenance

Is having your water heater inspected yearly important? The answer is: yes! It’s important to have your water heater inspected and flushed yearly, especially tankless water heaters. Why is this important? Age and moisture over time can cause corrosion. What issues can moisture corrosion cause? Moisture corrosion can cause several different issues; one being water leaks. Leaks/flooding can cause further damage to your home especially if your water heater is in an attic or in another area of your home. Hot water failure as well as electrical fires can be caused by moisture corrosion. Gas water heaters should also be checked yearly to ensure proper ventilation. Proper ventilation is a must to ensure that you avoid possible carbon monoxide from entering your home. Take a look at the photos below. These are examples of water heaters that have corroded or have started leaking. Call our office at 704-857-1600 to schedule your yearly water heater maintenance.