Category: Plumbing

August 21st is reserved to celebrate our cherished elderly community - yes, it’s World Senior Citizens Day! We cherish and love our senior community and admire their graceful aging.

Your plumbing system, on the other hand, shouldn’t be allowed to get to old. When your plumbing is past its recommended lifespan, it can cause a barrage of problems that will not only be inconvenient but costly as well.

In this article, we’ll discuss some of the problems that can be incurred with older plumbing and what you can do to avoid these problems.

The Problem of Lower Water Pressure

Low water pressure in your home can certainly be seen as an inconvenience, but you may not know that it can cause a bigger problem.

Essentially, over time zinc, lead, and iron can lead to corrosion in your galvanized piping. When this happens, iron and other minerals can build up and even cause rust.

Not only is this unhealthy for drinking, but it can also cause a slew of other problems including a water main rupture due to your pipelines getting blocked with dirt and sediment.

Old Pipes Can Lead to Health Issues

It’s incredibly important that the water we drink, cook with, as well as bathe is clean. Unfortunately, when you’re dealing with older piping it can mean that you may be bringing dirty water into your home. A particular problem that can be caused is the release of lead through the piping. When old piping is galvanized it can release lead into the home’s drinking water, which can, in turn, lead to lead poisoning and other health problems such as:

• Nausea
• Constipation
• Abdominal Pain
• Headaches
• Cognitive Issues
• Fatigue
• Reproductive Problems
• Insomnia

Making sure that your pipes aren’t outside of their lifespan and that they’re kept in good condition can prevent contaminated water-related health problems.

Constant Clogs and the Effects They Have

If you experience constant clogs in your home, it can indicate a more complicated problem with your home’s plumbing pipes. After years of use, soap scum, waste and sewage can build up and clog your pipes with gunk and debris.

This can lessen the amount of room that water has to leave and either slow draining down or stop it entirely. If clogging seems to be a regularly occurring problem, it may be time to check into replacing some or all of your piping.

There are certain things in this world that get better with age: cheese, wine, art, our senior community. Your piping, however, is not like this. The older your pipes get, the less they’ll be able to effectively take care of your home’s incoming and outgoing water needs.

Being proactive about replacing and servicing your water pipes can help you to avoid larger problems and save you money. If you’re concerned about the age of your pipes or have a need for servicing, please give B&L Plumbing and Heating a call today at (719) 638-7341. We’ll send a plumbing expert out to your home to help ensure your pipes aren’t becoming a member of the senior community.

You hit all of the Fourth of July milestones - there was a parade, a barbecue, a community picnic, and fireworks. You fully appreciated the day and all that our independence and freedom represent.

You even hosted a successful party with friends, coworkers, neighbors and family members. The day was full, and everyone had a great time celebrating our country and your community. But after the party, you found yourself left with a few unpleasant plumbing issues.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Parties can put an extra strain on your plumbing system and can cause a number of problems. In hopes of helping you avoid any future problems, here are some plumbing tips to keep in mind before hosting this year's 4th of July.

Prepare your Kitchen Sink

The kitchen seems to be the center of many great parties. For whatever reason, it’s where people tend to congregate and spend the bulk of their time.

While you might not mind this, it can raise some concerns for your kitchen sink. While you’re diligent about not putting grease or food down your sink, when the kitchen sink is surrounded by guests, it’s hard to know what might end up in the sink or down the drain.

Rather than worry about it, install a grease trap before your next event. This will ensure that grease and solids don’t reach or backup your sewage system. It’s an easy way to protect your pipes before your next great party.

Expect a Toilet Clog

With lots of guests using your bathroom, a minor clog or two is almost inevitable. However, if you’re prepared for it, then this can stay a minor problem and be easily handled.

Before your next party, in addition to making sure that your bathrooms are clean and fully stocked with toilet paper, soap and towels, also check to make sure that there’s a plunger in every bathroom.

This simple step will enable you or your guests to quickly handle a small clog and could effectively avoid a massive toilet clog or a major mess.

Locate your Shutoff Valve

Your home’s main shutoff valve enables you to quickly shut off water to your entire house. While it’s always important to know where this is, it’s especially important if you’re going to be putting additional strain on your plumbing system.

Knowing where this valve is located, enables you to quickly respond to a leak or other plumbing emergency and to minimize any damage that such a problem might cause.

It’s essential that you know where this is, so if you don’t know how to access it, take a moment as soon as possible to locate it and to ensure that it’s easily accessible. We hope you have a 4th that’s full of celebrations and good times with friends and family.

Hopefully, these plumbing tips will help you to avoid any plumbing issues over the holiday. But if any problems should arise, you can always contact B&L Plumbing and Heating at (719) 638-7341. We’re available 24/7 to handle any plumbing problems you have.

Have you ever heard of Love a Tree Day? While it might not get the same love as Memorial Day, it’s an important celebration of one of the most giving things in our world - trees! Every May 16 is Love a Tree Day, a day to honor and celebrate trees and their many benefits.

Trees, the biggest plants on Earth, provide many essential benefits. They release oxygen, store carbon, support wildlife and help stabilize the soil. Trees also provide us shelter, food, and shade.

We need trees for just about every aspect of life. Similarly, trees depend on water. Adequate amounts of clean water are essential to the health of the trees that we love and depend upon.

Clean Water is Just As Important to Them

Trees need water to thrive, and dirty or polluted water can have detrimental effects on them. When trees absorb polluted water, the pollutants can get into its roots and work its way throughout the tree.

For trees that produce food, this can make the parts that we eat dangerous. Further, polluted water can end up killing trees. Similarly, a lack of water or too much mud or clay can also kill a tree.

In these scenarios, trees are unable to absorb the necessary water and essentially choke. We know how important trees are, but this Love a Tree Day take a moment to reflect on how important good water is for trees.

How Can Water Filtration Help?

While you’re thinking about clean water this spring, consider whether you have clean water in your home. Do you have a water filter? If not, do you test the quality of your water regularly?

Much like trees, we need clean water to both survive and thrive. Clean water is essential for hydration, cooking, and sanitation.

A water filter or water filtration system can help ensure that you have a supply of clean and pure water. Water filters remove bacteria, heavy metals, and chemicals from water. Plus, they can make water taste and smell better. Better tasting water usually results in people drinking more water, a habit that has a multitude of health benefits.

If you don’t have a water filter or filtration system in your home, we can help! At B&L Plumbing and Heating we offer water filtration installation services, and can also help you test your water to determine what filtration method is right for you.

Celebrate Love a Tree Day

Now that you know about Love a Tree Day, take a moment to celebrate it this year. One of the best ways you can honor trees this May 16th is with clean water.

Take some time to water the trees in your yard or neighborhood but consider the quality of the water that you’re using. Make sure it’s clean water – either collected rainwater or water from your home – so that you’re helping your trees to grow and thrive.

If your reflections on trees and clean water made you realize that you don’t have a water filter, call B&L Plumbing and Heating today at (719) 638-7341. We can install a water filtration system that will ensure your entire home has clean, safe and pure water.