It’s hard to think about flooding during the driest part of a Boston summer, but this is actually a great time to protect your home against water damage. Water damage from flooding can occur with little warning, and can be the result of severe storms or plumbing problems within your home. Regardless of the water [...]
Sewer Lateral Financial Assistance Program May Fix Boston Sewer Problems
July 7th, 2011 · DIY Blog · DIY Plumbing
If you own a home in Boston, sewer problems can do more than make a mess. They can also be expensive to fix! There is a program you should know about that may help relieve the cost of fixing problems that arise with your lateral sewer connection. The lateral sewer connection is the pipe that [...]
Your home may contain an odd collection of pipes, with some runs being made of one material, and other runs being made of other materials. Often, a mixture of materials can signal problems that may have been addressed by former owners of your home in Boston. Plumbing materials have changed over time, and I thought [...]
Last week, I talked about a common plumbing problem Boston homeowners may face, the venerable clog. Most clogs are caused by attempting to flush too much material through the trapway. These kinds of clogs can be relieved with plunging. In other cases, an object becomes lodged in the trapway and can cause problems with slow [...]
Toilet Troubles: Curing Common Toilet Problems
June 16th, 2011 · DIY Blog · DIY Plumbing · Tips and Tricks · Toilets
Toilets give years of dependable and often maintenance-free service, so when problems arise, some homeowners don’t know what to do. Mechanically speaking, toilets are pretty simple devices, which is why they don’t often develop serious problems. Here are a few common toilet problems Boston homeowners may encounter, and what you can do to solve them. [...]
Insulating Boston Plumbing Can Save You Money
June 9th, 2011 · DIY Blog · DIY Plumbing · Water Heaters
If you’re looking for an easy way to save money and improve the performance of your Boston plumbing system, consider insulating your pipes. Insulation is highly cost-effective, easy-to-do and can help your hot water stay hotter and your cold water stay colder. Insulting your pipes also doesn’t take any special equipment or tools and the [...]
For most people in Boston, water pressure inside the home isn’t a big concern, unless of course something’s wrong with the water pressure! Water pressure is the force with which water is moved through the water supply system. In municipalities, water pressure needs to be relatively high – perhaps 200 psi – in order to [...]
The good news is that I’m not in the shower this week, but I am still in the bathroom. Virtually, that is. A couple of weeks ago, I profiled a couple of low-flow showerheads that are designed to save water. This week, I’m featuring a dual-flush valve kit that can work with any conventional toilet. [...]
Last week, I wrote about a nice little safety valve that will throttle your hot water supply in the shower if the temperature exceeds 115°F. The device is designed to protect people from a sudden increase in hot water temperature. This week, I’m still in the shower, but I’m thinking about water saving showerheads. Boston [...]
Add A Temperature-Activated Flow Reducer To Your Older Shower
May 13th, 2011 · DIY Blog · DIY Plumbing
Here’s a great idea that may add a bit of safety to an older home in Boston. Plumbing in newer homes is usually designed to help prevent hot water scalding. Often, newer plumbing designs include a pressure balance (to prevent the cold water from dropping out) or an anti-scalding device to regulate the flow of [...]