I (Kris, Garvin’s GM) attend a weekly BNI meeting which is for business owners and marketing professionals who are looking to make connections to grow personally and professionally. One of the agenda items each week is called an Education Moment and this week it consisted of the concept of “Brag, Complain, Plan”. It is a strategy for listening to others in a way that sets them up to be connected with someone in your network.
For example, if someone brags about having a new grandchild and you know someone in your network who provides gifts to new mothers, there is a potential for a connection to be made. It is active listening and also relationship building.
It was with this in mind I decided to write about when someone would call a plumber.
Call a Plumber When Bragging
When we hear someone bragging about installing a new appliance, remodeling, or buying a new home, that’s a great time to have them call a plumber.
New Appliances
Appliances that require water connections such as water heaters, ice makers on refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines are all service work plumbers handle. We can cap off existing lines, repair leaks, and install new lines to make appliances work as intended.
Remodeling
When someone is remodeling, they often need new faucets, fixtures, sinks, plumbing configurations or even gas lines installed. These are also services that require calling a plumber. Some customers will have a General Contractor or Handyman provide these services, and that is fine, as long as they are licensed to do those types of jobs. Many people say they can do plumbing work and that doesn’t mean it is up to code or even meets industry standards.
Buying a New Home
When someone is buying a new home, they may need a sewer scope service (we recommend these on EVERY home purchase), or an inspection objection punch list of plumbing repairs. We are happy to help and offer bids for budgeting purposes.
Call a Plumber When Complaining
This one may see a bit more obvious, but when we hear someone complaining about clogged tubs or sinks, a backed-up sewer line, leaking pipes, and no hot water, those are all reasons to call a plumber.
Clogs
Clogs are very common and often happen when too much of something is flushed or otherwise enters a drain pipe. This could be too much food into the kitchen sink, hair down the tub drain, or a cleaning rag being accidentally flushed.
Backed-up Sewer Line
Sewer line back-ups are pretty common, especially in homes with lots of trees or shrubs near the sewer line. These send roots down deep in the ground and they penetrate the sewer line, usually at the joints of the pipe. These can easily be cleaned out with a bladed Roto-Rooter machine.
Other times sewers back up from the build-up of waste items and need to be cleared out. While some people try to clear the sewer line themselves, we think for safety reasons, they should call a plumber.
Leaking Pipes
When we hear people complaining about leaking pipes it is usually one of two issues: either they’ve been dealing with a slow leak for a long time, or they have a burst pipe and it’s an emergency plumbing repair.
Leaks should be repaired as soon as possible to prevent rotting, water damage, harmful mold, and increased water costs.
No Hot Water
Lack of hot water for showers, washing dishes, and doing laundry is awful. No one likes cold showers. If someone complains that they run out of hot water too soon, or has none at all, there is likely an issue with the water heater.
Water heater repairs and replacement are a very standard service performed by plumbers. Maintenance includes flushing them, checking and cleaning sensors, replacing the anode rod and more.
Call a Plumber When Planning
This may line up with bragging because most people do plan for new appliances, remodel projects and home buying. However, some people are also ahead of the game in planning for water heater replacement, sewer line repairs, and sewer line maintenance.
Water Heater Replacement
Planning a water heater replacement is always a great idea because shopping proactively typically saves money over fast, reactive shopping when it fails. This blog on water heaters can help guide you.
Sewer Line Repair
Some homeowners are required to or desire to install an outside cleanout for their sewer line for plumbers to access it. This is a proactive repair that can be made to bring it up to code and make cleaning the line possible or more efficient.
Most sewer line repairs are reactive – when someone has a break and a back-up. But customers who know they need a clean out or have a significant belly in the line that is poised to break, may begin planning the repair to reduce costs.
Sewer Line Maintenance
About 20-25% of our customers are homeowners who do a preventative maintenance cleaning of their sewer line. Many of them do this on an annual basis, but some do it every other year BEFORE their sewer backs up. They typically know they have root growth problems and decide to tackle it proactively and skip the unpleasant sewer line backup that comes from it.
Are you bragging, complaining or planning anything that would cause you to call a plumber?
Garvin’s Plumbing and Sewer has been serving the Greater Denver and Boulder communities since 1940 and we would love to earn your trust and business. For questions or to schedule a service visit, please contact us at 303-571-5114.