The Most Common Winter Plumbing Issues

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When people agree to purchase a home, they also agree to assume all the expenses that come with such an investment, and it certainly does seem like more things go wrong in the dead of winter than at any other time of year, especially when it comes to plumbing. Here at Garvin’s Sewer Service, we field a lot of phone calls during the colder months of the year, and we obviously are happy to help how we can. Still, considering how in-demand a plumbing repair service technician is from November through March, it is worth knowing what may be going wrong with your plumbing so you can keep an eye on it throughout winter.

The following are four of the most common winter plumbing issues our professionals deal with during the colder month:

Frozen Pipes

Far and away the most common problem in the winter months is frozen pipes, which obviously happens when the weather gets so cold that your pipes (and the water therein) freeze. The first thing to do if you feel like this may be the problem is turn off your water at the supply to keep any more water from clogging up and bursting the pipes. After that, it’s best to call a plumbing repair service right away so they can diagnose and correct the problem, which can be significant if left unattended.

Water Line Break

Another side effect of standing water in freezing pipes is the potential for a water line break. When water freezes inside a line, it can cause blockages that can grow and eventually cause major leaks that can be expensive to repair. There are pressure relief valves that can be installed in your water line in certain areas to help make sure these blockages don’t occur, but that typically requires professional help.

A Lack of Hot Water

We also get a lot of phone calls about water heater problems, which happen this time of year because the water being pulled in travels through very cold pipes, meaning it takes longer for that water to heat up. While this itself is more inconvenience than major problem, it is true that water heaters work harder in the winter and that people use more hot water when it’s cold outside, so more problems do occur with these this time of year.

Clogged Drains

Interestingly, we also get more calls for clogged drains during the holidays, likely because people are cooking and hosting parties so much more often than at other times in the year. With more cooking comes more sink and garbage disposal use, and with increased use comes the higher potential for something to go wrong. If and when that does happen, a professional plumber can help clear up the problem and get your drains unclogged for even more holiday cheer.

An Experienced Englewood, Co Plumber

If any of these issues rear their ugly heads in your home this winter, give us a call here at Garvin’s Sewer Service. Our skilled professionals will have you up and running in no time, even if Jack Frost makes it harder than ever to make those repairs!

3 Plumbing Issues to Check Right Now

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“Rain, rain, go away, come again another day!”

Plumbing Issues to Check Right Now

Boy, have we received tons of rain this summer! As long as the rain doesn’t turn into hail, flooding or high winds, is great for our grass and plants. However, rain can also bring some unpleasant effects as well. And, with the amount of damage water can cause, and rather quickly, we want to bring up 5 plumbing issues to check out right now.

  1. Sump pumps

The Denver area hasn’t historically been known for humidity and water, but the last few years have changed that. We have experienced flooding- whether freak rain storms to burn scar run off- and this has caused us to consider installing sump pumps. Sump pumps are designed to pump excess water from an indoor space back outside. Many Denver homeowners are considering them to protect their basements from flooding.

  1. Sprinklers and hoses

Turn on your hoses and sprinklers and walk around to look for areas of water shooting, dripping or running where it shouldn’t be. Check your basement, crawlspace and around the hose bib. Cold weather may have damaged your exterior pipes and many factors could have contributed to broken sprinkler systems including sprinkler heads broken off. Be sure to detach your hose before the first frost comes, in Denver, usually around Halloween.

  1. Sewer line & drains

Heavy rains don’t just bring grass growth, they bring root growth as well. Consider a main sewer line cleaning to clear the line of any root growth. French drains, as well as gutters and downspouts can clog with mud, leaves and other debris and could cause water to dam, creating big problems. Be proactive and save money and hassle by performing preventative rather than emergency plumbing issues.

If you are in the Greater Denver area and are looking for a quality drain and sewer cleaning service, Garvin’s Sewer Service would love to earn your business. With over 75 years in the drain and sewer cleaning business, our knowledgeable staff is here to help you. Call today with questions, for pricing, or to learn more: 303- 571- 5114

What Is Limescale, And Does It Affect Plumbing?

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fb-limeWant to see something really cool and really scary? Click this link.

Okay, are you back? That was limescale, and the scary part is it’s hard to tell where the pipe ends and the limescale beings. The limescale in that photo has built up over many years and, as you can probably guess, is seriously preventing the water from flowing as it should.

What is limescale? Does it affect plumbing in Denver? Can it really be that bad? Let’s take look.

What Is It?

Limescale is a solid deposit that is found when hard water evaporates, leaving behind the minerals. These naturally-occurring minerals and compounds are mostly calcium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, and magnesium.

Is Denver’s Water Hard or Soft?

Rainwater is naturally soft and contains no minerals, so you might think that as close as we are to the source of the country’s water that our water would be naturally soft. But you also have to remember that our relatively shallow rivers are fast-moving; more of the water touches the rocks and wears it away. That means that Denver’s water tends toward the hard side; in fact, it’s slightly harder in winter. Because of this, Denver’s water tends to form limescale.

side-limeWhere Does It Cause the Biggest Problems?

Limescale can cover the inside of pipes, making it harder for water for pass through them. (Click on that link above again…the pipe is now half the size it once was.) It can also cause scale to form in toilets, which doesn’t cause problems but can be unsightly.

Another problem that limescale causes is in reducing the efficiency of hot water heaters. The water heater will bring in water, and the limescale settles to the bottom. After many years, a substantial part of the bottom of the hot water heater can become filled with this sediment.

And Yet It Can Be Beneficial

In our previous blog we told you all about the dangers of having lead service pipes heading into your home. Interestingly enough, a home with lead pipes can have its water tested and come up completely lead-free. How is this possible? Because over the decades limescale can actually coat the inside of the lead pipes, preventing any of the water from touching the lead! While this makes for less efficient pipes, it does prevent the homeowners from drinking contaminated water.

How Do You Get Rid of It

There are ways to remove limescale from just about any surface, including the inside of a hot water heater. These solutions are often incredibly acidic and harmful to human skin and eyes, so they should be used with caution and only by a professional. An example of such a limescale-destroying chemical is hydrochloric acid, which reduces the scale to carbon dioxide and salt.

The Denver area might not have the hardest water, but it is on the hard side. How much do you have to worry about limescale? Much of it has to do with the age of the pipes in your home. If you have concerns, contact your local plumber and we can take a look.

 

 

 

Should You Consider Having a Plumber Install A Home Water Filtration System?

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fb-safepipesWith the recent crisis in Flint, Michigan, regarding the high levels of toxins in their water supply, more citizens have been paying closer attention to the water supply here in Denver and all along the front range. People have been asking plumbers if installing a permanent water filter in their homes is a good idea. Well, the answer comes down to a very definite maybe/maybe not! Let’s take a look at where the water around here comes from and what could make it less than desirable.

Where’s The Water Coming From?

A few months back we wrote a blog about where Denver’s water comes from, but we’ll let denverwater.org sum it up. “Denver Water’s drinking water sources are the South Platte River and its tributaries, the streams that feed Dillon Reservoir, and the creeks and canals above the Fraser River.” All of those rivers are fed by snowmelt and supplemented by mountain storms.

Is There Anything To Be Worried About?

In short, no, but keep reading. Denver’s water turns out to be naturally clean, and the public water service’s test for microbial, chemical, and metallic contaminants all fall within allowed ranges. You might have found a booklet in your mailbox detailing this information, but if you pitched it please enjoy this .pdf from denverwater.org. Click to page 7 and you’ll see that there are no violations in the safe levels of pathogens in the water.

When it comes to lead, our mountain water is lead-free and leaves the water treatment plant lead-free. It’s those last 30 feet that can be a problem…

What About The Pipes Leading to My House?

Flint, Michigan’s main contaminant was lead. During the early part of the 20th century, lead pipes (and pipes soldered together with lead) were used to transport water from the treatment plant and into people’s homes. Lead can leach out into the freshwater, and certain other contaminants can make it leach out even faster. While the idea of using lead pipes seems insane today, the dangers of lead weren’t known as well back then.

Up until the 1950s, lead was also used in some Denver water pipes. Though the city pipes have since been replaced, there’s no way of knowing which home building contractors were using them when they constructed new neighborhoods. If your house was built during the 1950s and before, there is a chance that you still have lead freshwater pipes. We’d recommend having your water tested if you live in an older house. The good news? You can get a free lead test from your Denver water supplier here.

What If I’m Not On A Public Source?

Things can certainly change for those who are not on public water supplies. If you are using well water, the amount of water quality variation can be considerable from well to well. This depends on depth of the well, proximity to farmland and the chemicals in use, and many other factors. In Colorado, in-house water filtration is most often used by those on well water systems; your local plumber will be more than happy to help you install a water filtration system.


side-safepipesSo, Should I Invest in Water Filtration?

After all that information, you have to ask the question: should I invest in water filtration? Like we said before, the answer is a definite “maybe.” Let’s take a look at a few of the reasons homeowners have a plumber install a permanent water filtration system.

If You Suspect Lead – If you suspect lead, click that link on the free lead test from above. Simply having your service lines replaced won’t do any good if the lines supplying your neighborhood aren’t also replaced. Doing so could take years; installing a water filtration system will help protect you from lead.

If You Get Your Water From A Well – Unless you grew up drinking well water, it probably tastes bad to you. It will be worth it even if the only benefit of the water filtration system is that it helps you drink more water. Of course, you’ll also have the added benefit of filtering out heavy metals and pesticides, so having a water filtration system installed is nearly always worth it.

Discoloration – Does your water ever take on weird colors, even temporarily? If so, you most certainly need a water filtration system. The discoloration you see could be any number of things, including rust. (While you need iron in your diet, you most certainly don’t need rust!) Get that out of there with water filtration.

Foul Smell Or Taste – Similarly, your water shouldn’t smell or taste funny. We have excellent source water and a very good water treatment plant, so if there’s something wrong with your water, the problem is probably closer than you think.

If You’ll Only Accept the Absolute Cleanest Water – Denver’s water is pretty clean, but is it 100% contaminant free? No. The chances of it hurting you are astronomically low, but just because it passes government muster doesn’t mean that there’s no chance. If you’re the type of person who buys pesticide-free, non-GMO food, then perhaps that one extra step of filtering your water will put your mind further at ease.

The fact is, Denver’s water is pretty clean. But there are certain times when households might want that extra level of water filtration. A local plumber can help you install one that will put your mind at ease. Contact Garvin’s and we can help!

Happy New Years! Make a Resolution To Take Care of Your Plumbing

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side-image_sinks

On behalf of Garvin’s Sewer Service, we’d like to wish you a happy and healthy new year! 2017 will make the 77th year that Garvin’s has been serving the people of Denver and all along the Front Range. We started with rooter service back in the days of less-than-awesome public plumbing, continued with excellent drain cleaning, and then continued our growth with full plumbing services.

As we’ve done for the past seven decades, Garvin’s has resolved to take care of the people of the Front Range when it comes to their plumbing and sewer problems. But we’re also dedicated to helping our neighbors avoid problematic plumbing as much as possible. That’s where this blog comes in, helping you make the best decision when it comes to your freshwater and wastewater. Let’s take a look at some simple resolutions that can make your life easier in 2017.

Compost!

Strangely, composting is one of the most effective ways to take care of your drains and prevent the need for constant drain cleaning. The fact is, garbage disposals are best for incidental food particles that fall down the drain, but there are many food items that aren’t meant to be ground up. The most common offenders are potato peels, mango peels, and other fibrous materials that the disposal simply wasn’t designed to handle. (If you don’t believe us, read your manual. Most say that you shouldn’t try to grind these.)

What should you do with all of these peels? Compost them! Composting cuts down on what goes to the landfill, and it’s a great way to get nutrient-rich dirt for free. Trust us, it’s a great way to get rid of your peels, and if you have kids it makes a great learning experience.

side-thinsinkBe Aware of Warning Signs

If you’ve lived in your house for any length of time, you’ll probably notice when something starts to change. Years ago the water in the kitchen sink drained in a minutes, and now it takes three. Toilets never clogged before, but now you’re having to use the plunger three times a week. Cleaning hair from the first foot of the shower drain simply isn’t fixing the problem like it once did. When you notice that the efficiency of your fixtures is slowly going downhill, maybe it’s time to call a drain cleaning service and have them send everything on its way.

If you’ve just moved into a house, you might not be aware what to look for. After all, you might blame the clogged toilets on the toilet design; maybe you got one of those inefficient low-flow toilets from 1995. But if the house you just moved into is newer than that, it could be that the previous owners simply abused the drain systems more than they should have. And if your house is old and predates the use of PVC (before the 1960s) there’s a good chance that any house-wide problem mean that the iron pipes have given out. Give us a call and we can perform sewer cleaning as well as using a sewer camera to perform a sewer inspection.

Keep That Grease Out Of The Drains

Ah, c’mon, you knew this one was coming. We harp on it quite a bit, but that’s only because we want to deal with the sewer cleaning problems you can’t avoid. This is one you can deal with preventatively. Bacon grease is one of the most obvious offenders, and all you have to do is toss it into the trash instead. Oil is another, because, as slick as it is when it heads down the drain, it can solidify when it hits cold pipes. Do that enough times and you’ll need drain cleaning, or even more involved sewer cleaning. Most people swear they’ll change their habits in the future, but they fall away like so many New Year’s resolutions. Make this the year that you treat your drains better!

Give us a call when you’re having trouble with your sewer system, but we also want to help you prevent some problems that are easy to avoid. Make a New Year’s resolution to take better care of your plumbing, and at the same time you’re taking better care of your home as a whole.

 

 

 

What is PVC, and Why Is It So Amazing?

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fb-pvcAbout a year ago we wrote a blog about the many materials that have been used over the years as sewer pipes. The most common types of materials that have been used through the ages are clay, concrete, Orangeburg (wood pulp and tar), transite (concrete and…gulp…asbestos), and cast iron. Each of these had their place in the world during the time they were used, and there’s no doubt that you’ll still see some of them in use for larger projects; we often drive by large-scale plumbing projects with huge concrete sewer pipes.

When it comes to home pipes, almost all wastewater plumbing pipes are made from plastic. And while plastics often get a bad reputation because of the amount that we use once and throw away (water bottles, for example), plastics have amazing properties that make them the ideal choice for certain applications in plumbing. PVC, also known as polyvinyl chloride, is the third most widely used plastic in the world. You might touch it when you push on your home’s screen door, use it when you swipe your bank card, or cut through it when you destroy the packing on a new toy.

Why use PVC? Let’s take a look a the advantages of PVC pipes as it’s used in household plumbing.

It’s Flexible

The types of PVC used in sewer applications is often called RPVC, with the “r” meaning “rigid.” So when we say that PVC pipes are rigid, they are indeed solid and won’t bend when you pick one up. But they are somewhat flexible when they are underground. This is important when soil is placed above a sewer line, allowing the pipe to bend a little in circumstances where concrete pipes might break. It’s also important that they’re slightly flexible as the ground settles and shifts over the years, or as tree roots try to push them out of the way.

It’s Lightweight

Another great advantage of PVC pipe is how light it is. This means it takes fewer workers to install PVC pipes. A single worker can carry a long length of PVC pipe, while it might take many workers and heavy machinery to get steel or concrete pipes into place. There’s also less fuel used to transport lightweight PVC pipes when compared to other types of materials.

It Lasts

The fact that plastic sticks around for thousands of years can be bad for the world. After all, the future doesn’t need billions of straws to deal with. But when it comes to your plumbing, you want it to last as long as possible. Metal pipes will rust, concrete pipes can give out under shifting soils, and the less said about the longevity of Orangeburg, the better! PVC won’t rot or disintegrate, and even the most ardent environmentalist should be pretty happy that the PVC pipes stand up to the rigors of sewage so that the tree in their front yard doesn’t have to be ripped up during sewer pipe replacement!

side-pvcIt’s Watertight At Joints

What’s one thing you don’t want in your plumbing system? Leaks. Push two pieces of PVC together and they form a tight bond. Put some plastic cement at the point of contact and they become more watertight than any other type of pipe.

It’s Smooth Inside

You want your water to enter you house and leave your house as quickly as possible. You also want everything else you send down to have a fast trip out of your life…toilet paper and human waste, for example. PVC is the smoothest of pipes, allowing everything to move freely on its way. If a clog can’t get started, it can’t grab other detritus and cause the need for drain cleaning.

It’s Non-Toxic

PVC is the most researched plastic in the world, and is found to be non-toxic. And considering that it’s mostly used for wastewater that you have no contact with, it’s really not an issue anyway.

Making Joints Is Easier

If you’ve ever done any pipe fitting with metal, you know how difficult even the most simple joint can be. If you’re not a master with solder, it can lead to big messes and even injuries. PVC joints are considerably less labor intensive; it’s easy to cut and easy to join. Under-sink pipes are easier to assemble (and disassemble, in the case of drain cleaning) than ever before.

While it would be great if the world would use less of some types of plastic, it’s pretty obvious that some plastics serve a purpose that’s hard to rival. PVC has been used for sewer purposes for more than 50 years here in Denver, and Garvin’s Sewer Service has been cleaning them for just as long. While the problems are few, every sewer system is going to have the occasional hiccup. When this happens, give Garvin’s a call!

 

 

What Is Backflow Prevention, and Why Is It So Important?

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feature-image_backflow1200x628When you do something day after day, thinking about it all day long and talking about it with our coworkers, sometimes it’s hard to remember that people who aren’t in the industry might be completely baffled by some terminology and technology we use. Today we’re going to discuss a concept in plumbing that many people don’t even realize exists: backflow prevention.

What Is Backflow?

In a properly built system (such as your house), water only moves in one direction. It comes in through one set of pipes as freshwater and leaves via another set of pipes as wastewater. Backflow prevention devices ensure that no contaminated water can go into your freshwater pipes and contaminate your water supply.

Where Can They Be Located?

Backflow prevention devices are used throughout freshwater supply. Ones on houses can be smaller than a golf ball while those at the treatment plant will be huge and employ multiple check valves.

side-image_backflowWhy Is Backflow Prevention So Important?

We often forget that the water we’re getting is connected to the water systems of nearly every other person in the city. While you have your own pipes coming into your home, think of how it gets to you: your freshwater pipes connect to your neighborhood pipes, which connect to city pipes, which connect to the city fresh water treatment plant, which is getting its water from rivers and reservoirs across the front range.

So why is backflow prevention so important? If you didn’t have backflow prevention, contaminated water could be siphoned back into your home’s and neighborhood’s water supply. One of the most common concerns involve garden hoses. Without backflow prevention, fertilizer attachment bottles like this one that have a nozzle on one end and a hose attachment on the other could have their contents sucked into the freshwater system should there be a pressure change.

How Can Backflow Occur?

Backflow occurs due to one of two scenarios: back-siphonage and back-pressure. Back-siphonage occurs when high-pressure contaminated water is pulled into the system due to a lower pressure area. Back-pressure occurs when water is pushed into a system. Both are highly undesirable.

What Are Some Examples or Backflow Preventers?

Backflow prevention occurs throughout your house, but the ones that most people see are at the exterior of your home. Water spigots are required to have backflow prevention devices, so if you’ve ever wondered what that extra knob is on top of the spigot is when you’re hooking up your garden hose, now you know. Another place you’ll find them is in sprinkler systems. The pressure vacuum breaker prevents backflow, and unfortunately is the most likely part to freeze and break if you don’t blow your sprinklers out every fall.

If you’ve noticed that your water spigots or backflow preventers have cracked, make sure to call a local plumber in order to get them fixed. After all, under certain circumstances you could poison your home’s water supply, as well as that of your neighbors. For all of your plumbing needs, contact Garvin’s and we’ll get everything flowing in the right direction!

 

Why Not Let Your Plumber Upgrade Your Fixtures?

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feature-image_toi1200x628Not every plumbing service is about fixing your freshwater pipes or performing drain cleaning. Sometimes it’s about installing new fixtures in homes, and our plumbers are more than up to the challenge.

Of course, the reasons people replace these parts of their home can vary, depending on the fixture at hand. Let’s take a look at why people are having us replace the water-using devices in their homes.

Kitchen Faucets

Dishwashers are used after a meal, as is the kitchen sink for washing those items that can only be hand washed. But kitchen sinks are also used extensively before a meal. Think about all of the ways you use your kitchen sink. Boil a pot of spaghetti and you have to fill a large pot. Cut up some chicken and you need to wash your hands thoroughly. Grab vegetables from the crisper and you need to wash them before you use them in a meal. Kitchen sinks are used constantly, and that’s why they eventually give out. Your local plumber can help install one that’s even better than the last.

Of course, there are other advantages to having a kitchen faucet replaced. First of all, faucets of today are considerably more water-efficient than those from just 20 years ago, so you can save water by replacing them. You’ll also be upgrading to a more modern design, which can spruce up your kitchen.

When you upgrade, you can also get features that you covet when you visit other people’s homes. These include versions with pull-out nozzles so that you can more easily direct the spray and clean the sink. Many of these faucets also have at least two settings for the stream of water that is released, such as spray (for washing dishes) and normal (for filling glasses of water).

Oh, and let’s not forget another cool feature you can look for: hands-free faucets! While these have been popular in public restrooms for years, they’re making their way into kitchen so that you don’t have to grab a handle with germ-laden hands in order to turn them on (remember that chicken you were cutting up earlier?). Some use sensors, while others turn on simply by touching the back of your hand to the faucet.

Bathroom Faucets

When you think about the amount of time you spend at your bathroom faucet, it’s no surprise that it might wear out faster than some other fixtures. After all, you use your master bathroom sink(s) every time you use the toilet, but then you have to add to that the wear and tear from face washing, teeth brushing, and washing your hands whenever they get dirty.

Of course, there’s also the style that comes into play. Many people wait until remodeling their bathroom to call a plumber to replace their sink faucets, but sometimes a simple change can liven up a bathroom and make it feel new again. This second option is certainly the cheaper option!

Shower Heads

Shower heads don’t usually interest people as much as a beautiful new faucet does; there’s just not a much put into their design, and they’re hidden from most guests eyes.

But let’s take a look at what new ones can offer. First of all there are the low-flow shower heads that we mentioned in our water savings blog. Older shower heads can us up to 5.5 gallons of water per minute, but today’s showerheads can’t legally exceed 2.5 gallons per minute. Because of the effectiveness of low-flow models, you’ll get just as clean and use less water.

But what if you want a really fancy shower head? What if you’re looking for a shower head that beats all the others? You might be interested in a shower panel. Shower panels don’t just spray from an angle above your head, but instead spray you from overhead and all along your body down to you navel. When you have a regular shower head, you’re only getting hit by the water from one angle, so there’s always that cold spot on some part of your body. But with a shower panel you’re being hit by warm water in more spots and, in most cases, from directly overhead. You’ll be warmer than ever!

Oh, and did we mention that they’re also water efficient? They have to be, as they’re held to the same 2.5 gallon-per-minute standards of any new shower head. They simply direct the water more effectively before it heads down the drain.

Here’s the great thing about having a showerhead that uses less water: when you use less water, you have to heat less water, and that means you’re not only helping on your water bill but also on your natural gas bill. You can keep that Xcel Energy bill lower and reduce stress on your water heater at the same time.

side-image_toiToilets

There are five good reasons why people call their local plumber to replace their toilets.

It’s not a low-flow: We’re all charged with using less water, and one way to do that is to reduce your gallons-per-flush. If your house was built before 1994, it’s very likely that you’re using too much water in your flushes. Call a plumbing company and you can start saving water and money right away.

If it’s an early low-flow: The United States jumped on the low-flow toilet bandwagon in 1994, and such water efficiency has saved billions of gallons of freshwater. Unfortunately, the toilet industry wasn’t quite up speed on a different type of efficiency: solid waste removal. Solid waste would often take multiple flushes to send on its way, negating the water savings. But toilet design got better, and today’s toilets are much better at doing their job. But if your house was built around 1994-1996 and you don’t think it works as efficiently as it should, you local plumber can replace your toilets with ones that move things along. (Oh, and they’re even more water efficient than they were back then.)

If it’s out of style: You know what? Toilets go out of style. Even the basic design changes over the decades, and colors do too. Some people call a plumbing company to change their toilets because they’d rather have one that’s attached to the wall instead of the floor, making it easier to clean underneath.

It’s Broken: Most homes are built with fair-at-best toilets. The homebuilder isn’t going to install the best, because they’re trying to save money. A few years later, toilets start to give out. Some people fight these cheap toilets for years. Seal rings disintegrate, chains break, float heads get misaligned and lead to perpetual leaks. So they take a trip to Home Depot and grab the part, only to have something else go wrong with it in a few months. After a while, it simply isn’t worth it anymore, and that’s when they give a plumbing contractor a call to have a replacement toilet installed.

It’s Dirty: Okay, most people don’t replace their toilets because they’re dirty. But after a decade or more, the calcium deposits (scale) starts to build up and make the toilet look pretty bad. If you’re not having any luck in cleaning it and it’s embarrassing when you have guests over, be sure to call a local plumber and we’ll replace your toilet. At the same time you’ll be improving your water efficiency and getting a new toilet that won’t need repair nearly as soon!

Phew, that was some blog! But there’s a lot to say about the reasons that people call their local plumber to replace certain parts of the bathrooms and kitchens. Whether you’re replacing all of them during a remodel and need extensive plumbing contractor work, or if you simply need that single fixture changed out, Garvins’ is ready to help. Contact us for all of your plumbing services!

 

 

 

Happy Holidays! Here’s What Can Go Wrong With Your Plumbing!

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feature-image_vacay1200x628Here we are just a couple of weeks away from the many festive holidays of December. Maybe you’ve hung lights, perhaps invited some sort of tree into your home for a few weeks. If you’re like us, you’re running around trying to get those last minute items for everyone on your list.

Of course, with the holidays comes travel, whether it’s you heading out of DIA or people you’ll be hosting in your home. Unfortunately, with the winter holidays (and winter in general) comes all sorts of plumbing problems that many people aren’t even ready for. After all, there’s so much to do! Thinking about plumbing is often at the far back-left of people’s minds, right between the is-it-New-Year’s-Eve-already? incredulity and the soon-to-be-arriving fear of what to do on Valentine’s Day.

Here are a few things that might show up with plumbing in December. If you have problems, be sure to give your local plumbers a call…but we’d rather you didn’t have problems at all!

If You’re Sticking Around…

If you’re sticking around for the holidays, chances are you’ll be cooking some big meals. And there’s also a good chance that you’ll be having lots of people over using your plumbing.

Avoid Drain Clogs

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat…and the goose fat can clog up your drains. Turkey fat, pig fat, beef fat, and chicken fat can all do the same thing. As we mentioned in our Thanksgiving blog, you shouldn’t be sending anything fatty down the drain, including grease, fats, and oils. They solidify quickly and will lead to drain cleaning…and you certainly don’t want to have to stop cooking and visiting just to deal with a clogged drain.

Also, there are those food items that just shouldn’t go into the garbage disposal or down the drain. Pumpkin parts, potato peels, asparagus ends…all of these should be heading into the trash (or better yet the garbage disposal).

Extra People

Whenever you have extra people over, you’re going to be putting a bigger strain on your plumbing system. They’ll be flushing more often, and maybe flushing more than they should. If you currently have trouble with your plumbing, give your local plumber a call and we’ll perform drain cleaning service before they get there. You’ll be saying goodbye to years of gunk that are built up in your sewer system, and you’ll get to enjoy the benefits for years to come. We can also fix your toilet if it isn’t working properly. After all, if it’s not flushing correctly, it could lead to a lot of embarrassment for your guest and for you around the Christmas holiday.

side-image_vacayIf You’re Heading Away…

If you’re leaving for the holidays, you don’t have to worry about people coming in and clogging your toilets with too much toilet paper, or your mom trying to grind ham bones in the garbage disposal. But leaving for the holidays brings about its own problems. Let’s take a look at how you can avoid calling a plumbing company this December.

Protect Your Pipes

We wrote an entire blog about protecting your pipes during the winter, so be sure you click on that link and find out how to prevent broken pipes due to freezing. You’ll want to leave the furnace at above 55 degrees Fahrenheit and expose as many pipes to room temperature air as much as possible. Opening up cabinetry under sinks is the first step in doing so.

Also, it’s probably a good idea to have a friend on call in case the temperatures are predicted to plummet. You can have them leave a slow drip going in your sink to keep the water moving. Better yet, just have them turn up the heat overnight!

Protect Your Home

If you’re leaving for a few days or a few weeks, make sure that you take some “anti-burglary” steps to protect your home. Buy light timers, have a friend come check on things, and make sure you lock everything up before you leave

Wait, what does “protecting your home from theft” have to do with your plumbing? Well, there are many movies that run on a constant loop on TV during the holidays, and one of them is Home Alone. As you might remember, one of the criminals in that movie has a weird inclination to burgle a home and then stuff a rag in the sink, turn on the water, and cause extensive water damage. And, as it turns out, there have been copycats in real life who do the same thing. Are the chances that great that it will happen to you? No. Are some people just destructive jerks? Absolutely!

The holidays can be a great time, but they can also lead to big plumbing problems. Stop these problems before they start with a little prevention. And if something does go wrong, be sure to contact Garvin’s!

 

 

Top Rated Plumbing and Sewer Service Denver

Why We’ll Never Push You Into Plumbing Services

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We’ve mentioned it before and we’re certain to mention it again: we’ve been in the plumbing services and sewer cleaning business for more than 75 years. And as you can probably guess, a local company doesn’t stay in business for 75 years by ripping off their customers left and right. A company stays in business for that long because they’re respecting their customers and will charge them a fair price.

Then there are THOSE companies…

Of course, some plumbing companies aren’t so worried about their reputation. Someone just told us of a less reputable plumbing services company out there who recently took advantage of one of their customers. The customer called these plumbers because his garbage disposal went out. When they got there, sure enough, the garbage disposal didn’t work. So instead of fixing what was broken and charging them a fair hourly rate, or even selling him a reasonably-priced garbage disposal and installing it, they did something considerably less reputable: they sold him a $900 garbage disposal. If you’re familiar with garbage disposals, you probably know that they run from around $80 for a basic model to maybe $250 for a top-of-the-line unit. They sold him one that had many times more power than he needed, overcharged for the garbage disposal itself, and added in some extras charges because…well, just because the guy was well-off and gullible.

Wait, it gets better!

(Well, it gets worse.) The next week his toilet was clogged, and it had been clogging up fairly regularly. In a case like this, a plumber would usually perform drain service or sewer cleaning in order to clean out the lines and get the wastewater flowing again. Oh, but they didn’t do that, because they smelled money. Instead, they sold him a new toilet! Now as you might know, toilets can certainly have problems with their mechanical parts, but those parts aren’t preventing anything from going down the drain. The problem was with the pipes themselves, but they found a way to bilk this poor guy out of even more money. “Hey, he fell for the garbage disposal trick, let’s see what else we can get away with!”

Oh boy. We really wish this guy had called Garvin’s instead of falling prey to those other guys. Today that customer has a restaurant-level garbage disposal (did we mention that he’s disabled and orders all of his food in, so he’s not actually cleaning many dishes?) and a new toilet, but his toilet drain is still clogged and he’s out nearly $2000.

That brings us around to our topic of today (took us long enough, didn’t it?). We’d like to talk a little bit about pushiness in our industry.

featured-side_plumbingA Good Plumbing Services Technician Will Not Be Pushy

One of the best ways to tell if you’re being taken for a ride is if the plumber is being pushy. Are they trying to sell you a new sink along with your drain cleaning? Are they pushing a sewer camera inspection even after the sewer cleaning has taken place and the pipes are flowing?

At Garvin’s, we let our work speak for itself. We’ll tell you what you need, and won’t try to push you into buying anything more. We can even give you priority options if there are multiple problems going on with your plumbing.

We’ll Treat You Right During Emergencies

One of the worst situations you can find yourself in is when you have plumbing problems that are destroying your home. Maybe a pipe burst, maybe you have sewage backed up and spilling onto the carpet. The only way to make it worse is to call the wrong plumber who’s going to use it as an opportunity to nickle and dime you, using your time of desperation as his piggybank.

If you’re in the middle of an emergency situation, Garvin’s certainly isn’t going to try to take advantage of you. You’re our Front Range neighbors, and we want to help you fix your plumbing problems as quickly — and as fairly — as possible. That means stopping the water, containing it, and getting it out of your home as quickly as possible so that it damages your property as little as possible.

But How Do You Find A Good Plumber?

Well, we’re a bit biased, but we’ve heard of this great place called Garvin’s and you can contact them right here! There are other fair plumbers out there you can find, and the best way to find them is to ask for testimonials and references. A good plumber will also be bragging about awards they’ve received for their services.

You don’t stick around for 75+ years by treating your customers like the stuff you flush down the toilet. You stick around by treating people right. No matter what type of plumbing services you’re looking for, Garvin’s is here to help.