Archive for February, 2012

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New London Plumbing Guide:What You Need to Know About Solar Hot Water Heaters

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012

Most people in New London, when they think about solar power, think of photovoltaic panels wired into a household electrical grid to provide power for your entire family. While these systems are growing in popularity and affordability, they are not the only way on the market to utilize solar power. You can actually use a much simpler system that is more affordable and can save you nearly as much money. It’s solar hot water and it can greatly reduce your annual water heating bill.

How Solar Hot Water Heaters Work

There are a few different types of solar hot water heater, but the idea is generally the same. You place solar collectors on the roof of your home, preferably facing south. Those collectors collect and amplify the energy of the sun and use it to heat water or coolant that is circulated through tubes or pipes in the collector. In a direct system, the water is then piped directly to your fixtures for use.

In the more common indirect system, coolant is piped back to a tank where water is heated through copper pipes and held for use later.

Advantages of Solar Hot Water Heating

The obvious advantage is cost. Because the system is almost entirely passive, you don’t pay for any electricity, and maintenance is minimal. The only real cost of a solar hot water system (after installation) is a once-every-two-years maintenance visit and a backup water heating supply for days when there is less sunlight.

Solar water heating is a very effective and affordable way to start using solar power immediately in your New London home. If you are considering installing this form of solar power, give Boulden Plumbing a call!

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Lewisville Plumbing Repair Question: What is Causing the Water Around My Toilet?

Friday, February 24th, 2012

Most Lewisville homeowners have been there. You go into the bathroom in the morning, and you realize your toilet is leaking.

The tricky part is determining where that leak is coming from in order to fix it. Try these simple methods to diagnose the problem quickly.

 Sweating Toilet

One possibility is that your toilet is not leaking at the base itself, but that the toilet is sweating and the liquid is pooling at the base. It is easy enough to make this distinction; just check the toilet throughout the day to see if there is any moisture on the outer surface. If so, your toilet is sweating.

“Sweating” is caused by humid air condensing on the cold porcelain. The only way to fix this problem is to insulate the toilet.

 Bad Tank Seal

Another possibility is a bad seal. There are two main seals on your toilet that can leak: the tank seal and the wax seal.

To check for a bad tank seal, put some food coloring in the tank. You don’t need a lot, just enough to noticeably change the color of the water. Then, let the toilet sit without being used for a few hours. If the water on the floor is colored, then the tank seal on your toilet needs to be replaced.

 Bad Wax Seal

The other seal that can leak is the wax seal that is located at the actual base of the toilet. Diagnosing this problem is similar to the tank seal method above.

Again, add food coloring, this time to the water in the bowl. Then flush and repeat. After adding coloring the second time, let the toilet sit like in the steps above. If the colored water starts collecting around the base of the toilet after a few hours, the wax seal needs to be replaced.

Once you have determined the cause of the leaking, you can properly fix it. Some homeowners are savvy enough to do toilet repairs on their own, but if that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, call in Boulden Plumbing. Fixing a toilet seal is a relatively quick job and worth the expense.

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Newark Plumbing Guide: Things to Remember When Remodeling Your Bathroom

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

Remodeling your Newark home’s bathroom can be a great way to not only make it look better and more inviting, but also more hygienic, while giving the resale value of the whole house an upgrade.

As with any big home project, there are some caveats and tips to doing it right. Here are some of those tips to consider before diving right in:

  • Before starting on your bathroom or any remodeling project, work out a budget first. Establish what you want it to look like and how much you have to spend, then choose the options that fit into that framework. There are few things worse than having a bathroom left unfinished because you ran out of money halfway through the job.
  • Remodeling is a great opportunity to assess the ventilation in your bathroom and upgrade it if necessary. Proper ventilation improves air quality and prevents mold growth and water damage, so an upgrade in equipment can be an investment that is well worth the expense.
  • As tempting as it may be to make wholesale, sweeping changes to everything in your existing bathroom, try to avoid moving any plumbing around. It’s costly, messy and can really extend the time it takes for the job to be done. Is it really worth an extra week of work to have the tub against another wall?
  • Finally, to save your budget, consider refinishing certain fixture versus replacing them. Refinished tubs and tiles can look just as shiny as new, but without the extra cost and labor.

Keep those tips in mind as you consider that bathroom remodeling job, and if you have any questions, call Boulden Plumbing today!

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Happy President’s Day from Your Wilmington & Dover Area Plumbers!

Monday, February 20th, 2012

Happy President’s Day from everyone at Boulden Plumbing! Today we celebrate all of the great leaders that helped make our county what it is today. It is also a great time to think about ways you can help improve your community. Whatever town you live in, there are always ways you can help make it even better.  If everyone takes a little time to volunteer or help a neighbor, it can make a big difference!

It’s an old tradition to celebrate Washington’s Birthday with cherries, in honor of the cherry tree story, so here is a recipe for some delicious cherry pie!

“You ‘ll be able to tell that this is a prize-winning recipe. The crust is flaky and buttery, the cherry filling is thick and perfectly sweetened, and there’s a lovely hint of almond extract.”

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup shortening

1/2 cup cold water

1 pinch salt

2 cups pitted sour cherries

1 1/4 cups white sugar

10 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Cut the shortening into the flour and salt with the whisking blades of a stand mixer until the crumbs are pea sized. Mix in cold water. Refrigerate until chilled through. Roll out dough for a two crust pie. Line a 9 inch pie pan with pastry.
  2. Place the cherries, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium size non-aluminum saucepan. Allow the mixture to stand for 10 minutes, or until the cherries are moistened with the sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Lower the heat; simmer for 1 minute, or until the juices thicken and become translucent. Remove pan from heat, and stir in butter and almond extract. Pour the filling into the pie shell. Cover with top crust.
  3. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F (190 degree C) oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

This recipe is from allrecipes.com, visit their site for more details!

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Newark Plumbing Installation Special: $200 Off Tankless or Hybrid Water Heater!

Friday, February 17th, 2012

One of the surprising ways that you can save money on your water and energy bills is by upgrading your water heater. A new water heater, especially a hybrid or tankless one, will heat the water much more efficiently and therefore will use much less energy. You also will waste less water because it will heat the water faster and you won’t need to run the tap waiting for it to be the perfect temperature. Up to 25 percent of your home’s energy usage comes from hot water heating, so a water heater upgrade can make your home significantly more environmentally-friendly.

Since we know that a new water heater is a great upgrade for your home, we are offering a special deal: $200 Off a Tankless or Hybrid Water Heater! Get a new water heater that will provide for you family’s hot water needs and save you money every month!

Give us a call today for more details!

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Happy Valentine’s Day from Wilmington & Dover Area Plumbers!

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

Everyone at Boulden Plumbing wishes you a very happy Valentine’s Day! We hope you have a day filled with lots of candy, flowers, and Valentines! Today is all about showing your appreciation for those you love, including your friends, your family, or your significant other. Take a moment today to think about everyone who makes a difference in your life and how you can let them know how special they are to you.

While your plumbing system might not seem like the most romantic place to start your gift giving, a few simple upgrades can make your house more green, which is something your whole family will appreciate! A low-flow shower head will save a lot of water, and a new water heater can provide better your your family’s hot water needs and cut down on your energy usage. An upgrade to your  plumbing system is truly a gift that keeps on giving!

For more information about how a few plumbing upgrades can make your house more comfortable, give Boulden Plumbing a call. In addition to making your home more environmentally-friendly, you can also make your friends and family happy by making this delicious recipe for Fudge Truffle Cheesecake:

“When the chocolate addict in you begs for a sweet fix, bake this fluffy chocolate cheesecake over a chocolate cookie crust. Decorate it with even more cocoa delights, such as chocolate-dipped fruit or chocolate whipped cream.”

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup butter, softened

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed

milk

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
  2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together crushed vanilla wafers, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, and butter or margarine by hand. Press ingredients into a 9 inch springform pan.
  3. In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips, making sure that they are very smooth.
  4. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy with an electric mixer. Gradually beat in condensed milk until smooth. Mix in melted chocolate, eggs, and vanilla. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. Pour the filling into the prepared crust.
  5. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 55 minutes. The cake will seem underbaked in the center, but will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven.

For more details, visit allrecipes.com.

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Felton Plumbing Repair Guide: What to Do if a Pipe Bursts

Monday, February 13th, 2012

If you live in a cold climate, you are more likely to have experienced the disaster of a frozen pipe bursting. There are other causes of burst pipes, so rest assured you are not alone; plenty of Felton homeowners have had to face a burst pipe as well.

When this happens, there are three fronts on which to attack the problem: stopping the flooding, repairing the pipes and preventing future bursts.

Before doing anything else, you need to stop the flooding in your house. Start by turning off the water supply, either to that pipe or to the whole house. It doesn’t matter which, as long as it’s shut off. Turn on cold water taps around the house to drain remaining water from the pipes. Turn off the water heater. This will at least prevent the flood damage from being too extensive.

Get a sump pump and or some absorbent material to start sopping up the water that leaked into your home, then call a plumber. The pipe and fitting will need to be replaced, and some adjacent ones may need to be as well, so the best solution here is just to call in a professional rather than try to do it yourself. The last thing you need is another burst pipe.

Finally, prevent future breaks in pipes by implementing some of these strategies:

  • Insulate your pipes
  • On cold days, keep your pipes warmer by opening up doors to the attic or basement
  • When going away in the winter, shut off the water supply and drain the plumbing system

By keeping your pipes as warm and insulated as possible, you decrease the likelihood that the water within will freeze, potentially causing a leak or break in the pipe. Burst pipes are not necessarily completely preventable, so it is important that you now know what to do if and when a pipe bursts in your home.

Water damage, especially flooding, can cause serious trouble in your home, so everything you can do to prevent and mitigate the risk is a good step. And if you think one of your pipes has burst, give Boulden Plumbing a call as soon as possible!

 

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Rising Sun Plumbing Repair Question: What Can Cause a Higher Water Bill?

Saturday, February 11th, 2012

No one wants to pay too much for utilities in Rising Sun. You have probably already done a ton of research on how to lower your heating and electric bills.

Now, the problem is that after getting those bills to a manageable level by wearing extra sweaters and installing compact fluorescent bulbs all over the house, your water bill has gotten out of control. What gives? How can a water bill suddenly spike so high?

There are two main causes of a high water bill: a leak or a change in water use.

Leaks

When there is a leak anywhere in your plumbing system, water escapes and more water rushes in to replace it. This means a higher water bill. Some common culprits in these circumstances include:

  • Leaky or running toilets
  • A leaky faucet, especially one on the outside of the house where it can go undetected
  • A broken or cracked pipe within the walls of the house
  • A broken, cracked or corroded water main

Some of these are more obvious than others. If your toilet is leaky or running, you have probably noticed by now and should call a plumber. Do a check on all your faucets, indoors and out, to see if they are dripping. A leaky pipe or water main is also usually accompanied by a drop in water pressure. If your shower head seems weaker than it used to, or your clothes aren’t rinsing clean in the laundry, these can be signs of decreased water pressure brought on by leaky pipes.

Changes in Use

You may think that you would notice if you all of a sudden started using much more water than usual, but it is not always that obvious. Sometimes we use water in sneaky ways that we don’t even notice, which can build up over time if done habitually. Some of these covert causes of increased water usage include:

  • A new shower head with a higher flow rate
  • Overwatering the lawn
  • Doing laundry more frequently than usual (such as after a child is born, for example) or getting a new washing machine that uses more water

Chances are, your astronomical water bill is caused by one of these two main categories of causes. Look over the list and see if any of them might be contributing to your water bill spike. If you are having problems with your system, give Boulden Plumbing a call!

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West Grove Plumber’s Guide: Troubleshooting Plumbing Problems

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

Plumbing may seem like a complex mystery, but some common plumbing problems you can investigate yourself before calling in a West Grove plumber.

Drainage Difficulties

Whether it’s a slow drain, a backed up drain, strange gurgling sounds emanating from a drain or unexplained wet spots on the lawn along the path of a drainage pipe, no one wants to deal with a messy drainage debacle.

However, if you are experiencing one of those problems, here are some steps to try in order to get to the bottom of it:

  1. Explore the extent of the problem. If it is just your kitchen sink that runs slowly or backs up, then you know it is localized, but if  all your toilets are backing up, then that is probably a different kind of problem.
  2. If there is just one offending drain — as in the kitchen sink example — flush it with boiling water and/or white vinegar. If necessary, you can also try a commercial drain clearing product.
  3. With a more general plumbing problem, it helps to determine the route along which the water is draining. See if you can figure out where the drain pipes run through your home, which can help you determine if the problem is somewhere along the drainage line.

Wasted Water

Has your water bill gone through the roof lately? This could be due to wasted water that you don’t even know about. Below are some  causes of wasted water and how to determine them.

  1. Dripping faucet or running toilet. This can be pretty obvious because they make noise, so listen up! Especially pay attention if the toilet runs sporadically at unexpected times.
  2. A leaky pipe. This culprit is trickier, so look for signs of water along your base boards, on the floor near plumbing fixtures and underneath sinks.
  3. If you still can’t find the culprit, check your water meter and note the reading. Then check it again in an hour to see how much was used. This piece of information can at lease clue you in to the extent of the problem.

These techniques aren’t foolproof and won’t help you determine 100% of problems, so don’t be afraid to call Boulden Plumbing!

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Middletown Plumbing Question: What Causes Discolored Water?

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

Water discoloration can be troubling, because it makes it seem like your Middletown home’s water is unclean. While sometimes discolored water can be cause for concern, other times it has pretty mundane origins.

Check out these common causes of discolored water:

  • Yellow/brown/reddish water is usually caused by rust, either in the water mains that run from the waiter supply or the pipes in your home. If the water is only discolored momentarily when you first turn the water on, it is probably rust in your pipes that gets flushed out quickly. If it persists longer, it may be rust that was stirred up in the water mains. Turn a few of your cold taps on for several minutes, or just turn the tap off and wait about thirty minutes.
  • Water that appears white or cloudy often does so because of trapped air bubbles. Air that is under pressure in your pipes gets released when you turn the tap on, which causes tiny bubbles, just like in a bottle of soda. This has no effect on your water’s quality. The discoloration should dissipate after standing for a few minutes.
  • Sometimes water appears to have a greenish hue, especially when standing under fluorescent light. This is sometimes due to tiny copper traces from the piping in your home, or — depending on the climate — seasonal algae blooms in the local water supply. Either way, this green color is usually harmless.
  • Blue water can occur for a few reasons. One is severe copper corrosion in the plumbing system, which leeches into the pipes. A second cause can be toilet cleaner. If you use a cleaning product in your toilet tank, sometimes that can cause your tap water to turn blue. If you suspect this is the case, do  not drink that water and immediately call a local professional. The chemicals in such cleaners can be toxic and hazardous to your health.

Keep in mind that those are some of the most common causes of discolored water. There can be others, and if you are unsure, you should have the situation checked out by the professionals at Boulden Plumbing.

 

 

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