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Spring 2020 Plumbing Checklist

Call Mark a call today at (651) 295-5417 for all your plumbing needs.

Spring is finally here! Do you know what that means? It means we get to shake off all the ice, snow, and moisture surrounding your household plumbing. Focus Plumbing Services, LLC would like to help you get jump-started by giving you 5 Easy Steps that will help reduce potential damage to your home from plumbing problems. Check it out!

Steps so simple, you can do it all in one day!

Check for Leaks

  • Check your plumbing-heavy rooms, like bathrooms, laundry rooms or kitchens, for cracks and leaks. Make sure there aren’t any leaks.

Check for Proper Functionality

  • Check your toilets and levers, drains and plugs, and showerheads to make sure they’re functioning properly and not clogged. If you have to hold down or wiggle levers, you might need to tighten or replace them. Call Focus Plumbing Services, LLC to assist in your replacements!

Check Appliances

  • Water heaters are one of the most important appliances in your own. Make sure its settings are set to 120 degrees to prevent scalding and reduce energy costs. Water heaters need to be flushed periodically to remove any sediment that could be causing blockage or corrosion and any corresponding loss of efficiency.
  • Supply hoses to your appliances that are 10 years old or more should be replaced. Stainless steel options are reliable! Call Focus Plumbing Services, LLC to replaces your hoses!

Check Outdoor Pipes/Drains

  • Go through your yard and check the drains, gutters, downspouts, vent pipes, sprinklers, etc. and make sure the water is running properly. If there are leaks or faucet drips, it’s time to have your piping examined professionally! Call Focus Plumbing Services, LLC to have our team go through your checkup and replacements!

Call Focus Plumbing Services

  • Running into other issues? Call Mark a call today at (651) 295-5417 for all your plumbing needs! We pride ourselves on our quality work. We’ll walk through the repairs with you!

Bathroom Sink Repair – Part 2: Proper Cleaning

Cleaning your sink can be one of the best, simplest thing you can do for your sink. For Part 2 of the Bathroom Sink Repair series, we want you to know how you can properly clean your sink to maintain your sink’s longevity throughout its prolonged use.

Basin

If you live in an area with mineral-rich water, you want to make sure that you dry your sink after every use, especially if you have a natural stone sink. Sinks of different makes and models have types of cleaning products are more compatible than others. Acid or abrasive cleaners can cause permanent damage to most stone basins. To ensure the longevity of your sink, we suggest regular upkeep!

Sink Stopper

Most sinks have a lever behind the faucet that can be pulled up for the lever system to pull the stopper down and secure it in place. The stopper’s o-ring completes the seal and holds the water from draining. If your stopper does not hold water in your sink, it may be time to replace your sink stopper. Before you begin working on the cleaning or repair, you will want to clear everything out from under your sink so that you have maximum space while performing the work under your sink.

  1. We begin by locating your drainpipe’s retaining nut attached to a horizontal pivot rod. Loosen that nut and remove the horizontal pivot rod.
  2. At the opposite end of the horizontal pivot, you will find the clevis, which you will see is a vertical bar with holes in it. Mark the rod where the vertical bar connects to the clevis with a permanent marker. You will also want to mark where the clevis screw connects to the stopper rod.
  3. Loosen and remove the screw to remove the clevis and soak both the clevis and horizontal pivot rod in a mild cleaning solution (or vinegar).
  4. Next, lift the stopper out of the basin and inspect the o-ring located beneath the stopper head. If you see that the o-ring is brittle or cracked, it will need to be replaced. Have the stopper rinsed and cleaned with a mild cleaning solution.
  5. Once the parts have been cleaned and/or replaced, reattach the clevis to the stopper rod. Be sure to tighten the clevis screw

Rusty or Sticky Faucets

Rusty or sticky faucets can be easily fixed with a quick replacement. Depending on your taste or style, replacements can range from $10 to $1,500+. Already have one picked out? Call Mark today to help you install your new faucet!

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Bathroom Sink Repair Guide – Part 1: Basin Check

Basin sinks typically last for decades if maintained properly. Just like anything that requires occasional use, sinks require attention too. With occasional checkups and quick DIY improvements, a repair to your sink is worth the time invested (usually; depending on your needs), though occasionally you may have to hire a professional.

In a series of posts, Focus Plumbing Services, LLC. wants to make sure you know what to look for when you check up on your sink. Today, we will go through your basin check.

Focus Plumbing Services, LLC. - Bathroom Sink Repair Guide - Part 1

Basin Check

A damaged basin can cause issues in your sink’s ability to hold water but having chipped stone is easier than having cracked stone. You can use temporary solutions, such as applying epoxy, to seal cracks or repair chipped areas in your sink.

  • For chipped stone, broken pieces can be reattached by washing the broken surface with acetone and using epoxy to reattach the fragments. Some stone surfaces even have filler putty available for small pieces that are missing.
  • For chipped porcelain, there are repair compounds available with your desired color. After applying the mixed compound with a razor blade, you will want to wait for it to dry then smooth the edges with a pad of cotton soaked in nail polish remover.

In the event of a cracked basin, the chances of your sink forming a larger crack are only eminent so you would want to replace your sink as soon as you can. Besides, you wouldn’t want to dampen the appeal of your home with a temporary fix.

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5 Steps to Prepare Your Pipes for the Winter

Winterizing Your Pipes

Winterizing your pipes essentially means taking preventative measures to keep your pipes from freezing water which can cause your pipes to expand and rupture. A pipe burst can potentially cost thousands of dollars in repairs, damaging the structural integrity of your home, and damage to your valuable possessions. Focus Plumbing Services has made a 5 step instructional of preventative measures to help you lower the risk of damage to your home.

Before you begin, you want to locate all the exterior faucets. 

  1. Disconnect Garden Hose
    Water in your garden hose may cause stretching and deterioration of your hose losing causing its product life to shorten. So, when you disconnect your garden hose, remember to also drain the fluid from the hose to prevent more wear and tear.
  2. Close Inside Valve
    Follow the faucet line to its shutoff valve, usually found near the main water shutoff valve or the ceiling of the basement. Fix the lever in its “Off” position.
  3. Drain Inside Valve
    Using the drain plug, unscrew the plug to drain excess fluid from the valve. Be sure to keep a bucket under the drain plug to catch the draining fluid. Keep the drain plug removed as you move onto the next steps.
  4. Open Outside Valve
    You want to make sure to open the valve allowing any remaining water to drain from your pipes. Once the water is done draining, leave the valve in its “on” and install outdoor faucet covers on each outdoor fixture.
  5. Put Back the Drain Plug
    At this point, you should reattach and fasten the drain plug back on the inside valve.

Some Things to Consider

  • Keep your inside valve uncovered. Covering the inside valve causes the warm air around the valve to have poor circulation which can cause the valve and the piping next to your outside wall to freeze and burst, potentially flooding your home.
  • Ask us about frost-free faucets!

For more advice and details on home plumbing, call Mark at (651) 295-5417 to set an appointment!

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