Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Plumbing’ Category

How Backflow Preventers Protect Your Water Supply

Wednesday, August 20th, 2014

When you turn on a tap in your home, you should see the clear, clean water you rely on for cooking, showering, or cleaning. Access to clean water is expected by most homeowners in Apopka, so we tend not to think much about the quality of our water when we turn on a faucet. However, it’s important to know that your water supply may be at risk for contamination at any time, particularly if a backflow prevention device is not in place or is not tested regularly.

Your water supply is kept at a high pressure so that water can easily flow out of any tap in your home. The sewage system, however, is not pressurized, relying instead on gravity to remove waste from the home. If anything happens to increase the pressure of the exit drain or to decrease the pressure of the water supply, backflow may occur.

Backflow can be defined as the unwanted reversal of flow causing non-potable, or unsafe, water and other substances to enter the water supply. Backflow occurs when the pressure of the non-potable system is higher than the pressure of the potable water. This may happen for any number of reasons including a breach in the mater main or a sewer line blockage.

The best way to protect your water supply from contamination is with a backflow prevention device. Backflow preventers provide an air gap or physical barriers that prevent wastewater from polluting the freshwater. Although there are multiple types of backflow preventers, they generally prevent backflow with check valves that only allow the wastewater to flow in one direction.

Many homes already have backflow prevention devices installed, but these should be tested regularly to check for worn out parts and to prevent sudden failure. Any source of contamination puts your health at risk, so you should allow a plumbing professional to inspect and test this portion of your system during an annual plumbing maintenance visit.

Don’t put the quality of your water supply at risk. For maintenance, questions, or to install a backflow prevention device in Apopka, call on the professionals at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI).

Tags: Apopka, Backflow Prevention
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How Hard Water Can Lead to Pipe Replacement in Sanford

Wednesday, August 13th, 2014

Have you noticed a metallic taste to the water from your taps? Is it difficult to work up a lather of soap in the bathroom or kitchen? Have you noticed flaky white deposits along fixtures like sinks and bathtubs?

You probably have hard water in your home.

Now don’t panic…hard water is rarely detrimental for your health. However, it can lead to problems with your plumbing, causing damage to appliances and reducing the volume in pipes. It’s not uncommon for hard water to lead to a need for pipe replacement in Sanford, FL.

Fortunately, you have Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) on your side: we can handle all the plumbing repairs necessary to combat the effects of hard water. And we can eliminate hard water as well with the installation of a whole-house water treatment system. Call us today for help combating problems from hard water.

What is “Hard Water” Exactly?

“Hard water” is water that enters your home from the municipal system that has a high concentration of minerals suspended in it. The most common minerals are magnesium, gypsum, and calcium. It isn’t harmful to drink, although you will notice the taste of the minerals, and it makes it more difficult to develop soap lather.

Why is Hard Water a Problem for My Pipes?

The main trouble from hard water is that it leaves mineral deposits along the inside of plumbing. Imagine the flaky yellow-white material you find on your fixtures building up along the inside of the pipes. That’s what will happen over time due to hard water. As the calcium deposits accumulate, they will reduce the water volume inside the pipe, which will cause a spike in water pressure. If the water pressure rises high enough, it will cause pipes to begin leaking and require replacement.

Is There a Way to Prevent Hard Water?

Yes: a whole-house water softener. These water treatment systems attach onto your water main and add sodium ions to the hard water that enters your home from the municipal system. The sodium ions counteract the minerals in hard water and balance them out. You’ll have “softer” water, noticeably better tasting and no danger to your plumbing. Installing a water softener requires the work of a professional plumber.

If you need to have pipe replacement in Sanford, FL because of hard water deposits, take a serious look into installing a water softener. You can expect more plumbing repairs in the future if you allow the hard water to continue.

Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) offers a variety of whole-house water treatment systems to make sure you have water entering your home that is healthy for both your pipes and you.

Tags: Pipe Replacement, Sanford
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Why You Need Backflow Prevention in Longwood, FL

Wednesday, July 30th, 2014

When you turn on a tap in your house, you expect to see clear, clean water come from the faucet. The idea that the wastewater in your sewage system might contaminate this freshwater is awful thought…but it’s something that could occur without the protection of a backflow preventer on the plumbing for your home.

Your home may or may not already have backflow prevention on its plumbing. If you are unsure, contact a professional plumber. The plumber can recommend that right installation of a backflow preventer if you don’t have one. If you already have one, the plumber will perform tests on it to see if it needs repair work. Keep in mind that not all plumbing contractors are certified in backflow prevention and repair, so make certain that you a company like Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) that has a staff with the right certification for backflow prevention in Longwood, FL.

The Importance of Backflow Prevention

The fresh water that comes into your home through the municipal system is pressurized; that way, when you open up a tap, the water immediately comes out. The sewage system, on the other hand, relies on gravity and ventilation to remove wastewater from your home. If the pressure should change on either side—loss of pressure for the fresh water, increase in pressure for the wastewater—it will result in sewage pushing up the wrong direction and forcing into the firewater pipes.

This imbalance can occur for a number of reasons. Loss of water pressure can occur because of problems in the municipal water supply or due to an abrupt drain due to a water main breach. The influx of wastewater due to the drop in pressure on the supply side is known as back siphonage. The reverse can occur because of sewer line blockage or sewer system issues, and the result is known as backpressure.

In either case, you can have seriously contaminated drinking, bathing, and cooking water, leading to major health troubles. A backflow preventer placed onto the plumbing uses a check valve to stop the wastewater from entering into the freshwater. The valve permits the wastewater in the sewage lines to move only one direction.

A backflow preventer must be professionally installed to make sure that it fits your plumbing needs. It also requires regular maintenance, which you can have done as part of annual plumbing maintenance, to make certain the important mechanical parts are not wearing down and allowing wastewater to move two directions.

To find certified inspectors for backflow prevention or other plumbing services in Longwood, FL, call on Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI). Since 1975, we’ve helped central Florida homes keep their water clean and their plumbing healthy.

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Watch for These Warning Signs You Need Pipe Replacement

Friday, June 27th, 2014

The plumbing system of a home is designed to handle a great deal of stress as it brings water into the house and removes waste from it. But no matter how hardy the pipes in a home are, sometimes they will wear down and sustain damage that will require professional plumbers replace them. In cases of older homes, a whole-house pipe replacement is often necessary.

Here are a few signs to watch for that can indicate you need pipe replacement in Orlando, FL, either whole-house or targeted. Call the professionals at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) right away to arrange the work. You can trust our experience: we’ve served central Florida since 1975.

Warnings You May Need Pipe Replacement

Water discoloration: Corrosion and rust are the last things you want to occur in your plumbing. These are rarely issues that affect modern plumbing systems made from copper and plastic pipes. But for older homes built pre-1970 that have galvanized steel pipes, it can be a major dilemma. When reddish discoloration starts to come from your faucets (and it isn’t immediately after a long absence from home), it’s a major warning sign that corrosion has taken hold in your plumbing and you need to replace all of the aging steel pipes.
Loss of water pressure: When water pressure coming from your faucets and shower heads starts to drop, it could mean there is a serious problem somewhere in your plumbing that will require extensive pipe replacement. It might even be an issue in the water main—a serious problem that needs immediate attention to replace the pipe.
Leaks: Leaking is one of the major warning signs of plumbing trouble, but they are often difficult to detect. When you notice damp spots on walls, warped floorboards, and a rise in water bills, you may have leaks. Although some leaks can be solved with sealing, in other cases you will need to have the pipe replaced. And when these leaks start to become constant, leading to huge spikes in your water bills, you should have complete pipe replacement.
Bitter-tasting water: A sudden change in the taste of your water toward a bitter, metallic taint could come from the municipal system—but it also might come from deterioration in the plumbing that will need pipe replacement to solve. (Whatever is causing it, you’ll need plumbers for the work.)

Pipe replacement is a large task, and it needs plumbers with the right experience and skill. Call Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) when you think you need pipe replacement or any other plumbing service for your home in Orlando, FL. We offer a full range of plumbing services that will take care of all your worries. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment with us.

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Stages of Pipe Replacement in Winter Park

Friday, June 13th, 2014

Replacing worn and damaged piping in a home is a task that professional plumbers do often. Even newer homes sometimes will need to have faulty pipes replaced. Whether you need a few parts of your plumbing updated, or if you live in an older home that needs a full replacement of old galvanized steel pipes, make sure that you neither attempt the work yourself nor entrust it to amateurs. Call on experts like the team at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) for pipe replacement in Winter Park, FL.

Although replacing pipes often involves excavating through building material in walls and floors, with top plumbers on the job, you can expect the work to move fast and leave few signs that the replacement experts were even there.

The Stages of Pipe Replacement From Professionals

Water shut-off: The plumbers will need to shut off a home’s water in order to work; they will arrange it so this shut-off period lasts for as short a time as possible. For extensive pipe replacement jobs (a whole-house repiping can take 3–5 days), they will do the job so that the water can be restored at the end of each work day so you will not have to go without water for an extended period.
Locating the pipes: The plumbers find the pipes they will be replacing, using sound equipment to pinpoint the location through wood or drywall.
Excavation: Now the plumbers make small cuts into the building material framing the pipe section that they will remove. The excavation here is performed careful and done with an eye toward replacing the material later with as little indication that any work was done. For pipes in the floors, the plumbers will—if at all possible—go through the ceiling to reach the pipes from below and leave the flooring undisturbed.
Replace the pipes: The plumbers will already have decided what type of material they will use as a substitute for the older pipe: copper, PEX, CPVC. They will detach the old pipe and put in the replacement.
Restoration and resurfacing: The plumbers put back any removed building material to hide the pipe, then take care of patching and re-texturing, making every effort to satisfy you with the final result.

Don’t Hesitate About Necessary Repiping

We hope the description above reassures you that professional repiping isn’t a disruptive or damaging job. If you are dealing with serious leaking issues, loss of water pressure, high water bills, and other plumbing ailments on a regular basis, you should give repiping serious consideration.

Call Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) and schedule an appointment for professional pipe replacement or other plumbing services in Winter Park, FL. With our nearly 40 years of experience, you can trust us to perform the job fast and with as little interruption to your life as possible.

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3 Ways to Detect a Plumbing Leak

Friday, June 6th, 2014

Pipe leaks in a home are rarely out in the open. Instead, they start to build hidden behind walls and ceilings, or in rooms you rarely enter. You may pick up the signs of leaks when you see a spike in your water bills, notice wet spots on the walls, see mildew growth, or notice a rise in humidity. But you have little chance of locating exactly where you need to do repair work.

That’s why you need professional plumbing service in Altamonte Springs, FL to take care of leak detection. With a skilled plumber with the right tools, you will have the minimum amount of damage done to your home to reach the leaky pipes.

Here are 3 ways that our team at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) handles the detection of hidden leaks so we can quickly repair them.

3 Leak Detection Methods

Visual inspection: Experienced plumbers have an eye for the many signs of leaks that untrained observers will never pick up. Plumbers will look for tiny warping signs, spots of discoloration, misaligned floorboards, and bulges in wallpaper. Finding dripping water may seem like an easy sign for anyone to discover, but it takes a trained plumber to deduce exactly where the leak is located behind construction material.
Sound sensors: Listening devices are one of the key tools that plumbers use when they search for leaks, especially slab leaks that are located under concrete layers. The sensitive listening devices can hear the drip and escape of water through all kinds of surfaces, and this will give a plumber a solid idea of where to narrow the search and repair efforts.
Infrared thermography: This high-tech method of detecting leaks uses an infrared imaging camera that the technician scans over the area of the suspected leak. The imagery that shows up on the monitor will point to small temperature differences that show where a pipe interior is exposed to outdoor air. Interpreting the results is a task that requires special training: the camera imaging isn’t enough to locate the leaks. A trained plumber will almost always find the leaks with pinpoint accuracy.

Unless you can see the leaking pipe right in front of you, you will need a plumber versed in leak detection and armed with the right tools to handle this job. You don’t want to risk having unnecessary damage done to your home in a misguided and inaccurate attempt to find a single leak. Instead, call for plumbing service in Altamonte Springs, FL by the experts at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) today: we have 24-hour emergency service for your peace of mind, and we can handle whatever repairs your pipes need. Contact us today to schedule your next service.

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3 Common Repairs for Toilets

Friday, May 30th, 2014

The toilets in your home are functional and essential items for everyday living. Thankfully, modern designs make them durable and rarely prone to repair needs. But no appliance is 100% repair-free, and aside from standard clogs, your toilet may experience a number of problems that will call for a trained and licensed plumber to remedy them. Here are three of the more common repairs that a toilet might need and which a quality plumber can handle for you.

Chances are that when you need repairs for your toilet, you will need them fast! Make the call to Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI), where we have 24-hour emergency services for plumbing repair in Orlando, FL. We’ve kept Central Florida’s plumbing working its best since 1975.

3 repairs for toilets that plumbers often handle

Replacing the flapper in the tank: If a toilet starts to run continually, cycling water through the tank and the bowl without stop, it will waste an enormous amount of water and must to be repaired right away. The likely trouble is a deteriorating flapper inside the tank; the flapper is designed to seal the bottom of the tank after filling the bowl, but if the rubber decays, nothing will stop the water from running into the bowl continuously. A plumber can replace the worn flap.
Resealing the toilet to the floor: Any sign of leaking from the bowl, especially around the base of the toilet, is reason to call for repairs immediately. (Not only is the toilet in trouble, the leaking can seriously damage your floor). One possible reason for this leaking is the loss of the wax sealing ring under the toilet where it is secured to the bathroom floor. A plumber will need to loosen and pry the toilet from the floor and replace this important wax ring, then re-attach and re-seal the toilet to the floor and make certain there are no more leaks.
Replacing tank-to-bowl bolts and gaskets: One common reason for leaking between the bowl and the tank are loose or decaying gaskets. To fix this problem, the plumber must first remove the toilet tank from the bowl and replace the washers and sponge gaskets necessary to create the appropriate seal between the two sections. When the two sections are restored, you should no longer have problems from leaking.

Beware self-repairs!

People often try to fiddle around with parts in the tank of a toilet with little idea what they are doing. Please avoid DIY repair attempts like this! There is a chance of creating a worse leak and a larger repair. Trust to the work of professional plumbers to handle any repair trouble that comes your way.

You won’t have to wait long for repairs when you go with Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI). Our excellent staff is ready any time of the day or night to bring you the necessary plumbing service in Orlando, FL that can fix any issue in your bathroom, kitchen, or elsewhere in your home. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment.

Tags: Orlando, Plumbing Repair
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Modern Tools to Perform Pipe Replacement

Friday, May 16th, 2014

Pipe replacement can be a tricky business, especially if the pipes are underground or in some similarly inconvenient place. In the old days, a leaky underground pipe meant major expenses, as the plumber first had to excavate the problem area, then replace the pipe and cover it all up again. Besides the added expense or workers and construction equipment, it often played merry hell with the home owner’s yard. But these days, things have changed. There are modern tools to perform pipe replacement, and in towns like Lake Mary, pipe replacement becomes both faster and easier as a result.

Detection is often easier these days thanks to sonic detectors and similar devices which can pinpoint the source of a leak. All leaks make noise, even if those noises are beyond our ability to hear. A sonic detection device allows the plumber to pinpoint the source of the leak, rather than performing a general excavation simply to discover where the problem lies. Similarly, video camera inspection can be used to examine the pipes from the inside, letting the plumber determine the exact nature of the problem.

In some cases, excavation tools can still be used if the project is large enough. But more common is the sight of trenchless technology such as inflatable materials which can be run through the pipe, then sealed against the leak. Metal heads can also be sent through the pipe to break it up it it’s too damaged to just repair, allowing a new pipe to be placed quickly.

But while there are plenty of modern tools to perform pipe replacement, you still need a trained plumber to do the job right. Pipe replacement and other plumbing services in Lake Mary don’t get more reliable than the experts at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI). We understand that pipe replacement can be a significant undertaking, especially when it comes to the sewer line or water main. Our trained experts know how to do the job right the first time, every time, and we won’t rest until you are completely satisfied. Give us a call today and let us show you what we can do!

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Why You Need Drain Vent Repair

Friday, May 2nd, 2014

Since most homeowners are unfamiliar with the workings of the plumbing in their house, they are often unaware that their drains require vents to work properly. The vents inside drains serve two important functions: First, they help equalize pressure throughout the plumbing. Second, they allow an escape for sewer gas that might otherwise enter your home through the drains, even pushing up through the water plugs in the p-traps.

Like all parts of your plumbing, drain vents need to remain in good repair. When you encounter problems with slow drains or noxious odors from your sinks, call for plumbing service in Apopka, FL to look into the issue and discover if the trouble lies with blocked or damaged drain vents. You can entrust this work to the plumbers at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI), where we have almost four decades of plumbing repair experience in the surrounding central Florida area.

Drain Vent Repairs

The plumbing vents exit your home through outlets on your roof. (This is one of the reasons repairs should remain in the hands of professionals: don’t risk your safety by climbing onto your roof to attempt amateur work on drainpipes.) These vent pipes can sometimes become blocked due to extreme weather condition or debris, and this will result in pressure changes inside your plumbing. Air will no longer be able to enter the drains, and this will slow down the drains or completely block them. If you find that a basic plunger will not clear out a drain clog, you may have blocked vent pipes.

The escape of sewer gas from your drains is a more serious consequence of blocked vents. The water inside a p-trap (the curved section of pipe beneath a sink) is usually an effective plug against sewer gas coming up through a drain. But the pressure from blocked vents will force the sewer gas up through the plug. A bubbling, gurgling sound accompanies this, so if you hear this noise along with the unpleasant odors, you probably have vent blockage and must call for a plumber.

When plumbers detect that drain vent blockage is the source of the problem, they will access the roof of your house, inspect the vent pipes, remove any obvious surface blockage, and then use water-jetting and drain snakes to clear out deeper clogging. If the vent pipes have sustained damage (a possibility after a storm, or even a poor roofing job), the plumber may need to replace them.

In Apopka, FL, plumbing professionals at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) can diagnose your drain problems and fix them, no matter the cause. Call us any time of the day or night for service.

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What to Do When You Experience a Breach in Your Plumbing

Monday, April 7th, 2014

A break in your home’s plumbing can quickly turn into a serious problem. You can have pipe breaches inside your home, or along the water main, or in the sewer line. Regardless of where it occurs, it’s a major repair issue that needs to be fixed immediately with work from professional plumbers.

Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) has 24-hour emergency service for your needs for plumbing repair in Orlando, FL. And believe us: a plumbing breach counts as an emergency. Don’t hesitate to call us when you experience a major pipe break in your home.

What you should do about a plumbing breach

Although a break along the pipes in your home’s plumbing can appear frightening, do not panic yet: there’s help available and you can take a few steps yourself to reduce the damage.

If the breach occurs in the water lines that are bringing fresh water into your home, you need to shut off the water mains to prevent the gushing water from continuing to pump through the pipes. Make sure you know where your home’s water main shut off valve is as a precaution. For houses in a warm climate like that in Orlando where pipes are not in danger of freezing, this shut off valve is usually located outside the house. If you aren’t sure of the location of the shut off valve, contact a plumber to assist you with locating it so you’re ready in case of an emergency. If you are experiencing a large volume of water flooding into your home, you should also switch off the electricity to prevent high voltage shocks.

Now call for emergency repairs; don’t try to fix the problem yourself, as you could end up making it worse. While you wait for repairs to arrive, move away any valuables that might receive water damage from the breached pipe.

For breaches in sewer lines, you might not immediately notice the trouble the same way you would with a water main break or a break inside your house. Sewer line trouble will appear as soggy, foul-smelling leaks on the lawn, odors from the drains, and constant drain clogging. Eventually, sewage will start flooding into your basement or home foundations, but hopefully you will have already called for professionals to excavate and repair the problem. Sewer breaks are major jobs that require extensive digging work, so make sure you have experts on the job immediately.

Rely on skilled plumbers

As frightening as a plumbing breach can be, moving fast to shut off the water and summon plumbing professionals should prevent extensive harm to your home. Resist the urge to fix the break yourself and instead call for Orlando, FL plumbing repair service from the trained technicians at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI). We’re here to help, any time of the day or night.

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