Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Maitland’

Do I Really Need Whole-House Pipe Replacement?

Tuesday, January 13th, 2015

Whole-house pipe replacement is a very big job, and not something that is done lightly. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s necessary. The water pipes in your home are not really installed with the intention of you having to replace them at some point. In fact, water pipes are specifically designed to withstand a lifetime or two of water flow. Nothing is perfect, however, and if you do need whole-house pipe replacement then something has gone seriously wrong. Let’s examine some of the things that can provoke a whole-house pipe replacement.

Older or Harmful Pipes

Modern plumbing pipes are almost entirely made of copper, which is highly resistant to corrosion by water. Copper piping can last up to 100 years or more, assuming normal use and nothing catastrophic happens. In the early-to-mid twentieth century, however, pipes were often made of iron or lead. Iron can still last a long time, though it rusts more easily. Lead, on the other hand, tends to leech into the water that runs through the pipes. This is extremely bad for you. If you find out that any of the piping in your home is lead, replace it immediately. Polybutylene (plastic) pipes were also used in the late twentieth century, but proved far too brittle to be effective. If your house has plastic pipes, you should probably have them replaced before they rupture.

Visible Signs of Corrosion

If you live in an older house, around 50 years or older, you should make a habit of checking all the visible pipes in your home at least once a year. If you notice leaks, rust, or any other signs of corrosion, you may have a problem. The pipes in most homes tend to be uniform in material, unless a section of them has already been replaced. That means that if you find corrosion in one part of your pipe network, there’s a good chance that it is elsewhere as well. You’ll need to call a plumber to make sure, however.

If you’re worried about the water pipes in your home, call Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) and schedule an appointment with us. We provide quality pipe replacement services throughout the Maitland area.

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How Does a Tankless Water Heater Work?

Thursday, August 7th, 2014

The development and spread of tankless water heaters has given homeowners the advantage of always having enough hot water to meet their needs. Where the standard storage water heater keeps a standby tank of water ready for use that can run out before more water can heated up, a tankless system is an “on-demand” water heater that heats up water as it is needed, and therefore has no supply that can run out. Tankless systems also use less energy and will pay for their installation after a couple of years.

Despite all their advantages, tankless water heaters will not work ideally for all household. Call the Maitland, FL water heater experts at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) to schedule an appointment to learn more about how well one of these advanced home comfort system will work for you.

The Operation of a Tankless Water Heater

People often initially find the concept of a water heater without a tank to be strange and hard to understand. But tankless water heaters are not terribly complicated.

The basics of a tankless system is a heat exchanger that transfers heat from a power source (either electric or gas) to the water in the pipes. The exchanger in the tankless water heater turns on whenever water starts to flow through the heater. A whole-house tankless water heater is connected onto the water main, so all water entering the home must pass through the system. Whenever your turn on a hot water tap, water begins to flow and the heat exchanger comes on, heating up the water as you need it.

There is one drawback to this, which you might have noticed from the description: there is a delay between the when the water receives heat from the heat exchanger and when it reaches the tap. For larger houses, the lag can be greater for a tankless water heater than it would be for a standard storage system.

Tankless systems are also available in point-of-use models, smaller units that attach to individual taps. They have little lag time, and in some cases are more cost-effective.

Tankless water heaters need professional installation. When you call up the experts at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI), we will help you determine if a tankless water heater in Maitland, FL, whether whole-house or point-of-use, is a good choice for you based on your hot water needs, the number of people in your home, and your budget plans. We will also assist with selecting the best power source for the system, and then install it so you will receive a steady supply of hot water to keep you and your family comfortable for many years.

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How Plumbing Repairs Save You Money in Orlando

Monday, July 30th, 2012

Because there are so many types of plumbing repairs which could spring up unexpectedly, there are a number of variables which can affect the cost of fixing the problem.  However, one of the most important things to remember when dealing with a plumbing problem is to hire a licensed plumbing company in Orlando, such as Modern Plumbing Industries. Our skilled plumbers will perform your plumbing repairs in a professional manner and at a reasonable price point, and it is always less expensive when the problem is fixed the first time.

Save Money by Using Common Sense

Much of the time when plumbing problems occur small things over time have compounded to become one big issue which results in the need for plumbing repair.  By making certain that you are taking proper care of your pipes you can prevent plumbing issues altogether or at least keep your plumbing up and running until that next plumbing maintenance check.  Use drain screens to prevent everyday objects, jewelry, hair, and excesses of soaps and toothpaste from going down drain.  Pour hot water down drains to clear out the normal daily soap-scum buildup which occurs.

Save Money with Plumbing Maintenance

Ensuring proper plumbing maintenance is performed will mean fewer emergency plumbing repairs, which means less out of pocket to pay for them.  This includes having a professional plumber such as ours come in annually to perform a full plumbing maintenance inspection to identify and fix small problems that would have only grown and cost you more in plumbing repairs.

Save Money on Taxes

Some plumbing repairs will be tax-deductible at the end of the year especially if it affects how much your home is worth, such as replacing old pipes with copper pipes.  If you have a home office, plumbing repairs in that section should be tax deducted for business expenses.  And also if the plumbing repair is quite major and is energy-related for more energy-efficiency.

Save Money with the Right Plumbing Company in Orlando Florida

Modern Plumbing Industries is a plumbing company in Orlando that provides quality plumbing repair and plumbing system maintenance programs to our valued customers.  Allow our experienced plumbing technicians to perform your plumbing repairs and plumbing maintenance in an efficient and professional manner.  Contact Modern Plumbing Industries for all your Orlando plumbing system needs.

 

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Plumbing Question: What Are Individual Shut Off Valves and Why Do You Need Them?

Monday, June 11th, 2012

If you have ever done a small repair or replacement job on a plumbing fixture in your Orlando home – say, changing a spent washer or putting a new tap in the kitchen sink – you know that shutting off the water supply can be a bother. It usually requires shutting off the valve at the main water supply, leaving the whole house without water until the job is done.

In addition to the main water shut off valve connected to the water supply line, many newer houses also have individual shut off valves throughout the plumbing system. These valves are attached to the hot and cold water lines of each fixture – sink, tub, shower, washing machine – so that you can turn off the supply to just one or a few at a time, leaving the water supply everywhere else intact. That leaves you free to finish up that repair job without disrupting the rest of the family’s routine, even if you have to run to the hardware store for a part right in the middle of everything.

It’s also good in situations where you need to shut off the water until a repair can be done, like if you have a running toilet.

It’s easy to see if you have individual shut off valves in your home. Just look under the sinks at the supply lines. If you see a little valve attached to each of the two lines – one for cold water, one for hot – those are the individual shut offs. If you don’t have them, it’s probably because your home is a little older, built before these newer valves became standard equipment, or maybe the builder just opted not to include them.

If you do live in a home without individual shut off valves, you can still have them installed pretty quickly and easily. The benefits of being able to do simple repairs without losing water to the whole house make it a worthwhile bit of work to have done, especially if you are doing some remodeling anyway. If you need any more information about plumbing installation or repair, give your local Orlando plumber Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. a call today!

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