We Can Help You Prevent Emergency Plumbing Calls
If you’re a new Minneapolis, MN homeowner or just lucky enough to avoid plumbing problems, the subject of plumbing-related disasters might not be compelling to you. That’s ok, plumbing is supposed to just function quietly and efficiently in the background. But when it doesn’t look out! Wet carpets, smelly basements, pipes bursting in the wall, and backhoes digging up your yard are just a few of the disasters you could encounter. We want you to enjoy your home peacefully, so in addition to being on-call for plumbing service emergencies, we offer these tips on how to stay ahead of plumbing problems.
Drains
We often meet new customers on a drain plumbing service call. There’s something particularly urgent about clogged and backing up drains, and customers appreciate how quickly we get to work with care and consideration. Occasionally we get customers who call for preventive service and inspection, and we do appreciate that. They may have noticed that the sink or toilet was slower, or the shower has had standing water for a while. Getting us out to your house for those issues prevents emergencies much of the time.
Other Under-Sink Issues
Under the sink should be dry, but often it’s not. There a small leak in the sink drain pipe joint, or a drip coming down from the faucet above. This may not lead to disaster, but it can make a mess of anything you’ve stored under there and create unhealthy dampness. Our plumbing service can make quick work of it.
Shutoff Valves
This is especially common in older homes: missing shutoff valves that make it necessary to turn off the whole house’s water when repairs are needed. It also means that if your toilet is overflowing or your sink valve handle breaks off, you don’t have a quick way to shut off the water right there. If you know where your main shutoff is, you can hustle down there and take care of it, then call us for plumbing service. We’re also glad to come and install a shutoff valve on the sink or toilet, and show you where that whole-house valve is while we’re there.
Valve and Faucet Maintenance
When you keep having to turn harder on your faucet handle to stop a persistent slow drip, in the back of your mind you know that’s not a good thing. Eventually, that pushing is going to cause damage. This problem more frequently happens on the hot water valve, but either one can need plumbing service and it’s usually just a simple matter of opening the valve up and repacking it with new material. If you have other issues with the handles, faucet screen, or the plumbing leading to the faucets, let’s get it done.
Leaks
Dark stains, damp spots on your wall, floor, or ceiling which may also be crumbling, and other signs of water that shouldn’t be there are excellent reasons to call for plumbing service. Standing water in your yard when it hasn’t rained is another clue. In all these cases and many more, we can now identify leaks using technology and give you a chance to avoid further damage and mold accumulation in your home from long-term water damage. When the source is obvious, such as a loose pipe joint, let us come and fix it right — it often needs a bit more than just tightening, but we’ll only do what’s necessary.
Rusted or Decayed Piping
If you have an older house or a well with hard water, chances are some of your pipes are not as sturdy as they once were. There can be other causes, and we’re glad to provide a plumbing service inspection and let you know the state of your home’s plumbing. It’s not uncommon for us to find that a drain pipe under the sink or bathtub has been worn away and is about to let go — there’s an emergency call we’re more than happy to avoid.
Piping Material Issues
Lead pipes and other plumbing materials in your home that have fallen out of favor should be addressed. If we notice them while attending to a plumbing service call we’ll let you know, but if you have specific concerns such as an older house or your neighbors mentioning that their house needed pipe replacement, let us come and perform an inspection. You may benefit from improved water quality from new piping in addition to avoiding any flow or durability problems.
Sewer Line Concerns
Your sewer line has many different cries for help and a few situations that may not even be noticeable. From partial obstructions and backups to broken pipes under your yard and tree root intrusions, many situations can gradually produce symptoms. You may notice basement drains backing up for no apparent reason, sinks and toilets on lower levels likewise filling and overflowing with water or worse, sewage, odd smells in your basement, and even aggressively spurting plumbing fixtures. Our plumbing service has technology on our side. We can use video to look for problems in addition to our extensive expertise in this area. It’s especially helpful if we can tend to any issues during the warmer months — no one wants to deal with sewer pipes in the cold of winter with frozen ground.
Outdoor and Unheated Lines and Valves
Let’s work together to avoid frozen pipes because, as you can imagine, when the temperature drops low in Minneapolis, MN plumbers are swamped with calls to unfreeze and repair pipes. We can identify risks and make changes to your plumbing that will help you get through our harsh winters without getting nervous every time the media say there’s going to be a hard freeze tonight.
Your 24-Hour Emergency Plumbing Service and General Plumber — Call Us!
We’re Paul Bunyan Plumbing & Drains, serving the Minneapolis, MN area with experienced preventive and emergency plumbing. Call us at 952-209-9330.
