When it comes to plumbing problems, even a little plumbing repair can turn into a big deal. If you're thinking about cutting corners and using one of the many fly-by-night plumbing contractors or maybe your friend's cousin "who knows how to do some plumbing" to fix your problem, you may do well to reconsider and look for a brand name that you can trust. 

Look, we all want a good deal, especially in times like these with a tanking economy and a weak dollar. But it's not just lip service when I use the old saying, "you get what you pay for." There is more to consider when hiring plumbing contractors than just a low price.

Consider a few things that could go wrong. First, does the guy offer a warranty for his plumbing services? Will you be able to find him in six months if that pipe starts leaking again and floods your home? Is Joe Schmo bonded and insured just in case that gas pipe he ran to your water heater leaks and causes a fire or an explosion? Does he hold a plumber's license and will he get the proper local permits required by law?

A customer in Houston recently asked, "After removing the stopper from my kitchen sink when full of water, there is water leaking under the kitchen sink cabinet. Can you help me with this plumbing repair?"

When you have a water leak, you first have to spend time locating the leak. First fill up the sink with water. Remove everything from under the sink and shine a flashlight on the piping located below the sink. Remove the stopper to release the water. You should be able to see where the water is leaking.

Once you find where the water is escaping, disassemble the parts and make the necessary plumbing repair.

This is the best advice to give without physically seeing the issue. The steps listed are the same steps plumbing contractors would use to find the sink leak.

There are a lot of young men and women beginning their senior year of high school this week who aren't sure what they will be doing after graduation next May. Some will go on to college, others will be looking for a career path that will provide them with the best opportunities for advancement, a good income and security for themselves and eventually a growing family. Sadly, in today's job market, there aren't a lot of available jobs that meet those criteria.

I'd like to suggest a career in plumbing to those who like to work with their hands. Plumbers are in short supply, and the rule of supply and demand dictates that a good plumber with skills can command good pay and benefits. Plumbing may not seem as glamorous as some other careers but there are plenty of plumbing contractors looking for qualified plumbers to come to work to satisfy the growing demand for plumbing services. Being in demand is what it's all about.

Each state is different but a journeyman plumber (one with two to ten years of experience at the apprentice level) usually earns between $28-$32 an hour up to $64,000 a year (source: Career World). Even those just starting out in plumbing and drain cleaning can earn around $40,000 with hard work and dedication. Here at Roto-Rooter, we have experienced plumbers earning annual incomes in excess of $100,000 plus strong health benefits. An additional reason for becoming a plumber is that the job is virtually outsource-proof.

A plumber in Philadelphia at our branch office recently brought up the topic of how local plumbing jobs are priced. Some local plumbing companies charge an hourly rate for any plumbing repair. That's great for customers whose plumbing problems are minor and take only an hour or so to complete. But what if your plumber gives you an estimate for a 2-hour repair but then finds more serious plumbing problems once he gets into the job? You could quickly find yourself paying for a high-priced six hour job that you never saw coming.

At Roto-Rooter we use a well-researched flat-rate pricing system that charges a single rate for a specific type of plumbing job no matter if the plumbing repair is finished in twenty minutes or eight hours. The service technician will always provide a written estimate up-front so there are no hidden charges or surprises at the end. If he tells you that the price to replace the heating element on your electric water heater is going to cost $225 then that is the price you will pay for that job no matter how long it takes.

Occasionally, we hear from flustered customers who say something like "sure, he fixed the sump pump perfectly, but it only took him 20 minutes and he charged me $200! I think this is way too much for the time it took him to make the plumbing repair." That is the downside to flat-rate pricing. If our guys are too good or too fast, the customer comes away feeling he was taken. But we maintain that flat-rate pricing is much fairer to the customer than hourly pricing. After all, how can you be sure that an hourly plumber isn't stalling in an effort to pad his bill?

A Salt Lake City customer recently submitted the following sewer cleaning question:

My kitchen sink is backed up and there is standing water on both sides. When I run the dishwasher, water immediately begins to fill up the sink. Please help me with this problem!

These lines notoriously fill with grease, sludge and soap scum until they reduce the internal diameter of the drain and slow the water flow.

If your kitchen sink is still clogged after removing the trap, then you will have to have your branch line cleaned. When snaking the line inside the wall, make sure you are using the proper equipment. When cleaning drains, use cutting blades that are set to the inside diameter of the pipe. So to clear a 2-inch drain, you would need a pair of 2-inch blades.

Plumbing contractors are equipped to handle these types of sewer cleaning jobs. You can buy snaking kits at your local home improvement store, but you may be better off leaving this one one of your local plumbing companies.

I'm often asked how it is that roots get inside underground pipes in the first place. In the case of people under 30, the conversation usually starts with "why is a plumbing services company called 'Roto-Rooter?'

I usually answer by explaining that the company was founded by a man who invented a machine capable of cutting roots out of clogged underground sewer pipes. Then I normally go on to explain how pipes weren't always made of water tight PVC materials and that the old concrete, clay and Orangeburg (a tar paper-like material) had imperfect joints that were not impervious to tiny tree roots in search of water. Over time, these tiny roots grow into thicker tree roots that eventually force pipe joints apart or break them entirely.

You've no doubt seen tree roots displace or uplift a section of concrete sidewalk at one time or another. The same thing happens inside underground pipes, necessitating regular sewer cleaning or more substantial plumbing services such as sewer replacement excavation or trenchless sewer repairs. There are some homes across America that we visit several times each year because roots keep growing back inside pipes. Those pipes eventually leak raw sewage into the ground (an environmental hazard) and allow roots to fill the inside of the pipe. Trust me, your toilets won't flush very well when that happens.

If you are having plumbing issues with your water heater and it is more than 10 to 15 years old, Roto-Rooter recommend you replace it for a newer more energy-efficient model.

The cost for this plumbing repair and time it would take to rebuild the old water heater will probably be the same as replacing it with a new water heater. You also run the risk of the old unit failing within a few years.

Compare your old model to a newer more energy-efficient model. You may be able to conserve more heat and energy to eventually pay for the new water heater.

Also look into a tankless water heater. They do not store hot water and are extremely energy efficient. Learn more about tankless water heaters as provided by the U.S. Department of Energy.

There is only one Roto-Rooter. Yes, there has been lots of confusion over the "rooter" name, which was incorporated in 1935. Ever since the patents on the original Roto-Rooter machine ran out in the 1950s, new companies came on the scene with names very similar to Roto-Rooter. In many cases, these companies intended to confuse prospective customers by leading them to believe they were Roto-Rooter or were somehow associated with Roto-Rooter. After all, the Roto-Rooter name was already synonymous with sewer cleaning and later with plumbing services.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but we've never been very flattered to see the dozens and dozens of imitators who have tried to confuse the public with names that were all too similar to ours. Some of these hucksters had just one letter differentiating their name from ours and the logos looked remarkably similar. The most blatant violators were successfully sued but others persist.

We often hear from dissatisfied customers of other plumbing companies who called us to complain, having honestly thought they had done business with Roto-Rooter when in fact their shoddy plumbing repair had been performed by one of many sound-alike or look-alike local plumbing companies. To remedy the problem, we've created ads and TV commercials urging the public to look closely at advertisements and insist on the one, original Roto-Rooter.

Today I received an email from a lady saying that she had a bad experience with our company 25 years ago and she hasn't thought much of us ever since. She went on to say that she now realizes that it was unreasonable of her to fault an entire company of plumbing contractors because of the actions of a single employee.

Her image of Roto-Rooter recently changed, however, when she became a fan of the Ghost Hunters TV show and saw real life Roto-Rooter service technicians, Jason and Grant, performing actual plumbing services on TV. She said: "It's impressive to me that such a big name company would actively and proudly (through the many mentions of Roto Rooter on the show) support this series. Thank you! And if I ever need plumbing services in the future,   I will not hesitate to contact your company."

I apologized for whatever happened all those years ago to disappoint her and thanked her for giving us another chance to handle her plumbing repair or sewer cleaning needs the next time she needs us. We have a terrific workforce of plumbers but it's human to make mistakes or to have a bad day. Sometimes mistakes are made. But if you are ever disappointed in our work, please contact the local general manager. And if you still aren't satisfied, contact our customer satisfaction manager, Pat Swanson, through the Roto-Rooter web site. We want to keep you satisfied because we want you to call us again.

 

Root-Rooter's "Ask the Plumber" section is often asked if plumbing repairs can be handled by the DIYer or if the homeowner should call one of their local plumbing companies.

A Phoenix customer recently asked, "The metal elbow under my bath tub is leaking. Should I seal the leak or is this something for plumbing contractors?"

There are many many products are sold to seal leaks in plumbing pipes, however, the directions want the material cleaned thoroughly to allow the epoxies to stick to the fitting. With the amount of work this takes, combined with the cost of the repair product, it's probably better to just replace the elbow with a new piece. If not replaced, the leak will eventually find a new location alongside the putty.

If you have a leak, the problem doesn't just occur where the leak develops, but over the entire inside of the fitting. The pipe is most likely thinned by age and harsh acids (chemical drain cleaners) and is deteriorating.

So in this case, the licensed plumbing specialist is the answer, not the DIYer.

So you've received two estimates from plumbing contractors regarding the broken sewer main under your front yard. It's leaking sewage and your toilets and sinks are backing up. Not only did they tell you it's going to cost several thousand dollars to dig up and replace the pipe but the plumbing repair could also kill the two old shade trees when the plumbing contractors dig through their root fields to reach your sewer pipe. Oh yeah, and a portion of the driveway may have to be broken up too, necessitating additional concrete work when they fill in the hole.

Yes, that's bad news all the way around but did you know there is another option that will save your yard, both trees and your driveway? It's called trenchless excavation and your local Roto-Rooter can use either the trenchless pipe bursting or pipe relining systems to fix the broken sewer pipe without digging any trenches in your yard. Only two small access pits at both ends of the pipe are all that is required to fix your sewer pipe causing almost no collateral damage to the surrounding yard, trees, etc.

And best of all, the replacement polyethylene pipe is expected to last more than fifty years, possibly 100! It's seamless so there are no gaps for roots to penetrate. And in many cases, trenchless pipe repair costs less than traditional digging, by the time you figure in the savings of not having to re-pour concrete sidewalks or driveways or repair landscaping, replace trees, etc. It's amazing technology that should be considered before you tell your plumbing contractors to dig.

Roto-Rooter has been performing full plumbing services for about 27 years. Yet, almost every day we hear from someone who still thinks of us only as the company to call when your drains are clogged or if you need sewer cleaning. We're proud of the fact that our name is so well known and that people know we clean clogged sewers but once people hear that we do plumbing the next question is "but you guys only do minor plumbing services, right?

Well, no. The fact is that we are the largest provider of plumbing services in the U.S. and Canada. And by plumbing services, I mean we are full-service plumbing contractors. We do it all from repairing a bathroom faucet to installing water heaters to full residential or commercial pipe replacement to any and all sewer excavation services. We can handle any and all of the plumbing in a residential home, plumbing repairs for a large commercial factory, even major municipal sewer and plumbing repair and replacement.

It's not easy to escape stereotypes. Maybe our advertising hasn't been as effective as we like to think or maybe it's the fact that there is still a small group of our independent franchises who still don't do plumbing. Yes, we've been fixing clogged drains and sewers since 1935 and we're definitely not running from that amazing business legacy but we sure want people to know that we are just as good at handling any plumbing repair as we are at sewer cleaning.

This week a customer in Houston asked the question, "What causes the kitchen sink to have a sewer smell when the dishwasher is running? Do I need to call a plumbing contractor to fix?"

When you smell sewer gas from the kitchen drain, it often means there is a blockage in the vent or the drain pipes inside the wall. If either of these are clogged, there is no place for the water to go without first forcing the air, which is combined with sewer gas, back into the room.

Call one of your local plumbing companies to diagnose the real issue. These types of plumbing problems should be left up to professionals who are familiar with residential plumbing.

The weekend is upon us and we do-it-yourselfers are gearing up for projects around the house. If you get in over your head on some kitchen plumbing jobs or a water heater replacement and need a professional to solve your plumbing problems, you may be surprised how many local plumbing companies don't answer their phones on weekends. You could find yourself going through the phone book, dealing with voice mail and after hours answering services that may or may not get a timely message to the plumber. Waiting to talk with someone is not an option when your basement is flooding.

Not exactly comforting is it? The only time most of us have to deal with our plumbing problems is over the weekend or at night. And when you run into trouble and need a pro to come to the rescue, You don't need the added burden of tracking someone down when your sewer backs up and requires professional sewer cleaning.

It's nice to know Roto-Rooter has real people answering their phones 24/7, even on holidays. Real people based at our own call centers in the USA, not halfway around the globe. They'll dispatch a service technician right away. And at Roto-Rooter, Saturday is a regular work day before 7 p.m. so you won't pay extra. That's comforting when your sink is spewing or your toilet is overflowing.
 

Roto-Rooter is on a record pace for cat rescues this year. Yes, our Cleveland Branch rescued another kitten last Friday in Brecksville, Ohio. The kitten is believed to be about ten weeks old. Someone left an access cover off of an eight inch pipe behind a health care center and the curious stray kitty crawled inside.

The rescue took about six hours and lots of patience because every effort to nab the kitty or force it to an exit was foiled by the clever kitten who simply jumped over our camera snake in the big eight inch pipe. Finally, the  commercial plumbing technicians used a hydro jet to gently but forcibly push the kitten down the pipe to a manhole where a plumber captured it. A large crowd of bystanders gave the crew quite an ovation and the media covered the rescue as well.

The mail from people all over North America has been encouraging and thankful. The recurring message from the mail was "thank you for having a heart and putting goodwill ahead of profit." We appreciate all the great mail and the repeated pledges to use Roto-Rooter the next time plumbing services are required.

The kitten visited a vet and was treated for parasites. He was adopted by one of his Roto-Rooter rescuers and named "Roto." By all accounts, he's living the high life now with a family that loves him. 

Did you know that you can request a specific Roto-Rooter plumber when you call? Roto-Rooter's preferred service tech program is in place because sometimes things just click between you and your plumber. Customers sometimes write us to say "that guys was so attentive and he found the perfect bathroom plumbing solutions for us." We understand that when a customer develops a rapport with one of our plumbers, they want to continue using that plumber.

One of our Seattle plumbers was sent out to a remote location to fix some plumbing problems at a vacation home in the dead of winter. It was to be his last job of the day since it was getting late. He took care of the plumbing repair and went on his way. He didn't get very far when troopers stopped him at a road block and informed him that the highway was closed for the night due to an avalanche of snow covering the road.

Repeated attempts to find a motel were fruitless so the technician called the customer he just visited to see if he could help. Lo and behold, the customer picked up the Roto-Rooter man in his four-wheel-drive vehicle and let him spend the night at one of his rental properties. The two developed a strong rapport and plenty of mutual respect. Guess who the customer calls whenever he has plumbing problems?

 

Some customers ask what it would cost for a specific plumbing repair, sewer repair or sewer cleaning when they call for service. Unfortunately, Roto-Rooter does not give price quotes over the phone due to the fact that a plumber has to look at the plumbing problem to see if there are other contributing factors before a diagnoses can be made. Roto-Rooter will give you a written estimate prior to any work performed.

Many plumbing contractors will give a quote over the phone only to raise the price once they see the actual level of difficulty. If you send them away, they may charge you just to have come out. Ultimately, you may have paid a higher price.

When you call Roto-Rooter or other local plumbing companies, ask them if they offer free estimates.

Garbage disposal repairs and replacements are one of the most common kitchen plumbing jobs. But very often the problems could be easily repaired by the homeowner. A Roto-Rooter plumber in Salt Lake City explained that a remarkable number of people aren't aware that there is a reset button on the bottom of their disposal. So when it starts humming, just reach beneath it and feel for a little button.

If the reset button doesn't do the trick, many units are equipped with an unjamming tool that mounts to the underside. It's often an allen wrench that you can turn a bolt with on the bottom of the unit to re-engage the "blades."

Another thing about disposals is that the "blades" aren't really blades at all. They are dull pieces of metal that spin around, pummeling food and debris but they don't actually slice or cut anything. We once had one of those plastic bread wrapper clasps in our disposal causing all sorts of havoc. I shut off the breaker, stuck my hand down in the drain and felt around until I found the thing. Plumbing companies are available when you need them but you can save yourself some money and embarrassment by thoroughly looking over your disposal before calling.

Sewer inspection video cameras have been around for several years now. First used strictly by wealthy municipalities and utility companies, costs have dropped in recent years to the point that even small local plumbing companies might have one in their inventory.
 
 Roto-Rooter has played a major role in the proliferation of this technology. The company continually invests in cutting edge tools that make work easier and more efficient. Every Roto-Rooter branch and all of our plumbing contractors own at least a few. Now Roto-Rooter is purchasing more of them in an effort to get a camera on almost every service van.

 Why? Company-owned Roto-Rooters are going to inspect every main sewer pipe suspected of having a break or major crack. The inspection will come at no extra charge during a normal service call involving sewer cleaning. Why? Because cameras give the customer visual confirmation that the residential or commercial plumbing job really needs to be performed. It goes well beyond a plumber saying "take my word for it, you need a sewer repair or replacement."
 
 Plumbing problems can be expensive to repair and Roto-Rooter wants to ensure our customers that our diagnosis is accurate so they can make informed decisions about their plumbing problems. 

A customer in Houston wrote, "It appears my main water shut-off valve is cracked and leaking. How do I shut the water off to correct the plumbing problem?"

For this plumbing repair, you can either shut off the water at the street valve (if there is one) or you can freeze the pipe.

Plumbing contractors often begin by using dry ice, which at -109 degrees below zero, freezes the pipe.** The dry ice, when crushed and packed around the pipe with an insulation blanket, will freeze the pipe in 30 to 60 minutes (depending on the outside temperature). Once the pipe is frozen, the valve can be removed and replaced. Then shut off the water using the new valve. Once you remove the dry ice packing, the ice will thaw inside the pipe and the water will flow again.

It may be safer and easier to call one of your local plumbing companies for this plumbing repair. Roto-Rooter offers 24 hour plumbing services to assist will all of your needs. Call 1-800-GET-ROTO or use our conveninet online scheduling.

**Note: Please be careful when handing dry ice. Read the directions and use proper protection as it will burn the skin.