Discover Your Healthy New Year Plan

The arrival of 2017 has inspired many Stuart area residents to lead healthier lives. Some are joining a gym, others are cooking with healthier ingredients, and others are giving up bad habits.

If you and your family are making strides to lead a healthier life, you shouldn’t forget to have a look at the environment in your home to make sure that it is conducive to those goals. Many people are unaware of the hidden health hazards that may be lurking in their pipes.

Keeping Your Faucets Clean

You probably already know how important it is to keep your kitchen and bathroom clean and disinfected to prevent the growth of bacteria that can cause illness.

For most homeowners, their cleaning routine doesn’t extend to the aerator on their taps. Aerators are designed to reduce water consumption while still offering good water pressure. Inside the mechanism, however, debris can accumulate. There have been documented instances of children being poisoned by elevated levels of lead in their water because of bits of aging solder used in the connection of pipes that have come loose and lodged in the tap.

Cleaning out aerators is a simple task:

• Remove the aerator with pliers or channel locks (you can wrap them with masking tape to prevent scratching)
• Disassemble the aerator
• Gently clean the parts using an old toothbrush, paying particular attention to the wire mesh
• Let the pieces soak in white vinegar overnight to dissolve lime and calcium deposits (optional)

Clogged and Slow Drains

Congestion inside your drainpipes is frequently caused by grease and fats from food scraps, dirt, and debris like hair and other solids that bond to the side of your pipes. In time, this gunk constricts the flow of water making it difficult for your drains to empty.

When you have clogged pipes, water in certain sections can be left standing to eventually become stagnant breeding grounds for dangerous bacteria, like Legionella. Clogs can also bring about unpleasant odors that can cause irritation and headaches among those who are prone to allergies.

We recommend having clogs cleared away immediately to restore adequate drainage in your plumbing system.

Eliminating Toxins and Chemicals from Your Drinking Water

Despite the best efforts of local water treatment facilities, municipal water supplies often contain trace amounts of dangerous and harmful chemicals that are known to cause cancer and other diseases. Some of the chemicals and contaminants you might find in your drinking water include pesticides, lead, arsenic, chromium, and aluminum.

The health risks associated with these chemicals are a danger only with prolonged exposure to high concentration levels, and municipal water is tested regularly to ensure these remain within acceptable levels. Nevertheless, just about everyone we speak to would prefer it if there were none of them in their family’s drinking water.

The most effective tools to eradicate the presence of chemicals and other contaminants in your drinking water is to have a whole home water filtration system professionally installed. These units treat the water for the entire household, virtually eliminating unwanted chemicals and leaving you with clean, fresh-tasting water.

For more information on how to keep your family’s drinking water clean and safe, call 772-288-0998 to speak to the experts at Allore’s Plumbing Services in Stuart, FL and the surrounding area.

Main Benefits of Low-Flow Toilets and Dual Flush Toilets

If 2017 is the year you invest in a bathroom renovation; there are a few decisions you must make before taking on the project. One of the most important choices is the type of toilet you install.

Low-flow and dual flush toilets are gaining popularity with homeowners in the area. These units are efficient, modern and useful. Some of the other significant benefits of a low-flow or dual flush toilet include:

Low-Flow Toilets are Economical and Environmentally-Friendly

Compared to a traditional toilet, low-flow units use about half the water of an older unit per flush. This means you’ll be using at least 50% less water while getting the same flushing power from the toilet. By using gravity or a pressure-assisted system, a low-flow toilet uses 1.6 gallons of water or less per flush. This results in reduced energy and water bills and more water conservation in your home.

Dual Flush Toilets are Even Better at Conserving Water

If water conservation and money savings are your top priorities, a dual flush toilet might be the best option for you. These units typically contain two buttons on the top for two different flushing options. The half flush option and full flush option gives individuals the opportunity to choose the best option for their unique experience. Since there are two different options, homeowners with a dual flush toilet experience even more savings on their water bills.

Take Advantage of Rebates

Water conservation is so important in today’s world that most manufacturers offer significant rebates for customers who choose to go with a low-flush toilet model. Before purchasing your new toilet, ask about environmental and water conservation rebates to take full advantage of the savings and get the best bang for your buck.

For Some, Installing a New Toilet is a Requirement 

In society, we need toilets to maintain a healthy and clean lifestyle. As technology advances, we find new ways to prevent disease and dispose of human waste in a safe and effective manner.

If your toilet was installed before the early 1990’s, chances are, you are using a unit that is not efficient and may not meet the quality standards of today’s toilet.In 1992, the government mandated that all new toilets be low-flow or dual flush to maintain the standards for home waste removal.

If you haven’t had your toilet replaced in the past 25 years, it’s definitely time to upgrade. You only stand to benefit from changing to a dual flush or low-flow unit. Not only will you get to enjoy a modern appliance in your home, but also you’ll adhere to the government’s standards while saving money and conserving water at the same time.

For more information on the installation of new low-flow and dual flush toilets in Stuart, FL, call 772-288-0998 and speak with the experts at Allore’s Plumbing Services LLC today.

Helpful Plumbing Tools to Keep Around the House        

There are lots of things you can do around the house to make your life easier, and one of those things is to keep the right tools on hand in case of a plumbing emergency. Because while there are many plumbing problems for which you should call in the experts, there are also some fundamental issues and maintenance matters you can take care of on your own, as long as you have these three tools around the house.

A Pipe Wrench

There are six basic styles of a pipe wrench, but the only one you need to worry about is the straight pipe wrench. It’s well suited to deal with most of the underlying plumbing issues you’ll be addressing on your own at home. A medium-sized wrench is your best bet, and with this, you should be able to do

 some straightforward maintenance on your own, including:

Fixing leaks: If you’re having an issue with a leaking pipe that needs to be tightened or replaced, the pipe wrench will allow you to do this quickly and easily. The great thing about this tool is that it lets you apply lots of pressure to the pipe without damaging it, meaning you can loosen and tighten pipe fittings without causing more problems.

Fixing stubborn clogs: Some clogs are just too big to fix with a plunger, and there are some cases (like under sinks in the bathroom, laundry room, and kitchen) where you can physically remove the clog by taking the pipe off.

Finding lost items: At some point in most people’s lives, they lose something valuable down the drain. When this happens under a sink with a P-trap, you can, fortunately, use the pipe wrench to remove the pipe and retrieve the item.

Two Plungers

You may think it seems overkill to keep two plungers on hand, but the fact of the matter is that there are two types of plungers, and each of them is better suited for a different job.

Flange plunger: This type of plunger is slightly smaller than its counterpart is, and is equipped with an inner rubber lip, and these two features make this plunger ideal for forming a seal around a toilet drain opening. Just make sure there’s the right amount of water in the toilet before you go to remove the clog: the ideal is about two inches.

Cup plunger: The cup plunger is a little larger and doesn’t have the extra rubber lip inside. This plunger is best for clogs in the drains of your sinks, tubs, and showers. Again, make sure they’re about two inches of water in the basin before plunging and make sure you plunge in a vertical motion in 15- to 20-second increments.

A Caulking Gun

The great thing about a caulking gun is that it can be used and reused for years without being replaced. You will have to buy new caulk from time to time, but the gun is a one-time purchase. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can use the caulk without the gun because you can’t! A proper caulking job doesn’t take too much time, and in the end, it can save you both time and money, because sealing cracks in your home can prevent hot and cold air loss, meaning you can spend less on maintaining the temperature in your home. Just don’t forget areas like:

• Doors and windows
• Plumbing and wiring fixtures
• Basements and crawl spaces
• Attics

With these tools on hand in your house, you’ll be able to fix minor clogs, leaks, and other plumbing problems at home. But for the major repairs, necessary preventative maintenance, and emergencies, or if you need help with a DIY drain unclogging, call the professionals at Allore’s Plumbing Services LLC  in Stuart, FL at 772-288-0998.

The Reason Summer Is Best When It Comes To Home Security Updates

Your family means everything to you. The moments you spend with them during the fun-filled summer months are among the best of the entire year.

As a concerned parent, their safety and well-being are always your top priority. That’s why taking a bit of time during the summer to improve the security of your home, and your family can be so important.

To help you achieve this, we prepared a few simple tasks that you can do to safeguard your loved ones better.

Have a Home Safety Plan

Does every member of your family know what to do if there is a fire or a burglar in your home? With a well thought out safety plan, everyone will be prepared should an emergency happen.

Your contingency plan should include pre-designated indoor and outdoor meeting places for your family to gather when an emergency happens. The outdoor area should be located at a safe distance from the home for emergencies where evacuation may be necessary such as a fire or a gas leak. The inside meeting area is ideally a room located close to ground level without any windows. You can also designate other meeting areas in case the primary ones are not accessible.

Another important component of a home safety plan is designated escape routes. Draw color-coded maps and give each child a copy of it so that they can become familiar with it.

You can also incorporate learning and training sessions into your pan preparation so that everyone can know how to use a fire extinguisher, and so younger kids can learn how to call 911 for emergency help.

Once your plan is done, and everyone is familiar with it, all that remains is to practice.

Improving Your Home Security System

A simple way to upgrade the security system in your home is to add sensors inside and outside of the house. Motion detectors inside your home can alert you and the police to the presence of an intruder.

Outside your home, security lighting paired with motion detection technology immediately turns on as soon as someone approaches, making it a great deal harder for them to perform any illegal act undetected. Serves as a powerful deterrent against break-ins.

Address Any Signs of Aging or Wear

Your home security system is only one part of the many components that help ensure the safety of your home. It would be foolish for anyone to depend solely on a single piece of the puzzle to safeguard the entire house.

Your entire home should appear to be one comprehensive and sophisticated security system that would intimidate any burglar. Visible signs of age or deterioration around your home can be interpreted as an indication of possible weakness.

By ensuring that the entire house is maintained and that all of your windows and doors are as burglar proof as possible, you are sending the message that your home is not to be messed with. You should have a look at all of your doors for any signs of warping or mold and make sure that all of their locks are not rusted or damaged.

For more information or assistance with improving the security of your home, call Allore’s Plumbing Services, the Stuart, FL area experts at 772-288-0998 today.

How to Get Your House Ready Before Leaving on Vacation

Chances are if you’re planning a summer vacation anytime soon, you have a running checklist of things you need to pack or prepare before leaving. Whether you’re leaving for a week or six weeks, there are a few vital tasks that need to be taken care of before leaving to go on vacation.

When it comes to home maintenance tasks, it’s important to start at one end of your home and go right through to the other, making sure you’re taking care of everything. Here are the rooms and tasks you should focus on to ensure your home plumbing is covered while you’re away on vacation:

The Kitchen

While you’re making sure, everything in the kitchen is good to go, pay particular attention to the garbage disposal. Nothing is more frustrating than coming home and realizing there was food in the disposal that is now rotten and smells bad. Make sure your garbage disposal is thoroughly cleaned before leaving on vacation. To do this, run hot water mixed with a little bit of white vinegar through the system to clean the blades quickly and remove excess food.

Since we’re still in the kitchen, it’s also a good idea to unplug your appliances. Your stove, oven, and dishwasher are all safe to unplug while you’re away. We also recommend unplugging your fridge or freezer but make sure they are both empty before leaving for your trip.

The Bathroom and Other Faucets

After checking your faucets to make sure none of them are running or leaking, we strongly recommend turning off your main water switch. Shutting off the water valve is a precaution that pays off. By turning off the water, you will prevent burst pipes, water leaks and other damage that occurs from running or leaking pipes and faucets. You will also save money since any leaking or drip faucets will also be turned off. Just remember to turn the valve back on when you get back.

Water Heater Vacation Mood  

Once your checklist takes you to the cellar, use this opportunity to either put your water heater in “vacation mode” or turn it off completely. Most modern, gas-powered water heaters have a vacation setting that allows you to program your departure and return date. The vacation setting conserves energy and allows your water heater to sit on standby.

On the day before your arrival home, the programmed water heater will turn back on, ensuring you have hot water upon your return. For older water heaters, this may not be an available feature. Instead, we recommend only turning down the thermostat to the lowest setting to conserve energy or shutting it off completely.

By focusing on each room individually, you will ensure that your entire home is protected when you are away on vacation. You’ll be able to enjoy your time truly away with peace of mind that everything is taken care of.

For assistance with your home maintenance preparations, call 772-919-7108 and speak with the experts at Allore’s Plumbing Services LLC in Stuart, FL.

Before Buying a New Home, Get a Plumbing Inspection

When it comes to purchasing a home, buyers realize it will be the largest investment they make in their lifetime. As a result, there are several things they should be comfortable with before signing the contract that lets them buy the home of their dreams.

Perhaps the most important aspect involves the home’s plumbing system, which if unchecked can produce repair bills resulting in thousands of dollars.

To make sure, all areas of the home’s plumbing are properly inspected. It’s a good idea to hire the services of a professional plumber for the inspection.

By doing so, you’ll know exactly what is wrong with the home’s plumbing system, how much it will cost to replace, and if you should look elsewhere.

Water Heater Inspection in Your Home

First and foremost, a home’s water heater should be checked to make sure it is working properly. In many of today’s homes, the water heater is at least ten years old and in need of replacement. If this is the case in the home you want to purchase, it may be possible to work out a deal with the homeowner to buy the house at a reduced price in exchange for them buying a new water heater.

In addition to being older, many water heaters also begin to develop problems over time. For example, if a plumber finds water around the bottom of the tank or notices some corrosion on the outside of the water heater, it’s a safe bet the heater’s tank is leaking. If this is the case, the problem will not get solved until a new heater is purchased.

Flush the Toilet to Make Sure it Works Properly

Along with the home’s water heater, there is perhaps no part of the plumbing system more important than the toilet. While many experts suggest potential buyers taking a home tour flush the toilet to ensure it’s working, few if any do so. As a result, they are almost always surprised if a problem develops with the toilet after they have bought the house. To keep this from happening, have a plumber give the bathroom a complete inspection from top to bottom.

By flushing the toilet and seeing how easily and quickly the toilet bowl empties itself and fills back up, the plumber can assess how free the sewer lines are of clogs and debris. Also, the plumber will also look for water that may be surrounding the bottom of the toilet, which may indicate the floor is being rotted out.

If this is not the case, the plumber may recommend replacing an old toilet with a newer, low-flow model that uses only one gallon of water per flush. This can not only make the bathroom more modern but also save a homeowner plenty of money later on when it comes to their water bill.

Discolored Water in the Home

If there is one thing nobody wants to see when they are considering purchasing a home, it’s discolored water when they turn on the sinks. Whether it’s in the kitchen or bathroom, discolored water can indicate a multitude of potentially expensive problems.

The most obvious one is iron in the water, which results in hard water. Turning the water a reddish or rusty color, it can stain anything it touches, including sinks, bathtubs, toilets, and other areas. If the water is brownish and appears to have dirt in it, chances are the home has a leak within its water lines or sewer lines.

Unfortunately, this can be a serious issue that could result in thousands of dollars in repairs. If a plumber finds this to be the problem, it may be best to consider other properties unless an agreement can be reached regarding repairs.

Septic System Checkup

If the home you are looking at uses a septic system rather than a town or city water system, be sure to have a plumber give it a close inspection. If the plumber notices any strong odors or standing water around the tank, major problems involving seepage or tank leakage are probably to blame.

Also, you should be sure to find out when the septic system was installed, its size, and the last time it was emptied or serviced.

By doing so, you’ll have a much better idea of any problems that may be occurring now or are likely to happen shortly. Because septic systems cost a minimum of several thousands of dollars to install, any costs associated with this should be the sole responsibility of the seller. If they choose not to pay or try to get you to pay most of the bill, say thanks but no thanks and move on to the next property you’ve got your eye on.

Pay Attention to Leaks

Along with all these factors, you should also pay attention to any leaks coming from sinks around the house. While a plumber can do this, it’s also important for you to do so as well.

While most leaks can be fixed rather quickly, it could point to other problems within the plumbing system. If the home is older, all the leaks could mean the fixtures need to be replaced, which could prove to be costly.

To keep your water bill down to a reasonable level, make sure you have fixtures that don’t leak one drop of water. After all, chances are if the fixtures are old, so are the pipes within the home. Before you know it, you’ll not only be watching a plumber install new fixtures on every sink, but you’ll also wind up with new pipes as well.

With these installation jobs, expect to pay as much as $10,000. By having a plumber conduct an extensive inspection of a home’s plumbing system, it’s possible you can save yourself not only plenty of money but also plenty of headaches and heartaches along the way.

If you need quality plumbing services in your Stuart, FL home, please contact Allore’s Plumbing Services LLC at (772) 288-0998 today.

3 Things You Should Know About Summer Solstice

The summer solstice is going to be happening in just a few weeks, but many people do not realize the meaning or origins of this event. The summer solstice has been celebrated for thousands of years. It is commonly referred to as “the longest day of the year,” but this is not all that happens during the summer solstice.

What Is the Summer Solstice?

According to astronomy, a solstice happens when the tilt of a planet is most inclined towards the star it rotates around. This means that the summer solstice occurs when the Northern Hemisphere is pointed as far towards the sun as possible during its yearly rotation. In the summer solstice, the Northern hemisphere experiences the most hours of daylight during the year, and summer officially starts.

 

Why Do We Have Longer Days in Summer?

During the time around the summer solstice, the days are very long. This happens because the northern half of the Earth has tilted towards the sun, so it spends more time in the sunshine each day. Meanwhile, the farther half of the Earth has tilted away from the sun. Meaning that in certain places, like Australia, they will experience darker days and cooler weather during the summer solstice. However, if you travel far enough north during the summer solstice, the sun will appear to travel around the horizon instead of setting each night because the days are so long.

Where Does the Phrase “Solstice” Come From?

The name, “solstice,” comes from the Latin language. It is a combination of “sol,” which means sun,” and “sisto,” which means “I stand still.” Therefore, the basic phrase used to refer to the longest day of the year means “the sun stands still.” A solstice was called this by the ancient Romans because the day was so long that it seemed like the sun was practically standing still in the sky for most of the day.

Enjoy the long summer days in Stuart, FL without worrying about your plumbing. Call Allore’s Plumbing Services LLC today at (772) 288-0998 to learn more about how we can meet your summer needs.