On a recent trip to the dentist, I ducked into the rest room before what promised to be a lengthy stay in the dental chair. I set my purse (unzipped, natch) on the sink and turned away. Next thing I knew, I heard the faucet turn on. Ohhh nooooooo! My purse had fallen into the […]
A case right out of our customer files: recently, a new customer called us after they had just had a different contractor finish a full bathroom remodel in their basement. Right after the work was completed, the laundry tub and floor drain in the basement started backing up. They called us, and after attempting to […]
Ahhh – Springtime finally comes to the Twin Cities! And with spring, more people are looking at and buying homes. Before you get all starry-eyed about what seems to be the perfect home for your family, take a closer look at the plumbing. Most of us don’t like to think about water coming in and […]
Spring Will Be Coming! Even if it doesn’t feel like it now, all that snow out there will be melting soon. We’ve got 20 more inches from this weekend too! Add those lovely April (and probably May) showers, and many homeowners will need to be concerned about basement flooding. It’s time to check out your […]
Everyone who owns a home, whether it’s a single family home, townhouse, or a condo, will need a plumber at some point. Sometimes it’s as simple as a clogged drain or toilet, or perhaps you want to remodel a bath or kitchen. Maybe your home is older and an inspector tagged your main water valve […]
First – Pick Your Plunger You’ll want a heavy-duty rubber plunger with the fold-out flange. The flange insert will help give a good seal for plunging. Second – Protective Clothing Get some rubber gloves, safety goggles or glasses, and some protective clothes. Make sure you have plenty of rags around the base of the toilet. […]
So – in my last blog entry I talked about drain cleaning liquids not being effective or safe to use in DIY clog-busting. What’s a homeowner to do? The safest way to go after a stopped up or slow drain is to use a tool to reach down and pull it up – using a […]
Most of us, when faced with a pesky slow drain or clogged sink, have been tempted to use a chemical drain cleaner at one time or other. What could be easier than opening a bottle and pouring the contents down the drain? Jake the Plumber doesn’t recommend any of these products, and here’s why. […]
A Drip At The Base… It’s Time To Replace! The lowly water heater. Most of the time it sits, neglected, in your basement or crawl space. Delivering hot water whenever you turn on the tap, it fires up to heat more water for the next shower, dishwasher or laundry cycle. Most of us don’t know […]
Water enters a basement, especially in an older home, from a variety of sources. You may have some cracks in the foundation, the floor drain can overflow from a leaky washing machine, or some of the joints in the concrete may allow seepage, to name a few. In any case, you need a sump […]