We’ve been receiving an increased amount of inquiries regarding insurance companies now suggesting automatic flood stops. An automatic flood stop is a device installed at water services inside a home to prevent undetected water leaks from causing serious damage to a home. For example, the device can be installed at water heaters, washing machines, toilets, sinks, and refrigerators. Another feature of the automatic flood stop is the ability to integrate with home security systems to alert you if the water has been shut off due to a leak. This device would bring peace of mind to people who travel in between homes, or spend extended time traveling for business. By installing this device, one can conserve water, protect personal property, and may qualify for insurance savings.

Every traditional tank style water heater is made with sacrificial anode rods. They are long rods placed in the center of the tank, and usually made of magnesium  or aluminum. The higher grade anode rods with longer life span is made from aluminum/zinc alloy. Anode rods sacrifice themselves by allowing scale and other harsh minerals to deteriorate it, opposed to the lining of the water heater. The lifespan of the anode rod varies largely on how hard the water is in your area. We know that our water in Phoenix is rather hard so we highly encourage everyone to inspect their water heater for any signs of rust. If you happen to spot some rust, give Qualtire Plumbing & Construction a call and we’ll be able to drain your water heater, thoroughly diagnose the unit and all the crucial parts.

No two shower valves or cartridges are made the same:

Years ago, shower valves had a handle for hot, a handle for cold, you turned them on and figured out the volume and temperature yourself. These valves aren’t even code compliant today. There are literally hundred of brands to choose from and within those brands you have style lines to choose from. Each brand and style can have different valves and cartridges. Plus, brands and styles cone and go and the cartridges change. Your 10-year-old shower valve may be discontinued. Finding the repair cartridge is like finding a needle in a haystack. We realize it may be frustrating to hear the plumber tell you they’ll have to find your part and call you back with a price, availability and possibly replace the valve. Many times, it takes a team to research the brand and style to give you an answer.

Once the water lines freeze, they expand and we are left with small breaks. The only way to remedy frozen pipes is to thaw them out. Lucky for us, our lovely sun can do this for us within a few hours. I have read a few websites mentioning to use electrical heat (hair dryers, heat guns, space heaters etc.) to speed up the thawing process. Not only is this unnecessary, but it is also an electrocution hazard, as you are unaware of the size and location of the break or even which direction the water will leak once thawed.

If you wake up to find that your water line has frozen or has broken, give Qualtire Plumbing & Construction a call and we’ll provide you with a permanent repair.

Remember, Qualtire Plumbing & Construction handles everything you need for your next kitchen or bathroom remodel, house addition, electrical and plumbing repairs. Serving all Phoenix Valley and surrounding areas.

Craig, one of our plumbing technicians, offered our customer an option of conducting a sewer camera inspection. Craig explained that this new technology comes equipped with high intensity lighting for optimal viewing and radio transmitters that give the exact location of the problematic area. This takes out all the unnecessary guess work of digging and where to cut holes in walls.

The customer agreed this was the best option and gave permission to proceed with the camera inspection. Craig quickly found the problem and could easily show the homeowner on the video monitor tree roots and a break in the sewer line and its exact location. We saved this customer money simply because we knew exactly where the break was, dug it up and replaced only 6” of the broken sewer line. This repair easily could’ve cost him thousands if performed by a high pressure sales man recommending a complete new sewer line.

If you have a sewer line that’s giving you problems, call Qualtire Plumbing and Construction. We’ll find out what’s going on in your drain lines.

Along with Annettes 30 year anniversary last month, her husband Joe also shares 30 years with the company. Before working Qualtire Plumbing & Construction, Joe had been a journeyman for a new construction company building new homes. After about three months working with Q.P. & C. he was given the position of foreman. To this day, we are so grateful to have had Annette and Joe for so many wonderful years. We don’t know where we would be with out them!

Rose stayed a loyal customer when the economy was up and when it was down. After she received good service or we completed a large job for her, she would write us Thank You notes and words of encouragement. She was our customer for so long, we roofed her house twice, once the 30 year warranty ran out on the the first roof.

We are going to miss rose deeply. Like Dennis said. ” there has never been a time Qualtire Plumbing & Construction did not know Rose Diamond.” Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends.

Decorative lighting or task lighting? Why not both? Earlier I mentioned the beauty of the stand – alone bath tub, which would pair perfectly with a fancy chandelier. If that’s not enough lighting for a lady putting makeup on at 5 am for work, add some simple sconces on each side of your vanity. I highly suggest this because lighting makes all the difference when shaving or applying makeup. Believe me when I say, my boyfriend has left the house with a patch of untrimmed beard. Quite hilarious if i do say so. What isn’t funny; I have left home and had people look at me oddly, only to notice I hadn’t blended my cover up! Natural lighting is also a big one. Add an extra window if doing a full blown remodel. Au Natural is always going to be the best in my book. For the shower, whether you have a walk in with glass doors or have a curtain, it can tend to become a little dark in there. While it may not bother some, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have an extra shining light from up above. Recessed lighting works best because it can handle wet or damp conditions. Additionally, if you are getting ready to destress or forget bout a long week at work, a few tips for lighting up your relaxed mood would be to incorporate aesthetic lighting into your bathroom oasis. That means hiding your bulbs! Find clever areas to hide Them and turn on only when you need to.

The day water heaters over 50 gallons are being discontinued! What does this mean to us, the consumer? Well, the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act ( NAECA) has decided to have all water heater manufacturers discontinue any tanks over 55 gallons. To replace these, they encourage us to use tankless heaters! This new technology heats water instantaneously. The only problem I immediately thought of was running out of hot water. I enjoy my 30 minute steaming hot showers all year round, so I did some research based on reviews and here is what I found:

Many people tested out the tankless heater by using many appliances at once, for example; dishwasher, washing machine, shower etc. They found the wait for hot water to have about a 30 second lag, which is nothing out of the norm opposed to the storage tank type. Most mentioned they installed the unit themselves and everything turned out fine, however, they did need to purchase extra parts to make installation easier. In some cases, people had to modify their water lines or upgrade their water meters to be able to handle the load.

Many of the blogs I came across mentioned the “25% saving on gas bill.” This is misleading as it would take over 20 years (average life of a tankless heater) to make your money back. I find that thinking green doesn’t necessarily refer to green cash. In other words, the amount you spend on a traditional heater is never going to come back into your hands, while going tankless you at least get some percentage back and not to mention the original concept of the unit, being energy efficient!

ACT NOW IF YOU’RE NEEDING AN OVERSIZED WATER HEATER, THEY WON’T BE EASY TO FIND LATER DOWN THE ROAD!

Part II: The Bathtub.

The question arises again: what role does the bathtub play in my home?

Before completely eliminating the idea of no bathtubs , remember to keep at least one tub in your home if you’re considering reselling.

There are two versions of the tub: The traditional soaker or the jetted. Going with the soaker, you can still get upgrades. For instance, one with arm or head rests, grab bars or ask to have slip resistant flooring for added safety when bathing the little ones. I love the way a free standing tub looks, and that’s exactly what its meant to do, be a beautiful center piece. Usually placed in front or near a window, I wouldn’t suggest this placement for the shy and timid. For the tub with the extra bells and whistles, well those come with an array of extras. For example, the adjustable jets can come in multiple areas such as the obvious back, calf/ thigh, ankle/ foot areas. Some even have an “at the neck waterfall” to avoid getting the chills if you enjoy steamy hot baths. Added features include, ambient under water lighting, memorized settings for multiple users ( LCD screen) and automated cleaning systems.