June 2020 - Bert Norman's Plumbing

Here’s to Your Bath and Kitchen: What a Plumber Can Do | Fernandina, FL

Posted on June 28, 2020 by bertnorman

A plumber is always right at your fingertips no matter what. From simple, routine repairs to major projects, the professionals at Bert Norman’s Plumbing are here to serve those living in Fernandina, FL and other surrounding regions.

A good plumber can provide a vast array of home plumbing services right at your fingertips, and those services can be anywhere from the smallest problem to any major project for your Fernandina, FL home. It could be something as small as getting your shower pan replaced, or something major, such as a hot water repair or replacement or a sewer line upgrade.

With shower pans, it can be difficult to tell if there is a leak that warrants a repair. In fact, leaks that are the result of a faulty shower pan are so hard to detect that they can slip your eye and cause untold damage to your home and its foundation. The water damage that results from a leaking shower pan can lead to mold or mildew, rotting wood, or possibly termites on down the road as the result of the rotting wood.

There are many types of shower pans in which to choose from, some of which are either tiled or composed from fiberglass. Others are custom-made or are simple base shower pans and nothing too fancy. Sometimes, even an acrylic or stone version can be available to replace your old one, and the plumber will know just what to do when the need arises. If anything, each professional has special knowledge of the many kinds of shower pans that are available and will gladly answer your questions and address your concerns as needed.

One of the newest and most trendy services that is offered by Bert Norman’s Plumbing is reverse osmosis, which is a special type of water filtration system that removes harsh chemicals from your home water supply. Water is applied to one side of the filter to remove all the ions and hard metal elements such as copper or lead, and that makes the water much safer for both drinking and other types of personal use.

Reverse osmosis moves the water molecules from lower to higher concentration, thus allowing much time for filtration prior to the water coming through your taps. In fact, there are several filtration methods that the water must go through, one of which is a sediment filtration, then the next being the actual osmosis filter right before the water hits the final stage of purification, that being the carbon filter. Sometimes, ultra violet lamps are used, but not quite as necessary as the other two methods that get the nasty elements out of the water prior to its use.

Although reverse osmosis sounds like a wonderful service to have, it may not be the one for everybody. Not everyone shares the same priorities when it comes to addressing their plumbing wants and needs, and the professionals at Bert Norman understand that there are so many services for a qualified plumber to perform. Simply put, the list goes on and on, and a good plumber is qualified to do anything to fix your plumbing woes.

Faucet upgrades and fixture makeovers are other services that can be done by a qualified plumber from Bert Norman’s. In fact, it is a commonly known fact that a dripping faucet often wastes around 230 gallons of water per year, and that’s quite a bit that can be used. Most homeowners understand that this can add more weight to the size of their monthly water bill as the expenses continue to add on a month-by-month basis, and that in itself presents a major source of stress and aggravation.

A plumber from Bert Norman’s has knowledge of all of the new types of faucet fixtures on the market and can walk you through the process as you choose the design that is best suited for your bath and kitchen areas. You may want to opt for a polished brass set, or may decide to settle for simpler versions such as a classic stainless steel or brushed nickel. Anything that would suit the theme of your kitchen or bathroom and match well with other colors and plumbing fixtures is definitely worth investing money in.

Whether they are new or not, tub and shower faucets have a quick way of slowly but suddenly coming undone and making it hard on you to enjoy your evening bath or shower. When they don’t work as they should, it’s time to call a plumber. Replacing the tub or shower valve becomes a serious must, as without it, it becomes almost impossible to keep that portion of your plumbing active and functioning for very long.

In fact, valve replacement goes well beyond the shower and tub, as it can be applied to other types of indoor plumbing as well. Good valve service extends to your drains as well as your general plumbing. Drain valves extend beyond plumbing in that they release excess quantities of liquid and gas from your plumbing system, which makes them vital to the general running of your indoor plumbing. Without them, water would neither flow smoothly nor would it be safe or clean for use if gas and other chemicals remained in it.

Plumbing valves serve to regulate the ebb and flow of your water. In fact, they “direct” traffic in that they remain in firm control of the way the water is moved in and out of your plumbing system.

The stop valve is the plumbing valve that completely stops the flow of water to any plumbing outlet or device. Think of your faucets, your toilet, the washing machine, and your dishwasher, just to name a few. If the water ran long after you’ve stopped using those, you’d be looking at a larger than life water bill. Therefore, when the valve breaks, calling a plumber as soon as possible is an absolute must.

Whether it’s your kitchen or bathroom plumbing that’s in need, don’t wait. Call or visit online to schedule an appointment at Bert Norman’s Plumbing for the work you need today.

Photo By Andy Dean Photography at Shutterstock

Quality Plumbing Service | Jacksonville, FL

Posted on June 21, 2020 by bertnorman

Plumbing service is always a critical must, and those who own homes or run businesses know the high price of plumbing gone bad. Anything from a drain clog, an aging water heater, or leaky water fixtures are all the basic plumbing necessities of your home’s indoor plumbing. Pipes can go bad due to wear, tear, or simple aging, and nothing is more stressful than a pipe that suddenly bursts without any warning.

Drain clogs have symptoms of their own, and they are many and varied. Keep in mind that all of your drains are interconnected, and that what happens in one affects the others. In your bathroom, if your toilet or sink drains are clogged, they can back into each other. And when you see this happening to your fixtures, then you know it’s time to call on the professionals at Bert Norman’s of Jacksonville, FL for your plumbing service needs.

Anything can cause a drain clog. Grease and oil collection can align the walls of your pipes and start hardening once they cool, thus causing a drain clog that slows the passage of water into the sewage system. Other items, such as food bits, hardened soap scum, jewelry, and small toys often have sneaky ways of creeping into your drains and getting stuck without warning.

A leaking or malfunctioning garbage disposal can be another cause of your drain cleaning woes. One good sign that your disposal is on the brink is the sudden appearance of fruit flies that lurk around your sink area. Thankfully, good plumbing service also includes the ability to repair or replace a broken garbage disposal.

There may be a time when you turn on your garbage disposal only to have it regurgitate a mountainous mess of food bits, both great and small. Before you know it, both sides of your sink are covered in leftovers, leaving you with a giant mess in which to deal with.

Thankfully, the contractors at Bert Norman’s have plenty of experience in assessing and treating your garbage disposal needs. As part of good, quality, plumbing service, your plumber can look at your unit and determine the course of service at a cost that’s affordable to you. They have vast knowledge of all types of makes and models and can give you a reasonable estimate of the cost of parts and labor involved. Good plumbing service includes the installation of a garbage garbage disposal, repairing an existing one, or simply maintaining one on a periodic basis.

And homeowners should beware that a bad garbage disposal can be another leading cause of a clogged drain. In fact, if it fails to properly grind your food up, then it can choke the very life out of your drain and cause the kind of damage that leads to the need for professional plumbing service.

DIY efforts may appear to be normal, even heroic, but they are hardly recommended for your drain cleaning needs. Home drain cleaners such as Draino can cause more harm for your pipes and drains, thus leading to more costly and time consuming repairs down the road. Therefore, it’s best to rely upon good, quality professional plumbing service from a licensed professional.

Many times, a plumber can use a mechanical snake to pull out solid debris from a clogged drain, This method is commonly used in cases where a bathroom drain may suffer a clog with origins that can be traced to a collection of hair or two-ply toilet paper. Other cases will need to use other measures of drain cleaning, however, and these include those where drains are clogged due to food, oil, grease, or soap scum build up. In those cases, it becomes critical for the plumber to use hydro-jetting, where several pounds of pure water are injected straight into the drain pipe without the added use of harmful chemicals.

There are many other modern-day plumbing amenities we have all come to rely upon; and, in some cases, even taken for granted. For example, water heaters are certainly nothing new to homeowners, and those who live within the Jacksonville, FL area know all too well that without a reliable water heater comes much undue plumbing distress.

Hot water has a variety of uses within the home, and without it, basic tasks of normal daily living cannot be done as well as you’d like. Think of those long, warm, luxurious tub baths that are a source of comfort and luxury right after a hectic day at the office. Plus, those nice, steaming morning showers that have you feeling clean and ready to start your day are the result of a good water heater that does its job and does it well.

Your plumbing service does include water heater installation and repair, which is a major source of help once your unit loses the steam it needs to keep you and your home clean and sanitized. The plumbing service team at Bert Norman’s knows all too well that taking a cold shower is no fun, and that we humans take great pride in how well we keep ourselves nice and clean. Sometimes, a new unit can break down due to poor installation or a missing part, but older units with a lifespan of ten years or more will need to be replaced as soon as possible.

The good news is that newer water heater models stand a far better chance of running much more efficiently and of being in full compliance with EPA standards. Plus, a better, more improved model can greatly reduce your monthly water bill, thus saving you even more money in the long run.

This is especially true if you decide to have a tankless water heater installed. Tankless water heaters are reliable about heating only the amount of water you will need to use in the course of a day. It also uses far less water due to the fact that it doesn’t need to come up through the pipes to the source of output, as the unit is very tiny and typically uses much less water than traditional brands.

Whatever the issue is, don’t wait. Trying to fix it yourself may come across as noble, but the consequences are great and outweigh the benefits. You can call or visit online today to speak with a professional for an appointment with Bert Norman’s Plumbing.

Photo By kurhan at Shutterstock

12 Ways to Stay On Top of Energy Bills with Plumbing Service While Sheltering in Place | Jacksonville, FL

Posted on June 14, 2020 by bertnorman

The outbreak of coronavirus throughout the world has changed the way we live and created the need for a new normal. Until COVID-19 is entirely under control — most likely when a vaccine is introduced — we’ll likely be following social distancing measures. One of the most annoying consequences of spending more time within the home is the increase in energy bills. You’ll be using utilities more than usual and therefore spending more money while potentially earning less.

In some cases, you may require assistance from a plumbing service like Bert Norman’s Plumbing to help make your home as energy-efficient as possible. If you’re in Jacksonville, FL, call us today at 904-686-8611.

1. Turn Off the Faucet When Washing Hands

It’s one of those things that most people are aware that they should do, but rarely remember to. As far as energy saving, most people aren’t washing their hands correctly. If you’re following the guidelines from the CDC to wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds, well done! It’s helping to slow the spread of the virus, taking some strain off the health service and saving lives. However, always remember that water is a precious resource.

When washing your hands, the water should only flow twice. Once at the beginning, to build up the lather, and once at the end to rinse. If you wash your hands eight to 10 times per day, you alone could be wasting up to six gallons of water every day. And remember, that’s six gallons for each member of your household! You’ll instantly notice a significant reduction in your energy bills if you make this simple change — and you don’t even need to call in the help of a service!

2. Unplug Electronics When You’re Not Using Them

Most electronic devices use electricity even when they’re not switched on, especially if they have a standby feature. Chargers, stereos, TVs, computers and consoles are trickling your money down the drain every time you leave them plugged into the outlet. You might think it’s such a small amount that it doesn’t matter, but over time and across the extensive range of devices we all have now, it seriously adds up.

Always check around the house for things that are plugged in but not in use — from computers to lamps, there are probably more savings to be made that you realized!

3. Never Boil More Water Than You Need

It’s another one that seems obvious but sees loads of water, and therefore money, go down the drain every day. Each time you fill the kettle for a coffee or tea, make sure you’re only boiling what you need. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself with a pot full of limescale and sky-high energy bills.

4. Only Wash a Full Load of Dirty Clothes

You can cut water consumption significantly by only using the washing machine when you can make sure it’s at capacity. Even if your machine has a half load function, it uses considerably more than half the amount of water of a full wash. Again, it’s a change that seems minor but over time, adds up to equal serious savings. If your washing machine isn’t functioning properly, call in the help of a reputable plumbing service to assess the problem and fix it.

5. Use a Dishwasher or Bowl to Wash Dishes

If you live in a single household, we recommend using a bowl full of water to wash the dishes in. Using free-flowing water for this job is a surefire way to spend more than you should on water. Larger households will save money by investing in a dishwasher. You may require a plumbing service to install a new dishwasher or repair the old one to ensure it’s as energy-efficient as possible.

6. Time Your Showers

Technically, a shower uses less water than a bath — but only if you don’t stand under it for inordinate amounts of time!

7. Never Use the Toilet as a Trash Can

Remember, the toilet isn’t a trash can! There are only three things that should go down the toilet: water, toilet paper and human waste. Toilet paper dissolves almost instantly when immersed in water, unlike any other type of paper. Additionally, on top of being a nuisance to the environment, you’ll spend more money on the extra water used to flush foreign objects down the bowl. If your toilet in Jacksonville, FL, needs unblocking, you might need a plumbing service to come and help you out.

8. Fix All Leaking Taps

You know that tap that drips every 30 seconds, and it’s okay because you’re used to it now? Call in a plumbing service to fix it immediately! It might look like a tiny amount of water because it’s leaking so slowly, but over days, weeks and months, it adds up to gallons and puts a strain on your pocket.

11. Look for Leaks

While it’s not the most glamorous way to spend your time, lockdown presents you with an opportunity to scope out any leaks in your plumbing. Hairline fractures on your pipes could lead to even more water waste than leaking taps, and you can’t see or hear those. One of the most cost-effective things you can do in the current situation is to find those leaks and get them fixed by a skilled plumbing service.

12. Flush Less

The average toilet flush uses more than three gallons of water every single time! Armed with this knowledge, you might consider flushing the toilet as often as you have been. You can get flushers installed that let you control how much water you use each time. Speak to a plumbing service about getting this type of flush for your toilet.

Plumbing Services

If you think your home requires the help of a plumbing service to make sure you’re spending as little on your energy bills as possible, call Bert Norman’s Plumbing today at 904-686-8611.

Photo By M_a_y_a at istock

Plumber Tips: 10 Effective Ways to Save on Water Bill | Fernandina, FL

Posted on June 7, 2020 by bertnorman

Unwanted leaks and drips could contribute to about 10% of your water bills if not immediately attended to by a professional plumber. If not repaired or replaced, they could even cost you more money.

Other plumbing-related issues such as having an inefficient washer or showerheads also contribute to your bills as they use a great amount of water. Thankfully, you can fix these by either replacing them or installing new ones. Always call a professional when you need help; do not attempt to do them on your own.

When a plumbing problem is fixed, you don’t get skyrocketing water bills and you can save money. Below are other ways to effectively conserve water at home and save on your utility bills.

1. Buy Energy Efficient Appliances

When acquiring a new washing machine, find out the amount of water it uses per load. If possible, look for the Energy Star seals on the label or WaterSense. These types of machines usually use 50% less water per load. They are a bit more expensive than the regular washers but it should give you massive savings in the long run.

When washing, do make sure that you have a full load. And you may want to skip an additional rinse to save up to 5 gallons of water. To avoid more rinses, just use less detergent powder.

2. Repair Leaks

A professional plumber in Fernandina, FL should be able to help you fix these leaks. You can have regular maintenance with a plumber so they can check the pipes for leaks and other problems that might contribute to water loss. Another option would be to do the inspection yourself. Call a plumber right away if you think there is a problem.

You may think that a small leak isn’t really much — this is not true. Leaks on a running toilet could cost you gallons of water down the drain. So call a plumber if you suspect that you have a plumbing problem.

3. Load Up the Dishwasher

As much as possible, use the dishwasher only when it’s fully loaded to conserve more water. If you do not have a dishwasher, buy a basin for washing the dishes. You can conserve more with a basin than washing the dishes while the tap is running.

4. Turn Off Shower

Make it a daily habit to turn on the shower only when you are actually using the water for rinsing. If you are trying to shampoo or condition your hair, always turn it off. Switch it on only when you are ready to rinse your hair. If everyone in your family does this simple habit, you could save on your water bill.

Another option would be to reduce the number of minutes that you use the shower. Instead of taking a shower for 15 minutes, perhaps you could reduce it to 10 minutes.

Do the same while brushing your teeth. Turn off the faucet and use a rinsing glass instead.

5. Install Low-flush Toilets and Showerheads

Low toilets are a little expensive but they can greatly reduce your water usage. As opposed to the full flush toilets, low-flow use less water per flush. This can result in bigger savings in your water bills.

A low-flow showerhead can also reduce the amount of water by about 50%. Call a plumber to assist you with the best options for your toilets and showerheads.

6. Add Aerators to the Faucets

If you do not know what an aerator is or how to add this to the faucet, call a plumber in the area to assist you with this.

Aerators are usually attached to the faucet to reduce the amount of water that comes out. At the same time, it also increases water pressure.

7. Install a Tankless Water Heater

A tankless heater is a little more expensive but it’s efficient. It only heats water when you need it and it heats faster. Definitely one of the best options to save on your water bills.

8. Install a Smaller Bathtub or Skip it

An average bathtub needs about 35 gallons of water. Expect skyrocketing water bills if you keep using this every time you take a bath. Your options would be to install a smaller bathtub and use it only a few times a month, or completely skip using it and take the shower instead.

9. Replace Toilet Flapper Once a Year

Call a plumber to help you out with this. A newer flapper could help you save a lot on your water bill. Another option would be to replace it with an adjustable flapper so you can control the amount of water that you use for flushing.

10. Collect Rainwater

Save bills by collecting rainwater and use it for either cleaning the cars or watering the plants. You can also use this for cleaning the driveway or the outer area of your homes.

Follow our tips for saving water to see significant changes in your bills. Remember that small changes will add up to massive savings in a year.

Contact Bert Norman’s Plumbing, Inc in Fernandina, FL

If you need a plumber to assist you with repairing leaks, installing a tankless water heater, or any plumbing-related problem, get in touch with Bert Norman’s Plumbing, Inc. They are available 24/7! They have been in the industry for several years and all are highly competent to carry out the job. Every appointment matters to them — they always overdeliver!

A few services they offer include unclogging your drains, garbage disposal, shower pans and faucet replacements, water heater installation, repipes, plumbing inspections, bathroom remodeling, and other plumbing services. They will be happy to assist you with whatever plumbing-related dilemma that you have.

Your exceptional plumbing service is just a call away. Contact them today for an appointment!

Month: June 2020