Author Archives: CincyPlumber

Drain Cleaners that are harmful to your piping

Chemical Drain Cleaners that are harmful to your piping !

Any chemical drain cleaner that contains an acid such as sulphuric acid can and will harm your piping. Many off the shelf drain cleaners in a bottle can contain these acids in different amounts. The use of these drain cleaners can unclog your piping but at the same time can erode your piping from the inside out. I have noticed that some of the cleaners on the shelf contain these acids and state that they are safe for your piping! That is as far from the truth as can be. The instructions tell you to pour the solution over the clog and let it work on the clog implying that the cleaner does it all by itself. Like I said before these cleaners contain acids that can eat away metal and plastic. These are the two things that plumbing piping is made of so why would you deliberately pour these cleaners into your pipes? Just because the bottle says it’s safe for them, doesn’t mean it is!

There have been many occasions that I have been to a house for a service call to unstop a kitchen sink or sink drain in a bathroom where the owner has used one of these acidic drain cleaners before my arrival. After a few times of getting chemical burns on my hands from handling the plumbing piping under the sink I began asking the owner if they put any type of drain cleaner down the drain before I got there. Sometimes just knowing if they did before you begin undoing sink piping can help prevent the plumber from skin burns.

I made a good point about going to houses that have used chemical drain cleaners in their drains. The point is if I am there then the drain cleaner did not work very well. Also on a secondary note these same houses have had the chemicals sitting in the drain for hours. All the time the chemicals sat just eating away at the p-trap piping under the sinks causing the piping to form holes in it especially on older chrome metal p-traps. Of course there was a need to then replace the parts that might have otherwise been alright costing the customers more in the long run.

There are drain cleaners that can help dilute the clogs without harming the piping!

These drain cleaners will contain a chemical known as Sodium Hydroxide or also known as LYE. Sodium Hydroxide is caustic and not acidic. These caustic cleaners will only eat away at clogs that are organic in nature. Organic in nature means that most everything that goes down a drain  like hair, grease, soap, foods, vegetable matter, or anything that was living at one time or another or that came from something living. It will not dissolve metal, plastic or other man made materials which is what your plumbing piping is made of. Nor will it break up large objects in your piping such as foreign material that does not belong in the sewer to begin with. It also will not work well on roots in your sewer as you need to physically remove them even though they are organic.

The caustic properties however will eat away at your skin which is organic also. So be careful when applying these cleaners and wear gloves and safety glasses. As I said before it would be nice if you told the plumber that you used a chemical drain cleaner so he or she can be prepared as well. Any chemical drain cleaner can help solve minor clogs but the best prevention is maintenance of your drain piping system even with chemical drain cleaners when the drain is not actually clogged.We recommend manual cleaning of your drain lines either with a sewer snake or a water jetter machine before applying the chemical drain cleaners for maintenance.

Flow-Rite Plumbing sells its own drain cleaner for light to medium clogs and proper drain maintenance!

Give us a call today for all your Cincinnati Drain Cleaning Needsat

(513) 383-4242

As always…Why be Wrong ?…..When you can Flow-Rite !

Searching for a good plumber ?

How to choose a good plumber!

  1. Ask your friends, family and neighbors first who they would recommend. This is usually the best way to find a good plumbing company
  2. Take into consideration that they usually will remember who not to call instead of who to call!
  3. Always ask if the pluming company they recommend gave them an upfront price and stuck to that price when it was all said and done.
  4. If you are close then ask how much they paid for the services they received and maybe even ask to see for yourself.
  5. Ask them if they called or contacted several different companies before they chose the one they used.
  6. Ask if they called the first big plumbing ad in the phone book and stopped there.( If they did, then you might want to try shopping around yourself ! ) Remember those big ads get paid for by consumers like yourself.
  7. Ask if this was the first time they used the company they are referring and if it is, then ask if the company was referred to them by someone else.
  8. Remember to refer the company that you used and liked to your friends, family and neighbors no matter what profession or service they provide!

As always…. Why be Wrong ?…… When you can Flow-Rite!

Frozen Pipes

Keep your pipes from freezing!

  • Anywhere you may have water pipes in the house that are in,on or close to an outside wall need to be kept from freezing by insulation or heat.
  • Most piping that freezes is located under the kitchen sink or at an outside hose hydrant that is not a frost proof type.
  • Locate all potential piping that could freeze in inclement weather by locating the lines visually when possible.
  • Start by visually locating the lines usually you can see them  by looking at your basement ceiling if it is not covered and following them to the fixtures they serve.
  • Observe where water lines penetrate either the wall or the floor when serving a fixture that is near an outside wall.
  • If they penetrate from below and continue upward through the floor but away from the outside wall underneath the sink then on especially cold days leave the cabinet doors open to let heat from the house to the piping.
  • If they penetrate from below and appear to penetrate from the wall or beside an outside wall  underneath the sink then leave any cabinet doors open and apply an additional heat source under the cabinet.
  • If you have outside hose hydrants make sure that you disconnect any hoses from them at the first sign of cold weather.
  • If you have outside hose hydrants that are not self draining or frost proof type then hopefully you have a shut off valve directly before the piping exits the house and attaches to the hose. In this case at the first sign of cold weather, turn off the valve inside the house before the hydrant and open the outside valve up completely until warm weather returns. Opening the outside valve where the hose connects will let the piping exposed to inclement weather drain all water that could possibly freeze.

Please note: The above scenarios are the most common things we find and not all possibilities are covered!

Feel free to call us for further info! (513) 383-4242

As always, Why be wrong?…..When you can Flow-Rite!

Flow-Rite Plumbing flat rate service fee

Are you tired of hourly rates ?

Do hourly rates frighten you when it comes to calling a Cincinnati plumbing service company? We don’t blame you because it’s a no loose situation for the plumbing company. This leaves you two options. The first is to do it yourself or the second is to call a flat rate plumbing company.

Most Cincinnati Plumbers that do flat rate pricing will not quote prices over the phone because they want their foot in your front door first! For example when you commit to a service call fee or diagnostic fee they have their foot in the door. This usually gives them the upper hand in the matter. When they arrive at your house and ask how you’ll be paying for the service call right off the bat you feel committed in a way to do business right then and there. You already have a plumber there anyway, right?  Keep in mind that the service call fee or diagnostic fee is just to explain what is wrong and how much they will charge to fix that particular problem only. They give you an inflated price and rely upon the fact that you will feel it necessary to take care of the problem then and there. As I explained before now you feel committed. If their price seems to high even to someone who doesn’t know plumbing then pay their service fee and call someone else to get a different price. You will save money in the long run.The problem lies in the fact that most of the flat rate companies out there have a large overhead because of their full page advertising in the yellow pages 15,000.00 – 25,000.00 a month believe it or not. The service plumber they send you is also working off of commission. You know what that means, the more money they get you to spend while they have you the more they make in commission. The company also makes more money to pay those yellow page ads off every month. I have been to seminars on flat rate pricing and disagree with one key value that they teach companies to do in flat rate pricing programs. They teach and actually emphasize that as a company you don’t want repeat customers. That’s right, you go in once and get a large amount of money and go on to the next house not expecting any repeat business. Sorry folks but I can’t swallow that. Why be in business?

Our Solution !

We have the solution to your plumbing service call uncertainties. When you call us at 513-383-4242 we will give you an approximate price over the phone on how much the total cost of your repairs could and should be! If you schedule a service call with us for a fee of $ 25.00, we will arrive at your residence not first asking how you will pay but with a “hello I am so and so with Flow-Rite Plumbing, let’s take a look at that problem you have”. Our technicians are not working on commission they are paid an hourly rate respective of their plumbing experience and performance on the job day to day. They are not trying to up sale you on everything to make a commission. This is why we are the plumbers that you will call back when you have another problem because we treated you better than the company before us and better than most ever have. After assessing the problem and the proper solution for it you will then be given a verbal explanation and pricing for the total of work to be completed. If you decide to proceed with the work, then and only then will we ask how you will be paying  for either for the service call only or the service call and the work to be performed. The service call is included in your total price when work is performed. You will be advised of warranty in writing on your invoice.

We don’t advertise in the phone book because we don’t have to! You will only find us online, from a business card, refrigerator magnet, pen or by the most popular, word of mouth! Usually this comes from family, friends and neighbors. This saves us money and in turn saves our customers money. Our business comes from word of mouth advertising. It’s pretty simple. The only way we stay in business is treating our customer the way we want to be treated and that’s with knowledge and respect. That’s how we do it folks and it doesn’t get any easier than that!

As always…… Why be Wrong ? …..When you can Flow-Rite!

Cincinnati Plumbers installations and repairs

This is a list of our recent satisfied Cincinnati residential Plumbing customers by Zip Code
  • Mary J. residing in 45211 ( we replaced her 50 gallon water heater with a State 50 gallon high efficiency water heater).
  • John D. residing in 45227 ( we installed a new  vent free gas fireplace insert and ran new gas piping to it).
  • Sam A. residing in 45236 ( we installed a new frost-proof outdoor hydrants to replace his older ones that had frozen and busted).
  • Gavin W. residing in 45212 ( we replaced his sewer lateral from outside the house to the sewer in the street due to root intrusion from nearby trees and shrubbery).
  • Ismail A. residing in 45211 ( we removed his broken septic tank and installed a new public sewer lateral).
  • Darin H. residing in 45246 ( we repaired his incoming water service by replacing two leaking shut off valves at his water meter saving him costly water bills).
  • Richard G. residing in 45245 ( we repaired his leaking toilet to save him costly water bills in the future).
  • Jeff F. residing in 45236( we replaced his stolen copper water lines due to a recent break in with new C.P.V.C. plastic water lines throughout the whole house).
  • Liz V. residing in 45211(Thanks to a family members referral we installed a new fifty gallon natural gas State brand water heater for her. Her old water heater lasted a long time (25 yrs) that sets a new record for us. The oldest water heater we have replaced was 22 yrs old until now!)
  • Steve S. residing in 45211 ( we installed a new vent free fireplace and gas piping so he can be nice and warm this Christmas).
  • Ismail A. residing in 45211 ( as a returning customer to Cincinnati Plumbers we replaced the temperature and pressure relief valve on his existing water heater  so that he can get a few more years on his older water heater.) This was a cost savings to him and his family!
  • Jack E. residing in 45211 ( a returning customer that needed a toilet replaced because his flooring company didn’t do it rite the first time!)
  • Dave R. residing in 45238 (we replaced his leaking plumbing stack below the first floor bathroom and installed a new toilet and sink in the same bathroom.)
  • Debbie M. residing in 45069 ( we unclogged her toilet that had backed up and gave her a senior citizens discount for the service call)
  • Rob G. residing in 45249 ( We installed a new Disposal for the family’s kitchen sink)
  • Julie S. residing in 41075 (We repaired two frozen water lines in her garage)
  • Dave R. residing in 45056 ( We unclogged his main drain and stopped his house and valuables in the basement from being damaged)
  • Dan W. residing in 45223 ( We installed a new sump pump and drainage system in his leaky basement so he won’t have to worry about the rainy season)
  • Dawn S. residing in 41701 ( We replaced a Bathroom sink and faucet as part of her bathroom remodel)
  • Jack K. residing in 45014 ( We replaced the family’s 13 yr old tank type water heater with a new Eternal Hybrid water heater saving them money in natural gas costs and a refund from uncle sam to boot)
  • Robin B. residing in 45208 ( we replaced a deteriorated portion of sink piping making her kitchen sink usable again)

How to choose a toilet.

Don’t buy one of the “ALL IN ONE TOILET IN A BOX KITS” FROM YOUR LOCAL  HARDWARE CHAIN STORES!

Remember you get what you pay for when it comes to toilets!

As a Plumbing contractor/ Installer in Cincinnati I have had the chance to see a lot of different toilets perform on the jobs we perform. First of all any toilet that you can purchase now days is going to be a 1.6 gallon flush volume or lower. This is mandated by the E.P.A. for water conservation. It’s a good thing to conserve water however the problem lies in the toilets ability to flush the waste away with less water than the older traditional toilets no longer available.

There are few manufactures that have really solved this problem thus far. Our knowledge of on the job experience as far as callbacks and complaints go have left us with a few favorites. Like I said before” you get what you pay for when it comes to toilets”.

Below is a list of a few toilets we install and recommend installing if you’re doing it yourself!

  • American Standard Cadet 3
  • Gerber Avalanche

Any pressure assist type toilet with a Sloan valve in it.

Pressure assist type toilets are the cats meow when it comes to a 1.6 gallon flush. They cost 90 to 100 dollars more but are an asset to the plumbing industry as far as toilets go! They work off a very simple principal and that is incoming water supply pressure. Most people have a substantial amount of water pressure supplied to their homes now days. To reap the benefits of a pressure assist toilet you would need to have anywhere from 40 to 60 lbs psi of incoming water pressure. Basically the toilet uses your water pressure with the volume of 1.6 gallons to increase flushing capacity of solids and waste without ever getting the tank wet. It still has a tank  however inside that tank is another small football size tank which houses the 1.6 gallons of water and uses that pressurized water to flush quicker and stronger when you push down on the tank lever.

I can’t ever remember having a service call to unclog a pressure assist toilet because someone used too much paper or just overloaded the toilet. There is only one drawback to the functionality of this awesome flushing toilet and it is……….that it’s  more noisy than a tank type toilet when you flush it. You won’t hear an alarm or bells ringing but it will make a louder flushing noise when you flush because of that pressure I spoke of earlier. So if you can put up with a little more noise when you flush and pay that initial 90 to 100 dollars more, then you won’t be dissatisfied with a Pressure assist toilet!

Take advantage of a knowledgeable Cincinnati Plumber and Call (513) 383-4242 

How to install a toilet.

Follow these Easy Steps to install a toilet.

Below is a list of steps you should follow when attempting to replace a toilet at home.

  1. Make sure all old wax is removed from the toilet flange.
  2. Place the new toilet bowl over the old flange to get an idea where the new bowl will be  when it is square from the wall and installed permanently.
  3. Using the toilet seat holes on the bowl measure their distance from the rear wall to the center of the holes making sure that they are equidistant from the wall thus making the bowl square with the wall.
  4. Next trace around the bottom of the bowl where it meets the floor to make an outline.
  5. Remove the toilet bowl and set aside.
  6. Prepare your new flange bolts by inserting them into the toilet flange bolt slots.
  7. Place a new wax ring over the center of the existing toilet flange.
  8. Prepare either plaster of Paris mix or a sanded grout mix that matches your flooring if tile.
  9. Apply the mix using the previous outline you traced around the toilet bowl being careful not to go outside the line.Do this all the way around the line about an inch tall depending on the height of your flange to floor distance.
  10. Grab the new toilet bowl and place over the toilet flange bolts.Apply steady downward pressure while rocking back and fourth slowly until the bowl seats against the flange.
  11. Place your toilet flange bolt nuts and washers along with the plastic cap washers right side up and tighten snugly.
  12. While using a level to adjust the side to side and front to back leveling of the toilet be prepared to adjust the tightness of the bolts as needed to compensate.
  13. If using plaster of paris then simply wipe your finger around the perimeter of the base of the toilet to leave a caulk like finish around the edge.Leave the leftover ring of plaster to dry for easy removal later.
  14. If using grout then follow the manufacturers instructions.
  15. In either case you need to let the mixed base that you set the toilet in dry.With Plaster this will only take about ten minutes.
  16. Place the toilet tank on the rear of the toilet bowl and fasten it with the bolts provided by the manufacturer.
  17. Install a new water supply line to the toilet fill valve per instructions.Usually this is the opposite of how you removed the old water supply line however you may want to make it easy on yourself and use a new flexible supply line for toilets.Remember that longer supply lines are better than one that is to short so measure first.
  18. Put the tank lid on and turn the water shut off back to the on position to check for leaks and proper flush.
  19. Last but not least. Cut off any length of toilet flange bolts that won’t allow for the plastic nut covers to snap onto the plastic washers you put in before in step11.
  20. Snug down the nuts at the flange bolts again before covering.

Wait one minute I forgot to tell you to put your new toilet seat on. OH WELL, I guess you would have figured that out on your first sit down use! Enjoy your new toilet!

Any Questions call a licensed Cincinnati Plumber at (513) 383-4242

As always. Why be Wrong….When you can Flow-Rite!

Roots in the sewer

Do you have roots in your sewer?

Many people who find that they have roots in there sewer usually have had a clog form where all the drains in the house are backed up. Usually they first notice the back up at the lowest point in the drainage system and that point is usually at the basement floor drain or the floor drain in the water heater room in ground level houses.Then they call a Cincinnati plumber to come and use a drain snake to clean out the sewer.

Next is when the problem rears it’s ugly head just as the plumber pulls back a big ball of roots attached to the end of his auger that have found there way into your sewer piping somehow. Not only is this a common problem with sewers outside the house but a very common problem among older houses piping even those that don’t have a public sewer connection but connect to a septic tank.

The most common misconception about how the roots got in the pipe is when the homeowner says “well there aren’t even any trees around where you say the problem is”. It doesn’t even have to be a tree in close proximity to the sewer line.It can even be from shrubs such as thick ground covering like ivy varieties as far as example of what people don’t consider trees.We have seen a lot of cases where the culprit is a boxwood type shrub planted just next to the house in the flower beds.

All this may make it seem like you shouldn’t  even plant any vegetation in your yard just to be safe.The fact of the matter is that it is not really the plants fault at all.Don’t get me wrong it’s not the best idea to plant a tree or shrub directly over the top of a known sewer location no mater how deep the sewer is.This is all easier said than done though as I have large shrubs and bushes in my own front yard in fairly close proximity to my buildings sewer.

When I said it wasn’t the plants fault that your sewer has roots in it. It’s the truth.The reason a plant of any kind puts it’s roots in a sewer is simple really.Lets think about it.inside any sewer pipe there are at least three things that a plant  of any kind needs to survive. These are WATER,NUTRIENTS and OXYGEN.

Now for the reason that the roots find their way in the piping and that is simple as well. First and foremost there has to be a point at which the hair like roots can enter the piping. This usually occurs at a joint where the sewer piping joins together underground with one length of pipe to another. These joints often become deteriorated over time especially in older types of piping such as concrete and cast iron types. A piping joint is not the only way roots can find their way in though. It only takes one crack or one pinhole in a piping system to let them in.

Once in the piping it may take months or a year for the root system to grow to a size where it becomes a major problem while catching all sort of debris such as solids and toilet paper in it’s hair like extensions.

The solution to these root infiltrations is not to treat the piping with chemicals! This is a huge misconception and bad advice if given to you by any one especially a plumber.

The only way to solve this problem is to replace the bad portion of piping  completely and remove all possible points of root penetration!

There are many people who waste their money time and time again by paying for chemicals to try and kill off the roots in their sewer piping slowly because of bad advice or what they read on the container of chemicals they buy at the hardware store. Take it from an expert that you will be calling a plumber sooner than later to replace the piping. It may take some people a while for it to sink in that spending money month after month on chemicals that don’t solve the problem just isn’t the answer. If that isn’t enough maybe the monthly or bi-monthly sewer cleaning calls that they pay for along with the chemicals will change their minds!

As always,

Why be wrong? …..When you can Flow-Rite!

Tank or Tankless Water Heater?

We have an answer for you!

I can guarantee that if you have a tankless water heater installed you will be disappointed with one thing for sure! The most popular complaint about tankless water heaters is that when multiple hot water sources are used at once the water pressure drops dramatically! This is the nature of the beast. Not one tankless water heater out there can give you the volume of hot water at one time that a common residential one and a half or two bathroom house desires.

Why waste the energy and expense of heating water when your not using hot water. This is typical of tank type water heaters that have been around for years. Since natural gas prices have gone on the rise we tend to start thinking about those tankless type water heaters that only heat the water when you need it and stop heating the water when you don’t. This is a great concept and has its usefulness.

The answer is in the middle.

There is even a better solution to the lingering high natural gas prices. This solution is a hybrid water heater. Sounds weird I know. This water heater is the best of both worlds though. Its venting method is cheaper to purchase and install than that of most all tankless water heaters.Its size is relative to less than half the size of a 50 gallon tank type water heater. Best of all it can produce endless hot water in a significantly higher volume than any tankless water heater on the market and take up only half as much more space than any tankless water heater. It also only heats the water only when you need it just like a tankless water heater does only with no pressure drop. Also this water heater is eligible for tax credits for energy conservation starting in 2009. All of this for only a slightly bit more than what a tankless water heater costs.There is also a better warranty included up to 20 years on the tank.

If you are looking for the your next water heater or a water heater for a new installation then do yourself a favor and check out this website. http://eternalwaterheater.com and Cincinnati Plumbers to Install this amazing water heater!

How to remove a Toilet

Below is a list of steps you should follow when attempting to replace a toilet at home.

  1. Turn off the water supply valve or the water valve to the house if there isn’t one at the toilet supply.
  2. Flush the tank and hold down the flush lever to remove as much water as possible.
  3. Remove any additional water in the tank and bowl with a wet vac or sponge.
  4. Remove the water supply line at the toilet side connection by hand or with a wrench.
  5. Loosen the two nuts(one on either side at the base of the fixture.Sometimes these are covered by egg-shaped plastic caps  which can be removed by slightly prying with a flat-head screwdriver. If you cannot unscrew the nuts by hand you may need to remove them by some means of cutting such as a saws-all or hacksaw.
  6. After the nuts are removed and the tank and bowl are empty you can then grasp the toilet underneath the point where the toilet seat bolts down on either side of the fixture.With two hands and a steady rocking motion side to side while pulling upward you should be able to remove the toilet from it’s flange at the floor.
  7. Set the old fixture aside or discard.
  8. Remove all old wax from the toilet flange at the floor and dispose in the trash.
  9. You have now removed the old toilet and are ready to install a new one.
  10. Call Cincinnati Plumbers to install a new toilet!

Winterizing Your Plumbing System

Winterizing your plumbing is a virtually cost-free alternative to frozen pipes.

  • Turn off the main shutoff valve or have the water company turn off service to the house.
  • Starting at the top floor, open all faucets, both indoors and outside.
  • When the last of the water has dripped from the taps, open the plug at the main shutoff valve if possible (if you have to, contact the water company), and let it drain.
  • Turn off the power or gas to the water heater and open its drain valve.
  • To freeze-proof the system, empty toilet bowls and tanks.
  • Remove the clean out plugs on all sink traps (or remove the traps, if necessary).
  • Once emptied, replace them and fill with plumbing antifreeze mixed with water in the proportions specified for car in your climate.
  • You won’t be able to drain tub and shower taps. Instead, add at least a full quart of antifreeze.
  • Don’t put antifreeze into a dishwasher or clothes washer.
  • If your home has a basement floor drain or a main house trap, fill each with full-strength antifreeze.