Rick Hedge started in the plumbing business in 1982, at the ripe old age of four. He began by helping his father in his business, which is now known as The Plumber’s Plumber, located in Southwestern Florida. Here, Hedge talks about different aspects of plumbing, from trenchless technologies to avoiding cheap plumbing materials and bathroom fixtures to using the right toilet tissue.
Why We Are the Plumber’s Plumber
We don’t try to steal work from the competition, but we are more than happy to work alongside other plumbers and help them in any way we can. It’s all part of our service — doing the best for our customers and doing right by everyone.
What to Expect From an Honest Plumber
When we give you a quote, we never tell you the highest price. We pride ourselves in giving our customers a variety of options, so they can choose the best solution for them.
Avoid Cheap Plumbing Materials
You might be sorely tempted to buy cheap plumbing materials, as well as cheap bathroom fixtures, when it comes to remodeling or building your home. But, you shouldn’t: It will only be a false economy in the end.
How Plumbers Handle Odor Problems
Most people have never heard of smoke testing, but it’s a great way to find out where an odor in your house is coming from. The smoke will follow the odor, and basically lead us to it. Don’t worry: We always inform the fire department before we carry out smoke testing of any kind!
Professional Drain Unclogging
Water jetting and snaking are usually the two best methods to unclog a drain professionally. If normal do-it-yourself procedures have all failed, call in your local plumber to do the job for you.
Tips to Keep Sinks Unclogged
The worst thing you can ever do for a sink is to put tons of hair down it. If we’re talking about a kitchen sink, perhaps the most harmful substance is cooking grease, or cooking oil. Be kind to your drains and your pipes, and they will perform better for longer.
What is DrainForce?
This is a natural bacteria cleaner which is environmentally friendly, which we recommend to households and commercial premises alike. It’s so good that we even give complimentary bottles to our customers. Restaurant owners love it.
Shower Pan Leaks
If your shower pain needs to be replaced, that can involve a complete overhaul of your bathroom. Other issues, however, can result in a leaky shower. When in doubt, call in a plumber.
Toilet Tank Problems
Two potential problems are incredibly easy – and cheap – to solve when it comes to a toilet that will not flush. Either the flush valve needs to be replaced, or the toilet flapper is faulty. Your water bills will soar if you don’t take care of these problems quickly.
How to Prevent Toilet Problems
If your toilet is getting clogged in a regular basis, the problem is either because you are using two-ply toilet paper, or are regularly flushing down “flushable” wipes. There is no such thing as a flushable wipe. They only clog up your toilets and make life that much more miserable for everyone.
How to Fix Your Garbage Disposal
There are two simple tricks to fixing a garbage disposal yourself. One involves pressing the reset button. The other involves introducing the blade to a broom handle, when the power is off. If all else fails, call a plumber.
Water Heater Maintenance
Water heaters need to be maintained regularly, especially since their shelf life is usually not longer than seven years. If you are having problems getting regular hot water, it might be time to invest in a new water heater.
Sewer Excavations
Under circumstances where trenchless pipe replacements are not possible, we use an excavator to dig up a defective pipe and replace it with a new one. We always make sure we locate utilities first, and are careful to cause as minimal disruption as possible.
Locating Under-Slab Leaks
Detecting under-slab leaks is an art, and one that requires skill, patience and a practiced ear. You also need a plumber with the right equipment for the job, and one who won’t disturb the surface aboveground too much.
Defects in Drain Pipes
Many reasons exist why a pipe may have a defect, including when a tree root grows inside it, or when it suffers from lack of space due to trees pushing on it as they grow. The repair often depends on the reason why the pipe has a defect.
Trenchless Pipe Replacement
This is a way in which we can replace outdated or defective pipes with little disruption to the surface. It’s a great technology that we use both domestically and commercially – as well as in industrial applications.
Installing Pipe Lining
If you do not want to replace all the pipes in your home, you can install new pipe lining inside your existing pipes. It’s a much cheaper solution and an affordable and durable way to prevent pipe corrosion.
Whole House Re-Pipes
A whole house re-pipe is nothing to be scared of, as the whole procedure can be carried out in a day. If you are suffering from numerous leaks in your home, this might be a necessity. We can do it either above or under slab.
What is Backflow Testing?
Backflow testing is important to make sure that no backflow, or contaminated water, enters your drinking water supply. Having certified backflow prevention devices is also the law in most areas.
The Problem With Waterless Urinals
If you are going out urinal shopping – and who isn’t? – spend the money and buy a flushable urinal, not a waterless one. The waterless ones are usually ones the break down quickly, unless you adhere to manufacturer’s instructions. Most people don’t, and as a result, the smell is far from pleasant.
