Ken's Plumbing | Blog

Discover the essential steps to troubleshoot your sump pump effectively and keep your basement dry. Follow this comprehensive guide to address any issues and ensure your sump pump is in optimal working condition.

Pipes are a nutrient oasis for tree roots. Why? They contain oxygen, nutrients, and water, things the roots naturally seek. Vapor from the pipes escapes to the outside soil and the roots grow toward the moisture in the pipe. If it can, the root will find a crack or small hole in the pipe and then grow—which widens the hole in the pipe and makes things worse.

Once inside, the root will continue to grow which then acts as a collector of toilet paper and waste, causing blocks to the line. Eventually, the clog will completely block the flow and make a big mess as well as a costly fix.

Fortunately, there are four ways to help prevent these problems before they start. Here are tips for how to protect your plumbing from tree roots:

Our shower habits causing damage to our plumbing is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you turn the knob to get the shower going, but the way we get ready every morning can have a big effect on our plumbing system. So, what are those things we do that can cause unwanted trouble? Here is a list of bad shower habits that can ruin your plumbing:

As spring approaches, it's time to think about a little more than just cleaning. The season is also a good time to assess and maintain your plumbing system. Regular maintenance can help to decrease the chances of serious problems with your system and prevent costly damage and a visit from a professional. Here is your spring plumbing maintenance checklist:

No doubt that we love our pets! They are part of the family, and like any family member, sometimes they can be a little bit of a handful. They can chew on a favorite toy or shoe, or they can scratch our floors and furniture. Although our furry friends don’t mean it, they can also cause a few issues with our plumbing if we are not aware. This happens because the effect they have on our system is not readily apparent. In order to keep our pipes and pets happy, we put together a list of tips to pet-proof your plumbing.

Ice dams are a common winter phenomenon that causes damage to your home when the combination of warm air leaking from poor ventilation in your attic melts snow on your roof which then leaks and refreezes on your eaves. The ice dam can be even more dangerous if your gutter system is clogged. It is important to understand what ice dams are and learn how to prevent them because unchecked they can cause serious damage to your roof, gutters, interior drywall as well as paint and insulation on any exposed surface.

In short, yes.  Even in dry weather it is important to stay on top of any possible plumbing issues, but when the weather gets wet, it’s even more important to understand how rain, especially heavy rain, can affect your plumbing. This is the first step to avoiding and correcting issues as they arise—even preventing basement or crawl space flooding. Here are some ways that rain can affect your plumbing.

Plumbing problems are never a fun thing to deal with, especially when they come as a surprise. Sometimes it can be difficult to predict problems with your plumbing system because so much of it is behind walls or underground. However, with the right tips and tools, many plumbing issues can be delayed or avoided completely. Let's take a look at 5 plumbing problems and how to avoid them.

Do-It-Yourself projects, whether it's building your own furniture, installing new flooring, or fixing broken appliances, allow people to truly enjoy the sense of accomplishment and the money they saved by doing the project without professional help.

However, there are certain times when attempting to complete a project or repair on your own can be detrimental to you, your home, or both.

Today we're going to look at how you can tell whether a plumbing job can be done yourself, or if you should call in a professional plumber to handle it for you.