It’s summer, and this is the most common time for home buyers to search the Charlotte real estate market. Unfortunately, many people aren’t aware of problems that may exist in a home that are not found by inspectors, especially plumbing leaks and poor plumbing systems. Before buying a home filled with plumbing repair needs, be sure to check out the various plumbing fixtures so you know what you’re getting yourself into.

In the bathroom, be sure to inspect the floor; look around the base of the toilet for water damage, and test to make sure there are no soft spots in the floor. These are signs of water leaks, typically existing. If you find black and white stains or rolled vinyl flooring, these are also clues that water leaks may have previously plagued the area or are currently a problem. Also be sure to press tiles on the wall to check for leaks and loose tiling. Before you move on, flush the toilet and make sure it works properly, not draining too slowly or causing water to leak.

To check for adequate piping and water pressure, turn on a bathtub faucet and the kitchen sink faucet. If the pressure is significantly reduced with both running, the piping may have a large amount of calcium and mineral deposits and need to be replaced. While you are in the kitchen, make sure the connections to the dishwasher and garbage disposal are tight and show no signs of leaks. Also, check within the cabinetry to assure there is no water damage, including stains, rotted corkboard, or sagging bottoms. Be sure to check the washing machine hose as well, since these can rupture and lead to extensive water damage.

The first four digits of the serial number on a water heater are the month and year of manufacture. If the water heater in the home is more than 15 years old, you’ll want to contact your local Charlotte plumbing company to replace it. You may also want to check for rust on the tank, as this is a sign of impending issues with the hot water heater. If you are unsure of problems you may find, you can get assistance with inspections from our Charlotte water heater technicians, available to help you assess the value of the plumbing system in your prospective home purchase.

Nothing ruins the look of a well-maintained bathroom than ring around the toilet. It can be disgusting, as well as highly unsanitary.

Salt deposits cause the recurring ring around the water line of your toilet. That unpleasant brown line is the salt residue that remains after organic deposits have been flushed and the calcium and magnesium ions of hard water in the bowl starts to evaporate.

Removing the toilet ring permanently is highly unlikely, but turning your toilet bowl white again can be as simple as pouring a cup of white vinegar into your bowl once a month. When cleaning it, use soft bristles to scrub the inside of the bowl.

Ring around the toilet can be a minor problem with the proper maintenance. Feel free to call our Charlotte NC plumbers at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing for more information. Contact our Charlotte plumbing company today, or visit us online.

With gas prices currently skyrocketing, many area residents are trying to find new ways of saving money. They’re using fans rather than turning on the air conditioner. They’re keeping lights off and vampire appliances unplugged.

In dealing with water conservation, one method that may help in saving money is using greywater in a recycling effort. Greywater is the wastewater generated from bathing, washing clothes, washing dishes, etc., that can be reused for projects such as irrigation. Greywater can compose as much as 80 percent of wastewater generated from home sanitation equipment associated with a residential property.

Greywater usage can be used for toilets as well as underground irrigation systems. Greywater usage can offer a 30-percent reduction in water usage, which can save you money on your utility bill. Greywater is an excellent option, however, only if your state allows its use. Some states have not adopted the Uniform Plumbing Code, which prohibits greywater use indoors. The code simply governs the installation and inspection of plumbing systems as a means of promoting the public’s health and safety.

Greywater is an environmentally safe answer to saving money during these times of other products increasing in price. Let our Charlotte plumbing company provide you with more details on greywater, as well as water line and pipework information. Give us a call today, or visit us online.

For many people, bathroom remodeling is fun to discuss, especially when it is an anticipated springtime project. It’s also difficult to get a plan into motion. Today’s homeowner, particularly if he or she lives in an older home, wants a bathroom that has more of a state-of-the-art appeal to it.

The hard part, however, is actually putting the plan into fruition. A newly remodeled bathroom isn’t cheap, for starters, and the bathroom requires someone who has a mind for great ideas. Saying you want a bathroom makeover is one thing; having the necessary ideas is another.

Some renovations, for those who aren’t the bathroom brainstorming types, include a brand-new walk-in shower, a whirlpool bath, a low-flow shower head or even a new toilet. Others look for bathroom faucets and sinks that have futuristic appeal to it. Then, there are others who simply want a change in the bathroom flooring, lighting or walls. You can start the remodeling process by jotting down some of the things you don’t like about how your bathroom currently looks and take it from there.

Our Charlotte NC plumbers are more than happy to assist you with designing a new bathroom for your home. If your thought processing is stuck in neutral, we can offer excellent suggestions that will give your bathroom an instant upgrade. If you have your ideas ready, let our plumbers handle all installation and maintenance services at affordable rates.

Call our Charlotte plumbing company, or visit us online for more information on bathroom remodeling.

February, with Valentine’s Day, is the month of love and appreciation. Our Charlotte NC plumbers want to show our appreciation with its latest promotion.

Our plumbing company specializes in tankless water heater service, installation and repair. From now until the end of February, we are offering one of three free options with the purchase of a tankless water heater. Buy a heater and receive either an H2O Harmony Entire house water filtration, The Stealth toilet or a lifetime warranty on the purchased water heater.

The Stealth, offered exclusively by Benjamin Franklin, is the premier choice in flush and water conservation, saving you up to 20 gallons of water each year.

Don’t let this plumbing promotion pass you by. Give our Charlotte plumbing company a call today, or visit us online for more information on this February-only offer.

Everyone’s heard the adage about the certainty of “death and taxes,” but there are two other inevitable factors for Charlotte NC plumbing customers to consider when repairing or remodeling a bathroom: accidents and aging. The National Safety Council reports that almost 200,000 people are injured annually in their bathroom. In addition, the number of senior citizens and disabled Charlotte residents continues to increase. Your local plumbers are ready to help.

To aid those with special needs (now or in the future) and reduce accidents, Ben Franklin plumbers install bathroom fixtures that are attractive, practical and safe for Charlotte families and businesses. For residential baths, our plumbers recommend design ideas and the latest safety features. We aim to meet the needs of families throughout their life cycles, including considerations such as infants, visually impaired adults, people with physical size requirements, and seniors with difficulty walking.

For homes and offices, installations can be created to meet requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Whether your goal is to provide accessibility to all, or a “universal design” to meet as many special needs as possible without specialized design, North Carolina plumbing professionals work hard to find the best solution for you.

Some key universal design considerations include adequate knee and toe clearances under fixtures, faucets and handles located in a reachable range, and easy operation of movable parts. Grab bars should be placed intelligently, and tested for load-bearing ability. Toilets are available in a variety of styles and heights, with 14 to 15 inches from the floor (floor to top of rim) being standard. Products billed as being more comfortable are 16 to 17 inches high, similar to a chair. Shorter types may be installed in schools or day care centers to serve Charlotte, NC children.

Homeowners without special needs still want to avoid accidents in the bath area. The most common accidents are slips, falls and scalding from hot water. Plumbers may address your bathroom safety concerns with tips like these from the National Kitchen and Bath Association:

• Avoid steps leading into tub or shower areas. Slip-resistant flooring also helps eliminate falls and reduce the risk of falls.
• Consider installing a platform around the tub where you can sit down before entering or after exiting.
• Choose shatterproof glass in shower enclosures, and install hinged doors to open out into the room rather than into the shower.
• Prevent scalding by installing pressure-balanced, temperature-controlled valves in every bath or shower in your Charlotte NC home. Faucets should be easily reached from outside the enclosure.
• Keep water sources and electrical switches a safe distance apart. Use circuit interrupters on electrical plugs to shut them off when a hazard is detected.

To stay safe, and improve the look and value, of your bathroom, contact your local Charlotte NC plumber. Set up a consultation to start planning your beautiful, safe bathroom today.

Let’s be honest with ourselves: Plumbing appliances and fixtures will wear down around the house.

Plumbing repairs can make a homeowner moan and groan, but regular maintenance will keep your fixtures and pipes in excellent standing, which in turn can help in keeping the resale value of your home above market price. Your home is an investment and should be treated as such, and all investments deserve proper maintenance.

It’s a good idea to have a professional plumber inspect your home for potentially hazardous problems before they become major, high-dollar repairs. There are several common problems that every home, old or new, seems to have. Be on the lookout for the following mishaps:

Clogs: A clogged toilet can be fixed with a plunger or a plumber’s snake. A clogged drain can be fixed with liquid drain cleaner (Drano, for example). If these don’t work, there could be something severe that will need the service of a licensed plumber.

Gas leaks: These can be extremely dangerous. If you smell gas, leave the facility immediately, and then call an emergency plumber. Gas leaks, in addition to being harmful, also can be detrimental to your neighbors and your surroundings.

Bad pipes: If a pipe cracks or bursts, make sure you find the main water valve and shut your water off. The last thing you want is to have a broken pipe and water flooding.

Frozen pipes: This may be a two-month or three-month ordeal, depending on the climate, but winter temperatures can make life miserable if a pipe bursts because of freezing. To avoid frozen pipes, let your faucets drip a small stream of water to maintain the flow.

Make sure you and your family members are ready for these common plumbing mishaps. You never know when they can happen, but it’s always good to be prepared for them. Feel free to contact our expert Charlotte NC plumbers for additional information. Call us today, or contact us online.

At Ben Franklin Plumbing in Charlotte, NC; we specialize in unclogging drains. A clogged drain is the most common type of plumbing malady. There are several types of clogs for several types of drains. Often, plunging is not enough.

Over time, you may notice your shower drain is slowing to a crawl. Suddenly, you find yourself ankle deep in water. This is a common occurrence for many Charlotte homes. You may find yourself reaching for the plunger first, however, the drain clog is likely too stubborn for simple plunging. A shower drain is often caked with hair and soap.

Then there are drain clogs in your sink. Your sink drain takes a beating. Food particles, grease, and everything else you throw at it accumulate; and you’re stuck with a stubborn drain clog. When these elements form their synergistic clog; there is little hope that simple plunging will remedy the issue at hand.

Your toilet is the site of the most dreaded clogs in known history. Various hygiene products or a child’s toy cause clogs that eventually overflow and damage your flooring. A dollar store plunger is never going to break this beast of a clog!

Your solution to all of these problems is the Charlotte Plumbers at Ben Franklin. We provide expert drain cleaning services with camera inspection. Our master plumbers will schedule regular drain maintenance for every drain in your home; so you will never have to face a clogged drain again. We use Drainvision to detect any potential clog or leak.

Call the professional plumbers at Ben Franklin of Charlotte, NC today for all of your drain clogs! 704-461-1700

Have you ever noticed a constant hissing noise coming from your toilet? If so, you may have a leaky toilet and higher water utility bills on your hands. You may use the following steps – courtesy of the Alliance for Water Efficiency – to troubleshoot the problem:

• Remove the tank lid to inspect the flushing system. Is the water level higher than 1 inch below the overflow tube? It shouldn’t be. Most likely, water is leaking through the overflow tube into the drain. Depending on the cause of the problem, it may be corrected by adjusting the water level, replacing the float or replacing the refill valve assembly.

• The leak may be caused by a worn or non-functioning flapper. This can be diagnosed using a test where a dye tablet is placed into the toilet’s water tank. If the color of the dye begins to appear in the toilet bowl, the source of the leak is the flapper. Toilet flapper replacement is a simple and easy process.

If you are experiencing difficulty in troubleshooting or fixing your toilet leak problem, contact a qualified Charlotte NC plumbing company. If your toilet is leaking at the base or through a crack in the bowl, you may have an advanced problem on your hands; a toilet reset or toilet replacement may be required.