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Monday-Saturday, Sunday after 1 pmI Sam 2:30a “Those who honor me, I will honor…”
Located At
9 Boileau Drive, Middletown, MD 21769
24-Hour Service
Monday-Saturday, Sunday after 1 pmI Sam 2:30a “Those who honor me, I will honor…”
I came home from work expecting to find a mess to clean up from drilling holes in my tile wall. There was nothing! What a pleasant surprise! V. Guyton
With daylight savings a little over a week away, you’ll soon want to spend as much time as possible outdoors if we’re lucky enough to get nice weather. It’s a good idea to get spring maintenance tasks out of the way early so you can enjoy those extra outdoor hours. Follow these 5 basic plumbing tips to keep your plumbing system running smoothly all spring.
You wouldn’t believe how much stuff can accumulate in your gutter system during winter. Dried leaves, sticks, and more can build up and clog your drain system quickly so take some time to clear them out so rainwater can run freely down the drains.
Over winter, it’s possible that a frozen plumbing pipe may have cracked. Turn on outdoor faucets and if there’s only a drip coming from the faucet rather than a steady flow, you’ll need to call Putman Plumbing to inspect for a broken pipe.
There’s nothing worse than a high water bill when you’re trying to save money for fun spring outings. If your water bill seems high, it could be a leaky toilet. Place a few drops of food dye in your water tank, then wait and see if it appears in the toilet bowl. If you see it within 30 minutes, you may have a broken seal or another broken part that a plumber will need to fix.
Sediment that accumulates in your water heater can cause corrosion. Not only can this reduce the efficiency of your water heater but it also shortens its lifetime. It’s a good idea to drain a few gallons of water from the water heater to remove some of that sediment. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, Putman Plumbing will be happy to help. You should also set your water heater at 120 degrees F — which is not so hot that it’s scalding but warm enough for showers, washing hands, dishes and laundry. You’ll also save on your energy bill.
On your toilets and at each sink, There are water supply valves used to control the water flow on your toilets and at each sink. These are handy when you need to perform a repair, since you can cut off water to a particular sink or toilet without turning off water in the whole house. These valves can get stiff when not in use, so turn them a few turns toward the “off” position and then back to loosen them.
Following these steps should put your plumbing system in good working condition this spring, but if you find yourself with a high water bill or you notice a leak, call Putman Plumbing. We’ll be happy to help.
Can you believe we’ve actually arrived in the year 2020? We may not have flying cars yet, but there are lots of things we couldn’t imagine would be possible even a decade ago. If you haven’t made any updates to your bathroom in quite a while, consider sprucing it up to take advantage of modern design and eco-friendly plumbing offerings. Here are a few suggestions to update your bathroom in the New Year.
Whether you go all out by installing a jacuzzi tub or simply want to add a new massaging showerhead, you’ll be happy to end your stressful day in your home bathroom. Our licensed plumbers in Middletown can help you choose and install the perfect elements to help you relax and feel pampered.
If you have old and worn bathroom fixtures that drip and leak, consider investing in new low-flow faucets and toilets that not only look great but also save money each month. We can recommend all the best brands and models.
Ready to do a total overhaul with sleek comfort-height vanities, marble countertops, a free-standing tub or waterfall shower? Talk to our Middletown plumbing company to find out how to add a little luxury in your bathroom. We work with Frederick County contractors to create beautiful modern bathrooms our customers never want to leave!
Don’t just keep thinking about stopping that drip or making those updates you’ve been talking about forever. Give us a call and get it done! We’ve been helping Frederick County residents add beauty and functionality to their kitchens and bathrooms for years. We would love to help you love your bathroom!
Happy New Year from the Putman team!
Yep, it’s true. There is actually a month dedicated to fixing your toilet. The EPA says a leaking toilet can add up to about 200 gallons of wasted water per day (or 78,000 gallons per year) which adds up to LOTS of wasted money, so someone somewhere decided to dedicate an entire month to preventing all that waste (no pun intended). If you’ve noticed any issues with your toilet, now is a great time to figure out what the problem is. We’ll tell you whether it’s something you can try to fix yourself or something that’s better left to your trusted Middletown plumbing company.
Your toilet is something you have to use every day, so don’t risk making the wrong fix or messing with parts you’re not familiar with. Call the most trusted plumbing company in Frederick County to have your toilet fixed during National Toilet Tank Repair Month!
With plenty of sun and warm temps this week in Frederick County, your household is likely to be using more water outdoors and indoors. In fact, studies show that the average family’s water usage can increase by up to 50% during the hottest months. To keep your utility bill from soaring this summer and maintain a problem-free plumbing system, follow these tips.
Call Putman Plumbing if You Need Any Summer Plumbing Help!
Enjoy playing in pools, on slip-n-slides, and all the other water fun summer brings. Just be sure to pay attention to any dripping faucets or other plumbing problems. Your friendly Middletown plumbing company would be happy to help!
This time of year in Harford County brings fluctuating temperatures that can cause plumbing problems. Very warm days followed by a cold spell can wreak havoc on pipes, leading to big trouble if you ignore signs that something is wrong. We’ll tell you about five common plumbing and drainage problems that can happen this time of year so you know what to look for.
If you notice these warning signs, call Putman Plumbing!
When water pressure is low, it’s often a sign that there’s a leak somewhere which could be coming from a cracked pipe. If it happens once, it’s probably no big deal, but if you notice it doesn’t return to normal, you’ll need a licensed Middletown plumber to take a look.
Leaky pipes will cause water to pool in the affected area. You may see small puddles under your outside faucet, a wet spot under your sink, or even a big puddle in the middle of the yard where an underground pipe has burst. It’s important to get this fixed right away so your water bill doesn’t go through the roof and to prevent more damage.
If you notice slow draining in all of your sinks, showers and tubs, it could be due to a tree root in the drain line. Water has a hard time getting past the root, so it won’t be able to drain as quickly. When all of your drains are slow, it’s important to have a plumber assess the situation in case a pipe needs to be repaired.
There could also be clogs in water pipes from holiday meals such as greasy foods clinging to the sides, but if this is the case you’ll just notice one drain operating slowly. Your trusted Frederick County plumber can remove the clog using a power rodding machine with drain cable.
When a sump pump discharge line is clogged with sticks, dirt, rocks and other debris, water can’t properly exit. Check to see if this is the problem, and clear as much as you can see to determine if that’s the problem. You may want to add a grated attachment that keeps debris from building up inside. If your sump pump still doesn’t work after clearing the line, give us a call to prevent a flooded basement this spring.
If you notice any of the above issues, contact us. We’ll be happy to come out and take a look to make sure your plumbing works well for the rest of the season!
Temperatures in Frederick County are a little warmer this week, but in the next few days we’ll drop well below freezing. Water pipes can burst when temperatures get low enough, so it’s a good idea to be aware of why that can happen and how to prevent it.
Many homes in Northern Maryland are built to withstand cold weather, but if you have an older home that has pipes along outer walls and an unconditioned attic, the “temperature alert threshold” is 20 degrees F. This threshold is based on research conducted by the Building Research Council at the University of Illinois.
Pipes don’t burst when ice initially forms inside of them, but rather when continued freezing and expansion causes water pressure to build up between the ice blockage and a closed faucet. It’s similar to what happens to a can of soda when it freezes (according to LiveScience.com, “Frozen soda can explosions are not due directly to water expanding as it freezes, but to the resulting pressure put on an isolated pocket of C02”).
If you open a faucet and no water comes out, turn it off quickly and call a trusted licensed Middletown plumber. Don’t attempt to thaw a frozen pipe with a lighter or other type of open flame since this can damage the pipe or even start a fire. If a plumber isn’t able to get to you quickly, put a space heater in the room where you think the frozen pipe is located, or if you have access to hot water, rub hot washcloths on the pipes.
Whether you suspect frozen pipes or you have a problem with your water heater, we can help. Just call our office and we’ll send a skilled, licensed Middletown plumber right over!
You may think cookies, candy, gifts and decorations are the most important parts of hosting a successful holiday party, but there’s something your guests will remember even more if it goes wrong — your plumbing! To avoid a disaster from happening while having a festive time with friends and family, follow these tips!
Point Guests to Multiple Bathrooms
You don’t want guests to have to wait in line to use the toilet, so let them know which bathrooms are available for use. It might mean cleaning the kids’ toilets before your party, but it will also prevent clogs that could happen from too many people using your hall bathroom.
Keep a Trash Can Near the Toilet
Hopefully most guests know what can be flushed and what can’t, but providing a trash can will be a good reminder. If you’re not sure about the toilet knowledge of some of your guests, place a sign that lists things NOT to flush like feminine products, baby wipes, and paper towels.
Provide a Plunger in Plain Sight
You don’t want guests to be embarrassed if they happen to cause an overflow. Keeping a plunger next to the toilet will ensure that guests can catch a clog before it floods the bathroom.
Keep an Eye on the Garbage Disposal
Hopefully you know by now not to put grease, oil, or hard items like bones in your garbage disposal. You never know if guests will try to grind the wrong foods, so it’s best to show them to the trash can when they’re finished eating.
We hope your party goes great and all your guests have a wonderful time. Just in case you have a clogged toilet, a broken garbage disposal, or any other plumbing issue, our licensed plumbers are only a phone call away. Happy Holidays!
Halloween is this Wednesday, and hopefully you’ve already enjoyed some of the fun and scary things going on around Frederick County. If you haven’t had your fill of Halloween fun, don’t worry. There are still some events in the area going on this week and next weekend.
Gaver Farm Field Trip on October 31. Meet up with other homeschooling families at this Mt. Airy Farm, where kids can wear their costumes, pick pumpkins, take a hayride, run through a corn maze and play on playgrounds!
Screamland Farms on November 2 and 3. This haunted attraction in Frederick will still be open next weekend, so check it out to experience the Hayride of Horrors and zombie paintball!
SuperHero Fall Kidfest in Leesburg on November 3rd offers a chance for your little ones to wear their costumes again and eat some yummy BBQ.
If your family plans to carve pumpkins this week or you’ll be making pumpkin pie in the near future, it’s important that you dispose of scraps properly. No parts of a pumpkin should ever go in the drain or garbage disposal! Stringy guts can clog drains and wrap around the blade causing it to stop, while pumpkin rinds and seeds are too hard for the blade to cut through, so they can damage the disposal.
Avoid a clogged sink and broken garbage disposal by scooping guts and seeds into a bowl or newspaper, then throwing the scraps into the trash can or a compost pile.
We hope you have a safe and fun Halloween. Plumbing problems can be scary, so if you need any plumbing help from a trusted plumber in Middletown this week or any time, give us a call!
It looks like it’s going to be a rainy week in Middletown. We’ve talked about the importance of a sump pump during rainy seasons to keep your basement dry, and that if you notice your sump pump acting strange you should call us. But there are also some other plumbing problems that can happen in stormy weather that can affect your plumbing system’s health and your family’s safety.
When an excessive amount of water backs up your sewer system, it can cause backdrafting in your home. It’s imperative that you find out how to prevent this from happening and how to handle it if it does in order to keep your family safe.
Appliances such as boilers and water heaters are designed to release harmful byproducts such as carbon monoxide and explosive methane gases through a flue where they safely exit the home. But when excessive rain water backs up your drain system, it can cause negative air pressure inside the home to draw in these dangerous gases. If this happens in your home, you’ll notice a sewer odor in your home. It’s important to identify where negative air pressure could be coming from, particularly during rain, sewer, or storm drain flooding. Some possibilities could be:
If you notice a sewer-like smell after heavy rains, be sure to call us for professional plumbing help. We will run tests to determine if backdrafting is the cause and if it is, we’ll find out why it’s happening. We may need to find a safer place to install your water heater, clear drains, or replace plumbing vents and exhaust fans. You can be certain we are the best plumbing company in Frederick County for the job!
Call Putman Plumbing for your sump pump or ventilation needs today. We’ll be happy to help.
It may be the first day of spring, but it clearly doesn’t feel like it in Frederick County! With up to 12 inches of snow expected in parts of Maryland, there’s a possibility that too much snow could settle on your roof and cause plumbing problems.
Your sewer releases gases through a vent stack located on your roof. After a really heavy snow, that vent can become blocked and prevent air pressure from regulating your system. Smelly, potentially dangerous gases can back up into your living space if the problem isn’t addressed quickly.
Signs that your sewer vent is blocked:
Gurgling in drains. You may hear gurgling or see water bubbling up and out of drains. You may even hear gurgling in your toilet after you flush. This happens because air that should be flowing up and out of the sewer vent has nowhere to escape but through the drains.
If your sewer vent is blocked, you may even hear gurgling in drains other than the one you’re using. For example, if you flush a toilet, you may hear gurgling in the tub. This indicates that these two plumbing fixtures share a vent-and it is blocked. In some cases, gurgling noises indicate that there is no vent for that drain or fixture.
Slow Drains. A single slow drain may just mean the drain or pipe is clogged, but if all of the drains in your home are slow and you’re also noticing the other issues we’re describing, blocked sewer vents are very possible.
Sewage Odors. If you smell rotten eggs coming from your drains and toilets, you’re probably smelling air escaping through the drains due to blocked sewer vents. You may even experience headache, nausea, dizziness and drowsiness due to these gases.
Of course the best solution is to clear snow away from the vent and melt any snow that has made its way into the vent, but that may not be possible right away during a snow like we’re expecting. An immediate way to prevent gases from entering your living space is to add water to basement floor drains, empty shower stalls and unused basement toilets. This helps because a blocked vent stack causes water to siphon from water traps in the drain line between each fixture and the main stack. As water is pulled from the traps to replace existing water/air flow, it will allow sewer gases to enter the home. More water in the traps prevents that gas from entering.
To prevent this problem from happening again, your trusted Middletown plumber can replace your vent pipe with a longer one so it’s less likely to become blocked.
Hopefully this will be the last winter storm in Frederick County. If you have plumbing problems now or any time this spring, give us a call.
