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Four Plumbing Cleaning Tips and Tricks from Your Residential Plumber

moonlight plumbing residential plumber

Has the pandemic had you looking around for your next home project? It may not be as exciting as a new build or a paint refresh, but as a residential plumber that sees it all, I bet your plumbing could use some TLC. Think of it as getting a head start on spring cleaning! 

With entire families having spent so much time at home the past several months, everyone’s plumbing has been working on overdrive and would benefit from a good cleaning. Fortunately, our residential plumber knows a handful of simple and effective ways you can clean your plumbing fixtures without many tools.

1. Clean Those Drains

While the drains in your home may be functioning just fine at the moment, consider giving them a quick clean. Gunk and grime will pile up over time leaving you with a clogged drain if you do not clean regularly. Cleaning out your sink, tub and shower drains every so often will also prevent future clogs. 

What you need: white vinegar, baking soda, hot water

  • Pour ½ a cup of baking soda down your drain 
  • Pour ½ a cup of white vinegar and let the mixture sit for 15 minutes 
  • Boil water 
  • After 15 minutes, pour one cup of your hot water down each drain
  • Repeat if necessary
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  • residential plumbing cleaning

2. Clear Your Traps

If you didn’t know, the “trap” is the curved pipe beneath your sink connecting the drain pipe to the sewer pipe. The purpose of this pipe is to hold some flushed water. This sitting water creates a seal in the pipe that prevents smelly sewer gases from coming back up. The unfortunate part of this curve is that it can also retain other items you flush. A regular trap cleaning can prevent clogs.

What you need: rubber gloves, bucket, wrench, scrub brush and soap

  • Put on rubber gloves
  • Place a bucket beneath the trap
  • Loosen slip nuts using a wrench (you can also try by hand) 
  • Remove the trap and pour everything inside into the bucket 
  • Scrub out your trap with soap and water
  • Replace the trap and tighten the slip nuts. 
  • Run the sink to ensure water is flowing correctly

3. Clean Shower Heads

Showerhead nozzles get clogged overtime with scale build-up from water minerals and the usual grime. When your home uses hard water, you’ll find this happening more often. To get the most out of your shower, use this quick cleaning method.

What you need: white vinegar, baking soda, gallon size plastic bag, rubber band 

  • Pour ⅓ cup of white vinegar into plastic bag
  • Put ⅓ cup of baking soda into plastic bag
  • Shake the bag and tie it around the nozzle with the showerhead submerged

You can also try removing your showerhead and scrubbing the nozzles from the inside. You’ll need to remove the filter, so clean that out while you’re in there!

4. Clean Grout Mold

Dark and humid environments are the perfect place for mold spores to spread. This means showers can be one of the biggest culprits that carry mold in your home. Take a look at your grout lines and see if there are dark spots between the tiles. Over time, if this mold grows, it can spread to other parts of your bathroom and eventually affect your health. 

What you need: white vinegar, spray bottle, coarse scrub brush, toothbrush, caulk

  • Ventilate your bathroom 
  • Put white vinegar into a spray bottle
  • Spray the solution onto mold and scrub with brush
  • Use a toothbrush for hard to clean grout lines
  • Caulk any missing or worn out grout lines once you are finished cleaning.
  • residential plumber
  • residential plumber

Need Assistance? Contact Our Residential Plumber Today!

Take it from this residential plumber that your energy is never wasted on a quick cleaning. However, if you do not have the time or motivation to clean your plumbing, we are here to help. Moonlight plumbing covers Mystic and Stonington, CT, and we are open and ready when you are. Whether you need a plumbing cleaning, fixture repair or replacement, we can handle any job no matter how big or small. Contact us today!

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What Happens to Your Piping When Using Non-Treated Tap or Well Water

We typically don’t think twice about the water running through our pipes. That is until it’s flooding our kitchen or we drink it. Many of us replace old pipes, clean / unclog them, and do general plumbing maintenance to our pipes. All of this is quite important. But, you should also be conscious of what flows through your pipes. Understanding the difference between treated and untreated water and the effects untreated water can have on your pipes is vital in maintaining pipe longevity. So, let’s dive in.

Plumbing Insights: the Difference Between Treated and Untreated Tap/Well Water

Understanding what each treated water has filtered out can help to clarify why it’s so much better. Listed below are the contaminants in untreated tap and well water.

  1. Untreated well water may have these contaminants in it:
    • Microorganisms
    • Nitrate
    • Heavy metals
    • Organic chemicals
    • Radionuclides
    • Fluoride
  2. Untreated tap water may have these contaminants it:

Effects of Untreated Water on Your Plumbing

First of all, untreated water contains many minerals. These minerals create deposits which can clog your pipes. This solidified scale of minerals (or limescale) accumulates in pipes, water heaters, washing machines, and dishwashers. This, in turn, can result in big expenses or repairs. Also, clogs can obviously lead to issues throughout the plumbing system. They can affect water pressure, cause appliances to fail, and more. What a headache!

Secondly, untreated water can also cause build up along the pipe walls and connectors. This leads to loose connectors in piping (so increases the chance of a break in piping and water flooding your house). In addition to leaks, it can also create condensation in undesired places.

Finally, untreated water can cause cosmetic issues. It leaves hard-to-clean residue on shower heads, faucets, etc due to mineral build up on the exterior appliances. No one wants that!

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  • plumbing
  • plumbing

How to Treat Your Water

To prevent your pipes from untreated water damage, there are two options:

  1. Install a water softener.
  2. Install a reverse osmosis water treatment system. 

So, what is a water softener? Great question. It’s a tank situated between your water source and the internal plumbing that services your home. Obviously, this tank helps to filter out the harmful contaminants that may be in your water. Similarly, reverse osmosis strips contaminants from your water through a semipermeable membrane. Talk to an expert to see which is the best option for your home.

Save Money, Treat Your Water

In the long run, to save yourself from cleaning up a flooded room, save your pockets from repair costs, and to save your future self the headache… treat your water! In addition to treatment, continue to do regular maintenance work to keep pipes clean and water flowing steadily. Furthermore, if you have questions, need guidance, or have the unfortunate situation of untreated water damaging your pipes, we are here to help. Contact our professionals today!

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Our Plumbing Contractors are Ready to Help With Your Next Bathroom Remodel

Remodeling bathrooms can be stressful and complicated which is why our plumbing contractors are here to help. Expert guidance doesn’t have to be pricey and intimidating, but rather an asset to you when remodeling your residential or commercial space. To help guide you a bit, our team of experts have provided some tips and trick below.

Remodeling Tips & Tricks from our Plumbing Contractors

  • Have a Plan Before You Start
    • As we stated above, working with experts doesn’t have to be difficult. Our professional plumbers at Moonlight Plumbing, are all about finding what works with your budget. In the end, working with an expert can potentially save you hundreds of dollars in repairs or redos. Planning not only helps you determine which experts to hire, but also helps set a budget and timeline for the project. Always a good idea to be prepared.
  • If You Need to Move Plumbing, We’re Here to Help
    • It is rarely recommended that one tries to move plumbing around without expert guidance. This can lead to much bigger issues if not done correctly. Our team of experts at Moonlight Plumbing consist of experienced plumbers who deliver high-quality work the first time around. Working in the commercial industry, we understand how important it is to meet deadlines and stay within approved budgets. That’s why we’re here to help.
  • Don’t Flush Your Money Down the Toilet – Instead Update it
    • Toilets are one of the biggest users of water in our bathrooms. With each flush you can save thousands of gallons of water each year using one of our toilet handles (both touchless and manual options to fit your budget). In the end, changing the toilet seat and handle instead of replacing the entire toilet can help save you money on your renovation and on your water bill.
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  • plumbing contractors
  • plumbing contractors
  • Touchless  Faucets and Shower Heads Can Change the Room’s Aesthetic (And Your Water Bill)
    • Touchless faucets, as we discussed in our last blog, are at a higher demand than ever because of the pandemic. We, at Moonlight Plumbing, can help spruce up your commercial restroom with a touchless faucet. In residential properties, we have manual faucets that have the functionality to reduce water usage. To accompany a new faucet, you can add a new shower head in the mix too. The best part about our new technology is that it’s not only aesthetically pleasing, but also is beneficial for conserving water. Check out all touchless options and statistics here.
  • To Accompany Your New Touchless Technology, Add New Lighting Too
    • Whether you add new light fixtures, additional light fixtures, or a skylight this will help make the space more welcoming and comforting. If you have the capabilities, dimmers are always a nice touch.
  • Finally, Add a Pop of Color with Paint and Decor
    • Typically, bathrooms are not always the biggest spaces. A pop of color and the right decor can drastically change the room. For budget friendly options, check out second-hand stores or garage sales to find “fixer-upper” furniture/decor.

Conclusion

Ready for your next bathroom remodel/renovation? Be sure to do your research on the best product for your new look, keep in mind the benefits of splurging on that new technology in the long run, and if you have any troubles reach out to an expert. Questions or concerns regarding plumbing, water heater, or equipment replacement? Call our team or reach out for a quote today. Talk soon!

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Commercial Plumber Provides Touchless Technology During COVID-19 Pandemic

commercial plumber

COVID-19 is making our world more touchless than ever. Protect yourself and others by installing new, touchless equipment in your commercial space. At the same time, save water (it’s a win-win)! But, before committing to anything our commercial plumbing experts can help educate you on the new technology. Let’s dive in.

Commercial Plumber Explains New Touchless Technology

  • What You Need to Know Prior to Implementing the Newest Water Efficient Technology
    • We at Moonlight Plumbing, your trusted commercial plumber, are committed to global water conservation.
    • We use products made by Sloan, a company that also focuses on making water conservation a top priority.
    • The products we use are the leaders of the industry in water efficiency. Compare Sloan’s products to industry averages in the full article.
    • Also know, Sloan is the first manufacturer to receive IAPMO green-certified products for commercial plumbing systems. What does this mean? We use top of the line equipment here at Moonlight Plumbing to install in your commercial space.
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  • commercial plumber
  • commercial plumber
  • Other Touchless, Water-Efficient Equipment Options
    • The most popular, and most recommended piece of technology, is our toilet handle option called “1.28 GPF Closet Flushometer”. It uses 20% less water than a typical 1.6 GPF handle commonly used by other companies.
    • Another option to save costs on water at your commercial space, we also have hybrid urinals. This urinal eliminates the water flush and integrates an automatic drain line purge to save on water usage and costs.
    • To compliment the above to products, choose from our selection of sinks as well. These sinks differ from basic models in that they are battery and solar-powered. This results in 60% less water usage and savings of up to 40% in water costs.
    • Lastly, another product option is shower heads. Our shower heads take the average from 42,000 gallons of wastewater to 8,300 gallons per day (80% decrease)! How? Because of the top-rated, programmed water technology in the equipment.

We’re Here For You

With commercial projects, it’s important to find and hire a reputable plumbing contractor you can trust. Our team of experienced plumbers promise to deliver high-quality work the first time around. We understand how important it is to meet deadlines and stay within approved budgets, which is why we work together to find the perfect solution for your plumbing needs. If you haven’t yet, call our top-rated plumbers at Moonlight Plumbing today to schedule an appointment!

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