Your septic system comes into play every time you take a bath, brush your teeth, flush a toilet, or do your laundry. This system carries waste water from your pipelines into the septic tank. Since it safely processes all of your wastewater and ensures proper sanitation, it is considered the most important part of your plumbing system.

If your septic tank breaks, the untreated and unsafe wastewater in your home comes back to your property. This is a serious plumbing issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. If you suspect something wrong with your septic system, here are some steps you need to take:

1. Avoid Overloading It

Your septic tank runs at a limited capacity since it can process only a certain quantity of wastewater at a time, depending on your property’s size. It usually dispenses wastewater at the same rate as or faster than it accumulates water. However, if it takes on too much water and fills up before it can empty itself, the excess water backflows through the pipes or your lawn instead of the tank.

Once you notice any signs of damage in your septic system, avoid overloading it with water to prevent dangerous sewage backups in your house. Call an emergency plumber and wait for them to arrive before using the system like normal.

2. Mind the Weather

The weather can sometimes slow down or even stop your septic system from processing normally for a certain period of time. For instance, severe storms can cause your septic alarm to go off or your drains to run much slower. To address this, consider using less water for the day. If the issue doesn’t resolve on its own after around 15 hours, seek experts in plumbing emergencies to check the underlying problem.

3. Determine the Exact Cause of Damage

Several reasons can cause your septic system to deteriorate over time. These poor conditions may seem ignorable at first but eventually become more serious over time. Here are some of the most common causes:

• Lack of maintenance
• Natural disasters
• Driving over the septic area
• Flushing solid items down the drains or toilets
• Using the kitchen garbage disposal

Most of the septic systems are underground, so you can’t check the damage yourself. It’s also unsafe to do so, especially if you don’t have the necessary training, skills, and equipment to do the task on your own. What you can do is to tell your septic contractor if you noticed any possible cause to help them diagnose the problem faster.

4. Call For Repairs

You have the option to ask for a tank pumping if you notice your septic system runs slowly. However, this is just a band-aid solution and does not actually fix the problem. It’s advisable to call for repairs as soon as possible to prevent further damage.

Conclusion

A problem with your septic system and tank can come in many forms: drains running slowly, toilets not draining properly, or wastewater pooling in drains or toilets. Besides causing nuisance due to foul odour, it can also lead you and your loved ones to suffer from health conditions when left untreated. For this reason, once you notice any sign of problems with your septic system, call a professional right away.

If you need help from skilled plumbers in Fredericton, then you’ve come to the right place. At 24 Hour Plumbing & Heating, we can make your septic tank up and running again in no time. Schedule an appointment today!

Water can seem pretty straightforward, but what many don't know is that it holds a bunch of minerals that can change the way your appliances work, how your food tastes, and more. When your water contains excessive levels of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, then you have hard water in your property.

This is quite common since it makes up about 85 percent of the United States and Canada. Sadly, hard water can cause plumbing emergencies if you don't deal with your water situation.

Fortunately, some interesting mechanical systems can address this issue, such as a water softener. Water can already seem soft on the surface because of its physical attributes, but what triggers the issues are the minerals that it contains.

What is Hard Water?

Hard water is household water that has high concentrations of dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium. Although these minerals aren't toxic and aren't harmful to drink, they can be quite destructive to your home's equipment and appliances.

When you have hard water, you'll always notice white, cloudy spots on your dishes, utensils, bathtubs, and sinks. In your teapots and kettles, you'll find crusty deposits at the bottom.

Besides that, hard water can also make lathering and rinsing much more challenging as it can make your items look faded and gray. Additionally, people with sensitive skin can experience irritation because of the high mineral content found in water.

What is a Water Softener?

Water softeners come in various sizes and types, so finding the perfect one for your home won't be as tricky. The water softener is installed by a home plumbing service in the basement, utility closet, garage, or wherever water enters your property.

Usually, a water softener will have a narrow water softener tank and a wide brine tank. These tanks connect to your home's water supply line, and a discharge hose runs to the softener tank to a nearby dry well or drainpipe.

Inside the softener tank, you'll find resin beads permanently sealed inside the tank. Since the brine tank has a removable lid, you can easily fill up the tank with salt pellets and potassium chloride pellets. These can help balance your water's mineral content, allowing you to soften your water.

How Does a Water Softener Work?

Your water will enter the water softener tank and trickle down through the resin beads. The resin beads have a negative charge, so it attracts positively charged minerals in your water. After that, the mineral deposits stick to the resin, and the softened water exits the tank and can flow through your house.

Once your beads have reached their maximum capacity, you'll have to regenerate your tank and flush it clean — this is where the brine tank gets to shine. The onboard computer of the tank will then calculate how much water has flown through the softener, and regeneration will begin automatically.

During the regeneration process, it slowly dissolves the potassium chloride and salt pellets in the tank. This is important because this mixture is responsible for washing your resin beads clean and will automatically revert to producing soft water.

Because of the complexity of the equipment, it's best to have a 24-hour plumber install the water softener for you. This way, you won't have to worry about experiencing tank issues and minimize the risk of water damage.

The Bottom Line: Do I Really Need a Water Softener?

If you want to protect your appliances, equipment, pipelines, silverware, and other metals in your home, having a water softener is ideal. Besides having to drink softer water and managing the amount of damage you get in your home, you'll also rest well, knowing you're eliminating certain health risks and plumbing issues.

Of course, you need to ask your 24-hour plumber if your home is eligible to have a water softener. And if you need it, it's best to have them install it themselves for your safety.

How Can We Help You?

If you're looking for a 24-hour plumber, look no further because we're here to help.

Here at 24 Hour Plumbing and Heating, we can solve your plumbing, heating, and air conditioning problems. Our team of experts provides various emergency services, such as sump pump installation, water softener and filter installation, drain cleaning, heating and air conditioning, septic tank repairs, and more.
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Learn more about how we can help you by booking an appointment with us today!

The climate control device that is responsible for Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning your home plays an essential role in keeping your house comfortable throughout the seasons of the year. A  home’s HVAC system is responsible for maintaining temperatures, regulating humidity, and clearing the air.

Ergo, having an efficient HVAC system is vital will be quite an understatement. It is a crucial part of your house.
Exploring and understanding the essential components of the HVAC system, role each one plays can help you in maintaining the HVAC parts. And in the case when something stops working, you can either look to fix it yourself or let experts take care of your plumbing and HVAC needs and get your HVAC system back in order right away.

Furnace

The furnace is a key component of the HVAC system. It is a large appliance usually stored in a basement, attic, utility room, or garage. There are different types of furnaces. The heating process is accomplished using one of four possible heat sources — combustion (burning natural gas, oil, coal, or propane), electric resistance, heat pump, or solar energy collected on site. Their efficiency ratings are the most important: The lower your energy efficiency, the higher your heating/cooling bills.

Heat Exchanger

The heat exchanger found inside your furnace unit’s housing. This component switches on when the furnace is activated by the thermostat to produce warmer temperatures in winter. The heat exchanger pulls in cold air, heats it, and circulates the resulting heated air via your ducts and out through the vents.

Evaporator Coil

Evaporator coils are part of the furnace and located on the top or side of the furnace unit. Evaporator coils cool air that flows through the home. The coils are activated when the thermostat indicates the home needs cool air. The evaporator coil has an opposite role to the heat exchanger; it acts to cool the air when your thermostat is set to lower temperatures in summer. It uses the furnace’s blower unit to distribute the cooled air through the home’s ductwork.

Condensing unit

It is located outside your home or property where the refrigerant gas is cooled by exchanging heat with outside air. The gas is “condensed” into a liquid form and sent to the evaporator coil. The liquid again becomes a refrigerant gas that is sent back outside, and this is part of the cooling process.

Refrigerant lines

These are the metal (usually aluminum or copper) tubes that carry the liquid to the evaporating coil and back to the condensing unit. It is a part of the cooling. This unit is installed by HVAC experts on the outside of your home and filled with refrigerant gas. Once the refrigerant cools to a liquid by heat exchange with the exterior air, the condensing unit pumps the liquid to the evaporator coil to be evaporated into a gas once more.

Thermostat

Thermostats can reduce energy consumption and save you money by controlling the heating/cooling function of your HVAC system. It is usually the most visible part of the HVAC system. Set on a prominent, easily accessible wall. A thermostat may be either programmed in advance or set manually to keep the home at the desired temperature. When the ambient temperature becomes too cold or too hot, the thermostat will trigger the heat exchanger or the evaporator coil-condensing unit combo to begin circulating warmed or cooled air as needed.

Ductwork

Ductwork refers to the system of ducts that transports air warmed or cooled by the system to the various areas of your home. They are typically located in the walls or ceiling, ending at the vents and registers in the home’s rooms. Ducts are commonly made of lightweight aluminum, but they may also be manufactured from steel, flexible plastic, polyurethane, fibreglass, or fabric.

Vents

The vents are the rectangular outlets which transfer the heated or cooled air from the duct system into the individual rooms of your home. They are made of high- and low-temperature safe metal, the vents are located on or near the ceiling and usually fronted with angled slats (“vents”). These vents direct the treated air downward to where people are using the room. Often they may be manually controlled or even closed to control the amount of heating or cooling and the area of the room to which it will be directed.

Now that you’re aware of these components, the role they play, and their importance in keeping your home a happy place, maintain them well, and for any emergency plumbing service, hire an expert to ensure you get the right service for a reasonable cost.
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24hour plumbing heating will inspect all parts of the HVAC system in your home to ensure your family is breathing clean air. To inquire about our award-winning plumbing and maintenance services or to schedule a routine check-up, feel free to reach out today and book an appointment.

Summers are for fun, relaxation, and enjoyment!

As Charles Bowden, once said, “Summertime is always the best of what might be.”

While we bask in the glory of sunshine and appreciate the warmth of the season, our plumbing systems have to work overtime during hot summer months. Both commercial and residential are put under heavy pressure thanks to the hot weather. Be it sprinkler mishaps or sewage backups, one needs to be prepared for it all.

24hour plumbing heating has 20 years of plumbing experience and lives by the motto “We’re Always Here For You“. We’ve helped building/homeowners across North America install, maintain, and repair their plumbing and heating systems. With our years of industry knowledge, you can enjoy the sunshine this summer without having to worry about your plumbing.
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We have put together a quick guide for you to prevent your house, building against the most common summertime plumbing problems. Let’s get right into it –

Summertime storm surges can cause your local sewer lines to fill. However, proper sewer maintenance can prevent your drains from backing up and causing damage to your building. We recommend calling for an emergency plumbing service as soon as possible. A professional can not only identify the problem but fix it. 

Most professionals today use a trenchless inspection method. This means less damage to your property and very little disturbance to your landscaping. 

Using advanced technology, they can see inside the pipes. This allows them to discover the layout of your sewer pipes, the overall condition that they’re in, and where the problem is.

Once they’ve identified the problem they will discuss the options with you regarding the repair.
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Depending on the severity and nature of the problem, part of the piping may have to be replaced. They will use a process called Pneumatic Pipe Bursting to replace old pipes. This process is also much less intrusive than traditional methods

The hot and humid summer months bring rainy weather with it. Heavy rainfall and flash floods can cause severe damage to your basement. 
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Drainage systems overwhelmed by rainfall can lead to flooding, and result in high insurance clams. However, getting your property assessed by experts can prevent floods even before they happen. Professional plumbers will grade if a building is at risk, install additional drainage to slope water away from your property. Another option can also be installing a sump pump as an alternative preventative measure.

Hose bibs are faucets that deliver water from indoors to outdoors. Your Hose bib is what makes washing your car easy, lets you water your garden, and powers the fun sprinkles to run in the summer season. But, it needs your attention too! They tend to suffer from regular wear and tear due to exposure to the elements during better winters. As summer approaches ensure you check your building’s house bibs. 
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Try the simple tests like – switching them on and off and check for any leaks. A dripping faucet even after shutting off the spigot has to be replaced immediately. This definitely would fall under an emergency plumbing situation and trusting a professional plumber to get this fixed is highly recommended. Something to consider in this case is that even though no rust or damage is visible on the bib, the internal shutoff valve could be severely damaged to hold water properly.  Therefore, inexpert installation could worsen the trouble. 

Last but never least, the clogged drains in the bathroom tub, the kitchen sink, and that helpless feeling. It is something that can happen anytime, especially during summers. The drain system flushed more than just water. Oils, grease, hair and other gunk accumulate in your drains before they wind up in the local sewer lines. Although some debris can be trapped and removed, most of it will eventually collect in your building’s pipes. 
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Leaving the accumulated debris unchecked, can wreak havoc on the piping system. Don’t wait for a disaster to happen. You can take action on your own and try to DIY and clean clogged drains or simple and best-advised take professional help. A plumbing specialist will flush your building’s drains and sewer lines to blast debris using pressurized water. Or, plumbing snakes can be used clear stubborn clogs from the base of the drain. 

Let the Experts Do It for You24 Plumbing & Heating has been serving Edmonton, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, Montreal & Across North America. We provide all plumbing and heating services for all your home maintenance, repairs and replacement needs. 
Our team of highly trained, drug tested, background checked, and courteous technicians can assist you in all aspects of your plumbing and heating needs. Your job is never too small for us to care and We’re open 24/7/365 because plumbing emergencies don’t wait.
To inquire about our award-winning plumbing and maintenance services, or to schedule, a routine check-up, feel free to reach out today and book an appointment.