Different Uses For Copper Pipe

Copper piping is valuable and should never be wasted. Most plumbing jobs result in scrap copper and that leaves people thinking of some creative ways to utilize it. You could always cash it in, but there are also some DIY copper projects that are worth looking into.

Toilet Paper Roll
You'll first want to clean your piping to give it that beautiful shine. Once you have done this, you'll need to go to the hardware store and pick up some fittings that coincide with the diameter of your leftover pipe. Wrap the fitting around your new holder, screw it into the wall and gaze upon your DIY bathroom decoration.

Garden Guarder
Have you ever crushed your flowers with the hose by accident? Well that is in the past once you start using your copper garden guarders. Start by caulking a copper cap to one end of a tube and drive the other end into the soil in front of your flowers. Your garden now has a 24 hour watch dog.

Wind Chimes 
Copper gives off a beautiful shine and an even sweeter sound. Take that scrap copper and cut it at various lengths; the longer the tube, the deeper the sound. After you have 6 or 7 tubes, drill a small hole in their tops and loop some fishing line through the opening. Attach the other end to a stick and hang the chime for your enjoyment.

Gutter Cleaner
Use your hammer to flatten the last 6 inches of a long piece of copper tubing. Then take that end and bend it into a 90 degree angle. You now have a long, effective hook to clean the leaves out of those gutters this fall.

Towel Racks 
Now you can make a copper towel rack to go along with your toilet paper holder. Once you purchase matching holders, cut the pipe into the appropriate length. Feed the tube into the hole and then drill the fixture into the wall. You might want to go to the store and buy some new towels to go along with your fresh, metallic look.

If you have some other copper projects you want to share, please do so on our Facebook and Twitter pages!

If you need pipe repair or any other plumbing service, call the experts at Nassau County Plumbing & Sewer Rooter! We have been serving the Long Island area for over 50 years and there is no job we can't handle. To schedule service, call 516-874-7937 or visit us on the web!

5 Signs You Have a Great Plumber

When a pipe breaks, there is no time to go reading reviews and asking around for the best plumber in the area. You need to be doing that now so you're ready when disaster strikes. Hopefully, you like the work of the service you used last time and you'll continue using them in the future. Here are some signs that the plumber you've got is doing just fine! 

1. It's All Fixed 

This is obviously the most important measure of a great plumber. Does that leaky faucet still leak? If the answer is yes, you should start looking for a new service. The best plumbers can fix a number of different jobs and adjust to your specific needs. The bad guys leave the job worse than they found it.  

2. It's Clean 

Nobody wants a plumbing job to turn into a destructive mess. A good plumber will leave your home cleaner than they found it and you shouldn't have to ask. If the job is going to take multiple days, tools should be wrapped up and stowed away so nobody comes into contact with them. The bad guys treat your home like a storage facility.  

3. Everything Is Sealed 

If a plumber has to access the pipes inside your walls, they'll have to cause some damage to your Sheetrock. After they have completed the job, those holes should be repaired to avoid any unwanted guests. The bad guys leave your bathroom looking like a machine gun went off in there. 

4. They're On Time 

If your appointment is scheduled for 1pm, that means 12:55 arrival! A plumber knows the importance of punctuality and there is no reason you should have to wait. Sometimes other jobs run late and a good plumbing service will apologize and work with you to reschedule. The bad guys will leave you guessing. 

5. They Explain Their Work 

Sometimes plumbers discover more problems when they go in to fix the one you signed up for. They should let you know what they think is your best option and this doesn't automatically mean the most expensive upgrades. If they think a bigger problem will occur if they don't treat it now, they should communicate that to you and help scan through your options. The bad guys stay quiet. 

At Nassau County Plumbing & Sewer Rooter we are lucky to have some of the best plumbers in the business. They can check off all the boxes on your list and they consistently receive great feedback from our customers. 

To schedule service, call 516-874-7937 or visit us on the web!

5 Warning Signs of a Faulty Heating System

Once the calendar flips into October the nighttime air will see a steady drop off. That makes this the perfect time to evaluate your old heating system and proceed with the proper maintenance or replacement. Replacing your unit might seem unnecessary, but it could be wasting money in places you didn't even notice. Take a look at these five warning signs and determine if your unit fits the criteria for a replacement. 

Age 

If your furnace or boiler is outdated, it is wasting energy and it is just simply unsafe. The experts at Energy Star recommend replacing your old heating unit with a more efficient one after 15 years. New qualified furnaces are 15% more efficient than older units and while they have a high initial cost, their long term savings are worth the investment.  

Uneven Heating

This could be related to duct problems in your home and it is a sign that you aren't getting the most out of your heating system. The problem could be related to multiple factors and only a heating professional would be able to tell you where the issue lies.

Excessive Dust

Heating and cooling systems can harm your indoor air quality if they aren't being maintained properly. Try changing your filters or sealing your ducts before you make any drastic decisions. If this doesn't work, you could have a bigger problem on your hands that might require the installation of a new unit. 

Noise

If your unit is humming an annoying buzzing sound, this isn't something you should ignore. Not only is it irritating, but it could be a sign that your duct system is undersized or your coils are malfunctioning. 

Constant Repairs

Sometimes heating repairs are beneficial if you have a trustworthy technician like the guys at Nassau County Plumbing & Sewer Rooter. But there comes a point where repairs start adding up to the cost of a new heating system. You need to sit down and go over how much a new unit will cost and how long it will take you to make that money back in energy savings. If the numbers match up, a new unit could be your most viable option. 

Whether you choose to replace or repair, look no further than Nassau County Plumbing & Sewer Rooter for your service. We are more than just a plumber and we offer an array of heating services to the Nassau and Suffolk areas. Let's get your home ready for the cold together! 

To schedule service, call 516-874-7937 or visit us on the web! 

Preparing Your Home for Fall

The fall is a wonderful time of year. Football is on all weekend, pumpkin spice fills the air and it can be easy to forget the cold weather that is approaching. As a homeowner, you need to prepare for the seasons to help increase your home's efficiency and dodge those major malfunctions. It doesn't take long, just a few hours on your day off and you can avoid those headaches later on.

 

Clean Those Gutters
On the lanes you want to avoid the gutters at all costs. When it comes to fall preparation, you want to get in there and remove fallen leaves and debris. If you don't want to worry about future problems, go to the local hardware store and purchase mesh guards to protect your gutters.

Clean Your Furnace Filter
The heating season is approaching and your furnace needs a little help getting in shape. The first thing you should do is remove the unit's filter and exchange it for a new one. It's like the first day of school, you never want to go in with an old outfit! It might also be wise to have a heating professional come into your home and inspect your system and call out any problems before they become larger.

Winterize Your Plumbing 
In the next few weeks, you're going to want to perform your annual outdoor water shut-off. Winterizing these pipes and irrigation systems will ensure their safety going into next summer. If you neglect this year in and year out, you're just asking for trouble.

Perform Your Seasonal Safety Check 
This is a great time to check in on your CO monitors, inspect fire safety equipment and review your appliances efficiency. Look for leaky faucets, loose plumbing lines and make sure your home is sealed properly. There is no need to waste water or heat when you could be spending money on more valuable things.

The fall can be hectic with back to school, sports, work and all of your families daily activities. It might still feel like summer, but the cold weather is approaching and you know your home needs some plumbing and heating tune-ups if it is going to get you through the season. At Nassau County Plumbing & Sewer Rooter, we can perform both inspections in a timely and professional manner.

To schedule your fall heating and plumbing inspection, call 516-874-7937 or visit us on the web!

The Man In the Toilet

Hello, 

My name is Tommy and I live inside your toilet. First a little background on me. I was born microscopically small because of a recessive gene on my dad's side and that is how I got in here. My parents lost me when I was very young, you know, because I am so microscopic and all. I was looking for friends and I found some down here in your toilet and we have a bone to pick with you.

First off, I know you're stubborn, but you can't keep flushing wipes down the toilet big guy. They might say 'flush-able,' but believe me they aren't. Once they get down here where we live, they never dissolve and they just cause a giant road block. So for our sake and yours, please keep the wipes in the trash bin.  

Secondly, please take the makeup products off the back of the toilet bowl. Your wife has so much of it that I am sure you are running out of room, but the toilet is no place to rest it. I have a friend who lives in a toilet a town over and he said a lipstick cover fell down his drain and they were out of commission for a week. I don't want that for either of us, so please don't put anything up there that could fall in! 

We also need to talk about you cleaning things up a little better. There are people living down here! When it is time for bathroom cleanup, make sure you get a good scrub in under the seat, lid and inside of the bowl. Don't use those tank cleaners because they could cause more problems than they're worth. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Next time the drain starts to back up, use our friend the plunger instead of Drano. The chemicals in Drano do dissolve the clog, but they also eat away at the plumbing. 

We try and keep things neat and tidy down here in the drain but we are very little people. Sometimes it takes the help of a plumbing professional to take care of drain clogs. The best guys for the job are over at  Nassau County Plumbing & Sewer Rooter so I would suggest giving them a call. All of the neighborhood toilet people are raving about them. 

To schedule service, call 516-874-7937 or visit us on the web! 

What You Need To Know About Trees and Your Sewer

The sewer is not only a place for the ninja turtles, it could also be housing an unwanted guest-- the tree in your yard! As trees grow, their roots extend deeper into the soil and they look for water and nutrients anywhere they can get it. Their search might leave them inside of your sewer, and that is certainly not ideal. Let's take a deeper look into how root infestation starts and some possible ways to prevent it. 

What attracts trees to sewer lines? 

To homeowners, a sewer is just a convenient way to get rid of your excess water and waste. To a tree, a sewer is a pipeline of nutrients that are critical for survival. As warm wastewater travels through your pipeline, some of the moisture escapes into the cooler soil that surrounds it. If a tree is in the vicinity, it will naturally try and stretch its roots to the source of this moisture. Once it arrives, it can enter the pipe through even the smallest cracks and begin to expand once it is inside. 

How bad can it get?

Well, it really depends on how early you can diagnose the problem. Slow draining water, noisy toilets and backed up drains are all indicators of possible sewer line damage. If you have experienced any of these problems, you might want to schedule a video inspection of your pipes. This is the most effective way to determine if tree roots or anything else has infiltrated their pathway. 

Is there anything I can do to prevent it?

It can be hard to prevent damage that you can’t see approaching, but it isn’t impossible. Before you improve your landscape, you should be aware of where your laterals and main sewer lines are located. Try and keep all of your trees and shrubs at least 10 feet away from these areas. If you already have some large trees on your property, you should schedule regular maintenance with a professional. This will help catch major sewer blockages before they occur. 

At Nassau County Plumbing & Sewer Rooter, we offer a wide range of plumbing and sewer services to help ease your troubles. We have been in the business for over 50 years and that experience has given us the tools to handle any job.

To learn more about our water-jetting and sewer cleaning service, call 516-874-7937 or visit us on the web! 

Tips For Making Your Bathroom More Environmentally Friendly

The best place to start your environmentally conscious changes is inside your own home, and the bathroom in particular. We use the bathroom multiple times a day and if we are being reckless, the environmental damage can really add up. Lucky for you, these going green tips will help you reduce your environmental impact. 

Convert to All-Natural 

The bathroom should be a place where you can relax, freshen up and feel comfortable. All-natural hygiene products like soaps, shampoos and scrubs can help you do that while also protecting the environment. As you wash, the soapy water that is left behind will eventually find its way down the drain and into your sewage system. If those soaps contain chemicals that create an imbalance in the water, that could mean disaster for the wildlife that comes into contact with it. Help keep your water clean by looking for the 100% All-Natural sticker on all of your bathing products. And if you are feeling extra green, you could even use all-natural candles instead of those chemical-filled air fresheners. 

Conserve Water

When it comes to the environment, conserving water is always a positive. A low-flow shower head can help reduce water consumption by up to 30 percent and that will lead to utilities savings as well. While you're at it, you might as well upgrade your faucet and toilet too!  Another environmentally friendly plumbing change you can make is insulating your pipes. Proper insulation will help water heat up faster and you won't have to run the faucet for a minute to get your desired temperature. Less water use results in more savings and a brighter future! 

Use Recycled Building Products 

If you are in line for a bathroom upgrade, you should choose recycled materials for your finish. Whether it is tile, tubs or counters, the recycled market is growing and there are plenty of stylish options available. 

Going green is a lifestyle that millions of Americans are adopting every year. If you need consultation on how to make your plumbing more environmentally friendly, call the experts at Nassau County Plumbing & Sewer Rooter. 

To schedule an appointment, call 516-874-7937 or visit us on the web!