Tips for Hiring a Plumber

Looking for a plumber or any type of contractor can be nerve wracking. Unfortunately, there are a fair amount of liars and false advertisers out there, so it is important to know what questions you need to be asking.

Are you a licensed professional?

Plumbers are not required to have a license in the state of New York, so don’t just assume they have one. Even if the unlicensed plumber does great work, it might not pass inspection and that will leave you in a bigger hole than before the work started. Be sure to check the website and look for their license information to insure you are getting quality work.

Do you offer flat or hourly rates?

Some plumbers will give you an estimate that is unrealistic just to get your business. Be wary of prices that seem too good to be true, because they probably are. A good question to ask would be if they offer flat or hourly rates. This is important because problems usually arise in the plumbing world, and you don’t want to have to pay for the extra time.

What is your payment structure?

You should always know when payment is expected so that you can budget for it. But this varies from plumber to plumber, so make sure it is specified in the contract. Most plumbers use a milestone structure where payment is made upon completion of previously outlined tasks. This is the best way to do it because you can see what you are getting prior to making a payment.

Nassau Plumbing and Sewer Rooter is a fully licensed and insured plumbing company. If you are having problems with your plumbing, call Nassau Plumbing and Sewer Rooter today at 516-874-7937 or visit us on the web.

The History of Plumbing

Plumbing is one of the most important technological discoveries in the history of mankind. We rely on plumbing for hydration, waste management, cleaning and much more. Without it, the world as we know it would not exist. It took thousands of years and hundreds of innovations to get plumbing to where it is today. From the primitive plumbing systems of the Indus River to the complexity we see today, let's take a deeper look into the wonderful history of plumbing:

1700 B.C
The Indus River civilizations created the first sewage system on record. They used underground tunnels, wooden spouts and a grid system that was far ahead of their time.

312 B.C 
The Romans invented the aqueduct system to carry fresh water into the capital city. At their peak, the aqueducts were carrying over 1 billion liters of water a day!

1596 
John Harrington, the godson of Queen Elizabeth, invents the first flushing toilet in England. The original toilet was called “The John,” and that nickname still stands today.

1854 
A cholera outbreak in England forces governments around the world to take sewage seriously. A year later, Chicago became the first American city to build a comprehensive sewer system.

1890
The world's first drinking water treatment systems are built in Massachusetts to reduce microbial contamination. The techniques they invented there are still in existence today!

1920
Tank toilets emerged on the market and reduced previous water consumption by 40%. The tank was made possible when William E. Sloan invented the flush-o-meter 10 years prior. The flush-o-meter used the pressure from the water supply system to help flush waste down the drain. Both of these inventions helped conserve as much as 200 million gallons of water a day.

1966
Due to a copper shortage, plastic piping was invented as an alternative. Today, we refer to this plastic piping as PVC pipe.

Present
The plumbing industry employs close to 500,000 people per year and grossed over $100 billion dollars in 2015.

Looking for more information about modern day plumbing? Connect with Nassau Plumbing and Sewer Rooter on Facebook and Twitter! Give us a call at 516.874.7937 or visit us on the web to learn more about our services.

5 Steps for Drain Cleaning

The kids are all home from school and your home has been overrun by children. With so many people around, all sorts of things can find themselves caught in your drain. Don’t ignore the fact that water is slowly filling up in your sink. This is the first sign you might need a declogging. Save yourself from bigger problems with these five steps for keeping your drain clear of blockages.

1. Wet Vacuum
This is the first step in removing large blockages from your drain. Remove the filter from your vacuum and place the nozzle as tight as you can to the drain (a smaller nozzle works best). Place your vacuum on the highest setting and see if you can remove any major food or hair blockages from your drain.
2. Coat Hanger 
Straighten out your wire hanger as best you can and create a hook on the very end. Push the hook into your drain cover and see what you can fish up. It is important to remember that you are trying to pull things up when fishing, not push them down. This should remove any of the leftovers that the wet vac might have missed.
3. Boiling Water 
Simple enough. Boil a pot of water on your stove and slowly pour it down the drain. Do this two or three times to let the water work for a few seconds in between. This should start removing the gunk that is stuck to the walls of your drain.
4. Baking Soda & Vinegar 
Take ⅓ cup of baking soda and ⅓ cup of vinegar and watch it fizz. Immediately pour it down the clogged drain for the best results. This helps with the removal of the stuff you missed earlier in the process.
5. Caustic Soda (sodium hydroxide) 
You can pick some up at your local hardware store for about $20. Be careful though, it causes nasty chemical burns so make sure you cover any part of your skin that might come into contact with the cleaning solution. Stir the solution with some water in a mop bucket to dilute it a bit before pouring it down the drain. This will break up the build up on your drain walls and help prevent future problems. Once you let it sit for 30 minutes, wash it down with boiling water to complete your clean.

If this process did not work for you check out some of these other tips for unclogging your drain!

Going through this whole process should temporarily ensure you a free flowing drain. If you run into any problems or need some more in depth fixes, call Nassau Plumbing and Sewer Rooter today at 516-874-7937 or visit us on the web.

Customer Service: Our Number One Priority

At New York Plumbing and Sewer Rooter, customer service is our number one priority! And what better time to remind you than the beginning of Customer Service Week?

We're kicking it off with a commitment to our outstanding reputation for customer satisfaction in everything we do. Need a quality sewer and drain cleaning? Heating repair? No matter the service, we send our trained team of professionals who value both our residential and commercial customers.

Proudly serving plumbing customers for over 50 years, you can rely on us for a job well done. Need a job done in just 30 minutes? You can rely on us for plumbing emergency service, too! A large part of serving our customers right is serving them when they need us most.

If you're a first time customer, call us today for a free estimate. Returning customers - we're proud to service all of your plumbing needs.

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