Show Your Outdoor Fixtures Some Love This Summer

The summertime is a fun time for families. But it can also be a time when a lot of things go wrong. There are droughts, heavy rains, really high heat, and bugs.

Not only that, there can be blackouts and brownouts because people are running their air conditioning all day. You have a lot on your mind, and chances are you’re thinking about plenty of things other than your plumbing fixtures.

However, this can easily turn into a disaster for you and your home. That’s why we’ve listed some of the problems below and how to properly handle your outdoor plumbing fixtures.

Common Fixture Repair Needs – Sprinkler Leaks

When the summertime comes, it often means that you want to water your lawn and your flower beds. That’s where sprinklers come in. But if you have a leak in your sprinklers, you’re going to have a huge water bill to contend with.

It’s a good idea to clean the sprinkler system thoroughly before it’s used this summer and inspect it for any leaks.

This way you know if there are any problems with your sprinklers and you can catch them and have them taken care of before you need to use them. Check out our tips at the end of this blog to see when it’s time to replace them.

Check Your Pool’s Outdoor Plumbing

Summertime is the time when you want to be able to enjoy your pool. But if you’ve noticed water that’s collecting around your pool, this is a huge sign that you have trouble.

It may be because of the plumbing close to the pool or your whole pool could have an issue. Obviously, if it’s the pool it’s a big problem.

So you want to contact a plumber if you’re noticing water and find out what the problem is. Generally, any outdoor plumbing issue leads to some need for excavation, so early detection is always essential.

Signs You Need a New Sprinkler Outdoor Fixture Installation

One of the most common types of outdoor fixtures that you will have to replace at some point is your sprinkler system in your home. Below are some of the signs that your sprinkler system is nearing the end of its life.

• It’s at least 25 years old.
• It’s constantly leaking.
• It’s poorly designed.
• You have low water pressure.
• Your water bills are high.

If you’re noticing any of these signs, there’s a good chance that you need a new sprinkler system. It’s important to call a plumber quickly to have a new one put in. Otherwise your lawn and garden aren’t going to get watered.

Even though you’re really busy this summer thinking about vacations and all the fun times you’re going to have, don’t forget to take care of your outdoor plumbing. If you need a plumber that you can count on, call Meridian Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical at (517) 339-6300.

We’re always glad to answer your questions and help you with all of your plumbing needs. We can give you a consultation and make sure that you are happy with our service. Don’t leave your outdoor plumbing to chance – give us a call today and let us show you what we can do for you.

Even the Unluckiest of People Can Have Good Toilet Etiquette

Did you experience the “luck of the Irish” this St. Patrick’s Day, or did you pick up the wrong four-leaf clover and have the bad luck of walking into a dirty bathroom at your local Irish pub? Some people say that you have to make your own luck in this world. If that’s true, then we believe you have to make your own luck in public bathrooms by practicing good toilet etiquette!

Not only does toilet etiquette keep public bathrooms cleaner for everyone, but it can also prevent pipe damage that could result in a plumbing emergency and the need for costly plumbing repair services like repiping. And that’s not only true for public bathrooms. Your own bathroom at home can also benefit from you being intentional about your toilet etiquette. Let’s find out a little bit more about that!

How Toilet Cleaning Prevents Unwanted Surprises

Please don’t run away at the words “toilet cleaning”! We’re not talking about scrubbing a public toilet bowl or anything! All we mean is that we can all do our part to keep toilets cleaner just by doing two simple things:

1. Flush the toilet when you’re done using it.
2. Clean up after yourself if you make a mess.

Flushing the toilet when you’re done using it, and wiping down the seat if you make a small mess keep your bathroom clean and prevent someone else coming in after you and seeing something they didn’t want to see.

How Etiquette Can Prevent the Need for a Repiping Service

Another big part of toilet etiquette is doing your part to prevent clogs. You can do this easily by being aware of what you are putting into your toilet, and how much.

You should only ever flush human waste and toilet paper down your toilet drain, and consider the amount that you are flushing. Large amounts of toilet paper put into the toilet at once can cause a clog.

Flushing things like hygiene products, hair and nail trimmings, paper towels, or wet wipes down the toilet can also lead to clogging. Significant clogs can lead to pipe damage that may require costly pipe replacements.

How You Can Prevent a Plumbing Emergency

Now that you understand the importance of good toilet etiquette a bit more, we hope you'll be more intentional now about making sure to flush and clean up after yourself, beware of what you put in the toilet, and leave every bathroom just as you found it!

You might slip up now and again (we all do, sometimes, especially after overindulging a bit on St. Paddy's Day), but it's important that you keep trying to make your own luck and prevent a plumbing emergency in your future!

No matter what bathroom you’re in, or how hard you’ve been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, please remember to #keepyouraim! You can even use that hashtag to shame people with bad toilet etiquette that left a public bathroom gross before you got there.

All jokes aside, it’s important to remember all of the ways that toilet etiquette is beneficial to both personal and public bathrooms. Meridian Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical is here to help you out of any plumbing emergency, should you have one in your home. Give us a call at (517) 339-6300 for service in East Lansing, MI.

Bad Toilet Habits And How They Affect Your Plumbing

We all have our bad habits. Some people bite their nails, and some chew loudly. A lot of people also have lousy toilet care habits, though they don't realize it. You may not know that you have bad toilet habits.

Unfortunately, those habits might be damaging your toilet and piping system right now. That's why it is so important to take good care of your toilet- to prevent the need for expensive plumbing repairs.

Bad Toilet Piping & Other Habits

One bad habit people have is skimping on plumbing work. They find the cheapest plumbing service and get stuck with poorly installed pipes.

Remember that you get what you pay for and faulty piping can end up costing you far more in the future.

Another common bad toilet habit is using your toilet to dispose of things that don't belong in the toilet at all. This could include wet wipes, hair, feminine products, hard plastics, napkins or paper towels, and more.

The only item that should be disposed of in a toilet, aside from human waste, of course, is toilet paper. On that topic, be careful that you are not in the habit of flushing too much toilet paper down the toilet at one time. When you use too much toilet paper at once, it has a harder time breaking apart, which can cause a clog to form in your toilet drain.

Speaking of clogs in the drain, are you in the habit of pouring liquid drain cleaners down the toilet to unclog it? If so, this is another bad habit of yours. Contrary to what you may think, drain cleaners can actually gunk up your pipes even more.

Finally, one of the worst habits you could have when it comes to plumbing is ignoring problems that seem harmless. What you may not see is that your running or leaking toilet could be a sign of a weak flush, which could lead to a clog in the drain.

These May Cause Toilet Damage

Any of these bad habits can lead to significant damage to your plumbing system and your toilet.

Most of the damage associated with toilets has to do with them becoming clogged.

This is because clogs in any pipe make the pipe susceptible to breaking due to a build-up of pressure.

Clogs can also lead to the very sewage you are trying to flush away backing up into your home.

Protect Yourself From Excessive Repair Costs

Changing your bad toilet habits is important because correcting your behavior could prevent a clogged toilet, and thus, the damage that would cost hundreds of dollars to repair.

In the best case, hiring a plumber to unclog a toilet may cost as little as about $80. In the worst case, a burst pipe caused by a severe clog can cost upwards of $600 to repair or replace.

Feel free to do some more research to look into what else you can do to keep your toilet operating in peak condition. Call Meridian Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical in East Lansing for any plumbing services you may need, including repairs on a toilet (caused by bad toilet habits). Call (517) 339-6300 to speak with one of our trusted plumbing contractors today!

The Unknown Reasons Plumbing is Art

Art has long been something that people feel passionately about. We study it, discuss it, some of us even collect it. Some of us even create it! Painters, actors, dancers, musicians, chefs, and writers around the world have dedicated their lives to art, and we as an audience appreciate them for it. But there is a group of artists that have gone unappreciated for too long! You may know them better as plumbers.

Now, I know it is unconventional to consider professional plumbing an art, but if we take a look at all the ways plumbing contributes to an artful experience in our daily lives, we can see that it really is an art!

Plumbing Has Always Been an Art

While modern plumbing usually traces its history back to the invention of the modern toilet around 1775 AD, archaeologists have discovered primitive water pipes that date as far back as 4,000 BC.

That’s over 6,000 years of plumbing as art. The word "art" itself comes from a Latin word "ars" which can be translated to words like skill, knowledge, and even science.

Therefore, by the definition of the root word "ars," when it comes to plumbing, it was always art.

Water as Visual Art

Modern plumbing has found all kinds of ways to showcase itself as an art. The best example of the visual art of plumbing is fountains.

Everything from table-top chocolate fountains at a company event to decorative fountains in your yard, to the elaborate dancing fountains at Las Vegas's famous Bellagio Hotel, depends on an intricate plumbing system to make it work.

One fun example of an art installation involving plumbing is the Crown Fountain in Chicago, Il. This "fountain" is made up of two glass block towers, each showing a human face that "spits" water out at onlookers. It has become one of the most iconic pieces in Chicago's world-renowned collection of public art displays and can be found in Millennium Park.

Suburban Uses For Plumbing Arts

Even in your everyday life, you probably come across artistic uses for modern plumbing and don’t even think twice about them.

Think about man-made and designed lakes that are installed to make parks or gated living communities more aesthetically pleasing.

If you’ve ever been to a water park and gone down a thrilling water slide, you’ve also had an artful experience with plumbing.

Even something as unremarkable as a drinking fountain is one of the many suburban uses for modern plumbing art that you’ve probably always taken for granted. Just imagine the level of skill these lakes, water rides, and drinking fountains required to invent and construct. If that’s not art, I don’t know what is!

So the next time you are quick to judge the seemingly mundane things in your life as "not real art," remember what you read here today. How do simple things like pipes and drains contribute to your artful life? How do modern marvels like running water make your life more beautiful? Let your friends know about the art of plumbing too by sharing this article with your friends and loved ones.

Home Remodel “Facts” People Think Are True

When it comes to remodeling your home, especially when it comes to remodels that require plumbing work to be done, there are a lot of misconceptions that people have. Sure it’s easy to dream up a new extension to your house, or a new bathroom or kitchen layout.

However, there is a lot to be considered if you hope to make these dreams a reality. Read on to learn more about some of the most common misconceptions people have about home and plumbing remodeling.

It’s Easy to DIY

Now in all fairness, there are some home renovation projects like fixing a hole in a wall, or laying down carpeting, that can be DIY projects. Other more extensive renovation projects, however, may require you to reroute some of your water and sewage pipes. In this case, please know that unless you are a plumbing expert, it will definitely not be easy to remodel your home and reroute your plumbing on your own.

The problem with attempting a major remodel on your own is that you may think you’re saving yourself some money by doing it yourself, but if you miss something, or if an unexpected problem arises, it may end up costing you extra in the long run to have it fixed. That’s why it’s always safer to hire an experienced, licensed professional for any and all plumbing remodeling your home needs.

Permits Are Not Needed

This is an absolute, flat-out falsehood. Permits are required, by my law, for almost any project where you are constructing, expanding, altering, repairing, moving or even demolishing any part of your home. To find out what specific permits your remodeling project requires, refer to local building codes, as these codes can vary slightly from state to state, and even from city to city.

Once again, bypassing pulling a permit may seem like it’s saving you money, but if an inspector passes by and sees that your home has been remodeled and no permits have been pulled, or a nosy neighbor reports it to the city, you could get hit with a pretty hefty fine!

Going Big or Going Home

What do we mean by this? Well, some people are of the school of thought that it is more productive to do all your remodeling in one shot, so you won’t have to deal with the costs and inconveniences of a remodel again in the near future. While it is understandable to want to get everything out of the way as soon as possible, “going big” with your renovations can lead to more inconveniences and higher renovation costs!

"How so," you may ask. In the first place, attempting to tackle several remodeling projects at once can be overwhelming, even if you're not the one doing the actual remodeling. Work on one project may affect the timeline of another project's completion, for example, so it may take longer to regain access to your kitchen, bathroom, or whatever other living areas you may be remodeling. Likewise, having several projects to focus on can lead to small details in construction being overlooked. In this case, it could lead to a costly plumbing issue in the future!