Toronto, Etobicoke, Scarborough, North York Plumbing Emergencies

It's like a scene from a slapstick comedy – the kitchen faucet breaks off in your hand and water is spraying everywhere up to the ceiling and running down the walls.

What do you do?

Clue: Your options do not include going back in time to make better plans for this moment.

The most important thing you need to know about your home's plumbing is where to shut off the water. If your home is supplied by municipal water, the water meter and main shutoff valve are often within close proximity to each other, so finding the meter is a good first step.

Water meters are often in an underground hatch near the street or along an easement between properties. Look along the edge of your property for a metal lid (like a small manhole cover) marked "water meter" or just "water." You can usually remove the water meter hatch cover by unscrewing a single bolt.

Underneath, you'll find a rotating valve similar to an outdoor spigot, or a valve with a metal flange. The latter may require a pipe wrench to operate. In either case, turn the valve clockwise until it stops to shut down the water supply.

Warning: Although you may need to do this quickly in an actual emergency, if you're just testing you may need to first turn off the water intake valves to appliances like water heaters to ensure that your test does not cause any damage. Check your owner manuals on these devices and take appropriate steps before shutting off your home's main water supply.

You may, of course, also have a water shut-off valve in your basement or crawlspace. Usually this would be along the pathway of the main water line and just inside the house.

Other shut-off valves

Each plumbing fixture, such as dishwashers, faucets, water heaters and toilets, will often have its own dedicated shutoff valve. For freestanding fixtures, such as toilets or pedestal sinks, the shutoff valve can be easily located on the water supply line between the floor or wall and the fixture. Kitchen sinks, dishwashers and cabinet-mounted sinks would normally have their shutoff valves under the kitchen sink.

Shutting off water to fixtures mounted flush against the wall -- bathtubs, showers, etc -- may be harder to do locally because the valves (if they exist) may be hidden behind drywall.

Of course, finding the valve is one thing; whether you can turn it off with your bare hand is another. Because they are so rarely used, these valves may be hard to turn without a wrench. Try loosening each of these valves with some household spray oil so you'll be able to shut them off quickly if you ever need to.

Overflowing toilet

You've just completed a satisfying natural bodily function and flushed the toilet. You're still pulling up your pants when you realize the toilet is clogged and the water is rising closer and closer to the rim. Quick - what do you do?

• It's always recommended to immediately turn off the water using the valve behind the base of the toilet. Unfortunately, in most homes these valves are rarely used so you may find it is too stiff to turn by hand.
• Don't panic and remember that the water supply line's job is to fill the tank, so what truly matters most is preventing any more water from going into the bowl. Take the lid off of the tank (but don't drop it on the tile floor because it will break) and make sure the rubber flapper has fallen back into place. If it's still open, reach in and push it back in place to stop the water flow. (This is no time to be squeamish; tank water is not yet sewer water).
• If you are unable to prevent water from flowing from the tank to the bowl you absolutely need to make the water stop coming in, and if you already have the tank lid off the fastest way to do that is to lift up the float ball until the refill valve shuts off. If your toilet does not have the classic float ball, look for other moving parts (usually on the left) that slide upwards with the water level. Lift up any part that moves freely until the water intake valve shuts off. Keep it held up with one hand while you struggle to close the stubborn shutoff valve. (Note to self: Spray some oil on this for next time).

Once you have prevented further water flow into the bowl you have some time to figure out the next move. If the bowl did overflow onto the floor, clean it up before you proceed or else you will track bacteria from sewage water elsewhere in the house. Now you are no longer in a plumbing emergency situation and can focus on how to unclog a toilet.

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If you are still looking for trusted plumber, Mister Plumber in Toronto, Etobicoke, Scarborough, North York specializing sewer repair, upgrade waterline, water service upgrade, drain cleaning, backwater valve installation, lead pipe replacement, re-piping and emergency plumbing, Mister Plumber uses the latest technology to effectively troubleshoot and quickly repair any plumbing problem and offers a fast response and free estimates.

More Info: www.misterplumber.ca 

Reliable and Trustworthy Plumbing services.

Call a fully-licensed, bonded and insured Toronto plumber at 416 939 1530

Top Ugly Plumbing Home Improvement Projects

If you’re a first-time Toronto homeowner, the thought of home improvement probably conjures visions of installing a state-of-the-art kitchen with the latest appliances, or a sprawling patio that transforms your backyard into an outdoor oasis.
Not only do these projects boost the value of your home, but they’re functional and fun to show off to friends and family.
Your fantasies probably didn’t include sump pump failure, backed-up toilets, overflowing gutters or black mold lurking in your crawl space.
The reality is that home ownership often proves extremely unpredictable. However, one thing you can count on is spending a considerable amount of money on unglamorous maintenance projects you can’t show off to neighbors, but will keep your home healthy.

Cleaning gutters.

This seasonal task involves climbing on a ladder and scooping out decaying leaves, animal waste and other random sludge that have been marinating in your gutters for months. But you’ll have bigger problems when a blockage sends water spilling down the sides of your home, which can ruin siding, flood your basement and rot the fascia boards that hold the gutters.

Installing windows.

Adding one window will set you back a couple hundred dollars, and a major window replacement job can cost thousands. New windows offer increased efficiency and should lower your energy costs, but unless you install stained glass or security bars, your neighbors are unlikely to comment.

Repairing the foundation.

You might crack up at the thought of spending hard-earned money to repair the slow-growing crack that stair-steps up the basement wall, but foundation fissures are no joking matter. Not all cracks signal impending collapse, but have it checked out before it’s too late.

Removing mold.

Eliminating the patch of black mold hiding behind the bathroom wall may not be at the top of your to-do list, but failure to remove mold can cause serious respiratory problems. Make sure to hire a remediation company that pinpoints the source of the mold. Avoid the contractor who wants to paint over it.

Fixing the toilet.

Although the insides of some toilet tanks resemble the cockpit of a fighter jet, resist the temptation to put off toilet repairs. You’ll be glad you called a plumber the next time nature calls.

Adding insulation.

Insulation stays out of the spotlight, but performs an important role. It’s dirty and expensive to install, but offers a good return on your investment through lower utility bills and increased comfort. Just don’t count on anyone showing up to your insulation viewing party.

Replacing the sump pump.

You won’t be pumped when your basement floods because you failed to replace your sump pump. Make sure to install a sump pump with a battery backup and alarm system for extra security.

Updating electrical wiring.

It costs several thousand dollars to rewire a home or modernize an aging electrical system, and what do you get to show for it besides a bunch of wires hidden in your walls and attic? You should at least sleep better knowing there’s a decreased risk of fire because you removed the 1920s-era knob-and-tube system.

Pumping the septic tank.

Pros recommend pumping your septic system every three to five years to prevent backup. It’s not a glamorous job, but it’s better than sewage backing up in your toilets and spilling on the lawn. Just don’t be like Cousin Eddie from “Christmas Vacation” and empty it into the sewer.

Replacing the sewer line.

This unsexy situation starts with raw sewage backing up in your home and ends with contractors digging up your front yard and landscaping to bury a new sewer line. Trenchless replacement methods exist that bypass the backhoe, but often come at a higher cost.

If you are still looking for trusted plumber, Mister Plumber in Toronto, Etobicoke, Scarborough, North York specializing sewer repair, upgrade waterline, water service upgrade, drain cleaning, backwater valve installation, lead pipe replacement, re-piping and emergency plumbing, Mister Plumber uses the latest technology to effectively troubleshoot and quickly repair any plumbing problem and offers a fast response and free estimates.

More Info: www.misterplumber.ca 

Reliable and Trustworthy Plumbing services.

Call a fully-licensed, bonded and insured Toronto plumber at 416 939 1530

Tips on Finding a Water Leaks In your Toronto Home

While many Toronto homeowners know the tell-all signs of a water leak within their home’s plumbing, such as high water bills, lawn damage and in-home leaking, often finding the leaks themselves can become a frustrating challenge. This primarily due to the many areas, individual pipes and systems in which a leak can occur, and for whatever number of reasons.

Fortunately, there are several, relatively simple diagnostic steps your can take to better identify, or at least estimate, where a water leak resides within your Toronto home’s plumbing. These steps can inform you not only of the specific areas and likely causes of your home water leak, but also the best restorative actions for your unique plumbing pipes.

Do you need to contact a plumbing professional to evaluate your plumbing for water leaks? Use the below diagnostic steps to gauge the severity of your leak problem.

Water Meter Tests

One of the most decisive ways to identify whether a leak resides in your Toronto home plumbing is by testing your home water meter. While this test will not tell you where exactly a leak exists in your home, it will inform you with 100% accuracy whether the leak is inside your home (a leak from faucets, bathroom plumbing or kitchen drains) or outside (as in, your irrigation system, lateral lining, etc.).

Begin by noting where your water consumption level is before diagnosis, and then shutting off all the water-consuming appliances, drains and fixtures in your home. Wait a few moments and check your water meter again; if your meter features a small-volume water use gauge, this will likely have moved in the case of a leak. If your meter lacks this handy gauge, standard consumption gauges will also move slightly in leak conditions.

Next up is determining whether the leak is within or outside your home, which follows much of the same small steps as above. In this test, make note of your water meter level, and then shut off your home water valve completely; this valve cuts off all water from your home. Assess your water valve again after about 20 minutes, give or take a few. If the water consumption meters are still moving, with all water cut-off from your home, you likely have an irrigation leak, or even more troublesome, cracking or damage to your lateral lining.

If this is the case, contact your local plumbing professionals right away. Not only can they identify the exact location and severity of pipe damages with video inspection technology, but they can also repair your Toronto plumbing with innovative, non-destructive new technologies, and limit any long-term water damage and mold in your home.

Finding a Leak Within Your Toronto Home

Effective in-home leak detection can be done before the need to call a plumbing specialist even arises; all you have to do is know what to look for. There are numerous, telltale signs of a water leak that many homeowners may overlook from time to time. By catching these signs early, you can prevent leaks from growing into more harmful plumbing failures, or from facilitating mold spread within your home.

Here at Mister Plumber, we’ve seen it all; because of this, we recommend that homeowners in Toronto self-check their home’s plumbing once a month at the very least, and have a professional inspection annually.

When evaluating your home’s plumbing for leaks, or trying to identify the cause of a leak, keep a sharp eye out for the following:

•  Water corrosion or buildup around plumbing fixtures
•  Water discoloration when run from water heater to fixtures
•  Drains acting slowly, or clogging
•  Strange or unpleasant odors coming from pipes and drains
•  Loss in flow of volume of water output

If you notice any of the above in your home’s plumbing system, do not hesitate to act; getting the professional, expert help you need now could save you significantly on later, more intensive and thorough repairs.

Professional leak detection specialists can use a combination of video snaking tools, hydro-jetting tools and trenchless technologies to resolve any leak in your home, no matter the severity. Best of all, these solutions are more affordable than you may be led to believe, and are certainly most effective when completed as soon as possible. If you notice any water leak signs, act sooner rather than later; you won’t regret it.

Finding a Leak Outside Your Toronto Home

If diagnosing leaks with your water meter suggests that a leak exists outside your home, there are also a number of signs you can look for when determine where a leak exists, or what caused a leak.

First and foremost, you’ll want to check your lawn’s irrigation system for serious leaks, noting any of the following if they are present:

•  Shifting lawn soil, indicative of ruptured irrigation
•  Dense grass growth concentrations, which occur when abnormal volumes of water are exposed beneath your lawn’s surface
•  Dampness or wet patches on your lawn
•  Clogging in your lateral pipe, which may indicate a material buildup between your home and municipal sewer systems

For irrigation pipe damage, inspections and complete repairs can be done relatively simply, so long as you find the right professional help in a quick manner. For lateral pipe damages, a unique, new approach can be the perfect solution for you: consider trenchless technologies. These innovative pipe renovations make the use of epoxy, liquid Perma-liners and trenchless air pumps to mold a cover over any pipe damages, or even completely replace broken lining pipes.

If you are still looking for trusted plumber, Mister Plumber in Toronto, Etobicoke, Scarborough, North York specializing sewer repair, upgrade waterline, water service upgrade, drain cleaning, backwater valve installation, lead pipe replacement, re-piping and emergency plumbing, Mister Plumber uses the latest technology to effectively troubleshoot and quickly repair any plumbing problem and offers a fast response and free estimates.

More Info: www.misterplumber.ca 

Reliable and Trustworthy Plumbing services.

Call a fully-licensed, bonded and insured Toronto plumber at 416 939 1530

Garbage Disposal and How Do Toronto Plumbers Detect Hidden Leaks

Garbage disposal is one of the unsung heroes of your household, efficiently getting rid of spare bits of food and similar organic detritus. We don’t usually think about it until it suffers from problems, but unfortunately, those problems need to be dealt with quickly or else it will clog up your entire sink. In towns like Toronto, Etobicoke, Scarborough, North York, garbage disposal repairs can be handled by most reputable plumbing companies.

Here are common problems experienced by a garbage disposal. If you spot them, you should call in a professional to get them addressed quickly and promptly.

Problems by a Garbage Disposal

No power.

Garbage disposals require electrical power to run, and when that power gets interrupted, it won’t function. The disposal may also become overloaded by a power surge or similar issue, which will shut it off before it burns out. Most disposals have a red reset button on the bottom. Press it and see if that fixes the issue. If it doesn’t, the problem requires a trained Toronto plumber’s attention.

A jam.

Certain items should never be placed in a garbage disposal, including chicken bones, peach pits, fibrous vegetable peelings from carrots and potatoes, and metal utensils. They can clog the mechanism and result in a jam. Never try to unclog a jam yourself: you can severely injure your fingers. A trained Toronto plumber can adjust the masher plate and safely unjam the mechanism before restoring power.

Leaks.

Garbage disposals can sometimes spring leaks from breached hoses, loose fittings and faulty seals. A plumber can clear them up in much the same way he or she repairs leaky faucets: by replacing the faulty components and ensuring that the new seal is tight.

If you spot these or other common problems experienced by a garbage disposal, call the experts at Mister Plumber right away.

Plumbing leaks are a common repair issue, but sadly not all of them advertise themselves by spreading water across your floor. Some of them happen out of sight, such as behind the walls or worse: under the concrete on your porch or walkway. In the old days, it was very hard to spot such leaks, and plumbers had to infer the location before drilling through the concrete to get to it. But nowadays, plumbers have many more tools at their disposal, and here in Tempe, leak detection is a much less painful prospect.

How do Toronto plumbers detect hidden leaks?

One of the most common methods it through a sonic detector, which can sense the sounds of the leak through the concrete and pinpoint its exact location. Leaks make noise, no matter how small they may be. A sonic detector can pick up that noise without having to dig, allowing you and the plumber to determine the best course of action from there.

Another new method of finding such leaks involves hydrostatic testing, in which an inflatable ball is placed in the line and inflated to stop it up. The whole system is then filled with water, and any line that can’t be filled or which loses water is presumably the source of the leak.

Finally, many plumbers also use of tiny video cameras to explore the pipes from the inside. The water is shut off and the camera extended on a flexible line. The Toronto plumber can monitor what the camera sees via a remote monitor until he or she finds the source of the trouble.

Once the source of the leak is spotted, the plumber can then take measures to correct it that keep damage to the underlying concrete to a minimum. Once you know how plumbers detect hidden leaks, you can see how much easier and safer it is to perform repairs. Water leak detection and other plumbing services in Toronto, ON can be performed by the experts at Mister Plumber.

More Info: www.misterplumber.ca 

Reliable and Trustworthy Plumbing services.

Call a fully-licensed, bonded and insured Toronto plumber at 416 939 1530

Etobicoke Drain Cleaning

When it comes to drain cleaning, people often immediately have the wrong idea in their head: plastics bottles of “drain cleaner” sitting on the grocery store shelves in the House Cleaning Supplies aisle. But no professional plumber worth hiring will ever use these kinds of chemical drain cleaners. They are toxic, caustic, and can seriously damage the inside lining of drainpipes.

Professional Etobicoke plumbers instead use more advanced tools that can thoroughly cleanse and unclog drains without presenting the possibility of harm to the drain or to you. We’ll look at a few of them in this post.

For your drain cleaning in Etobicoke, ON, contact Mister Plumber. Our skilled plumbers are ready 24/7 to help you with keeping your drains clear and clean.

1. Drain Snakes

You can purchase manual drain snakes (also called drain augers) from many hardware stores, but your plumber will use a powerful motorized drain snake to clean your drains. Drain snakes are long coils of wire that can extend deep into a drain to reach thick clogs. By turning the wires using a motor, the plumber screws the end of the drain snake into the clog, similar to the way a corkscrew works. The plumber can then either extract the clog or break it apart to clear the way.

2. Scour Jetting

Also called “hydro-jetting,” this is the use of hot water shot out of nozzle at extremely high pressure. A motor creates the high pressure and blasts the water out to scour the insides of drains, removing blockage and also deep-cleaning the pipe interior. Because of the possible dangers from high-pressure water blasts, only professionals should undertake this work.

3. Video Inspection Equipment

This tool doesn’t “clear” or “clean” a drain, but it is an essential part of drain cleaning nonetheless. These miniature cameras and LED lights mounted on the end of a long fiber-optic cable allow plumbers to identify areas that require cleaning and to discover the types of clogs they have to remove. Video pipe inspection equipment removes most of the guesswork from drain cleaning, and a plumber can get straight to work on what’s wrong.

Unless you have a drain clog that needs cleaning immediately, we recommend you schedule regular drain cleaning once a year to maintain regular water pressure and deter clogging. Call on Mister Plumber today to arrange for quality drain and sewer services in Etobicoke, ON.

If you are still looking for trusted plumber, Mister Plumber in Toronto, Etobicoke, Scarborough, North York specializing sewer repair, upgrade waterline, water service upgrade, drain cleaning, backwater valve installation, lead pipe replacement, re-piping and emergency plumbing, Mister Plumber uses the latest technology to effectively troubleshoot and quickly repair any plumbing problem and offers a fast response and free estimates.

More Info: www.misterplumber.ca 

Reliable and Trustworthy Plumbing services.

Call a fully-licensed, bonded and insured Toronto plumber at 416 939 1530

When you are faced with flood damage and a sudden water emergency in your home, call Mister Plumber!

Nobody ever knows when the next disaster will strike. Weather conditions are changing and the storms we are experiencing these days are more violent, and flooding is often the consequence of these heavy storms. Of course water entering your home can ruin your possessions entirely, and anybody that has experienced a flood is urged to call their local Toronto plumbers as soon as possible. However, methods of cleaning up after flooding will be determined by the severity of the flooding. Many people think that flood damage is just a matter of mopping up the water and waiting for things to dry out. They don’t realize that many times there is underlying damage which only becomes evident much later on. Secondary water damage brings on mold, mildew, and dangerous fungi which can cause a host of irritating allergies as well as serious diseases like hepatitis and cholera.

Flooding always brings with it a mixture of soil, bark, leaves, insects and other debris, and in many instances when the flood waters are so severe, sewers can overflow. Left unchecked, raw sewage can enter your groundwater and drinking water supply. With flood damage of this nature professional help is imperative because if you should come into contact with this type of contaminated water, you can become seriously ill.

Professional Restoration Machines

Professional cleaners will disinfect and decontaminate your entire home to eliminate pathogens and organisms that are present in the sewage.  Professional mop-up teams come rigged out with rubber gloves, boots as well as face masks. They come with the most  advanced flood damage drying systems and machinery which the average household will not normally have. They make use of specialized equipment like industrial strength dehumidifiers which encourage evaporation as well as tile and grout cleaning equipment, auto scrubbers, carpet cleaning machines and wet vacuums which pump out all water from your carpeting and home, making light work of the soggy and ill-smelling mess.

Removing Mold and Mildew a Top Priority

Professional flood damage restoration experts make use of their machines and special cleaning techniques to kill off  the mold and mildew which develops so quickly. They check over your home’s water and electrical systems and check the homes structural safety before commencing with the clean-up. Their aim is to thoroughly dry the house as quickly as possible. They are aware that ceilings which are mostly above the high-water mark may well be undamaged and even dry, but they will still need checking because surface damp can cause mold to grow there too.

Whether it is your hardwood floors that need to be restored, your carpets, curtains or upholstery, they know that even floodwater, which has not caused sewage spillovers, can contain dangerous microbiological organisms, and the longer you delay with calling professionals in, the more toxic mold and bacteria you can expect.  Before deciding on the techniques to use for a cleanup, these skilled experts first determine the source of the water.  Water from sewage spills, and which contains harmful contaminants is known as black water and swallowing black water can lead to  nausea diarrhea, abdominal cramps and vomiting.

Professional Help for Flood Damage Available Around the Clock

When you are faced with flood damage and a sudden water emergency in your home, call your local Toronto plumbers for help fast. Because of the seriousness of black water, only trained and certified water damage restoration experts, available 24/7, can help because they are highly skilled and knowledgeable in all aspects relating to mold and mildew prevention as well as sewage decontamination. They have your best interests at heart and they work out a course of action that will sort out your calamity in the most professional and safe way.

More Info: www.misterplumber.ca 

Reliable and Trustworthy Plumbing services.

Call a fully-licensed, bonded and insured Toronto plumber at 416 939 1530

Call Toronto Plumbers and Stop Your Basement from Flooding

Just imagine for a minute, you walk down to your basement like you always do, maybe you’re putting the laundry into the drier for instance. The light is off but you hear something unusual like water running when there shouldn’t be.

When you flick on the light water if pouring into your basement!

You frantically try to grab up your possessions that you don’t want to become water logged or damaged but there is only so much you can do. Time is limited and most things have already become soaked with water – water that in some cases is backed up from the sanitary waste sewer. Something you definitely do not want to be dealing with.
When it comes to your home you must do every little thing you can to prevent it from getting damaged, this is especially the case when it comes to your basement. A flooded basement can very quickly become an extremely costly problem to deal with easily ending up costing $20,000 or more to repair depending on your specific circumstances.

Backwater Valve Installation

One very important part of your basement you must have protected is your drain connection that attaches to the municipal sewer system. In stormy weather with heavy rainfall the water level in sewers can quickly build-up resulting in the water backing up into your home. In order to prevent basement flooding a device must be installed on you drain line called a backwater valve.

The way this device works is that it only allows water to flow out of the valve towards the sewer, any water that is force back towards the valve will not be able to penetrate it as it’s a one-way only device. Always hire professional Toronto plumbers to perform your backwater valve installation as it is imperative that the procedure is completed properly.

If you are still looking for trusted plumber, Mister Plumber in Toronto, Etobicoke, Scarborough, North York specializing sewer repair, upgrade waterline, water service upgrade, drain cleaning, backwater valve installation, lead pipe replacement, re-piping and emergency plumbing, Mister Plumber uses the latest technology to effectively troubleshoot and quickly repair any plumbing problem and offers a fast response and free estimates.

More Info: www.misterplumber.ca 

Reliable and Trustworthy Plumbing services.

Call a fully-licensed, bonded and insured Toronto plumber at 416 939 1530