Category: Plumbing

As Homeowners, we all know the burden of having unforeseen plumbing repairs. We know the cost they can occur and the inconvenience. Most people, when they are faced with such an emergency, call a plumber repair expert and purchase the parts and labor outright.

Thankfully, there has become an option where that is no longer necessary! Plumbing subscriptions make it possible for you not to have to purchase those plumbing parts.

They can even offer you discounts and maintenance plans that will help reduce the need for emergency calls! Below, we have gone over the advantages of having a plumbing subscription and what you can expect.

Rent To Own Parts

When faced with a plumbing emergency, you are going to have to pay the labor costs plus the parts to repair your plumbing. Unfortunately, the parts associated with some repairs can be very costly.

When faced with that situation, you have no other option but to purchase the part, but no longer. With a plumbing subscription, you have the option of renting to own parts. This gives you the option to pay as you go for expensive plumbing fixtures that you need.

This can help spread out the burden of repairs over time, so when those inconvenient breakdowns happen, you will not have to choose between your bills, food, and the plumbing parts that keep your water running. Additionally, because you essentially own the unit, you’re still investing in your home, a win-win.

Plumbing Maintenance

Another important aspect of your plumbing is maintenance. Whether it is maintenance on your pipes, water heater, or even your furnace, maintenance is crucial for a well-working system.

It is generally recommended by professionals that homeowners have maintenance performed annually. With everyday life going on, however, we can sometimes lose sight of that maintenance promise.

With a plumbing subscription plan, however, maintenance plans can be built right in. They can actually be a part of the plan itself, where you will have no cost to you, and they can offer discounts on maintenance repairs that are unexpected.

Avoiding Emergency Calls

The last thing any homeowner wants to deal with is an emergency plumbing situation, especially when they crop up at the most inopportune times, like late-night or in the midst of a part.

Routine maintenance on your plumbing and plumbing appliances can bring to light any problems that could later turn into breakdowns. By addressing smaller issues early on, you can keep your systems working in top shape.

Unfortunately, there may come a time when an emergency call is needed. With a plumbing subscription plan, you can receive discounts on rates, jump to the front of the line to have your problem handled faster, and of course, save on the cost of parts.

Carmine's Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning is ready to help you decide on a plumbing subscription. We have different levels of subscriptions available to meet your needs. Give us a call today for more details at (203) 791-8089. We want to make all your plumbing needs as painless as possible!

The longest day of the year, June 21st, is rapidly approaching. The official start to summer and the most daylight of the year makes this a special day and one worth acknowledging.

With kids on summer vacation, warm days and long evenings, it’s a great time of year to get outside and enjoy time with family and friends. If you don’t already have plans to enjoy the longest day of the year, here are a few low budget water and outdoor plumbing activities that your family might enjoy.

Use your Sprinklers

During the heat of the summer, your grass and yard need some attention and water.

Since you’re going to be using the sprinklers anyway, why not make them into a game and have the whole family come out and play in them? This can be a really fun water activity that doesn’t use too much water (since your yard needs it anyway).

You can even try to make a homemade slip and slide or fashion some sort of water slide if you want to make this even more fun. But slide or no slide, this is one of our favorite outdoor activities and hopefully one that your kids will enjoy all summer long.

Start Hose Fights

If you’re watering your garden or filling up a watering can think about using the hose to start a water fight with your kids.

Just be prepared to get wet! Kids love a good hose fight, and this can be a simple way to get your family outdoors and playing together.

If you want to get everyone involved and to cut down on water usage, getting some water guns is a good variation on the classic hose fight. Kids will quickly get involved in this too, but you won’t have to have your hose running for long periods of time.

Water Balloon Traditions

This June 21st might be the perfect time to start a family water balloon fight tradition.

This simple and inexpensive activity is a great way for families to play, compete and bond.

It’s easy to set up - just get a bunch of water balloons, put your kids in charge of filling them up and go for it. It’s easy to do and nothing particularly fancy, but this type of activity can be a special treat for kids and a chance to make some special memories that you’ll all remember.

So from all of us here at Carmine's Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, grab some water balloons and get ready to get soaked. We hope that some of these outdoor activities will help your family have a little extra fun on June 21st and all summer long.

It’s worth noting that it’s always important to think about water conservation, so when enjoying outdoor water activities, do your best to conserve or reuse water.

But with that consideration in mind, get outdoors and have some fun with these activities. And make sure that you enjoy your day on the 21st. After all, the longest day of the year only happens once a year!

That's right, folks, there's a conspiracy happening in the plumbing industry. Big plumbing companies are hiding valuable information from you about how to deal with hard water! Of course at Carmine's Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning don't believe in keeping helpful tips from our customers just to generate more business for ourselves! We believe in doing all we can to help you solve all of your plumbing problems, including giving you tools to help yourself sometimes.

Read on to learn more about how you can clean up hard water spots and streaks with products you probably already have in your home. We’ll even share with you the secret to getting rid of hard water for good (spoiler alert: we’re talking about water softeners)!

Hard Water: What it is, and Why It’s a Nuisance

If you have hard water, you'll know it by the difference in the texture of your skin, hair, and even laundry! Hard water contains high amounts of calcium, magnesium, and other hard minerals, which can dry out your skin, making it feel itchy or irritated, and hair, making it feel brittle and lack shine.

The minerals in hard water can also wear out the fabrics in your clothing when you wash them, making your clothes feel scratchy and appear faded. It may even stain your clothes with white spots or streaks.

The same white spots (mineral deposits that stay behind when the water evaporates) can appear on everything from your bathroom tiles to your mirrors, to your silverware and drinking glasses. What can you do to get rid of these unsightly stains? Let’s check that out.

Cleaning Stains: What You Need to Know

The most important thing you should know about cleaning up hard water spots is that you don’t need any fancy, expensive, chemical cleaners to do it! The best hard water spot cleaning agents can be found right in your kitchen pantry: vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice.

A paste made from baking soda and vinegar can be spread over hard water stains to loosen them up. After about ten to fifteen minutes, you can scrub the mixture in, and the stain should come right off!

You can rinse the area clean, but make sure to wipe it dry, or the water will just leave a stain again. If you have severe mineral deposit buildup on your faucets, you can get rid of that by spraying it with pure, fresh lemon juice and wiping it clean after a few minutes.

Water Softeners: The Only Solution

The only way to get rid of hard water for good is to install a whole-house water softener. Salt-based ion exchangers are the most common type of water softener on the market, and they only need to be maintained about once or twice a year.

We're happy to share our industry secrets with you in the hopes that you'll pay it forward and share them with your friends and loved ones! Share this article with everyone you know to share with the world how to get rid of those tricky hard water stains!

If you have any more questions related to hard water and water softeners, call Carmine's Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning in Danbury, CT at (203) 791-8089!

Are you looking to update the look of your kitchen plumbing? One way you can do that is by replacing your current kitchen or bathroom sink. The truth is that replacing a sink is much easier said than done. There are so many different options available today for the bathroom and kitchen sinks.

If you make sure to do the proper research, keep the costs of varying sink features in mind, and find a plumbing store that can accommodate you, there's no reason why you can't find the perfect sink to spruce up your home.

Research Styles & Types of Sinks

The first thing you’ll need to do before replacing any sink is research what kind of sink you want to install.

If you are looking for a modern take in your bathroom, for example, you may be interested in a vessel sink or a contemporary style wall mounted sink.

A farmhouse sink can add charm to your kitchen, or you can modernize the space with a granite composite sink. These are just a few of the seemingly endless possibilities. Further research can help you find a sink to fit the aesthetic of any bathroom remodels.

Beyond the type of sinks that are available to you, there are also plenty of amenities you can add to your sink to make it exactly what your bathroom or kitchen needs. These amenities include faucets and faucet handles of all kinds, as well as motion or touch-sensor faucets (especially useful in kitchens).

Assess The Cost

Once you’ve researched all of your (virtually endless) options, it’s time to take a look at the costs of those options and compare the value of some sinks over others.

One way to assess different sink costs is to compare how much a sink costs with how much you actually value its features.

For example, if you enjoy cooking and spend a lot of time creating new dishes in your kitchen, then it may be worth investing in amenities like a larger farmhouse sink and faucet with an extendable spout. If you have plenty of storage space in your medicine cabinet and linen closet, you may not mind paying for a pedestal sink.

Consult Your Local Plumbing Store

Finally, you’d do well to call up your local plumbing store for more information about different types of sinks, their costs, and sink installation. This is helpful for two reasons:

1. The people who work at the plumbing store presumably know more about sink plumbing than you do, so they can help you come to a decision about what you need and what you can pass on in a sink.
2. It's important to know if your plumbing store carries the type of sink you are looking to install; otherwise, you may need to pay extra to have it shipped in from elsewhere, or you may need to look for a different sink.

Give the experts at Carmine's Heating, Plumbing, and Air Conditioning a call today for more about sink installation!

Our contractors in Danbury are standing by at (203) 791-8089. If you know someone who is looking to update the look of their bathroom or kitchen with a new sink, share this article with them to help them find their perfect sink.

 
One thing I wish someone would have told me when I started renting my first apartment is the fact that plumbing emergencies may not be the tenant’s responsibility to repair. How much stress could I have avoided if I had only known that my landlord was responsible for paying for my emergency plumbing repairs? And how many other first-time renters have swallowed repair costs they didn’t have to?

Those are the questions that bother me, and that has led me to compile some information I've found to help you avoid the same mistakes I (and countless others, I'm sure) have made when it comes to plumbing emergencies in a rented home.

What Your Landlord Has to Pay For

Your landlord's only job, and their one responsibility to you is to provide a living environment where you and your loved ones can be safe and comfortable.

Floods and other issues that arise from plumbing emergencies are a direct threat to your safety and level of comfort in your home.

That means that should any plumbing emergency occur in your home, your landlord has to pay for the repairs to restore your home to a livable condition. In most cases, landlords are required, by law, to pay for at least a portion of all emergency plumbing repairs.

Only Applies to Rental Homes

Naturally, the benefit of not having to pay for emergency plumbing repairs only applies to people who rent, not own, their home. This is one of the many points in the great renting vs. buying debate.

While owning a home is an investment, and one that can help you and your family put down roots, renting is often seen as a convenient and lower maintenance option, usually ideal for non-permanent residents.

When it comes to plumbing repairs, the exact amount your landlord has to pay towards your plumbing repairs, or the percentage of the repair they have to cover, may vary slightly depending on your lease agreement.

In many cases, the lease agreement will contain a clause which states that the landlord must cover repair costs that are higher than a certain amount, agreed upon by both parties (the landlord and the tenant). If a repair costs less than the agreed upon amount, then the tenant may be required to pay it out of pocket. If the repair charges are equal to or greater than the agreed upon amount, the landlord is responsible for paying them.

What Are The Local Rules?

As I said before, in many cases, the law might require your landlord to pay for at least a portion of your plumbing repairs.

The legally required amount your landlord is responsible for varies from state to state, and often even from city to city, so it’s important to consult with your local rules and ordinances about the matter to know exactly where you stand.

If you've been hesitating to call for plumbing services out of fear of the cost, you can stop worrying, and finally, take care of the plumbing issues in your Danbury home! For emergency plumbing, maintenance, and all other plumbing repairs or installations, call Carmine's Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning today!