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Sarasota & Manatee County, FL

Author: Kevin

Emergency Shut-off Valves Are Important, Says Wimpy’s

Emergency Shut-off Valves Are Important, Says Wimpy’s

Emergency shut-off valves are important, says Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air.  When people have a problem with one of their plumbing fixtures, and need to isolate that particular fixture, it is important that the emergency shut-off valve shuts off properly.

Each plumbing fixture in your home has emergency shut-off valves, commonly known as “stops”.  They are located underneath each plumbing fixture.  They are placed there so as you can  turn off one plumbing fixture without affecting the rest of your plumbing fixtures.  These valves or stops, as plumbers would call them, are usually never exercised.  This means that once they are installed, years may go by without them ever being turned off.  Exercising  stops is similar to exercising your body.  If you don’t use it, you lose it.   With stops or emergency shut-off valves, what will happen, particularly in the Sarasota, Bradenton area where Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air does plumbing repairs for its’ customers, is that due to the hard water, the stops will freeze up.  Or from the day they were installed, they weeped a little.  Now when you look at the emergency shut-off valve and go to use it twenty years later, it is green and corroded.  When you see the green and corrosion on these stops, common sense will tell you that I better not try and turn this emergency shut-off valve, even though it may be an emergency.  It could cause an even bigger emergency by messing with it.

A skilled Master Plumber, would  be able to replace your emergency shut-off valves, so as to give you peace of mind that they will actually work in an emergency.  Sometimes in older homes, the valves are soldered on.  This means that to replace the stop, one would have to heat up the solder joint so that the solder melts and the stop could be removed and replaced.

Maintaining your homes plumbing is important.  Plumbing is the heart of your home.  When an emergency in your plumbing, dictates that you need to turn off the water to something, you want it to work.  It is similar to posting your address numbers on your house.  When you need an ambulance to find your home, it would be to late to go out and put your house numbers on your home.  Be ready for emergencies.  Maintain your plumbing.

If you want help maintaining your plumbing, call Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air.  We are a Sarasota based, family owned, plumbing business that has been exceeding our customers expections for over forty three years. Call 941-322-1911 or schedule an inspection online at www. Loveyourplumber.com.  We will send out a Florida State Certified Licensed Master Plumber to inspect your plumbing and recommend what is best for you.

Plumbing Estimates, Call Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air.

Plumbing Estimates, Call Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air.

Plumbing estimates, call Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air.  We want you to Love Your Plumber.  So we will send a Florida State Certified Licensed Master Plumber, at no charge to your home, to give you an estimate on your plumbing repairs or bathroom/kitchen remodel projects.

We want to be your Plumber!  We have been a Sarasota, local family Plumbing business since 1973.  We want to exceed your expectations.  Here are some of the words our customers have used when they describe their experience with Wimpy’s:

  1. Trustworthy
  2. Dependable
  3. Clean
  4. Through
  5. Detail orientated
  6. Shoe covers
  7. Referred by a friend
  8. Protected my home
  9. Drop cloths in work areas
  10. Clean trucks
  11. Stocked trucks
  12. Professional appearance
  13. licensed plumbers
  14. Explained options
  15. Looked out for customers best interest
  16. Honest
  17. Reliable
  18. Friendly office staff
  19. Do what they say
  20. Efficient
  21. Don’t sell what they don’t need
  22. Believe in America
  23. They get exactly what they pay for and more
  24. Exceeded my expectations
  25. 70 years of experience under one roof
  26. They own all the specialty tools
  27. Respectful of their time
  28. They were fast
  29. They returned my phone call
  30. They showed up on time or early
  31. They got my estimate back to me quickly
  32. They offered help beyond plumbing

Why not try us, there is no one out there like us!  We care about you and your plumbing needs. You owe it to yourself to experience the level of service that Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air provides to its’ customers.

We are not here to provide you service just one time.  We want to be your Plumber for a lifetime!  Mutual trust comes with time.  We want the chance to earn your trust.  Remember the name, Wimpy’s.  Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air.  We strive to live up to our middle name, Dependable.

The plumbing system in your home, is the heart of your home.  We all take our plumbing for granted, until something overflows or we have a flood.  When one of these things happen, you want someone you can trust and who will get there to take of it for you.  Now you know who that company is!  Call today and just say you want to be a customer, even though you don’t have a problem right now.  You will get to speak to the most pleasant person you can imagine.

Call 941-322-1911 or schedule online at www.Loveyourplumber.com.  You will  be glad you did.

Leak Behind Shower Wall

Leak Behind Shower Wall

Uh-oh, you went into your closet this morning and found the floor all wet behind the shower or found a leak behind the shower wall.  First thing to do is to see if it is spreading or is it just one area that is saturated.

If the wet spot keeps getting bigger, turn off the water to the house.  Hopefully, you know where that is.  At Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air, a family owned plumbing business in Sarasota, we make sure that our customers know where they can turn off their water in case of an emergency.  We also suggest they have a lever handle, quarter turn ball valve installed, so that it is easy to turn off.

So now you know if it is spreading or not.  If it was spreading you may have a pressure leak in the water piping system in your home.  There are a few different ways to determine where the pressure leak is coming from.  The best way is to have the leak located with an electronic, leak detection tool.  You will need to call a professional plumber to have this done.  By having the leak located electronically, you won’t have to tear open walls or floors where you don’t need to.  This tool will pinpoint the exact location of your leak, so wall or floor repair is minimal.  Then you can fix your leak, dry up the water and have a great day!

If the leak did not spread,  then a little more investigation is in store.  First, dry up all of the water. Then think back to the last time you ran the shower.  Was anything different? Number of people, spraying the handheld shower around to clean the shower or was the shower draining slower than normal and you were standing in water, ankle deep.

Check the shower arm that the shower head is screwed into. Is it real loose or just broke off in your hand?  If the shower arm is broke, this will cause a leak behind the shower wall.

Maybe the water splashing from you body is getting behind the shower plate where the handle is.  Check the shower plate for holes or cracks.  If you find holes or cracks, caulk around the plate.

If these things were not your problem, then plug the shower drain, and fill up the shower with about 2″ of water.  This procedure will test the integrity of your shower pan.  A shower pan is a safety liner under the shower floor.  After filling the shower up with about 2″ of water,  check behind the shower or where you had water.  If you start to see water, then you can know that your shower pan is need of replacement.

Replacing the shower pan will involve your plumber and a tile man.  I sure hope these tips help you find your leak behind your shower wall.  If you need help or want to discuss your particular plumbing problem, call Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air, 941-322-1911 or schedule and appointment online!

Exceeding your expectations for the last 43 years in Sarasota!

Cheapest Plumber In Sarasota

wimpy's dependable plumbing

Cheapest Plumber In Sarasota

Cheapest Plumber in Sarasota.  Does this mean you are going to get the quality craftsmanship of a Florida State Certified, Licensed, Master Plumber?  Does it mean that the guy who will show up in his rusty, worn-out pick-up truck, will look at your plumbing problem, and then leave to go to Home Depot to get his plumbing parts?  And when he returns, is he going to take care of your home the way he takes care of his truck?

Cheapest Plumber in Sarasota, these guys exist.  But you won’t get the quality of service you deserve.  In fact you will probably end up paying more for his endless trips to get parts, because he doesn’t have a fully stocked Plumbing truck parked in your driveway.

At Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air, we believe that everyone wants value for the dollars they spend.  No one wants to overpay for anything.  They want it done right, they want to know how much it will cost, they want the company to show up when they said, and they want their home to be as clean as it was, when the Plumber leaves.  They want to be treated as a person.

These are just some of the things we do when we do in the Sarasota, Bradenton areas, where we repair and service our customers plumbing.  Our goal at Wimpy’s, is to exceed your expectations!

From the moment you call our office and speak to Lori, our office manager, you will feel at ease.  She will dispatch to you, a Florida State Certified, Licensed Master Plumber.  We will show up on time in a clean, fully stocked plumbing truck.  We will protect your home, let you know your options, and tell you how much it will cost.  It’s pretty easy to see why our customers ask their friends this; Do You Love Your Plumber?  Our website describes how our customers feel, www.Loveyourplumber.com.  When people refer us to their friends and family, this is the highest compliment we can get.  If you take a moment to read our reviews, you will see why we have been plumbing in the Sarasota/Bradenton area for over 43 years.

Wimpy’s,  exceeding your expectations of a Plumber!  Call us, 941-322-1911 or schedule on line at www.Loveyourplumber.com.

Gurgling Toilets, Bubbling Toilets, Wimpy’s Has The Answer!

Gurgling Toilets, Bubbling Toilets, Wimpy’s Has The Answer!

Gurgling toilets, Girgling toilets, Bubbling toilets, Siphoning toilets.  No matter how you spell it or what you call it, Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air has the answer!  Just the other day a customer in Sarasota, Fl. called and said that their toilet was losing water in the bowl, all by itself.  When one of our Florida State Certified licensed plumbers arrived, he determined the problem to be blocked vent lines.  Blocked vent lines will create a negative pressure on the plumbing system and cause siphonage of the traps that protect your home from harmful sewer gas.  Blocked vent lines will also cause your toilets not to flush.  And it usually starts with that gurgling noise!

Usually you will need a Professional Plumber to fix this problem.  At Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air, we want to make sure that this problem doesn’t happen to you again.  So we go the extra mile and find out why your drain lines stopped up and caused the gurgling in your toilet.  We use the latest technology to look inside your drain lines with our state of the art, sewer cameras.  We can without a doubt, tell you exactly what caused your problem and give you options to make sure it doesn’t happen again.  Because who wants backed up toilets?

A Professional Plumber knows how a properly vented plumbing system is laid out and how it should work.  He should be able to quickly determine the cause of the gurgling noise that you called him about.  Do you really want to pay a company that sends out a warm body/technician, who doesn’t have a clue of how a plumbing system is supposed to work?  When you call us to fix your gurgling toilet, rest assured that we will send only professional, Florida State Certified licensed plumbers to quickly assess your plumbing problems and take care of it promptly.

Join the rest of our loyal clients who say, I Love my Plumber!  In fact, go to our website, www.Loveyourplumber.com, to read the reviews people send in.  If you are in the Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch areas, you owe it to yourself to call an honest, family owned Plumbing Company. We have been serving the community for 42 years.

Ants in a Pressure Switch

Ants in a Pressure Switch

Many people have to call a Sarasota plumber to come to their house, because they are on a well and have no water.

If you are one of those people, how many times in a year have you woken up to no water in your beautiful country home?  Many times it is a trade-off to have acreage and seclusion.  It’s your quiet place, away from the hustle and bustle of town.   You see wildlife, your secluded, but sometimes your pump quits working and you have no water.

Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air has found while servicing the Sarasota, Bradenton and Myakka City areas, that the pressure switch is usually the culprit of the infamous, ” I have no water ,” service call.  Ants in a pressure switch is a very common problem.  When it rains a lot, especially like it has been raining in Sarasota and Bradenton, ants seek out high ground.  When I say high ground, it is really the next level up from the area that retains water.  Usually this is the pad the pump sits on.  The ants will seek out this higher ground and make a home right inside your pressure switch. It’s warm and shady inside the pressure switch.  As the ants crawl around inside your pressure switch, and make themselves a comfy little home, they get between the points that make contact when the pump calls for water.  When they are caught between the points and the points close, they get squashed and die.  This leaves their remnants there on the contacts of the points.  The next time the pump calls for water, the pressure switch closes, but cannot make proper contact, due to the ant remnants on the face of the contacts.  That’s when you have no water.

Your dependable plumber in Sarasota has found the best way to prevent ants in a pressure switch, is to mount the switch as high as possible.  Sometimes the height is determined by the length of the wire going to the pressure switch or where the pump was originally placed.

Also, good house keeping around your pump and pressure switch will help too.  Keep the area clean of dirt, debri, and weeds.  A well with a pump and pressure switch is an important item to maintain.  Don’t just take it for granted.

If you need help with understanding your well, your pump, your pressure switch or any plumbing related questions, just call Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air at 941-322-1911.  Our Sarasota plumbers will be happy educate you on your well system, especially if it is all new to you.

Don’t waste time searching for “plumbers near me.” If you have no water, you can call or schedule online with Wimpy’s.  We want to be your Plumber!

Toilets, The Good, The Bad , The Ugly.

Toilets, The Good, The Bad , The Ugly.

Toilets, the good, the bad, the ugly.  Years ago, there was a television commercial about tires.  A man named Stanley, would yell out, tires ain’t pretty, to get you to come to his tire store to buy tires.  Some toilets aren’t pretty either.  Toilets are a necessity, but why can’t they be modern looking and flush well too?

I was vacationing with my wife this summer and since toilets are a necessity, we were using the ones in the house we had rented.  Wow, these toilets were not pretty, nor did they flush well.  Not to mention they were water hogs.  Being a Plumbing Contractor in the Sarasota/ Bradenton area, I see a large variety of toilets.  As I flushed the toilets in this house, I first noticed that the handle squeaked when I pushed it.  Second, the toilet sounded like a dying man sucking air for his last breath.  Then it just kinda swirled around and around using a bunch of water.  I had to stand there and wonder if I was going to have to mop up water, if and when, this toilet overflowed.  Also, it was a round front bowl toilet.  For men, the elongated bowl of a toilet is a much better solution.  Also with comfort height toilets readily available, these toilets seemed and were very antiquated. As my wife mentioned to me, they were ugly too.  That made me think of the tire salesman from years ago on television.

Are you thinking, hey he’s describing my toilet?  If so, you should call Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air.  We will talk toilets to you.  As a professional Plumbing Contractor we know the difference  between the good, the bad and the ugly.  Toilets don’t last forever.  Find out how to save money every time you flush your toilet.  Let us help you bring your bathroom up to the 21st century.

Toilets can be pretty, modern looking, flush well and save you money.  Call 941-322-1911 and let us help you pick out the toilet that is right for you!  Or schedule on line at www.Loveyourplumber.com for an estimate.

How to find a cheap, affordable plumber in Sarasota or Bradenton?

How to find a cheap, affordable plumber in Sarasota or Bradenton?

Yes, is the answer to that question.  In a perfect world people want plumbing to be cheap and affordable.  However, the cheapest guy could end up costing you the most.  It could be the handyman who thinks he knows how to do plumbing because he replaced  flapper in his toilet.  Did you know that with toilets today , there are more than 30 different flappers for all the different toilets that are being made?  No longer does one flapper fit all.  Also. some toilet tank parts have become very intricate, requiring a professional who knows how they work and can properly diagnosis the problem.

Plumbing requires a license.  To get a license one has to go through an apprenticeship training, take a test and prove themselves to the State of Florida.  Without the proper training, one cannot totally understand the purpose of vents, venting, proper pitch of waste piping, fixture load on a system, why traps are necessary and what the proper distance is to run different pipe sizes.

The first requirement of a plumber is to protect the health of the nation.  The “wanna be” guy, who set a vanity for you or the handy man fella you called because he said he could fix your plumbing, probably doesn’t know the plumbing code, so he doesn’t know if what he did is legal and not to mention safe, because remember, the plumbers job is to protect the health of the nation. Professional plumbers take this very seriously.  Handyman, not so much.  Who do you really want working on your plumbing system?  Plumbing is the heart of the home.  Without plumbing, can you imagine the sanitation nightmare.  How about clean water?  Plumbers, you need a real one.  Also, you need an honest plumber.  Someone who can explain your options when you need a repair done and recommend what is safe and in your budget.

Nobody wants to call a doctor, but when you need one you want the best, not the cheapest.  Same with a plumber.  You want their professional expertise. You may need their specialized tools, their fully stocked truck and their undivided attention.  You also may want your doctor to have insurance in case something unexpected happens.  Wouldn’t you want the same of your plumber in Bradenton FL?

Shopping for the cheapest plumber, may just cost you more money in the end.  Do yourself a favor, save yourself some headaches and hire a professional licensed plumber.

Call Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air, Inc. for all of your plumbing needs.  941-322-1911.  www.Love Your Plumber.com

Home Inspection By a Plumber.

Home Inspection By a Plumber.

Don’t let your dream home you want to buy, become an unexpected money pit. Let Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air in Sarasota, give you a free evaluation of the plumbing system. Here is an example of a house we inspected for our client in Bradenton last week.

Summary of findings:

Upon inspection, we found original plumbing waste and water lines through-out the entire three bathroom house.  The home was built in 1957.  This makes all of the plumbing 58 years old.  The waste and vent lines are cast iron pipe and the water lines are copper.  Both of which have exceeded their life span.

None of the plumbing fixtures have been updated, except for the lavatory valves and water heater.

We attempted to run a sewer camera down the 3” cast iron stack to view the condition of the waste lines.  The cast iron was so full of sludge, rust, scale and corrosion that the camera would not go through it.

The water pressure is slightly restricted, when opening more than one faucet at a time.  This may be due to a corroded main water line from the meter to the house, which would need to be replaced.

We saw evidence of at least one repair of a pin hole leak on the copper line at the water heater.  The water heater needs to have a pan drain installed to the outside as per code.

We highly recommend all new pvc waste, vent and sewer lines for the entire house, due to age.
Also, the copper water lines need to be replaced through-out, due to age.
All plumbing fixtures and valves need replaced, due to age.

The approximate cost to install new plumbing is approximately $30,000.00, plus owners choice of fixtures and valves.

If you are not prepared for this type of expense before you buy, this type of plumbing expense can be quite a burden and put a huge damper on the joy of owning a home.  We want you to love your new home and Love Your Plumber!  Let Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air help make the right decision for you.

Camera the waste lines before you buy!

Call 941-322-1911 or schedule online at www.Loveyourplumber.com.

Sewer Line Stoppage, Do I Need To Replace the Sewer Line?

Sewer Line Stoppage, Do I Need To Replace the Sewer Line?

Sewer line stoppages are not supposed to occur if everything is working properly.  Do you need to replace the sewer line?  This is where getting an honest, professional Plumber in Sarasota, can save you money.

So many different variables can take place that will cause your sewer line to back up.  Different types of pipe material over the years, that back when they were installed was the best thing ever and people thought that they would never fail.  We now know that with the test of time and different environments that the pipe is in, makes a huge difference concerning the life span of different pipe.

Today, with the sewer cameras Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air uses, we can not only tell you why your sewer line stopped up, but also show you where you are having sewer line blockages.  Because Wimpy’s is one of the most honest Plumbers in Sarasota, we can then give you several options on how to make sure a stoppage won’t happen again.

Your options could be to snake out the line to clear the blockage with different size sewer cables and a variety of sewer cleaning heads that we have, or you could have the line hydro-jetted with our Mongoose Hydro-jetter or dig up the old line and put in new pipe.

If you are having stoppages in Sarasota, you should call Wimpy’s.  We have all of the technology, state of the art equipment and all the different types of digging equipment from tiny excavators to large backhoes and Bobcats. We even still have and still use shovels.

Your stoppage could be very minor and you can trust us to tell you that.  Ask your neighbor if they love their Plumber.  Chances are they have used us and will tell you yes, they love their Plumber.  Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air.  941-322-1911 or schedule on line, www.Loveyourplumber.com.  A family Plumbing business, established 1973 in Sarasota, Fl.  That’s over 42 years of treating people like we want to be treated.  Call us today for an estimate.

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