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Sarasota & Manatee County, FL

Author: Kevin

Sarasota Plumber Loves Sarasota!

Sarasota Plumber Loves Sarasota!

american flag

At Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air, we love Sarasota, Florida. Not only is it beautiful here, there’s so much to do, including arts and culture, beautiful white-sand beaches, State parks, fine dining, and exquisite shopping. People come from all over the world to experience what we could take for granted.

Sarasota Plumbers with History in Sarasota

Sarasota Plumber, Bubba Butler, loves Sarasota, like he loves the United States of America.  Our little town has a lot of choices.  Whether it be where you go for fun or where you go for dinner.  Or when you need to call a Plumber.

Sarasota Plumber, Loveyourplumber.com is Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air.  Bubba Butler is a third generation Sarasota native.  He was raised in the plumbing industry from childhood.  He knows plumbing in Sarasota.

Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air, is as proud of Sarasota, as they are of our country.  In fact, Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air, is so proud of their country that they wear the American flag on their uniforms and have the American  flag lettered on their fleet of trucks.  The American flag stands for what they believe in.

The following is a lyric from Johnny Cash;

I walked through a county courthouse square.  On a park bench, an old man was sitting there.  I said: “your old flag pole is leaned a little bit and that’s a ragged old flag you got hanging on it.”  He said: ” I don’t like to brag, but we’re kind of proud or that ragged flag.”

You see, we got a little hole in that flag there when Washington took it across the Delaware.  and it got powder burned the night Francis Scott Key sat watching it, writing “Say Can You See.”

She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville, and she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.  There was Robert E. Lee and Beauregard and Bragg, and the south wind blew hard on that ragged old flag.

On Flanders Field in World War l, she got a big hole from a Bertha Gun.  She turned blood red in World War ll.

She hung limp and low a time or two.  She was in Korea and Vietnam.  She went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam.

And she’s getting threadbare, and she’s wearing thin, but she’s in good shape for the shape’s she’s in.

‘Cause she’s been through the fire before and I believe she can take a whole lot more.

So we raise her up every morning, and we take her down slow every night.  We don’t let her touch the ground, and we fold her up right.

On second thought, I do like to brag.  ‘Cause I’m mighty proud of that old flag.

Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air is as proud of their work and their commitment to their customers as they are of Sarasota and the United States of America.  They want you to Love Your Plumber!

They don’t like to brag about the level of service they provide,  on second thought, they do like to brag. ‘Cause they are proud of how they treat their customers.

Call us to experience the level of service you deserve. 941-322-1911.  Or schedule online at www.Loveyourplumber.com

Where Is My Main House Water Shut Off Valve?

Where Is My Main House Water Shut Off Valve?

Where is my main house water shut off valve, is a question our Sarasota plumbers get asked a lot.  During the moment of panic, when your house is flooding, the answer can not come soon enough.

shut off valve

Turning your water off at the main house shut off valve, should be something everyone in the house needs to know.  It’s kinda like emergency fire drills.  You hope you never need to turn it off, because of a flood, but you need to know where it is and that it works easy.  Also make sure it is easy to find and is accessible.  Just like finding your entire family, including the dog and the cat, in the safe zone, if you had an actual fire.  It’s a relief to know you had a plan.  So, where is my main house shut off valve?

Floods are the same way.  If you can limit the amount of time the water is flowing wide open, you can limit the damage that could occur.  So, where is my main house shut-off valve?

How to Shut Off Your Water

Your main house shut of valve should be above ground against the wall of your home.  Usually, somewhere straight from the water meter.  It could be on the side of your house or in the front.  Years ago, plumbers were allowed to leave them underground, because we would remember where they where.  I can’t even remember what I had for breakfast.  So that method did not work very well for people who needed to turn off their water, because they can’t find it!

If you are on a well, it should be straight from the well to the your house.  You may even have a main shut off valve at the well.  But that could be a long run out to the well when a flood is occurring.  It is best to have the valve at the house.

Once you find the main house shut off valve, you need to make sure that it operates smoothly.  And that it shuts off the water completely.

The lever handle ball valves are the easiest for anyone to turn off.  Our Sarasota plumbers highly recommend that you have a lever handle ball valve for the main shut off valve.  It may be the cheapest insurance you will ever buy. Talk about peace of mind.

Make sure your spouse and your kids know where it is and how to use it.  Turn off your water when leaving the house for extended periods of time.

If you need a plumbers help locating or replacing your main house shut off valve in the Sarasota, Bradenton or Lakewood Ranch area, Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air is the Sarasota County Plumber you need to call.  Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air has served Sarasota Plumbing needs for over forty years.

Call your Sarasota plumbers today for an estimate!

Home Inspections, Do They find Everything That’s Wrong?

Home Inspections, Do They find Everything That’s Wrong?

Home Inspections, by home inspectors, do they find everything that is wrong?  You and your spouse have finally agreed that the house you were just shown is THE one.  You picture yourself in the dining room, having breakfast as you see the sun coming up.  The house has a large work area for your hubby, to keep him out of your hair for a while.  There is the smell of fresh paint, new cabinets, new flooring, wow, just perfect.  The kitchen has just been redone, and the color of the granite top is just what you would of picked out.

new home plumbing

So, you both agree this is the house you should buy.  After all, everything is new!  BEWARE.   During the buying process,  the lender will require a home inspector to look over the house.  This is a good thing.  The home you are fixing to invest in for and your children needs to be looked over.  This way you can be prepared for unexpected expenses that could be thousands of dollars.

In my experience of customers that have bought homes, who had home inspections by home inspectors, they find things wrong.  Which is great.  Now you know.  But occasionally, and more often than not, especially on older homes, inspectors don’t inspect the heart of the plumbing system.  This would be the drainage and waste lines.

Sarasota Plumbers essential for Older Home Inspections

Most home inspectors are not Florida State Certified Plumbing Contractors.  They may be able to flush the water closet and it flushes.   But does that mean when a family moves in and puts heavy use on an old cast iron drainage system, that it will work then?  Or will there be main line stoppages, because the waste lines themselves were not inspected?

If you are serious about the home you are buying,  you should have a licensed master plumber camera your waste lines.  He can give you a professional opinion on how much more life is left, of the heart of your plumbing system.  He can also tell you how much it will cost to replace the waste lines if they are beyond repair.  This would be great to know before signing the dotted line.

How’s the old saying go?  A picture is worth a thousand words.

Should you considering buying a home in the Sarasota, Bradenton or Lakewood Ranch area, call Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air, 941-322-1911,  or schedule an appointment on line.

We want to help you make an informed decision before buying your dream home.

Dust Free Concrete Cutting

Dust Free Concrete Cutting

Cutting concrete is sometimes necessary when you are remodeling your kitchen or bath.  The only way to keep the surroundings areas dust free, is to use a dust free concrete cutting system. Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air relies on the Hilti Dustless Technology System.  This system is 99.9% dust free.  It is an electric saw that will cut 4″ concrete without using any protective covers or zip walls.  Water is Not used, so there is no concrete mud slurry.  Hilti, uses a special vacumn system that collects all the dust.

When Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air has to cut concrete dust free, in a customers home, we can assure them 100%, that 99.9% of the dust will be contained with the Hilti Dustless Technology System.

Sarasota Plumbers Perform Dust-Free Concrete Cutting

Check out our Youtube video of our Sarasota plumbers cutting concrete dust free inside the Men’s Wearhouse, while they were open during the remodel.

Notice that we did not have to protect anything.  There was no dust.  One has to be confident to cut concrete without any protection around all of those black tuxedos.  With our Hilti Dust Free Concrete cutting system, we have the confidence.

If you have ever seen concrete being cut, you either saw an incredible cloud of dust that is so fine it gets all over everything, or you saw a slurry of concrete mud from being cut wet.  The concrete mud slurry ends up getting tracked everywhere you walk in the house.  And the wet cut is called a clean-cut.

The only way to clean cut concrete is to use the Hilti Dustless Technology system.  This truly is a dust free, clean cut way our Wimpy’s Sarasota plumbing services cut concrete in the SW Florida area.

If you want to relocate the kitchen sink, bathtub or toilet in your home, but dreaded the concrete cutting dust or mud slurry call the Sarasota plumbing team at Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air.  We will keep your home dust free, why?  We want you to love your plumber in Sarasota!

Call today for an estimate,941-322-1911.

What Is Wimpys?

What Is Wimpys?

People often wonder what is Wimpys, when they see our trucks.  Some people mistake us for Florida Power and Light trucks.  Wimpy’s is a Florida State Certified Plumbing Company.  We serve the Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch areas, and specialize in plumbing service and repairs.

What is Wimpy’s, the hamburger guy from the old cartoon, “Popeye”?  Well yes, that was one Wimpy.

wimpy father

Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air,  was named by Winfred Butler, nicknamed Wimpy as a kid.  He was my dad.  He started the plumbing company back in 1973.  He wanted a name people could remember and associate that name with honesty, integrity and excellent w0rkmanship.

What is Wimpy’s today, forty years later?  A well respected and trusted plumbing company in the communities of Sarasota, Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch with the same values we had when we started forty years ago.  We are your Sarasota plumber.

From the moment you call the office and hear Lori’s cheerful voice that puts your mind at ease and assures you that one of our Florida State Certified licensed plumbers will show up in a very clean, fully stocked plumbing warehouse on wheels to fix any of your plumbing problems; such as a leaking dishwasher, garbage disposal, water heater issues, faucets that need replaced, toilets that need repair, drains that are slow or stopped up, replacement of sewer lines, repiping from copper to Pex pipe, or remodeling your bath or kitchen to make it more modern.  You can rest assured knowing that the job will be done right.  We use quality material, so your plumbing can stand the test of time, just like our company has.

We strive for repeat business.  The take your money and run thing, doesn’t cut it with us.  Check out the video testimonials from some of our customers on our web site, www.loveyourplumber.com.

Then schedule your next plumbing job online with us or call 941-322-1911, just to hear Lori’s pleasant voice.  We want you to Love Your Plumber!

A Plumber With Experience!

A Plumber With Experience!

bubba butler sarasota plumber from wimpys

When people in Sarasota call a plumber, it is usually because they have a plumbing problem and don’t know how to fix it.  They want to rely on a professional plumber to do the job right.  They want a plumber with experience!

Customers don’t call and say, send me a helper to fix my plumbing, they want a plumber with experience!  After all, if your going to pay for a plumber, have them send you a man who at least holds a journey man’s plumbing license.  This license means they know the theory of plumbing, how waste and vent lines work together to protect the health of the nation.

Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air employs Florida State Certified licensed plumbers.  That’s what you will get when you call us to solve your plumbing problem.  We don’t send helpers to do a plumber’s job.  We send a plumber with experience!

As the owner of Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air, Bubba Butler, I grew up in the plumbing trade.  I realized the importance of knowing all phases of plumbing.  I wanted to know everything I could about plumbing.  On March 23,1979, I passed the Florida Master Plumbing exam.  This made me the youngest Master Plumber in the state of Florida, at the age of 19 years old. (Solarcraft put Bubba’s picture on a Billboard because he was the youngest Master Plumber in the State of FL)

I started plumbing with my dad, Wimpy, at the age of 7 years old.  Going to work with him on Saturdays and in the summer, I enjoyed plumbing from an early age. This was a time well before OSHA rules and child labor laws.  I vividly remember the age of seven, because one hot summer day I was carrying a ladle full of hot lead to my dad on a rough-in for a commercial building.  The ground at this stage of construction isn’t level.  I stumbled and poured the hot lead into my tennis shoe.  It was scalding hot as you can imagine the temperature of the molten lead.  I got to sit under a nice oak tree the rest of the day!

Even today, I want to learn more.  There are new things to learn every day.  I feel I am wasting my time here on earth if I don’t learn at least one new thing, every day.  Experience only comes from doing your time.  Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air has stood the test of time for forty years.  We are the Plumbers with experience!

Call Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air for your next plumbing problem. We have the experienced licensed plumbers to solve your plumbing problems.  We want you to Love Your Plumber!  Visit us at www.loveyourplumber.com or call 941-322-1911.

Mom’s Know Plumbing, More than You Think.

Mom’s Know Plumbing, More than You Think.

i love mom

As a local Plumbing Contractor in the Sarasota, Bradenton area for the last forty years, it still amazes me how well educated, moms, house wifes and women in general are, when it comes to their plumbing systems at home.  Mom’s know plumbing, more than you think!

Mom’s can tell you more about strange noises in their plumbing system or whether the drain is draining like it should.  They can tell their plumber if the pressure seems low in the shower or the sink.  Mom’s can tell their plumber if a stain in the cabinet is getting bigger or that it just appeared.  Mom’s know more plumbing, than you think.

Mom’s have always had  a sixth sense about all things, so when it comes to their plumbing, Mom’s can tell you if their garbage disposal is making noise they haven’t heard before or if their water pump sounds different or running more often than it should.  Mom’s know plumbing more than you think.

Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air loves mom’s.  Why?  The things mom’s can tell you about their plumbing systems, helps our plumbers solve their plumbing problems quickly or even prevent major plumbing problems.  Mom’s, like their home to run smoothly and without interruption.  If they suspect a plumbing problem, they want a plumber they can trust.  Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air wants to earn that trust.  Check out our video testimonials on our web site, www.Loveyourplumber.com.  We want you to love your plumber.  We want to help you with preventative maintenance before it becomes a costly issue.

Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air is available 24/7  for all of you plumbing needs.  Call 941-322-1911 or schedule on line at www.LoveYourPlumber.com

My House Main Water Valve Won’t Turn Off.

My House Main Water Valve Won’t Turn Off.

main shut off valve

My house main water valve won’t turn off and I have a flood.  Many a plumber has heard that before.  Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air makes sure that  all of our customers know where to find their house main water valve to their home and that the house main water valve works properly.

Exercising the main house water valve from time to time is a great way to not only make sure that it is working, but to ingrain into the brain where it is located.

During an emergency, such as a flood, is no time to try to explain to your spouse or your children where to find the house main water valve.  This should be a game plan, like having  a fire drill.  A few minutes taken to show everyone in the house where the house main water valve is located, and show them how it works, could be priceless in an emergency.

If you are on a municipal water supply and have a flood, but can’t turn off your water, the municipality will send an emergency crew out to turn off your water.  But by the time they get the call and respond, you could end up with quite a bit of water damage.

A lot of homes today, don’t have a quality brass valve for the house main water valve.  Some of the house main water valves plumbers will put in are of not the best quality.  So over the course of a few years, the house main water valve that isn’t exercised, will freeze up or corrode up and not work when you need it the most.

Water, when and where you want it, is a wonderful thing.  Water that is flooding your home and your house main water valve that is not working is a disastrous thing.

If you are unable to locate your house main water valve or it doesn’t work, a dependable plumber in Sarasota is available 24/7 to assist you in all of your plumbing needs.  Call 941-322-1911 today!

Why is Mold Growing in My Shower?

Why is Mold Growing in My Shower?

got mold

Black mold in  a shower is something plumbers see more than they want to.  We see it in kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets and laundry rooms.  Usually the mold that is in the cabinets is from a leak that has gone undetected for a period of time.   The mold that grows in showers is sometimes caused by the bathroom not being properly ventilated.  Make sure you have proper ventilation and use a dehumidifier.

Molds are fungi.  No one knows how many species of fungi exists, but the CDC estimates tens of thousands to perhaps even three hundred thousand species exists.

Molds grow best in warm, damp and humid conditions.  They spread and reproduce by making spores.  If the source of the mold is not taken care of, such as a plumbing leak, the mold will just keep reproducing itself and become a health hazard.

Some people are more sensitive to molds than others.  Exposure to molds can cause symptoms such as nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing or skin irritations.  Others may have more severe reactions that affect their lungs.

We have been in homes to repair plumbing problems and have seen black mold in the house, and the people were not aware of why they felt sick. This is more common then one would think.  Sometimes, mold hides in places people don’t often look.

If you think you have mold growth in your home and live in the Sarasota, Bradenton area, you are in luck.  Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air can provide you a consultation to find the source of the mold in your home.  Mold is not pretty, and can be an extreme health hazard.  Wimpy’s wants to help you keep your home mold free.  Call today 941-322-1911 or schedule online at www.wimpys2022content.kinsta.cloud Wimpy’s is a forty year old family business that is available 24/7 for all of your plumbing needs.

Toilet Paper Should Be My Choice, Not My Toilets!

Toilet Paper Should Be My Choice, Not My Toilets!

toilet paper

Soft, thick toilet paper, ahh.  Everyone would rather have the softest toilet tissue to use.  But a lot of people can’t use the toilet paper of their choice, because  their toilet won’t flush it down or it stops it up.

Toilet paper has been around a long time.  China had it centuries before Europe in 589 AD.  In 1393, an official of the Ming Dynasty recorded that 720,000 sheets of toilet paper were produced for the Imperial Court.

Different cultures use different methods for cleaning.  Japan used a special wooden stick called a chugi. Chugi’s were narrow sticks of wood about 200 millimeters long and 10-20 millimeters wide and a few millimeters thick. ( Talk about special!)

The higher class of people in Europe, used a tersorium.  This was a sponge mounted on a stick.  If water was not available they used stones, three stones was the norm.

Paper remained expensive and uncommon until industrial production greatly reduced costs in the 1800’s.  The first patent for roll based toilet paper was in 1883.

Only the wealth people used paper.  Others used rags or plant material.

In 1975,  the American Broadcasting Company banned the phrase toilet paper and required it to be called toilet tissue.

The Farmers Almanac has traditionally been produced with a hole through one corner so it could be hung on a nail in an outhouse, so its pages could be used.

I used to hear people say that was  what  the Sears Roebuck catalog was for, as well as corn cobs.

Maybe you have seen the commercial of the college kids buying beer and toilet paper.  They get to the check-out and find they don’t have enough money to buy both, so they don’t buy the toilet paper. then the bag boy asks them if they would like paper or plastic and they both reply in unison, paper.  I get a grin out of that.

So does your toilet not let you flush the soft kind of paper you enjoy?  Does your plumbing system stop up when you use thick toilet paper.  Do you have to be cautious of the amount of paper you flush at once?

You don’t have to be a prisoner to your toilet.  Don’t let your toilet or plumbing system mandate your comfort level.

Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air has the answer to your toilet paper issues and your toilet blockages.  Call 941-322-1911 or schedule your estimate on line at Loveyourplumber.com     We are the Plumbers for the Sarasota, Bradenton area for people who want to use thick, soft, toilet tissue.

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