Plumbing
Plumbing Products & Services
With over 70 years experience, IPH offers a comprehensive list of plumbing products and services to our customers:
- Installation of toilet, sink faucet, garbage disposal, outdoor spigot, water heater
- Leak detection
- Clogged drains: sink/shower/toilet
- Video camera plumbing inspection
- Fire protection
- Geothermal
When Should I Call a Plumber?
Leaving even a small plumbing issue go unfixed overtime can grow into a major problem for your home. We take on jobs large and small to make sure your home is safe and comfortable for your family. Give IPH a call if you need help with:
- Water leaks
- Clogged drain
- Clogged toilet
- Poor water quality
- Flooding
- Low water pressure
Keep Your Drains & Pipes in Tiptop Shape
Cleaning pointers
Use strainers to prevent clogged drains. Some chemical drain cleaners corrode metal pipes, so use them sparingly, especially if pipes or traps are brass, steel, or cast-iron. Instead, pour a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar down drains monthly. Drains in showers and bathroom sinks need extra care; pour three gallons of boiling water down drains monthly.
Don’t let your outside faucets freeze
Be sure to un-attach your garden hoses before freezing temperatures arrive in the fall. Also, close the shut-off valve on the pipe(s) leading to your outdoor faucet(s), then open the outdoor faucets so that any residual water can drain.
Keep the garage door closed
If there is any plumbing in your garage, be sure to keep your garage door closed during extremely cold weather months. If your garage is not heated, you should also consider insulating all water pipes in the garage to prevent the pipes from freezing and bursting.
What to do if your pipes freeze
If your pipes freeze, turn off the water at the main shut off valve. Next, leave the faucets on to relieve pressure as the ice melts. Finally, use a blow dryer or heat gun to thaw frozen pipes. Do not use a blow torch! It’s very dangerous.
Don’t let your pipes freeze
If your indoor faucets tend to freeze in cold weather, leave cabinet doors under the faucets open so that they can get more heat. In extreme cases, let water trickle slowly into the sink. Insulate water pipes that are exposed to freezing temperatures or wind. Unused water pipes should be drained for winter in areas where there may be severely cold weather.
Locate your main water shut off
You should know where your main water shut off valve is in your home and label it along with any other isolating valves. Make sure that these valves are working properly by turning them all on and off about two times every year.
Check for drips
A slow faucet leak can waste 15 gallons of water a day. Fixing it can save up to 6,000 gallons a year! If you must turn the taps off tighter each time to prevent drips, replace the washers in the taps. Turning taps off tighter each time causes more wear and shortens their life span.
Check for toilet leaks
Put a few drops food coloring in each toilet tank to check for leaks. Without flushing, watch for a few minutes to see if the color shows up in the bowl. It’s not uncommon to lose up to 100 gallons a day from one of these toilet leaks.
