Water leaks are one of the most destructive and frustrating problems in many Wilmington homes. Undetected water leaks can rot wood, destroy drywall, and cause mold to grow in unseen spaces of your home. Spending the time and money to find and fix water leaks before they cause significant damage is one of the most cost-effective actions a homeowner can take.

Sinks

Cabinets beneath kitchen and bathroom sinks are a good place to start. Look for signs of water damage or build up. Mold and mildew are telltale signs of water leaks. Touch the pipes, particularly the areas where they enter the faucet. Run the hot and cold water faucets for a few minutes and repeat the inspection. Finally, fill the sink with water, let it stand a few minutes and open the drain. Now check the drain pipe and the joints that connect it to the sink for leaks.

Toilets

Toilets can leak from the water supply pipes filling the tank and from the seal between the toilet and the waste pipe in the floor. Flush the toilet several times and carefully look for any signs of leaks in the joints of the water supply pipe and the floor around the base of the toilet. Lift the lid off the tank and flush the toilet. When the tank refills, the water should completely shut off. If the flush valve or water control unit is old, corroded, or loose, the water will continue to run. Running water cools the water delivery pipe to the toilet and the tank, which will cause them to collect condensation in humid weather. The condensation will drip and eventually cause water damage to the floor behind the toilet. Bottom line – don’t ignore a running toilet. Have the water control and flush valve fixed or replaced.

Tubs and Showers

Inspect the caulking around the tub or shower. Old, cracked, or missing caulking can allow water to leak into the wall. Water dripping from a leaky faucet or shower head will go down the drain and not cause any damage, but the faucet may also be leaking water behind the tub or shower.

Hot Water Heaters

Finally, inspect the hot water heater for leaks, and the boiler if the house has hot water heating. The first place to look is the floor around the appliance, but also look at the joints where the water pipes connect.

For any help finding or repairing a leak in your Wilmington plumbing, give Boulden Brothers a call!

Did you know that the average home can waste more than 10,000 gallons of water a year due to leaks alone? If notice that your home has a dripping faucet, a running toilet, or any other leaks, it’s always best to get them fixed right away. Not only do leaks waste water, but in some cases they can cause water damage to your home.

Are you looking for plumbing repair or fixture replacement in the Wilmington, DE area? Boulden Brothers offers expert technicians and excellent customer service in the Dover area. We provide plumbing installation, maintenance and repair. As well as water treatment systems, water heaters, and drain and sewer services. Call us today to find out how we can help make your plumbing system for efficient.

Fiberglass bathtubs are very durable, and they have a look that can add a lot to the design of your Newark DE home’s bathroom. However, they require special care to keep clean and avoid discoloration. The methods and products that work well on porcelain or enamel tubs will not necessarily be successful on fiberglass, and can actually cause permanent damage. Follow these instructions to keep your fiberglass clean and shiny for years to come.

Word of Warning

First of all, never use an abrasive or harsh cleaning product on fiberglass, as it can destroy the finish. When selecting a product to use on your tub, read the indications on the label to make sure it can be used safely and successfully on fiberglass. If you’re in doubt, pass on that product in favor of one of the products mentioned below, as most consumers have found them to be safe for fiberglass.

What to Use

There are a few options for cleaning a fiberglass tub. The simplest is to use something you probably already have around the house– baking soda. You can use a solution of baking soda and water on a wet rag and wipe the tub. This should remove soap scum and other minor stains without damaging the finish. Be sure to rinse thoroughly. You can also take advantage of some elementary chemistry by sprinkling baking soda around the tub, then spraying with white vinegar. The fizzy reaction dissolves stains, and you can just wipe it off with a warm rag or sponge.

Another suggestion is to try oxygen-powered cleansing powders, like OxyClean. Fill the tub with water, add some cleaning powder and let it sit for a bit before draining. You may need to scrub a bit with a plastic brush to get everything loose.

One final suggestion is to try Mr. Clean Magic Eraser or similar product. Although they require some extra elbow grease to really be effective, they are powerful and can remove the tougher stains from fiberglass more easily than you think.

Try one of these strategies or a combination of them to keep your fiberglass tub clean and fresh, which of course helps keep you clean and fresh.

If you need bathroom plumbing service in Newark DE, give Boulden Brothers a call!

Even if you are comfortable doing some of the minor plumbing repairs in your Wilmington DE home, you should never attempt to replace a main water line on your own. Only a qualified plumber has the experience and required tools to replace the broken line and affected pipes. Additionally, the sooner you call a qualified plumber to repair or replace your main water line, the less potential there will be for further damage to your home. If you aren’t sure whether or not you need repair work on your water line, there are some definite signs to look out for.

Water backing up in your yard is one of the most obvious indications of a main water line break or leak, but you could also notice drops in water pressure or high water bills before this happens. If you notice any of these issues, it’s best to call a Wilmington plumber before it turns into a major hassle and expense.

While extreme weather can cause a water line to break, it’s typically caused by corrosion or root penetration. This is another important reason to have your pipes and plumbing system inspected once a year by a qualified plumber. Video scans of your pipes can detect any issues before they get worse.

Call Boulden Brothers if you notice any obvious problems or suspect a leak in your main water line. Replacing a water line should be handled by a professional, and we have the experience, skills, and proper equipment required to get the job done safely and efficiently.

If you want to lower the energy costs for your Wilmington DE home, your water heater might not be the first place you’d think to save energy. However, when you add up the savings from a few easy steps that can improve your water heater’s efficiency, it can make a significant difference in your utility bills.

Here are some of the ways you can reduce the use of hot water in the home and increase your energy savings.

Saving Energy by Using Less Hot Water

Even if you own an energy-efficient, tankless water heater, and you try to conserve water as much as possible, hot water usage can always be reduced in other areas. Installing low flow faucets and fixtures can provide up to 60% in water savings because they reduce the flow rate (gallons per minute) for each fixture. Tankless water heaters are also more efficient when they are used with any application with a lower flow rate.

Replacing older appliances that require a lot of hot water with more energy-efficient models is worth the money and effort because of the energy savings you will get in the end. Make sure you fix any leaks on older hot water faucet or fixtures. A leak that costs a dollar or two extra per month doesn’t seem like much, but it will add up over time.

Lower the Temperature on Your Hot Water Heater

For every 10°F that you lower the water temperature on your hot water heater, you save between 3% to 5% in energy costs. The manufactured setting for most water heaters is 140°F, but most homes only require a maximum temperature of 120°F. Check your owner’s manual before you lower the temperature on your water heater to find out what the recommended settings are and how to change them.

Insulate Your Water Heater Tank and Water Pipes

Whether you have a gas or electric hot water heater, you can find fairly inexpensive and easy-to-install insulators or “jackets” for your water heater tank. Every tank has an R-value that determines how much heat it loses, so unless it is a high value, your water heater tank needs insulation. Call a professional or check your owner’s manual for the R-value of your hot water heater, but the general rule is that if the tank is warm when you touch it, you need more insulation.

You can reduce emissions and your energy costs simply by paying more attention to how much hot water you are using in your Wilmington DE home. For more tips and expert advice, call Boulden Brothers to speak with one of our technicians.

For years, most people in Wilmington have used the same system to heat their water. A single tank that heats and stores water at a set temperature for whenever it is needed. That system, as well as it works, is not very efficient, and with costs for gas and oil rising so much in recent years, many people are looking for better ways to heat their water.

That’s where point of use water heating comes in. These tankless water heaters are designed to heat your water when you need it heated instead of filling a tank of 50 or 60 gallons and heating it continuously even when you don’t.

How Point of Use Water Heaters Work

A point of use water heater works by directly heating the water supply to a single fixture. So, you would install a point of use water heater on your kitchen sink and only one water supply pipe would go to that heater. When you turn on the hot water faucet, the point of use heater would turn on (using electricity) and heat your water to 170 degrees F.

These devices only work on a single fixture at a time but they are much less expensive to purchase than a whole house tankless hot water system. Additionally, you can control where hot water is available.

The Advantages of Point of Use Hot Water

Wilmington tankless water heaters allow you to decide where hot water is available and have instantly available hot water as you need it. The cost of the units and installation is affordable for most Wilmington homeowners and you don’t have to commit to a whole house system if you are not ready.

A tap aerator or faucet aerator is located on the tip of water faucets which are used indoors such as kitchen and bathroom sink faucets. Their purpose is to spread the water stream into a number of smaller streams, in essence adding air to the water stream. This saves the amount of water which comes out of the tap at one time while also reducing the amount of backsplash which occurs when the faucet is turned on.

Utilizing faucet aerators can be one of the most inexpensive ways to save money on water consumption and save energy in your Newark DE plumbing.

There are two main types of faucet aerators, some which use metal or plastic screens to separate the water, and some which do not use screens. One advantage to those without screens is that they eliminate problematic clogging which occurs on screen aerators due to sediment buildup. There are also aerators with off-valves and swivel aerators which allow users to direct flow to wherever the water spray is needed.

There are three main flow-types seen today. The needle method creates a circular pattern of small, single streams of water with no water-flow in the very center. The aerated method created a tubular flow with air mixed into the water, creating a single stream of bubbly water. The laminar method has no air mixed in which makes for a single stream of water with no bubbles.

Many aerators are designed as more economical low-flow aerators which optimize the water flow while still providing optimal water-flow performance. In kitchens these low-flow options decrease flow from 2.2 gallons per minute to 1.5 gpm or 1.0 gpm, saving anywhere from 32% to 54% of water-usage. On bathroom faucets the water-flow is decreased from 2.2 gpm to 1.0 gpm or even 0.5 gpm saving from 77% to 84% of water usage. When engineered properly, low-flow or economic aerators can provide increased perceived water pressure while in actuality helping to save water.

When purchasing new faucet aerators, ensure that you find the proper type (male or female) and the proper size (regular or small). There are dual-thread options for those who do not know whether a male or female aerator is necessary. Also, look at the tap aerator’s price in conjunction with how much savings it can provide in water usage annually and see how little must be spent on each faucet in order to save hundreds of dollars. For any help with your Newark DE plumbing, call Boulden Brothers today!

To avoid having to pay for replacing your water heater, your best course of action is to take care of the water heater you have. Many Wilmington homeowners forget about this simple part of household maintenance, probably because water heaters are so often out of sight that we take them for granted. For a simple start on water heater maintenance, try this annual routine:

1. Lower the temperature on your water heater to somewhere between 115 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This is more than adequate for all household functions, and it will keep the water heater from overheating. Locate the knob on your unit (refer to the manual or manufacturer website if you have trouble) to dial it down. You’ll never notice the difference in temperature, but your water heater will have to work less and your energy bills will be lower.
2. Test the temperature and pressure valve by lifting the valve lever part of the way up, then allowing it to snap back into place. This should be followed by a gurgling sound as water is briefly released from the tank into the drain tube. If not, the valve may need to be replaced.

It is also recommended that you get a professional inspection of your Wilmington water heater on a regular basis, according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. This plan is a good interim measure, however, and it only takes a few minutes each year.

Having trouble with the water heater tank in your Charlestown home? Try this brief guide, which may shed some light on the difficulties you are having.

Problem #1: Not enough hot water

This problem could be the result of decreased supply or output, caused by leaking or sediment. If you’ve checked for leaks and flushed the sediment out (see #4), then the problem may be with the dip tube. This tube is meant to deliver cold water to the bottom of the tank for heating, but when it breaks, it spills water into the top of the tank. Since the water supply draws from the top of the water heater tank, it may seem like you’re not getting enough hot water as a result.

Problem #2: Water is too hot

First, check the temperature setting on your heater to make sure it is set at the right temperature. If it is normal, then the problem could be that the water heater is not turning off when it hits that set temperature. The temperature-pressure relief valve may be faulty, or there may be a bad sensor. If you hear sounds like water boiling from inside the heater, or your faucets are shooting out steam, call a professional right away. The water tank could burst under such intense temperature and pressure.

Problem #3: Hot water is discolored or smells bad

Water that is discolored or has a foul odor has usually been contaminated by either sediment, bacteria or both. To correct the problem, have a plumber flush all the water out of the tank and thoroughly clean the inside with a bleach solution or a commercial cleaner.

Problem #4: Not enough hot water pressure

Low water pressure could be caused by a number of things. One likely culprit is sediment that has built up somewhere in the system. It could be in the faucet supply line, the dip tube in the water tank or even in the main supply line. This is one complaint that can be hard to pinpoint, and is therefore difficult for most homeowners to diagnose and repair.

If you tried the tips above and you are still having water tank troubles, or if your problem isn’t listed in this guide, call a Charlestown plumbing professional like Boulden Brothers to repair the water heater tank.

How much water do we actually use every day? Much research has been done on this subject, and by calculating water usage it is seen that on average, an American household of four uses 400 gallons of water per day of direct indoor water use, not including outdoor water usage which can bump that number up drastically higher. To pinpoint exactly where water is being used the most, extensive research has been done. Below is a list of indoor and outdoor water usages per household item or appliance; it can be used to easily identify the best places in your Wilmington plumbing to focus on in order to conserve water usage every day.

Average Indoor Household Water Usage

• Toilets (27%)
• Washing Machines (22%)
• Showers and Baths (19%)
• Sinks (16%)
• Water Wasted (145) – leaky faucets, toilets, and showerheads

Average Outdoor Household Water Usage

• Lawn care accounts for 50% of indoor and outdoor water usage combined
• Swimming pools take 19,000 gallons of water to fill on average, and when left uncovered that water evaporates at a staggering 1,000 gallons per month. Pool covers can keep 30% to 50% of that water from evaporating.

Tips to Conserve Water in Daily Life

There are some simple ways to conserve water in our everyday lives. By implementing some of these fixes, that water bill will begin to shrink, making your pocketbook much happier.

• Fix leaky faucets, taps, showerheads, and sprinklers
• Run the dishwasher only when it is completely filled
• Rather than rinsing dirty dishes, scrape excess food into the trash or compost
• Wash vegetables in a bowl of water while using a vegetable brush, rather than running them under the sink faucet
• Boil food in as little water as possible, just enough to cover the food completely
• Turn off the tap when not directly in use such as while brushing teeth or shaving
• Place a plastic bottle filled with water in the toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used for each flush, or consider installing low-flow toilets
• Spend less time in the shower, take less baths and keep water levels low when you do bathe
• Only do full loads of laundry
• Don’t overwater plants
• Use a pool cover to keep the pool cleaner and to keep water from evaporating
• Water the lawn during the cool part of the day to ensure minimal evaporation, and ensure sprinklers are set to only water foliage, not the sidewalk
• Switch out water-thirsty lawn for more climate-friendly landscaping or plants which need less watering

By calculating water usage in order to see where the average consumer uses water on a daily basis, it makes it easier to identify suitable areas where water can be conserved.