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When it comes to searching for a plumbing service, many people wait until the time of emergency to book a plumber service. When you’ve got a leak, for example, it can be tempting to contact the first plumber that’s available ASAP to get the issue fixed, as you want to avoid long-term damage caused by flooding water. However, you may come across tradespeople who are just looking to make quick money, and the use of inferior parts to fix your emergency can lead to further costly repairs.

At Benjamin Franklin, we use only the highest quality parts to fix your emergency, and better still, our prompt emergency plumbing services can fix everything from small and simple issues to large, complex emergencies, and all plumbing tasks in-between.

Five Things to Look For in a High-Quality Plumbing Provider

• Licensing and Affiliations

To know you’re getting the best possible plumbing service, check whether the provider you’re looking at is licensed, part of an approved trader scheme, or affiliated with well-known organizations that you trust. Confirming licensing and affiliations is the first step towards making sure you choose an approved plumbing company or self-employed plumber.

In Texas, there are four types of plumbing licenses to look out for: plumbers apprentice, tradesman plumber, journeyman plumber, and master plumber, with master plumber being the top certification available. It’s worth noting that plumber licenses do have expiry dates, and there are lookup tools available to help you determine if a named plumber currently has a valid license number.

• Insurance Coverage

If you opt for a plumber that is not insured, if further damage is caused or something goes wrong during the fix, you as the buyer could end up forking out money to put things right. Check the level of insurance cover the plumber has before signing up for a plumbing service, including what their public liability insurance coverage is. In many cases, reputable plumbers may have liability insurance of at least $2million, if a large-scale accident occurs. Obviously, it’s a worst-case scenario and unlikely, but knowing the plumbing company has insurance coverage should help put your mind at ease that you’ve chosen the right people to work with.

• Guaranteed Work

Most quality plumbing service providers will be happy to guarantee their work. In this instance, we’re talking about whether a service includes a 100% satisfaction guarantee and how long the warranty lasts. Red flags could be raised for companies that only offer short-term guarantees or don’t include a satisfaction guarantee clause.

When it comes to Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Mansfield, TX, for example, we guarantee that we’ll provide upfront pricing per job, not per hour of work. We’re proud of our work and want people to know that we have a 100% satisfaction guaranteed service, and if customers are unhappy, we’ll redo the job at no cost to the client. All of the repairs completed as part of a service we provide are guaranteed for up to 2 years.

We undertake all jobs with long-term solutions in mind, and that’s why we offer a 2-year guarantee. Whether it’s fixing a leak, installing a bathroom, or repiping work, every plumbing service we offer comes with a warranty.

• Referencing

Referencing, reviews, and general customer feedback is an easy way to tell how great a plumber is before taking the plunge and asking your chosen company to complete work for you. Many plumbers get their work from word of mouth. However, with the boost in online advertising, review sites, and other internet sites, it’s much easier to determine the quality of work that you can expect before paying for a plumbing service upfront. Reputable plumbers will not only have references on hand, but recommendations that tout positive traits such as cleanliness, timeliness, cost-effectiveness, and work ethic.

Examples of places that you can scout to determine whether a company has appropriate references for the kind of service you need is to check websites such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and HomeAdvisor. The BBB rating can give you a good idea of their work ethic, relevant complaints, reviews, and appropriate services offered. The Benjamin Franklin Plumbing company was incorporated in 1996 and has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau since 2002.

Awards and endorsements can also give you an idea of whether the plumbing service company has a good reputation, especially if the support comes from a well-known organization such as the Salvation Army, Google Partner scheme, or Norris Foundation.

• Age of Business

While an important thing to look for, it’s not the most critical factor to consider when it comes to looking for the right qualities to assist your plumbing service goals. Naturally, a business that’s been running for several years will mean they have a lot of experience in the trade and can potentially undertake jobs quicker than a newer company. However, the age of a company isn’t always reflective of the knowledge an individual plumber has (they may have worked for several years as a self-employed plumber before opting to start a larger business, for example).

When To Hire A Professional Plumbing Service

Inevitably, there will come a time when every homeowner, business owner, or Mansfield, TX, resident will require the services of a plumber. Even if you have a basic knowledge of plumbing and sewage systems, it’s likely that, at some point, an emergency will arise, or a plumbing service that’s outside your expertise is necessary. If you’ve had a persistent plumbing problem that you can’t fix or if you’re dealing with an emergency, a professional plumber should be the first port-of-call. Common issues that can be safely, efficiently dealt with by an expert plumber include:

• A lack of hot water. When basic tasks such as checking the fuse box, resetting the boiler, and checking the level of the thermostat haven’t resolved the lack of hot water, a professional plumbing service will assess the problem and provide a timely solution. Frozen pipes, faulty diverter valves, boiler leaks, and pipe leaks may all cause a lack of hot water in your Mansfield, TX, home. These issues are best identified and resolved by a professional Benjamin Franklin plumber so that you can be sure the true root cause is isolated and quickly fixed.
• Low water pressure. Pressure issues can be relieved by updating fixtures, unclogging water pipes, replacing corroded plumbing, and fixing or replacing faulty pressure regulators. While low pressure is not a serious issue that often requires emergency services, it can have detrimental effects on how much it costs to keep your home warm and also how well your shower operates.
• Sewage issues. Blockages that affect your sewer line can cause bad smells to permeate through your home and, at the very least, make unpleasant odors outdoors near any sewage grates. Sewage line blockages are one of the most common issues dealt with by plumbers, and they can often be caused by flushing the wrong items down drains and causing a build-up, as well as through overgrown tree roots causing damage to underground piping.
• Burst pipes. Continued pressure from tree roots can eventually cause pipe bursts and significant flooding. Alternatively, frozen water that builds up during the winter can cause cracks in pipework as the water expands. In some cases, burst pipes can lead to large-scale flooding events that require the assistance of emergency services. Emergency plumbers often get called out for pipe leaks and bursts, and will usually have a lot of experience dealing with this seemingly severe disaster. Cracks can be located, isolated, repaired, and replaced swiftly by a professional.

How A Plumbing Service Benefits Your New Home

When moving into a Mansfield, TX, home, there are essential things that every resident should be clued up on, like where the internal stop tap is, the status of the boiler, including when it was last serviced by a Gas-Safe engineer, and what type of piping the home has.

In the case of an emergency, knowing where the stop tap is will help to prevent further damage caused by pipe bursts and flooding, while you wait for a professional plumber to attend. Every home will have two taps: one inside and one outside. You’ll typically find the internal stop valve under the kitchen sink, inside an airing cupboard, or near the front door. If you’re unaware of where the stop tap is, when you book a service after moving into your new property, a plumber could help you to identify it.

A plumbing service shortly after you move into or purchase a property can help you to quickly get to grips with any quirks of the house to look out for and aid you in identifying any issues that may need further attention.

Mainly, if you’re a landlord purchasing a new rental property or looking after a home that a tenant is already residing in, a comprehensive maintenance survey can assist you in identifying key plumbing aspects to take care of. When you’re a landlord, it’s usually your responsibility to maintain elements of the property, such as plumbing, heating, and electricity. These should all be in proper working order before a tenant signs a contract to stay in the property, as every tenant is entitled to be provided with a safe living environment.

Landlords are typically responsible for:

• Maintaining sewers and waste pipes. Especially given that in many cases, blocked drains, gutters, or waste pipes are rarely caused as a result of misuse by tenants.
• Boiler maintenance and servicing. Hot water cylinders are also under the landlord’s remit, and it’s up to the landlord to make sure that boilers are operational, serviced regularly, and safe to use.
• Radiators, valves, and pipework. Making sure that heating components such as radiators are functional, that valves aren’t leaking, and pipework is in a satisfactory condition is vital. A professional plumbing service can check over the pipework and heating systems in the house, as well as make sure that faulty valves get replaced as necessary.

Naturally, when it comes to homeowners, plumbing maintenance is your responsibility, and a regular plumbing survey will help you to keep on top of any issues that risk becoming a costly expense. When it comes to 90% of repair jobs, Benjamin Franklin plumbers have the necessary inventory stored in their van to be able to undertake repairs during the initial appointment. Hence, it’s a cost-effective, quick, and hassle-free method of improving your home’s plumbing at short notice.

Typical Symptoms That Require a Plumbing Service

Spotting tell-tale signs becomes more natural the more than you do it and will save a lot of time in the future. Keeping a note of symptoms that you deem unusual can help you to explain to a plumber what is wrong, and allow them to diagnose the issue quickly.

Some symptoms can simply border on being annoying, while others may be an indicator that something is seriously wrong. Dripping and gurgling noises coming from your toilet, for example, can not only be irritating to listen to at night, but they can indicate a leak that may be forming at the base of your toilet.

Moist walls and flooring, especially those surrounding shower areas, or other water-based appliances such as washing machines, tumble dryers, and refrigerators, can indicate a leak. The presence of black, gray, green, or yellow mold, can quickly spread throughout homes, causing ill effects, and the cause is often best treated by a plumber.

Slow drainage. Whether it’s a leisurely draining shower, sink, or appliance, a plumbing service can identify the root cause and remove items lodged deep within your plumbing system.

Low water pressure, inconsistent meter readings that don’t match water usage, and waterlogged yards are all indicative of a potential leak inside your home.

What a Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Service Can Do For You

We specialize in providing plumbing services, including emergency plumbing, to residents and commercial businesses in Mansfield, TX, and surrounding communities. Check out our reviews to read about some of the great work we’ve been doing, and call us to find out more about the type of service that we at Benjamin Franklin can assist you with.