Author: infogenix

What is Hydro-Jetting?

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If you have found yourself reading a blog about hydro-jetting, you are either very curious about plumbing services or your drain needs a good cleaning. Either way, you have come to the right place. Mallick Plumbing & Heating offers drain cleaning in Bethesda, MD.

To put it simply, hydro-jetting is a way for qualified plumbers to clean out your pipes using high-pressure water. This leaves your pipes shiny and clean! Hydro-jetting is safe, inexpensive, and very effective if performed by a trained professional. Otherwise, it can be dangerous, so make sure that you are working with qualified plumbers that will use the equipment properly.

Hydro-jetting can be used as either a preventative or reactive measure. It can clear clogs quickly and easily. A qualified plumber will use a thin hose, attached to an omnidirectional sprayer. The sprayer then hits every area of the pipe. This blasts out waste so new clogs will not form as easily. By using this method, your pipes will be cleaner than they ever have been before!

How do you know if hydro-jetting is right for your plumbing system?

Well, the first step would be to speak to a qualified plumber in your area. If you’ve noticed recurring clogs in your plumbing system, it’s time to call. Often, recurring clogs are an indication of a more serious problem with your system. Eventually, blockages can lead to plumbing system damages.

Hydro-jetting is also a very effective way in which to clean out your sewer line. Now, you obviously would not clean your sewer line out for aesthetic reasons—it’s all about functionality. Sometimes, clearing out a sewer just isn’t enough. Clearing a clog may remove a single clog, but that does not really help when your sewer or drain lines are restricted due to a gradual buildup on the walls of the pipes. A hydro-jetting service scours these surfaces, rather than just removing clogs.

A professional will determine which cleaning method will work best in your pipes. Hydro-jetting is one of the best ways to clear out debris due to hair, soap residue, grease, and more! One of the major benefits of hydro-jetting is that it allows for targeted cleaning.  Hydro-jets are more advanced than motorized drain snakes. Drain snakes are also effective but can’t fully clean out a drain like a hydro jet can.

Remember, hydro-jetting can be dangerous both for the individual handling the service as well as the pipes being cleaned. Plumbers wear special protective gear to shield their faces and skin from accidents. Hydro-jetting requires plumbers to complete specialized training to use the jet correctly. Hydro-jets are powerful tools and should be used only by a professional. Luckily, Mallick Plumbing & Heating is here to help you with all your plumbing needs!

We believe in keeping up with all the latest advances in our field and we believe in the hydro jet’s ability to get the job done effectively.

For drain cleaning and other plumbing needs, contact the Service Contractor of Choice! Schedule an appointment with Mallick Plumbing & Heating today!

How a Sump Pump Benefits Your Home

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If you have a basement in your Maryland home, then you need a sump pump. It’s that simple! Sump pumps are designed to give you peace of mind. We meet a lot of homeowners that don’t understand all the benefits of a sump pump, it’s one of those systems that does its job without you even realizing it. If you’d like to know how this system can work for you, keep reading below. If you need great plumbing in Rockville, MD then contact our team today to learn all the benefits.

What is a Sump Pump?

A sump pump is a system is in place to prevent basement flooding. Sump pumps are installed underneath the floor of basements and crawl spaces to collect groundwater before it threatens to flood your home. Here in Rockville, we have a high chance of flooding, so a sump pump is a great system to have. A sump pump will collect all of this and send it away from your home. You can think of this system as an additional piece of flood insurance.

Sump Pumps Help in the Following Ways:

Prevents Flooding

This is the main reason that people put a sump pump in their homes. Your sump pump has a pit called the sump that’s the lowest area of the unit. When the pit fills with water, the pump removes this was through a pipe that leads outdoors. Once your sump pump fills with a certain level of water it’s emptied automatically. Most sumps pumps use a float activator (the same technology used in your toilet tank) or a pressure sensor.

Keeps Mold at Bay

Your sump pump keeps the area under your house dry, so it prevents the growth of pesky mold and mildew. Mold and mildew can only survive with a reliable source of water to sustain them. If you don’t have a sump pump and have a flood, the increased amounts of moisture in your home allow mold to thrive. These substances can unpleasant odors in your home. Mold and mildew are more than just eyesores, they’re a risk to your health.

Electrical Fires

How does a system that’s largely designed to prevent flooding also prevent fires? Flooding is actually one of the main causes of electrical fires in the home. It might seem a little odd, but it actually makes sense. The water fills every available space as it rises through your basement or crawl space. This means that it touches the inside of your walls and electrical wiring. These appliances aren’t meant to touch water. It the best-case scenario they’ll stop working, but it’s common for these things to short circuit and cause fires. There are typically many appliances in your basement that can cause these problems. A sump pump makes sure that they’re never at risk.

We Can Service Your Sump Pump Too

If you’re thinking of installing a sump pump in your home, the task doesn’t just stop at installation. If you want to make sure that your home is always safe from disaster you need to maintain this system too. Make sure you have a reliable team like ours to perform these services.

If you need a sump pump for your home, contact Mallick Plumbing & Heating to schedule an appointment today.

Never Put These Items Down Your Kitchen Sink

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The best way to ensure that your plumbing system stays healthy is through preventative means. There are many common items that you can omit from your drain system to avoid any drain clogs. A kitchen clog can greatly disrupt the daily flow of your home. If you need a fast and reliable plumber in Frederick, MD you should contact our team. We’ve compiled a short list of items to avoid below.

Eggshells

Eggshells aren’t a good item to put down your drain. You might think that your kitchen sink’s garbage disposal can handle anything but when they’re ground, they turn into a rough sandpaper-like substance that can blunt your blades over time. Make sure that these eggshells in up in your trashcan rather than your drain.

Fat, Grease, and Oil

Fat, grease, and oil are the top three culprits of drain clogs. You might hear these items commonly referred to as “FOG.” These items are such a problem because they might go down your drain as a liquid, but they’ll settle in your pipes as a sludge-like solid. It’s easy to avoid putting FOG down your drain, allow these liquids to cool and become solids. Once they are solids, dispose of these items in the trash.

Coffee Grounds

This is a main culprit of drain clogs. Coffee grounds aren’t completely water soluble, so they combined with preexisting FOG in your system to cause drain blockages. Make sure that before you clean your coffee maker you’ve dumped the coffee grounds into the trash.

Produce Stickers

It’s common that you’ll find stickers on your fruit and vegetables. These tiny stickers seem benign, but the adhesive used to have them stick to the produce actually causes problems within your plumbing system.

Additionally, make sure any fruit pits are put into the trash. Your garbage disposal isn’t equipped to handle these hard, round pits.

Drain Cleaner

Many homeowners are surprised by this item but it’s important to call a professional if you have a drain clog—don’t try to solve this problem with an over the counter drain cleaner. The chemicals used in this type of cleaner are incredibly caustic and hard on your pipes. It’s more than likely that you’ll cause more problems down the line rather than permanently fixing your drain clogs.

Pasta and Rice

Don’t let pasta and rice make your way down your drains. These items are a problem because they enter your drain one way, but they expand over time as you run more water down through your plumbing system. The swelling of these materials is a big cause of clogs.

Need Great Plumbing Services? Contact Us

If you slip up and discover you have a kitchen clog in your home, make sure you contact a professional as soon as possible. Don’t try to solve these issues on your own. At Mallick Plumbing & Heating, we pride ourselves on our integrity and quality service at reasonable prices. We understand the unique needs of homeowners here in the Greater Washington Metro area.

If you need plumbing services here in Frederick, contact our team today for service.

How Basic Planning Can Stop Pesky Drain Clogs

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Drain clogs may seem like an inevitable part of every homeowner’s life, but a little simple planning helps you avoid unnecessary clogs. Your plumbing system is one of the most important systems in your home. It might not be an aspect of your home that you think about every day, but without your plumbing system, you couldn’t take a shower in the morning or have a toilet in your home. Drain clogs are often the result of a slow build-up of debris in your system over time, so prevention is feasible. When you need drain cleaning in Bethesda, MD you need the services of our team here at Mallick Plumbing & Heating.  

Steps to Keep Your Plumbing System Healthy

There are remarkably simple steps you can take to keep your plumbing system healthy. We’ve listed a few key points below.

Know Your System

The first step in preventing drain clogs is truly understanding your plumbing system. Most homeowners know the basics. But it’s vital that you know where your plumbing system exists within your home, where the vulnerable points are, where your shut-off valve is, and how to care for your system. Once you learn these basic points of your system, dealing with any plumbing issues that may arise in the future becomes much easier.

Be Mindful of What Goes Down the Drain

There are certain things that should never go down any drain in your home. These things are called FOGS or fats, oils, and grease. FOG is common in the kitchen, so make sure that you let oils and greases cool in a container like an old coffee can and dispose of them in the trashcan rather than pouring them down your sink. Oils like these may travel down as liquids but they’ll solidify and causes blockages.

Pro Tip: Don’t use over the counter drain cleaners to try and alleviate the issue. This is never a good idea. While these items may promise instant gratification, the caustic chemicals in these items do more harm than good to your pipes.

Fix Problems Quickly

If you do encounter a plumbing problem even after taking care of your drains, have a professional service your system as soon as possible. Don’t wait or try to fix these problems on your own, a professional from a team like ours has the right technology to clean your drains expertly.

Here at Mallick Plumbing & Heating, we use a process called hydro-jetting. Hydro-jetting is a lot what it sounds like, we shoot high-pressure water down the pipes to remove any blockages safely and efficiently. When you have professional drain cleaning done, it will ensure that a clog is a lot less likely to occur again.

Choose Mallick Plumbing & Heating for the Job

When you choose Mallick Plumbing & Heating you’ll know that you’re getting the best plumbing services in the Greater Washington Metro Area. We understand the intricacies of plumbing systems and know the needs of homeowners in our area—after all, we’ve been in business here since 1994.

If you need a great plumber in Bethesda, contact our team today to schedule an appointment.

No Water in My Home! (Here’s What Might Be Wrong)

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On the scale of plumbing problems, having no water in your home might be one of the worst issues you can have. But don’t panic! Our team here at Mallick Plumbing & Heating provides 24-hour emergency services for problems like these. We understand that it’s difficult to go without water in your home for long. If you need a plumber in Bethesda, MD you should contact our team. Our staff is always punctual, knowledgeable, and prepared for any problem you may have.

Need plumbing service in Maryland? Contact Mallick Plumbing & Heating for reliable repair, replacement, or maintenance today! 

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What You Should Do if Your House Has No Water

  • Check Another Tap: Before you panic, make sure you’re thorough in your analysis of the problem. Your first step should be to check the other taps in your home. While one tap not working correctly is scary, it doesn’t immediately mean your entire house has shut down. If the problem is only with one tap the problem is much smaller but if you’re right about your suspicions and your entire house isn’t receiving water, then you’ll need the help of a professional plumber.
  • Phone a Friend: Contact your next-door neighbors. If they’re also having trouble with water loss, then you’ve probably got a municipal water supply problem on your hands. You should call the water department to find out what the issue is and how long your supply will be out.
  • Check Your Water Main: Check the location of your main shut-off valve. If you’re not getting any water in your home, it’s likely because of a problem with the water main. If you have an emergency shut-off valve, it could have accidentally triggered and stopped your water flow, or the valve could be open and impeding your water supply because it’s leaking.

If you still can’t determine why your home isn’t receiving water after going through these steps, it’s time to call a professional.

Possible Reasons Why Your Water Has Stopped Working

Outside of common mishaps like the ones above, there are other problems with your system that can cause a lack of water in your home. You can determine which of these issues is causing problems for your home with the help of a licensed plumber.

  • A clogged tap connection: If your tap connection is old it can become full of sediment or susceptible to corrosion over time. In most cases, it’s better to completely replace this type of connection but in some cases, the connection can be cleaned and reconnected.
  • Poor or Aged Materials: Our technicians can help you determine if this is your problem If your water lines are extremely old or incorrectly sized during installation is causes low water pressure and even a lack of water over time.
  • Corroded or Clogged Pipes: When you think of a “clog” in relation to your pipes you might think of something caused by a backup of sludge or grime. The type of clog we’re detailing in this situation is due to a build-up of mineral residue along the inside of your pipe. We suffer from hard water here in Maryland that leaves ample mineral build up behind. If your home lacks water supply this could be the problem.

Call Mallick Plumbing & Heating

An issue with this type of impact needs an assessment from a professional. Our team here at Mallick Plumbing & Heating has served the Greater Washington Metro area for years and we can help you too.

If you have urgent plumbing needs in the Greater Washington Metro area, contact our team today.

Hard Water and the Problems It Can Cause Plumbing

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To many homeowners, “hard water,” is a term recently added to their vocabulary. Hard water isn’t anything that’s dangerous to your health, but it is bad for your plumbing. Bustling areas like ours here in the Greater Washington Metro Area are notorious for hard water, but there are plenty of preventative measures you can take to alleviate the stress hard water causes to your plumbing. If you need a great plumber in Rockville, MD, don’t hesitate to contact our amazing team at Mallick Plumbing & Heating.

So, What Is Hard Water Exactly?

Many have heard the term but aren’t exactly sure what it means. “Hard water” us a term used to describe a fresh water supply that has considerable amounts of natural minerals and trace metals. Water becomes “hard” when it hits the ground and absorbs minerals from the earth like calcium and magnesium.

What Does It Do to My Plumbing?

Hard water causes build up on showers, sinks, tubs, and faucets. This leaves an ugly, crusty residue on the exterior of your appliances, as well as inside of your pipes, fixtures, and appliances. This buildup that’s unapparent to the naked eye causes builds up and narrows the opening of your pipe causing plumbing problems like decreased water flow, clogs, and stress on pipes.

Hard water also causes problems with your water heater. The minerals that water picks up before it enters your water tank settle at the bottom of your appliance as the water heats. These minerals cause the tank to corrode over time if it isn’t serviced routinely and decreases the lifespan of your system.

Hard water also affects you. While this water is safe to drink, the effect of it on your skin and hair is a different story. Showering in this water and bathing with this water can cause your skin and hair to become dry or covered with a film. This can exacerbate problems that already stem from having dry skin like eczema and dandruff.

How to Know If You Have Hard Water

Most homeowners realize that they have hard water from the film it leaves behind on their fixtures and dishes. But if you still aren’t sure then you can have your water tested by one of our technicians trained to spot and identify the effects of hard water.

What Can You Do to Prevent Corrosion?

Installing a water treatment system like a water softener removes the unwanted minerals from your heater and protects it from damage. Hard water is a common household issue in this area and our team has installed plenty of water softeners and seen the positive effects it has on a household’s plumbing. A water softener can save your plumbing.

Have Our Team Help Find A Solution

You don’t have to attempt to fix the problem of hard water on your own. Our team understands the frustrations hard water can cause and has wide-ranging experience finding solutions to the problem. At Mallick Plumbing & Heating our goal is customer satisfaction. We’ve served the Rockville and Greater Washington Metro area for years and have the knowledge and experience to service your home too.

If you need your plumbing system serviced, contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Top Emergency Plumbing Needs—and How to Prevent Them

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Emergency plumbing repairs are common among homeowners, but your issues don’t have to advance to the point of an emergency to schedule a repair. Knowing common emergency plumbing problems helps you understand preventative measures to take to avoid an emergency. Even if the problems seem minor, you shouldn’t try to fix these issues yourself because trying to repair a common issue like a clogged toilet or a slow drain can lead to bigger problems later. If you need an emergency plumber in Frederick, MD, our team at Mallick Plumbing and Heating can meet all of your needs.

Common Emergency Plumbing Problems

No Hot Water

You hop in the shower and you’re greeted by an icy cold stream of water. Now you’re wondering what caused it and where you went wrong. A water heater malfunction, electrical issue, or a leak causes a lack of hot water in your system. You can prevent this plumbing emergency from happening by getting annual maintenance to ensure that sediment isn’t building up in your tank, upgrading your water heater’s tank size, and maintaining your system by replacing worn out parts.

Burst Pipes

Here in Maryland, our summers are hot and humid, and our winters are freezing cold. The freezing and thawing process can wear your pipes down and cause exposed pipes to burst. To prevent pipes from bursting, prevent temperatures in your home from dropping below 32 degrees and seal any leaks that allow freezing air into your home where your pipes are located. Take a look around your electrical wiring, dryer vents, and pipes and use insulation to keep temperatures mild. Even the smallest opening can let in enough cold air to cause a pipe to freeze.

Leaks

Leaks from your faucet, toilet, or water heater cause needless waste and increased water bills. You can prevent leaks from happening by checking your water pressure regularly or installing a water softener. Checking your water pressure regularly will help you prevent leaks. You should have this done by a professional during your routine water maintenance and they can take the necessary steps to ensure that your water pressure is in the right range. Installing a water softener can also help ease pressure on your system. Hard water is corrosive and causes a lot of unnecessary wear and tear on your pipes.

Clogs

A clogged toilet or sink is an inconvenience that every homeowner faces at least once. Don’t attempt to unclog your drain yourself and let the underlying problem go untreated. You can prevent clogs by watching what goes down your drain and using sink strainers. Never let “FOG” (fat, oil, or grease) down your drain and be mindful of what you flush down your toilet—“flushable” wipes are common causes of clogs. Additionally, using a sink strainer keeps unwanted particles like food, hair, and other objects out of your drains.

Have Mallick Plumbing & Heating Help

At Mallick Plumbing & Heating we offer reliable plumbing services at a fair price. We’ve built our business on the principles of honesty and integrity and work hard to keep our customers satisfied.

If you need emergency plumbing across the Greater Washington Metro area, contact us to schedule a service today.

Has the Time Come to Replace Your Water Heater?

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This water heater, too, shall pass!

There’s no such thing as “the only water heater you’ll ever need.” Any appliance that does as much work as a hot water heater—and the one in your house probably runs every day, four seasons a year—accumulates large amounts of wear and tear. Proper maintenance can lessen how fast a water heater runs down, but the day will come when an owner must make the decision to stop having it professionally repaired and instead have it professionally replaced.

If you’re asking the big question in the heading, we’d like to help. The best way to get our help is to call our plumbers for a consultation and inspection. Before you do that, we can provide you with some guidelines to help you think about whether you ought to replace that water heater.

Age is the first consideration

Water heaters can sometimes last more than 20 years, and tankless units tend to fall on the longer service lifespan spectrum. Once a water heater is more than 15 years old, it needs closer observation for signs of it wearing down, losing efficiency, requiring more repairs, etc. We strongly recommend replacing any water heater in service for more than two decades.

Corrosion? Bad news!

Water heaters are designed to resist corrosion for many years: they have glass lined interiors and a sacrificial anode rod that draws corrosion away from the rest of the system. Age, however, can allow the gnawing of corrosion (and the word corrosion is derived from the Latin word “to gnaw”) to start taking bites out of a water heater. When you see corrosion on your water heater, it almost always means it needs replacement. (Watch out for discoloration in your hot water, since it points toward a tank that’s corroded out from the inside.)

The water heater’s performance has been dropping

Is the water heater simply not doing the job it used to? If people in your home are actually eager to get up earlier and earlier so they can be the first people into the showers and not get stuck with a lukewarm shower, you may have a dying water heater. Repairs can only do so much, and when “so much” is “not much at all,” it’s replacement time.

Leaks, leaks, leaks

The only place on a water heater where you should see leaks are from the pressure relief valve. This valve releases a small amount of water to regulate pressure in the tank of a storage water heater. Water appearing anywhere else around the system is a repair need. If those leaks are common, the water heater may be in a final decay.

For a Columbia, MD, plumber with the experience necessary to determine the best step for your old water heater, you only have to call us. We work with tank, tankless, and heat pump water heaters, and can handle any type of repair or replacement.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the service contractor of choice for Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Speak to our experts today for water heater replacement advice.

Do You Know About Your Home’s Sewage Grinder Pump? It’s Important!

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People don’t really want to think much about the sewage removal system for their homes. Of course not, it’s sort of icky. Hey, as long as it works, you don’t want to spend much time on it.

But you need to give some occasional thought to the different components of your sewage system to make sure that they’re working in the best possible condition. Failure in the sewage system will turn into a nasty problem, and you’ll require the services of a professional plumber in Frederick, MD to fix the problem. But if you call the plumber early to fix problems when they’re small or replace older components, you can keep the sewer system working the way it should so you can go back to giving the sewage system only a thought here and there.

And this brings us to the sewage grinder pump…

Wait, what’s a sewage grinder pump?

A sewage grinder pump is a pump that’s located at the low spot in your house or in your yard. The pump grinds up the wastewater—much like a garbage disposal—and then pumps it up to the nearest municipal sewer line. The wastewater first gathers in a holding tank. When the wastewater reaches a set level, the pump activates to grind the waste and then creates the pressure to push the wastewater uphill to the sewer line.

Why do I need a sewage grinder pump?

You actually may not need one or have one. A sewage grinder pump is designed to aid homes that are located lower than the nearest municipal sewer line. The standard home is built higher than the sewer line so that gravity will draw wastewater from the sewage system. Not all homes are in this position, and for those homes, it’s necessary to have a sewage grinder pump. Otherwise, the wastewater will back up and contaminate the house.

Sewage grinder pumps may be required for some commercial businesses, regardless of where they’re located relative to the sewer line. This is because these commercial businesses (such as restaurants) produce a larger amount of wastewater with solid waste that must be ground down before entering the sewer line.

Sewage grinder pump trouble!

Yes, a sewage grinder pump can fail. For one, it’s electrically powered, and in the case of a power outage, it will stop working. The motors in the sewage grinder pump may also burn out. Early warning signs that this has happened include multiple clogged drains and toilets in the house and foul odors coming from drains. These could also be from other sewer line issues, but no matter what, they need to have a professional plumber look into them right away.

Sewage grinder pump installation

Your home or business may require a new sewage grinder pump, and this is absolutely a job to leave to the professionals. (In the case of a business, proper sewage grinder pump installation is necessary to remain up to code.) Our plumbers handle both residential and commercial sewage grinder pump installation, as well as repair services.

You’ve come to the right people for sewage grinder pump services: Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the service contractor of choice throughout Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

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