Stuck with a leaking kitchen faucet? Planning on remodeling your bathroom or kitchen? You should use a licensed plumber. There may be a lot of so-called ‘’pros’’ out there who say they can do the job for you. Here are a few tips to help you determine what you need..

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How to find a qualified and reliable plumber?

Dealing with a plumbing issue demands quick action, but you need to know who to call. The financials being only one part of the equation albeit important. Before you start asking for estimates, do some research to narrow down the qualified professionals that serve your neighborhood.

Read online reviews & ask forrecommendations to find a reputable plumber or plumbing company.

Homeowners who need to hire a professional, often start by asking friends, family members or neighbors for suggestions. This approach can help identify someone near you who has a spotless reputation. Some personal recommendations may not be appropriate for your issue or challenge, that being said, always verify the plumber’s track-record. Start by visiting online listings with pre-screened professionals to read reviews about various companies and contractors you might call. A good place to start is the company’s Google business page like ours. While you might see a negative review or two for any business, a series of problematic experiences should raise a red flag. A business that has overs 200 reviews (we’re over 700!) and a score above 4,5 usually treats their customers well.

Plumbing License and Insurance liability

In Canada, there are provincial and federal plumbing organizations that control and issue licenses for people in professional trades like plumbing. In Québec, that organization is the CMMTQ (Corporation des Maîtres mécaniciens et tuyauteurs du Québec). You can visit the licensing board to see if a person holds a current license. Most of the time (but not always), a valid license means that the professional also carries liability insurance. If a so-called plumber is not vetted by the CMMTQ, move on.

Which one to choose: an Independent Plumber or a Contractor?

As you start to browse through options, you’ll find independent plumbers that might still do the ‘under the table’ transaction. As interesting it might look, this too should be red flag: no paper-trace = no legal protection…save a few bucks to be exposed for water damages in the 4-digit realm: not worth it. Contractors and companies like Pure plomberie with several plumbers on staff mean that they have a team of specialists available to address your issue at any time (including 24/7 emergencies).

Anybody that comes to your home will hold valid certifications and their work will be insured. Overly large companies (100 trucks or more) will simply lack that personal touch, they might not know the commonly found problems that are specific to your area: by-laws, public works infrastructure, etc.

What to Ask When Hiring a Plumber?

When you make the first phone call, pay attention to how you feel: does the customer service agent genuinely care to help ? If not, move on! As you go through your make sure To get information about the company, describe your concerns in as much detail as you can.

Find out about: :

• proof of license, (CMMTQ, RBQ),

• references – reviews

• experience in your area (postal code specific, borough, etc.

• payment modes

6 Steps to Save on Plumbing

Sooner or later, we all need to call a plumber. It is not cheap as they are trained professionals and there’s no way around that. We cannot get the trifecta of inexpensive, quality and timely work but… there are a variety of ways to get the most value and get your money’s worth.

1. Hourly Rates or cost structure

The first, and often only thing, that consumers zero in on is the hourly rate. People figure that they should hire the reputable firm with the lowest bidder. Sounds simple and direct, but it’s usually the number one mistake.

As consumers we can get confused over the meaning of “reputable.” If people have heard the company name many times over the years, they may feel that the firm must have a high degree of credibility Unfortunately, it’s not the only criteria. In the plumbing field, several companies have troubling reputations. This is why it’s important to go through a prescreened plumbing service that provides reviews for listed professionals, nobody is perfect, nobody can be a 5/5, if you don’t see the occasional hiccup…there is an hidden trap in the floor.

It can be difficult to compare rates because of the many ways plumbers invoice for their work. Travel time or service fee should be considered. Plumbers do spend part of their day driving from job to job. They must be compensated for this time. Some have a flat rate, minimum cost for visit, at the end of the end, it’s a value-based service.

The best way to choose a plumber is in his overall ability to deliver consistently good service.

2. What you can do to avoid problems.

To save money and reduce the need for plumbing services, take care of your drains (that eliminate waste water). The most common calls we deal with have to do with (clogged) drains. Most homes will experience one or two problem-prone drains.

Food and grease buildup serve as the number one source of kitchen drain and kitchen stack clogs. You can easily reduce the buildup by not pouring greasy substances into the sink: oils, meat fats, etc. Be very careful when using cleaning products (i.e. Drano) as they ‘eat away’ the pipes, especially the old copper drains.

Hair is another common factor in many plumbing problems. In most cases, hair collects in the screen or shower drain strainer or it’s P-trap (underneath). Next time you schedule a plumbing consult, ask about ways to prevent the hair from getting in the drain. It’s much easier to gather it off the screen periodically than it is to deal with a clogged pipe.

As we’re getting closer to winter, an often problem is frozen pipes pipes need to be in heated spaces. If any are not, add extra insulation for them. Here’s a quick fall season to-do list:

• disconnect all outdoor faucets and garden hoses

• turn off the valve that feeds those faucets (usually inside the home)

• open the outdoor faucet and let the water out If there is no cut-off valve, consider installing one. Any water left in pipes exposed to temperatures below the freezing point might cause them to rupture and leak (inside the walls).

Should I Buy the Plumbing supplies?

A popular belief is that you will save substantial money on plumbing calls when buying your own parts. Traditionally, plumbers select, order, carry and sell you the toilets, hot water tanks and faucets that they install. They are not retailers and therefore carry a few ranges of items. When installing and using parts that they bring, they will guarantee them for at least a year (plus the manufacturers’ warranty). Your parts won’t be subject to that coverage.

Personal tastes and budgets being (personal), some items you can totally purchase on your own such as kitchen or bathroom faucets, but get them professionally installed, some manufacturers or building/condo management companies insist that a licensed plumber does the work.

While this approach can save you money there are three caveats to keep in mind:

1. Many parts or components that appear to be great buys are poorly made or are missing adapters, installing kits or other components that normally come with similar products. Shop carefully.

2. If you supply the parts and something goes wrong during installation, the responsibility becomes yours to replace it, get a new item and require another visit (expenses $) One way to ease this worry is to validate with the plumber up front about recommended brands or lines, and then buy those brands.

3. Every product line has its own installation quirks. Choosing a fixture that is familiar to your plumber ensures that you will get the full advantage of the professional’s expertise and experience. If you choose an unfamiliar brand, expect to pay for some on-the-job learning mistakes. Every product line has its own installation quirks. Choosing a fixture that is familiar to your plumber ensures that you will get the full advantage of the professional’s expertise and experience.

4. The Plumber’s billable time Wasted time means higher costs. Prior to the visit, do what you can to make job as quick and easy as possible, you might save some money. Make a list of everything that drips, runs, or is clogged. As such, when our plumber gets on location, he can take care of all the problems at once. You’ll avoid additional trip charges, set-up time and the hassle of scheduling multiple visits. Making it your while.

Anything you can do to save the plumber time will benefit you:

5. Water-Saving equipment

Water usage is taxed in some cities and demerged Montreal boroughs, the water tax amount you pay is partially based on your usage. When you reduce water consumption, you can save on both counts. All modern toilets for instance, use much less water than anything manufacturer let’s say 10 years ago. If you have an older water-guzzling toilet ask us about alternatives and get it replaced.

6.Renovate and remodel smartly

If you are planning more substantial remodeling work, make sure you get three quotes. More than likely, based on their personal experience, each plumber will have different suggestions Listen to them and decide which ideas make the most sense to you.

Most repair jobs are done under a ‘time and material’ structure. Bigger projects can be done at a fixed cost and will require an on-site visit for evaluation and quoting purposes.

Lorsque vous êtes prêt à démarrer votre projet de plomberie.

FAQ

Do Plumbers Give Free Estimates?

Many plumbers will offer an eyeball or verbal estimate at no cost, there are however many variables that impact total cost that can only be discovered once on location. Some companies might ask for a minimal fee. A proper written estimate will include a breakdown of all costs in writing,

Is There a Down Side to Hiring a Cheap Plumber?

Hourly work rates are determined by the CMMTQ and there isn’t much disparity between companies as licensed plumbing workers basically all make the same wage. Be wary of any company that underbids on hourly rates as they likely employ non-journeymen (or non-licensed) plumbers, they may even hire workers that are not qualified nor can explain what they are doing.

When to Call a Plumber?

Although developing a few handy skills is always useful, there are some cases when the pros need to be brought in:

• baddly clogged drains

• pipe leaks