Help, my water heater is broken - what should I do?
Call Barner Murphy!

The winter season is here, and, unfortunately, so is the broken water heater season.

For a plethora of reasons – rust, loose gears, just plain malfunctioning– broken water heaters are a common issue in the winter. Which is regrettable, since winter is when you want that hot steamy bath or a hot cup of cocoa the most.

Water heaters are meant to last up to 13 years, but sometimes they get a little wonky in the interim and need some professional help. Particularly of the plumbing variety.

That’s where we come in.

We know choosing a plumber can be stressful, especially when the sad sounds of your broken water heater are plunking in the background. So, we’re here to ease the sorrow and help you make the right decision.

How to Choose a Plumber

When there’s a plumbing problem, we say to call your local plumber.  But who is your local plumber? Because there’s never just one plumber in the area. 

So, you’ve got to do your research and choose the one that’s best for you.

To make things a little easier, we’ve narrowed down the search criteria to three C’s: Cost, Certification, and Customer Reviews.

Cost – How much are they charging? Call at least two different plumbers and compare prices. This way you know you’re not getting ripped off. When it comes to emergency services, some plumbers will hike up the price. Be aware of this, and don’t let them do it.

Certification – Are they certified plumbers? When you’ve got a plumbing problem, the last thing you want is for someone who has no idea what they’re doing to tamper with the pipes and make things worse. That’s why it’s important to ask for proof of certification before hiring a plumber.

Customer Reviews –Do their customers like their work? Checking customer reviews is the most reliable way to find out if a plumber is truly good. Look for both past reviews and past ratings.

Who to Actually Hire

We, at Barner Murphy, offer you the best for those three C’s.

Cost – Plumbing help is something that everyone needs- and something no one should go without. And so, we try to make our prices as affordable as possible. We get where you’re coming from, and we want to help.

Certification – We are certified Master Plumbers. We know what we’re doing, and we do it well. But more than that, we go beyond just the technical approach. We take the time to consider all possibilities so that we find the solution that works best for you and your home.

Customer Reviews – Our customers love the work we do for them. If you don’t believe us, just check out our A+ testimonials. When you’ve got a plumbing emergency, like a broken water heater, we do our best to get to you as quickly as possible and get the problem fixed. Give us a call at (215) 945-8560

When it comes to plumbing, there are two strategies that come into play: immediate and preventative.

Immediate plumbing

The immediate strategy is for plumbing that’s already broken. Like, when your shower head falls off, when the laundry machine starts leaking, or when your entire basement just suddenly floods.

These are all problems that require immediate fixes, and so you use the immediate strategy of calling in an emergency plumber and getting the problems patched.

The immediate strategy is great. It’s a full proof plan for when things are already broken. BUT, that also means that things are already broken. And we all know that broken things never stay by themselves quietly in the corner. No. They like to involve others and spread the damage. At which point, you’ve got a massive bill to pay for all the parts and repairs.

This is where strategy #2 comes into play.

Preventative plumbing

The prevention strategy is for checking all your plumbing systems in advance, so you can catch the breaks before they actually break.

This means conducting regular plumbing checkups. Especially between season changes, and particularly before the winter season.

Say one of your pipes has a small crack. You’re unaware of this small crack because throughout the fall your pipes have been working just fine. So, you head into the winter weather without an inkling of what’s actually going on with your pipes. And, what’s actually going on with your pipes, is that one snowy day, when the ice is bad - that pipe with the small crack? Well, it freezes over and suddenly bursts. What once was something small, is now a major headache.

The problem doesn’t even end there, because you also have to worry about your house getting water damage. And who knows when you’ll be able to get the next available plumber in the winter when everyone else is having plumbing emergencies as well.

Now, let’s go the other route:

Say one of your pipes has a small crack. Lucky for you, when your local Bucks County plumber comes to do the seasonal plumbing checkup, he notices the crack. He right away takes care of the problem. And you live happily ever after during the winter.

Spot the differences?

If you want to save money, time, and effort, preventative plumbing is the way to go. It lets you stay one step ahead of the game so that you can be in control of what’s really going on with your house.

The List

So, what goes into a plumbing checkup?

At Barner Murphy, here’s what we always look for when conducting our winter plumbing checkups in Bucks County:

Pipes – We make sure all your major pipes are good to go - no cracks or leaks.

Heating – We make sure your heating systems are working optimally.

Hoses – We make sure your outdoor water hoses are turned off properly.

Drains – We make sure your drains are clean and in the clear.