Water is fundamental to life. In modern civilization, we tend to take this vital substance for granted. Every time we run the sink to wash our hands, enjoy a warm shower, and even flush the toilet, we’re putting faith in the fact that our water is clean and safe to use.

Yet even if your water looks perfectly fine, well, it might not be. There could be unseen pollutants in it, such as minerals or chlorine.

You’re likely not in immediate danger if these substances leach into your water. However, they can damage your plumbing system, affect your appliances’ performance, and, most importantly, negatively impact your health.

Scheduling professional water testing is a good idea if you suspect your water is contaminated. You can then determine which actions to take based on the results.

If you’re noticing any of the following signs in your water or your home, it might be time to call a professional.

Signs You Need Water Conditioning In Your Home

1. Stains or Residue Buildup

Water isn’t supposed to cause constant stain or scummy residue buildup. You may have gotten used to it over time and accepted it, but stain and residue could mean bad water. Installing water conditioning in your home will minimize buildup on your plumbing fixtures and in your sinks and shower.

2. Strange Odor or Taste in Water

Water shouldn’t have much of a taste or smell — so if it does, that’s a sign there are pollutants in it. Water that smells like chlorine, metal, or rotten eggs is bound to have pollutants harmful to you and your family’s health.

3. Skin and Hair Issues

Does your skin feel irritated after you shower? Is your hair excessively dry? Your water may have a high concentration of minerals in it. These minerals react with the soaps and shampoos you use, leaving your skin and hair feeling dried out and unclean.

4. Your Utility Bills Are Rising With No Explanation

Untreated water slowly damages your plumbing system and reduces its efficiency. It then has to work harder to provide you the same amount of water, resulting in rising utility costs.

5. You Have to Make Repairs Often

Again, hard water causes damages to pipes and other parts of your plumbing system. If you’ve been making frequent repairs recently, the culprit might be minerals or other chemicals flowing through your water.

If you need your water treated in Bucks County, PA, look no further than Barner Murphy. Our expert plumbing professionals will work quickly and accurately to diagnose and fix the problem.

You should be able to rely on having clean, safe water coming out of the tap every day. Contact Barner Murphy today so you can get your water back to normal.

The lockdowns of early 2020 led to the widespread buying of many items — toilet paper being among the most purchased. Stores sold out everywhere (both brick-and-mortar stores and online), and had to put limits on how much customers could buy when new inventory arrived.

Many people who now struggled to find toilet paper looked to alternatives — desperately searching the web to see if various toilet paper alternatives were toilet-safe.

It’s tough to find an answer online nowadays with so much conflicting information, though. Some people resigned to using toilet paper alternatives anyways. As long as the toilet didn’t break when they flushed the alternatives down, then things should be fine, right?

Not exactly. Keep reading to learn the facts about toilet paper alternatives.

Are Flushable Wipes Safe?

Flushable wipes manufacturers show evidence of their wipes being safe for your plumbing system. They state that the products are biodegradable, and will thus decompose.

That may be true, but some evidence shows that these wipes simply don’t degrade fast enough. They mix with other items flushed down the toilet and cause clogs.

So although flushable wipes are excellent for a variety of situations — such as potty training your child — it might be best to seek an alternative disposal method.

Keep These Things Out of Your Toilet

Sometimes, it's tempting to flush certain items instead of throwing them in the trash. That way, you can wait longer before taking out the trash.

But you should avoid doing so. Numerous items — even very small ones — can cause expensive damage to your plumbing over time. Don’t flush the following down the toilet:

• Coffee grounds

• Cotton balls

• Dental floss

• Diapers (cloth, disposable, even “flushable” diapers)

• Eggshells

• Facial tissues

• Fats, oils, and greases

• Hair

• Napkins (paper or cloth)

• Nut shells

• Paper towels

• Plastic

• Q-tips

• Sanitary napkins, tampons, condoms, or any non-organic material

• Toilet bowl scrub pads

• Vitamins, medicines, or other pharmaceuticals

• Wipes (baby wipes, disinfectant wipes, moist wipes, etc.)

Sometimes, these things make their way into the toilet by accident and cause a clog. In that case, you may want to call a plumbing professional to unclog your toilet and get things back to normal.

Toilet Paper Alternatives That Work

One alternative that’s safe (for yourself and your toilet) and clean is a bidet. This is a little device mounted in your toilet that sprays water to clean you up after using the bathroom. These were invented as far back as the 1700s and are now widespread in places like Europe and Asia.

Bidets cost a few hundred dollars up front. However, you’ll never have to worry about toilet paper again. You’ll save thousands on toilet paper over your life — but more importantly, if the stores ever run out again, you’ll be fine.

If you’ve run into any toilet clogs — whether from flushing items down the toilet or not — Barner Murphy is happy to help. Call us today to get your toilet fixed!

Summer’s here, so you may be heading on vacation. You may already have your bags packed and one foot out the door. But before you leave for your destination, there are some plumbing tasks to handle.

Make sure you handle these plumbing priorities before you leave so that you don’t return to a plumbing nightmare.

Turn Of Your Main Water Supply

One of the worst things that could happen while you’re gone is a flood. Turning off your main water supply minimizes the amount of water that’ll flood any part of your home if a pipe leaks or bursts.

Now, you may have a pool or sprinklers. In this case, you can turn off water to all of your indoor fixtures such as your sinks and toilets.

Check on the Sump Pump

Turning off the main water supply minimizes chances of flooding, but the sump pump insures against it in your basement. Without the sump pump, you could come home to thousands in water damage to your basement and any belongings down there — not to mention health-hazardous mold and mildew.

Check your sump pump by pouring water in it. If it kicks on, you’re good to go. But if it doesn’t, you’ll want to have a plumber come and fix it.

Clean Your Garbage Disposal

Your garbage disposal takes a lot of abuse. Food particles can get stuck in there over time. When you’re gone for a long time, leftover food particles will rot and create an unpleasant odor. Plus, these food particles create a perfect environment for bacteria, mold, or mildew growth.

You can buy special garbage disposal cleaners from the store. We’d suggest talking to a plumber to see what brand they recommend. Alternatively, you can DIY a garbage disposal cleaner using baking soda and vinegar.

Clean Drains

Like your garbage disposal, an unattended drain can cause bacteria, mold, and mildew to fester. Time to clean them.

Don’t use drain cleaning products, though. That can damage your drains. Again, you can use baking soda and vinegar. However, you can always call a plumber if you don’t want to DIY.

Turn Off the Water Heater

This one is less about safety and more about efficiency. If you won’t be home, you can turn off the water and save on your electric or gas bill.

Electric water heaters should have a switch nearby that you can use to turn the heater off. If you have a gas heater, turn the temperature setting down all the way so that the pilot light is still on. As for the electric components in the heater, there may be a switch. Otherwise, head to the breaker and flip it off.

The last thing you want to stress about on vacation is your plumbing systems. Now is a great time to ensure everything is in good working order. The plumbing professionals at Barner Murphy can inspect all of your plumbing and fix any problems before they become big issues. Contact us today — you deserve a stress-free vacation.

Drain clogs are a pain to deal with. Plungers can work for minor clogs, but you’ll find that some clogs are too much for this simple implement.

A drain auger, known by most as a plumbing snake, is a wonderful tool for dealing with clogs that a normal plunger can’t handle.

With that said, plumbing snakes are a bit more difficult to use properly. If you don’t use this tool correctly, you can cause worse problems by damaging pipes and causing leaks.

It’s vital you know how to use a plumbing snake the right way. Remember, if you have any doubts about your ability to DIY a plumbing issue, don’t hesitate to call a plumber like Barner Murphy. Better safe than sorry!

How Does a Plumbing Snake Work?

A plumbing snake is a flexible metal cable with an uncoiled spring (the auger) on the end that is used to clear up clogs. They tend to be about 50 feet long. You can coil up your plumbing snake for easy storage when not in use.

As for how they work, you insert the cable down the drain and slowly uncoil the snake until the auger breaks through whatever is causing the clog.

Using the Plumbing Snake

Prepare the Area (and Yourself)

Put on some clothes that you don’t mind dirtying. Grab some gloves and lay towels under the pipes you’re working on.

Consider Removing P-Trap and Trap Arm

This step is optional, but can help you get closer to the obstruction. You may even find the obstruction is in one of these.

But even if it isn’t, removing these makes it easier to get to the obstruction.

Now, if your trap arm is glued in place, don’t remove it.

Thread the Snake Into the Drain

Carefully thread the snake into the drain or into the access point if you removed the p-trap/trap arm.

Emphasis on “careful” here. Forcing the auger in too fast could lead to you damaging your pipes and creating much worse plumbing problems.

Slowly Uncoil the Auger

Begin uncoiling the auger while keeping the snake handle as close to the drain/access point as possible. Stay consistent with the pace of your unwinding. Once you feel resistance, you may have encountered the obstruction.

Carefully Move the Auger Around

Slowly move the auger up, down, and side to side to wear through the obstruction. If you hear scraping sounds, that’s your pipes — readjust so that you don’t cause damage.

If you think your auger is stuck, wind your snake back up. You might just pull the obstruction clean out.

Reassemble and Check Your Sink

Clean off the auger, reassembly any components you removed, then check your sink. There shouldn’t be any clogging issues if you removed the obstruction successfully.

Although unclogging drains with a plumbing snake is one of the easier plumbing tasks homeowners can do themselves, you may not be able to beat the clog.

In that case, don’t try harder. You don’t want to cause costly damage to your plumbing. Instead, you’ll want to call a plumbing professional.

If you have a clog that’s tough to beat in your Bucks or Montgomery County home, look no further than Barner Murphy. We’re happy to help you beat the clog and get your plumbing in full working order. Call us today!

Most people aren’t 100% ready to get back to work on Monday. They’re still in “weekend” mode. They take things slowly as they shift into “work mode”.

This is not the case for plumbers. For some reason, plumbers have their busiest days each week on Mondays. When the weekend’s over, plumbers have to be ready and willing to help many clients fix issues in their plumbing systems.

So why is this?

Why is Monday a Plumber’s Busiest Day of the Week?

Black Friday is one of the busiest times of the year for plumbers because it’s the day after Thanksgiving.

But Black Friday is only one day out of the year. Mondays are busy every week — and for a different reason than the ones listed above.

That reason is DIY plumbing projects gone wrong.

See, most people don’t have the time and energy to fix issues with their plumbing during the week. That’s understandable. After eight or more hours of work, the last thing you want to do is deal with your plumbing.

So people wait until the weekend, when they have the whole day to work on plumbing. They may be able to make some simple fixes, but quite often, they make errors that turn a small issue into something much larger.

Suddenly, the cost savings of DIY are gone, AND you have to pay a professional to fix it.

Hire a Professional Instead

If you have the slightest doubt in your ability to complete a DIY plumbing project, you should work with a licensed professional. Here are some reasons why.

Plumbers Do it Right the First Time

Plumbers have years of knowledge and experience in fixing plumbing systems, as well as the proper tools to get the job done. You pay a little more, but you get the peace of mind that comes with quality work.

Safety Concerns

Many plumbing jobs — especially those that are more complex — are unsafe to perform unless you know what you’re doing.

For example, there are health risks associated with plumbing waste products. There is also the potential of encountering dangerous chemicals like asbestos, lead, and mercury.

Additionally, you could be physically injured. If you’re working at high heights, for example, you could fall. If working in a cramped space, you could hurt yourself trying to twist your body to fit into the space.

Plus, you must often deal with flammable materials and electricity when working on your plumbing.

Plumbing and Building Codes

Staying up-to-date on building codes in your home keeps you safe. However, it’s also important if you plan on selling your home. Plumbing fixes that are not up to code could make selling your home a much harder task.

Did your DIY plumbing project not go as intended? Did you break something in your plumbing system, or make a problem worse? Don’t worry — the experts at Barner Murphy are here to help.

States across the nation are slowly opening their economies. Some states are allowing most types of businesses to open, while others still allow only essential business and a few niche types of companies to open.

For some types of businesses, the line between essential and non-essential is clear. People need to be able to access grocery stores, banks, and healthcare facilities, among other types of businesses.

On the other hand, gyms, entertainment, and barbershops (to name a few) are closed because they aren’t seen as necessary to sustain life.

Many types of businesses, such as plumbers, are somewhere in the middle. Robust plumbing is important, so are plumbers considered essential workers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey?

The Answer — Is Plumbing an Essential Service?

If you need a professional plumber to fix your plumbing system, you’re in luck — plumbing is considered an essential service in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Plumbing falls under the construction category of businesses in both states. Additionally, the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) — part of the Department of Homeland Security — released a memo in which they considered plumbers essential workers.

According to CISA’s memo, “Workers such as plumbers, electricians, exterminators, and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences” can stay open.

Why are Plumbers Considered Essential Workers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey?

Like CISA said, plumbing is necessary to keep your home safe and sanitary. Plumbing issues can put your family in danger.

Imagine if your sump pump didn’t work. Without a functioning sump pump, your basement could flood, causing costly damage. Additionally, mold can grow and release spores, which are bad for your lungs. Family members with breathing difficulties could have serious problems.

A plumber would be able to quickly remedy your sump pump problem to keep your home safe. You’re stuck at home enough already, so keeping it safe is all the more important.

Or perhaps you have trees in your yard, and the roots are growing into your pipes. When left unattended, the pipes can leak into your yard and create hazardous sinkholes.

Plumbers can help you remove the tree roots so your yard remains a safe place to be. Again, when you’re under lockdown, you want to be able to blow off steam outside without worrying about sinkholes.

We live in stressful times at the moment. Don’t let plumbing issues add more stress to your life. Plumbers like Barner Murphy are still open and able to restore your plumbing to normal while following all safety guidelines. Contact us today if you need your plumbing fixed.

Spring is here and summer is not too far behind. Although you’ve been ready for the warmer temperatures and bright sunlight since the first snowflake touched the ground, your plumbing might need some preparatory work.

Checking your plumbing ahead of time can save you time, money, and headache down the road. A bit of work up front will ensure your plumbing system runs smoothly for the entire year — allowing you to enjoy more of the warm weather.

Let’s look at some ways to prepare your plumbing for spring and summer.

1. Clean Your Gutters and Roof

Over the fall and winter, debris (such as leaves) can build up in your gutters and on the roof near the gutters. This debris can block the flow of water off your roof and to the ground, which can lead to roof leaks and water damage.

Clean your gutters and the area of your roof close to them regularly as the weather warms to ensure proper water flow. Call a plumber if you’re not sure you can do it safely on your own.

2. Check Your Sump Pump

Sump pumps prevent basement flooding and water damage. Inspect your sump pump once spring arrives to make sure it’s in working order, then recheck it every three months so you can catch any necessary repairs early.

An in-depth sump pump inspection is easy enough to do yourself.

First, check the drain that leads outside and make sure it is clear of dirt and debris. After that, make sure the float valve has not moved and the pump hasn’t tilted. Then, check the batteries and wiring for damage.

If that all looks good, run a quick test by filling the sump pit with water until the float rises. The sump pump should drain the water.

3. Check and Fix Exposed Pipes

Water expands when it freezes. In addition, pipes expand and contract with temperature changes, potentially causing a lot of cracks. Inspect all exposed piping on your property for damage, as well as for mold. If you run into any damage, consider calling a plumber to inspect all of your pipes.

4. Decrease the Water Pressure

We won’t lie — higher water pressure feels great in the shower. However, higher water pressure stresses your pipes more. Water presses harder against the pipe, increasing the chances of a leak. You’ll pay for the convenience of higher water pressure in more frequent repair bills.

Ideally, your water pressure should be between 40 and 80 psi. Anything over 80 psi puts your pipes at risk of leaks.

There’s a lot to do to prepare your plumbing for the spring and summer. If you’re looking for a plumber in Bucks County to give you a hand in doing so, called Barner Murphy. Our professionals will get your plumbing ready in no time and with minimal interruption to your daily life. Contact us today!

Remodeling is a large investment. You want only the most qualified professional for the job. A little bit of time spent searching for the right bathroom remodeling contractor could mean the difference between your dream bathroom and a failed project.

Here are some tips you can use to find the right contractor for your remodel.

Run a Search Online

Run a search online for contractors in your area. You’ll be presented with several local contractors. Browse through the results, start a list, and write some of the top results down.

Ask For Referrals

Additionally, ask relatives, neighbors, and friends for referrals. If they had a good experience with a contractor, you might too. Make sure to ask what specifically they liked about the contractor’s work — this will help you screen contractors based on your needs.

Evaluate Each Contractor’s Credentials

It’s vital that any contractor you work with holds all licenses required by the state and locality in which they work. Most will have this information on their site, but you can also call them and ask.

See if they have designations from professional associations as well. Examples of these include the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), and the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB)

Beyond that, see if they complete coursework or continuing education. Contractors that take their jobs seriously are always looking to sharpen their skills and stay on top of industry knowledge.

Interview Your Candidates and Narrow Your List

Pick the best few candidates — no more than three — based on the above criteria and set up interviews.

Inquire about their experience, project timeline, payment schedule, and other project-related matters. Consider asking if they have a warranty or guarantee as well in case something bad happens.

Check Out Their Work and Check References

Now that you’ve established some rapport with a few contractors, ask them to see some of their work. If they let you, ask for references and call up their past clients. Ask the client about their experience with the contractor.

Ideally, you want a contractor that is experienced in projects that are similar to your remodel. See if examples of their past work look like your project.

Inspect the Final Documents

You’ve narrowed your search down to one contractor. Before you sign the paperwork, look at the documents themselves. Make sure they look professional. Read the contract as well to make sure it’s fair.

Looking for a Bucks Country bathroom remodeling contractor? Barner Murphy could be the right choice for you. We work with professional contracting partners with every part of the project to ensure your new bathroom exceeds your expectations. Call us today!

Ice makers are fantastic devices, providing a steady supply of ice whenever you need it — no dealing with ice trays or melting bags of ice.

You may not think about it now, but you’ll quickly realize how convenient ice makers are when yours stops working.

Your ice maker could have one of many issues — some might involve a quick fix, while others might take a little more work.

Below is a list of the most common ice maker problems. No matter which of these issues you’re having with your ice maker, you can count on Barner Murphy to fix it fast and at an affordable rate.

Accidental Pause

To prevent overfilling your ice bin, most ice makers have a control arm that will pause ice production. Your ice maker’s control arm may have been moved by accident or broken, activating the pause feature when the bin isn’t full.

Consult your owner’s manual to learn more about your specific ice maker’s pause function.

Clogged Filter

When not given proper maintenance, ice maker filters can get clogged. Find the filter section of your owners manual to locate your filter, then inspect it for debris.

Clogged/Shut-Off Water Line

A water line supplies your ice maker with water to freeze. When clogged or broken, you won’t get more ice. Make sure the water supply valve is on and not restricted by anything.

Frozen Water Line

Your water line may be frozen. If you want to fix this yourself, first turn off the water supply and unplug your fridge. You can use a hairdryer to defrost the water line, but keep it above the water source to avoid being shocked.

Once defrosted, turn on the water and power again and you should hear water running through the line. If not, call Barner Murphy — we can identify the root problem.

Frozen Ice Maker

Perhaps the ice maker itself is frozen. If so, check the thermostat. Always make sure the temperature matches the manufacturer’s recommendations — too low of a temperature and the water will freeze too early.

Checking the thermostat every so often can help to prevent your ice maker from freezing before it becomes a problem.

Leaky Ice Maker

Your ice maker might be working but also leaking water onto your floor or in your freezer. Check to make sure your refrigerator and ice maker are level and look for water line damage. Also, make sure the fill cup lines up with the water funnel.

If nothing seems wrong with any of the above, you should call a professional to help.

Have you run into any of these problems? Not sure how to fix them? Contact Barner Murphy right away so we can get your ice maker back to normal. Call us today — all new customers get $15 off their first service call.

Sump pumps removing water from basements and crawl spaces, transferring the water to your waste removal system.

Although sump pumps are vital to preventing water damage and its accompanying effects, your sump pump may break at some point. As a result, installing a backup sump pump will provide optimal protection.

Sump pump and backup system installation is one of our specialties here at Barner Murphy. Read to learn more about these systems.

Sump Pump Benefits

Let’s look at some of the biggest reasons why you need a sump pump in your home.

Prevents Water Damage

The main reasons to have a sump pump is to drain away water that may slowly cause damage.

Prevent Flooding Damage

Sump pumps are excellent at dealing with slow water buildup, but they shine when it comes to basement flooding.

See, when heavy rain hits, your basement could quickly gain several inches of water — water that can damage your basement itself as well as any possession you store down there.

Sump pumps funnel that water away to minimize the damage.

Prevent Mold/Mildew Buildup

Mold and mildew thrive in wet environments. When water gets into your basement, the mold and mildew growth can damage your home as well as cause health problems — especially for those who have asthma or other breathing issues.

Sump pumps keep mold and mildew at bay, protecting the health of your and your family.

Reduce Electrical Fire Chances

Water in the basement can short-circuit appliances down there, leading to fires. The little old sump pump can stand guard against life-threatening electrical fires by preventing water buildup.

Backup Sump Pump Benefits

Sump pumps are excellent devices, but they may fail or become overwhelmed by the amount of basement water buildup. In that case, backup sump pumps carry numerous advantages.

Increased Sump Pump Capacity

Sump pumps can process a lot of water, but not always at an optimal speed in cases of bad flooding. An additional sump boosts the amount of water you can drain from your basement.

Missed Maintenance

Sump pumps require maintenance every so often. The problem is that since your sump pump is situated in the floor, you may not notice that it needs maintenance until it’s too late.

That backup sump pump still provides drainage while allowing you to notice that the first sump pump may be out of commission.

Battery Power

The same weather that leads to flooding can cause power outages. Should your sump pump draw electricity from the grid, it will be useless.

Backup sump pumps tend to use batteries — when your regular sump pump fails, you’ll still be protected.

As you can see, sump pumps and backup systems keep costly, nasty damage at bay. To learn more about the benefits of sump pumps and backup systems, call Barner Murphy today. We provide sump pumps and backup systems to Bucks County residents, and we enjoy educating out customers on their benefits.

Photo Credit - Sump Pump Advisor