Soler Plumbing LLC

Plumbing Services with Value & Quality

The Power of the Personal

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When you hire me as your plumber, I’ll ask you questions, learn about your needs, your time requirements, and anything about your situation that is related to the plumbing services I am providing.

Plumbing is personal for me.

So, when it came time to set up my own company, I knew it was important to keep it personal. I didn’t want to head out on the internet and find vendors – even if they were cheaper – for a few important reasons.

First of all, I like to meet the people with whom I do business.

Secondly, it’s important to me that I can reach out and speak directly with a business professional to answer my questions.

Finally, if I expect people in my community to use my services, it seems only right that I use theirs.

With that in mind, I want to give a shout out to some of the business leaders who have elevated Soler Plumbing LLC

Jodi Specter, who went above and beyond designing a logo for me as a true good friend.

My website was created by PigArt with Thomas Knoble
Bookkeeping by Jenn handles my bookkeeping.
My T Shirts were created by ASAP Tees.
My van was beautifully lettered by Funky Signs.
I highly recommend all these vendors for your business needs.

And one last shout out to my amazing wife, Amanda, who handles my marketing. She actually made me say that. Lol But, it’s true. We all need good people in our lives to lift us up.

To my many friends who promote me on social media and who call me first for their plumbing needs, I want you to know that I truly appreciate you.

So, my Tip of the Day: There’s an adage that says, “It’s not personal. It’s business.” Even though it’s business, keep it personal.

Sump Pumps

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Growing up in an old and historic row house neighborhood in Philadelphia, I didn’t even know what a sump pump was. Sure, we had rain; but, sump pumps just weren’t a thing back in the day where I grew up.

When I moved out of my family’s home, I ended up working in residential and commercial plumbing for various plumbing companies in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. It was there I began learning about the need for a sump pump.

A sump pump is a unique plumbing fixture. It’s a fixture that most of us will, at one point in time, need – especially if you live in a dwelling that has a basement.
It makes a lot of sense to have a sump pump if you live in an area that has a high-water table and tends to flood after it rains. In this instance, a sump pump can be, not only an asset, but a life saver.

A sump pump works by taking water out of an area and expelling it to the outside away from your home where it can cause significant damage.

If you have a high-water table, are in an area that gets lots of rain, or are in any way concerned about basement flooding, it’s definitely time to install a sump pump. Proper installation is important. If a sump pump is not installed properly, the pump can be overworked to the point where it fails to do its job, meaning, it’s essentially useless, nearly as useless as not having one at all.

It’s important to check to see if your sump pump is properly installed. When doing this, look at things like the float – a piece that is located on the side of your sump pump. Make sure the float is not rubbing against the side of the pit (the well that contains the pump). The float should not be touching anything.

Also, look to see if there is a check valve which will be located above the pump on the discharge line. Once you locate the check valve, make sure to look for the directional arrow that is clearly printed on the check valve. Check that the arrow is pointing away from the pump.

Another tip is to lift the float manually. If the motor kicks on, it’s working.

It’s important for you to know that most – if not all – insurance companies require that a sump pump is installed before they agree to cover water damage.

Throughout my years of plumbing, I’ve come across some professionally and many unprofessionally installed sump pumps/pits. Most of the time, if there is something wrong, it’s going to be found in the construction of the pit. The bottom line is that a sump pump that is improperly installed can be nearly as bad as not having one at all.

So, today, take a look at your sump pump to see that it will work properly when you need it. If you don’t have one, then consider the risk factors and make a determination about whether or not, you need to have one installed.

Toilets

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Let’s face it, toilets are where some of us do our best thinking. We read, scroll through social media; some of us even talk on the phone.

toilet tips

As a plumber, a lot of my work is with toilets. Some common complaints are that toilets are constantly running; rocking back and forth; or leaking. One complaint that always compels people to call a plumber is the ever-popular: Lately my water bill is extremely high.

Just like with people, there are so many parts that need to work well together in order for a toilet to work properly. As soon as you pull that handle, everything kicks into motion and needs to work collaboratively and in conjunction so that the flush is effective. It’s something we all take for granted. But, if your toilet isn’t flushing properly, you know just how vital it is.

Your toilet tank contains the heart and soul of the toilet – let’s call it the operating system. The parts in the tank do wear out. They are not designed to last forever.

At the first sign of trouble, check in with a plumber. At this stage, the problem is usually simple and inexpensive to fix. If you wait, the adjoining parts start to become affected. As this happens, it becomes like a domino effect. The entire system starts to break down, slowly but surely.

If you are a “weekend warrior” who likes to handle things on his/her own, that is great. But, remember, a simple flapper can be trickier than you might think. There are so many different types of flappers and flapper sizes. If you get the wrong type or size, it can create an even bigger problem. If you had a bit of water leaking, you may end up with a lot more water with the wrong flapper.

One other tip that is directed toward people who like to put the blue tablets in the tank in order to clean the bowl with every flush. Not only does the tablet dissolve a bit with each flush, so do the rubber parts in your toilet tank. Those tablets are made with a concentration of bleach. This takes very little time to start to break down the mechanical parts, from fill valve and overflow tube to your tank-to-bowl bolts.

The tip is, contact an expert at the first sign of trouble. Your problem probably isn’t that big, early on. So nip it in the butt (pun intended) and stretch the life of your toilet while saving money on your water bill.