Why it’s important to hire a licensed plumbing contractor

By Bill Aldridge

A Plumber at work. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you scan the newsfeeds like I do every day then you see all kinds of crazy stories about people getting burned by unlicensed contractors.  Like most people, the motivation behind hiring an unlicensed contractor has to do with saving money.  While this is an excellent reason to look before you leap, more often than not the people who hire unlicensed contractors wind up paying more instead of less.  This is due to the fact that while unlicensed contractors talk a good game many wind up being unable or unwilling to complete the job. 

Case in point:

3 unlicensed Contractors Banned in N Dakota

Nelson received $40,825 from three consumers to repair sewer lines and install heating and cooling systems, but failed to properly install the appliances or finish the projects. He has been criminally charged with 19 counts of failure to have a plumber's license.

What will happen here is that the homeowner or business owner will now be forced to pay twice for the same job.  While this sounds like a case of a hard lesson learned, this is by no means the worst case scenario.  Worse than having an unlicensed contractor abscond with the deposit or do a partial repair would be for them to perform the job improperly, in which case either of the following two conditions will prevail:

      1.      The repair will have to be repaired

      2.      The repair will fail and cause damage to the structure.

In either of the above mentioned situations the cost to rectify the problems created by an unlicensed contractor can be extremely expensive.  In many cases the damage done isn’t covered under the homeowner’s policy and you can rest assured that the unlicensed contractor doesn’t have any.  More importantly, there is a better way to get the job done while saving money at the same time.  You see, just as licensed contractors such as I have to put in long hours of study and practical experience to become licensed, knowing how to choose the right contractor for the job is an acquired skill as well.

Step 1: The Pre-Interview

With the advent of the Internet you don’t have to take a contractor’s word that they are honest, courteous and reliable.  You can check out their credentials at the click of a mouse.  To start off, do a search and start checking out plumber websites.  See if they have any videos that tell you what they are all about, as well as testimonials from customers.  Next go to Google Local and type in the name of their business and see for yourself if they have any positive or negative reviews by former customers.  If they have a blog, read a few posts so that you will get to know the type of people with whom you will be dealing.  You will be surprised at what you can learn online nowadays.

Step 2: The Phone Interview

Before allowing prospective contractors to set foot inside your door, you should ask if they are licensed and how much liability insurance they carry.  The last thing you want is to have your property damaged during a repair only to find out that the contractor is either not insured or under insured.

Step 3: The Interview

Once you feel comfortable about your choice of contractors, line up a few and invite them over.  When asking for a quote, make sure that it is in writing.  Also make sure that you ask them about their experience with the intended repair, as well as he length of time they estimate it will take to complete the job.  Also ask the contractor if the quote includes all materials or whether you will be charged an additional fee for needed parts and supplies after the fact. 

Step 4: Permitting

While many plumbing jobs do not require a permit to be pulled, some do.  If you are unsure, make sure you ask the prospective contractor s if a permit is going to be required, who is going to pull the permit, and whether you will have to miss time from work in order to let the inspector onto your property.

Step5: References

While a plumber’s website may have a number of glowing testimonials, it is always a good idea to also ask any potential contractor for three references that you can call.  Don’t assume that the clean cut, soft-spoken young man that shows up to give you a quote is going to be the person tasked to do the work.  You could be in for a rude awakening.  When calling a contractor’s references, ask if the plumbers sent to do the repair were courteous.  Did they arrive promptly?  Did they clean up after themselves?  Also do not be afraid to ask point blank if there was any reason that they would be reluctant to work with this contractor in the future.  While getting a deal on a repair or remodeling job might look good on paper, if the contractor is consistently late, if their subcontractors are noisy or messy, or if the repair or remodeling leaves a lot to be desired, then you could find out after the fact that maybe the lowest price isn’t always the best deal.

Step 6: The Contract

Once you select a contractor with which to work, you need to see a contract that defines the task in its entirety.  All the I’s need to be dotted and the T’s need to be crossed.  If there is anything in the job description that seems a little fuzzy, or if the contractor is unwilling to put any part of the repair or remodel in writing, then it’s time to move onto another candidate.  They don’t call them contractors for nothing.  If it isn’t in the contract then you can rest assured that it is not covered.  Period.

The bottom line is that if you master the skill of choosing the right contractor then you will always be able to save money in the long run.  Since most people own their home for many years, this little policy will always pay big dividends.  And that’s like money in the bank.

Bill Aldridge is the Doctor of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida.  For more helpful plumbing tips and helpful how-to videos, visit http:// aldridgesonsplumbing.com

Fall Back on Plumbing Basics

By Billy Aldridge

With Fall only a week away, this week I thought I’d fall back on some plumbing basics.  When most people think about plumbing, they normally associate it with the household fixtures that let water into and out of the house, such as sinks, tubs and showers, toilets, water heaters, washing machine and dishwasher.  What they don’t consider is the unseen world of pipes and vents that are out of sight and mind behind the walls and under their feet that make all those fixtures do their thing.  In fact the only time that the average homeowner has any interest in their home’s plumbing is when something either backs up or springs a leak.  In point of fact, there are actually two plumbing systems contained in your house, one designed to bring water in and the other designed to let wastewater out. 

In With the Good Water

Everyone talks about water entering their home.  But it doesn’t enter so much as fly.  (If you’ve ever seen water spewing from an open hydrant you get my point.) This is due to the fact that city water is under pressure.  This allows it to travel across town around corners and uphill.  It also permits your neighbors to open a tap or flush a toilet without noticeably affecting your home’s water pressure.   But it’s also more pressure than your home appliances and fixtures can accommodate.  I mean when you turn on the shower you don’t want to have the water come out of the shower head with enough force to start peeling the tiles off the backsplash, do you?

The municipal water company typically sets the pressure at 100 psi or higher.   This is necessary to deliver water at pressure to fire hydrants, multi-story office buildings and for other high demand customers.  However, when it comes to your home needs, the maximum recommended pressure is 80 psi or less.  Therefore a pressure regulator is installed that is designed to protect both the house’s supply line and the fixtures and appliances inside your home.  If your home is experiencing either an excess of pressure or a lack of water pressure, this is one of the first places to look, since this one device controls the inflow of water to your entire house.

The other place is the cutoff valve, which is usually located near the curb.  The cutoff valve is one part of the plumbing that I advise every homeowner to become familiar since it can save you thousands of dollars in water damage should a pipe burst in your home.  (See the video below for more information.)

Once the water makes its way from the street to your home it flows through a meter which measures how much water you and your family use.  All water that enters your home comes in cold and is supplied to every sink, toilet, tap, irrigation system, dishwasher, washing machine bathtub and shower.  There are also water cutoffs located on or adjacent to every plumbing fixture in your home.  You need to not only familiarize yourself with their location and use, but you also need to exercise these cutoff valves so that they will be operational should you ever have a leak.  Otherwise you will be forced to shut off water to the entire house.

The cold water is also sent to your water heater, which then heats the water before sending it to every hot water tap in the house.  The hot water heater is also tasked with the responsibility of setting the water temperature.  Normally the water temperature is kept between 120 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.  

Appliances such as the dishwasher that requires higher water temps usually have an internal water heating system that boost the water temperature to the proper level.

Out With the Bad

Whether your home plumbing is sewer or septic-based, all drainage is gravity fed.  This means that all pipes lead down which tends to pull waste along.  These pipes in turn lead to the sewer and ultimately to the municipal treatment system.  Sounds simple doesn’t it.  It is in principle.  But you have to factor in the fact that if your home’s plumbing was that straightforward, not only would you have waste flowing out of your home, but you would also have waste gases flowing into it. (And nobody wants that.)

That’s why your house comes equipped with a sophisticated system of vents, traps and clean outs that are designed to direct the flow of wastewater and gas such that it all heads out of your home.  In the first place if air wasn’t provided by the vents, no water would flow through the pipes.  Did you ever stick your thumb over a straw and pull the straw out of your soda?  That’s what would happen if air were not allowed to flow into your home’s pipes.  It would create a vacuum that would force you to siphon the water away. 

Traps are also vital to proper drainage.  Traps are designed to allow water to flow yet retain enough to prevent sewer gas from entering your home.  There is a trap associated with every fixture in your home, including every sink, tub and toilet.  One of the most conspicuous is located under any sink in your home. It’s the S-shaped section of pipe just below the basin. The other reason these traps are there are to collect hair, dirt and grease in order to prevent clogged drains. (See video below.)

Even if you aren’t the do-it-yourself type, having a basic knowledge of your home’s plumbing system can save you a lot of money should any part of your house’s plumbing system fail.  After all, when it comes to fallback plans, not having one is plumb crazy.

Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctors of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida. For more helpful plumbing tips and how-to videos, go to 

http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com