Having a nice, long, hot shower after a hard day or a cozy bubble bath to take the chill off may not be something you’ve ever thought twice about. However, these common relaxation methods may be doing more than just turning your fingers and toes into prunes. They could also be why you’re using a lot more water than you need to as a homeowner.

Wondering how you can conserve water in your home? Here’s everything you should know about water conservation – and why it’s especially important for homeowners.

The Importance of Water Conservation

According to the OECD Glossary of Statistical Terms, water conservation refers to preserving, controlling, and developing water resources, both surface and groundwater, and prevention of pollution.

Now, why is water conservation important?

If your water and/or energy bills have been a little higher than you’d like, it may be because you’re using more water than you need to. If you want to cut back on the bill, try decreasing the amount of water consumed in your household.

Not only can conserving water save you money, but it’s also known to be good for the environment since freshwater is a limited resource.

Simple Ways to Conserve Water in Your Home

When it comes to reducing the amount of water used in your home, the options are (almost) endless. Here are just a few ways you can conserve water in your house:

• Do not leave the water running when you’re brushing your teeth and/or washing your face.  Or better yet, install touchless faucets.
• Try to have shorter showers and install water-saving showerheads or flow restrictors.
• Use a dishwasher instead of hand washing your dishes (this is known to be more water-efficient) and only run the dishwasher when it is full.
• Complete large loads of laundry rather than more frequent, smaller loads
• Regularly inspect your house’s toilets, faucets, and pipes for any leaks and complete any repairs to leaky taps and plumbing when necessary.
• Keep drinking water cool in a jug in the fridge rather than running tap water until it’s cool to drink a glass.
• Be conscious of water consumption during cooking. For example, don’t leave the water running when washing vegetables or preparing food.
• Water your lawn only when necessary, and do so during the cool parts of the day.
• When landscaping, plant trees and plants that are drought-resistant and add mulch to slow moisture evaporation.

How D. Jason Plumbing Can Help

If you notice any leaks in your home or need any plumbing assistance, D. Jason Plumbing is here for you. We are a family-owned business that has been in business since 1988. We currently serve Etobicoke, Toronto, and Mississauga residents and work hard to ensure your plumbing needs are looked after.

Do you need assistance with drain cleaning, clogged drains or toilets, faucet or water heater leakages, faucet, water heater or toilet replacements? Contact us today!

Many Etobicoke and Mississauga homeowners are looking for ways to expand the amount of living space in their homes by renovating their basements and creating living rooms, game rooms and even additional bedrooms. No matter what you want to use your basement space for, you’ll want to make sure that nothing ruins your hard work. A backwater valve is a device installed that you might have heard of, but you may not know what it does or why it’s important.

Here’s everything you need to know about a backwater valve, and why it’s essential to make sure that your home has one.

What, exactly, is a backwater valve?

Also called a backflow preventer, a backwater valve is a device that prevents stormwater or sewage from backing up and flowing into the basement of your home. If this kind of water overflows into the basement of your home, it can cause a lot of damage and ruin the furniture and décor of your basement.

What does a backwater valve look like?

A typical backwater valve is commonly found in any home improvement store and is usually made out of 4” ABS plastic pipe, with openings on both ends. These openings ensure water flows in, and waste is let out appropriately.

Why does my Etobicoke or Mississauga home need one?

For the safety and protection of your home, you need to make sure you have a working backwater valve. All of the sinks, toilets, showers and so on in your home drain into one main line known as the sewer lateral. If water starts to back up, the lateral is designed to close so that you don’t get any sewage in your home. Once the pressure of the water returns to normal, and the water is flowing appropriately, the valve will open back up and allow water to flow out.

Do I need to clean a backwater valve regularly?

If you know how to clean the valve yourself, you should check it at least once annually to make sure it’s clear and not clogged. Regular maintenance will help ensure that you don’t have any problems with the valve when it’s needed the most. If you don’t feel comfortable performing the maintenance yourself, you can call in a plumbing professional to check the valve and make sure it’s working correctly.

If your home is at risk for flooding, installing a backwater valve can significantly reduce the chance of experiencing a flood and experiencing damage due to sewage entering your home.

Many regions around the GTA offer subsidy programs for homeowners to make sure they are able to install the valve as they need to.

Backwater Valve Installation in Etobicoke.

Having a properly functioning backwater valve is extremely important to ensure that both your home and your family are protected from harmful sewage. If you require the installation of a backwater valve in your Etobicoke or Mississauga home – or if you need maintenance on an already existing valve – contact D. Jason Plumbing today.

The hot water heater in your home is one of those comfort items that often is overlooked until there is water leaking, and it needs to be fixed. Some kinds of leaks coming from a hot water heater are easy fixes, while others require more extensive work.

Below are five common issues that Etobicoke homeowners have experienced with their water heaters, and how to start investigating where your hot water heater leak could be coming from.

Water Supply Lines

The very first area you’ll want to check when it comes to a leak in your hot water heater is the supply lines to the water heater. Water supply lines can either be rigid or flexible, there isn’t a right or wrong option when it comes to the supply lines. There is a commonality though: the majority of leaking supply lines happen in flexible lines as they tend to wear out much more quickly than any other part of the water heater. If this is your source of water leak, the good news is that you can replace them yourself pretty easily and don’t necessarily have to call in a professional.

Water Heater Nipples

This portion of the water heater is where the cold water comes in and the hot water exits, and it’s another very common source of leaks in hot water heaters. The nipples on the hot water heater attach directly to the supply lines so it can be difficult to differentiate where the issue is coming from. If you’ve already checked the supply lines and they aren’t leaking, then you can check the heater nipples. If this does turn out to be the source of the problem, then this is a little trickier to fix. You’ll need a pipe wrench and some way to get some leverage.

It’s also very important to make sure the water is completely off before starting this.

Temperature and Pressure Relief Valve

Sometimes leaks can come from the temperature and pressure relief valve, and this can be a much more serious concern. This valve is in place to ensure that pressure does not build up in your water heater and explode.  For this reason you want to ensure it is always working properly, and to never cap this valve off.

In this situation, it’s not common for a leak to come from this area, so you will want to further investigate exactly why a leak is coming from this area. There are a few reasons why it could be leaking: recent replacement not sealing properly, if you tested the valve a bit of sediment may have got caught in in the valve, water heater is heating the water too much and excessive pressure is being built up, or the overall water pressure in your home might be too high.

Given the potential danger of a malfunctioning relief valve, this is an area where you will want to call in a professional plumber, or your water heater rental company, to look at the situation.

Drain Line

If you drain or flush your water heater, it is fairly common for the drain valve to not close completely. The valve can be capped off, or you can choose to completely replace the valve. If you choose to replace it, you will have to shut off the water and completely drain the hot water tank before replacing it.

Leaking Water Heater Tank

This isn’t something Etobicoke homeowners want to think about, but if you’ve checked out all the other potential sources of leaks and nothing has come of those then it is likely you have a leak in the actual tank. Typically, though, if you have a leaky tank it will not be a small drip but rather a large, major flood. If there is a leak in the tank it cannot be repaired and the whole tank will need to be replaced.

Should you come across a leaking tank, be aware that this water will be hot enough to burn you. We recommend turning off the water supply to your house and allowing the water around your tank to cool before finding the correct valve that is supplying your tank with water.

If you rent your water heater, you will need to call your rental company for it to get fixed or replaced. The number should be on the water heater.

If you own your water heater, you’ll want to call a local plumber, such as D. Jason Plumbing.

If you have noticed a leak in your hot water heater, contact us today to have one of our plumbers come to your home in Etobicoke, Mississauga, Brampton or Toronto.

If you have limited plumbing knowledge, you may wonder if there is a big difference between the plumbing systems in residential versus commercial settings. Although there are some similarities, each plumbing environment has unique differences, too. Below, we’ve outlined some key differences between the systems in homes and at work.

Difference #1: The Types of Plumbing Problems

When you have a plumbing problem at home, it may seem like the end of the world. But compared to problems in commercial settings, a residential plumbing problem is typically much smaller in severity – and potential damage. 

Common, basic household-related plumbing problems include clogged toilets, dripping faucets, poorly working home appliances, and low water pressure. 

Commercial plumbing problems are similar – but on a much greater scale. For example, locating the source of a water leak in an office building is much more challenging than in a home, as is finding the source for low water pressure. 

In busy commercial settings, plumbers face having to fix these issues as soon as possible. Besides having high traffic flows, many businesses require running water and washroom facilities to remain open. 

Restaurant kitchen plumbing gets a lot of wear and tear, especially in the dish pit, where it’s not uncommon for clogged sinks to happen from chunks of food, grease, coffee grinds, vegetable peelings, or cocktail swords ending up in the drain.  Over months, these small bits add up until water can no longer pass, and you may require drain snaking in your Toronto restaurant.

Difference #2: Plumbing System Requirements

Based on their size difference alone, commercial plumbing entails many more pipes and outlets than residential plumbing. Plumbing in commercial settings must accommodate several floors, compared to no more than two floors in residential settings. Commercial settings integrate more complex appliances to deal with a higher demand in people using toilet facilities, sinks, and water in general. 

Supplying a strong water pressure is important in both settings, but becomes more challenging to do in larger, higher buildings where gravity comes into play. 

Difference #3: Plumbing Equipment

The plumbing requirements for a home vary drastically from a work setting. Large-scale businesses, such as factories or office buildings, typically require plumbing equipment, including large boilers, site sewer lines, lift stations, and industrial-grade pipes. This equipment must be able to sustain the needs of manufacturing processes, or high amounts of people.

At home, where demand for plumbing is much less, the equipment is often limited to two basic systems – one that brings clean water in and one that takes dirty water away. The system is much less intricate and is not as heavy-duty.

When installing the plumbing system, a plumber must be familiar with proper layout and installation components. Plus, the different plumbing systems must meet different code and permit requirements, too. 

Common Commercial Plumbing Industries in Etobicoke

A commercial plumber serves various industries, including hospitality, where we maintain the plumbing systems of hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues. You’ll also find us working in healthcare, ensuring reliable plumbing operations in hospitals, clinics, and medical facilities.

Additionally, commercial plumbers support manufacturing industries by providing efficient water supply and drainage solutions for factories, warehouses, and production facilities. Finally, you’ll find our Commercial Plumbers working in educational institutions, office buildings, and retail spaces, where functioning plumbing is vital for day-to-day operations.

Residential and Commercial Plumbing in Etobicoke, Mississauga, Toronto and Brampton

Do you need a solution for your residential or commercial plumbing issue in the Etobicoke, Mississauga, Toronto and Brampton areas? Our professional team of plumbers are experienced in both types of settings and can confidently complete all types of installs or repairs. For information about our comprehensive service offerings, contact us today.

Residents of Toronto love their city, but especially now with the emergency of COVID-19, they don’t want the germs of public places making their way into homes or businesses where they can live on various surfaces. Installing touchless kitchen faucets and bathroom faucets has significant benefits for keeping germ transfer to a minimum, and off of surfaces. Here’s why you need to consider installing touchless faucets in your home or your business.

Easy to Use

There are many different models of hands-free faucets you can purchase – some will be better suited for home while others are tailored for use in a business setting. You can also select from a range of features on the faucet, everything from just simply turning on the water to being able to change the temperature. Once it’s installed, you just move your hands in front of the sensor to turn on the water, and you’re immediately washing your hands! Installing one of these can easily be a weekend project for your family, or if you need multiple faucets for business purposes or you’re simply not comfortable with DIY, you can contact D. Jason Plumbing to come in and make the installations for you.

Lower Utility Costs – Touchless Faucets

With these kinds of faucets, the water only turns on when hands move in front of the sensor, telling the water to start flowing. This means that as soon as there aren’t any hands moving in front of it, telling it to turn on, the water will shut off. Sometimes taps are left running, but with a touchless faucet, you never have to worry – it automatically shuts off. You’ll see the savings on your water bill!

Best Sanitary Faucets

This is the biggest, and likely most important reason to consider switching to a touchless faucet. Now, more than ever before, it is incredibly important to make sure we are washing our hands and keeping the transfer of germs to a minimum. With COVID-19, the virus can sit on some surfaces of your home for a couple of days, so minimizing the number of surfaces you need to touch to wash your hands when coming home is helpful in preventing the spread of the virus. The hands-free option is also helpful when preparing meals that involve touching raw meat, so you don’t have to turn on taps after coming into contact with food.

Installing touchless faucets in your Toronto home or business is an easy upgrade, and in return, you’ll be able to experience a greater amount of both convenience and safety. The COVID-19 pandemic has helped to emphasize the importance of cleanliness and has made us all more health-conscious.

If you are considering installing touchless kitchen and bathroom faucets in your home or business, and would like help, contact D. Jason Plumbing today.

 

 

 

With a focus on cleanliness to keep the spread of viruses down, many people in Etobicoke and Mississauga stocking up on items such as toilet paper and Lysol wipes. But we are not here today to talk about panic buying. We are here to talk about these specific items. One is OK to flush down the toilet, while the other is not.

When using disinfecting wipes, baby wipes, etc., they should be disposed of in the garbage and never by flushing them down the toilet.

Flushing wipes down the toilet can lead to clogged pipes and, most likely, a costly repair job. And while plumbers are considered essential workers, it does not help your social distancing efforts when you have to call tradespeople into your home – especially over something that was easily preventable.

Don’t believe them when they say they are “flushable”!

At D. Jason Plumbing, we have conducted a number of repairs in Etobicoke and Mississauga after members of a household repeatedly flushed so-called flushable wipes. Homeowners are often surprised to learn that theses “flushable” wipes are really not flushable at all.

In fact, when multiple households are flushing wipes down the toilet, they can get caught in the main sewer line and accumulate into large clogs or masses called “fatbergs.” Does that sound gross to you? It should! They’re nasty!

But they are more than nasty; they are expensive. It is estimated that every year municipalities spend about $250 million on unclogging sewer lines of these fatbergs. That is $250 million of your tax dollars that might otherwise have been spent repairing roads or improving social services.

And now with more and more people buying disinfecting wipes as we all do our best to sanitize and stop the spread of COVID-19, there is the very real danger municipalities will have to have these clogs cleared more often and the cost for that clearing will increase.

Help protect essential workers during COVID-19.

Residential and commercial plumbers, as well as water and wastewater utility workers, provide essential services in Etobicoke and Mississauga. They help ensure that we all have running and safe water, which is particularly crucial during this pandemic.

But when these workers get called on to deal with clogs caused by disinfecting wipes, it takes them away from their primary duties and can put undue stress on the entire system. It also potentially exposes them to increased contact with other people, which in turn increases the likelihood of COVID-19 being spread.

These workers need to remain on the job during this time, but we can all do our part to help protect them. Damage and blockages to plumbing and sewer lines caused by flushing wipes is 100% preventable. So, let’s keep the wipes out of the pipes!

D. Jason Plumbing is here for you during COVID-19

Even though we are under quarantine, there may still be a time when you will need to call a plumber – because some plumbing problems simply can’t wait. Whether you have a leaky pipe, are in need of a hot water heater repair, or yes – even if someone in your household has mistakenly been flushing Lysol wipes and has caused a clog – we are here for you. Call us today if you need a plumber in Etobicoke or Mississauga.