Drains

Dropping temperatures. Frost covering the grass. Snowflakes in the air. Cold weather and winter storms not your cup of tea? Maybe you’re a snowbird who flies ...

We’ve gone over the list of common household products you should never put down your drain: oils, paint, kitty litter, lint . And we’ve also talked about the ...

Water leaks can waste a lot of water -- and money! Do you know how to spot a potential water leak in your home? Test your knowledge by taking our quiz!

If you have a pet, you know firsthand how much love and laughter they bring into your lives! But you no doubt also know how much mischief they can cause, as ...

The big game is right around the corner! Whether your favorite football team is playing or you’re just watching for the commercials, part of the fun is hosting ...

We all know Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, officially kicks off the holiday shopping season. But plumbers know this day by another name – Brown ...

There’s no doubt about it – mold is gross, and not something you want to find in your home. However, there are certain parts of your house where mold is more ...

There's a fine balance when it comes to plumbing repairs. On the one hand, if you do it yourself, you can save a lot of money, learn something about your home ...

Water leaks are a common household problem. And if left untreated, even small leaks can lead to wasted water, cause major damage, and leave you with hefty water ...

A basement serves an important purpose in your home. In addition to giving you more storage space, they often hold some of your home’s most vital appliances – ...

It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy – at least, that’s what Ella Fitzgerald and the Tee Carson trio once sang. And if you love the summer heat, you probably ...

Do you get the feeling that you’re not quite alone? When you enter your kitchen, are you met with beady red eyes and a flutter of wings? It’s safe to say your ...

Garbage disposals can quickly get smelly and dirty as they pulverize all types of food scraps that go down your drain. Our infographic above describes three ...

It can be tempting to dispose of things around your house by just pouring them down a sink drain or flushing them down the toilet, but this can be bad news for ...

​​ With the holidays rapidly approaching, many of us are spending time in our kitchens preparing tasty meals and treats for family and friends. It can be ...

Have you ever looked down and noticed a decorative manhole cover in the street? Did you wonder what might have compelled someone to make such a humble object ...

When most of us encounter a clogged drain in our home, we expect it to be a simple fix, either on our own or a call to a local plumber. What most of us don’t ...

There’s no substitute for a licensed plumber but being able to do some DIY plumbing can save you money on minor repairs or in an emergency. These tools are the ...

Most of us never think about replacing our toilet as long as it continues to work properly, but if you have an older toilet, there can be good reasons to ...

When you have a clogged drain or toilet, plunging is your first step to clear the clog. Take these steps to ensure that you are plunging as effectively as ...

Many of us consider our pets to be another member of the family. Maintaining our homes so that they remain safe and healthy for our pets is an important ...

Once you move on from hand-washing dishes, there’s no going back. So when the dishwasher starts having problems, there’s no time to waste in getting to the ...

Last week, we covered some of the ways that rusty pipes, fixtures, and water heaters can lead to rust particles in your water supply. This week, we’ll talk ...

Recovery after a hurricane is a long and arduous process. Benjamin Franklin Plumbing is committed to helping homeowners repair and rebuild their homes and ...

That flappy rubber gasket around your garbage disposal drain can last for years if you clean it regularly and only use your disposal sparingly. But when it ...

You have a variety of options when it comes to clearing clogged drains -- there are chemical cleaners, organic solutions, plumbing snakes, plungers and more. ...

When you discover a drain that is slow or clogged, calling a plumber might not be your first reaction. After all, using a bottle of commercial liquid drain ...

The miracle of indoor plumbing allows us to effortlessly wash and flush waste away from our homes -- but that pipeline isn’t always a one-way street. When ...

Whether the weather is rainy or dry, homeowners often assume they have a functioning sump pump. However, your sump pump can malfunction if it has not received ...

You probably already know that your hot water heater is one of the biggest energy users in the average home. But after using all that energy to make the water ...

Indoor plumbing has become an indispensable creature comfort, and when it’s suddenly taken away due to a drain clog, it can feel like an instant emergency. Some ...

A new washing machine can be an expensive but worthwhile investment. When you purchase a brand-new model, you can take advantage of better performance and more ...

The bathtub drain stopper plays an unheralded but important role in the hygiene routines of many Americans. If you exclusively take showers to get clean, you ...

Homeowners insurance can be a lifesaver. If you have a major disaster, like a fire or a flood, you could be out tens of thousands of dollars for repairs or ...

Most Americans shower every day. Add it up, and that's a lot of time spent in an enclosed space – so you might as well get comfortable. Unfortunately, home ...

Valuable items can vanish down the drain in the blink of an eye. That beautiful engagement ring you took off to do the dishes? An earring that slipped down the ...

One of the absolute worst places to need plumbing repairs is in the sewer line. That's the main outtake pipe that removes all the used greywater and waste from ...

Anyone who comes from a large family can tell you horror stories about waiting in line for the bathroom. Everybody loves to take their time showering, brushing ...

Whether it's caused by a hurricane storm surge or torrential rains, flash flooding can become a destructive force in an instant. If you live in an area with the ...

Droughts are plaguing the United States. Water is becoming scarce and is poised to get more expensive as well. One way to handle present or future water ...

The bathroom sink stopper is a handy little gadget, allowing you to fill the basin with water to help with shaving or washing your face. However, like most ...

Remodeling your bathroom can be a blast. You get to pick from the latest in modern bathroom installations and design your space to align perfectly with your ...

Nobody likes paying water bills. There are a number of measures you can take to increase savings through water conservation, but the real prize would be to do ...

Here's a novel idea for people into sustainable living: How about installing a bio-digestor in your plumbing? A bio-digestor will collect all the waste from ...

When your plumbing system is working properly, you don't have to think about it. Water comes in, water and waste get removed – that's the end of the story. ...

Floor drains can be a lifesaver. If you break a pipe or your house floods from an outside source, a drain in the basement floor gives the water away out without ...

Did you take the time to appreciate your toilet today? Some Americans might take their bathrooms for granted, but we've only enjoyed the benefits of indoor ...

Have you ever read the ingredients in a commercial drain cleaner? It's a pretty caustic collection of chemicals - lye, acids or bleach, depending on the kind of ...

It’s an ominous sign most of us know all too well: You’re standing in the shower and you notice that instead of draining, the water is rising around your feet. ...

Has it been a while since you’ve cleaned your sinks and showers? You could be putting yourself at risk of biofilm. Biofilm is the sticky goo that turns up on ...

As concern for the environment grows, many of us are looking for ways to go green. One of the best things you can do for Mother Nature is to use less water - a ...

You think you've found your dream house: A big yard, ample bathrooms, a great price for the neighborhood. Before you sign on the dotted line, however, make sure ...

Just because you own your house doesn't mean you can do anything you want to it. Building codes detail what you can and can't do to modify your home, and what ...

Believe it or not, your landscaping could be a danger to your plumbing system. Tree roots will travel long distances to find water, especially when drought ...