General Plumbing

Taking a shower, pouring a drink of tap water, flushing the toilet – most of us take these activities for granted. That’s all thanks to advances in modern ...

Winter is almost over, and warmer days are just ahead. That means it’s time to think about your spring cleaning routine for 2021. Spring cleaning isn’t just ...

The words “plumbing emergency” are enough to strike fear into the hearts of any homeowner. But how do you know when you have a truly pressing situation on your ...

Here at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, we often get asked why we are named for the famous American historical figure. The most popular question is, did Benjamin ...

Maintaining your home plumbing can be a daunting task, but a little preventive maintenance can save water, money, property damage, and countless headaches ...

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 ...

Every homeowner has had the experience of an unexpected, expensive repair or replacement. But, have you considered a home service plan to help mitigate those ...

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 ...

Have you ever been greeted by an ice-cold shower in the morning because your water heater couldn’t keep up with your household’s hot water needs? If so, a ...

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 ...

You might think of a home water filtration system as only a way to get better-tasting water, but water filtration has many other benefits for your home. Check ...

In the heat of the summer, watering your garden can eat up a lot of time! Learning how you should water your garden will save you time, but also wastes less ...

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 ...

If you live in a place affected by tropical storms, you should know every year June 1 to November 30 is a time for preparation and vigilance. With hurricane ...

It can be a challenge keeping young children entertained at home—especially for long periods of time. Have you experienced this scenario? You’ve helped your ...

The nation celebrates "Hug a Plumber Day" on April 25 every year to acknowledge the men and women who perform the difficult-- and often unpleasant--tasks of ...

We all know that thorough hand washing is key to reducing our chances of getting sick, but sometimes we rush the process of washing our hands. One group is ...

So, you’re thinking about purchasing an older home. Or you already live in one. We understand why. They have charm, character, and nostalgic qualities. If you ...

Are you planning to spring clean your house? You may have already planned to deep clean your baseboards and clear out old papers in your drawers, but have you ...

There are all sorts of things that can go wrong downstream from your toilet, especially if you’ve been flushing things that belong in the wastebasket. But what ...

A good washing machine is one of those workhorse appliances that keep a modern household going. It’s also easy to take for granted; as long as it fills, ...

For many homeowners, the smart home comes together piecemeal: a few smart outlets here, a smart appliance there, and eventually a smart thermostat -- all of ...

Here’s How to Stop & Fix Water Hammer Problems Do you sometimes hear a loud “thunk” sound when you turn off a faucet or when the water stops flowing into your ...

The temperature of my hot water seems to be higher than what I think it needs to be. The new standard temperature that manufacturers use when pre-setting your ...

We’ll be the first to tell you that there’s no substitute for the expertise of a licensed plumber. But for simple jobs -- or emergencies, like a broken pipe -- ...

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 ...

Whether it’s from a flash flood or a broken pipe, water damage can be one of the most devastating home disasters a homeowner will face. Water-damaged ...

You count on the water coming from your taps to be clean and clear. So what if the color and taste are suddenly a little off? The culprit could be rust, and ...

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 ...

Is Your Bathroom’s Grout Cracking? Here’s What to Do If you’re the type of homeowner who pays attention to little details, you might find that there are ...

The dog days of summer are dragging on, but for pool owners, that can be great news. It’s during these sweltering weeks that having a backyard oasis really pays ...

ABS & PVC Piping Provide Different Advantages There are many reasons why homeowners and plumbers alike use plastic pipes in their plumbing projects. Plastic ...

One thing many dogs and their owners can agree on is that giving a dog a bath is real work. Being hosed down and scrubbed can be a stressful experience for ...

Do your plumbing fixtures seem like they need cleaning all too often? If the source of all that extra work is a white or green chalky coating on your faucets ...

Nothing lasts forever. On a long enough timeline, every plumbing pipe and fixture in your home will need to be replaced -- including your plumbing system’s ...

It’s just a couple more days until it’s time to get decked out in all-green for St. Paddy’s Day, but your lawn’s big green day is also right around the corner. ...

If your household plumbing suddenly springs a major leak, do you know what you would do? Calling your local plumber is a smart move, but it shouldn’t be your ...

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this month, and homeowners throughout North America are dutifully serving their six-week sentences as winter soldiers on. While ...

We tend to think of humidity as a summertime problem when the air outside is often hot and sticky. But as uncomfortable as outdoor humidity can be during the ...

Is My Water Hard or Soft? Here’s How to Know. Some lucky homeowners have never experienced hard water in their homes. It’s largely a regional problem, with the ...

Unless you like taking cold showers, it’s important to inspect and maintain your water heater on a regular basis. A thorough check-up every six months can ...

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 ...

When it comes to household water pressure, there’s a pretty generous range for what’s considered not too low, not too high, but “just right”. But there are ...

If you haven’t pulled out the rake yet this season, chances are it won’t belong. The leaves are already falling and leaving a crisp, colorful mess for you to ...

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 ...

Depending on the size of your lawn and garden, it can be a huge task to keep up with the watering with just a watering can and hose. That’s why many homeowners ...

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 ...

Sprinkler systems eliminate one of the most laborious tasks when it comes to maintaining a healthy lawn and garden. But they’re only truly getting the job done ...

Celebrate Earth Day this year by establishing some new water conservation habits and making some small changes to your home plumbing. Water is a precious ...

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 ...

One of the most frustrating experiences is stepping into the shower, only to be barely sprinkled by a slow trickle of water dribbling out. Sometimes it’s simple ...

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 ...

Soldering is an essential part of many do-it-yourself plumbing repairs. When you are replacing part of a pipe or installing a new fixture, you often have to ...

Soldering is a handy tool when it comes to bathroom plumbing repair. Once you get the hang of how to solder your pipes, you can add fixtures and repair plumbing ...

t’s unfortunate but true: You can’t trust just anybody who knocks on your door. Crooks posing as water meter readers might sound like an urban legend, but the ...

When you decide to renovate or remodel your home, it’s a good idea to make upgrades that both improve your comfort level and raise the value of your property at ...

Smart technology is taking over the North American home, appliance by appliance. First, we had smart thermostats and smart lighting. Then came appliances like ...

A noisy faucet can drive a family nuts. When you have to brace yourself for an annoying sound every time you wash your hands, it's time to get to work to remedy ...

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 ...

Sometimes, working with pipes can be a nasty business, especially when it comes to your bathroom toilet plumbing. When it's time to replace your toilet, ...

Temperatures are dropping and winter is on its way. For most households in the United States, that means it's time to close up the garden for the season until ...

Your indoor plumbing is an essential part of modern life for a number of reasons. Here's the one you might not have considered – it could save your life. In the ...

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 ...

Indoor plumbing is a marvel of modern technology. Most Americans take it for granted, but it wasn't so long ago that waste disposal was a major public health ...

When most people get a leaky or broken copper pipe in their house, they call a plumber without a second thought. After all, using a soldering gun to patch the ...

Roof vents are essential to any household plumbing system. They allow sewer gases to safely escape to the outdoors without polluting your home and making you ...

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 ...

Ever dream of having your very own backyard hot tub? Imagine relaxing in the warm water on a cold winter night, with bubble jets percolating all around. Of ...

Homeowners must walk a fine line when it comes to water pressure. You need sufficient pounds per square inch (psi) of water coming out of your faucets to take ...

In general, your tap water is safe to drink. It's tested at municipal water treatment plants and must meet strict federal standards. Unfortunately, sometimes ...

One of the trickiest parts about DIY plumbing repairs is when you have to break out the soldering torch. You need to be extra careful to not create a fire ...

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 ...

When you think about household fire risks, your plumbing system is probably not the first thing to come to mind. However, while your pipes themselves don't pose ...

Water is among the most essential substances for sustaining human life. Crucial to the advance of urban civilization has been the ability to bring abundant ...

There's nothing worse than filling up what should be a refreshing glass of water from the tap, only to spot debris or black specks floating in the liquid. It’s ...

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 ...

Utility costs can eat away at your household budget, diverting money that you could otherwise use for recreation, education or savings. The savvy homeowner is ...

Plumbing leaks are one of the most subtly dangerous disasters that can befall a household. A small leak hidden somewhere in the walls can slowly undermine your ...

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 ...

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 ...

Sometimes, conservation conflicts with comfort. Everybody loves saving water, and reducing consumption are more important than ever with some parts of 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 ...

Persistent droughts in the Western United States are cutting into water supplies and driving up bills, making water conservation more important than ever. Of ...

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 ...

One in three adults over the age of 65 falls each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , and the bathroom is a likely place to ...

Owning a home is an expensive proposition. Mortgage payments, utilities, repairs and maintenance can all stretch the family budget to the limit – and then ...

The toilet is often referred to as the throne. Indeed, even kings themselves, as well as music stars, actors and other titans of society all need to use the ...

Summer gardening season has arrived in full force, with homeowners across the country tending to their flower beds, vegetable gardens and lawns. With much of ...

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 ...

There could be a hidden danger lurking in your pipes. If you have an older plumbing system, there's a chance that your drinking water contains lead. Lead can ...

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 ...