Tag: hire a plumber

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Why Hire a Certified Plumber?

Why Hire a Certified Plumber? | Residential Plumbing London | London Ontario Plumbing

Everyone has plumbing issues at some point.

It could be anything from a severely clogged toilet to a plumbing disaster.

When that happens, you might be tempted to hire the best plumbing repair company you can find.

Until you get the price estimates.

Then you might wonder if the rates are worth it.

Do you really need to hire the best when you can just go with the lowest possible quote?

The truth is the plumbers who charge the least aren’t always the best choices for the job.

Some plumbers operate in an unlicensed fashion, while others do.

The ones who do are called certified plumbers.

And hiring a certified plumber for your job may be the best choice you could make.

Read on to discover why.

What is a certified plumber?

Certified plumbers, also known as plumbing contractors, are a step up from ordinary plumbers.

The biggest difference is an accreditation with a trades organization.

Here in Ontario, tradespeople are governed by the Ontario College of Trades.

The organization maintains a public registry of tradespeople in Ontario, which includes electricians, iron workers, roofers, steamfitters, heavy equipment operators, millwrights, stone masons, and of course, plumbers.

You can view the registry here.

Feel free to search for our fearless leader, Aron Oretan – you’ll find he’s registered as a certified plumber.

But why hire a certified plumber?

First of all, certified plumbers have more up to date training, which means they’re privy to the latest techniques in plumbing installation and repairs.

Certified plumbers are also insured, which means you’ll be protected in case anything goes wrong.

And if you hire an unlicensed plumber and they make a mistake and cause damage, you’ll have to hire a certified plumber anyway to repair the damage.

While the price tag may be a bit higher with a certified plumber, in the long term it will be better.

It’s like buying a $30 pair of shoes that will fall apart in a year vs. a $200 pair which will last 15 years.

Sure it’s more money out of pocket right now, but over the long term which is the cheaper option?

The importance of hiring a certified plumber | Residential Plumbing London | London Ontario Plumbing

Why Hiring a Certified Plumber is Worth the Cost

Plumbers need to have a diverse group of skills they can call on in order to be successful.

Yes, plumbers do need to be able to connect pipes to fixtures, but they also need to do anything from installing a toilet to retrofitting the plumbing of an entire building.

Certified plumbers also need to do all these jobs according to specific building codes, know which building code applies to which project and even have the required licenses for the jobs they need to do.

If that weren’t enough, they may even have to factor in environmental efficiency and aesthetics, especially if they’re retrofitting plumbing.

These are skills and experiences that an apprentice or journeyman plumber won’t have.

The bottom line is that a certified plumber is very knowledgeable about their craft, and you can trust them to do their job correctly, ethically and follow through afterward.

What Kind of Jobs Require a Certified Plumber?

You should always hire a certified plumber to take care of any plumbing issues in your house.

But the more complex the job, the more you’ll need a certified plumber onboard to help.

For example, if you need to replace a toilet handle, you might be able to get by without a certified plumber.

If you’re doing some repiping, adding a new bathroom or installing multiple plumbing fixtures, though, you’ll want to have a certified plumber on the job to make sure it’s done right.

You’ll also want to hire a certified plumber if your job requires multiple plumbers.

They will be able to hire other contractors to work with them.

Most certified plumbers have other plumbers they can work with, both apprentices and journeypersons, so they have a crew they can count on to make sure a large plumbing project is done right.

Contact London Plumbing

Have a plumbing problem?

Want an expert opinion?

We can help.

Contact London Plumbing for a consultation today.

Stuck? Give Us A Call

Once you’ve shut the water off, take a deep breath, and give us a call. Here at London Plumbing, we’re here to help, no matter your plumbing needs.

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4 Things To Consider Before Hiring A Plumber

4 Things To Consider Before Hiring A Plumber | London Plumbing | London Ontario Plumber

So you’ve got a plumbing issue that needs solving. Installing new fixtures, removing old ones, clearing drains, or a 24 hour emergency plumbing contractor to stop that water volcano from spraying all over the place and ruining that Picasso painting you just paid $100,000 for at an auction last week because you just won the lottery – it doesn’t matter. You need a plumber’s help.

What do you do? You could just search Google and come up with the first place you can find. That might work for you. But how do you know that plumber is legit? How do you tell the difference between that guy and the next one?

Here are a few questions you should ask any plumber before you hire them.

What Are Your Certifications?

Did you know you need a licence to be a plumber? It’s illegal for someone to say they’re certified when they’re not.

If you’re in Ontario, you can use the Ontario College of Trades website to confirm whether someone actually has the certifications they claim to.

There’s nothing wrong with asking for credentials. Any plumber who actually has the credentials they need shouldn’t be upset if you ask. If they object, that’s a big red flag.

Do You Have Reviews?

It’s 2017, people. Everyone gets everything on the internet, and everyone posts everything on the internet. If you do a good job for enough people, sooner or later someone is going to hit Google or Yelp or Facebook to talk about it.

Same goes for if you screw up. Now, if someone has 50 positive reviews and one or two negative ones, then whatever. That happens. You can’t always please everyone. But if they have 50 negative reviews and one or two positive ones, you might want to rethink what you’re doing.

What’s Your Estimate?

No one should be giving estimates over the phone, especially for complicated jobs.

Just a clogged drain may be one thing, but what if your plumber gets there and finds out the drain is clogged because of a tree root, or a buildup of clay, or your pipes have shifted altogether? There’s so much that’s unseen at first and you can’t know until you actually take a look.

Don’t trust someone who just hears about the job over the phone and gives you an estimate. It’s probably going to be wrong, and you’ll end up paying for it.

How Do You Communicate?

You can’t really ask a plumber this question, but you should consider it yourself anyway.

Communication is related to reliability. Do they actually show up when they say they’re going to show up? And if they don’t, do they at least give you notice and a valid reason?

And how do they respond to your questions when you talk to them? Are they open, patient, and understanding? Or do they dismiss your concerns in a gruff, grumpy manner?

When they answer your questions, do they sound confident that they know what they’re talking about? Or do they sound like they’re just making it up as they go along?

If it’s the latter, you might want to take a look at that registry…

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What You Need To Know When Hiring An Emergency Plumber

What You Need To Know When Hiring An Emergency Plumber | London Plumbing | London Ontario Plumber

What’s a plumbing emergency?

Obviously it’s not an emergency plumbing situation if you’re looking for a new plumbing fixture installation. Even if you need to get it finished by the end of the day because you have company coming over tomorrow and your plumber just canceled on you. I know it’s stressful, but it’s not a plumbing emergency.

If you start to get a leak in your plumbing you might panic and freak out. It’s scary when something you aren’t used to dealing with hits you in the face like that. And if it happens at a horrible time, like when you have company over or that special someone you’ve been trying to impress just texted you to say they’re five minutes away, it can be even worse.

Your instinct is probably going to tell you to call an emergency plumber. It’s an emergency, right? Well maybe not.

We’ve talked about your emergency water shut-off valve before, so if you haven’t read that article do yourself a favour and check it out. It’s got a lot of good stuff in it.

But if it REALLY is an emergency, here’s what you should keep in mind with an emergency plumber.

Response Time

When it comes to a plumbing emergency, every minute can count. If your basement is filling up with water and you can’t shut it off, you need someone there RIGHT NOW.

The longer it takes for your plumber to arrive, the worse the damage can get. That’s why it’s important to have an emergency plumber who will actually show up when you call them.

Here at London Plumbing, we strive to be there as soon as humanly possible to help you with your plumbing needs. Write our number down and put it on your fridge, so you don’t have to waste time on Google or fumbling through your phone. The few seconds you take to do that now can save you a lot of headaches later!

Service Area

If you’re in a remote area outside the city, we can still help you. But in an emergency situation, we might not be able to get there as quickly as a more local option. Call us anyway though – you’d be surprised at how quickly we can arrive on the scene!

Preparedness

If your plumber doesn’t have their truck stocked and ready with everything needed to fix any plumbing problems, you’re going to have a bad time. Any plumber worth their salt should be prepared at any time.

Look, if someone shows up without the tools they need to do the job, they’ll have to make a trip to find what it is they need. Meanwhile, you’re standing at home with water spraying all over the place, stressed out that you called this person who doesn’t know what they’re doing.

Emergency plumbing is serious business. If someone isn’t prepared to deal with emergencies, they shouldn’t put themselves out there as emergency plumbers.

Contact London Plumbing

Here at London Plumbing, we strive to get there as quickly as humanly possible, short of breaking the law or jumping out of a helicopter like a SWAT team. Give us a call for all your emergency plumbing needs – we’re happy to help!