A lot of times a snake cable will just stir up the sludge and I have seen cables in clean-outs or manholes downstream where the pipe is still clogged.

On our trucks, we keep all our soldering material, such as solder, paste, pipe cutters, emery cloth, inspection mirror and other miscellaneous items, in small tackle boxes.

This tool tip made my co-worker and our customer so happy that he made one and wrote my name on it. 

Leaking fixtures can waste a lot of water and money. 

When installing a toilet, the final touch is caulking around the base which can sometimes be a mess. 

First, remove the overflow trim. Then, insert a water hose down overflow. 

We do gas and electric water heaters for lots of residential customers. 

The customer says there is water at the base of the toilet after flushing, which means you get to replace the wax seal. 

Every time I installed an ice maker supply line, I was always concerned that it may leak — pushing and pulling on the fridge. 

Carry lengths of pipe in a standard cargo van and eliminate roof racks.

Contractors are a mobile breed — constantly on the move, from job to job. With so much shuffling around, there is more opportunity for human error — tools ending up on the wrong jobsite on the wrong day. When you have inventory tied up across different jobs, in the back of a work truck or van, or in a warehouse on a high shelf that’s rarely dusted, it’s easy for mistakes to be made.

When installing a shower arm or hand held hose wall elbow, thread a ½" coupling onto the male ends and select the appropriate size pipe nipple to use as a lever.

I have seen and experienced draining a water heater for replacement, and the drain is clogged and won’t let out any water.

We are a full service plumbing company. There are times when we have to gain access to the roof of million dollar homes. 

I have been reading a lot of tips about setting toilet bowls. 

We keep super glue on the truck for any time we run into needing an O-ring, but don't have the exact size. 

Recently, while doing an emergency water heater replacement, I needed some lube for the small O-rings on the mixing valve. 

NFPA 70 provides the important details for design.

Spencer Bell has been a fan of HoldRite plumbing brackets and the TESTRITE DWV testing system for years. So recently, when he heard that HoldRite had innovated the cast-in-place firestop sleeve process, he didn’t waste time learning more about it.

BNP Media Plumbing Group Multimedia Editor Nadia Askar recently sat down with Michael Whiteside, president and owner of Chicago-based MIFAB.

Eighty-two percent of respondents use digital tools daily to help streamline training and development programs. The majority of respondents within this group recognize the diverse benefits that digital tools offer the skilled trades industry.

The most expensive part of plumbing service is getting the phone to ring and the truck to the job. Once there, every additional dollar past breakeven helps cover the monthly overhead nut. Once this is covered, it falls straight to the bottom line. So, how can you maximize revenue? Here are nine ways to boost your average tickets.

If you rely on search engine marketing for calls, you are putting your company at risk because you are relying on the unreliable. Here are eight steps to wean your company off big tech dependency.

You may be the best technical plumber in town, but you will earn poor reviews and bad word-of-mouth if you cannot communicate well. Here are nine simple steps you can take to improve your communication skills. Almost all of them are non-verbal.

There has been a lot of private equity activity in the service trades since the COVID-19 lockdowns. Suddenly, boring old businesses gained monetary sex appeal when they were declared essential and could continue making money while many other local businesses were effectively shuttered. This has led to a land rush for good service contracting businesses and many plumbers have grabbed the brass ring while the grabbing was seen as good.

Plumbing contractors are not known for their marketing prowess, yet marketing can drive more calls. The simplest marketing might be the sales promotion. Here are the steps.

It only takes a little effort to out-recruit the competition. Here are nine ways to become a better recruiter.

Should you hire apprentices instead of journeymen and master plumbers? Some contractors are finding more long-term success by building their team from the ground up.

The current U.S. workforce is comprised of four generations: Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. But there’s one generation in particular that the skilled trades have their eyes on right now: Gen Z.

A successful home service franchise offers sales and marketing systems similar to those employed by large companies. These systems can be easily implemented and replicated over and over again.

Two-way texting, when a customer can proactively text your business and receive a response or have an entire digital conversation, offers a way to bolster client communication and as a result, satisfaction.

As the population grows older, there is a heightened need for affordable plumbing and HVACR systems that offer safety and accessibility.

US faces a shortage of 500k skilled plumbers, costing $33bn annually. Plumbing requires rigorous training, creative problem-solving, and meticulous execution. Valuing the critical role plumbers play can address the shortage and pave the way for a thriving water infrastructure.

Every year during May, the International Code Council holds its Building Safety Month campaign to help raise awareness about the importance of building safety and educate the public on how to ensure their communities are resilient and sustainable.

Sewer line repairs and replacements require precision, expertise, and the right tools. In this article, we will explore the essential tools for efficient sewer line work.

“I don’t think people care that I’m young, or female. They care about what I know.”
Those words, spoken by Baylie Frost, a virtual design and construction (VDC) lead at Harvey’s Plumbing & Heating in Bozeman, Montana, must be music to the ears of an industry that is seeking to attract more talented young people to its ranks.

It’s no secret that MEP contractors deliver massive value on every project out there. In 2019 alone, MEP contractors generated 46.3% ($70 billion) of total revenue delivered by the ENR Top 600 Specialty Contractors.

The ongoing transformation of the plumbing industry has been driven in part by the evolving expectations and priorities of homeowners and consumers. The COVID-19 pandemic reinforced existing concerns about hygiene and public health, pushing the demand for hands-free technology and automated features that reduce contact with germs and bacteria. 

Several new ServiceTitan product updates and features powered by Titan Intelligence were also announced at Pantheon 2022

John Wallace, owner of Atlanta-based JM Wallace Plumbing, has been offering leak detection solutions since 2007, but it’s only recently during the last few years where he’s really seen the technology take off.

Plumbing & Mechanical Chief Editor Nicole Krawcke spoke with Chad Salge, vice president of virtual design and engineering at The Brandt Companies about its digital transformation journey.

ServiceTitan made waves earlier this year when it announced new cutting-edge AI solutions, allowing its customers to automate, predict and optimize across their businesses during Pantheon 2023.

The partnership between Interplay and Peterman comes at a pivotal time as Peterman continues to expand its operations and scale its technical training efforts.

The integration will allow mutual customers to access valuable information about their prospects and customers. The integration will ensure that the complete customer journey, from lead to job, is all captured within the ServiceTitan dashboard.

Trimble recognized for commitment to innovation across projects, processes and company culture.

Mechanical contractors are looking to improve operations by cutting costs and boosting efficiency while maintaining quality. A popular solution is the adoption of new technologies, specifically virtual inspection services, which have gained popularity since the pandemic.

Carrier’s lineup of communicating peripherals for the i-Vu building automation system has been expanded to include smart valves with Characterized Control Valve (CCV^T) technology and smart damper actuators. 

The new under sink crossover product combines the efficiency of an on-demand system, with the ease of installation of more conventional, timer-based pumps. 

Developed for high-temperature and high-pressure piping where smooth, unrestricted internal flow is critical, this welding alignment tool helps prevent degradation of the pipe or tube I.D.