Plumber Bellevue

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Over 25 years of outstanding Bellevue plumbing!  Most of our customers like you appreciate the fully explained pricing detail below:

Plumbing Rates

$30
Plumbing Problem Diagnoses
This will allow us to assess the situation and provide you an accurate cost estimate.  Our plumbers are licensed professionals who are NOT paid on commission.  Many of our competitors can’t say the same thing.

Time + Material
The majority of plumbing projects are billed on a Time +Material basis.  You can request a firm estimate after our initial diagnoses.  We charge $34.99 per quarter hour for residential plumbing service work.  You can request a free estimate for larger projects ( $2000 or more) including re-piping with PEX or copper, bath additions, etc.

Bellevue plumbers charge for all time spent on a job.  This includes consultation and waiting time. Please be sure to be present at the time of the appointment and use both of our time wisely.

Equipment Charges
Sewer Snake equipment is not cheap and requires endless maintenance to make sure the equipment is reliable.  We charge a per use fee for this equipment when needed to account for time of maintenance.

1.5 – 2 inch drain lines less than 15 feet:  $10
1.5 – 2 inch drain lines beyond 15 upto 75 feet:  $35
Main Line Sewer Snake 3 – 6 inch lines up to $125 feet:  $85

Estimated Typical Costs
(This is for general information only, your cost could be different)

Garbage Disposal Replacement
Good: Basic, 1/2HP Model 3-year manufacturer warranty: $385
Better: Some Stainless Steel, 3/4 HP Model, 4 year manufacturer warranty: $485
Best: Stainless Steel parts, 1HP Model, Very quiet, 5+ year manufacturer warranty: $595

If you would like to add a garbage disposal to a sink which has never had a disposal you should budget around $650 depending on the height of the drain and depth of the cabinet.

Kitchen Faucets Replacement
Moen or Delta, single handle, no spray installed: $320
American Standard, 3 hole, single handle, no spray installed: $425
Chicago Commercial Grade, two handle including wing levers installed: $690

If you are looking for really cheap model faucet you should buy it yourself and we will provide the installation.  You should know though inexpensive, non-brass faucets are more of a liability than anything.  We do not offer warranty on these items.

Toilet Replacement (White 12″ model)
Kohler or American Standard: $525
ToTo Drake: $625

Hauling old toilets to the dump is an additional charge of $50.  If your job requires additional flange repair the estimated cost is $300.

Water Heater Installation
(Based on Bradford-white Pricing)

40 gallon electric: $799
40 gallon gas: $1130
50 gallon electric: $799
50 gallon gas: $1130
65 gallon electric: $1085
65 gallon gas: $1470
75 gallon gas: $1570
80 gallon electric: $1210

Additional charges if applicable: additional plumber on site, disposal of old tank, carpet protection if water heater is located indoors, faulty valve and pipe replacement, new fluepipes, new earthquake strapping, running a new drain, new drip pan.  You will definitely be notified if additional charges are possible.  Most residential projects do no incur additional charges.

Give Us A Call Today – We Are Your Bellevue Plumbing Problem Solvers

Are you looking for a plumber in the Bellevue Washington market? You have come to the right place. We at Bellevue plumber are here to serve you for all your local residential and commercial plumbing needs. Whether you are dealing with a leaky faucet or looking to install a new toilet we can help. If you are interested in our commercial services we have the manpower to fully install, repair and improve all of your commercial plumbing needs.

Over the years we have built up a level of knowledge that is equal to our highest competitors. We would like to say that it is more extensive than our competitors but without knowing how knowledgeable they are in the industry it’s not fair for us to say that. Ah heck, we have superior knowledge in the plumbing industry than all of our competitors. Boy does it feel good saying that. Fully one of our competitors will find this post and challenge us to a national duel on plumbing knowledge. I’m not sure how the format would be but I am more than certain it would help business for the both of us. I envision and similar to a presidential debate where we would be standing at a podium, if at all possible I would preferred the sitting format come to think of it. I think that’s the way they used to do it back in the days of Nixon and Kennedy. Sorry for that little bit of sidetrack but I thought it was a fun idea.

If you are considering a project but just have questions for the time being please don’t hesitate to give us a call. We know not every phone call means there is a job waiting on the other end. Our goal is to build a relationship with you as your resource for quality plumbing advice. Whether you hire us tomorrow or years from now we know what we offer you quality information and service you are likely to choose us as your plumbing resource.  At least that’s the way it is supposed to work according to all of the small business management books I have read in my life. Come to think of it even if you do not choose us for your plumbing services it still the right thing to do is help people when you can. That’s how I was raised.

Give us a call when the time is right for you and I believe you will find us to be a great resource for all of your plumbing needs.

If you have been driving around the Bellevue Washington area there is no doubt that you have seen a handful of Bellevue plumber advertisements. There has been a growing trend of billboard use as well as vehicle advertising in our market. Bellevue plumbing is a competitive industry to be in currently. There is a high demand for the plumbing industry and there are many skilled laborers who are looking to take advantage of this high demand. I am choosing not to use the names of the companies who are advertising on a larger scale within the Bellevue market because they are my competitors after all. As a small family-owned company we do not have a large budget to compete on that scale.

You know what ads I am talking about most likely.  There is the one that has a woman standing next to an overflowing bathtub. I don’t think it is by accident that the woman who appears in the advertisement has a larger than average sized chest which is fully displayed for the viewing audience. I guess the saying sex sells is in full force in the Bellevue plumbing market. I will admit as a gentleman that these advertisements have caught my eye as well. Even though it pains me to say so. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the lady in the advertisement and just the fact that I am drawn to the plumbing industry. I’m sure of it!

The other major advertiser in the Bellevue market is the guy hanging halfway out of his plumbing truck giving us a friendly wave. This is more of the down-home approach as opposed to the eye-catching attractive lady approach. Both have their place and I am sure both can be effective in reaching their target audience. What is funny to me is that they are both trying to reach the same audience and using completely different methods. Well they are the same method but the message is completely different. If only they would let me see the behind-the-scenes results of these advertising campaigns so I can compare what works best in the plumbing industry. Maybe I can try and figure out some happy medium to use our own campaign when the time comes. Here is hoping the time will come sooner rather than later.

I have been online a lot lately visiting all the different forums dedicated to plumbing.  If you are not familiar with what a online forum is they are a place where people with similar interests can discuss what is going on in their industry.  For me this type of form is for plumbing and all of the related topics that go along with plumbing.

It is amazing what information is available to you on these forums. A lot of them have moderators with years of experience and they are willing to share the information they have gathered over this time. A moderator is someone who looks over the discussion board and make sure that people are using the area constructively. If you find a good forum where there is a lively discussion you are bound to learn something that you did not know. Of course there are people who try and use online forms to promote their services or sell you a product so avoiding those people is something you should add to your to do list.

One other thing I have learned about these types of forums is that many people who are frequent contributors to these forms become jaded and short tempered. I do not know why this is but it is a recurring theme on many of the different forums. These are the people that when you ask a question they expect you to already know the answer and if you do not you are an idiot. This is not the norm as there are many friendly people located on these forums however keep a watchful eye out for these people as no one likes to be associated with negativity.

If you are looking for a forum in your industry you can find them from a simple Google search. It is amazing how small of a niche these forums cover.  There are always people out there interested in the same thing that you are no matter how unique you think you are. I guess that is a good thing but the feeling of uniqueness is always nice. Some of the different forms I have participated in our related to plumbing professionals only and then there are the forums who cater to consumers looking for plumbing advice. My last post I help the gentleman in Virginia on the selection of his kitchen sink. I know that he appreciated the advice because he thanked me within the forum and it feels good to help someone when you can. Really the benefits are just interacting with people on something that you enjoy talking about. After all if you find something that you enjoy talking about the activities involved with that really aren’t considered work. I have been a plumber for a number of years and I always enjoy talking about plumbing no matter how frequent that is believe it or not.

You might find that interacting on a form is not right for you. It helps to have a  thick skin when you start the process. The reason for this is that many online communities are very used to Internet etiquette. Internet etiquette is much different then the etiquette we use between each other in a traditional setting. It is much more brief and you are unable to determine sarcasm when it is being used. For me that is the biggest difference as I am a very sarcastic person. I have left a comment or two and then the next thing you know someone gets all up in arms by my comments. If only they could hear the tone of voice and using for what I am saying it would make much more sense. If anyone has a direct line to computer manufacturers specifically the keyboard division have them add a keyword or but in that illuminates sarcasm. This could be similar to italics or underlined or will however you see fit.  Like I said if you go into it with the right attitude there is much to gain from these online forums. No matter if you are installing a sink and Virginia were just looking for some local advice try one of these online forums today. You never know what you’re going to learn.

If you are dealing with a constantly clogged shower drain you know how annoying this can be.  You get a little bit of drainage back and then the next thing you know the problems just comes right back.  This time it’s worse than ever.  In my household there are two guilty parties for the cause of our drainage problem.  The first is the fact that we give our two dogs baths in our shower.  The second is my lovely wife and her flowing locks of love.  No matter who is to blame the problem needs to be fixed.  Here are some of the top method of freeing your clogged shower drain.

One method of clearing your shower drain might seem a little out of place.  Would you ever think to use a plunger in your shower?  Believe it or not it is one of the best methods to attempt first.  The powerful air flow created by the plunger can remove a lot of newer drain flow problems.  The next method is of course store bought drain cleaner.  This is not the most recommended method by any means though.  Professional plumbers warn against using these products.  Yes the have a bias opinion but what they say makes sense.  Your drainage pipe is most likely made out of plastic.  The chemicals used to eat away at your nagging drain clog also will eat away at the plastic pipe over time.  If you are in a pinch a one time use is not the worst thing you can do but it should not be an ongoing solution.  Finally we get to the last method. This is the ever powerful wire coat hanger.  This wonderful item has many uses, one of which is freeing your clogged drain.  All you need to do is disasemmble the hanger and form a small hook at one end.  Then just force the hanger down the drain, pull back and viola your drain problem is solved.  You should repeat this process a few times to be most effective.

These are the top three methods of clearing your clogged drain on your own.  If you are still having a drainage issue after giving these methods a try it’s time to call a plumber.  They have the necessary equipment to get the job done in a jiffy.  It won’t be free but it will be a solution to your problem.

Here I go again about to badmouth people that I do not even know. Please know that is not my intention but the purpose of these blog posts is to inform my readers and give my own opinions. After all it is my own blog. The guy doing the installation is certainly not somebody I would hire on my crew. The techniques he’s using are not well thought out. As you can see the gentleman behind the camera advised a more simple step to achieve the end result and the technician ignored it completely. You can see that a majority of the plan is not planned at all. This type of plumbing is one of the top causes of inspection failures. Once the inspector is on the job site he looks for not only code violations but simple steps that were made to difficult and can actually cause a problem later.

I am not saying that this project would not pass inspection but the likelihood of that happening is much greater when a concise plan is not put in place. Of course, I could be completely wrong and they are following a concise plan but in my experience they would have everything laid out as oppose to fitting piece by piece. One of the things I did like in this video was there quick explanation of the different color of pipes. A lot of times the average consumer will see these different colors and not know that they are completely different applications for each of these pipes. Like the gentleman said black pipe is for ABS and white pipe is for PVC. Those are the two most common types used in modern plumbing. Of course there is the use of copper plumbing extensively but I assume most people can recognize copper as opposed to a plastic pipe.  All in all some good information but not the best execution.

I am not sure if it is something primal or what exactly it is but there is just something about the use of fire as a tool which gets me excited. In this video you will see a quick demonstration of how to solder a joint of the coupler. It’s not the most detailed video available but it cuts right to the chase and shows a quality job.  Some of the key points that are mentioned within this video are not letting your solder material run down onto the threads of your pipe. In the case that this does happen you should have a towel or wet rag handy to quickly wipe the area clean. Of course, if you do not clean this area you will have the dickens of a time trying to thread your adjoining pipe. The other point that I liked was not applying heat at the actual joint but on the coupler itself. As you can see the solder material will naturally make its way to the heat filling that joint and making it watertight. If you were to do the opposite and actually apply the material, not the material but the heat to the joint you would have way too much runoff onto the threads. At that point you would be spending more time cleaning as opposed to actually soldering.

You can see that the materials needed to complete this job are readily available at your local hardware store. Often people are intimidated by the act of soldering but it is really not that difficult. Don’t you think you could do what is shown in this video? The question is do you want to do what is shown in this video? If you answer no to that last question may I suggest you give us a call. We have years of experience in pipes soldering when needed and we have the tools to complete the job on site. In a lot of cases pipes soldering is a task which is followed by a frozen pipe that cracks. If this winter your pipes froze be sure to look for cracks and investigate is soldering is needed.

At first I didn’t think this was possible but clearly I have been proven wrong. I actually knew that it was possible to some degree I just didn’t know how accurate it could actually be. In this demonstration they are bending a 90° angle and from the looks of it it is spot on to the exact measurement.  What I thought was funny is that the goal was to bend a copper tubing and the tool that was used for this was called a tube Bender. Somebody needs some real points for originality in that name. I actually think more things should be labeled that simply. Imagine if the couch was called soft place to sit. Just saying that takes me back to many of the old depictions of native Americans where they basically call things as they are such as man with funny hat. I can just picture a guy sitting there with some type of unique hat and now that is his name. It is all about the simple things in life.

It looks like this video was filmed in front of a live studio audience. I am thinking this is somewhat of a training course either with in a company or at a school of some sort for aspiring plumbers. During my years of training we had several of these on-site demonstrations where you could see hands-on the process which you are trying to learn. I think that is one of the best things about a career in plumbing is that instead of theory and book reading you actually get to work with the actual equipment. Come to think of it I might use the word actual and it’s good friend actually a little too much. Please bear with me. This video doesn’t have much use for some people but I did think the tool is interesting at how accurate it can be.

This guy is great. He is so right about the projects around the home that really do not take too much time to repair but just never happen. Like he said if you have just 10 min. to spare on a weekend you can get all sorts of stuff done. Now that 10 min. is typically for one project but if you had several different tenant increments you would be able to solve a majority of your projects. Take for example this leaky water spigot outside. You will see just how easy it is to fix this problem in a short amount of time. By completing this project you are removing the dangers of having moisture buildup on the foundation of your home. Not only that but you are also conserving water which we all know is very important in today’s day and age. Take a look at how easy it really is:

There you have it it is that easy to repair this leaky spigot. I was once asked the question if you are able to use electricians tape as opposed to the Teflon plumbers tape used in this video. Without a doubt do not use any type of electricians tape for these purposes. The composition of each tape is created differently and for this purpose the electricians tape is certainly not your best option. All you will do is add to your frustration when the repair does not last more than an afternoon. You can trust me on this one. In fact, you can trust me on most anything I’m saying and less I’m trying to be sarcastic. You may notice throughout my posts that I do like to be sarcastic at times. So if you read something that seems a little off try reading it with a hint of sarcasm.

These guys are classic. I should say right from the get go that there is a little bit of profanity in this video. Some of the language used in this video is certainly not suitable for children. I would give this video an R rating due to its language content. That said, I bet working with these guys would be kind of fun. Especially the guy down in the trench and his frustrated plumber voice. You can see throughout this video the guy in the trench is becoming more and more aggravated at being on camera. Not to mention the guy who is doing the filming is not helping and just making little comments. I also did not like his reference to Seattle and the rain because contrary to popular belief it does not rain every single day in Seattle. We do miss a day here or there.

If your property has a septic tank please be sure to maintain that tank as well as you can. It’s not that we do not like the work when it comes time to repair a busted tank but seeing a beautiful yard being torn up is always tough. It is so easy to forget about our septic tanks as they are out of sight and typically out of mind. Although when you do have trouble the septic tank can be one of the worst repairs and all of plumbing. Even worse, you could end up with these two guys knocking on your door ready to invade your personal space for the better part of a week. Of course that would be if you lived in the Cape Cod area apparently but here locally we hope to be the plumber you can trust in one of these emergency situations.

Remember there are additives that you can place into your septic system to help reduce the amount of buildup which causes most bursting of tanks. You can find these at most of your general hardware stores as well as big-box stores. Here is a link to the Home Depot website so you can search for yourself. There are a number of different choices for you to choose from. Choose wisely.