Marshawn Lynch: Stop Freakin' Call Beacon

Seattle Seahawk's Marshawn Lynch Says: Go Beast Mode on Your Seattle Plumbing Problems. "Stop Freakin' Call Beacon!"

What Are the Signs of a Hidden Leak in the Bathroom?

Leaking bathroom pipes can result in serious water damage throughout your home and will require very expensive repairs if not caught quickly. Look out for these common signs to make sure that your bathroom doesn’t have a hidden water leak.

Mold and Mildew

Mold and mildew grow in moist, dark environments. This means that leaky pipes hidden in your bathroom wall create perfect places for these organisms to quickly grow and thrive. It is natural to see a small amount of mildew in shower corners, where water tends to collect. However, you should look out for mold and mildew growing on non-shower walls or in the corners of your bathroom. This could indicate a hidden leak in the pipe beneath the walls.

Damaged Walls and Floors

When drywall is exposed to water, it becomes soft and eventually warps and breaks. If the walls of your bathroom are warped or stained, it is likely due to a hidden pipe leak. When water gets between the wall and paint, it can also cause your paint to bubble or your wallpaper to separate. Similarly, your bathroom floor may show signs of cracking, buckling and staining if a water pipe below it is leaking.

Musty Smell

If your bathroom smells musty or earthy, it could be due to stale, accumulated water beneath the surface. If your bathroom has a chronic, pervasive, musty smell, water from a pipe leak is probably pooling nearby.
If your bathroom pipes are in need of repair, the emergency plumbing service at Beacon Plumbing can help. As a trusted leader in the Seattle plumbing community, we provide superior sewer repair and drainage services. To learn more about our round-the-clock service, contact us at (206) 452-4363.

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Expand Your Knowledge about Your Home's Sewer Line and Drains When You Visit the Resources Below

A reliable plumbing repair company can eliminate sewer drain problems in a flash. You can trust Beacon Plumbing, Heating & Mechanical to solve plumbing problems in your Seattle home. Call us today at (206) 452-4363 for an immediate solution to any drain, sewer line, or water heater problem.

• This USAToday.com article explores how dirt and grease are hampering Seattle sewers.

• Popular Mechanics has helpful suggestions for dealing with smelly drains.

• Use this MesaAZ.gov resource to minimize drain odors in your home.

• Log on to ThisOldHouse.com for helpful winter plumbing maintenance tips.

• KingCounty.gov has an official list of items to keep out of your drain.


seattle plumbing Sewer Line Repair Sewer Drain

How to Avoid Plumbing Problems

Plumbing problems are a common issue that will inevitably plague every homeowner at some point in his or her life. Even with the best care and maintenance, issues due to age and weather conditions can result in serious plumbing problems. In this video clip, you can learn about some simple ways to avoid these problems.

Winter can be an especially hazardous time for your home’s plumbing, so it’s important to make sure everything is in working order during the warmer months of the year. Regular check-ups from a licensed and insured plumber can help you learn more about your home’s plumbing. It’s important to know where the house water shut-off is so that you can turn off your home’s water supply at the first sign of any problem.


To learn more about preventative maintenance and plumbing services, contact the experts here at Beacon Plumbing, Heating and Mechanical.

Bathroom Maintenance: Unclogging A Tub Drain

If your toilet clogs or flushes slow, then you use a plunger. But what about your bathtub? Bathtubs are very susceptible to clogs, and dealing with them is a little different due to their construction. With a few handy tools and a little know-how, unclogging your bathtub can be something you can fix at home.

In this video about unclogging your tub, you can learn the most common causes of clogs and how to remove them once they’ve stopped your drain. If you want to know just how to attack a clogged tub drain, then this video will teach you several methods and what tools to use.



If you have any questions or if the clog is a little more difficult to reach, visit the experienced, bonded and insured plumbers at Beacon Plumbing, Heating, and Mechanical. For expert service and advice, contact our licensed plumbers, and we’ll help you tackle your plumbing problems in no time.

To Our Customers: Thank You

On behalf of Beacon Plumbing, I want to apologize to any of our loyal customers if we were late to our appointment with you during this past Thanksgiving week.

Last Monday in the Greater Seattle area we experienced unusually harsh weather which lasted through Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. Many of the people caught off guard by the snowstorm battled traffic jams for hours and hours on end on Monday only to go home to a cold house. By Thanksgiving Day many people suffered from broken pipes that had frozen during the 3 day cold snap when those same pipes began to thaw sprouting gushing leaks and forcing these people to shut off the water to their homes. Imagine facing a large group coming over to celebrate Thanksgiving at your home with no running water, or heat, or both. We understood the gravity of the situation for everyone who called in and desperately requested service.

We did the best we could, under the circumstances, to get out to as many of our customers as we could. It’s not as simple a matter to dispatch our technicians by assigning them to customers on a “first come, first serve” basis. We have to take into account the abilities of each technician, the distance they will have to travel, and we managed to dispatch as efficiently as we could reaching hundreds upon hundreds of people in the last week. Unfortunately, at times we could not get our technician to you in as timely a manner as we normally do. We take great pride in providing same day emergency services but sometimes circumstances and events are beyond our control.

We started early every morning and worked late every night. Yet, no one from the business office, to the shop, to the dispatchers, and especially our dedicated technicians, complained about the long hours. Some of our office staff stayed in a hotel near the office on the Monday it snowed because they knew the next day they would be needed in the office early in the morning.

We’re just now recovering from the sudden onslaught of so many people needing help. Our scheduling is beginning to return to some semblance of normalcy.

Please accept our apology for any inconvenience this may have caused you. If it’s any consolation, your patience, cooperation and understanding made it possible for many other people to enjoy the basics such as heat and hot water who otherwise would have been without during this Thanksgiving holiday.

Thank you.

William K. Cahill, President
Beacon Plumbing & Mechanical, Inc.

Know How Your Run-Off Drainage System Works

It’s Fall and the rainy season is just around the corner.

A wet basement or crawl space is a common problem if you live in the Northwest because we live in an area that gets rainfall for most of the year. Add in the geography of our area which is hilly to mountainous, it’s understandable why the ground can stay wet for so long after we’ve had some rain. While water coming into your basement is an obvious problem to fix, why the big deal about water in the crawl space? Most homes with crawl spaces have structural elements made out of wood. Wood is susceptible to “dry rot” if it becomes saturated, then allowed to dry out, only to become saturated again. So standing water beneath your home can pose a dry rot threat because of the constant moisture. That’s why a moisture barrier (thicker black “visquine plastic” is often used) is put over the bare dirt in the crawl space to keep the moisture below from reaching your home, but even the moisture barrier may not be enough to protect your home.

Often the problems of damp or wet basements and wet crawl spaces are the result of poor drainage of the runoff from the roof and other impervious surfaces around your home. On a rainy day do you ever wonder where the runoff is going? Do your gutters drain onto bare ground, or are your gutters “tied in” to some other drainage system such as a foundation footing drain? Even if your gutters are tied into a foundation footing drain, where does the foundation footing drain empty? What kind of pipe is being used in the foundation footing drain system and is there sufficient grade in the footing drain system to carry the runoff away from the foundation?

All of these factors need to be taken into account, plus other considerations like the topography around the home. When you understand how your runoff drainage system really works, you can then take preventative measures to keep the drain lines open and able to carry off the water so your basement or crawl space can dry out. Sometimes a sump pump is necessary because there’s just too much underground water, sometimes a “french drain system” is necessary but your expert technician at Beacon Plumbing can help you solve the problem and protect your home!

Know Where Your Shut-Off Valve Is Located

If you have to stop a water leak in your home the fastest, easiest way is to stop the flow of water into your house. The “shut-off valve” will stop all of the flow of water from the outside water service line into your home.

Knowing WHERE the shut off valve is located in your house can save you from extensive, and expensive, water damage occurring. Often, the shut off valve is located in your garage where your water service line enters your home. The water service line runs from your water meter to your home. Once you locate the shut off valve, conspicuously mark it or paint it a bright color. Show your family members where the shut off valve is so if something happens when you’re not home, they can help prevent further damage. Our technicians will tag your shut off valve for free when they visit your home as part of our unmatched customer service.

Did you know that one of the most common causes of water damage occurs when people are out of the house and a hose to their washing machine bursts? Check the condition of the hoses. Changing to non-bursting hoses on the washer is relatively cheap and easy. There are many hose manufacturers with extensive warranties on their hoses that Beacon can provide and install for you. The incoming line to your washing machine is under constant pressure (if you leave the line turned on when not in use) so a hose that will burst is really just a matter of time. This especially true if you live in a home with high water pressure (PSI). There are many neighborhoods in the Puget Sound area that are well known for PSI in excess of 80 pounds/square/inch. If you live in such a neighborhood, call Beacon to find out what can be done, such as installing a pressure reducing valve (PRV). High PSI can also create problems for your water heater, so the next time Beacon is at your home, your technician will be happy to take the PSI for your home.

Also, when you go on vacation or leave the house unattended for a few days, if you don’t need to have the water to your house left on consider turning the water off a the shut off valve while you’re gone. Then if your instant hot-water device or in-sink water filter faucet springs a leak, you won’t come home to an expensive floor replacement which may or may not be covered by your home owner’s insurance or someone else’s liability insurance. Even if you have a family member or friend come over the house to water the plants inside or outside, show them where the shut valve is and how to turn it on and off.

Welcome To The Beacon Plumbing and Mechanical Blog!

Welcome to the Blog of Beacon Plumbing and Mechanical!

By starting this blog we hope to provide our readers with insightful information about the world of plumbing. We look forward to providing all of you with useful tips and proactive ways to maintain your current plumbing situation!

Stay tuned for more.