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At MacKinnon Plumbing and Heating we pride ourselves on several basic principles. We are reliable and provide superior quality with fair and honest pricing.
Mike MacKinnon is an experienced Master Plumber who is licensed and insured and has over 20 years of experience in the industry.
Install, replacement and repairs for boilers, furnaces, water heaters, generators, mini-split systems, water filtration, bathrooms, and kitchens.
Have you had a plumber in your home to make a repair to a faucet that ended up in a full replacement? Here is the reason why... At one point in time the consumer and installer had much less availability to products. We didn't have internet shopping or big box stores to buy the perfect looking faucet, instead you would have purchased on reputation and quality. The choices were limited but the brands were state side if not local to the region. The benefit was everyone had a variation of basically the same product. This meant that the repair parts were the same between them and could be fixed onsite in a short time. Today's manufacturing is quick, cheap and international. Most circumstances the cost of a new faucet is less than the labor required to track down replacement parts. Homes were also only renovated one major time, typically as kids moved out or retirement was close. Today faucets fashionably trend out after 5-10 years so why spend 30 year money for a 5 year faucet.
What heating or cooling system is the right one for your home? I like to analyze your home for factors such as insulation, size of the home, maintenance requirements just to name a few. Too often home owners are tempted with manufacture incentives, energy savings, or worse the option to finance though energy loans. As mentioned before these temptations narrow down your available choices and sometime put homeowners in a regretful situation. Having a sports car as a commuter to the city that is full of traffic and potholes makes as much sense to me as a 1800's home that is poorly insulated with a 95% mini split heat pump. Factors such as cost of install, energy savings, and or maintenance/ repair cost need to balance out against incentives, rebates and warranties. The goal is to find the most efficient system for your home, and sometimes that doesn't mean the most efficient product on the market.
What does it take to install a sump pump in your crawl space or basement? It depends on where you live, pump location , discharge location, and availability of backup power. The occasional flooding from a rainfall does not require a complicated system if the goal is to keep your crawlspace dry as to eliminate rot and mold. However if you don't have a whole house generator and your finished basement is at risk then planning for extended power loss becomes vital. Understanding these conditions will help determine the right system to bring you confidence that your property will be protected.
Heating systems have changed over the years and there are many safety features to protect you and your family. Did you know that most High Efficiency boilers/water heaters are now vented out of the side of your home. With high snowfalls this could lead to snow drifts that block your appliance from working properly. Gases meant to be exhausted out of the home could be drawn back in. It is great practice to clear the snow, check your carbon monoxide detectors, and call a professional to confirm proper installation.
In Massachusetts the Plumbing Board reviews all plumbing related products for consumer safety. A prime example is our shower valves. There are many functions built in to protect our children, elderly, and mobility challenged community. We have all seen the old movie where someone is in the shower and is yelling because the water has become too hot from another person flushing the toilet. What's really happening is the ratio of the cold water to hot water has just briefly changed. Although funny in a movies this can be terrifying when third degree burns have occurred. Our water heaters are set at a range of 120F to 130F to prevent bacteria growth, but our showers are set to a range of 110F to 120F. A third degree burn at 120F will take 8 minutes, but at 130F it is just 17 seconds for the average adult. Those who cannot remove themselves from water that is too hot often sustain secondary injuries from slips and falls while scrambling to get out. Good news is that plumbers are required by code to only install and set temperatures on product approved shower valves. To find a shower valve or any other product that you would like installed in your home please go to https://www.mass.gov/accepted-plumbing-products-online-system
Did you know that not all water filters are the same? Like mask during Covid-19 filters need to be purchased to eliminate specific issues. A great place to start is having your water tested. This can be done by having a laboratory test a sample or purchasing a DIY kit. Once you have identified your needs, installing the filter system can be done the right way. Whole house filtration can prolong the life of your equipment and piping with the added benefit of better tasting water.
How long should your water heater last? It depends on source of heat, water quality, and maintenance. Typically manufactures are designing water heaters to last at least 10 years under poor conditions. Regardless of your style the best maintenance you can perform as the home owner is to flush the system. Our drinking water does contain sediment that is safe for consumption but over a long enough time it can build up and cause your water heater to work harder than necessary. Be on the lookout for signs of failure as you maintain your water heater. Small visual signs such as rusting can indicate a small leak that with enough time lead to total failure. If you need a repair, replacement, or maintenance we are here to help.
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