Northstar Plumbing Services

Northstar Plumbing Services Residential plumbing services in Brownfield, ME & surrounding areas. Text/call/email friendly.

After living and working in the Charlotte NC area for 12 years Kim and I decided to move home to Maine to be closer to family . We sold our plumbing business which still operates as Northstar Plumbing Services to Brandon Bourdow. All of my NC customers and friends will still be able to reach the new owner at the same contact numbers . Rest assured Brandon carries on the Northstar tradition of prov

iding excellent service at reasonable rates. Meanwhile back in Maine Northstar Plumbing will continue to be a small Family owned plumbing company specializing in residential and light commercial plumbing service , repair and replacement.

01/31/2023

We've had it pretty easy with regard to temperatures this winter but that is about to change. With sub zero temps on the way it is not the time to try to be overly conservative with heating oil or propane. Do not close off sections of your house and turn the thermostat down or worse, off. Lets say you had heat pumps installed in your older home and you decide to run that and turn off the thermostat for your baseboard heat . Or you crank up the trusty wood stove. While the room may stay warm enough for comfort the pipes that bring hot water to your baseboard heat or radiators will no longer circulate water. If those pipes are exposed to cold and or wind they could freeze and rupture. Keep all thermostats set to a temperature that makes that zone call for heat at least every few hours. If you find that the inside of bathroom or kitchen cabinets with plumbing are cold keeping the doors open will allow warm air to reach the plumbing. If you have any doubt about pipes being exposed to cold air try to plug any holes or gaps and allow your faucets to drip when it gets really cold. Using a bit more fuel will be cheeper than repairing frozen pipes and the damage they can cause. If you plan on leaving your home unattended during very cold weather keep the heat set to at least 60 deg and turn your water off at its source . If you are on a well there should be a valve near the pressure tank. If you are on city water there should be a main shut off where the main water line enters the house. Turning off the water may not keep the pipes from freezing but if they do freeze and rupture water won't start flowing should things thaw while you are away.

01/24/2023

There is more snow on its way ! if you have any heating appliances that vent directly out of the wall make sure to keep the vent clear of snow This includes but is not limited to tankless water heaters and wall hung boilers . The least of your worries is that the unit will shut down. The worst thing is carbon monoxide poisoning

01/08/2019

Have you ever had your well water tested? How long ago? Your water can change over time so getting it tested every 5 years or so is a good idea. There are many things that can contaminate your water. Radon, arsenic, bacteria. More common problems with well water are a sulfer or rotten egg smell and taste, hardness, turbidity, iron and acidity. While things like hardness and iron can clog things up, acidic water will actually eat away at copper pipes and fittings as well as your faucets and water heater. There are filtration and treatment products to cure just about any well issues. I recently repiped a home that had been piped in copper. The owner had no idea that there was a problem until he started having pin hole leaks in his plumbing. The culprit was acidic water. A simple acid neutralizer could have saved him a lot of money had he gotten his water tested and treated from day one. Even if you have a municipal water supply or a community well there are still possible issues. While most municipalities treat the water, the chlorine they add is a known carcinogen. The amount of chlorine changes throughout the year. Community wells are typically not treated and some of the highest hardness levels I have seen were in community well water. So get your water tested and if necessary contact your local plumber or water treatment professional and make sure your family is drinking and bathing in clean safe water.

12/28/2018

Tankless water heaters are a great product but they do require periodic maintenance . One of these items is a yearly flushing or de scaling . The water in these units runs through a coil that consists of one long thin tube that coils back and forth . Over time the inside wall of this tube becomes coated with mineral deposits restricting the flow . If not flushed the opening in the tube eventually gets so badly clogged that there is not enough flow through the heater to make the burner fire and you are left with a trickle of cold water. This is even more of an issue with well water. Flushing the heater is an easy process and takes about an hour. If you or someone in the home is fairly handy seeing it done once should be all you need to take on this annual chore yourself. It requires a small transfer pump available at a hardware or big box store ,three short washing machine hoses a five gallon bucket and about 3 gallons of white vinegar . Also on the subject of wells it has been my experience that some areas have very acidic water. Acidic water erodes copper from the inside eventually causing the walls of copper pipe and copper or brass fittings to the point that things start to leak. This includes that expensive new tankless you just had installed . If you are on a well a simple PH test can determine how acidic your water supply is . Pools test strips is one way of testing . If you find your water to be acidic you NEED a neutralizer ..

01/30/2018

I should have posted this tip a while ago but a recent service call reminded me . Frost free outdoor spigots, hose bib's,Sill C***s or whatever other name you want to call them will freeze if certain steps are not taken . Because of their design it is possible for them to burst and not leak until they are turned on. Installation is important. They are meant to be installed with a downward slope so that they can drain when turned off. Another very important thing is to remove the hose before cold weather sets in. Lets say you have a hose attached with a spray attachment at the end. You use the hose and turn off the spray head leaving the hose full of water. The frost free hose bib cannot drain, the temp drops and the whole thing freezes up causing the frost free hose bib to rupture. ..... Remove your hoses before cold weather sets in or you'll be calling the plumber in the spring!!!

01/31/2017

Tip for the day... Unless its toilet paper, if it says "flushable" on the package.....ITS NOT !!! NEVER flush anything down the toilet unless it comes from you or on a roll!! This is especially important if you have any type of pump system. Or keep on flushing things such as feminine products and wipes if you want to get to know your plumber..

03/09/2015

Credit my wife and her obsession with pintrest for this tip.
To keep your garbage disposal clean and smelling fresh (or at least as fresh as a machine that grinds up garbage can smell) use an old fashioned ice cube tray to freeze white vinegar and baking soda and toss a few cubes down the disposal once a month.

02/20/2015

With record low temps here in the Carolinas and pipes freezing throughout the northern states do you know where your main shut off is?? You should!! This is the most important valve in your home and anyone old enough to shut it off should be aware of it. Since the main water line into the house supplies the water heater, by shutting it off you are shutting off both hot and cold water to the home. When pipes freeze and burst the results can cost tens of thousands of dollars in damages and it happens fast. Finding your main shut off and stopping the water flow will lessen those damages. For tips on where-to look call Northstar Plumbing Services(704-934-0006) or your local plumber.

02/08/2015

Last night I was called to replace an electric water heater. The heater was only about 6 years old but the home was on a well and the tank had never been flushed leading to its premature demise.
If you want to prolong the life of a tank type water heater the single most important thing you can do is flush it out once a year. This is especially true if you are on a well. Its easy to do and Im sure there are videos on you tube to show how its done. Or you can call a plumber and have it done for you!

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96 Ledgewood Lane
Brownfield, ME
04010

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