Dunbar Plumbing

10/12/2025

Customers call us about having water heaters replaced and the discussion about longevity and cost of ownership over the life of the product gets called into question. This short 50 gallon water heater from Rheem, the Marathon series is the last water heater this property owner will have in their home.

I've been installing the 'Marathon' brand and servicing their water heaters well over three decades with the majority of them needing either thermostats or elements, once in awhile a T&P relief valve replaced over the life of the product with the tank lasting almost indefinitely.

Given that reputation that indicates a higher up front cost to install but as the years move along the only maintenance would be draining it yearly to remove any sediment. That would eliminate the concern for tank capacity loss and not much else given the tank is non-metallic.

A new shutoff valve was installed to replace the defective one on the cold water inlet. Thermal expansion tank above was only 2.5 years old and was still holding a 2 gallon capacity. Customer wanted to do their own electrical modification to the heater which is their right to do so. The customer was appreciative that copper piping was utilized in the replacement of this water heater, the same type of water piping throughout the home.

Once again we thank our customers for the chance to service their plumbing needs.

10/19/2021

Welcome to Dunbar Plumbing. We offer plumbing services to the entire Northern Kentucky area. This fan page serves as a placement that we are a current business serving the plumbing needs of our community.

At this time we will no longer engage communication on this platform along with creating new content to remain as an active page. This message was generated 1-12-2024 and we will continue to change the date in this message monthly.

Please search for our company on Google, Yelp, Better Business Bureau for more information. Thank you.

07/02/2021

Back on track for posting the 1st of every month.

Here's some of jobs we've done lately and/or plan on doing:

Tankless Water Heater replacement

Gas line install to 4 outside appliances for cooking/smoking

Pressure Reducing Valve and Thermal Expansion Tank replacement

Water Softener install utilizing PEX Water Systems

Lavatory Faucet replacements

Outside Faucet replacements

Garbage Disposal replacements

Rheem Marathon Water Heater install

American Standard Champion 4 Toilet install

Closet Fl**ge repair

Main Line Sewer cleaning

Every day is a different day. Thank you to those we serve and we apologize to anyone we haven't been able to serve due to delay.

05/31/2021

On this Memorial Day we made sure to highlight this day by broadcasting the American Flag, to represent those, the unknown soldiers who sacrificed all.

About 3 weeks ago I was approached by my father that he golfs with a fellow that's collecting scrap metal of all kinds to benefit Vietnam Veterans in need. Of course, we don't mind offering this up for a good cause.

In the past ten years we've only collected precious metals like copper/brass from homes we've worked in whether it be piping, old faucets, valves that came out to be replaced. Every customer has a right to hold onto those parts (we always ask first) but we step in and offer to take those materials if we know they are going straight to the garbage without monetary gain.

We made the decision years ago that we will not risk injury to our hands to separate the materials to get the best value. Giving to others in need seems the better fortune for those who need it.

When knowing we're working for a veteran we always want to hear their life story, military life and what branch they served.

03/14/2021

As you all know, we're not about coupons, advertisements or 'deals'. We are solid in delivering exacting information, the master plumber arriving at your home to perform the tasks at hand.

Last evening we had an emergency sump pump replacement out in Richwood. Spent a great deal of time on the phone with this property owner who had many concerns and it all started off by the abrupt actions of another plumber. That's all that needs to be mentioned.

Our method of take control over a situation is based on a few principles. This can sometimes lead into method mentoring because sometimes the customer is upset with the situation, could be finances, or stressed that they can't get the answers they need to make a solid buying decision over the phone.

"We offer peace of mind. That comes with a price of course but what is your personal time worth." Property owner had a borrowed pump in the pit that was going to have to plug it in once every half hour. That means no sleep. Spend the money, sleep well knowing the problem is resolved and the weeks now pass by with the experience of how relieved you are that the matter is behind you.

Spring rains are upon us. Every time a pump runs beyond its warranty is a guess how long it lasts. Working off the timeline of how long your last dewatering pump lasted is a good time frame to work off of for replacement.

02/08/2021

Getting back on track for the new year! We'd like to run over a few topics worthy of mentioning.

1. Expected lows in temperature this week in the Northern Kentucky area. If your home has a history of water line freezing, this is the time to run water at a slow drip through a nearby faucet to keep water moving at a warmer temperature through the lines. I do not encourage this method on outdoor faucets.

2. Given the dynamics of the super bowl this evening, I doubt there was millions of toilets flushing at one time. That usually occurs on games heavily watched with not a moment to spare 'away' from the big tv screen.

3. An influx of drain cleaning calls have come in lately. Mostly kitchen sink backups. One thing you never pour down any drain; the liquid waste retrieved in a carpet cleaner. There is ton of fabric in this wastewater.

4. Toilets. Water bills can skyrocket when a toilet leaks water into the bowl inbetween flushes. This is a situation that can be a surprise cost from your water company that levies a higher charge from SD1 based on water consumption. The cost of a plumber (or yourself tasking as DIY) is far cheaper than the recurring elevated water bill.

5. When it comes to plumbing fixtures not in use in your home; it's imperative that you run water/flush toilets/operate the shower-tub once a week, once every couple weeks. Abandoning use of a plumbing fixture leads to more problems, not preserving its function. Gaskets and rubber components harden up from lack of use that leads to leaks.

12/01/2020

You know you're getting old when you can go to YouTube and reference a video you created 10 years ago to show your fans.

Tomorrow, we are replacing a customer's kitchen sink faucet with the famous Delta Touch2O faucet technology. Is it necessary for such a device?

I'll explain:

There are customers of mine that take high regard of their kitchen as a very important function when their focus is to create meals that involve numerous ingredients and a flurry of tasks. It is not true that everyone uses their kitchen the same. But for those who want to enjoy the function of a faucet like this, it takes roughly a few days for them to get used to the faucet and from there the revelation comes in the form of a statement.

"I wish we would of put something like this in years ago." And those are words repeated to us almost every-single-time when this faucet goes in.

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11/01/2020

Today is the day to do something to keep the plumber away:

Disconnect your garden hoses from your outside faucets.

Even remove the add-on connectors that trap water.

Check for faucet leaking continuously after shut off.

On valved outside faucets:

Outside faucet open, Inside valve off. If drain on valve, open.

WEATHER FORECAST:

Temperatures to drop into the high 20's tonight that will have the ability to cause freezing. We've had warmer weather the past couple days and many hooked their hoses up to use them.

The average outdoor faucet replacement is around $175.00. Save your money!

09/02/2020

We skipped last month but made sure we didn't miss this month.

In the next couple weeks we are working for customers replacing the old 3 handle faucets and converting them to single handle Delta monitor faucets. Easy to use, easy to maintain and lifetime warranty on the parts as they go bad from Delta.

Last week we moved a water line to serve a new location for an outside faucet, drilling a hole through a foundation wall and reconnecting back to the water source. Tomorrow is a similar job.

We've bought a lot of materials this year regarding water heater replacements. Somewhere close to 50 for the year, I'm sure we'll break the 75 goal when the temperatures drop and the heaters have to run longer heating cycles.

We're using high speed chain cables now for drain cleaning with some of our equipment. Lots of kitchen sink drain clogs this year with the drain piping sagging in between inadequate supports and drain lines that are too long for 1.5" piping. 2" is the better application.

We've removed 6 garbage disposals from customer's kitchen sinks and installed the normal basket strainer drains. This is a newer trend I've not seen before in the plumbing industry, residential application.

Nothing worse than a leak that leads to destruction. Worked for a former MMA fighter recently that we all thought was a leaking toilet on the second floor. Turns out the previous owners drilled supports into the drain line from that very toilet, causing leakage every time the toilet was flushed.

As always, we love meeting our customers, hearing their stories, learning about what they do for a living and just enjoying their slice of life. I've met some the greatest people through their plumbing hardships but I always make sure that their choice in a plumbing company is well represented in their best interest.

We've had customers watch us for hours while we work. It's a comfort zone that's a great tradition. :)

07/04/2020

Happy 4th of July!

Short story: Over 20 years ago I almost blew my hand off with a fireworks explosion. Fast wick, was wanting to throw the firework so it would explode in the air for the wow effect. My audience was my niece and nephew, their close friends as they were young and impressionable. The device exploded within milliseconds of leaving my hand, like less than a foot away.

Never did it again because my hands are the most important parts of my body next to my mind when it comes to plumbing. It's protected my well being and provided for my customers all these years.

Enjoy your holiday safely this 4th of July.

06/02/2020

Here's a job we did just today. Never got the luxury of writing on the wall as we moved the water heater 7 feet to another closet. We used Uponor Pex to route the lines through the ceiling, insulated with armaflex and the owner who's a roofer is adding 30 inches of attic insulation on top.

Home built in the 50's, had horse hair and wood fiber for insulation in the attic. Definitely a first for the plumber and roofer on this job. The new location allows for a door to be installed going into a large bedroom and the rest of the hallway gets sealed to make one large master bedroom with bathroom amenities.

Hot water was flowing before we left. Nice to meet these people we worked for that came from Richmond Kentucky.

05/02/2020

Business is roaring! This past week we started a job that we are replacing over 2700 feet of piping in a building where the water line connections are failing doing tons of damage. Today alone we pulled 1300 feet of the new piping into the ceiling to make the new system provide with solid piping installation void of couplings.

Upcoming jobs include floor replacement underneath a toilet that the customer also wants a vanity replaced at the same time and possibly a medicine cabinet/light fixture combo.

Another job tomorrow involves a garbage disposal replacement and looking at the addition of a half bath and moving a water heater numerous feet to make improvements to an existing home.

Drain cleaning calls have increased along with outside faucet repairs and replacements.

We are improving our craft with safety equipment, new signage, bolt on products to make what we do safer. Sump pump back up systems have been a priority for many due to the consistent rainfall.

Information seekers are our best customers yet. We love the opportunity to deal with those who researched us first to gather information about a project they are tasking. We hit all fours when the phone call starts as it's technical speak from the beginning.

Next month: We'll show pictures of our larger project jobs we've accomplished.