Plumbing & Gas Services

Fortis along with most manufacturers recommends all gas appliances be serviced yearly. Preferably in the fall, so when the first cold front hits you know you are covered.

Our yearly service covers:
Changing filters (if needed), Check proper functioning of systems, Winterizing hose bibs & change out those batteries on your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

Many homes, especially older ones may have drainage that wouldn’t necessarily meet today’s standards. That in combination with today’s low flow fixtures, the drains may be accumulating debris.

We recommend homeowners occasionally flush out drainage with the hottest water they can. Fill a few sinks with hot soapy water and let them all go / drain (be careful to make sure that water isn’t coming out on the lower floor). Followed by flushing the toilets a couple of times to push a good amount water through your system.

If this doesn’t work, it might be necessary to get your drains cleaned occasionally.

Generally there are two parts that may be the cause of this:

a) The flapper (the rubber or plastic part that is lifted when you push the flush lever) with age will begin to crack and let water through into the bowl. This part (generally) is available at any hardware store and if you are comfortable can be fixed by exchanging out the old for new. If you have questions we are always happy to walk someone through the process.

b) The fill valve (the part that has the float on it that fills the tank) with age, often ceases and doesn’t shut off properly continuing to add water to the tank after it is full.  Fortunately, most toilets allow the excess water to enter the bowl and drain without causing damage.  This part is a little more complicated to replace and we would recommend calling us.

This is a fairly normally asked question with a quite simple answer:  Your Ptraps have dried out. Every fixture is protected with a Ptrap to stop gases from the sewer system from entering your home. If you don’t use a fixture for a long period of time, or if a floor drain never gets used, the Ptrap will dry out. Simply pour a few litres of water down the drains, and problem solved. If the problem persists, call for an appointment as we will be happy to come and have a closer look.

We do not like recommending one brand over another as there are many great brands out there. However what we can recommend is to use a brand with a well recognizable name that have local distribution. Although foreign brands may be of quality, if you were to need a part three years down the road, this could be a challenging task.