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Prevent a Clogged Toilet

In order to prevent a clogged toilet just remember if you wouldn’t eat it, don’t flush it down the drain.  With the exception of toilet paper of course. Simple advice really and if it helps to prevent a clogged toilet, then we could actually call it money saving advice! Remember from your toilet’s perspective out of sight is not necessarily out of mind. Hello, I’m Kurt Koegel owner of Koegel Plumbing and Heating Solutions, LLC. I am a Master Plumber with over 30 years of experience in the industry. Our company provides clean, courteous and professional plumbing and heating services in Alexandria, MN and surrounding communities.  Over the years our customers keep asking the same...

October 11, 2022TipsRead more...

Shower Head is Dripping

If your shower head is dripping it can be more than just a nuisance.  Over time a tiny drip can waste a lot of water and money. If want to know how much water is being wasted, go to  https://water.usgs.gov/edu/activity-drip.html and check out their drip calculator.  Did you know water with high levels of iron and minerals can actually stain your tub or shower?  Just one more good reason to stop that drip! Figure Out Where the Drip is Coming From First To stop your shower head from dripping, you first need to figure out where the drip is coming from.  If the water is on and the shower head is dripping at the base it may need to...

October 11, 2022TipsRead more...

Slow Shower Drain

We hear this a lot “How can I fix my slow shower drain?” This is a pretty common problem especially if your family members have long hair. A slow shower drain can be caused by hair You see we lose on average 50 to 100 hairs from our head every day. All that hair has to go somewhere, and if we are shampooing regularly that hair usually ends up going down the drain. Overtime hair and soap scum can build up and block your shower drain, causing it to drain slowly. If you suspect hair may be clogging your drain, you may be able to clear the stoppage yourself. One Solution One of our favorite tools to keep...

October 11, 2022TipsRead more...

The High Cost of Propane and Your Cabin

Propane or liquefied petroleum (LP) is the most common heating fuel for most Minnesota lake cabins and rural communities. It is used for space heating, to make hot water and cooking. Propane is clean burning, fairly convenient and is an American energy resource. But as with any energy source its price can vastly fluctuate with supply and demand as we learned this past January as prices soared to $5.00 per gallon. So what is a cabin owner to do if they want to keep their getaway warm in the winter but not go broke in the process? Here are a few options: Turn It Down If you use your cabin throughout the winter, turn the heat down...

September 27, 2022TipsRead more...

Cabin Closing Tips

Here in West Central Minnesota fall brings many time honored traditions: leaf raking, gassing up the snow blower and closing the cabin for the winter. Getting the plumbing system ready for the deep freeze is easy if done correctly and you’ll be sure to not have any surprises come spring. These are pictures of what can happen if you don’t properly prepare your cabin for the winter. Yes, that’s ice coming from the toilet and shower and an exploded water softener. Needless to say, the entire bathroom needed to be replaced along with the water softener, all because the necessary care was not taken. The basic idea is to not to allow water to freeze and burst...

September 27, 2022TipsRead more...

Cabin Opening Tips

With spring right around the corner our thoughts soon turn to the lake cabin. Before the fun can begin, there are a few housekeeping details that need attention. One of the most important systems to check while opening your cabin is the plumbing.  If your cabin’s plumbing system is opened carefully and methodically you can avoid a big mess. Here are a few tips to get the cabin ready for summer: Visually inspect all pipes and fixtures for freeze damage. Reassemble any disconnected pipes or fixtures. Close all faucets, hose taps and drain valves. Slowly turn on the main water source (well or city water supply). Again visually inspect all pipes and fixtures for leaks. Open and flush water from all faucets, fixtures,...

September 27, 2022TipsRead more...

Why does my toilet keep running?

Recently a customer asked us, “Why does my toilet keep running?” In order for the answer to this question to make sense, it helps us to first understand how a toilet works. This is our second entry in our new blog series entitled “Plumbing Knowledge from a Pro”. How a toilet works A toilet consists of a tank and bowl. On the outside of the tank you can find the flush handle (or sometimes a button). The inside of the tank is where the magic happens. The tank houses a flapper, fill valve, flush valve, float and overflow tube. When we press the flush handle on the tank, it is connected by a chain to a flapper...

January 18, 2018TipsRead more...