Blog | Boston Standard Company

New Lead Free Plumbing Alloy Could Get The Lead Out

April 25, 2019/in DIY Blog, DIY Plumbing, News, Plumbing /by Boston Standard Staff

Researchers at Purdue University say they’ve developed a new plumbing alloy that can eliminate the use of lead in plumbing fixtures. The alloy is a manganese and copper blend that is stronger and easier to mold than current lead free plumbing alternatives. One reason the new combination is so interesting is that both copper and […]

Plumbing as a career

April 18, 2019/in DIY Blog, DIY Plumbing, News, Plumbing /by Boston Standard Staff

If you’re looking for a career, a new career or a better career, consider plumbing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the plumbing industry is wide-open. Experts expect employment to grow by 16% 2016-2026. Better still, the median salary for a plumber in 2018 exceeded $25 per hour. Some plumbers even report making six-figure […]

Life without indoor plumbing? Is that still a thing?

April 11, 2019/in DIY Blog, DIY Plumbing, Hose Spigot, Plumbing, Toilets /by Boston Standard Staff

According to a report earlier this month, nearly 25% of households in Russia lack indoor plumbing. While that’s hard to accept, it’s apparently true. The majority of the affected households are in rural areas. Only about 9% of urban-dwellers in Russia lack indoor sanitation. It’s at this point we should mention that according to a […]

Changing your habits can save money on energy bills*

April 4, 2019/in Boilers, DIY Air Conditioning, DIY Blog, DIY Heating, DIY Plumbing, Energy efficiency, Furnaces, Plumbing, Rebates, Thermostats, Tips and Tricks /by Boston Standard Staff

*Your mileage may vary. A recent study by researchers at the Australian National University showed that behavior has the potential to save 10%-25% on residential energy costs. Saving 10%-25% on energy costs sounds good, especially since the average Massachusetts household spends more than $2,500 on energy costs each year. That means optimizing your energy consumption […]

Eliminating water hammer

March 28, 2019/in DIY Blog, DIY Plumbing, Plumbing, Tips and Tricks /by Boston Standard Staff

If you’ve never heard of water hammer, you’ve probably never heard water hammer. Water hammer is your plumbing’s reaction to valves in your system opening and closing quickly. The sound – which can be loud and sometimes scary – is a result of fast-moving water hitting a suddenly closed valve. It’s essentially a type of […]

Why you should fix your leaking faucet

March 21, 2019/in DIY Blog, DIY Plumbing, Hose Spigot, Plumbing, Tips and Tricks /by Boston Standard Staff

We’ll be the first to admit that in the grand scheme of things, a drop of water isn’t a lot of water. But the water that leaks from a drippy faucet can add up over time. The average drop of water is a mere 0.25 of a milliliter. In other words, it would take more […]

MassSave Heating and Cooling Rebates Available for 2019

March 14, 2019/in Boilers, DIY Air Conditioning, DIY Blog, DIY Heating, Energy efficiency, Furnaces, Rebates /by Boston Standard Staff

MassSave is offering new rebates and incentives on residential heating and cooling products and installation. Now is a good time to consider upgrading, replacing or converting your heating and cooling equipment. New heat pumps, furnaces or boilers can save money on your heating and cooling bills year-round. If your home heating and cooling equipment was […]

Barrier free plumbing can enhance your home

March 4, 2019/in DIY Blog, DIY Plumbing, Plumbing /by Boston Standard Staff

Most people don’t consider barrier free homes until they need to. Generally, homes aren’t initially constructed with accessibility in mind. Modifying a home to eliminate barriers for wheelchair-dependent individuals can represent fundamental changes to a home’s layout. Beyond modifying entryways and doorways, barrier free designs must take the home’s plumbing into account. Older homes may […]

Use a licensed contractor for plumbing repairs

February 25, 2019/in DIY Blog, DIY Heating, DIY Plumbing, Plumbing, Tips and Tricks /by Boston Standard Staff

When your home needs plumbing repairs that you can’t (or don’t want to) tackle yourself, you normally hire professional help. Anytime you hire a professional to do repair work, it will cost you more than it would if you did the work yourself. That’s a given. But you should verify the qualifications of your plumbing […]

Thawing frozen pipes

February 18, 2019/in DIY Blog, DIY Heating, DIY Plumbing, Hose Spigot, Plumbing, Tips and Tricks /by Boston Standard Staff

Like just about everything else, there’s a right way and a wrong way to thaw frozen pipes. Here are a few tips to keep your pipes from freezing in the first place. We also have some advice for thawing a pipe that’s already frozen. Keep your pipes from freezing The best way to deal with […]