Maintaining customer satisfaction is a crucial aspect of any business, but it’s even more important for plumbing companies that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award. For Miracle Plumbing Inc., the best way to keep clients happy is to resolve their plumbing issues in satisfying ways. “Our favorite part of the job is fixing our customers’ problems, especially after other companies haven’t been able to,” says CEO Phil Marcus. “We’re good at dealing with recurring issues because we focus on providing answers that bring closure to each situation.”

Miracle Plumbing has been providing plumbing services for residential and commercial clients throughout Santa Clara County since 2016. The company has the training and equipment to handle everything from general plumbing installations and repairs to sewer line replacements and whole home repiping projects, and it offers 24/7 emergency service for the convenience of its customers.

Unlike less experienced plumbing companies that take a “one size fits all” approach to every job, Miracle Plumbing is known for its detail-oriented work. “We want our work to be perfect, so we always provide a personal touch,” says CFO Chris Marcus. “It’s never ‘out of sight, out of mind’ with us. We take pride in everything we do, even if it’s behind a wall where the customer will never see it.”

To further differentiate itself from its competition, Miracle Plumbing only employs experienced plumbers who are trained to follow strict policies and procedures. “We expect our technicians to provide the best possible workmanship, and that includes how they talk to our customers and make them feel,” explains Chris Marcus. “Also, they’re constantly being tested to ensure they’re keeping up with the industry’s latest advancements.”

When it comes to avoiding plumbing disasters, it’s all about preventative maintenance and using the right tools.

We’ve all dealt with gurgling sinks or toilets that won’t drain. As the water rises, so does the panic of knowing you’ll have to deal with a potentially expensive mess. To avoid these types of situations, it’s best to take a preventative approach to your plumbing system.

Dealing with immediate plumbing problems
Plumbing is hidden, so it’s easy to ignore until something goes wrong. For that reason, most of us lean on quick remedies such as Drano or plungers. However, according to Chris Marcus, CFO of Miracle Plumbing Inc. in San Jose, those aren’t the right options.

“Never use a plunger on a toilet,” he cautions. “It might clear the clog, but the long-term results can be costly. When you use a plunger, you risk blowing out the toilet’s wax ring, which could cause leakage that starts underneath the toilet and ends up at the subfloor. If the damage is severe enough, you might have to pull up your tile and redo your entire subfloor.”

Likewise, liquid plumbing cleaning products can come with unintended consequences. “Drano can eat away at pipes and eventually cause them to break,” warns Mr. Marcus. “You may not even know it’s happening, and when it does, it’ll be too late to stop. Instead of a liquid plumbing cleaner, use an auger or a snake to clear clogs.”

Prevent future plumbing problems
Preventing plumbing issues is just as important as fixing them. First, don’t flush things that aren’t supposed to go down the toilet. “Flushable wipes and moist towelettes are the worst things you can put down a sewer line,” says Mr. Marcus. “Even if a product claims to be flushable, it’s flushable at your expense.”

So, how can you tell what’s truly flushable? Mr. Marcus says if you have a hard time breaking something apart with your hands, it won’t break apart in your sewer line. “Those things will get stuck in the nooks and crannies of your sewer line and eventually clog it up.”

Another good preventative maintenance measure is hiring a company to perform high-pressure hydro jetting. According to Mr. Marcus, hydro jetting works to clean and unblock pipes by scouring the sides and fighting obstructions in front. “It’s really effective on kitchen sinks and other areas where grease builds up,” he says. “Homeowners should have their plumbing lines hydro jetted once a year, and commercial businesses and restaurants should do it several times a year depending on their individual needs.”

Q: How quickly can you get to my house?
A: It depends on our current schedule, but we always try to accommodate every call that comes in. Once we determine our schedule, we’ll give you a two-hour window for our arrival. We’re available for emergencies as well, so we can prioritize your call if necessary.

 Q: Can you give me a price over the phone?
A: Some companies will give rough prices over the phone, but we prefer to send a technician to assess the situation and provide a proper estimate, which is always free during normal business hours.

Q: Do you charge by the hour or by the job?
A: We charge a flat rate for each job. Our integrated software gives a price for every scenario, so you’ll know the price of your job before work begins. If we discover something else that needs to be addressed, we’ll go over your options and get your approval before doing anything.

Q: Can you give me advice over the phone?
A: Yes, depending on the type of problem. We like giving people advice for solving simple issues because it helps them understand their plumbing systems better. For example, a lot of people don’t realize there’s a reset switch underneath their garbage disposal. If your disposal isn’t working, you can use that switch to try and reset the system. We’d rather give our customers that type of advice instead of charging them to do it ourselves—it saves everyone time and money.

Q: Can I plunge my own toilet if it clogs?
A: You should never use a plunger to fix a clog—that’s not the right tool for the job. If you use a plunger, you could blow out the wax ring and cause a leak underneath the toilet, which could reach the subfloor and cause a lot of damage. Instead, you should use a snake or an auger. It may cost you $50 or so, but it’ll protect your plumbing system.

Q: How can I keep my drain lines clear?
A: Don’t use Drano or other substances. Preventative maintenance like high-pressure water jetting is a good idea. It scours the sides of the pipe, fights obstructions in front of it and pushes everything into the main line. It’s a really effective preventative measure for kitchen sinks and other areas where grease builds up.