• Virginia's Best

    Everyone likes to say they're the best. Frugal Rooter can prove it. The PHCC, America's oldest and largest home improvement trade association, has named us Virginia's Plumbing Contractor of the Year. So if an organization of 3500 plumbers says we're the best in VA, we're taking their word for it.

  • Dr's of Plumberology

    Calling our plumbers and technicians "doctors" isn't much of a stretch. When you do the math on all the hours of classroom & on-the-job training, they've had more schooling than most Ph.D's. That's how much experience we bring to your door. Knowledge that'll get your problem solved quickly saving you time and money.

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  • Emergency Service

    Plumbing emergencies aren’t like other emergencies. If you don’t get help fast, you can end up with $1000’s in damage to your home. That’s why 24 Hrs a Day, 365 Days a Year, Plumberologists are standing by, ready to help customers whenever and wherever in the Washington DC area they need us.

  • Care For Your Home

    No one takes better care of the plumbing and drains in your home. Our Plumberologists have decades of knowledge and experience diagnosing and repairing the plumbing issues faced by every home owner. Not only will we fix what's wrong, we'll give you the knowledge and tools to prevent future problems, saving you time and money.

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  • Low-2-No Financing

    Life doesn't always happen on your schedule. Big emergencies always seem to come when you're least ready. That's why we offer special financing programs to those who qualify. You can get approved in minutes for the funds you need today. With flexible payment options, you can choose a plan that works for you.

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  • Join Our Team

    We are the best plumbing company in Virginia, Maryland & DC. We're looking for the best plumbers to deliver our signature outstanding quality service to our residential & commercial customers. Think you have what it takes? Visit our jobs page and apply today. If you've got the drive, we'll show you the way.

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  • QSC / PHCC

    As part of our committment to be the very best plumbers in the DC region, Frugal Rooter is a proud member of the Plumbing Heating and Cooling Contractors association, and an active participant in their Quality Service Contractors program of education and fellowship. We put the knowledge and resources we gain to work for our customers.

  • We Proudly Served

    Veteran owned and operated, we offer special discounts to our brothers and sisters in arms. Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard or Marine... we'll take of all your plumbing and drain needs. Done with your service? Searching for your next career? We're looking to hire veterans, either as apprentices or service techs. Visit our career page to apply.

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How does hard water keep soaps from working?

woman-bubble-bathFor women, heaven is a glass of wine, a scented candle and a nice, soapy bubble bath. Okay, even if that isn't your idea of heaven, you still probably wash yourself, your clothes, and your dishes with soap. However, if you have hard water, this might be a lot harder than it sounds. Hard water and soap don't exactly get along. Water that's loaded with heavy mineral deposits will barely make soap lather. Worse, it leaves behind a gross soap scum ring in your washing machine or bathtub. The explanation for why resides in the chemistry between hard water and soap.

The Science of Soap

We weren't kidding when we said answer involves a lot of chemistry. Remember that class? Don't worry, we'll break it down for you.... Soap is made from oil and fat. Has been for as long as soap has been a common cleaning agent. Oil and fat work together to fight greasy stains. Here's the rub: oil doesn't dissolve in water. In order for anything to dissolve in water it needs to have a negative charge. Modern day soap has a negatively charged end, so that it gets dissolved and washed away with water. The oil itself doesn't dissolve, but the soap suspends it in the water and washes it down the drain.

Where Does Hard Water Come In?

Hard water contains more minerals than soft water. Minerals are an enemy to our common day negatively charged soap because hard water contains positively charged calcium ions. Positive + Negative = Neutral. The positively charged water mixes with the negatively charged soap and makes one big neutral atom, putting you right back where this all started thousands of years ago: with soap made from oils that doesn't dissolve in water. Soap that doesn't lather and leaves a soap scum ring.

How Do You Combat Hard Water?

While there are chemical treatments you can use, the easiest and most common answer to hard water is to install a water softener in your home. A water softener is attached to your water system and another, even more complicated, chemistry lesson takes place. Essentially it replaces the calcium or magnesium with something else, typically sodium through it's refining process. Once the water goes through the softener and the minerals are removed, the positive ions are removed. The soap is able to react with the water just the way it's meant to and the lather is back!

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