A.J. Alberts Blog
Honest plumbing and water conditioning guides for Twin Cities homeowners, written by our master plumbers.
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Summer-Ready Plumbing: Outdoor Spigots and Twin Cities Water Use
Get your East Metro outdoor spigots, hoses, and summer water use ready with frost-free faucet and backflow tips from a Woodbury plumber. Call 651-738-0580.
Read post →Woodbury Drinking Water Report 2025: What It Means for You
Woodbury's water carries a serious PFAS burden from 3M pollution. Here is what the 2025 report really shows and how to protect your home. Call 651-738-0580.
Read post →Asbestos Pipe Insulation: How to Identify It and What to Do (Minnesota Guide)
Pre-1980 Minnesota homes often have asbestos pipe insulation in the basement. A Twin Cities plumber explains how to identify asbestos pipe wrap, when it is dangerous, and the right way to handle it before plumbing work.
Read post →6 Common Plumbing Mistakes That Cost Homeowners Real Money
A Twin Cities plumber lists the six plumbing mistakes we get called to fix most often: chemical drain cleaners, overtightened fittings, flushed wipes, winter hose mistakes, mixed metals, and DIY without a shutoff plan.
Read post →Slow Hot Water? Here Is What Is Actually Wrong (and How to Fix It)
When hot water takes forever to reach the tap or runs out fast, the cause is usually one of six things. A Twin Cities plumber explains how to diagnose each one, what you can fix yourself, and when to call.
Read post →Types of Water Heaters: Which One Is Right for a Minnesota Home?
Tank, tankless, hybrid heat pump, power vent, atmospheric vent. A Twin Cities plumber breaks down every water heater type, what each costs to run in a Minnesota winter, and how our hard water changes the math.
Read post →Water Heater Replacement vs Repair: Twin Cities Decision Guide
Should you repair or replace your Twin Cities water heater? A clear decision framework based on age, cost, water quality, and safety. Call 651-738-0580.
Read post →Summer Plumbing Problems Twin Cities Homeowners Face
Summer is not the off-season for plumbing in the Twin Cities. Spring sewer backups, sump pump failures during heavy rain, outdoor hose bib issues, and the warm-weather repair list every Twin Cities homeowner should know.
Read post →The 8 Most Common Water Issues in East Metro Homes
PFAS, hard water, iron, sulfur, low pressure, taste, and the unique water quality story of the Twin Cities East Metro from the company that has been testing it since 1989.
Read post →The 10 Most Common Plumbing Problems in Twin Cities Homes
The plumbing issues that show up most often in Twin Cities homes, what causes them, and how to tell whether yours is fixable or a sign of something bigger.
Read post →Clogged Drains in the Twin Cities: Causes, Fixes, and When to Call a Plumber
How to tell whether your drain clog is a $20 DIY job or a sign of a $4,000 main line problem, and what tools actually clear hard water scaled drains.
Read post →Reverse Osmosis Systems: The Twin Cities Guide
How RO actually works, what it removes, when under-sink is enough, when you need whole-home, and the East Metro PFAS context that makes the answer different here.
Read post →Minnesota Winter Boiler Maintenance: What to Do Before December
Annual boiler maintenance is what separates homeowners with reliable heat from homeowners with no-heat emergencies on the coldest weekend of the year.
Read post →Plumbing Maintenance Plan: Is It Worth It for Twin Cities Homeowners?
What a real maintenance plan actually covers, how it pencils out against pay-as-you-go service, and the Twin Cities-specific factors that change the math.
Read post →Best Plumbing Companies in the Twin Cities: How to Pick the Right One
What to look for in a Twin Cities residential plumber, the warning signs to avoid, and why the commissioned-salespeople question matters more than star ratings.
Read post →Sump Pumps: The Twin Cities Homeowner Guide
How sump pumps work, why every Twin Cities basement homeowner should have a backup, and what fails first when one stops working.
Read post →Who We Are: A.J. Alberts Plumbing in the Twin Cities
A.J. Alberts has been the East Metro's residential plumbing and water conditioning specialist since 1989. Best of Woodbury 2025 winner and 2026 finalist. 10 plumbers, 5 master plumbers, 0 commissioned salespeople.
Read post →Plumbing Inspection for Twin Cities Home Buyers and Sellers
What a real plumbing inspection covers, what general home inspectors miss, and the Minnesota-specific issues that should be on every Twin Cities pre-purchase checklist.
Read post →Twin Cities Water Filtration: 7 Signs You Need a System
Bad smell, rusty water, white buildup, scale on fixtures, recurring fixture failures, taste issues, and the East Metro PFAS reality. When water filtration is actually the right answer.
Read post →Tank vs Tankless Water Heater for Twin Cities Homes
When tankless makes sense, when it does not, and the Minnesota-specific factors that change the math. Honest comparison from an installer that does both.
Read post →Hard Water in Minnesota: The Complete Water Softener Guide
Twin Cities water averages 13 to 22 grains per gallon. Here is what hard water does to your plumbing and appliances, and how to choose a softener that actually solves it.
Read post →Water Conditioning vs Water Softening: What is the Difference?
Plumbing and water industry terms get used loosely. Here is what each category of equipment actually does, what it does not do, and what fits a Twin Cities home.
Read post →Water Softening in the Twin Cities: The Complete Guide
Why every Twin Cities home needs a softener, what hard water actually does, how to choose the right unit, and what to expect from installation through ongoing operation.
Read post →PFAS in East Metro Drinking Water: The Complete Twin Cities Guide
What PFAS is, which Twin Cities cities are affected, what the Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed, and how to actually filter it out of your home water.
Read post →Frozen Pipes in Minnesota: Prevention, Detection, and Emergency Thawing
A Minnesota-specific guide to preventing frozen pipes before they burst, recognizing the early warning signs, and handling a freeze emergency safely.
Read post →Have a plumbing or water conditioning question? Call 651-738-0580.