If you’ve ever dealt with the dripping of a leaky faucet, then you know it can be one of the most pesky annoyances in your home. The constant slap of tiny drops of water against your sink can keep you up at night and be one of the most bothersome problems in all of your homes plumbing.

Although you might overlook this seemingly small problem and just consider it to be an annoyance you can live with, the problems run deeper than just being a bother… So what causes a leaky faucet?

Normal day-to-day use can cause irreparable wear and tear on your faucet.

The bad news is that just constantly turning it on and off can cause the washers and stems in your faucet to wear out.

The good news is that these can usually be replaced by a plumber without requiring you to replace the whole sink or faucet.

Not only is it annoying to have a faucet in your home constantly dripping, it can waste a lot of water. While it might not seem like much, that little drip can add up to gallons of water (or more) wasted. Not only is that hard on the planet, it’s hard on your wallet.

Aside from the annoyance, the water wasted, and the unnecessary expense, a constant drip can cause erosion. It changes more than the performance of your faucet; a leaky faucet will also change the appearance of your sink over time.

Rebuilding when you see the early signs of a leak can really extend the life of your sink. Kick the drip and fix it as early as possible.

Your hectic schedule may not allow you to devote much thought to your plumbing system. However, you may not know how to address something when it appears amiss. So keep an eye out for these common warning signals that your drain needs cleaning or drain services.

Plumbing Fixtures That Are Backed-Up

Have your plans ever been derailed by filthy water backing up into your sink or tub? Unfortunately, it has happened to most of us, and not only is it inconvenient, but it can be stressful. Not tending to these issues can lead to flooding, exposing you and or your family to toxic sewage damaging furniture and hardwood floors. Kitchen appliances can also experience water backups, which can cause negative pressure in your appliances systems, ruining pumps and plumbing.

Unwanted Rodents in Your Plumbing

If you continuously see unwanted animals or insects in your home or crawling out of your drains, don’t rush to call an exterminator just yet. Instead, explore the possibility of drain issues such as broken pipes that small rodents like rats, mice, and cockroaches can use those compromised pipes as passageways to travel into your home.

Abnormal Increases in Your Water Bills

It’s typical for your home’s water bill to fluctuate, but an abrupt increase one month should alert you. The most common plumbing issue that can raise your water bill is leaking in your plumbing or even things like your toilet constantly running. But, leaks aren’t always easy to spot. They could be behind walls or even underground. Getting expert help with your plumbing issues from your local plumber is your best bet to find the problem with your plumbing system so we can use the proper tools like our slab leak detection and camera inspection to find the source of leaks or breaks.

Continually Overflowing or Clogging Toilets

The occasional clog is usually nothing to stress about, and a good plunger will typically handle an occasional clog. Nevertheless, something is probably lodged in the drain line if the toilet clogs easily or even overflows without good reason. Anything can cause a clog in your toilet’s plumbing, like an excessive amount of toilet paper being flushed, or maybe your child has flushed toys or other items that can get caught up in your pipes.

Standing or Pooling Water

Do you see water around your washing machine or dishwasher? Don’t assume the problem is with the appliance if you discover standing water near an appliance or floor drain. A sink or shower with standing water and water surrounding a toilet’s base indicates an obstructive condition or leak.

Foul Smelling Drains and Musty Odors

Sewage isn’t the only source of foul plumbing smells. For example, a musty, moldy odor emanating from your sink or bathtub might indicate a problem. Mold growth is dependent on moisture and food sources. Stagnant water and an environment rich in germs and bacteria produce noxious things that thrive in your drains. As a result, hair, soap scrum, grease, and other organic materials can lead to clogs and trapping these materials to create foul odors.

Bubbles or Gurgling Sounds Coming from Sink or Toilets

Are there any gurgling sounds or other unusual noises coming from your toilet or sinks? Bubbles from your toilet suggest that your sewage line may be blocked. The water trapped in the pipes may be gradually draining or even leaking into the ground around it. Contact your local drain cleaning specialist and schedule an inspection. It can often be as simple as clearing the main sewer line trap or requiring a mainline cleaning to address the cause directly.

Are You Experiencing Any Of These Drain Clogging Symptoms?

Plumbing Houston is here to help with all your drain clogs and plumbing needs. We specialize in handling any plumbing problem, from leaky faucets, clogged toilets, and clogged drains to water heaters and sewer lines. Our plumbers are licensed, insured, bonded, and experienced professionals who will be there when you need us most.

Let our team handle your next drain issues, so you can get back to living life worry-free! Contact Us Now for an appointment or read more throughout our website about how we can help with any of your plumbing issues!

For homeowners in and around Houston, Texas, water is a crucially important resource that must be maintained at all times. This is why Houston plumbing services are so important to ensuring that the city and all of its buildings keep running. Of course, water quality is another matter which is impacted by a number of factors, both environmental and ‘manmade’. After all, even the best plumbing system cannot overcome poor water quality.

Factors in Determining Water Quality

The quality of water in any given area depends on a number of factors and can change quite drastically from place to place, even in a small area. While there is not much that can be done about natural, environmental factors, many of the most severe causes of water quality degradation are man-made in nature.

1) Soil Erosion

Soil erosion and washout are natural processes that impact the quality of water temporarily, especially during periods of intense storms or flooding. The way in which this whips up sediment and causes soil to be washed into rivers, lakes, and reservoirs causes the water quality to drop quite severely over a short period of time. The severity of the quality drop depends on the type of soil and whether it contains harmful minerals or chemicals. 

2) pH Levels

The natural pH of the soil and water in an area has an impact on the quality of water for bathing, watering crops, and, of course, drinking. The ideal pH is 8.5 to 9.5 however, if the water in an area is more acidic or alkaline than this, it will be classed as poor quality or even dangerous, depending on the precise levels.

3) Population Growth

Population centers like Houston can affect water quality for a number of reasons. Urban areas mean more people and more people means a lot more human waste. While cities are designed to carry this away safely and process it, there may be leaks in the system. While this is highly rare, these leaks can impact the water quality quite seriously when they occur.

4) Runoff

Runoff, like erosion, is a naturally occurring process that happens during heavy rainfall, storms, or flooding. In fact, runoff could be considered the lesser form of erosion as it generally does not carry large amounts of soil with it. However, runoff water gathers dirt, debris, chemicals, and pollution from the surfaces that it crosses. In urban centers like Las Vegas, this includes trash, spilt fuel, and other urban contaminants.

5) Grey Water and Pollution

Greywater is the term used to refer to water drained from homes and commercial premises which is contaminated beyond safe levels, but which does not contain fecal matter. Greywater generally contains polluting substances like household cleaning products, shampoo, body washes, detergents, and things of this nature.

6) Rotting Organic Material

The presence of rotting organic material in waterways, reservoirs, or pipe systems will have a very serious effect on the quality of the water in the area. This rotting material can mean falling wood or discarded clothing as well as more unpleasant things like animal carcasses.

Drinking tap water in Houston is not usually advisable unless you have filters in place, but it pays to know what factors can impact the quality of the water in your home. The best way to ensure that your home has access to clean and safe water is to install a water filtration system.

Plumbing Houston is an expert in installing external whole home water filtration systems that better your household water intake. Give us a call today to find out what might be best for your home.

Our team of experts will consult with you to find the best system for your home at a competitive and reasonable price. To learn more about a home water filtration system, give us a call today. 

When we think of spring cleaning, our minds usually go to cleaning out clutter in our houses or getting our outdoor space ready for the change in season. What we sometimes fail to realize is that our plumbing needs attention too. Now that spring is in full swing, it’s time to make sure that your plumbing system and appliances are in good condition.

Check Your Toilets

No one likes a leaky toilet, so checking for leaks in your bathrooms is an important step in your checklist. A leaking toilet can be a huge problem if it goes unnoticed, so you need to check both the toilet bowl and tank.

Pro tip: Add a few drops of colored food dye into the tank and wait about 30 minutes. After about half an hour, check the toilet bowl to see if the water is clear. If there’s coloring in the bowl, you most likely have a leak which needs to be checked by a professional.

Test Your Sump Pump

This time of year is when the spring rain comes in full force, so making sure your sump pump is working properly is crucial. To test out your sump pump, pour a bucket of water into the pit to make sure it pumps out the water. Your sump pump should activate right away, pump out the water, and then deactivate. If this doesn’t happen, you might have an issue with your sump pump and you should have a professional assess the situation.

Water Heater Maintenance

For maximum efficiency, there are a few things you should check each spring when it comes to your water heater. First, make sure the water heater is set to no more than 120 degrees. This will also keep your energy bill lower. For general safety, make sure to move any items that are near your water heater away from the unit.

Having a professional drain your water heater once a year is also an important task to keep your unit in good condition.

Check Your Pipes

Check all of your faucets to make sure there is no water leaking out when the faucets are turned off. If you find leaks, even if they are minor, have them repaired to prevent a bigger leak down the line and increased water bill.

Clean Your Showerhead

Mineral buildup is very common on showerheads and it’s hard to avoid. However, there are a few ways you can remove mineral deposit. One way is by tying a bag of vinegar around your showerhead and soaking it overnight. If you prefer to use a stronger cleaning solution, most supermarkets sell specialized cleaners.

Clean Your Garbage Disposal

Do you ever think about what your garbage disposal goes through in a given week? The answer: a lot. Cleaning your garbage disposal will not only eliminate odors from all of the gunk and grime that runs through it, but it can also help your disposal run better.

Pro tip: Fill your sink with warm water and dish soap. Remove the drain stopper and turn your garbage disposal on as the water goes down. There you have it: a clean garbage disposal!

Check Your Washing Machine

Are the hoses in your washing machine over 10 years old and showing signs of wear and tear? If so, you should have them replaced. You should also check your lint trap to make sure no materials are finding their way into your plumbing system.

For all of your plumbing repairs and maintenance needs, you can rely on Plumbing Houston. We offer same-day scheduling and 24/7 emergency services, so you never have to worry about a plumbing issue disrupting your day.

converting your traditional gas, or electric water heater to a tankless water heater is one of the best upgrades you can do in your home. Tankless water heaters last longer, use considerably less energy, offer endless hot water and can drastically reduce the cost of your utility bill. 

Tankless water heaters offer something a traditional water heater simply can’t offer, better hot water. 

Space Savings

On demand hot water heaters take up considerably less room than traditional gas / electric hot water heaters. A traditional water heater is usually going to hold between 40-60 gallons of water and measure between 55  – 76 inches tall, as well as roughly 20-30 inches wide. Because tankless water heaters are so much smaller, they take up far less space in your home. 


Less Maintenance

Water heater tank systems are going to almost always require annual maintenance, in some regions throughout the united states even more, more like every 3 – 6 months. Tankless water heaters however require very little upkeep to keep them running. Depending on the water quality coming into the tankless water heater you can get by for numerous years at a time without maintenance, often upwards of 2 – 3 years. 


If you live in an area with harder water, annual cleanings would still be recommended to ensure mineral buildup is kept to a minimum. This is considered standard maintenance and is relatively easy to perform. you can always check us out at https://plumbinghouston.com/service/tankless-water-heater/ to get a better idea of what all needs to take place. 

Energy Efficient

Traditional water heaters heat water constantly to maintain a specific temperature in your water tank. Tankless water heaters cost a bit more than a standard tanked water heater, but due to the efficient operation, will save you money on both utility bills, and quality of life improvements. 

Tankless water heaters heat water on demand, this will reduce average energy consumption by 24 – 35% compared to traditional tanked heaters. 


Lower Utility Bills

Tankless water heaters use far less energy thank tanked water heaters, this means they will lower your utility bills. ENERGY STAR estimates that the average household can save hundreds of dollars every year by simply converting to a tankless water heater. 


Most tankless water heaters can conserve almost 50% more energy than a traditional tanked water heater, and simultaneously service every high-demand point in your home, such as the kitchen, and bathrooms, even while running together. 

Endless Hot Water

By far, the best improvement over a traditional hot water heater is that a tankless water heater can provide endless hot water. No more running out of hot water from too many hot showers!

Households using a traditional tank water system may run out of hot water because the home’s entire supply is stored in a small tank. On the other hand, the heating elements in tankless units heat water on demand, or when it’s needed, but it never runs out. 

Regardless of what you decide, you should let a pro handle the work. Give plumbing Houston a call today for same day estimates and work completion. 

Clogs and leaks can be a common plumbing problem, even for the most well-maintained of homes. While most issues may be solved with a plunger or drain cleaning, other problems may be difficult to detect until it’s too late. Sometimes you’ll need to call in for professional help, but the good news is that a plumber has the right tools to not only repair the problem but thoroughly inspect your plumbing.

How a Camera Inspection Keeps Your Plumbing Clean, Clear and Functional

A camera inspection works with a plumber attaching a waterproof camera to a sewer cable which is pushed into your plumbing. While the camera travels through your plumbing, the plumber can look inside your pipes to detect and potential problems. Your plumbing is complicated, and early detection is crucial to preventing most plumbing catastrophes. Nobody wants to deal with a busted pipe or backed up sewage, and luckily with a camera inspection, you don’t have to. Here’s how a camera inspection can help you.

  • It’s accurate. The best perk of a camera inspection is how precise it is. Since a plumber can now visually inspect your plumbing, they can spot exactly what and where the problem is. It’s a quick way to accurately diagnose the problem without the money-wasting trial and error.
  • It can prevent future problems. A camera inspection can catch much more than a stubborn clog or leak. Plumbers can catch other issues such as cracks in the piping, pests, and other damages.
  • It involves less labor. Plumbers used to have to dig to get at the sewer line or cut into the walls to access your pipes. Most sewer inspection cameras are fit to travel through large pipes or the smallest of drains.

When Your Plumbing Needs a Camera Inspection

Your plumbing can be complicated. Some issues happen on the surface, but everything is connected to your main sewer line, and the deeper clogs or leaks will need professional help. The trick is to know when you’ll need to call in a plumber. The good news is that there are plenty of warning signs to watch out for, including the following.

  • Slow drains. If you’re having trouble with a sink, the issue may be a clog in your home’s plumbing. If it seems that several water fixtures won’t drain properly, then you most likely have a clog somewhere in your sewer line. A thorough drain cleaning with hot water and a mild detergent, or vinegar and baking soda may work, but if flushing each drain does nothing, then it’s time to call a plumber.
  • Pests. Rats and bugs are never a good thing, but if your home is visited by these unwelcome pests, they may be coming from a crack somewhere in the sewer line. Cockroaches and rats can squeeze through even the smallest of gaps. If you suspect there’s a crack somewhere, it’s crucial to seal it immediately.
  • Higher water bills. If it seems like your utility bills are higher than usual, the culprit could be a hidden leak. Because leaks can be small, a camera inspection will be able to accurately and quickly detect the source of the leak.
  • Sewage backup. Sewage should go down your pipes, but if it winds up going the opposite direction, you’ll want to call a plumber immediately. If the sewage only backs up out of one drain, then it’s most likely isolated to that drain. If it seems like sewage backs up every time you flush a toilet or use a sink, then the problem may be much deeper in your sewer line.
  • Foul odors. You shouldn’t smell sewage in or around your home. If you do, there’s probably a crack somewhere in the sewer line.  A camera inspection will be quick to find where foul odors are coming from.
  • Mold. If you smell something foul and musty, call a plumber immediately. Not only is mold toxic to your health, it needs excessive moisture to grow. If there’s mold growing in your home, there’s usually a leak that’s causing it.
  • Greener, lusher grass. While your lawn may be looking good, it may be due to a leak in your sewer line or septic tank. Vegetation thrives off of raw sewage. Watch for pools of septic water that can form in your yard from a leaking sewer line.

Be Proactive with Your Plumbing

Keeping your plumbing clean, clear, and functional can be a challenge, but a camera inspection can help make it easier. Detecting problems early ensure your plumbing stays well-maintained and spares you the cost and trouble of much worse plumbing problems. Don’t wait until your pipes burst, call plumbing Houston today to  schedule a camera inspection. (832) 404-6144 (24/7)

Pipes clogs and “Fun” are never used in the same sentence around here! It can be quite confusing to figure out, and seem to happen at the worse possible time, every time. No matter, It will be an extremely frustrating task to figure out what caused, and the best way to mitigate the problem. The pipes being clogged are generally caused by the same common reasons we see over and over again. We’ve gone through and found the top three common problems, how to fix them, and how to prevent them from happening in the first place. 

Why Do Clogs Occur In The First Place?

Most home piping systems are made sort of like the roots of a tree. You have the trunk of the tree, similar to the mainline that runs the length of the home. This is the mainline where water travels and branches off into the other smaller pipes throughout the house. Like as your bathroom, kitchen, hot water heater, etc. Generally speaking, an inspection is needed to isolate where the clog is happening. They generally occur due to poor maintenance, and a lack of understanding of how the pipes work in the first place. Some homes have numerous twists and turns that can cause large globs of toilet paper, hair, and food to get stuck, resulting in a clog. 

Hair Clog

Many people think if you have long hair, you’re the primary cause of a clogged drain with hair. That’s a myth. Anyone with hair, long or short can contribute to a drain clog of hair. What happens is the hair builds up along the drain and slowely makes it’s way down the drain. As hair clumps together, the surface area becomes larger making it almost impossible for it to just flow down the drain. If you see a clump of hair sitting on the top of your drain, there is likely 5 – 10x more of it in the drain itself. To visually see how shorter hair can clog a pipe, take a look at your his and her sinks, if your man shaves, his drain probably drains a little slower than yours! 

Food Waste

We discussed this briefly in our Do’s And Don’s Of Garbage Disposals

The best way to mitigate food waste and food clogs is to invest in garbage disposal. If you don’t have one, just avoid pushing food down the drain for any reason. Most kitchen sink drains have a small catch drain that will allow you to catch food particles. Next time you’re washing dishes, and you pull the catch drain from the plug, look at how much food is in it. Imagine if this was all in your drain? Garbage disposal will almost certainly prevent this from ever being a problem, now, or in the future. 

Toilet Paper And Other Items

This is the most common by far. The best solution to this is a Bidet. Bidets allow you to use significantly less toilet paper or none at all in some cases. It uses high pressured water to clean you rather than using a tissue to do it. The unfortunate truth is everyone is created uniquely differently, and some people simply use way more toilet paper than others. These clogs can be considerably more complicated to unclog as well because toilet paper that’s been getting wet for a while can become extremely hard to the touch when a lot of it is pushed up together. Alternatively, it’s never ever a good idea to flush anything other than tissue down the toilet. A common practice is to also flush paper towels in a pinch. This is a very bad idea as paper towels are extremely thicker, and cause considerably more damage when used. 

Need Help? Give Us a Call

No matter the severity of the clogged pipe, or the reason, Plumbing Houston can help you knock it out. When you come across a blocked drain or toilet, pick up the phone and enjoy our same day service appointments at no additional cost. Give us a call today at (832) 404-6144

Garbage disposals are a welcome addition to any kitchen, they do however have their limits. Below, we’ll explain how to take care of your garbage disposal and how to avoid causing damage to it while in normal operation.

Do run water down the drain while you run your garbage disposal.

Your garbage disposal works in conjunction with your plumbing system to get rid of food. If you don’t run water down the drain while you run your garbage disposal, there’s nothing to help move ground-up food along through the pipes. Instead, the food will accumulate and potentially form a clog. This simply adds additional repair time and costly repairs to boot.

DO clean your garbage disposal with ice cubes.

It’s dangerous to stick your hand down next to those blades to clean them. Fortunately, there’s a much easier way. Simply run a few ice cubes through the garbage disposal.

The action of grinding up the ice cleans the blades and helps to dislodge any bits of food that have gotten stuck in the components. Additionally, cleaning with ice (water) means that there’s no product or residue left to scrub away.

DO keep a drain guard over your garbage disposal.

While doing dishes, sometimes something might fall into your garbage disposal unnoticed. That “something” might be hard, like a bone, fruit pit, or even a stray piece of silverware, all of which can severely damage your kitchen appliance. Keeping a drain guard over your garbage disposal until you’re ready to run it simply provides that little extra measure against needing an avoidable repair or replacement.

DON’T feed your garbage disposal anything hard.

Some garbage disposal manufacturers claim that their appliances can handle materials like fruit pits, corn cobs, and bones. In reality, those claims don’t hold up for very long when actually put to the test in a busy household kitchen. To keep your garbage disposal in tip-top shape, we highly recommend that you discard any hard objects in an actual garbage can.

DON’T feed your garbage disposal anything ultra-starchy.

Foods like potatoes may seem harmless enough, but when put through a garbage disposal, they form a paste. This paste can make the appliance’s components jam or cause a clog in the drain line.

If you need help with your garbage disposal, give us a call for same day appointments! 

There unfortunately isn’t a catch all answer we can use to determine why your water heater is leaking. However; we can point you in the right direction. 

No one wants to come home to a leaking water heater! Dripping water isn’t just annoying, it can cause massive damage to your property, and the property around the water heater if not properly corrected. When you talk about leaks from a machine that’s run by electricity, you start to see what a problem this could be. So, what does it mean if your hot water heater is leaking. More importantly, what can you do about it?

Here is a breif list of the most common reasons your water heater is leaking : 

  • There is a much larger problem that may require you to replace the water heater. Usually caused by being unable to idenfity the culprit of the leak. 
  • Built-up sediment that’s caused the tank to crack and start to leak. 
  • Condensation is forming, which may indicate there is no leak. 
  • An expansion tank is needed
  • your fitting or supply piping needs to be replaced
  • your valves need to be replaced, or possibly just tightened. 

Obviously, some of the above-listed problems are much more serious, and cost-prohibitive than others. Unfortunately, negligence plays a big role in the need for repairs. Failing to remedy even the most simple solution may turn into a potential thousand-dollar job. It’s important to always inspect, and hire licensed plumbers to work on your hot water heater. 

Troubleshooting A Hot Water Heater Leak

If you want to try a little at home investigation you’ll need to first try to find the source of your leak. Keep in mind that you should never start messing with a water heater that has power, remember, water and power don’t bode well for you! Before starting, you’ll want to make sure that you cut off the power and gas to the unit. Shutting off power and / or gas is usually pretty simple to do. you can either switch off the valvle on the outside of the water heater, or unplug the water heater. If you can’t access the water heater, there is usually a on/off switch you can press. 

If it’s a relatively small water leak you should be able to just shut off the cold water shut-off valve. Otherwise, for larger leaks you need to really just shut it down completely and call a licensed professional, like https://plumbinghouston.com. 

Once the power has been shut off to the unit, clean up the water heater so no additional water is left on the unit. wait a few minutes, grab a drink, have a sandwhich, then come back. See if there is any water where you cleaned up the leaking water before. If so, you have a good indication of where to start your search! you’ll want to set some paper towels down and let it sit overnight if you don’t notice any leaking! 

When your leak may not be a leak at all

In some cases, homeowners discover that condensation may be the cause of the “leak.” If you set down paper towels and they are still dry after a few hours, the moisture you discovered may be due to condensation. When the water heater is brand new or is just starting to adjust to colder seasons, condensation can be more common.

Homeowners wanting to avoid the potential for water damage due to condensation can keep the air around the water heater warmer. Usually, this means improving ventilation so that the condensed water can dry more quickly. Adjusting the temperature settings of your water heater may also help to reduce condensation. If the problem persists, you may find that you have a bigger problem and need to enlist a professional to resolve the issue.

If you’re determined to move forward on your own and identified the location of your leak, you’re probably now wondering what to do next and what might be wrong with your system. We’ll review the most common leaking parts on a water heater as well as what you can do to address each issue, as well as when a professional’s help is necessary.

Insulating your water pipes can bring many benefits, including expanding the lifespan of your pipes and joints, reducing noise, and so much more! Let’s go through the top 5 reasons you should insulate your pipes.

  1. Prevent heat loss from pipes between water heater and faucets. As water travels down your pipes, it loses temperature. Insulating your pipes will slow this process down so you have water coming at the right temperature always!
  2. Keep pipes from freezing in winter. Freezing temperatures can case pipes to freeze and burst. Insulate your pipes and protect them!
  3. Prevents burns when hot water pipes are exposed. In many homes, there are places where the pipes are exposed. You can’t tell hot from cold just by looking at them, so insulating your hot water pipes can prevent unexpected burns and injuries.
  4. Save and decrease your energy bill. As water has to be heated and reheated, this cost more energy. Insulate your pipes to keep your water to temperature and use less energy!
  5. Reduce condensation and expansion/contraction of pipes. Condensation can cause damage to other parts of your home, and when your pipes expand and contract according to the temperature, this will do the same to the joints, and weaken them over time. Insulating your pipes will prevent this from happening.

Insulating pipes does more for your home than you think, and it’s a great way for some preventative maintenance to take place. While we don’t have extremely cold climates here In Texas like some other places, you can always remove insulation, but you can’t add more after a hard freeze and the pipes already burst. 

Give us a call today for a free same-day estimate in the Houston, Austin, or Dallas area. 

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