Knowledge

LOW WATER PRESSURE

There are several things that could cause low water pressure, including a partially closed or malfunctioning shut off valve, a crimped water line, or deposits that gather in older galvanized pipes. If your neighbors have strong water pressure, the problem is most likely between the water meter and your home.

DRAINS CLOGGED

You can try to clear a drain yourself using a plunger. Most drain cleaners don’t work. If you call us for help, please let us know if you tried a drain cleaner first. Those chemicals can be a hazard to you and your plumber.

SEWER GAS ODOR

Sewer gas often comes from plumbing fixtures or drains that are not used very often. When the water in these traps evaporates, the sewer gas escapes into your house. To help determine if this is the problem, pour a bucket of water into all of your drains, including basement floor drains. The odor should go away within a short time. If the odor remains, call us to check the problem. It could be a drain that needs to be cleared, or something more serious, like a toilet seal that has broken, or a cracked vent pipe.

Run water into drains that are not used very often to prevent sewer gas odors.

GARBAGE DISPOSALS

Dispose of everyday food scraps in the disposal; but never rice, pasta, or extremely fibrous materials such as cornhusks, celery, artichokes, or onion skins. Run disposal with a moderate flow of cold water when disposing small amounts of fats and grease. Avoid using hot water when grinding, and avoid turning off the flow of cold water until grinding is completed. Do not run the dishwasher if your sink garbage disposal is full of waste. To freshen the drain, grind peelings from citrus fruits.

If your garbage disposal jams, you may be able to insert an Allen wrench into the bottom and “crank” to free it up. If that doesn’t work, don’t use the disposal. You could cause serious damage to the disposal motor or even your home electrical system. We can usually fix the jam for you, but if we can’t, the the unit will probably need to be replaced. Our expert technicians can give you the best advice and make quick work of it to get you grinding again!

DISHWASHERS DRAINING

Dishwashers are designed to leave some water in the bottom of the unit at the end of each cycle. This is important to keep the heating element from burning up. However, if the dishwasher does not empty at all, that’s a problem.

TOILETS LEAKING

If you think your toilet may be leaking, there is an easy test you can perform to confirm this. All you have to do is put a few drops of food coloring into your toilet tank. Wait a few minutes and then look in the toilet bowl—if you see the same color there, then you have a leak! The scary part is you are probably wasting hundreds of gallons of water every month! We can install a new toilet for you that will not only save you water dollars but also flush better than anything you have ever had in the past.

INSTANT HOT WATER

The average family of four wastes thousands of gallons of water per year just waiting for the water to warm up. Instant hot water recirculation systems save water, energy, and money by circulating hot water in your home. When you open a fixture, the hot water is there. No need to wait! Contact us if you’re interested—there are under-sink retrofit systems designed for existing homes.

SEASONAL CONSIDERATIONS

In winter, make sure garden hoses are disconnected to prevent freezing. Insulate water lines that may be exposed to freezing temperatures. Leave cabinet doors open on outside walls in severe cold weather. Do not try to thaw frozen water lines with an open flame. Give us a call if you need help with your winterization.

In summer, check your water heater flue for signs of improper venting. Carbon monoxide gas can accumulate in summer as well as winter, causing health problems, and may even be fatal.

RAW SEWAGE

If you have raw sewage (e.g. bits of toilet paper and other waste) coming from a floor drain and you are in the metropolitan sewer district service area, call them at 513-352-4900 and they will advise how to proceed. For other backups, call us.