Q: Why does my toilet run by itself sometimes?
A: The possible cause of this problem is the flapper valve in the tank leaking at the seal and needing replacement.
Q: How often should I drain my water heater?
A: We recommend to all our customers that they drain their water heater once a year.
Q: I have replaced the washer on my faucet but it still leaks. Why?
A: Sometimes the seat that the washer pushes up against is not smooth due to use. One possible fix is to replace the washer with a bevel or cone washer. The second is to grind the seat smooth with an inexpensive tool found at your local home improvement store.
Q: Every year around spring my sewer line backs up. What is causing this?
A: In most cases this is due to roots in the sewer line. We recommend using a power snake line to cut out the roots and then pouring a root destroyer down the sewer every 3 months.
Q: Why is it when I turn my outside faucet on or off it seems to leak from the handle?
A: The packing under the nut is wearing. Normally, 1 quarter turn clockwise should fix the problem.
Q: I turn my garbage disposal on but all I hear is a humming noise and it does not work. Why?
A: It's probably jammed. On the bottom of the disposal is a place for an Allen Wrench. With the power to the unit off, turn the wrench back and forth to free it up. Remove the wrench and turn the power to the unit back on..You can also use a plunger handle. With the power turned off insert the handle in the disposal and gently rotate back and forth several times..
Q: I turn on my disposal but nothing happens, not even a humming noise. Why?
A: On the bottom of the unit there is a small reset button. Press the button in and then try it again. If that does not work check the circuit breaker.
Q : How is a residential water heater flushed?
A: Flushing your residential water heater is something that should be done on a regular basis. The procedure is as follows:
Hook a garden hose up to the bottom drain valve. Place the garden hose in a position to allow full discharge of the water through the hose ( in the yard or flower bed or the bath tub)
Open the drain valve wide open. DO NOT CLOSE OFF THE INCOMING COLD WATER SUPPLY TO THE HEATER.
Run the water out of the hose until the water runs clear.
Once the water is clear, shut off the bottom drain valve and remove the garden hose.
DIP TUBE TESTING
G: How can I tell if my dip tube is OK?
A: A very simple dip tube test can be done to determine if your dip tube is intact. This test applies to top plumbed tank type water heaters:
Shut the circulation pump off (if applicable)
Turn the heater control to pilot position(or turn the power off to an electric heater)
Run approximately three to five minutes of hot water from the nearest hot water faucet
Place a small bucket under the drain valve of the water heater
At the end of the three to five minutes of water running shut the hot water faucet off
Drain about a gallon of water from the drain valve of the water heater.
The water temperature should be cool
If the water is hot you may have a dip tube failure.
A Steaming Hot Water Faucet
Open all the hot water faucets to relieve the overheated hot water heater.
Turn off the gas or electric supply to the heater.
Let the faucets run until cold water flows from them (this indicates the water in the heater is no longer overheated).
Close them.
Call in a professional to make any necessary repairs to the heater's thermostat and pressure relief valve.
Clogged Drains
Before trying any drain-clearing methods on a plugged drain, check that the tub's pop-up stopper is opening fully and is free of hair and debris. If the stopper isn't the problem, then the drainpipe is probably clogged. First, try a plunger
If this fails to do the job, you'll have to clear the trap with a snake.
Most tubs have a P trap in the drain. In some homes, the tub may have a drum trap in the floor near the tub instead (it will have a removable metal cover and a rugasket).
Using a snake in a tub P trap is much like snaking out a sink trap. If you have a drum trap, first try snaking it clear through the tub overflow.
If that doesn't work, bailout all the standing water from the tub.
Then, using an adjustable-end wrench, unscrew the trap cover slowly.
Have rags ready for any water that wells up.
Remove the cover, bail out and clean the trap.
If, after this, water does not well up, snake toward he tub; if water does well up, snake toward he main drain.
If you can't reach the clog from the trap, it's probably deeper in the main drain. Using Chemicals can cause damage to your tubs or sinks. Read instructions before using. If you use drain chemicals in an upstairs bathroom and pipes are leaking, this could cause chemicals to leak from the ceiling, causing damage to the down stairs ceiling, carpet, not to mention to somone.
If you don 't want to do this job yourself, call in a professional plumber
