FAQs

If you notice a sudden increase in your water bill that does not correspond to an increase in the amount of water you know you were using in the house, you probably have a leak somewhere in your system. Without proper experience and diagnostic equipment, you will have a hard time pinpointing the source of the leak on your own. Your best bet is to call an experienced plumber who can inspect your whole plumbing system easily and figure out where the leak is and what to do about it.

Particularly if you live in an area with very harsh winters, freezing pipes can be a big issue. In order to prevent your pipes from freezing, you should turn off all outside faucets, disconnect the hoses attached to these faucets and drain the excess water from the system. Finally, wrap the faucets and outlets with dry cloth to further insulate them from the cold.

A bad smell coming from your garbage disposal is a common problem, but luckily it is usually easy to fix. The smell is the result of the buildup of food residue on the blades and in the garbage disposal chamber. A good deep cleaning is often all that is required to get rid of the smell. Before you start, make sure that all power to the unit is completely cut off. You do not want anyone accidentally flipping the switch and turning on the unit while you are working on it.

Next, take out the blades carefully and thoroughly wash them. You can also scrub out the inside chamber so that you are sure there is no residue left there. However, be sure not to use any harsh chemical cleaners, as these can damage the inner workings of the machine. Instead, use biodegradable soaps or natural cleaning agents like vinegar and baking soda to get the job done. Once you have thoroughly cleaned out your garbage disposal, you can help keep odors from coming back by periodically putting half a lemon and some baking soda down it and running it.

If your plumbing has never been inspected or you do not know when the last inspection took place, it is a good idea to have it done as soon as possible. Depending on your particular circumstances and the overall state of your plumbing system, a professional plumber can make recommendations about how often the process should be repeated.

If you live on a property with a lot of trees, for instance, you may need to have your plumbing lines inspected more often because of the chance that roots could begin to infiltrate the system. However, if there are no extenuating circumstances and your plumbing is otherwise in good shape, you could probably wait longer between inspections. In general, though, a plumbing system should be inspected annually.

A white buildup around your shower head and faucets is most likely mineral deposits that settle out from your water and accumulate over time. These can be cleaned off easily enough by soaking the fixture in vinegar overnight and then thoroughly scrubbing it. But that will not keep the problem from recurring. If your problem is severe or you would like to avoid future occurrences, you may want to look into having a water softener installed that can take those minerals out of your water before it reaches your taps.

Your water is considered hard when the mineral count is too high, including an excess of both calcium and magnesium ions. While hard water is not generally bad for your health, excessive hard water can have a negative impact on your pipes and fixtures and can cause discomfort when bathing or at extreme levels when drinking. Hard water also requires you to use more soap to clean your clothing or dishes and lime scale is more likely to develop on your tile.

Softening of water removes the excess minerals that build up in your water to make it softer. However, in doing so, the chemicals in the softening process usually create a greater sodium and salt level. The ion exchange used to remove minerals that have been dissolved in your hard water uses that sodium to create the exchange.

Water filtration, however, uses a bed of minerals to capture certain particles like iron or organic debris as they pass through. When the particles are captured, fresh water can pass through cleanly and leave behind the particle contaminants. More advanced forms of filtering include reverse osmosis which uses pressure and a semi-permeable barrier to pass fresh water from one module to the next, removing all impurities, including the sodium added during softening.

Water softening and filtration are important to protect your pipes and your family's drinking water. However the only way to know for sure what system you need in your home is to have your water tested. Regular water testing should be done to check for the water's hardness, its pH balance, the general consistency of things like lead, iron, nitrates, arsenic, chlorine, and other chemicals and minerals that might build up over time in your pipes or water supply.

While there are home test kits for water testing, it is important to have an expert check the results before making any decisions. Only an expert water treatment technician can tell you what the numbers mean and whether your current water treatment system is sufficient to remove the particulates and chemicals that enter your water supply each day.

A water softening system does require regular maintenance, as you must refill the salt and have the filters checked on your system from time to time. Most companies can provide this service for you, however, setting up times in advance to check the current status of your salt levels and adjust as necessary. Filtration systems generally need annual maintenance as well for similar reasons.

Beyond the filter changes and salt refills for your system, make sure you have your water tested at least once per year. Ideally, this can be done when you have your filters checked each year, and you can minimize the amount of money your maintenance visits cost.

Reverse osmosis is a complicated process that removes the minerals and salts from your water with a high pressure, two chamber transfer of water through a semi-permeable filter. This type of system is used not only in homes, but in hospitals and restaurants where large volumes of pure, safe water are needed every day.

These systems are not only better than faucet and under-sink filters, but they are more efficient and will last much longer. Because they also remove things like nitrates and sodium from softening, they are recommended for systems with advanced cartridges or treatments systems that make your water cleaner but less safe to drink.

There are many symptoms of a clogged sewer line. The first thing you should look for is slow drainage of your fixtures. If only one or two fixtures drain slowly, it is likely due to a local clog and can be fixed with a plunger or auger. However, if the problem persists or if you notice that all of you fixtures are draining slowly at the same time, it may be because of a clog in your sewer line. In extreme cases, you may notice a smell if the clog is severe enough. Call a professional immediately for assistance in diagnosing the problem.

All products that can safely be flushed down the toilet will tell you so on their packaging, so if it does not say “flushable” do not flush it. However, for general reference, avoid flushing any paper products other than toilet paper. Paper towels, napkins, tissues, and sanitary wipes are all problematic. The issue is that they don't dissolve the same way that toilet paper does. Instead of breaking down (something toilet paper is designed to do), they absorb water and grow heavy, eventually clogging the drain, if not in your home, in the sewer line. Also avoid flushing any food, dental products or hair down the line.

Because your sewer line is probably installed under your lawn, it is surrounded by soil. Normally, tree and shrub roots will stay in their own area. The person who installed your sewer line likely did not place a tree right next to it. However, over time, especially if water is scarce, the roots will begin to seek out a source of water, which is exactly what your sewer line is. In some cases, roots will simply wrap around the pipes - something that can be fixed with some careful cutting. However, if the material used for your pipes is susceptible to cracking, the roots may even get inside the line. PVC is a good replacement for metal pipes that allow this.

Proper maintenance will catch any intruding roots before they get too close. It will also help to close up any gaps or leaks in your line that are attracting tree and shrub roots to the line.

Normally, smells should not escape back into your home through drains. All fixture drains use a simple P-trap that creates an air vacuum through which sewer gasses cannot return. As long as that trap remains clear, it's a stopgap between strong smells and gasses getting into your home. However, in some cases, the vacuum disappears. When a fixture is not used for a long time, the water in the trap evaporates and leaves an open space for gases to return. The easiest solution is to pour water down the drain to refill the trap. If you notice the smell does not go away after doing this, call a professional immediately to inspect your trap.

Most of the time, the sewer lines located on your property are your responsibility. If a problem persists into the main sewer line or off your property, there may be issues of city responsibility as well, but you should check with your local municipality first. Most plumbers and drainage technicians can easily find this information and help you determine what repairs you are responsible for in your sewer lines. It is safe to assume that any problems on your property are issues you will need to have repaired, however.

Tankless water heaters are rapidly gaining in popularity these days. They are efficient and effective at providing hot water in a variety of settings and are a great alternative for many people. But tankless water heaters are certainly not for everyone either and figuring out if one is right for you can be a complicated process.

The best thing you can do if you are trying to decide between tankless and tank water heaters is to consult with a professional who can help you evaluate your options. Tankless water heaters are great for low-demand households. However, they can have difficulty keeping up with demands from multiple locations in a home at once. If you think that this is a likely occurrence in your household, you may want to consider having multiple tankless water heaters installed, or you may be better off with a tank model.

Tankless water heaters do have many benefits, though. They use much less energy than tank models because they do not have to keep a reserve of water hot all of the time. They also take up much less space than tank water heaters, making them an excellent option in houses where space is at a premium.

Different types of water heaters come with different recommendations for the frequency of service they require. In general, though, a traditional tank water heater should be serviced about once a year. Many tankless water heater models do not require service this frequently, but it is a good idea to follow the manufacturer's recommendations even if your water heater is brand new. There really is no substitute for proper maintenance service and it will likely save you a lot in the long run.

You should consider replacing your water heater if you have noticed persistent problems with getting hot water when and where you need it or if you are calling for repairs on a regular basis. Even if this is not the case, however, you may still want to replace your water heater if your current unit is more than 12 years old. This is about the average lifespan of a water heater anyway, and a model this old is likely much less energy efficient than the ones on the market today, meaning you're spending more on monthly energy bills than you need to.

While it is true that water heaters are not a particularly complicated piece of equipment, it is not a good idea to try and install one on your own. Proper water heater installation requires knowledge of local building codes and the ability to attach your unit safely to the appropriate power source. It requires a permit to be pulled by a licensed contractor. A professional will take care of removing and disposing of your old system as well.

Most water heaters come preset to maintain the water in the tank at 140°F. However, if you would like to save a substantial amount of money on your monthly energy bill, turning the thermostat down to around 120°F is the way to go. This is still high enough to make the hot water you get out of your tap comfortable, but it will cost you much less in the long run and can reduce the wear and tear on your unit as well.