Clogged Toilets

February 27th, 2011 Posted in Toilets
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Nothing ruins your morning faster than a clogged toilet.  One minute everything is going great:  you’re getting ready for work and the kids are getting ready to head off to school.  The next minute the toilet is overflowing, the dog is barking, the kids are yelling, and the bathroom floor is covered with water and sewage.

When you are faced with a clogged toilet, your instinct is often to try to get it cleared so you can get on with the important things you need to do that day.  Before you take any action you should first try to find out what type of clog you are dealing with.  You may be able to save yourself the mess and frustration of wasting time on a clog that needs a professional plumber.

A backed up toilet is usually the result of a localized toilet clog, a vent stack clog, or a clogged sewer main.  You can tell if the clog is most likely a localized toilet clog by seeing if your other drains are flowing freely.  Try flushing a different toilet or running water in a sink in the lower level of your home.  If these drains flow freely, then the clog is probably localized in the stopped up toilet.

If you are so inclined, this type of clog can often be cleared using a plunger or common plumbing snake.  Otherwise, one of your local experienced Smyrna plumbers can quickly get it cleared for you.

If there are drainage problems in other areas of your home, you probably have either a clogged vent stack or a clogged sewer main.  For both of these types of clogs, don’t waste your time with the plunger.  Clean up the water on the floor and call a plumbing professional.

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Evaluating Plumbing Estimates

February 27th, 2011 Posted in Repair Costs
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Any time you need extensive plumbing work such as a bathroom or kitchen remodeling, a new water line installation, or a similar major plumbing project, it is an excellent practice to get an estimate from two or three reputable local plumbers before you begin the work.

Most people get estimates so that they can get the lowest price for a job.  The better practice is to get estimates for the purpose of getting a fair price for excellent work.  The reality is that the lowest bid is not necessarily the best bid.  The plumbing contractor who submits an unusually low bid may be inexperienced, or may have a bad reputation and be desperate for work.  The contractor may have a lower bid because they plan to cut corners on the job or use inferior materials.  Or maybe they just offer the best rates on high quality work.  You need to evaluate the estimates to be sure.

Once you have two or three estimates to compare, make sure each estimate covers the entire job and specifies materials of similar quality levels.  Most plumbing contractors buy their materials from the same sources so any unusually low materials costs are suspect.  Labor costs may vary somewhat between experienced plumbing professionals, but additional investigation is needed for any estimate with very low labor costs.  The contractor may be planning to use unskilled labor for some or all of the job.

All estimates should provide for clean up and removal of debris, obtaining any necessary permits, and any equipment that may be needed for excavation or any other purposes.  Use the estimate process as an opportunity to evaluate the estimates of Dunwoody plumbers and to make sure you get a fair price for quality work.

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Sewer Gas Smells In Your Home

February 21st, 2011 Posted in Drains
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If you smell sewer gas smells in your home, you need to find the source of the problem and have it fixed as soon as possible.  Sewer gas is a combination of chemicals that not only smell bad, but are toxic too.  In addition, sewer gas contains methane which is explosive.  This is one repair that you cannot put off.

The good news is that the most common source of sewer gas smells are dried up drain traps (often called P-traps) in your sink, shower, tub, or toilet.  Each drain in your home has a U or P shaped pipe that is designed to hold enough water to fill the bottom of the U shape and stop and gas or odors from backing up into your home.

Your commode has a trap built into the base of the fixture.  If your toilet or sink is not used for some time, the water in the trap can evaporate and allow the sewer gas to escape into your home.  This is particularly common if you have been away on an extended vacation.

If you smell sewer gas, run some water in each drain and flush all of your toilets to see if that solves the problem.  If not, check each of your toilets to see if the wax or rubber seal between the toilet and the drain pipe has been compromised.

Other possible sources of sewer gas smells include clogged vent pipes and damaged drain and sewer lines.  If you cannot locate and repair the source of sewer gas smells, call a local reputable plumber.  Sewer gas is bad for your health and potentially dangerous.

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Water Conservation Tips

February 20th, 2011 Posted in Plumbing Maintenance
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These days, everyone is looking for ways to save a few dollars on their monthly bills.  Taking a few steps to conserve water will not only save you money, but it’s good for the environment too.  Here are a few suggestions for reducing your water bills at home.

A dripping faucet can waste hundreds of gallons of water each day which can add up to thousands of gallons of water each year.  If it’s a hot water faucet, your water heater is working overtime to keep all that water warm. Replace or repair any leaking faucets or showerheads.  If you are not comfortable doing the work yourself, call your local plumber about a faucet repair or replacement.

If you replace your faucets or shower head, consider installing low flow fixtures.  Prior to 1992, some shower heads had flow rates of over 5 gallons per minute, more than twice the rate of modern low flow shower heads.  If your old faucet is working fine, you can conserve water and save money by simply installing a low flow aerator.  These are very inexpensive, easy to install, and made to fit most types of faucets.

If your toilet is constantly “running”, check the float and flapper valves and replace them as needed.  Once again, you can save substantially on your water usage by installing a new low flush toilet to replace that older model.

Make sure your dishwasher is full before running it.  A half empty dishwasher wastes a lot of hot water.  The same goes for clothes washing.  Wait until you have a full load before running the washer and remember, most clothes can be washed in cold water.

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Preventative Maintenance For Your Plumbing

February 20th, 2011 Posted in Plumbing Maintenance
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Plumbing is one of those things that most people take for granted until a problem arises.  However, there are a few things you can do to help your plumbing last longer and to save you money on expensive repairs.

Flushing your water heater annually can help extend its life, save you money on energy costs, and maintain the water heater’s capacity.  Over time, a layer of sediment builds up on the bottom of a water heater.  This sediment makes the water heater work harder to heat the water and takes up space in the tank, reducing its capacity.  In some cases, bacteria grows in the sediment and causes the hot water to smell bad.

Clogged drains are a common source of plumbing problems.  Grease and hair are the two main causes and keeping grease and hair out of your drains will go a long way toward keeping them trouble free.  Consider installing a screen over shower drains to limit the amount of hair that goes down the drain.  Drain screens are available at your local home improvement store.

Most grease goes down the kitchen sink drain.  First, Pour or scrape grease into a jar and dispose of it in the trash.  Some grease will still make its way down the drain, so be sure to use plenty of hot water and soap when washing the dishes.  Also, you can help keep your drains flowing freely by pouring hot, soapy water down the drain on a regular basis.  Avoid using caustic chemicals as these can harm the insides of your pipes.

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Hot Water Energy Savings

February 20th, 2011 Posted in Water Heaters
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Heating water can account for up to 25% of the energy usage in your home.  Here are a few ways you can save money on your energy bill for heating water.  If you are replacing your storage type water heater, look for an energy efficient model that is properly sized for your home.  If the tank is too small, you run the risk of running out of hot water at an inopportune time.  If the tank is too bit, you will waste energy and money by heating more water than necessary and keeping it hot.

To save energy without replacing your existing water heater, install an insulation blanket.  These are available at your local home improvement store and can save up to 9% in water heating costs.  Blankets for electric water heaters are easy to install, but you should consider having a reputable local plumber install one on your gas or oil water heater.

Installing heat traps on your water heater can also save energy by limiting convective heat loss through your outlet and inlet pipes.  Heat traps are installed in the inlet and outlet pipe and should usually be installed by an experienced plumber.

A timer that turns your water heater off at night or while you are away from home during the day can save significant money on water heating bills.  Timers are most effective on electric water heaters, but can also be installed on gas or oil water heaters. In some areas, your power company may offer lower rates or other incentives if you allow them to install a control device that they can use to shut off your water heater during periods of heavy demand.

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Preventing Water Pipes From Freezing

February 5th, 2011 Posted in Water Line Repair
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This has been a very cold winter for many parts of the United States.  Freezing temperatures for prolonged periods of time have been seen in most states.

During prolonged freezing temperatures, you need to ensure that your pipes do not freeze and burst.  Broken pipes will cause immediate flooding in your home, creating sheetrock damage, ceiling damage, and destruction of floors and carpets.

The easiest way to ensure that your pipes don’t freeze is to know how well the pipes were insulated.  If you have never checked your exposed water pipe insulation, this is an easy job. Simply visually inspect all water pipes.  Appropriate insulation should surround each pipe.  If no insulation is present, local homeowner’s stores sell these relatively inexpensively.  Homeowner’s can then apply the insulation around the pipe, securing with tape for colder months.

If you did not have time to check the pipe insulation, on cold nights and whenever the temperature is expected to be below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, you should leave water trickling in a sink.  One water outlet generally is fine, and a slow drip is all that is needed to keep the water moving through the pipes.

If this fails, and you notice water stains, standing water in your basement or bottom floor, or signs of a burst pipe  such as a lack of water pressure or water stream when turning the water on, you should immediately contact your local professional plumber for an emergency water line repair.  Turn the water off at the main entrance point, usually at the street water meter, and wait for help to arrive.  During this time, you should also consider calling your homeowner’s insurance policy to see if any assistance is available to you for repairs and clean up.

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Hot Water Issues

February 5th, 2011 Posted in Water Heaters
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Nothing is worse than being in the shower, and having the water go from a nice moderate temperature to freezing cold or scalding hot when another fixture is turned on or used.

Water temperature fluctuations are often symptoms of other more serious problems.  Some of the most common causes of these water temperature fluctuations include:

  1.  Water pipes that may be clogged, rusty or corroded.  As plumbing and pipes age, pipes naturally accumulate a bit of sediment.  At some point, the pipes may become completely blocked.  Older homes may also have rust build up or pipe corrosion, and when another pluming fixture is used, water is diverted to that source, and can not maintain an even water temperature in all areas.  You may need a complete residential repiping.
  2. A water shut off valve that is closed, broken or swollen.  Water shut off valves can be on both hot and cold water, although newer hot water heaters have them only on the cold water side.  You should never turn off the hot water heater shut off valve, as pressure can accumulate and an explosion occur.  As pipes age, if small leaks are present, corrosion can occur at the shut off valve sites.  This corrosion can cause the water temperatures to fluctuate dramatically.
  3. Water heaters that are old, worn, or have inefficient pilot lights or damaged temperature control settings.  This is an easier fix, simply requiring a new pilot light or a new water heater.

If you are experiencing temperature fluctuations in your shower, contact your local professional plumber today.  He or she will troubleshoot the problem quickly and efficiently, and provide a solution to your showering problems!

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Smelly Toilets

February 5th, 2011 Posted in Bathroom Repairs
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Strong sewage smells that come from your toilet are symptoms of serious plumbing problems.  These offensive odors are not only embarrassing, but harmful to your family, friends and pets.  This odor can be coming from a number of different places, and may be something you can repair on your own.

The first thing you want to check is to see if your P traps located under your sinks have water in them.  If the water has drained out, sewer gas can travel up through the pipes causing the sewer odors.  This is generally a loose or worn water seal that simply needs to be replaced.  A local professional plumber can complete this job with relative ease.

If the odor is also coming from sinks, you may have a layer of slime and bacteria that is growing in the pipes.  First try pouring hot boiling water down your drains and see if the smell disappears.  If you are on a septic system, do not add bleach to the boiling water, as that may harm the good bacteria in the septic tank.  City water or city sewer systems can have a little bleach down the drain, and that can be mixed with the water.  Be very careful not to burn yourself or splash any chemicals in your eyes.  If the odor persists after this, you should consider contacting a local professional plumber, as you may have a more serious problem.

Severe odors are often signs of more serious problems, including broken or leaking pipes, or a broken, loose or degraded toilet seal.  Hidden pipes (especially vent pipes) may have cracked or you may need a drain line repair.  If you can not remove the odor with the steps listed above, contact your local professional plumber to have the problem resolved.

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Quieting Noisy Toilets

February 5th, 2011 Posted in Bathroom Repairs
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You flush the toilet, and consider running for earplugs.  Sound familiar?  If your toilet has developed new sounds, you may need the services of a professional plumber who handles bathroom repairs.

Noisy toilets are best described as an increase in the noise after flushing.  The sounds are also abnormal, and many homeowners will describe these sounds as a loud, continuous gurgling noise.  If this describes the sounds that your toilet is making, you may have a faulty or broken fill valve.

Fill valves (also known as tank valves) are water valves that control the water for the refill (post flush) cycle.  This is the water that will actually fill the toilet bowl after it has been drained.  Fill valves eventually wear out, and it will sound like a large gurgling or continuous running in the toilet.

The fill valve is located inside the toilet tank.  When you remove the lid, you want to inspect a few different things.  Is there water in the tall column, or the fill valve itself?  There should be some water, but it should not be completely full.  If it is, the valve probably needs to be replaced.  When the fill water is too high, continuous running and gurgling will occur.  This not only wastes water, but can also be an annoyance to listen to.

A tank valve replacement is a simple repair by a local professional plumber.  Tank valves traditionally need to be replaced every five to ten years, and are relatively inexpensive repairs.  When you call the plumber, describe the steps you have taken and the exact sounds being made.  This will help isolate the problem and decrease your service call costs.

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