Monthly Archives: September 2015

Common Toilet Symptoms And Their Source

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toiletThe toilet is one of the plumbing appliances that we cannot live without today. A broken toilet can cause a major disruption in your daily life. This is especially true if you only have one toilet in your home. Fortunately, many toilet problems can easily be solved. Below is a list of some of the common toilet symptoms:

Low Bowl Water

The toilet bowl is supposed to automatically refill after each flush. If you notice that the toilet bowl has less than half of what it supposed to have, then is a cause for concern. The toilet bowl may be cracked. It could also be a sign that the toilet bowl is clogged.

Toilet Is Flushing Twice

If your toilet is flushing twice, then this could be a sign that there is too much water in the tank. You can adjust the amount of water in your tank by lowering or raising the tank level.

Toilet Making Weird Noises After Flushing

If you hear a suction-like sound, then this could be a sign that a vent pipe is blocked. In some cases, you may hear a suction-like noise coming from the bathroom sink also. If the clog is located near the surface, then it should be easy to remove.

Weak Flush

A weak flush is a common, frustrating problem. If your toilet was made between 1994 and 1997, then it may be a defective model. It is nearly impossible to fix these toilets. That is why you will have to get a new one. A weak flush can also be caused by hard water and mineral buildup.

Muriatic acid can remove minerals. You will need to mix the muriatic acid with water in a 1:10 ratio. Be cautious when working with muriatic acid. Additionally, a weak flush can be caused by a weak valve. Replacing the valve is relatively expensive.

New Home Plumbing Tips

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Fotolia_68314124_Subscription_Monthly_MPlumbing is something that many of us have a tendency to overlook. However, a properly-functioning plumbing system is a necessity. That is why it is essential to make sure all of the plumbing appliances are working correctly when you move in your new home. Below is a list of essential new home plumbing tips:

Major Appliances

Laundry machines and dishwashers make day to day living a lot easier. You want to make sure that the valves and hoses on these appliances are leak-free. Routine maintenance is also essential for these appliances.

Drains And Disposal Symptoms

You should never pour oils and fat down the drain. This can clog up the drain. You may also want to consider using a strainer. A strainer can potentially prevent your system from getting clogged.

Disposal Systems are great for getting rid of garbage. However, there are some things that should never be placed inside of a garbage disposal. Plastic, coarse peels, bones and rinds are examples of things that should never be placed inside of a garbage disposal. Turn on the disposal prior to pouring in any waste. This will make it easier for the machine to grind up the remnants.

Toilet Tips

One of the best things you can do to protect your toilet is to avoid flushing things down it that do not belong. Hair, cotton, paper towels and sanitary pads are examples of some of the things that can clog up your toilet. These items do not properly disintegrate and can clog up the pipes.

Benefits of a High Efficiency Toilet

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Open toilet bowl isolated on white backgroundMore and more people are beginning to see the benefits that come with a high efficiency toilet. While previously high efficiency toilets experienced problems with people having to make multiple flushes, new technology has improved high efficiency toilets to where they are not only environmentally friendly, but budget friendly as well.

One of the biggest benefits of using a high efficiency toilets is how much money it saves. On average switching to a high efficiency toilet will save a family $2000 during the life of the toilet. Not only have they become more affordable to purchase, but this impact on lowering a water bill makes it an easy switch from a traditional toilet. This reduction on the water bill makes this a home investment that pays for itself within a year.

Originally, high efficiency toilets were chosen by those who wanted a more environmentally friendly toilet in their home. As more attention is being brought to the environment and we begin to see how even the smallest changes have an impact, people are seeing no other option when it comes time to build a house or switch out the toilet in their current home. The high efficiency toilet saves 4000 flushes a year using less water.

As we move towards the future we see that changing even a simple bathroom fixture will have an affect on the environment in a positive way. With new regulations and technology, these high efficiency toilets provide the same power as traditional toilets while saving money and using less water.

Plumbing Tip: Fix Small Problems Before They Become Big Ones

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Inanimate objects do not repair themselves. If a problem begin to occur, even if it is intermittent, it will get worse over time. Years ago, people would whack the side of television sets when they acted up in order to get the picture to return to normal. Old tubes and overheating electronics sometimes responded to this amateur approach, at least for a little while.This technique was so popular it became known humorously as the “technician’s tap.” Nevertheless, those little problems became more frequent until expert repair became inevitable. However, other associated components also would fail due to the problem going on for so long, making delayed repairs always cost more than if the problem was immediately dealt with.

This is actually common with plumbing systems in homes and businesses. Small leaks turn into big leaks. Slow drains turn into hard blockages that may require digging up and replacing the sewer line from the house to the street. That level of repair can end up costing more than a headache in the end.

Any leaking pipe is a sign of impending failure. Little leaks are warning signs. Failure can result in tens of thousands of dollars of water damage that may not be fully covered unless homeowners have flood insurance. Drains that are beginning to slow are warning signs that build up, root intrusion, collapsed terracotta sewer mains or other problems are at their beginning stages. Getting a professional plumber to diagnose and repair little problems now can save thousands in repair costs later.