Monthly Archives: October 2015

If your water heater is starting to show its age by not adequately heating your water or leaking, it may be time to replace it. It’s best to hire a plumber to do that. Here’s what you can expect from the installation process.

Many plumbers do water heater installations as a package deal, meaning they allow you to select from a limited selection of water heater units and charge you one price for the heater, any permits needed to install it and the labor. When seeking out bids, you should clarify how the plumbing contractor does it.

Expect the installation to take at least a couple of hours, during which time you will be without water and whatever power source the unit uses, be it gas or electricity.

Your plumber will first shut off the water and the power source and then will drain whatever water is left in the tank. He’ll then cut or unhook the water lines to remove the unit.

To install the new unit, he must first install a relief valve that is needed to keep pressure from building up in the unit. Then he will hook the unit back up to water and power sources. He will attach the pipe assemblies and then reattach the water lines. After he has reattached the vent, he will attach the unit to its power source. For an electric water heater that may be as simple as connecting wires or plugging it in. For a gas one, he must reattach the gas line and then turn the gas back on and check for backdrafting.

Once everything is connected, the plumber will turn on the water heater to check for leaks. Assuming there are none, it’s ready to go if it is electric. For a gas water heater, there is one more step: lighting the pilot light.

When a water pipe underneath a home’s concrete foundation breaks, water will seep into the home’s foundation and the surrounding ground, causing a slab leak that will need immediate repair. Some common causes of slab leaks are pipe corrosion, pipe abrasion, forceful water pressure and a high water table. Learning to spot signs of a slab leak is key to saving countless dollars in repairs.

A Mysterious Running Water Sound

If hear the unmistakable sound of trickling or running water, check all appliances, pipes, sprinklers and fixtures. If you cannot find the sound’s source, this is a sign of a possible slab leak.

Hot Spots

Unless your home has radiant heating, the hot water lines should be insulated, so they will not heat the floor. If there is an area of the floor that feels more warm than the surrounding floor, there may be a leak in a hot water line underneath the concrete slab.

Floor and Wall Cracks

Floor and wall cracks are signs of several different problems such as ground shifting or a leaking slab. If the leak is left unchecked, a hole may eventually form under the home’s foundation; the stress placed on the foundation can create cracks in the walls and floors.

Mildew and Moisture

When a leaking pipe cracks the concrete slab, drywall and padding tend to absorb the moisture. In turn, mildew may grow under the carpets and behind the walls.

Water Bill Spikes

An unusually high water bill may be caused by a number of plumbing failures, including a broken pipe under the foundation. If you have confirmed that the water meter is working, then it is highly likely you are dealing with a plumbing issue such as a slab leak.

What is Reverse Osmosis?

Osmosis is a natural process where diffuses based on certain “rules.” For example, if a salty body of water is in contact with a fresh body of water, the fresh water dilutes the salt water. It works much like a dry sponge soaking up water when they come into contact. Reverse osmosis uses a strong membrane and high pressure to force the process to run backwards. The result is clean, clear, fresh water from salty or contaminated water.

What does an RO System remove?

Reverse osmosis systems remove 98-99% of all solids and contaminants in the water. This includes both salt and chlorine. Reverse osmosis is the only kind of filter system that removes salt.

Does RO water taste like bottled water?

Some people say yes, reverse osmosis water tastes exactly like bottled water. Bottled water is often treated with reverse osmosis before bottling, so this is entirely plausible. On the other hand, there are people who claim that reverse osmosis water from a home RO system actually tastes better than bottled water. Perhaps the answer varies in part based on taste buds and in part based on how long bottled water has been in a plastic bottle, absorbing the flavor of the plastic.

Can an under-the-sink model be hooked up to the ice maker in the refrigerator?

In most cases, yes. Once in a while, the plumbing situation makes this overly complicated and cost prohibitive. However, it is usually no problem to hook up an under-the-sink reverse osmosis system to the refrigerator’s ice maker.

Do I need an RO system?

Some studies indicate that about 90% of American homes have hard water, so most households would benefit. However, you can have your water tested to be sure.

There is nothing good about having a clogged kitchen sink because it makes it difficult to prepare meals and wash dishes. No matter whether your kitchen sink has a garbage disposal or you put most garbage in a trash can instead, there are common items that will clog the sink’s drain. When you contact a plumber for assistance, determine if one or more of these things are clogging the drain and avoid pouring these in a kitchen sink in the future.

One: Eating or Cooking Utensils

Did you accidentally allow an eating or cooking utensil to slide into the kitchen’s drain? This is one of the most common reasons for a clogged drain because food debris gets stuck inside the device while you wash dishes and prepare food.

Two: Fruit or Vegetable Peels

Thick fruit or vegetable peels often create a clog inside a kitchen’s drain because the items are fibrous. Potato or banana peels will wrap around a garbage disposal’s blades. To avoid cuts, do not attempt to pull out the peels with your hands.

Three: Bones and Grease

Never allow meat bones or large amounts of grease to enter a kitchen’s drain because either one of these items can create a clog. Pieces of bone remain inside a drain to capture other food debris, including grease. Grease tends to coagulate inside a drain to create a thick clog that water alone will not dislodge.

Four: Pasta and Rice

Avoid rinsing rice or pasta into a kitchen’s drain because these foods absorb water quickly and swell. As these foods swell, a large clog develops and creates a gummy mass inside a water pipe that often requires removal by a professional plumber. Make sure to put pasta and rice garbage into a wastebasket instead.