Posts Tagged ‘Plumbing Repair’

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Abington Plumbing Question: What are Low Flow Toilets?

Monday, May 14th, 2012

You probably have more than one toilet in your Abington home, which can account for up to 30 percent of your home’s water use. Therefore, it is not surprising to learn that the type of toilet you have can have a big impact on how much water you use every day.

High efficiency or low flow toilets use much less water than standard toilets, which saves water each and every flush. Modern toilets use no more than 3.5 gallons of water per flush, but low flow toilet use much less, generally between 1.6 and 1.1 gallons.

That might not seem like a huge difference, but the water savings till add up quickly. A low flow toilet can save you up to 12,000 gallons of water a year! If you have a large family or a lot of bathrooms, you could save even more. Saving that much water is not only good for your wallet, it is also good for the environment.

Some people might have concerns about the effectiveness of low flow toilets, but the ones made today work even better than their standard counterparts. Though they use less water, they are especially designed with improved hydraulics to make sure that are effective. They also are no more likely to clog than the toilet that you have in your home now.

While a new toilet isn’t a large investment, it is one that will be in your home for a long time. If you have a toilet that was installed before 1980, you could be using up to 5 gallons of water every time you flush. Getting a low flow toilet will save you water for many years to come, so even if your current system is still working, you should think about having one installed. It’s a great upgrade for almost any home, and it will help you save significantly on your water bills!

If you are interested in having a low-flow toilet installed in Abington, give Resolve Rooter a call!

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Union Plumber’s Guide: Calculating Water Usage and Tips to Conserve Water

Monday, April 23rd, 2012

How much water do we actually use every day?  Much research has been done on this subject, and by calculating water usage it is seen that on average, an American household of four uses 400 gallons of water per day of direct indoor water use, not including outdoor water usage which can bump that number up drastically higher.  To pinpoint exactly where water is being used the most, extensive research has been done.  Below is a list of indoor and outdoor water usages per household item or appliance; it can be used to easily identify the best places in your Union home to focus on in order to conserve water usage every day.

Average Indoor Household Water Usage

  • Toilets (27%)
  • Washing Machines (22%)
  • Showers and Baths (19%)
  • Sinks (16%)
  • Water Wasted (14%) – leaky faucets, toilets, and showerheads

Average Outdoor Household Water Usage

  • Lawn care accounts for 50% of indoor and outdoor water usage combined
  • Swimming pools take 19,000 gallons of water to fill on average, and when left uncovered that water evaporates at a staggering 1,000 gallons per month.  Pool covers can keep 30% to 50% of that water from evaporating.

Tips to Conserve Water in Daily Life

There are some simple ways to conserve water in our everyday lives.  By implementing some of these fixes, that water bill will begin to shrink, making your pocketbook much happier.

  • Fix leaky faucets, taps, showerheads, and sprinklers
  • Run the dishwasher only when it is completely filled
  • Rather than rinsing dirty dishes, scrape excess food into the trash or compost
  • Wash vegetables in a bowl of water while using a vegetable brush, rather than running them under the sink faucet
  • Boil food in as little water as possible, just enough to cover the food completely
  • Turn off the tap when not directly in use such as while brushing teeth or shaving
  • Place a plastic bottle filled with water in the toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used for each flush, or consider installing low-flow toilets
  • Spend less time in the shower, take less baths and keep water levels low when you do bathe
  • Only do full loads of laundry
  • Don’t overwater plants
  • Use a pool cover to keep the pool cleaner and to keep water from evaporating
  • Water the lawn during the cool part of the day to ensure minimal evaporation, and ensure sprinklers are set to only water foliage, not the sidewalk
  • Switch out water-thirsty lawn for more climate-friendly landscaping or plants which need less watering

By calculating water usage in order to see where the average consumer uses water on a daily basis, it makes it easier to identify suitable areas where water can be conserved. To reudce your home’s water usage, call Resolve Rooter to check your pipe for leaks today!

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Scranton Plumbing Repair Question: How Can I Fix a Leaky Kitchen Sink Faucet?

Monday, April 16th, 2012

A leaky kitchen sink faucet is certainly are not an emergency, but it is pretty inconvenient and annoying. Fortunately, they are often quite easy to fix. The proper procedure for fixing a leak in your Scranton kitchen sink faucet will depend on the type of faucet you have, but it is always a relatively simple task.

If you know what type of faucet you have in your kitchen, you are ahead of the game. But if you do not, you will need to take your faucet apart first to see what is going on in there. Especially in older homes, the most common type of faucet is a compression faucet. This means that inside the faucet there is a rubber washer that helps to create the seal when the faucet is tightened.

Scranton Plumbing Repair

A kitchen faucet leak is often caused by a worn washer that needs to be replaced. While not the easiest DIY repair, you can replace this washer. First, turn off the water supply to your sink (there should be a couple of knobs under the sink for this purpose). Then cover the sink drain to prevent you from dropping anything down it while you are working.

Once you have set yourself up, unscrew the faucet handles (or whichever one is leaking) and remove the outer part. At this point, you should be able to see the washer. Simply remove it and replace it with a new one and then put the faucet handle back on and you should be as good as new. These types of washers tend to wear out from time to time, so  you will probably have to do this again in a few years or so.

When you are replacing your washers, though, it is important to remember a couple of things. First, if you are unsure about what type of washer to put in your faucet, take the old one to the store with you and ask a salesperson for help. You want to make sure that the washer you put in is exactly the right fit for your fixture so it is worth taking the extra step to ensure that you have the right piece.

And after you have taken apart the faucet, it is a good idea to check the stem to see if that has worn out and needs to be replaced as well.

This is a pretty complicated procedure for the average homeowner, so if don’t have a lot of experience fixing your home’s plumbing, its best to call a Scranton plumber. Resolve Rooter offers 24/7  service, so give us a call for any plumbing problem, any time!

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Scranton Plumber’s Guide: Stop Sink Clogs Before They Start

Monday, April 2nd, 2012

A clogged bathroom sink can disrupt your morning routine. A clogged kitchen sink can make preparing dinner a frustrating task. Stop those annoying plumbing problems before they happen in your Scranton home by understanding how clogs occur. The main culprits are grease, hair, and food.

Hydrophobic and Hydrophyllic

In the world of chemistry, substances that dissolve in water are hydrophyllic. Salt and sugar are the most obvious examples. Substances that don’t dissolve in water, such as grease, oil, and organic solvents, are hydrophobic. They will quickly cling to any available surface that allows them to separate from water. Grease and oil from different sources will clump together rather mix with water.

When grease and oil are poured down a sink, they coat the inside of the drain pipe. Water will not remove them. Soaps and detergents are effective cleaners because they have both hydrophobic and hydrophyllic properties. They can pull some of the grease and oil away from the walls of the drain and into the  water, but the base layer of grease stuck to the pipe will not move. Over time, the grease stuck inside the drain accumulates. Hair and food debris gets caught in the grease. Eventually, the clot becomes large enough to stop the water from moving. No matter how much water you flush down the drain, the grease clot stays put.

Hair and Food

Scranton Plumbing Repair- Kitchen Sink ClogsMost people know that they are a lot of things that can cause problems with your Scranton plumbing, but its almost impossible to keep hair and other clog causing debris from going down the drain. In the kitchen, even the most careful person is going to have some food and oil make its way down the kitchen sink when washing the dishes.

The problem is that hair and food can build up in the U-shaped portion of the drain, otherwise known as the trap. If stuff starts to be snagged in the trap, other objects will catch onto this anchor, slowly forming a clot of food, hair and other debris. This clot will cause slow draining until it grows large enough to stop your sink from draining entirely.

Preventing Clogs

Most homeowners know that cooking grease should never be poured down a sink and into their Scranton plumbing. But they may not realize that many foods, even lean foods like chicken or fish, give off small amounts of grease or fat when they cook. Scraps of food ground up in the garbage disposal can release grease that clings to the walls of the drain. For any busy kitchen, it’s nearly impossible to prevent some grease or oil from making its way into the drain. To help prevent a grease build up in the kitchen sink, add some dish detergent whenever you put cooking liquid, food scraps, or plate scrapings into the sink. Follow up with lots of hot water. For bathroom sinks, when you see a hair fall into the sink, try to wipe it away with tissue before it slides down the drain.

A reliable Scranton plumber like Resolve Rooter can help you with any clogged sink; give us a call today if you need any plumbing repairs!

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Wilkes Barre Plumbing Tip: When to Replace Your Garbage Disposals

Monday, March 26th, 2012

Garbage Disposals Are A Kitchen Necessity

For most  Wilkes Barre homeowners, the garbage disposal is an essential kitchen convenience.  Food preparation and cooking become much easier when peelings and scraps can just be whisked into the sink and down the drain. Many of the earlier environmental concerns about garbage disposals have been resolved. Most municipal water treatments plants now have the technology to extract the pulverized food debris from waste water and turn it into sludge that can be sterilized and disposed in a landfill or used for fertilizer.

When to Replace a Garbage Disposal

Obviously, when your garbage disposal stops working it’s time to either fix or replace it. While it’s possible to service a garbage disposal, it would probably be cheaper to replace it. But if your disposal is still operating, how do you know when it’s time to for a new one?

Wilkes Barre Plumbing Repair - Garbage DisposalIt probably doesn’t surprise you to know that garbage disposals do not last forever. Even the best made equipment will be worn down after grinding up an entire family’s food scrapes and bones over many years. A garbage disposal in good shape should be able to dispose of the food your put into it very quickly, a matter of seconds, so if it is taking much longer you should think about replacement. A bad smell that you just can’t get rid of is another sign of a garbage disposal on its way out. If your grinding chamber has seen a lot of use, your components can wear out and food can get trapped. If simple cleaning doesn’t remove the odor, a new garbage disposal might be the solution.

Even if your disposal is in good shape, you may want to look into replacing it. Garbage disposals are rated in horsepower. Basic models are usually rated in the 1/5 to 1/3 horsepower range, while top of the line models are in the 3/4 to 1 horsepower range. The difference may seem small, but it has a major impact on performance. If you have a smaller unit in the 1/5 to 1/3 range that is a few years old, and you like to cook, it may be worth your while to consider replacing it.

Size Matters

Most manufacturers offer a range of models with increasing power ratings. If you do a lot of cooking and use your disposal a lot, the few extra dollars investment in a 3/4 or 1 horsepower disposal is worth the money. Not only do more powerful units dispatch food scraps more easily, but they can handle tougher jobs like bones and meat scraps that might jam a smaller disposal. More powerful disposals are less noisy and they tend to break down less. The only drawback of larger disposals is that they tend to be larger and take up more space. It’s best to consult a Wilkes Barre plumbing contractor before buying a new disposal to make sure it will fit under your sink.

For any of your Wilkes Barre garbage disposal repairs, please call Resolve Rooter today!

Photo by steveluscher: http://www.flickr.com/photos/steveluscher/2316368766/

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Wilkes Barre Sewer Line Replacement Guide: Problems Roots Can Cause Your Sewer Lines

Wednesday, March 14th, 2012

Your sewer line is a major component in your Wilkes Barre home’s plumbing, but because it is buried, rarely needs maintenance and almost always works as intended, most people forget about it. However, a sewer line can quickly become a much bigger problem if you allow tree roots to grow close to it. Here are some of the problems an errant tree can cause for your sewer line and what to do about them.

What Roots Do to Sewer Lines

Trees actively seek water at all times. They grow slowly, but when they grow they move their branches toward sunlight and their roots toward water. On most developed properties attached to a city sewer system, the best source of water is the sewer line.

If allowed to continue, tree roots grow toward the sewer line and eventually infiltrate the line. It may take time, but eventually those roots will find seams and cracks in the pipe and break into it seeking water.

Over time, this will result in leaks, cracks and clogs in your line that can flood your lawn, back up in your home or cause problems for your neighbors.

 Solving the Tree Root Problem

The first thing you should do is ensure there are not trees or shrubs growing close to your sewer line. If you don’t know where your sewer line is, check your property assessment or have a Wilkes Barre plumber help you find it. Remove any trees in the vicinity to avoid such a problem.

If you suspect a tree root problem, have your plumber perform a video inspection to check for roots and other blockages. If they find roots, high pressure jetting can often remove the problem completely.

Keep in mind that if the damage is advanced enough, you may need to have parts of your sewer line replaced or relined. The actual work required will depend on the severity of the damage and the opinion of your plumber. Talk to a professional to learn more about what options are at your disposal.

A sewer line is vitally important to the operation of your home’s plumbing system. If you even suspect that a tree’s roots are infiltrating your pipes, contact Resolve Rooter right away for a full inspection.

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Scranton Plumber’s Tip: How to Eliminate an Odor Coming from a Garbage Disposal

Saturday, March 3rd, 2012

If you have a garbage disposal in your Scranton home, as most people do these days, you probably consider it an indispensible part of your household equipment. However, it is not uncommon for odor problems to develop with a garbage disposal. This is certainly an unpleasant situation, but luckily it can usually be quickly and effectively remedied.

The main reason that garbage disposals begin to smell is that they catch bits of food and other items that go down the drain. This is perfectly normal, and all you have to do to keep it from becoming a bigger problem for you is to clean your garbage disposal on a regular basis.

If you are up for a pretty intensive cleaning, you can turn your garbage disposal off and take off any removable parts for scrubbing with soap and warm water. It is vital that you make sure your garbage disposal is off and stays off as you do this. This is a great way to take care of a garbage disposal odor, but it will not keep it from coming back.

It is also not necessary to get in there and deep clean your garbage disposal on a regular basis. Instead, you can carry out a few less intensive procedures to help keep your garbage disposal odor free. No matter what cleaning method you use, it is also important to remember to keep your water running any time you turn your garbage disposal on and for about thirty seconds afterwards. This can go a long way towards ensuring that food and other sediment does not build up inside.

One of the reasons that garbage disposals seem difficult to clean is because you cannot use many of the more common household cleaning chemicals on them. Harsher chemicals can damage or erode parts of the garbage disposal, potentially causing larger problems for you later on. Fortunately, there are actually a lot of products that you probably have around your house already that can make cleaning your garbage disposal and getting rid of the unpleasant odor a quick and easy chore.

One good solution is to cut a lemon in half and put it down your garbage disposal along with some baking soda. Once they are down there, turn on the water and then turn on the garbage disposal. Leave it running until you are sure the lemon is gone and you can be confident that the smell will be gone also.

If you are having any problems with your Scranton home’s garbage disposal, give Resolve Rooter a call today!

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Media Plumbing Repair Guide: What’s Causing that Leaky Toilet?

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012

Most Media homeowners have been there. You go into the bathroom in the morning, still a little bleary-eyed from sleep, and are shocked to find that the floor is wet. Then your realize your toilet is leaking. The tricky part is determining where that leak is coming from in order to fix it. Try these simple methods to diagnose the problem quickly.

 Sweating Toilet

One possibility is that your toilet is not leaking at the base itself, but that the toilet is sweating and the liquid is pooling at the base. It is easy enough to make this distinction; just check the toilet throughout the day to see if there is any moisture on the outer surface. If so, your toilet is sweating.

“Sweating” is caused by humid air condensing on the cold porcelain. The only way to fix this problem is to insulate the toilet.

 Bad Tank Seal

Another possibility is a bad seal. There are two main seals on your toilet that can leak: the tank seal and the wax seal.

To check for a bad tank seal, put some food coloring in the tank. You don’t need a lot, just enough to noticeably change the color of the water. Then, let the toilet sit without being used for a few hours. If the water on the floor is colored, then the tank seal on your toilet needs to be replaced.

 Bad Wax Seal

The other seal that can leak is the wax seal that is located at the actual base of the toilet. Diagnosing this problem is similar to the tank seal method above.

Again, add food coloring, this time to the water in the bowl. Then flush and repeat. After adding coloring the second time, let the toilet sit like in the steps above. If the colored water starts collecting around the base of the toilet after a few hours, the wax seal needs to be replaced.

Remember that Resolve Rooter is available 24 hours a day to help fix your broken toilet or any other plumbing problem.

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Clinton Plumbing Repair Question: Why Is My Garbage Disposal “humming”?

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

Ah, the garbage disposal: one of the great conveniences of the modern kitchen in your Clinton home. When it is working well, it makes cleaning up after dinner so easy. But when it is on the fritz, there is nothing more annoying.

One common occurrence is the “humming” garbage disposal. You flip the switch to turn the disposal on, but instead of spinning up and sucking those coffee grounds away, it just makes a humming noise and doesn’t do anything. Definitely frustrating. The good news is that since it is making that humming noise, you may be in OK shape. Read on for an explanation.

There are two basic causes of the humming phenomenon. Let’s discuss the simpler one first.

 Stuck Flywheel

Most of the time, the problem is as simple as a stuck flywheel. Usually this problem is identified by the brevity of the humming sound, as the garbage disposal will either reset itself or the circuit breaker will trip and the whole thing will shut down.

To fix a stuck flywheel, follow these steps:

  1. Shut down the power to the garbage disposal by shutting of the circuit breaker or pulling the fuse.
  2. Using an offset wrench (it came with the disposal unit, but you can buy a replacement at the hardware store), turn the flywheel clockwise to dislodge it.

If the problem is just a stuck flywheel, that should take care of it. Remember to call a professional plumber if you do not have a lot of experience fixing plumbing problems on your own. But there is another, more complicated explanation for the humming sound.

 Seized Motor Bearing

If your efforts to free the flywheel did not get the disposal working again, then you may have a seized motor bearing on your hands. A disposal with a seized motor bearing needs to be replaced. It’s as simple as that.

However, before you go ahead and assume the worst, it would not hurt to have a professional look at it. It is possible that the flywheel is just quite stuck and needs the touch of a pro. If not, he can go ahead and install a new unit for you. If you are having problems with your garbage disposal, be sure to give Resolve Rooter a call!

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Woodbury Plumber’s Guide: Common Kitchen Plumbing Problems

Friday, February 17th, 2012

Considering how often your use your Woodbury home’s kitchen sink – i.e., many times per day, every day – and all the grimy business that it usually has to put up with, it’s kind of amazing that your don’t experience headaches with your kitchen plumbing once a week. Chalk that up to the marvels of modern engineering and design.

That does not mean that kitchen plumbing is perfect, though, and all homeowners face problems with their kitchen plumbing from time to time. Fortunately, many such problems are fairly common and routine and therefore are easily remedied.

Below are 3 common kitchen plumbing problems and some possible solutions for each:

  1. Clogged drain
    Probably the most commonly aggravating of all kitchen sink problems is the clogged drain. If you have never had to deal with one, first thank your lucky stars and then brace for impact, because you’ll probably have to soon. This is usually caused by some piece of food or other deposit obstructing the sink. Try plunging it out, or breaking it up by pouring boiling water or white vinegar down the drain. This may take several attempts. If none of that works, you can resort to a commercial drain opening product.
  2. Leaky faucet
    Got a dripping sound keeping you up at night? Often, leaky faucets are caused by an obstructed aerator, which is that little screen thing on the end of your faucet. Unscrew that, clean it with water and put it back on. If the faucet still leaks, there may be a loose fitting somewhere further down the line, in which case you may need to call in a plumber. (Bonus tip: To quiet the dripping noise until the leak is fixed, tie a length of string to the end of the faucet. The water will run down the string silently instead of clanging into the basin all night.)
  3. Garbage disposal won’t run
    The quickest and most common solution to this problem is the reset the garbage disposal by pressing the button on the unit under the sink.

If these tips don’t work to solve your kitchen plumbing conundrum, then it is probably best to call in a Woodbury professional. Plumbing is a tricky thing – and garbage disposals can be dangerous – so sometimes it is best to leave it to licensed and professional plumber Resolve Rooter!

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