Posts Tagged ‘Scranton’

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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When to Call Your Wilkes Barre Plumber

Monday, April 9th, 2012

Many aspects of plumbing around simple fixtures are easy repairs for the homeowner who likes to be handy.  Videos on the internet have made most simple repairs even easier by showing step-by-step processes to get them done.

Some projects obviously are more complicated and require the special skills and knowledge that only years of experience can provide.  Especially when water is gushing out and you don’t know where the main shut-off is located, the damage that can intensify minute by minute should be mitigated by calling in the expert Wilkes Barre plumber.

A Fix in Time

There are some repairs that are simple enough for the average homeowner to handle. If you have had a little experience with plumbing repair, you might be able to fix a leaky faucet and clogged garbage disposal. You should alsoWilkes Barre Plumbing Repair know how to shut off your main water supply in case something starts to flood your home.

Slightly more experienced DIY homeowners can replace their own toilets, install an under the counter water filtration system, or put on a new shower head. As long as you can follow instructions and have some basic tools, these tasks can be accomplished without too much trouble. But for the more complicated projects or if you haven’t had a lot of experience fixing your own plumbing, calling a plumber is almost always the best option.

When to call a Wilkes Barre Plumber

When something has broken and is causing serious flooding, whether or not you can find the main shut-off, it still probably makes sense to call a Wilkes Barre plumber to get the repairs made quickly and correctly.  For much less emergent situations, plumbing can still be a tricky sport to find the right size fittings so getting a plumber with a truck full of odd parts can cost a little money but save a lot of aggravation and return trips to the local hardware store to exchange the 5/8 male coupling with gasket you expected it to be for the 3/4 female that was needed.

For any project that requires a permit, a licensed plumber makes good sense who knows the proper codes and intricacies of supplies, drains and venting so the work will pass inspection.  Replacing larger items like a hot water heater, shower unit or sink are far simpler for professionals to wrestle.

Any problems with the hot water baseboard or radiant heat systems are better left to plumbers to fix who know how to properly bleed and refill the pipes to flow without air bubbles.  If there is a problem with the sewer main inside or outside the house, a plumber will be better equipped to cut and repair the pipes (as well as deal with the mess).

Because of their lethal risks, gas lines to appliances must be installed and connected by a certified technician which many plumbers are.

Ultimately, if you have any doubt about your abilities, even though you’re playing with water, a mistake can make a big mess.  Call Resolve Rooter if you are having problems with your home’s plumbing!

Photo from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/herzogbr/2869244594/

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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 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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How Does Trenchless Drain & Sewer Replacement Work? A Question from Scranton

Monday, November 7th, 2011

If you have a problem with your drains and/or sewer line in your Scranton home, you’re probably dreading the visit from a plumber you know you have to schedule. You’ve heard horror stories of five figure replacement costs, complete with backhoes tearing up the yard and concrete being ripped out of your driveway.

But, with modern technology, plumbers can now access, repair and replace drains and sewer lines with far less digging. Instead of digging a trench the length of the pipe, they use two much smaller holes to access either side of the affected pipeline.

Inspection

The first step in any replacement is inspection. Your plumber must determine where the problem is located and what steps will be best to fix them. This is done by digging a small hole in the ground and accessing the pipeline. A video inspection unit can then be used to scope the pipe and check for clogs, leaks, roots infiltration or other problems that might be causing your plumbing issues.

Once the problem is located (and additional problems are ruled out), it’s time to fix it. In the case of replacement, a second pit will be dug on the opposite end of the length of pipe that needs to be replaced. Both holes are usually no more than two feet square, giving the plumber enough space to work. In many cases, the pipe will be jetted as well to remove any excess waste or clogs.

Replacing the Pipe

To replace the pipe line, a bursting cone is attached to the head of the new length of pipe and attached to a winch by a line of cable run through the middle of the existing pipe. The winch assembly then pulls the new line of pipe with its bursting cone through the old length of pipe. As it moves through, a plumber will feed new pipe into the hole bit by bit. The bursting cone makes space for the new pipe by destroying the old one.

The process is extremely efficient and allows your plumber to replace the pipe without actually digging up your yard and without replacing more pipe than is strictly necessary. You save money and the process is done just as quickly. Not a bad deal considering how invasive pipe replacement used to be.

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The Do’s and Don’ts of Clogged Drains: Some Advice From Scranton

Monday, October 10th, 2011

Clogged and slow drains can be a real bummer in your Scranton home. Water standing in the kitchen sink is gross, and no one likes to shower with the tub gradually filling around their feet. Calling a plumber when the clog gets out of hand is easy enough, but it’s time consuming. Plus, it means having to do without whatever water source that drain is involved with until a plumber can get there to fix it.

The best solution, then, is to prevent clogs from forming. With proper use, some brief regular maintenance and a few tricks, most clogs can be stopped dead in their tracks before becoming a problem. Follow these guidelines and you may never need to make that emergency plumber call again.

Don’ts

First of all, there are some things you just shouldn’t do to your drains and pipes. These things can quickly lead to clog buildup, so avoid them:

  • Don’t pour liquid grease, such as bacon grease, down drains. It can solidify in the pipes and cause a clog.
  • Don’t flush anything down the toilet that is not designed to be flushed.
  • Avoid using bleach or other chemicals to clean tubs, sinks and drains. Particles from these cleansers can build up to cause clogs, or even erode pipes.

Do’s

Even with best practices, no drain will remain completely clean. However, a little proactivity can stop everyday residue from accumulating and forming a nasty clog. Try some of these maintenance tips to keep things running smoothly:

  • Use a screen, guard or trap. These can catch food, hair and other debris which would otherwise wind up sitting in your pipes.
  • Clean sink and drain stoppers regularly. Debris can get trapped on and under the stoppers, just waiting to break loose and cruise into the drain to cause a clog.
  • A few times a year, stop up your sinks and tub, fill them up all the way, then let them drain. The pressure and volume of the water will help shake loose deposits in the pipes.
  • Once a month or so, carefully pour boiling water down the drain to dislodge stubborn deposits. You can also do this any time you notice a drain is starting to run slow. Vinegar is also effective.

It really can be as simple as that to keep your drains clear and avoid using nasty chemicals or shelling out big bucks to a plumber in an emergency.

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