Water Heaters

Q. When should I drain my water heater and how often should I drain it?
A. Manufacturers recommend flushing a new water heater every six months in areas with hard water. The anode rod should also be inspected annually.

Q. The water does not stay hot for as long as it used to, do I need to replace my water heater?
A. There are two main causes for the lack on hot water, both of which would not require replacement of the whole water heater unit. The first would be if you have an electric water heater one of the heating elements may not be operating properly or the thermostat has malfunctioned and would need to be replaced. The other main reason would be that the dip tube has broken off inside the tank and is now allowing the incoming cold water to mix with the hot water instead of being forced to the bottom, this is true for both gas and electric water heaters.

Q. What is the best temperature to set my water heater at?
A. Most people are comfortable with their water heaters set to 120° F, which is the new standard manufacturer’s presetting.  Please be aware that if the temperature is set too high, the water heater is less efficient and risk of being scalded increases.
 

High Water Bills

Q. My water bill recently appears to be rather high and none of my faucets seem to be leaking, is there anything else that could be causing the sudden increase?
A. The first thing you should check is your toilets, make sure they are not leaking. Then you can check to make sure your fill valve, inside the tank, is not overflowing through the overflow pipe. There is a small tube that should be connected to it, you want to make sure the water level is about 1 inch below the overflow tube or level with the manufacturers mark inside the tank. The last thing you can check is your flapper. You can do this by adding a couple of drops of some food coloring to your tank water, let it sit for about 15-20 minutes and check to see if the water in you bowl has changed color. If it has then you will need to replace your flapper.

Q. My faucets only drip a little bit every now and then, should I replace them?
A. More than likely you will not need to replace the faucet. If it is dripping from the spout than replacing the seats and springs or the ball valve could be all you need to do. If it is dripping from the supply lines underneath a simple tightening of the fittings might solve the problem. However if it is dripping from underneath the faucet itself you may have to replace it and this can be discussed with your plumber.

Q. I have checked all my faucets, toilets, and outside hosebib none are running or appear to be leaking but my meter is still spinning, what's going on?
A. If you have checked all your water sources the next step would be to check your meter box and make sure there is no water leaking there. After that you can check you water heater to make sure the overflow pan is not holding water. If it is then either your tank or your relief valve is leaking and needs to be replaced. Then look over your yard and see if there are any dark green spots where the grass is richer and more moist, if you find a spot like that you may have a leak on your main water line that would need to be repaired.


Strange Noises

Q. I can hear a strange whistling sound when I flush one of my toilets?
A. There could be a few reasons you hear whistling noise's when your toilet is flushed, the most common being: a small chip or hole in your tank cover is allowing air to pass through at a high rate of speed causing the whistle noise. It could also be caused by you fill valve and a simple adjustment would stop the noise.

Q. I can hear a low whining noise coming from my water heater, what could be the cause of this?
A. This typically is a normal sound when your water heater is re-filling after having used hot water, however if you are hearing this when you do not have any water sources running you may have a leak on one of you hot water lines and should call a plumber for further assistance.

Q. I can hear a banging noise that seems to be coming from my pipes?
A. A banging noise is usually caused by a worn out or faulty water hammer arrestor. These are installed on your water lines such as your ice maker line, your dishwasher line, or your washing machine line. A simple replacement of the water hammer arrestor should stop the banging noise. In some cases, however, this noise could be caused by pipes without proper backing or support. Proper diagnosis in this situation is key.

Q. I can hear water running inside my walls, what does that mean.
A. If you can hear water running inside your walls and there are no water sources turned on then you may have a leak from one of the water pipes, you should call a plumber.

Slow Drains or Clogged Drain Line

Q. The sink in master bathroom is draining really slow.
A. If you are having trouble with just one sink draining, then more than likely you have a stoppage in the immediate drain line. These can usaully be removed by using a drain snake to clear the line. However if it is further down the line you might not be able to reach it with a regular drain snake, and you should call your plumber. If the water is draining slowly then you might have what is referred to as a partial stoppage which is allowing some water to pass through at a much slower speed. The first thing you should check is the pop-up to make sure there isn't any obstructions like hair in the line. If there are no obstructions that you can see, the blockage is probably further down the line.
 

Low Water Pressure or Loss of Water Flow

Q. We used to have great water pressure in the master bath but it seems to be very low now?
A. If you are experiencing low water pressure where you once had good water pressure there could be several possibilities. The first thing you should check is the supply line, make sure it is turned all the way on. Another common reason is the aerators are clogged, simply unscrew the aerator from the faucet head and clean out the sediment that may have collected by soaking it in vinegar overnight then using an old toothbrush just bush out the buildup. If you are still experiencing low water pressure you should call your plumber for further advise.

Q. We used the faucet yesterday but when we turned it on this morning no water came out.
A. If you are experiencing loss of water throughout your home the first thing you should check is the main water shut off valve and make sure it is fully in the on position. The shut off is typically located where the main water line enters your home. If the main shut off valve is completely turn on but you still don't have water then check to make sure there is no breaks in your main water line, if there is please call your plumber for further assistance. If you are experiencing no water flow at only one faucet then first check to make sure the supply line is turned on, more than likely you have one of 2 types of shut off valves: a "twist turn" to open and close the valve or a "push-pull". If your supply lines are in the "on" position and you still don't have any water flow then check to make sure there is no sediment build up in the aerator, if there is then removing the sediment should restore water flow. If you still do not have water flow then you should call your plumber for further advise.


Foul Odors

Q. I have a foul odor coming from my garbage disposer. What can I do to eliminate this odor?
A. Foul odors occur from a buildup of food debris within the disposer. To eliminate this odor, place ice cubes and lemon or orange peels in the disposer and run for 30 seconds. Next, squirt a little liquid dish detergent into the disposer while it is still running. Finally, run cold water for about 30 seconds to rinse all the debris away.

Q. I am getting a foul odor from a bathroom in the basement. We hardly ever use this bathroom except when we have company. This is embarrassing. What can we do?
Plumbing systems are designed to prevent foul odors from entering the house by means of the trap attached to fixtures. Traps contain water to seal out foul odors; if the water seal evaporates, the odors enter the house. To solve this problem, pour a bucket of water in each trap, sink, shower and floor drain. This will prevent the odors from entering the house.