Plumbing Tips

Your garbage disposal... was meant to be used, and is likely to fail sooner if you don’t use it. Often times we encounter the customer who says, “ I don’t understand why it’s backing up, I never use it”. That’s due to the set up and nature of the disposal, it’s not an open drain line that’ll pass food particles with out being ground up first. It’s a series of smaller holes and blades that when used properly, does it’s job. Just be sure to also run the water at least ten seconds after grinding something up to aid in flushing waste past the smaller drain lines under your sink.

Your toilet... was designed to move 4 things: #1... #2... toilet paper... and water. That’s it. Yes it’s convenient to dispose of lots of other things, but don’t. We also don’t recommend the sanitizers /fresheners that drop into the tank. The chemicals are extremely harsh on the flapper, and rubber seals and will cause premature failure of these parts. Water is harsh enough on these parts, don’t encourage it. Also if you don’t own a plunger, get one. Plungers are cheaper than Plumbers.

Your water heater... is no joke. Most people don’t realize that your water heater is without question the most dangerous appliance in your house. It has the potential to become a 40 gallon bomb. Gas, flame, pressure and lots of water are the ingredients. They have exploded, rocked houses off their foundations, shot through roofs, and worse. If your water heater looks like it needs to be replaced, seriously consider it. The lengthiest (and most expensive) warranty offered is about 12 years. The average is only 6 years. so think about why they don’t offer longer warranties, and then think about how old your water heater is.

We aren’t suggesting that if it’s not broke to fix it. Just know that Murphys Law will dictate that it shall leak/burst when you're not around and not stop leaking until the city runs out of water. It would behoove you to use wisdom in replacing your water heater, and not wait for something destructive to occur.

Your Main Sewer Line... is typically never a thought for most home owners. But when it goes wrong it has the potential to go really wrong. Think of it this way, a properly installed and used sewer line with sufficient down hill grade and no intrusions will NEVER back up. Provided you’re not dumping copious amounts of grease down your drain. If a 4" pipe is plugged up something’s seriously wrong here.

The quick "band-aid" to the problem is a cable machine. This usually opens up the drain for a spell, but doesn’t “fix” the real problem. Ask for a sewer line inspection and see for yourself what’s happening down there. That’s hard evidence for you that something needs to be corrected. If your shower backs up when you’re taking a shower, it’s most likely the shower drain.

If you’re draining water elsewhere (i.e.- flushing the toilet, washing machine, etc.) and it comes back up in your tub... that's a main line blockage. At this point stop what you’re doing and call us. Don’t continue to use anything plumbing related because as stated earlier it has the potential to go really wrong. Think, raw sewage in your home.