Tips Around the House

Low water pressure? Try replacing the aerator on your faucet. The aerator, the small screen at the end of the faucet, can become clogged or dirty and reduce flow.
TIP: before doing any repair work on sinks or tubs, be sure to close the drain to keep small parts from literally washing away.
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If your water isn’t hot enough in both sink and shower, you can raise the temperature of your water heater. The thermostat is usually located on the outside of the unit. The average setting is 140 degrees —you can check the actual temperature of your sink or tub water by using an instant-read meat thermometer. If you’re raising the temperature from that, raise it in small increments, a few degrees at a time, until you reach the desired temperature.
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Weak or erratic flow from a showerhead is usually caused by mineral build-up. You can clean the outlet holes with a pin or, if you have a perforated face plate, unscrew it, soak it overnight in white vinegar, scrub it clean and then reinstall.
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Clothes washer not filling up fast enough? The solution could be as simple as undoing the incoming hose and removing the screen on it.
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NO heat? Follow these steps first:

• Check the circuit breaker in electrical panel
• Make sure the pilot light is lit
• Shut off the emergency switch, wait 20 seconds, and then turn it back on
• Make sure thermostat is set above the room temperature
• If none of this works, contact us .

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If your cold water pipes are sweating during the summer, wrap foam pipe insulation over the pipes. The tubing keeps the warm humid air from condensing on the cold pipes.
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During winter temperatures, you can keep your pipes from freezing:

• Keep a trickle of water running from the faucet.
• Beam a heat lamp or small heater at exposed pipes.
• Wrap uninsulated pipes with newspapers, heating wires, foam, or self-adhesive insulating tape.
• Keep doors ajar between heated and unheated rooms.

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Drain odors? Running very hot water through your drains after using will help keep them free of odors. You can also pour a large handful of baking soda and hot water down the drain about once a week to reduce odors. Another old-fashioned remedy is to pour 1 cup of vinegar, let it stand 30 minutes and then run some hot water. Keeping all grease, hair, and vegetable matter out of the drain also helps with odors and possible clogging.

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If your shower or tub runs very hot water when a toilet is flushed or another tap in the house is used, ask us to install a mixing valve with a built-in temperature and pressure regulator.
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Especially during summer months, it’s hard to keep bathrooms dry. Wet conditions lead to mold and mildew—unpleasant and a health hazard. To remove mildew from bathrooms, try a mixture of 1 cup of chlorine bleach to a gallon of water. Wear gloves and wash with a scrub brush. An old toothbrush will work on grout and tight corners. If you can, allow area to dry completely—using fans and open windows.
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Toilet tanks sweat when the cold water in the tank cools the surface of the tank, which in turn causes the humidity in the room to condense on the tank, running onto the floor or wall. Buy a terry cloth tank cover to absorb the moisture. Or have us install a mixing valve- this warms the water coming into the toilet tank.

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A few ideas to save money on plumbing and heating
Instead of simply lowering the thermostat in an empty house for the winter, have it winterized. This will save lots of money over the course of the season.

A dripping faucet can waste 400 gallons of water per year. If it’s the hot water that’s dripping, you’re also wasting money on keeping water heated. If you don’t know how to fix it, call us and save money and resources in the long run.

Septic system replacement can cost as much as a brand new in-ground pool. Follow these tips to keep your system healthy and functioning:

• Have the tank pumped and cleaned every 2 to 5 years.
• Don’t pour ANY solvents, paints, chemicals or oils of ANY kind into the drain or toilet.
• Flush only toilet paper-- no other paper or plastic products.
• Use bleach and other cleaners sparingly.

• Garbage Disposer: NEVER dispose of grease, coffee grounds or popcorn in the sink.Don't pour grease down your drains. Keep drains free of hair and other debris. Once a month, to prevent residual grease and soap from clogging drains, try this:
• Run hot water through the drain.
• Mix a handful of baking soda with hot water and let it stand for 15 minutes.
• Run the water to let the system ‘flush.’Maintain your garbage disposal
• Do not use commercial drain products.
• Use cold water at all times when the disposal is operating.
• Grind ice cubes to clean, lemon peels to freshen.
• Read your maintenance manual.

New showerheads use no more than 2.5 gallons per minute, saving water and energy. By replacing your older showerhead for a new one an average family, (of four people), can save $150 on electric hot water or $60 gas. The amount of water saved per year equals about 15,000 gallons.

Hard water can deteriorate pipes, cause soap scum and other staining, clog appliances, and make it hard to gets clothes, dishes, and hair clean. If you have hard water, it’s important to install a water softener. In fact, in some areas, water softeners are required. Softeners operate automatically and need little maintenance.

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Plumbing Emergencies

When a pipe bursts or a faucet won’t shut off, it can feel like a long wait till the plumber arrives. But there are some things you can do to keep an emergency from turning into a disaster.

In a plumbing emergency, you'll need to stop the flow of water. So, before you have to act quickly, spend some time learning where the shut-off valves are for all your fixtures and appliances as well as the main shut-off valve.

Valves for fixtures such as sinks and toilets are usually located underneath the fixture. Appliances such as clothes washers usually have their shut-off valves in the back, where the water supply pipe comes in. Turn the valve clockwise to shut off the water to that particular appliance or fixture.

If there’s no specific shut-off valve for that fixture or the problem is not with just one appliance, you’ll need to use the main shut off valve to turn off the water supply for the entire house. This is located either inside or outside the house where the main water supply pipe enters. It is often located just inside the foundation wall in the basement or crawl space. Turn the valve clockwise to shut off the water. You’ll probably need a wrench to turn the valve—it’s a good idea to keep one near the valve so it’s handy.

If the main shut-off valve itself is defective and needs to be repaired, call your water company; they can send someone out with the special tool that's required to shut off the water at the street before it reaches the valve. If you have a private well, your plumber can probably turn off the main water supply.
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A Leaking Pipe

• Turn off the main shutoff valve to prevent water damage.
• Make temporary repairs to stop the leak.
• The pipe will have to be replaced as soon as it's convenient to do so.

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Burst Pipe

• Shut off the water supply by closing the main shut off valve.
  If the water flow doesn’t stop immediately, open all cold water taps so the system can drain.
• DON'T TURN ON HOT TAPS.
• Turn off the central heating system and, if it uses a solid fuel boiler, allow the fire to die out.
• Switch off any electric immersion heater, then call your plumber.

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Frozen Pipes

• If a pipe freezes, turn off the main shut off valve.
• Look for cracks in the pipe before you try to thaw it out.
• You can try a few methods to thaw it out –slowly-- as there may be breaks that are unnoticeable in the pipe. If the pipe isn't split, thaw it out by applying hot water bottles or by careful use of an electric hair dryer.
• Don't try to thaw it too quickly as there may be splits in the pipe which are not immediately noticeable.
• Never use a naked flame to thaw a pipe.
• Always start thawing a pipe at the end nearest the tap.
• If any part of the boiler or hot water system is frozen, turn it off since there’s a risk of explosion.
• Be careful because although water may be flowing from taps, other parts of the system may still be frozen.

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A Stopped-Up Sink

• Shut off any faucet or appliance (such as dishwasher) that's draining into the sink.
• Unclog the sink using a plunger or snake.
• DON'T use a chemical drain cleaner if the blockage is total.

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A Faucet That Won't Shut Off

• Immediately turn off the water at the fixture shutoff valve underneath the sink.
  If there's no valve there, turn off the main shutoff valve.
• Repair the faucet or, if necessary, replace it.
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A Steaming Hot Water Faucet

• Open all the hot water faucets to relieve the overheated hot water heater.
• Turn off the gas or electric supply to the heater
• Let the faucets run until cold water flows from them (this indicates the water in the heater is no longer overheated).
• Close them.
• Call your plumber to make any necessary repairs to the heater's thermostat and pressure relief valve.
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