EXPERT PLUMBING TIPS
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#1. MOST HOMES NEED A PRESSURE REGULATING VALVE (PRV) to help prevent the risk of a flood or premature wearing of appliances due to high water pressure.  If your home does not have a PRV, ask our plumbing technician to do a quick, easy (and FREE!) test to determine if the water pressure to your home is high.  Even if you've had the water pressure to your home tested in the past, it may have changed.  Water pressure is  not a static figure.  As municipalities grow and expand, they often increase water pressure as a way of generating adequate flow to new developments.  Water pressure also fluctuates at different times of the day or night in response to changing demand.  If your water pressure is over 80psi, you’re at risk of leaks developing, which over time can lead to wall mold, and/or supply lines splitting or bursting, flooding your home.   Excessive water pressure can also increase wear and tear on appliances as well as plumbing fixtures and shorten their useful life.  In fact, high water pressure is a major factor in many plumbing repairs.  Most manufacturers’ and installation warrantees are void if the water pressure to the home exceeds 80psi, and most cities require a home to have a pressure regulator to reduce the pressure to below 80psi.  Also, many homeowner's insurance policies will not pay for damages due to wear and tear and avoidable or foreseeable problems.  The cost of installing a pressure regulating valve is likely to be less than the deductible on many insurance policies, and a worthwhile investment to help you avoid expensive repairs to your home.  Call today to set up an appointment to have your water pressure checked.  Use one of our special offer coupons for $aving$!           #2. PLUMBING LEAKS in your home's water piping system can turn into major problems if you’re unable to stop the leaking water quickly.  Know where your main water shut-off valve is (usually at the front of your house) and be sure it’s in good working order.  You should also check the individual shut-off valves at all toilets, faucets, washing machines and water heaters to be sure they are operatiing properly.  Older shut-off valves may have corroded over time and may fail when needed, either in the open position, leaving you unable to shut the water off in the event of a leak, or they may fail in the closed position, stopping you from turning the water to the house back on.  HAVE OLDER SHUT-OFF VALVES REPLACED BEFORE YOU'RE FACED WITH A FLOOD! SEE OUR SPECIAL OFFER ON WATER HEATERS, installed from ONLY $649! (limited time offer) #3.  IS YOUR HOT WATER HEATER  making gurgling, banging or popping noises?  Are you noticing your water is not as hot as it used to be, or there doesn't seem to be enough hot water?  You may have a problem with mineral build-up in the heater.  MOST WATER HEATER MANUFACTURERS recommend that you FLUSH YOUR WATER HEATER at least once a year to reduce the build up of minerals in the heater.   Minerals and hard water scale accumulations inside the tank or on an electric water heater’s heating elements can decrease the efficiency of your hot water heater and may even make it fail prematurely.  If this build-up has already occurred, flushing may not completely solve the problem; you may need to replace the water heater elements.  To avoid scale build-up in the first place, every few months open the drain valve at the base of the tank and flush about a gallon of water through it.  If you're not sure how to flush your water heater, feel free to call our office and ask one of our plumbing experts for advice. TO CONSERVE ENERGY COSTS, consider insulating your plumbing pipes from your water heater to the faucets located at a distance from your heater.  Also consider installing a POINT OF USE WATER HEATER.  A point-of-use water heater can be installed directly under, or near, a fixture such as a bathroom sink (or sinks, in some bathrooms) to provide hot water directly to that fixture, eliminating the need for hot water pipes between your main water heater and this fixture.  (The point-of-use water heater is connected to a cold water pipe right under the sink.) You will have hot water at the faucet almost immediately!  In addition to saving energy costs, you'll conserve water because you won’t have to let the hot water run while you wait for it to warm up. Ask one of our plumbing experts for more information about a POINT-OF-USE-WATER-HEATER for your home. #4. IF YOUR SHOWER HEAD IS LEAKING, check to see if the head is loose or if the washer is worn.  If neither situation is apparent, you may have a problem with the valve rather than the shower head. That might mean an O-ring, seal, or even a stem is worn or broken.  Or, you may have a build up of sediment in the valve inlet.  Many homeowners can make simple repairs like tightening the shower head or replacing a worn washer.  But if your problem is more complicated, just give us a call! CHECK OUT OUR SPECIAL OFFERS PAGE FOR SUPER DISCOUNTS! #5. IF YOUR WASHING MACHINE has the old-style (black rubber) hot and cold water hoses, they really should be replaced with new, no-burst braided stainless steel hoses, especially if you’re in an area with high water pressure.   If an older hose should burst, your home can flood in a matter of minutes.  You run the same risk with older supply lines to toilets and faucets.  REPLACE OLD SUPPLY LINES AND HOSES BEFORE YOU'RE FACED WITH A FLOOD!                         #6. KEEP YOUR GARBAGE DISPOSAL CLEAN by running a tray of ice cubes through it periodically.  This helps keep the blades and grinder in good operating condition and keeps the chamber clean.  And, remember, don't put coffee grinds, potato peelings or eggshells down the disposal as they may cause it to jam. A #7. IF YOUR PLUMBING DRAINS ARE SLOW, you should have them snaked rather than use a drain cleaner.  Some drain cleaners have are caustic and may contribute to the deteriorate of your plumbing drain pipes.  Once the drains have been cleared using the proper equipment, it's fine to use an enzyme treatment periodically to help prevent a reocurrence of problem. #8. "THERE ARE 270 MILLION TOILETS IN THE U.S. and 20 percent of them are leaking at  any one time," said Susan Springsteen, an investor in Nth Solutions, a company that has researched the subject at some length. "The number one customer service complaint (to water companies) is an unexpectedly high bill, and nine out of 10 times the reason is a leaky toilet." IS A LEAKING TOILET RAISING YOUR WATER BILLS?  Toilets can be a mysterious source of wasted water if you have a tank to bowl leak and don't know it.  Fortunately, there's an easy TEST you can do.  To FIND OUT IF YOUR TOILET IS LEAKING, put a few drops of food coloring in the tank.  If the water in the bowl becomes discolored, then you have a leak.  Or, ask our plumbing technician to do this for you the next time you have us out for a service or repair call.  We offer this service at no charge to you, and our technicians carry die tabs on their trucks for this purpose.  If you do have a leak, be sure to have it repaired quickly to conserve water and save $$. Ask about our full-house plumbing inspection service for only $49.50! PLUMBING REPAIR TIPS Most of Arizona has very hard (high mineral content) water, which is hard on plumbing fixtures, appliances, clothing and even your skin!  Hard water can be treated with a WATER SOFTENER.  Find out how a WATER SOFTENER can extend the length of your plumbing, your appliances and your clothing, and be kinder to your hair and skin.  Visit our WATER SOFTENER AND FILTRATION page. How to Test for Hard Water You can do a fairly reliable (albeit unscientific) test to see if you have hard water: Fill a bottle (with a cap) with about a half-cup of tap water; Add 10 drops of dish washing detergent; Shake well; If the soap foams up well and fairly quickly, your water is not hard; If it does not foam up but instead creates a milk-curd-like or soapy film on the water then the water is likely hard. Hard water scale build-up on your shower door or white scale on your faucet aerator is also another indicator your water is too hard. One of PLUMBERS can also do a more professional, more accurate test of your water.  Call us if you'd like to have your water tested for hardness, or if you have any questions. Do you hear a loud noise when you turn the handles of your bathtub?  This is unusual, but it does happen.  Try removing the handles and stems. If the washer is floating or the seat is loose, tighten everything back up.  If this doesn't solve the problem it may be that your water pressure is too high.  If this is the case, you'll need to have a Pressure Regulating Valve (PRV) installed to adjust the water pressure.    Most people aren't aware that the UPC (Uniform Building Code) requires a PRV when water pressure exceeds 80 psi, and that many plumbing repairs can be avoided by the simple addition of a PRV.  High water pressure can cause problems like premature wear of fixtures, leaks and even flooding which MAY NOT BE COVERED BY INSURANCE.   See our tips page for more info about PRVs, or call us and we can tell you more about PRVs.  Does your toilet run constantly? Try these possible solutions:  Lift chain is disconnected from handle lever or is kinked preventing the flush ball or flap from properly seating Lift wire is kinked or binding. Make sure tank ball lift wire is straight and that tank ball is dropping onto the center of the flush valve opening. Float ball is rubbing on side of tank Plunger or diaphragm type ballcock is not shutting off completely. Bend float arm to push float ball more into water. Water level in tank is too high and water is running into overflow pipe. Adjust water level in tank. Flush valve not sealing. Inspect tank ball or flapper ball and replace if worn or soft.  Replace leaky float ball. Replace faulty ballcock.