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If you’re like many of us, you may find the septic system a bit of a mystery. You probably have a vague understanding of how it works, know that it involves a drain field and a tank, and understand that it should be cleaned out every few years. If a clog happens, and wastewater pipe is leaky and backing up, homeowners with septic systems can sometimes not know what to do – and that can be exacerbated during freezing temperatures, and the freezing problems that can come from frozen ground and holding tanks.    Other than that, you probably don’t think about the septic system much- until there’s a problem. You can prevent many mishaps through regular maintenance, but what about when your problems are caused by the weather? Winter weather can be hard on your septic tank. Here’s why: the low temperatures make it difficult for your septic tank’s bacteria

Drains can, and will, become clogged throughout the daily usage that homeowners and their families place on the drains and plumbing system of the home. When blockages occur, whether in the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, tub drain or shower drain, garbage disposal or any sink drain with stubborn clogs, backups or even a slow drain issue, there are other solutions than immediately turning to chemical drain cleaners like Drano or Liquid Plumber.  Why You Should Not Use Drano Many people associate drain clogs with Drano or other products that have toxic chemicals that are supposed to clear or prevent clogs. Plumbers, in general, do not suggest using these caustic and harsh chemicals, since they can cause damage to the pipes and fittings in the house. Drano also joins waste-water and will end up in rivers and streams, causing harm to the environment. Furthermore, if a plumber is working on a

If you’re like most people, you like the ability to take a hot shower whenever you want. Even if you enjoy lukewarm showers, other members of your household may prefer hotter showers, and that is everybody’s right. If your shower isn’t getting as hot as it used to, then the first place to look is the hot water heater. The hot water that comes out of your shower comes from the hot water heater tank. In order for hot water to be sent to the shower head, it has to start there first. Although the hot water heater is the first place to look if your water isn’t getting hot, there could be other causes that are denying you a hot shower when you want it. Troubleshooting a Cold Shower Check the water heater. If the water in your shower isn’t getting hot, the problem could be the temperature control

Whether you are using your bathroom sink, kitchen sink, or ready to feel the hot water hit you as you take a shower, whenever there is a blockage and you have a clogged drain, life can feel like it stops, until that backup is cleared and the drain opening is restored.  Often, the best way to deal with stubborn clogs is to prevent them from happening at all. There are many DIY drain cleaning tricks homeowners use, from baking soda, vinegar, drain cleaner to corkscrews and other items to keep the build up to a minimum, for floor drains, main drains, shower drains, bathtub drains, sink drains, drain pipes, p-traps and more.  If you are past being able to prevent a clogged drain, however, there are a number of options and tools at your disposal. The most common being a plunger and drain snakes. While cleaning and plunging can often

Let’s say you just moved into a new home and every time you turn on the kitchen sink faucet, you hear this ominous “hammering” noise in the pipes. Now, you’re worried that one day you’ll turn on your kitchen faucet to rinse off a few dishes and all of a sudden your pipes will burst. What gives? If your pipes are making a mysterious “hammering” sound, there’s a good chance that there is air trapped inside the household plumbing, especially if you live in an older home. One of the most common causes of noisy plumbing is trapped air. For example, trapped air can cause strange vibrating noises or a worrisome jack-hammer sound – one that often leads to a phone call to the plumber! You see, air can get trapped inside the circuit, especially higher pipes, and when this happens, it can lead to loud, vibrating sounds or repeat

Before water enters your house, it goes through three valves that are installed by the city. Finally, it has to go through your own main shutoff valve. When this valve is open, water can flow into your house. When the valve is off, so is your house’s water supply. When you are experiencing a plumbing emergency, it is vital to know where your main shutoff valve is. Furthermore, you probably want to know its location well before you find your carpets are completely under water. Your shutoff valve might be along an outside wall, but the first place you might want to check is a basement. There you might find the water line coming from the outside. After that, there should be a valve, then a water meter, followed by another valve. Then the line will continue to the house. The main shutoff valve will be the first valve on

If you need to remove a clog in the main sewer line, then finding the sewer cleanouts that are in or around your house is vital. The sewer cleanouts allow easier access to the sewer system to clean out the clog and open the drain line (or main sewer line) to the septic tank or municipal sewer. If you need to replace a sewer line, then you need to find the main sewer line first. No matter if there’s a blockage in a cast iron underground utilities sewer line, or obstructions from tree roots searching out the waste water in the septic system and breaks through the main drain, for whatever reason you need to locate your sewer line, you need to have the right resources and tools needed to find the access to your sewer pipe. Your local government offices are some of your most important resources for finding

Homeowners know if you have a sump pump, it is there to ward off floods, pumping water away as it collects in the sump pit. In order for it to do its job, however, you will have to perform regular maintenance to ensure that gravel and sand do not clog up the pump. Without regular checkups, cleaning a sump pump, and checking other items like the discharge pipe/drain line or circuit breaker/ power source, a flooded basement could be the signal that a buildup of debris has caused a blockage or broke your sump pump system, a signal that of course, comes too late. Here then are some DIY things homeowners need to do regularly if there is a sump pump system in their home. Make Sure It Works First, you want to ensure that your sump pump is actually in working order. Fill the sump pump pit with enough

When you turn on one or more of the faucets in your home, do you hear a strange tapping sound (sometimes also referred to as water hammer sounds) that comes from the pipes? If so, you may be worried that you have a large, expensive plumbing problem on your hands, but the good news is that it’s probably not a serious issue and some DIY know-how can help troubleshoot the issue. Just like a radiator in a central heating system or automotive setups, if there’s trapped air in the system, you can have issues, whether in your hot water pipes, cold water pipes, hose pipes, or hot water systems. There are DIY ways to address this, knowing that the air is trying to get to the high points of the system, and can cause issues such as vapor lock with your spout, shower head, garden hose, cold water tap, kitchen

PEX piping, also known as cross-linked polyethylene, comes from different production methods (such as the Peroxide method), and is a form of plumbing tubing that is increasingly being used in commercial and domestic piping systems, for heating and cooling, and insulation for high-voltage electrical cables, even potable water systems. It has become one of the biggest plumbing revelations since the invention of the flush toilet. PEX pipes are being used to replace copper in many plumbing applications, with some estimates placing PEX piping and PEX plumbing as the dominant method of carrying hot water and cold water into and throughout buildings in the next 10 years. There are differences between PEX-A and PEX-B, PEX-C where PEX-A has the highest rate of crosslinking polymers. Many PEX fittings and types can be used for water supply lines and more, all meeting the ASTM standards, and can be used in most home improvement