Plumbing Questions Frequently Asked Of A Plumber | Mesa, AZ
Photo By asbe at istock
Unless you happen to be a professional plumber or are married to one, you probably don’t think about the plumbing in your home. Of course, if you are a plumber you are probably not reading this blog anyhow, but for everyone else who is, you will notice your plumbing system for sure when there is an issue. Your plumbing system is one of the hardest working systems within your home, and you want to make sure you treat it right.
Just like any other home system, it is a good idea to book an annual plumbing system inspection with a local Mesa, AZ plumbing company. An annual inspection is the best way to spot minor problems before they become major issues that have you on the phone with an emergency plumbing company in the middle of the night.
Usually, there are signs of impending issues if you know how to look for them. Sometimes for more acute issues, you find yourselves smack dab in the middle of an issue when it’s too late to get out of it. For instance, when your toilet starts overflowing or you walk into the basement and notice that your floor drain is spewing wastes. Believe it or not, a regular plumbing inspection can help prevent a lot of these issues.
In the meantime, we hear a lot of the same questions over and over again from our customers, so we thought it may be helpful to compile a list. If you have a question, or just want to educate yourself a bit more on your home plumbing, take a minute to read over this list of most common questions that professionals get asked. You may be surprised, and at the very least more informed by the end.
What Is and Isn’t Safe for My Garbage Disposal?
If there is any appliance in your home that a plumber would get rid of, it’s the garbage disposal. The garbage disposal is a unique idea and can be safe to use when used currently, but the main problem is most homeowners don’t know how to use it correctly. This is why so many plumbing companies get called out to deal with backups and clogs that are related to garbage disposals.
Unlike what you may think, garbage disposals do not have sharp razor-edged teeth that can destroy anything. They rely on blunt blades that mash and rip items at a high speed. Therefore, they can only mash-up soft debris. Items that are okay to put down the disposal include mashed potatoes, eggs, cooked carrots, etc.
Things that should not go down the garbage disposal are extremely porous or fibrous items such as eggshells, noodles, coffee grounds, grease, or oils. All of these things will expand once they get into your pipes leading to clogs over time. Grease and oil in particular are issues because they will build up in the pipes and lead to heavy clogs. Unless you want to call a plumber out to your home for help, stick to soft food that you would feed a baby. If you wouldn’t give it to a toddler, it shouldn’t go down the drain.
Why Is the Toilet Always Running?
The top question of all time among all plumbers is probably why does the toilet keep running? No one likes a running toilet, but at some point in your life, you will probably have to deal with a running toilet. Most of the time there is a simple solution like the flapper is not properly closing or the handle needs to be jiggled to get the string back in place. However, sometimes the flapper needs to be replaced which a professional can easily handle for you.
Why Are We Always Out of Hot Water?
If you are always running out of hot water and are not heavily using your hot water, then there is a good chance something is wrong with your water heater. While we know it’s not the answer you want to hear, a visit from a plumbing service may be able to fix it. There are a lot of hot water heater issues that can actually be fixed with routine inspection.
It is possible that your problem falls into this group. Over time sediment tends to collect on the bottom of the water tank which can inhibit the function of the tank. A plumber can flush your tank to remove the sediment and improve the function of your water heater. As a bonus, you will probably save money on your energy bills since your water heater will start heating more efficiently.
Can I Use Chemical Drain Cleaners If It’s Just One Time?
Would you eat a poisonous mushroom just one time? The problem with chemical drain cleaners is they are highly corrosive, and any amount of use is too much. Take a look at the back of any chemical drain cleaner and it will likely tell you that it’s not safe to use in the toilet, bath with children, around pets, and you should always wear gloves.
That eliminates pretty much any of the uses that most people have for them, but since most people don’t read warnings they dump them down the drain to fix a clog. Then the plumber has to clean up the emergency that happens next. The main problem with chemical drain cleaners is that they eat away at everything, including your pipes. A chemical cannot eat away, so it will coordinate your drain lines from the inside out. If you have a clog, always skip the drain cleaner and call a plumber instead. Schroeder Plumbing of Mesa, AZ is always happy to help out our local customers with any clogs or other plumbing issues. Give us a call and we will have a plumber out to your home in no time.
