Welcome to Ready & Able, formerly known as David LeRoy Plumbing! Although our name and brand have changed, we are still here to serve you and all of your plumbing, heating, cooling, and air quality needs!
What plumbing issues have you experienced this year? Home plumbing systems typically present the same or similar problems to all homeowners. We’ve gathered the top plumbing repair questions we’ve heard from clients over the years to provide a guide to addressing those headaches. The following list includes causes and solutions for common plumbing emergencies and both minor and major plumbing problems.
You remembered to pack your toothbrush. The in-laws are taking care of the dog. You double checked the stove. It’s off. You triple checked the doors. They’re locked. Your checklist is complete, and you’re ready to leave for your long-awaited vacation. Did you forget anything? What about the water?
Many homeowners don’t include water shut-off as part of their vacation prep list, but they should. It’s true, the water system should be fine while you are away, but “should” and “will” are two different things. Just because no one will use the faucets while you’re gone doesn’t mean pipes won’t leak or burst.
Consider the consequences. While you’re away, even a small leak or other issues such as plumbing problems from water backing up can prove disastrous. Left unchecked, these issues will continue to pour water into your home for days or weeks, depending on how long you are away. You don’t want to receive a phone call from your neighbors that a river is flowing into your driveway while you’re lying on the beach hundreds of miles from home.
To prevent these types of scenarios, simply shut off the water to your home before you leave. This will limit the amount of damage any major plumbing problems can cause while you are gone. This step isn’t a must to enjoy your vacation, but it will provide additional peace of mind and could save your home from a flood.
If you’ve never shut off the water to your home, you probably don’t know where to locate your main water shut-off valve. This piece of information is important to have, since you may need to shut off your water in a hurry during an emergency.
If you experience a burst pipe or need to make repairs to a leak, shutting off the water to the house may be the first logical step. If you are going to be out of town, it’s also a good idea to shut off the water to ensure your home is flood-free when you return.
Locating your main water shut-off valve shouldn’t require much detective work, but you may need to search a bit. Follow these clues:
Have you ever poured yourself a glass of water from the tap and noticed the liquid looks more like milk than water? If you are experiencing cloudy water, it’s due to one of three reasons:
You’re sitting in your dining room, and suddenly the light globe above you starts to fill with water. You’re standing in your kitchen, and the recessed light over your sink suddenly turns into a shower faucet. What’s going on?
Often, walls and flooring hide small leaks, making them undetectable. The first detectable sign might be when the water finds its way through the floor into the light fixture. If this happens, you have a leak somewhere nearby. This is a common plumbing emergency. Take the following steps to correct it.
You’re preparing for winter, and you want to prevent cracked pipes. Your home is equipped with a “frost-free” spigot, so you figure the hose is one less thing you have to worry about. This isn’t true.
When you use your hose, water gets trapped in the line going to the spigot. This water remains once you’ve shut off the hose. When the temperature drops, this water freezes and causes the pipes to crack.
With a frost-free spigot, the cracking still occurs, but it usually happens behind the washer, inside your house. A non-frost-free spigot reveals cracks immediately, while frost-free spigots can make the problem less noticeable right away. Water may pour into your home while you are outside, unaware.
To prevent these issues, remove the hose before winter. For further protection, use the spigot’s shut-off valve, located inside your home. If you don’t have one, a plumber can install one for you.
You thought you budgeted well this month for your utilities. Then your water bill arrived. You were shocked. What happened? If you’ve noticed a recent spike in your water bill or have always had high water bills, this could be due to several factors. Some are major plumbing problems, and others are minor issues that are easily fixed. Consider the following:
7. Why Are My Pipes Banging When I Use My Appliance?Is laundry day starting to sound like a percussion band? Modern appliances often work so quickly they cause pipes to jerk as the water pressure changes. If the pipes are not fastened tightly, they may move around and cause banging noises. If this banging continues, it can wear out the pipes and cause damage. It’s also very annoying to listen to.
To prevent the pipes from banging, you can do one of three things:
Homeowners can use a variety of methods to treat their water. A well pump UV light is an effective method to treat water for bacterial organisms. The UV light kills 99.9 percent of biological contaminants, including bacteria, protozoa and viruses.
This light works by removing living organisms from the water by passing it through the UV rays. This passage alters the organisms’ DNA to prevent them from reproducing and leaves them inert. Installed at the point of entry, UV light is an effective way to remove biological contaminants from the water entering your home.
Have you noticed an unpleasant odor drifting through your home? You didn’t burn dinner. You just cleaned the house. Still, for some reason, your home smells like the sewer. You can try to cover up the stench with scented candles, but this probably isn’t the best solution. This smell is typically caused by one of three reasons:
Quest piping is a brand name for polybutylene piping. This is also commonly referred to as poly pipe. This type of piping was used in the construction of homes in the late 1970s through the mid-1990s. Builders and plumbers now know not to use this product, but it is still present in many structures from this era and can cause plumbing problems in old homes.
The problem with this product is its lack of durability. The pipe wears away from within as it is exposed to oxidants present in our water systems. Because it deteriorates from the inside, it is nearly impossible to detect any issues. The pipe usually looks fine from the outside, then suddenly leaks or bursts.
Even a professional inspector can’t usually determine from the outside if these pipes are in good condition. There are no warning signs of an imminent leak. The water tears away at the inside until one day you have a leak. Unfortunately, the leak is usually serious, since much of the pipe has deteriorated by then.
Do you have additional questions or need further assistance with plumbing repairs? Don’t hesitate to contact the experts at Ready & Able Inc. Our technicians are available to assist you with everything from plumbing issues in the shower to the kitchen sink.
Don’t fret over when to call a plumber for a clogged drain. Our team is happy to help with issues big and small. Reach our local experts for quality service at (717) 978-9879 or contact us online. Our emergency services are available 24/7.
Welcome to Ready & Able, formerly known as David LeRoy Plumbing! Although our name and brand have changed, we are still here to serve you and all of your plumbing, heating, cooling, and air quality needs!