Plumbing tips for homes and businesses in New Tripoli, PA, and surrounding areas

Inspect your washing machine hose

According to recent statistics, the average household washes 50 pounds of laundry a week and 6,000 articles of clothing every year. As a household essential, a washing machine should undergo regular inspection to avoid future issues. Specifically, your washing machine hose should be inspected for cracks, leaks or bulging. It’s also a good idea to replace your washing machine hose every three years.

Know how to take care of your garbage disposal

The garbage disposal is the workhorse of the kitchen but is a surprisingly delicate piece of machinery. If you have one in your home, it’s important to know the do’s and don’ts to extend the life of your disposal. To begin, run the garbage disposal every few days with cold water. Don’t put anything other than food scraps (including animal bones, grease, fat, glass or plastic) in your disposal. Break up large items before sending them through the garbage disposal. Most importantly, be careful when trying to remove something from your garbage disposal. Make sure the unit is turned off and unplugged before reaching in, and use something other than your hand to retrieve the item.

Inspect your pipes

Regularly examine the exposed pipes in your basement and under sinks. If you see cracks, rusting, buckling or signs of leaks, it’s time to have your pipes inspected by a professional plumber. A leak can easily go unnoticed and, over time, it can cause hundreds to thousands of dollars in damage to your home.

Invest in surge protectors

Power outages, often caused by severe weather, can cause a great deal of damage and expense to your equipment and appliances. If you have valuable water treatment equipment at home such as a water softener or acid neutralizer, it may be a good idea to plug these into a surge protector. This can help prevent any potential damage to expensive plumbing equipment.

Flush your water heater

An easy way to extend the life of your water heater is to drain the tank annually to remove any sediment or buildup. Tank buildup causes a water heater to work harder to heat the water, using more energy and costing you more money in the long run.

Most water heaters come with manuals that provide detailed instructions on flushing out your tank. The process should take about 20-25 minutes to complete.

Maintain your home filtration system

To keep your water fresh, tasty and clean, make sure that you are maintaining your home water filtration system. Whether that is a whole home carbon filtration system, water softener or acid neutralizer, these systems should be inspected and serviced at least once a year to ensure optimal operation.

Here are a few signs that could mean it’s time to service your system:

Poor water flow: If you notice poor water pressure, your sediment filter could be clogged and full of dirt and debris.

Bad taste or smell: You may need to replace your carbon filter to ensure that it is removing contaminants including chlorine and heavy metals.

Spotty dishes: Your water softener may be low on salt or perhaps the timer needs to be readjusted. Either way, your water is not cleaning as efficiently because of hardness.

Blue or green stains on plumbing fixtures: These signs mean it’s time to have your acid neutralizer serviced. The stains are caused by corroding and/or dissolving pipes, which could eventually lead to leaks.

Annual maintenance of your home’s water filtration system is an effective and inexpensive way to maintain your family’s health while enjoying the benefits of good drinking water.

Signs you may need a new well pump

Many Lehigh Valley residents rely on well water, and no one wants to wake up to no water in their home. How do you spot the signs of a well pump that’s on its last legs?

Intermittent loss of water flow: Does your faucet sputter when you turn it on? This means there is air in your system, which may be caused by a malfunctioning pump or a break in the water pipe. A qualified plumber will be able to help diagnose the issue.

A noisy water tank: A noisy tank is often a sign of a failed pressure tank bladder, which can negatively affect your well pump’s electric motor over time and reduce its overall life expectancy. If you are hearing clicking noises coming from your pressure tank, it’s important to let your plumber know so that the issue can be corrected.

High utility bills: If your well pump is constantly running and driving up your energy consumption, a rise in your electric bill could signal a failing well pump.

Although the life span of a well pump can depend on several factors, with proper maintenance of your home’s water system, the average life expectancy of a well pump could be between 8 to 10 years.

Regularly check your system’s salt levels

Check your water softener’s brine tank. If your salt level is too low, your softener won’t be able to function. The result is hard water that leaves chalky white residue on fixtures and leaves skin and hair feeling sticky and dry.

Don’t flush single-use wipes down the toilet

These so-called flushable wipes take a much longer time to disintegrate than toilet paper – in fact, in some studies, some of these wipes NEVER disintegrate. This can cause toilet or pipe blockages, which may be an expensive fix.

In addition to blockages, these wipes can also cause damage to your sewer pump by grabbing the impellers of the pump, causing it to burn out. “Fatbergs” – a solid formed by the combination of non-biodegradable solids including wipes and cooking grease – can cause further damage to your pipes and municipal water treatment systems.

Don’t treat your toilet like a trash can. Save your pipes, don’t flush wipes.

Stay away from chemical drain cleaners

Having issues with a clogged drain? Don’t use a chemical drain cleaner to solve the problem.

Chemical drain cleaners will eat away at whatever they touch – including your pipes. Use too much of these products and you may find yourself facing expensive pipe repairs or replacements. Worse yet, if the cleaner does not clear the clogged drain, it can sit in your pipes for months or years, which could potentially cause a dangerous situation.

What should you do instead? Try using a trusted handy-dandy plunger. You can also try pouring half a cup of baking soda and white vinegar down the clogged drain. Allow the solution to sit for at least a half hour and then rinse with hot water.

Go easy on using chlorine in your toilet tank

Did you know using chlorine products inside of your toilet tank reduces the life of your toilet flapper?  The chlorine softens the flapper over time and distorts its shape, which eventually ruins the seal and leads to a constantly running toilet.

Consider this: if your toilet tank is constantly refilling at a rate of 120 drips of water per minute, this will equal 6,307 gallons of water annually.

Take note of gurgling

Have you noticed your toilet gurgling after flushing? This could be a sign of a clog and could be simply corrected with a plunger. If your toilet continues gurgling even after rigorous plunging, it may be time to call a plumbing professional.

If more than one toilet in your home is gurgling, it is definitely time to call a plumbing professional, as this is a symptom of a clogged main drain line.

Clean your shower head

Is there anything more satisfying than taking a hot shower after a grueling day of work? That’s why poor water pressure in the shower can be so frustrating. The solution might be simpler than you think – just give your shower head a quick cleaning.

Shower heads can accumulate mineral deposits from hard water over time. You can easily clean your shower head by unscrewing the detachable shower head and soaking it in a bowl of vinegar for at least eight hours. You can then scrub remaining deposits away with a toothbrush or a toothpick. This can help improve the flow of water through your shower head.

If this doesn’t do the trick, it may be time for a new shower head.

Be prepared for a plumbing emergency

Modern plumbing is a luxury we often forget about until there is a problem. Here are some key things you can do to avoid a plumbing disaster:

1) Locate your main shutoff valve. When several gallons of water are pouring into your home because of a burst or leaking pipe, the last thing you want to do is search your house for the shutoff valve. Most shutoff valves can be found in the basement or crawl space of the home.

2) Locate your water heater breaker. If you are experiencing a significant leak issue and have turned off the water to your home, make sure you also turn off your water heater to prevent damage to the unit. If you have a gas water heater, remember to shut off the gas supply before turning off the unit.

3) Be prepared for a plumbing issue cleanup. Keep a large bucket handy, along with several old towels and rags. Oftentimes, when a plumbing emergency strikes, a mop is not enough.

4) Have the phone number of a reliable plumbing professional handy! That number is 610-756-3069.

In a time when personal hygiene is paramount, consider installing a plumbing fixture with the term “germ-free” in mind.

It should come as no surprise that the two germiest surfaces in your home are your kitchen and bathroom faucets. Touchless faucets were specifically designed to reduce the spread of germs. With a wave of the hand, these faucets can be turned on or off.

Touchless faucets can also reduce water waste by using automatic shutoff features.