Ask Joe the Plumber!

• My water bill is extremely high but I can't see anything leaking, dripping, or running.
  What should I do?
• My copper plumbing is leaking. Does this indicate the entire water system needs to be re-piped?
• There is water coming out on the floor near my bathroom. Where is it coming from?
• Whenever my dishwasher or washing machine drains my toilets gurgle and bubble, and/or water comes up in my shower/bathtub. Why?
• I have been told there are roots growing into my sewer line. How do I remedy this?
• My kitchen sink is not draining properly. What treatments can I purchase to fix this?
• Recently I've noticed that we run out of hot water after a very short time in the shower. What causes this?
• I have a tank-type water heater that is not working very well. Could I have it replaced with a tankless water heater?
• When I flush my toilet, the water just swirls in the bowl and doesn't empty the contents. It doesn't overflow though. What causes this?
• I live in a house that was built in the mid-90's. We have to flush our toilets 2 or 3 times before everything is gone and we have to leave plungers by the toilets, if you know what I mean. What can be done about this?
• I have a toilet that moves on the floor when used or brushed against. Is this cause for concern?

 

 

My water bill is extremely high but I can't see anything leaking, dripping, or running. What should I do?
Shine a flashlight into your toilet bowls. Look for any movement in the water. This is the most common cause of elevated water consumption. ALL PRO PLUMBING can eliminate this problem quickly and efficiently.

If your toilets are not running, check your exterior hose faucets. Quite often when a garden hose is left attached to the hose bibb one o may not notice that water is leaking into the ground. If you can not turn off the hose faucet with ease, call ALL PRO to repair or replace the faucet. DO NOT USE PLIERS!

Having eliminated these two possibilities, check your water meter. When there is no water being used, there should be no movement on the meter dial. (There are usually little "leak detector" dials on the meter that show any water usage. If the meter dial(s) are moving, turn off the main water valve at the building. (DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TURN OFF THE VALVE AT THE METER! This valve belongs to the water company.) Your main valve should be in the area of the nearest extermior hose faucet, either on the wall or in the ground below. Close this valve. Make sure it is closed completely by opening a faucet. Check the meter again. If the dial has stopped, the leak is somewhere inside the building. If the meter still moves the leak is outside. Call ALL PRO for your free no-obligation diagnosis and estimate for repair. Return to Questions

 

My copper plumbing is leaking. Does this indicate the entire water system needs to be re-piped?
NO! Let us inspect your plumbing to see if "re-piping" is your best option. This is a FREE service. Depending on the leak, condition and type of water system, "re-piping" may not be necessary. Return to Questions

 

There is water coming out on the floor near my bathroom. Where is it coming from?
Any number of places: water piping, toilet seal, shower pan, shower head arm, drain piping, A/C condensate, rof leak, etc. Does the water show up constantly or only when one of the fixtures is used? Which fixture? Is the A/C air handler near by? Is it in use? Is it raining?

Assuming what is causing the leak can be frustrating, time consuming and very costly. ALL PRO PLUMBING will diagnose it for you and let you know what the repair will cost. Did I mention this a free service from ALL PRO PLUMBING? Return to Questions

 

Whenever my dishwasher or washing machine drains my toilets gurgle and bubble, and/or water comes up in my shower/bathtub. Why?
The first thing to understand is that, in most cases, there is only one main drain pipe going out of the building. Everything eventually connects to this one drain. Water drains downhill by gravity. A blockage or restriction in the main sewer line would manifest itself in the LOWEST part of the system, i.e., bathtub, shower, floor mounted mop sink. Toilets will "gurgle" due to their design and may or may not overflow initially. The blockage can be eliminated by snaking the drain or high pressure water jet cleaning. ALL PRO PLUMBING excels at these services. Return to Questions

 

I have been told there are roots growing into my sewer line. How do I remedy this?
Repair or replace the sewer. Anything else could be ineffective, illegal, or temporary.

Root invasion proves that the line is broken. Be wary of any chemical or herbicide treatments as they may be illegal and the fines astronomical. Once again ALL PRO PLUMBING will be happy to provide you with a FREE estimate for repair or replacement. We also offer Full Color Sewer Camera Inspection, DVD Recording and Electronic Line Location to pinpoint the problem area often saving thousands of dollars spent on unnecessary replacements. Return to Questions

 

My kitchen sink is not draining properly. What treatments can I purchase to fix this?
Beward of chemicals! Caustic liquids or crystal drain cleaning solutions often do more harm than good. Kitchen clogs are most often caused by grease and/or soap build-up. Caustics can react with these and make the clog even worse. They also can damage the piping depending on the age and condition of the system. MOST IMPORTANT: These chemicals can HURT YOU! Is it worth it? ALL PRO PLUMBING will remedy this symptom cleanly, effectively and safely. Return to Questions

 

Recently I've noticed that we run out of hot water after a very short time in the shower. What causes this?
There are several reasons why you may run out of hot water. The most prevalent is when you have an electric tank type water heater. Most electric water heaters have two heating elements: one near the top of the tank and one closer to the bottom. These elements do not come on at the same time. The top one comes on first and when it reaches temperature, power is switched to the lower element. Not enough hot water is usually caused by the lower element being burned out, the lower thermostat malfunction, or the upper thermostat not switching power to the lower element.

If you plan to try to diagnose this yourself, TURN OFF THE POWER to the water heater! There are numerous other less frequent causes. ALL PRO PLUMBING service technicians are all fully qualified to diagnose the cause and provide you with the final cost prior to performing the work. Return to Questions

 

I have a tank type water heater that is not working very well. Could I have it replaced with a tankless water heater?
ABSOLUTELY! Tankless water heaters are very energy efficient and, depending on the make and type, will pay for themselves over time.

There are a number of things to consider. Electric tankless water heaters are not as efficient as gas tankless water heaters, and the installation is often more expensive for electric models. It is necessary to have three 30 amp or 40 amp circuits available for an electric tankless type. Is your electric service adequate for this additional power requirement? How much wll your electrician charge you for this upgrade? Do you have gas, either natural or propane, available? Is the location of your present water heater suitable for a gas tankless water heater and its required venting?

If you do not have gas available, contact a local gas supplier to see what it would take to provide it. Often gas companies will provide the service at a very low rate so you will buy your gas from them. This is a good thing. ALL PRO PLUMBING can survey your property to determine which installation may be best for you. We recommend "Rinnai" gas tankless water heaters. They are the leaders in their field. They have units that may be mounted outside (freeing up that space in the garage). They offer lengthy warranties, and their units are easily repaired by our qualified technicians. Return to Questions

 

When I flush my toilet the water just swirls in the bowl and doesn't empty the contents. It doesn't overflow though. What causes this?
Sounds like a "water transfer" problem. This means the water is not transferring from the tank to the bowl with enough force to evacuate the bowl. This is caused bby deposits in the rim and incoming flushways of the bowl. Quite often these deposits are from dissolving tank cleaners. Remove the cleaners from the tank. (An inside our plastic bag is great for this so you don't end up with blue fingers for a week.) Run a lot of clear water through the tank into the bowl to wash out these deposits. If this doesn't work, give us a call and we'll send a technician to discuss other options. Return to Questions

 

I live in a house that was built in the mid 90's. We have to flush our toilets 2 or 3 times before everything is gone and we have to leave plungers by the toilets, if you know what I mean. What can be done about this?
This is a problem that we run into often and, yes, I do know what you mean. In the early 90's the Federal Government required that all new toilets utilize 1.6 gallons of water or less per flush. Toilet manufacturers scrambled to comply. The results were, and still are, horrific. There are certain alterations that can be performed on some of these toilets to improve their performance. Unfortunately, the toilets may have to be replaced in order to put the plungers back in the garage where they belong. It will cost you nothing for us to come take a look and offer the solution. Return to Questions

I have a toilet that moves on the floor when used or brushed against. Is this cause for concern?
Yes. Your toilet is connected to the drainage system by two bolts holding the bowl to a flange below. This connection is made water and gas tight by means of a wax seal. If the toilet is not securely mounted to the floor it can move and shift causing that wax seal to be broken. This can result in water and waste leakage and allow sewer gases to escape into the building. (You may experience a foul odor.) The remedy is usually faily easy and inexpensive when performed by one of our service technicians.

If you have any other questions, please e-mail me, the real Joe the Plumber! Return to Questions