Life’s unpredictable. Bad things happen to the best of us. Sometimes things are out of our control. Like when water decides to rush onto your kitchen floor. Or if your garbage disposal is completely clogged. It’s important to stay aware of your plumbing, water habits, and if anything seems out of the ordinary. Because you might end up with a plumbing emergency.
Most common plumbing emergencies:
- Clogged sinks
- Leaky faucets
- Broken water lines
- Burst pipes
- No hot water
Think you’re facing a plumbing emergency? Here are some tips to follow while you’re running around for extra towels to soak up the water.
- Shut off your water: Every home has a main water shut-off-valve that cuts off the water supply to your entire home. If you suspect something is wrong with your plumbing, shut off the water to keep the issue from getting worse.
- Determine if it’s a true emergency: If you know where the issue is and can try to contain it, try to wait until a plumber can make a regular house call. However, if the plumbing issue brings your entire home to a stop or your house is under water, you’ll need to call an emergency plumber.
- Is it your responsibility?: The emergency or plumbing issue may not be something you can fix or are responsible for. If you can’t locate the source, call your water company and utility provider. They should be able to tell you if the problem affects just your home or if it’s neighborhood wide.
Give Rodger’s Plumbing a call if you suddenly find yourself with a plumbing issue. Our plumbers are reliable and act as a convenient resource for any and all plumbing solutions. We’ll correctly diagnose the issue and explain it to you in easy to understand language. Often times, our quotes can be given over the phone upon request, and same day service is frequently available!
Spring Cleaning? More Like Spring Plumbing!
Spring is a time for fresh starts, new beginnings, and lots of cleaning! Is plumbing on your to do list? It should be! The following are some helpful tips to ensure your plumbing system is running efficiently all spring long.
Kitchen and Bathrooms
- Check for leaky faucets- repair if necessary
- Make sure all shower and tub drains have strainers to prevent clogging
- Check toilet tank and bowl for cracks or leaks
- Turn the water supply valves under any sinks and toilets to prevent them from getting stuck in one place
- Make sure all toilets flush properly
- Clean shower head in bag of vinegar overnight to get rid of mineral deposits
Water Heater
- Make sure water heater is set to 120° F to reduce energy use and risk of scalding
- Flush water heater to get rid of sediment deposits
- Consider replacing water heaters greater than 10 years old- Rodger’s Plumbing can install your new water heater!
- Remove any flammable materials from the area surrounding the water heater
General
- Check supply hoses in your washing machine, ice maker, or dishwasher for signs of wear and damage- replace if necessary
- Test any drains that don’t get used often- if drains are slow, contact Rodger’s Plumbing for drain cleaning services
- Inspect any exposed pipes for signs of leaks- repair if necessary
- Check sump pump by pouring a few gallons of water into it and making sure it works properly
- Install water leak detection devices
Outside
- Clean out yard drains, gutters, and downspouts
- Make sure plumbing vent pipes are clear
- Ensure that faucets and hoses flow freely
For help with spring plumbing or other plumbing services, call Rodger’s Plumbing today at 972-931-1021!
6 Signs That You Should Replace Your Toilet
You and your family rely on your toilet every day. However, it’s not something that anyone thinks about having to replace. If you are experiencing any of the following signs, it may be time to replace your toilet!
Constant Clogging
Clogging of toilets is not uncommon. However, if your toilet clogs more than once a week or clogging seems random and odd, you should consider replacing your toilet.
Cracks and Puddles of Water
If you notice puddles of water around your toilet, check for cracks in the bowl or tank of the toilet. If the crack is more than a simple leak, the toilet will need to be replaced. Professionals at Rodger’s Plumbing can help make this determination
Your Toilet is Old
Any toilet is likely to have issues after years of use. Newer toilets are more efficient and less expensive to maintain. Toilets made after 1994 use significantly less water. If your toilet was made prior to 1994, it is probably time to upgrade to a new model. You may want to consider a low flush or dual flush toilet, which maximize savings in water use, utility costs, and environmental impact.
Surface Damages
If the surface of your toilet has excessive scratches it can be cosmetically unappealing and difficult to clean. If you have to clean your toilet often, it may be time for a replacement.
You Feel It Wobble
It is not normal for a toilet to wobble or rock! If your toilet is unsteady, call Rodger’s Plumbing as soon as possible to determine the root of the problem.
You Have To Fix It Often
If you regularly call a plumber for toilet repairs, it is probably time to get a new one. Frequent repairs can be costly, so replacing your toilet will save you money in the long run!
The professionals at Rodger’s Plumbing are experts in toilet repair, replacement, and installation. If you have any questions about your toilet or need a plumbing service, call Rodger’s Plumbing at 972-931-1021!
Thinking About an Outdoor Shower? Consider These Plumbing Tips First!
Outdoors showers are becoming increasingly popular and as the weather warms up, the prospect of showering in the fresh air sounds more and more appealing. Outdoor showers are great for washing off beach dwellers and cleaning up grimy gardeners, sweaty little leaguers, and muddy mutts. There are many benefits to having an outdoor shower and you have every reason to make this addition to your home. However, consider these factors before you make the actual installation!
Location and Water Supply
This is the most important issue with outdoor showers! Choosing a location should be your first step. Installing your outdoor shower on a wall adjoining a kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room is your best bet. This is because these rooms already have hot and cold pipes. Although, some homeowners have a specific reason that they want their shower in a different location. For example, you may want the shower by the pool for a post swim rinse or close to the backdoor for easy access after a sweaty jog. If this is important to you, you can make it work. However, when deciding on a location, it is important to consider that piping your water supply to a new area can often get pricey.
Drainage
You should also consider drainage when installing an outdoor shower. Many state or local governments require citizens to dispose of gray water or water contaminated by soaps and shampoos. To keep this grey water from draining into the soil surrounding your shower and possibly contaminating groundwater, you must install an appropriate drainage system. This will be easiest if your location is close to your home’s plumbing and you can drain the contaminated water into an existing line.
Too Hot! Too Cold!
If you want both cold and hot running water in your outdoor shower, you may want to consider installing a pressure-balance valve to prevent scalding. Another huge concern is the ability to drain pipes when the temperature drops outdoors. Water that is trapped inside can freeze and crack pipes. To prevent this from happening, homeowners should install shutoff valves in their home with pipes traveling on a downward slope. It is also a good idea to invest in a shower head and riser that can unscrew to get the maximum amount of water out of the pipes.
Common Causes of Toilet Clogs
Nobody intentionally clogs a toilet but when it does happen it is one of the more embarrassing plumbing mishaps. Clogged toilets can be tricky at times because it can be caused by a variety of reasons. The good news is that most toilet clogs can be avoided altogether by some prevention or can be cleared up within a minute or two. Here are the most common reasons why your toilet might be clogged:
You flushed the wrong stuff
You are taking a risk whenever you flush anything down the toilet that is not human waste and toilet paper. If you are flushing things like tissues, cotton balls, cotton swabs, dental floss, feminine products or diapers, it can get caught in the drain line and won’t be easy to break down and move on.
A jam in the trap
All drain pipes have something called a trap, which is a u-shaped bend in the pipe that remains filled with water. This is meant to prevent foul odors from coming up the pipes, but unfortunately this bend can be easily clogged with stuff such as too much toilet paper.
Ineffective Flapper
If you take the lid off your toilet tank, you should see a round rubber gasket at the bottom. This opens during a flush, which allows the water to run into the bowl. If this flapper does not open fully then you will get a weak flush, making it more difficult for waste to go down the drain.
First steps to recovering from water damage
Whether it’s from a flash flood or a broken pipe, water damage can be one of the most devastating home disasters for a homeowner. Water-damaged possessions are often unsalvageable, cleaning up the mess can be long process, and the threat of mold development can linger for weeks. But with a smart plan, you can make your water damage recovery as painless as possible by following these steps; Put electrical safety first, stop the flow, cover your assets, call help and dry out.
Put electrical safety first
If a flood occurs in your home near any outlets or wiring you should be concerned about electrical safety. If you have a minor leak affecting a small area, you should shut off the circuit breakers that power all wiring and outlets near the leak. Multi-room damage from a major pipe break will necessitate shutting down the entire circuit panel. If you are unsure of how to shut down your breakers you should contact an electrician or your utility server.
Stop the flow
If water is coming from household plumbing, then damages can be getting worse by the second. Make sure that you know where your main water valve is at so that you can turn it off immediately to minimize water damages.
Cover your assets
Once you have eliminated the risk of electrical shock and the flow of water, you should call your homeowners insurance to protect your assets. You should also plan to take photos of all the water damage in your home before beginning cleanup. Failure to do so could result in contested claims that may cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Call Help
If you are willing to put in the work and long hours you can clean up the flood yourself, but it can be a very difficult task. Your best bet would be to hire a water damage remediation company to assist.
Dry out
Remove any standing water with an electric pump and/or a wet/dry shop vac. Take all water damaged items out of the home and sort them into salvageable and unsalvageable piles. Carpeting, carpet padding, paper products, food products and many electronics will be a total loss. Open all windows in damaged areas and use a fan to blow on other areas.
For most of us we count on water heaters to get us through every shower and sink full of dishes. But even the best water heaters are not built to last forever, so in that case we must preempt water heater failure by replacing units that are nearing the ends of their lives. Predicting water heater failure is not the easiest thing to do but these occurrences are most common when a water heater is reaching the end.
Water Heater Age
After years of service, lots of things can begin to go wrong with a hot water heater, such as parts wearing out, corrosion, and tank cracks. Ten years is the life span for most tank heaters. Knowing the age of your water heater is the key to being proactive in your replacement.
Compromised Hot Water Supply
One of the first symptoms of the water heater going is one that you can feel. When the hot water from your shower and taps become cooler than usual or run out faster than before, you know something is going wrong. This could be because of a failing heating element, which a licensed plumber can diagnose or repair.
Rusty Water
You’ll get a full life out of your water heater if you routinely drain it yearly and/or check the anode rod and replace it when necessary. This rod attracts corrosive elements in your water, gradually rusting away so your water heater tank doesn’t have to. If you do not replace this rod before it is used up then these corrosive elements will begin attacking the entire unit.
Leaky Tank
Whether it is due to rust, manufacturing laws, damage or other reasons, water tank heaters can spring a leak on a long timeline. This means you need to check your tank regularly for leaks and stop the earliest signs of dripping.
A clogged drain is one of the most common plumbing issues that can happen in a home. Whether a clogged drain is in your bathroom or kitchen it can be a headache and cause a big mess. Some of the plumbing issues that are caused by clogged drains are slow draining showers or bathtubs, and clothes washers and dishwashers unable to finish their cycle. Nobody likes that feeling of taking that hot shower with water rising up your feet in the tub. A clogged drain can be an easy fix and can also lead to bigger issues if not addressed as quickly as possible.
Signs of a clogged drain:
- If you see or hear your toilet bubbling
- Water backs up to your sink, bathtub, shower, or commode
- Water is coming out from beneath your commode
- Water is slow to drain from your sink, bathtub, shower, or commode
- Bad odor coming from drains
- Puddles of water on the floor near sink, bathtub, shower, commode, or laundry area
- Water coming out of a clean out
Causes of a Clogged Drain around the house:
Kitchen sinks: The build-up of grease, soap, food particles, and ground up food from disposal.
Bathroom sink/tub: The build-up of hair, soap, and toothpaste.
Bathroom toilet: The build-up of toilet paper, wipes, paper towel, and feminine hygiene products.
Air Conditioner Condensation Drains: The build-up with algae, mold, mildew, lime, and minerals
Having plumbing services performed can help avoid any serious issues from occurring. In some instances a drain clog can be severe enough that it can damage your plumbing system. Call Rodgers Plumbing today and have us evaluate your plumbing system.
Did you know that just by installing a new toilet you can save money on your water bill? Older toilets tend to use more water, costing you more on your water bill. A simple repair or a new replacement is beneficial for your bathroom and your wallet. Having a new toilet installed can add value to your bathroom and save you money because many new toilets are environmentally-friendly to conserve water.
There are different types of flushes for different toilets that are installed. These different types of flushes vary in the amount of water used for flush. The Standard Flush uses 1.6 gallons of water per flush, the Dual Flush uses between 1.1 and 1.6 gallons per flush, and the Power Flush uses about 1.0 gallons per flush.
Rodger’s Plumbing can help you with all of your toilet requirements in the surrounding areas of north Dallas, Texas. When you call our plumbing company for toilet repair services we will send a licensed technician to your Dallas, Texas home to inspect your toilets. Rodger’s Plumbing will diligently work to locate the source of the toilet issue. Once the root of the problem is identified, it is our goal to complete the repairs or installations quickly and efficiently. In helping to achieve this, our technicians stock many standard commode parts on their trucks.
Need a new water heater but don’t have enough storage room for a new water heater tank? If you’re tight on space or want to save space for something else you have in mind, you should get a tankless water heater.
Advantages of a Tankless Water Heater:
Tankless water heaters heat without the use of a storage tank which means there is no storage area to keep hot water. They do not produce the energy losses affiliated with storage water heaters. When tap water is turned on cold water travels through the pipe. Either a gas burner or an electric element heats the water for a continuous supply of hot water. Some advantages to a tankless water heater are that it is energy efficient, space saving, longer lifespan than conventional tanks, no cold showers, and continuous hot water.
Other Factors to Consider:
Although there are a lot of advantages that outweigh the disadvantages of a tankless water heater there are a few things to keep in mind. The unit itself can be more expensive than a tank unit. The installation cost is also usually greater because of the changes that need to be made to the area when converting from a traditional tank. You may need to increase the size of the gas line to supply enough fuel to the unit. You may also need to add an electrical outlet for both gas and electric models.