Archive for October, 2016

Water Pressure Problems Shouldn’t Be Ignored

October 31, 2016Water PressureLeave a comment

Whenever you are dealing with a household plumbing issue, it’s important to note that it is important. Meaning that you shouldn’t ignore something that is out of the ordinary, especially when your dealing with water pressure related concerns. You need to know what you’re dealing with and what the causes are to your home. You must diagnose and fix water pump problems. Whether it is no water pressure, low water pressure, water system noises, or just about any other well pump trouble diagnosis and repair.

High water pressure is major cause of leaks, pipe damage, and wasted water. What you want to do is learn how to detect it, prevent it, and fix it.

Water pressure that is too high can cause annoying and expensive damage.

Symptoms of water pressure induced problems include leaks in multiple fixtures in the home, leaks that only appear intermittently – like at night, and toilets running occasionally without being used.

Excessive water pressure can also be a result of thermal expansion of the water within the home, even when the pressure entering the water supply is within the desired range. You home’s plumbing spends most of its time as a closed container. Then, as the water heater heats the water, it expands slightly causing an increase in pressure. A thermal expansion tank within the home’s water system absorbs these slight volume changes and prevents pressure fluctuations that can cause system damage. Here are some vital things you can do when dealing with water pressure problems.

Make sure the water meter is on all the way. Some of the time, when individuals make repairs they walk out on gradually and a little at once yet then neglect to backpedal and turn the water on whatever remains of the way. On the off chance that you have as of late had a repair done and are presently seeing a diminishment in the entire home water weight check the meter or other water stop regions like the primary stop where the water may have been closed off

Check the principle water stop valves which can be in a couple places like one on your side of the water meter and another at the front of the house with the hose tucker or in colder territories the water regularly comes up in the carport (once in a while close or under the water warmer). Ensure these valves are on the distance. In the event that they are entryway valves turn every one of them the way counter clockwise and on the off chance that they are ball valves they ought to go the heading on the pipe (parallel) when they are completely open.

Another regular reason for home water weight issues can be the weight controller. At the point when the weight controller comes up short it can now and then cause an expansive increment in weight or the inverse an enormous reduction in the weight to your home. This certainly could bring about low home water weight and you would see the adjustment in every one of the installations. In spite of the fact that a weight controller can some of the time be coordinated with a substitution that is a similar brand and size as a rule is it better to call an expert and have them deal with it.

To conclude water pressure is an important aspect within homes and you should pay attention to it on a continuous basis. It’s important to also note the anticipated water pressure in a home. Residential water pressure should not exceed 80 pounds per square inch, or psi, and outdoor irrigation systems typically have a water pressure of 30 to 50 psi. Sometimes water is supplied to houses at 100 or even 150 psi.

How To Protect Your Outside Hose From The Winter

October 24, 2016winterLeave a comment

Many people are familiar with faucets inside our homes. In the kitchen, in the bathroom, etc. But many of us probably forget that faucets are also located outside. With this in mind, we must protect those faucets as the cold winter season is just nearly approaching. Why is it important to protect your faucet? Well, because most likely with the cold weather it could frost and that means your pipes could burst due to the fact that water expands when it freezes. If you want to winterize your faucet here are some tips that can help protect your outside faucet.

Your going to want to head to your basement and search for the shutoff valve, which is located closest to the outdoor tap. When you find it close it. Simple and easy as that. Then you’re going to want to go back outside, disconnect the hose and store it. Then you will have the outdoor tap for the winter closed and far away from the cold. Now you don’t have to stress and you can enjoy the warmth inside your home or with a nice warm tea beside the fire.

Now if you have a frost-free tap things are even easier for you (which is your lucky day) You will close off the outdoor valve and then disengage your hose and store it. Two simple and easy steps that will save you a nightmare. By disconnecting the hose guarantees that drainage can occur smoothly. If you leave the hose connected this will ensure that your faucet will freeze, which you obviously don’t want to happen.

If you really want to protect your outdoor faucet you might also want to consider insulation. This is the last step to winterize outdoor faucets, which will protect them with insulation. An easy way to do this is to install a hose bib cover on each outdoor fixture including frost-free hose bibs. Hose bib covers are square or dome shaped to fit right over outdoor faucets. They are made of thick foam so they are quite efficient at keeping most of the cold away from the valve. When covering regular hose bibs that could not be drained extra insulation can be installed inside the hose bib cover to keep it warm and dry throughout the winter. In most situations, nonetheless, the hose bib cover will provide enough insulation, which will keep you worry free.

At the end of the day instilling these steps into your routine, because when the cold winter arrives, it will save you money and a headache. You will save yourself the replacement costs of a burst pipe. Don’t make the common homeowner mistake of allowing your hose to freeze. Exercising extra caution is always a smart thing to do. It is better to be safe than sorry.

The Impact of Leaky Gutters on Your Home

October 20, 2016Leaky GuttersLeave a comment

Do you have a leaking gutter? Then you’ll want to pay attention closely. Leaking gutters can be an expensive crisis for homeowners. Gutters work to direct water away from your windows, siding, foundation, and other vulnerable parts of your home. When your gutters are leaking, they are not doing their job, and this can result in damage to your roof, which can result in roof problems.

Gutters are a significant part of every home and building. It guarantees that rainwater is moved away from the building safely to a drainage area. In heavy rain and snowfall, gutters get blocked due to heavy flowing water and other dirt. This accumulated dirt on the gutter includes leaves, tree branches, debris, needles, and seeds.

Water is one of the utmost causes of external and internal damage to building and walls. It is very necessary that guttering systems must be well maintained and cleaned regularly for safe living. Water is the worst enemy of the home walls and ceilings. Water saturation can lead to many unseen problems and to home and your pockets. A clogged gutter stops your gutter system from working properly and allows water to pour over the sides of your gutters. Blocked and damaged gutters will overflow, leaking inside the wall surfaces causing damage to walls and ceilings. Water saturation on the roof can cause structural and architectural damage to the building.

Install gutter guards to keep surplus debris out of your gutters and roof. Gutter guards highly effective in preventing the leaves and other debris that can clog downspouts and avoid water to flow. Aluminum gutter guards are popular to prevent the occurrence of gutter cleaning and maintenance.

Some typical gutter problems consist of roof leaks and water damage. Mold and fungus growth on gutters caused by standing and penetrating water. Standing water causes wood to rot and harm the walls and ceilings. It Encourages mosquito breeding and birds can create a nest in free space. Backed-up gutters cause rust to the wall and gutters. And lastly, soil erosion and heavy water damage.

Overflowing or leaking gutters give a sign that the gutter system is not working properly. Keep the downspouts free flowing and let water flow down from roof to the ground. Gutters filled up with leaves and litter can put heavy load, which can harm the gutter system. In the heavy rain and ice, water will quickly fill the gutter causing them to overflow. Due to the load of ice, water and leaves gutter system can collapse causing damage to your house. Gutter guards help to keep dirt, leaves and debris out of the gutter and avoid water damage troubles.

When leaves and other debris get trapped in the gutters, due to blockage water it restricts flow. This can lead water to spill over the sides of your gutters and in addition, it can cause damage to your roof, gutter system, landscaping, basement and building. Water overflow can lead to basement flooding. So evidently, clogged gutters prevent water from draining from the roof to the ground leading water to overflow.

After installing gutter guards the risk of water damage and gutter subsidy is reduced. You can hire a professional and expert team of gutter cleaners to clean your gutters and stay away from water problems in all seasons. You need to check the downspout and ensure water is getting through the pipe to a safe area. Gutter preservation and cleaning must be done to get prepared for rain and snowfall. Avoid climbing on the ladder to clean the gutters, as it is dangerous and you can get injured.

Furthermore, make sure to take care of your gutters by cleaning them otherwise you are just asking for a nightmare. Just like anything you own you want to keep it in good shape and that means taking care of it. So exactly how often should you clean your gutters? At Anta Plumbing we believe that gutters should be cleaned twice a year, at the beginning of fall and at the beginning of spring. If you clean the gutters at the beginning of fall, the leaves will still be dry and easier to remove, which will save you a headache and make your life easier, since lets face it- no one wants to clean leaves out of the gutter, but if it’s a little easier it won’t be so bad.

Signs When It’s Time To Change Your Toilet

October 17, 2016ToiletLeave a comment

Many people probably don’t look at their toilets as appliances, but it is. And just like your appliances, toilets also have to be replaced. But how do you know when it is time to replace your toilet? Perhaps you are noticing maintenance issues. Maybe your not sure if your toilet needs to be replaced. If you watch out for particular warning signs then these can be indicators that you need a new toilet.

Enormously typical clogs from excess or unsuitable flushed items can mean nightmare-inducing overflows and repellent plunging and mopping experiences. Though older low flush toilet technology can contribute to this experience and may make you wary, rest assured that toilet technology and water savings have improved tremendously in recent years. If you find yourself plunging due to arbitrary stoppages about once a week, it’s time to hang up the plunger. If you’re certain it’s stoppage associated, and have tried a plunger, call a plumber. Plumbing to tackle those tough clogs and getting your toilet back in working order is the least stressful thing to do.

Constant running or spontaneous refills typically indicate a worn or damaged flapper, or an improperly adjusted float. Flappers are simple and inexpensive to replace as well as easy to diagnose with a simple dye test. If the flapper doesn’t leak, make sure the water level is not too high and running into the excess pipe by adjusting the float. Cracks or leaks in old floats in need of replacement may also cause this issue. Be certain to address leak issues quickly to avoid the nightmare and mess upon receiving your next utility bill. Why stress when you can clean up the mess?

Low water levels could stop your toilet from flushing properly. You can simply take a look in your tank and see if it is filling to proper levels. One inch from the top of the overflow tube to be exact. You can do this with the assistance of a screwdriver on valve style mechanisms. If this isn’t the case, grab a wire coat hanger, being careful not to scratch the bowl, and try loosening waste in the holes or jet with the aid of a small mirror.

Leaks, bad seals, broken flanges, and unseen hairline cracks are most frequently ignored until the floor around your toilet begins to soften. Damage to flooring adjacent to your toilet and a general spongy feel to the floor. If not addressed, possible mold, rot, and structural damage can occur. If you notice flooring damage, contact a plumber for diagnosis. A broken flange may cause leaks. If this is not the case, you may simply need a new wax ring. However, if these fixes do not address the situation, you may be dealing with a hairline crack. If your toilet is old and you’ve already removed it from the floor, it’s a great time to consider an upgrade for water savings and avoiding expensive and widespread forthcoming repairs. The least amount of repairs the better.

Overall, we most definitely take our toilets for granted. If we didn’t have them then how would we dispose our waste? So be kind to your toilet and make sure to take the measurable steps to get it replaced if needed. Here are some interesting facts on the toilet that are surprising, but at the same time make sense. They are provided by List Verse. The average person spends three whole years of their life sitting on the toilet. The first toilet cubicle e in a row is the least used (and consequently cleanest). An approximate 2.6 billion people worldwide do not have access to proper toilet facilities, particularly in rural areas of China and India. To finish, the toilet is flushed more time during the super bowl halftime than at any time during the year.

How to Save Money And Improve Your Comfort At Home

October 11, 2016Home Energy SavingLeave a comment

As summer is now officially over we are all starting to feel the cold weather approaching, which means your heating costs will be susceptible to increase. Of course, there are ways that you can limit costs and save energy during the wintertime. There are some efficient ways that you can save energy as the season starts to change. At the end of the day it is the simple choices that homeowners make that will result in the biggest impact. Here are some that you can use that will save you energy and money.

Replacing worn weatherstripping. Worn and torn weatherstripping around doors and windows creates drafts and lets in cold air. Seven to 12 percent of a home’s heat loss occurs around windows and doors, and these leaks often prompt homeowners to turn up their furnace to maintain comfort. Even if they don’t turn it up, they’re losing warm air, causing the furnace to work harder. Weatherstripping around doors, and caulking around doors and windows, can cut down on drafts. Some weatherstripping needs to be replaced every few years because of wear. Replacing it is typically as simple as pulling off the old and tacking on the new.

Adjusting door thresholds. If you can see daylight under your front door, then you’re losing the indoor air you’ve paid to heat. If the door is not in contact with the threshold, the air is going right under the door. Some thresholds have four or five screws that let you adjust the height to eliminate a gap. Turn the screws counterclockwise to lift the threshold until daylight is mostly gone. A little light in the corners is okay, but don’t raise the threshold so high that it interferes with opening and closing the door. And the door shouldn’t drag on the threshold or it’ll wear out the weatherstripping.

Avoid drafts around electrical boxes. Electrical boxes in your exterior walls are notoriously drafty because insulation isn’t always placed behind and around them correctly. You want to try to stop air from flowing around the box and through the box. To stop the leaks, remove the cover plates and fill small gaps around the boxes with acrylic latex caulk. For large gaps, use foam sealant. Then place a foam gasket over the outlet or switch and replace the cover plate. The gasket is going to save you money for as long as that outlet is in your house. That small investment pays off for as long as you own your home.

Purchase a portable heater and turn down your furnace. Put a space heater in the place where your family gathers, like the living room, and turn down the furnace temperature. The rest of the house will be cooler but you’ll be warm, and you can save 3 percent on your heating costs for every degree below 70 F that you turn down the furnace. You’ll see those savings all winter long. Of course, you have to buy the heater and use electricity, which cuts into the overall savings. Portable heaters start at about $30, and an electric heater that uses 1500 watts will cost you 14 cents per hour. Still, the savings from reducing the furnace temperature should offset the cost of using the space heater and then some.

Insulate the attic access door. Even in well-insulated attics, the access door may not be properly insulated, letting warm air escape through the attic hatch. And if the door is warped or something obstructs the opening, then the door won’t lie flat, allowing air to leak into the attic. You don’t want any air going up the access. You want to make sure the door is insulated, and you want to make sure it forms a good seal. To ensure that the door blocks airflow, use adhesive to attach fiberglass batt insulation to the attic side of the door. And if the door won’t lie flat, use a latch bolt system to close it tight.

Last, but not least you might want to consider upgrading your thermostat. One of the newest and hottest ones on the market right now is the nest. The Nest learns your lifestyle—when you’re gone, when you’re asleep—and adjusts itself accordingly to save you money, all without you having to spend time manually programming it. Oh, and don’t believe the oft-repeated notion that the furnace has to work harder to warm up the house after the temperature is set low, which would negate your savings. It’s a myth. You do save money.

If homeowners use these tips, it is evident that energy and money will be saved. It’s like killing two birds with one stone. Energy Star acclaims this, as In 2014 alone, American families and businesses have saved $34 billion on utility bills and prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to the annual electricity use of more than 63 million vehicles.

Tips for Plumbing on Thanksgiving

October 7, 2016ThanksgivingLeave a comment

It’s almost that time of the year. Gobble, Gobble. That’s right Thanksgiving. Everyone knows that catastrophe always strikes when you have people over at your house. It’s when you want everything to go smoothly that it doesn’t. Whether it is a backed up toilet, blocked drain, broken faucet or silverware dropped into the garbage disposal – the day after Thanksgiving is the day when plumbers come to the rescue for homeowners all over the world.

The augmented activity in the kitchen alongside with a large number of people using the shower, tub and toilet means that household plumbing will be used excessively, which isn’t exactly ideal.

Although Plumbing, Heating & Cooling plumbers should be available for emergency services on Thanksgiving Day, here are some tips I would like to provide to avoid having to call a plumber on Thanksgiving Day. Let’s face it, people do everything to avoid calling a plumber.

Everyone hates the smell of good in the garbage bin, but your garbage disposal would love it if you scraped all leftover food, and waste into the trash can. If you absolutely have to use the garbage disposal, run warm water, turn the garbage disposal on, then add the food. Don’t wait till it’s full to start.

A big no- no is pouring cooking oil or fat down drains, as they will harden in the pipes. As an alternative, you can wipe the grease with paper towels and place it in the trash. A sink strainer is also an inexpensive and easy way to prevent food from going down the drain. This will save your kitchen sink from clogging and backing up in the middle of Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving is a day for everyone to stuff their bellies with turkey and pie, and evidently the bathroom becomes the most popular room in the house. With all the waste and toilet paper filling the pipes, it’s more than likely that your toilet may begin to battle. A simple way to keep that toilet from backing up is to implement the “two-flush rule.” Flush twice to make sure everything goes down the toilet.

If you have never repaired a garbage disposal, unclogged a drain or fixed a backed-up toilet yourself, don’t choose Thanksgiving Day to become a plumbing expert! With all of the relatives at your house and a major meal being prepared, you do not want to end up with a major plumbing disaster by taking apart your plumbing, and potentially causing more damage than you can actually repair yourself.
I’d like to leave you with some thanksgiving statistics provided by Statistic Brain. This will show why it is that clogs get drained, considering how much food we actually consume on Thanksgiving. The total number of Turkeys that are consumed on Thanksgiving Day are 51,150,000. The total U.S. spending on Thanksgiving dinner food is $2,875,000,000. And the average household spending on Thanksgiving dinner is $56.18. For more stats you can check out Statistic Brain yourself.

Why Does My Home Or Business Contain Smells of Sewer?

October 3, 2016Sewage SmellLeave a comment

Have you noticed as of recent that there are sewer smells coming from your home or business workplace? Well I can tell you why this is happening. A typical reason is the absence of required traps or vents. Each installation ought to have a trap and a vent funnel to keep smells from entering the home. On the off chance that traps and vent channels are missing, you may require the assistance of a handyman to introduce them quickly.

A typical reason is broken seals around the latrine that permits water to siphon or dry out the traps and hence permitting odors to enter the home. There could be an air spill at the wax ring of the latrine or in the vent channel. Spoiled or moist wood can likewise bring about the scent. Verify whether the can is firmly fixed to the floor. Snatch the dish of the can and attempt to slide it from side to side. It ought to oppose a couple pounds of weight. In the event that the latrine rocks from side to side, the wax ring has fizzled. You may require the assistance of a handyman to alter these issues.

A successive reason for inside scents is a dry trap. Emptying a quart of water into all sinks, showers/tubs and floor channels may revise this issue. All channels to a sewer framework have a “P” formed trap that is normally loaded with water. The trap gives a seal to keep out sewer gas. In the event that your storm cellar floor channel is once in a while utilized, water dissipates from the trap after some time. In the end the seal is dispensed with, permitting sewer gas (and smell) into your home. The arrangement is simple: empty water into the channel.

Specifically, the trap under the bowl may not hold enough water and is permitting sewer exhaust into the room. You might need to assess your trap and make certain it holds enough water. If you have an old “house trap” in your storm cellar the trap might be split or broken permitting scents to leak through the breaks and into your home. If the odor is recognizable essentially around a sink, have a go at flushing a solid cleaner and fade down the sink’s flood the little hole(s) inside the dish close to the edge. At the point when the sink fills to close flooding, water is directed through an internal chamber to the channel. Garbage can gather inside the inward chamber, bringing about scent.

There might be a little hole in one of the vent lines of the pipes framework, or a little hole around the base of a latrine or other installation. You may require the assistance of a handyman. Check for free fittings, erosion, or gaps in vent channeling. Additionally, check the topside of level channel funnels. In the event that the top is rusted, it might never release fluid; in any case, it will spill sewer gas. Channel lines made of copper; steel or cast iron may all show this issue.

If you have more seasoned cast press funneling you might get smells through breaks in your channels. This sort of channeling has a propensity for framing a break along the topside of the funnel after some time, and this could be the place your scent is originating from. You may need to investigate every last bit of funneling for splits or openings where the scent is originating from, and afterward make the repair from that point. In the event that a whole length of channel is split (very normal), you ought to supplant it utilizing PVC channel funnel of the same size, with no-center point couplers to fit the channel into spot.

A regular reason for inside smells is a stopped up vent. You may require the assistance of a handyman or a jack-of-all-trades to disengage the vent channels inside your home and clean your vents completely through the rooftop.

Sewage maintains a history and relationship with Toronto and Water Keeper reveals this significantly for us. The name “Toronto” is a Huron word signifying “angling weir”. This city is confused by 300 km of streams and waterways and has 138 km of shoreline, including the islands. As the biggest city in Canada, Toronto creates a considerable measure of sewage. The general population who planned the city’s sewage treatment framework – in the same way as other others in their time – sent surplus sewage into brooks, streams, and Lake Ontario. Since the city’s populace has developed and a lot of its downpour engrossing green space has been cleared, rain and snow overpower the framework. When this happens, wastewater escapes into the indigenous habitat (or once more into your cellar) or is deliberately discharged to the lake by treatment plant administrators.