14 Questions Every Plumbing Service Has Been Asked | San Antonio, TX
Just when you think that you have heard it all as a plumber working at a plumbing service, a client will ask a question that leaves everyone’s heads spinning. It is easy to think that you know everything about your home plumbing system until a situation arises that you are unfamiliar with. Then suddenly, things may seem a bit less self-explanatory. Whether you are a new homeowner or someone that wants to understand their home plumbing system a bit more, these questions (and answers) ought to help.
In the following, we compiled a list of some of the most common (and odd) questions that we have been asked as a local plumbing service. While you may laugh at a few, we bet that you get curious about the answers of a few as well. The truth is sometimes you don’t know the answer until you ask, and as the best local plumbing service, we have the answers you need to hear. Take a minute to read this list and save an uncomfortable conversation with a plumber down the road.
Can I Flush Cat Poop Down My Toilet?
While it may seem logical to flush cat poop down the toilet, after all, that is where you dispose of your own feces, it is actually a bad idea. The first reason is that the feces when clumped together with cat litter can actually lead to a clog in your toilet. Litter is not meant to go down your pipes, and eventually, it will cause a clog either within the main toilet line or your sewage line. Either spells disaster and an emergency call to a local plumbing service.
The second reason you don’t want to flush cat poop down the toilet is that it contains a certain bacteria that can cause disease. Unfortunately, since cat poop is not supposed to go down the toilet, most sewage plants will not filter out that bacteria. That means it gets released back into the environment, where it can harm many aquatic animals. Therefore, do everyone a favor, from the local plumbing service down to the local aquatic life, and toss your cat poop in a garbage bag.
Can You Pour Coffee Grounds Down the Sink?
No one likes cleaning the coffee grounds out of the coffee pot at the end of the day, but it is a necessary evil if you want to wake up to fresh coffee in the morning. However, regardless of how lazy and tempted you feel to dump your coffee grounds down the sink instead of walking to the trash – don’t do it. Coffee grounds absorb liquid, which means that they will continue to grow if they get flushed down your pipes. This means that they can grow into a blockage that will require the work of an emergency plumbing service. Save yourself the stress and hassle and dispose of them in a trashcan.
How Does a Pilot Light Work on the Water Heater?
The pilot light is the blue flame that you can see through the grill on your water. If it is not on, then you will not have any hot water in your home. When you turn on your water heater, it should automatically ignite as the gas fills the main burner. If you don’t see a pilot light, then you may need to call your local plumbing service for help. There can be an issue with the gas or there might be an issue with the ignitor, but both demand further investigation.
Does My Water Heater Need Repaired?
By the way, if you don’t have any hot water in your home, then yes, you need to call a plumbing service for water heater repair. This is not the only reason that you might find yourself on the phone with a plumbing service. There are actually a lot of signs that you need water heater repair. One big one is if you hear any noises like a banging or a knocking noise coming from your water heater. This can indicate that something isn’t working right and needs to be addressed.
Other signs include varying water temperatures and varying water pressure. They should both be consistent, so if they are not, then you know something is going on with your water heater. Don’t wait until it breaks down and you are stranded without any hot water. Take advantage of the warning and call a plumbing service to get ahead of problems. It is always better to listen to what your water heater is trying to tell you than finding yourself in an emergency situation.
Help, My Garbage Disposal Is Leaking
If your garbage disposal is leaking, then you have a problem that is possibly related to your plumbing or the disposal. It is possible that a seal around your garbage disposal is starting to wear out, but it is also possible that the plumbing pipes are starting to leak. Your disposal is placed inside of the sink practically and then goes through your plumbing system. The best way to get to the bottom of the issue is by calling out a plumbing service and letting them take a look.
How Often Does My Septic Tank Need Pumped?
If you have never owned a septic tank before we have some good news for you, the average home only needs to worry about septic tank pumping every three to five years. This can change based on how many people live in your home and the amount of waste that your home produces, but in general, you shouldn’t have to worry about calling a plumbing service and dealing with your septic tank too often. You should still plan to schedule an inspection at least once a year though so that you can ensure that all the mechanical parts are still functioning properly.
Can I Flush Food Down the Toilet?
While you may see some popular toilet brands advertising that you can flush pool balls down their toilets, that is not an invitation to do so. That is also not an open invitation to flush whatever you like down your toilet, and food lands high on this list. The pipes underneath your toilet are much smaller than the pipes that are under your sink. They are not large enough to fit most food substances, so if you start to make a habit of flushing the food down the toilet you should expect to also make it a habit to call a plumbing service to help with the clogs.
Why Is My Showerhead Leaking?
There are a few dozen reasons why your showerhead might be leaking, but usually, it is only one or two reasons. As a plumbing service, when most people call us about a leaking showerhead, it is usually because the fixture seal is aging and worn out or because the showerhead was incorrectly installed. The best way to avoid this from being an issue in your home is by calling a professional plumber to install your showerhead in the first place.
Why Won’t the Dishwasher Drain?
Opening your dishwasher to find water all over the bottom of the appliance is never a welcome sight. In fact, it is usually the opposite. You may just shut the door and then open it again, hoping to get a different outcome. Unfortunately, if the water is stuck there then it’s likely stuck there no matter how many times you walk away and come back. Running the dishwasher a second time isn’t going to help either, it is just going to lead to more water and a more desperate call to a plumbing service.
Usually, if your dishwasher is not draining the issue is not with the appliance itself. Instead, the issue is with the pipes that the dishwasher is supposed to drain into. If there is a clog in the pipes then the water will not be able to escape, which is why it starts to back up into the dishwasher. For this reason, your best bet if you are having this issue is to call a plumbing service that can come out and inspect the surrounding pipes.
How Do I Get Fruit Flies Out of the Bathroom?
Most likely if you have fruit flies in your bathroom then you have a sewage backup. Fruit flies don’t typically congregate in the bathroom, but they do tend to collect near a blockage. They actually will lay their eggs in the blockage and then when they hatch you will see them coming out of the nearest drain pipes, which sometimes might be attached to your bathroom. Therefore, the only way to get them out of your bathroom is by calling a plumbing service that can unclog your drains.
Why Is My Shower Water Cold?
If you cannot get hot water in your shower, this is a sign that something is wrong with your water heater. No matter how much you play with the dial nothing will change, which is why the only way to get a hot shower that you can enjoy will involve calling a plumbing service. You can check this by heading down to the kitchen to see if you can get hot water out of the faucet. If you can’t, it is definitely time for water heater repair.
Why Is My Toilet Bubbling?
Bubbling is not something that you want to see near any appliances, sinks, or the toilet. The only way that bubbling can occur is if trapped gases are heading upwards in your pipes. If water is able to fill pipes and head downwards there should be no room for gasses. The only way gas is able to get into pipes is if it gets trapped in clogs, in which case when it breaks free it heads upwards. If your toilet is bubbling there is a partial blockage in the system that one day will become a full one, so your best bet is to call a plumbing service.
Why Is My Water Rusty?
Rusty water is almost always related to corroded pipes or corrosion hiding inside of a water heater. You can usually identify it because it is a rusty color or brownish color. Your water should ideally be clear, so if there is any type of tint to it then you know you have a problem. If it occurs out of nowhere, you can talk to your neighbors to see if they are having the same issue and if it could be tied to the local municipal water. If they aren’t having an issue, then it is time to get a plumber into the house to get to the bottom of the situation.
Where Is My Water Shut-Off Valve?
If you don’t know where your water shut-off valve is yet, now is the best time to learn. Your main shut-off valve should be situated close to the main water pump which should be in your utility closet. You can always look at the outside of your home to see where the water meter comes into your home and then look inside to find the actual water main. The shut-off should be located right next to it.
Are you experiencing an issue with your home plumbing, or do you recognize a bad plumbing habit you might be guilty of on this list? Don’t worry, bluefrog Plumbing + Drain + HVAC of San Antonio can help. Give us a call today to set up an appointment.
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