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While it is important to properly maintain your water heater, sometimes it has simply outlived its useful years and must be replaced. Here are five solid symptoms of a water heater nearing its end.

1. Age

Any water heater over 10 years old will likely need to be replaced very soon. If you didn’t purchase the heater yourself, it can be difficult to determine whether it still has a valid warranty or even how old it is. Every manufacturer encodes the month and year of your water heater’s birth into the serial number on the manufacturer’s sticker near the top of the heater. Most of the time the first few letters or numbers in the serial number represent the month and year, but because the date coding varies between the different companies, it is important that you look on the manufacturer’s website for specific encoding directions.

2. Temperature Issues

A water heater is failing to perform and should be replaced when water is inconsistently hot, not hot enough, gets cold quickly or is cold despite coming from hot water piping.

As a water heater ages, sediment increases and hardens at the bottom of the tank which reduces the amount of potential hot water because of the space it takes up. The heating element can also malfunction causing poor temperature.

3. Noise

If you hear rumbling, banging, cracks and pops, the sediment build-up has reached the point of no return. Minerals are left behind when water is heated and reheated repeatedly over the years, and with each use it collects, creating the sediment that eventually takes down the heater. Rattling and banging in the tank means it is working hard and is likely on its last legs.

4. Leaks

The inner tank of a water heater is designed to withstand years of expanding and contracting as it heats and cools. The metal will still generate fractures that leak water when it’s hot. Although it stops leaking when it cools down, the inner tank will continue to develop cracks which can abruptly expand into large fissures. If you see water leaking from the water heater or on the floor near it, it may be a sign the tank is near its breaking point.

5. Poor Quality Water

If your hot water is rust-colored, muddy, sandy, or smells and tastes metallic, the sediment may be affecting the quality of water you’re receiving. The pipes or other causes could be involved, but one possibility is that your water heater isn’t giving you clean water anymore and may need to be replaced.

Keep a watchful eye out for any of the above symptoms of a water heating that may need to replaced and give us a call when you spot one. PlumbV services Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Cary, and the entire surrounding area of the Research Triangle. When it’s time for a new water heater, we’ll be ready to take help. Call us at [hls_phone_number].

Poke around online for an hour looking at DIY methods of unclogging drains, and you are bound to see some very bad advice. In fact, much of the common knowledge and most frequent tips for how to free-up a drain end up just adding to the problem.

Bad advice #1 – Pour boiling water down the offending drain

It is true that hot water can help loosen a clog, but you have to be careful. The Uniform Plumbing Code states that water over 140 Fahrenheit should not be poured into drains. This is because the pipes are usually plastic and can warp under excess temperatures. You may successfully declog the pipes while permanently damaging them.

Instead, turn the water all the way to its hottest setting and add some detergent. Hot water and soap are what break up a lot of the grime in our lives, from the dishwasher to the washing machine, to ourselves in the shower. Give it a shot, but keep the water in the normal range of heat to avoid harming the pipes.

Bad advice #2 – Dump baking soda down the drain and chase it with vinegar

Maybe people are still impressed with the effect of the science class volcanos, but there are many online calling for this classic combination to be utilized in declogging of drains. There is a pretty impressive chemical reaction, so it’s not a terrible thought, but the reaction’s aftermath is just a little slightly salty water, which is not nearly tough enough to take on a clog. Think about it. If the byproduct was anything more serious, would your elementary teacher have let you dump these elements around with little supervision?

Bad advice #3 – Jam a coat hanger down in there and ram it around a bit

This can be effective in removing some hair and scum while breaking up a clog. It’s a DIY snake and does work for a lot of people.

But there’s a problem. Many people are not very careful and end up poking a sharp, metal object repeatedly against their plastic pipes. It is not uncommon for a coat hanger snake to end up poking a hole in the pipe the person was attempting to clean. Leave the snaking to the professionals, or at least be very careful and only work at removing debris near the drain opening.

Bad advice #4 – Take apart the sink trap and see what you see

The curvy-shaped pipe called a sink trap is often clogged and can be cleaned out from time to time. The problem comes when someone who doesn’t quite know what they’re doing pulls out a wrench and starts cranking at pipes. If you are knowledgeable enough though, this is not a piece of bad advice. It just happens to be slightly outside the expertise of most DIYers with a clogged drain.

Good advice – Call PlumbV and we’ll take care of tough drain clogs

We service Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Cary and the surrounding areas of the Triangle area and unclogging a difficult drain is well within our wheelhouse. Before pulling out that wrench or going to the pantry for the vinegar and baking soda, give us a call at [hls_phone_number].

Most homeowners know the experience. They’re settling into bed for the night, and suddenly, they hear it, an unmistakable noise…. drip. Then another. Drip. And again. Drip.

Hearing a leaky faucet isn’t just annoying because of the recurring noise, but because you know those drips are adding up and draining your bank account.

It doesn’t bother everyone though. Some think, these are just little drips, right? They can’t be wasting that much water or money.

So how much does it cost you? Answering this will let you know how important it is to get your leaking faucets or showerheads repaired as soon as possible.

Doing the Calculations

The best way to start the number crunching on the dripping faucet is to listen closely to that irritating drip itself. By counting the number of drips per minute, you can get a good idea about whether this is a minor or major repair. What is surprising, is that even if it is a slow drizzle, the costs can add up.

Although there is no established scientific measurement for a faucet drip’s volume, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates the average volume of a single drip is .25 milliliters. This small amount starts to appear daunting when you discover that the smallest faucet leak or showerhead leak in the typical American house drips an average of 10 times a minute, adding up to 2.5 milliliters per minute and 150 milliliters per hour. This means that on any given day, odds are, that your faucet will leak around 24,000 drips, equaling approximately 3.6 Liters of water, or nearly one gallon, (exactly .951 gallons).

The Numbers Hit Home

Most billing of natural gas and water is determined using measurements of one centum cubic foot (CCF), or per 100 cubic feet. When you convert from liters into CCF, a small drip for a home in the larger Research Triangle area could add around $2 a month to your water bill.

Although an extra $20 to $30 a year from a typical leak may not seem like it would break the bank, larger leaks can get as high as $20 to $30 a month.These start off as slower leaks anyway, so it’s best not to wait for it to get worse.

If you’ve been noticing a dripping faucet or if your water bill has mysteriously increased, it is time to call the certified Master plumbers at PlumbV. We identify and fix leaks in homes all around the larger Triangle area, including Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Cary. You can reach us at [hls_phone_number].

For light sleepers, they may notice it right away as they’re lying in bed. For others, it may take a while to realize it’s even happening. But once you notice a running toilet, it will start to eat at you. You think of all the money needlessly dripping away by the minute. A plumber can have it fixed in minutes, but chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re not a plumber.

So, what are the causes of a running toilet, and what might you be able to do about it?

A faulty flapper

Yes, that round contraption that flaps open and closed when you flush the toilet is called a flapper. The sole job of the flapper is to regulate when water flows from the tank into the toilet bowl. Before you flush, it is supposed to keep a tight seal and not allow any water out of the tank. After you flush, it flips open and allows all the water from the tank out, so that it can flush the contents of the toilet. Then the flapper closes again, allowing the tank to refill.

If the flapper does not seal the hole at the bottom of the tank perfectly, water will drain into the toilet bowl slowly. The “running” of the toilet is when enough water has leaked through that the level drops to the point where it’s triggered to refill again. Flappers lose the perfect seal due to either age, which causes warping and cracking, or because gunk collects around the seal, causing some points to fit better than others.

To fix a faulty flapper, it depends on which of these problems are occurring. If it’s old and warped, you’ll need to replace it. If the area where the flapper seals, and the flapper itself, are covered in debris, it may be enough to simply clean it off.

Chain issues

The flapper is pulled up by a chain when you flush the toilet. A chain that is not quite long enough can prevent the flapper from fully resting into the seal. This will allow water to pass through and cause the toilet to run.

If the chain is too long, it may begin to catch on other elements in the interior of the tank. To adjust the length of the chain, you can add or eliminate links from it which should solve the problem.

Other problems

Those are two of the more common sets of problems, but you can also find running toilets with other causes. Another possibility is that the overflow pipe, a vertical pipe meant to prevent water from rising past a certain level in the tank, is set too low. If the pipe is low, water will flow in before the tank is full. Then, more water will need to be pumped into the tank, causing a running toilet.

A similar problem is when the “float,” which is an air-filled ball floating on top of the water, is set incorrectly. This ball is meant to float up as the water rises, and when it gets to the right level, it will trigger the water to stop. If it doesn’t stop before the water reaches the top of the overflow pipe, water will flow into the overflow, and the pump will begin adding more water again. This can be solved by making sure the float and the overflow pipe are set at the proper levels.

Or get a plumber

Some of these problems are pretty simple, and an amateur may be able to figure them out, but most problems are not. Trying to fix a toilet yourself can be more trouble than it’s worth. Instead, contact a trusted local plumber like PlumbV. We service Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Cary, and the surrounding areas of the Triangle area and can have your runny toilet fixed in no time. Give us a call at [hls_phone_number] and we’ll be on our way.

Today, it is possible to do a search online and find ways to fix problems around your home. When it comes to plumbing, however, there are some jobs that should be left to professionals. In fact, not consulting a professional could end up being time consuming and costly in the long run. For example, certain leaks can cause damage that will be thousands of dollars to repair. Here are six plumbing tasks that are best left to the professionals.

Issues With Hot Water

There may also be issues with existing hot water lines but finding the source of the problem can be complicated. They also tend to only be discovered when you really need everything to work as expected.You might be doing a renovation and want to extend hot water to your new bathroom and kitchen, for example, only to realize that there are serious problems with the current hot water line that requires immediate care.

Installation of new hot water lines or fixing other related problems need to be left to professionals. A qualified plumber is in a better position to find the source of the problem more efficiently. They are also experienced in diagnosing gas and electric heater problems.

Repairing the Main Line

If your main line is blocked, it can cause your shower and bathtub to be flooded by the water from the toilet. And even though this is frustrating, it is another task best left to professionals. Plumbers have special cameras and routing tools that make it easier for professionals to pinpoint and address the issue in a timely manner.

Sewer Drain Pipes

The sewer line carries sewage away from your home. There are some basic drain repairs that can be done at home with the right equipment, but repairing the main sewer line and any kind of upgrade requires a professional. For example, if there are shrubs or trees causing blockage, special equipment will be needed to remove the obstacle. Even though you can hire equipment to move the tree on your own, you can make serious mistakes due to lack of expertise.

Frozen Pipes

Cold temperatures during winter may cause your pipes to freeze and there is a risk they could burst. Your house could be subjected to significant water damage as a result. You may be tempted to thaw the pipes by yourself, but you can cause cracks in the process. Shut down the water and find a professional to repair the damage.

Low Water Pressure

The main reason why you should get a plumber to fix issues with low pressure is because it can take time to pinpoint the source of the problem. The low pressure could be traced back to your local area water supply. It can be time consuming trying to do repairs when it is not clear where the issue is arising from.

Permits and Licenses

Any job requiring a permit should be done by a professional who is trained to do it according to the local code. Plumbers stay up to date with the latest regulations and building codes, so your plumber is in a better position to understand the requirements. He can do the task professionally enough so that it will be approved.