Plumbing Questions Professional Plumbers Deal Withe Everyday

Some frequently asked plumbing questions

Why is flushing my toilet so noisy? How do you avoid frozen pipes? What’s the difference between hard water and soft? Our toilets keep backing up. Could this be caused by tree roots in the sewer line?

Plumbing

Water isn't going into our dishwasher. What is the problem? My refrigerator does not receive water to make ice what is the problem? As professional plumbers we hear questions like this everyday.

These are just a few of the questions we get called on a daily basis. In some cases it is easy to give an over the phone reason and solution to a plumbing problem but it is always better and more professional to travel to the home or business and have a look at the problem so we can give a proper diagnosis.

With over 20 years of plumbing experience we can say at Paul Vadnais Plumbing we have seen pretty much everything, but we are always surprised at how many new plumbing issues can arise on a daily basis.

Let's take a look at some typical plumbing questions we field on a regular basis.

1. Why is my toilet flushing loudly and continuing to run?
If the water rushing into the tank is particularly loud, it may be that water is spraying straight down the overflow pipe resonating on the bottom of the overflow pipe. Try to Turn the water supply off.  Reassemble the fill valve by locking the top cap in place.  To lock, place the cap on the top of the shaft lining up the lever above the refill tube port.  Press the cap down while turning it and the lever clockwise 1/8th of an inch.

2.Water expands as it freezes. This is what can cause plumbing pipes to split or burst in the coldest months of winter. Pipes that run against exterior walls that have little or no insulation are also subject to freezing.
Consider installing specific products made to insulate water pipes like a "pipe sleeve" or installing UL-listed "heat tape," "heat cable," or similar materials on exposed water pipes.

3. What’s the difference between hard water and soft?  Water hardness and softness has nothing to do with its touch and feel. It is more about chemical compounds dissolved in it. They are both safe for human consumption. The most common technique to determine the hardness of water is by looking at sud formation with soap. There is less lather formation when soap is used with hard water compared to soft water.

4. Why do my toilets keep backing up? A common cause of a backed up toilet is the use of too much toilet paper at a single time. Small toys are often flushed down the toilet by kids, leading to clogged sewerage pipes and a backed up toilet. Clogged leach lines too can cause the toilet to back up. Leach lines are used to take water out of the septic tank and filter it into the ground.

Clogged Toilets

5. Water isn't going into our dishwasher. A malfunctioning float could cause the dishwasher to not fill with water. The float is located at the bottom of the dishwasher tub and acts as a safety device that prevents the dishwasher from over filling with water. The float switch sits below the float, beneath the dishwasher tub. When the float switch is triggered by the float, power to the water inlet valve is interrupted and it stops the flow of water into the dishwasher.

6.  My refrigerator does not receive water to make ice. Check the refrigerator’s filter. When there is no filter, or it is clogged, the ice maker does not get water. Check your refrigerator’s water supply valve for leaks, If there is no moisture on or around the valve, then there are no leaks

These are just a few of the most basic plumbing issues we here at Paul Vadnais Plumbing get called on daily. If you have on of these issues or any number of the many plumbing issues that can arise in a home or business plumbing system call a professional. Paul Vadnais Plumbing. Licensed dependable professional plumbers.

There are a couple of different places where a toilet could be backed up: inside the toilet drain or at the main sewer line for your house.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/info_12004077_toilet-keeps-backing-up-flushing.html

There are a couple of different places where a toilet could be backed up: inside the toilet drain or at the main sewer line for your house.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/info_12004077_toilet-keeps-backing-up-flushing.html

There are a couple of different places where a toilet could be backed up: inside the toilet drain or at the main sewer line for your house.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/info_12004077_toilet-keeps-backing-up-flushing.html

Paul Vadnais Plumbing
308 Sargent Ave
St Paul, Mn 
651-429-8908
www.paulvadnais-plumbing.com

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Kitchen and Bathroom Plumbers

Remember that time your wife was working in the kitchen with her brand new Christmas present on her finger? Remember that blood curling scream you heard coming from the kitchen sink area? remember when you thought oh god it's gone down the sink! All my savings and now that diamond ring is on it's way to the big septic tank, to be forever lost in a mass of Kleenex, toilet paper and lord only knows what else? 

We ll all is not lost. The first step to take is to shut off the water. This will keep keep any debris from being forced further down the drain. Now look under the sink, What you will find underneath the sink as you open the cabinet doors is what is most commonly known as a P-Trap. A P-trap is a plumbing fixture that has several purposes. It traps debris that has drained from the sink and prevents it from forming a clog deep within the plumbing system. Another function of the P-Trap is to prevent the sewage gases from drifting from the drain pipe into your home or building.

One other nice thing about having this plumbing pipe integrated into your kitchen drain system is it can be a first line of defense against forever loosing expensive or other prized items in everyday kitchen mishaps.

Let's look at some steps you can take to retrieve any item's that may have lost in this way.

Now before you attempt this understand item's do get stuck and sometimes not fully flushed thru the plumbing drain system. This can be anything from food scraps to hair or other items that if you are squemish may a bit of a turn off. For the most part it is not a very messy job, some household rubber gloves would be plenty to handle this task.

This job also for the most part does not require any tools. If your item has gone beyond this trap then you are definitely going to need a professional plumber to get into your plumbing system inmore detail.

View of a typical P-Trap System

Okay so first thing is to locate the water shutoff valves under the sink. Once you are sure these are off you can place a bucket or pan under the p-trap. You won't see much water in the process but it's best to be prepared.

Now you can begin to unscrew the plastic coupling that attaches the drain pipe from the p trap. This should come off fairly easy by turning the coupling counter clockwise. If this is not moving you may need a chanel locks to get some leverage.

Once you get these loose you should easily be able to remove the trap and peer inside to see if you can find your lost item

If your item is not in the trap area you may want to take a flashlight and try and look into the drain pipe section that continues on into the wall. Be careful if you are trying to stick an object such as a pencil or wire of some type you may force your item further into the system. If you can not see the itm or feel it in the drain pipe it very well may have traveled further into the plumbing drain system.

At this point it may bebest to contact a professional plumber immediatley.

Professional plumbers can determine where the natural points in your system may create a point where an item such as an earring or ring could possiblyget hung up or caught up in your stystem.

In most cases although it may take some doing, items can pretty much be retrieved from a plumbing system whether it's a Business or residential Plumbing System.

Need a Plumber in Maplewood Mn? Contact Paul Vadnais Plumbing. We solve Plumbing Problems.

Paul Vadnais Plumbing
St Paul, Maplewood, NSP, Stillwater and more
Professional Licensed Plumbers
651-429-8908
www.paulvadnais-plumbing.com

Plumbers Maplewood Mn, Plumbers Stillwater Mn, Plumbers North Saint Paul Mn, Plumbers Oakdale Mn, Hot Water Heaters, Leaky Pipes, Sinks, Tubs, Toilets, Plumbing Remodel or New Construction