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Plumbing Alerts
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#1.
Home Fires
Fires in the home
account for 80% of all fire related
deaths! And the water heater and the
heating furnace are both significant contributors to
fire starts. In both devices a faulty control
valve can over heat the burner area and lead to the
ignition of nearby materials.
Pay attention
to sudden noise changes coming from the water heater
like popping or banging, changes in water temperatures
that are significantly higher than usual, any gas or
burning odors.
#2- Unhealthy and Dangerous
Sewer Gases in the Home or Business!!
Due to the poor
workmanship of a handful of local plumbers, this
has become a growing problem. Most of us can distinguish
between natural gas and sewer gas, but sewer and egg
water smell are often confused. And while egg water
fumes are not a health problem, the health risks of
sewer gases are serious, and the source of the gas must
be found. In rare cases the sewer gases can pocket and
cause explosions as violent as a stick on dynamite.
Many home and
property owners are living with these fumes, they are
not realizing what the source is nor the dangers that
they pose.
Case:
One of our
customers had been living in a 7 year newly built home.
During this time she developed allergies, migraines and
loss of sleep so badly that she was taking over 15
various types of medications, seeing the doctor
constantly and on the verge of being admitted to the
hospital for respiratory reasons. We went on an
unrelated service call to her home and noticed a sewer
smell in the kitchen. We asked her about it. She thought
it was just the faucet water(egg water)--it wasn’t. We
located a 3" open line in a dead space behind the
kitchen cabinets where their new construction plumber
had not properly installed the clean out. We installed
it. The sewer gas stopped infiltrating the home, and to
this day she is off all medication. This home was on an
association sewer system. These type city or subdivision
sewers contain loads of foul and dangerous sewer gases
that can infiltrate improperly installed or defective
plumbing systems. Those with septic systems, however,
are also equally at risk of gas infiltration.
There are
many property owners with septic tanks or treatment
plants that are experiencing sewer odors and wrongly
assuming that the culprit is the septic system. They get
their tank pumped out and bleached, the smell goes away
for a while (sometimes a year or so), then the smell
appears again and they pump the tank out once again.
There is so much wrong with this fix, I barely know
where to start.
First, the
plumbing trap and vent system is designed as not to
allow any sewer gases no matter how strong or foul to
enter the building... period. If you are getting even
the slightest sewer odors, there
is a problem with the building plumbing system and not
the septic tank (so don’t aggravate your
septic tank company, call your plumber or call us and
we’ll tell you how to locate the smelly culprit)
Second,
pumping the septic tank and bleaching it does not stop
the sewer gases from entering the building; it just
stops you from smelling the odor. The gases are still entering the home or
building and being inhaled by the
occupants 24 hours a day!
Any sewer,
egg or sulfur odor in a building needs to be located and
the plumbing component
corrected.
#3-Avoid Unnecessary Sewer
Replacements
In most cases
stoppages in a sewer or underhouse drain line can be
repaired without the need to replace the entire sewer.
For years we have saved home owners thousands of dollars
by pinpointing and isolating the exact sewer problem and
making a small repair. Always get a second opinion from
a qualified licensed plumber before forking out
thousands of dollars on a sewer replacement.
Case: The
owner of this broken fitting was about to pay over
$2,000 for
their sewer to be replaced. We located the break,
excavated, and repaired it for $278. That’s
just one of the hundreds of sewers we’ve diagnosed and
repaired over the years.
#4-Doing it
Yourself 
Take it from many years of
experience. We have seen small mistakes by
do-it-yourselfers that have lead to much bigger, more
costly problems. For what takes you most of the
day, our plumbers can usually do in a service
call.
Try our service and you’ll never try to
fix your own plumbing again.
#5- Hiring a drain
cleaning service, or renting a sewer
machine and doing your own drain
cleaning.
We
always advise that only an experienced operator
who is also a licensed journeymen and/or master
plumber work a sewer machine. Knowledge of both present
and past plumbing piping design and layout techniques
are essential to understanding how to approach a sewer
and drain problem. Just a simple mistake like using the
wrong sewer tip in the wrong area can fracture
underground and under house piping costing thousands of
dollars to repair. This is a real and on going problem
that is costing home and property owners fortunes.
#6-That rocking
toilet
Avoid the temptation to get out your favorite wrench
and tighten the toilet bolts some more. That won’t stop
the rock. But it may break the flange (that thing in the
concrete that holds the toilet to the floor) causing
much bigger problems. Most often the reason the toilet
is rocking is not because the bolts are loose, but
because the leveling shims are no longer in place. (or
were never put there) Tightening the bolts without
leveling the toilet, puts added pressure on the
plastic floor flange, and when someone sits on it, it
breaks.
FAQ
Some common repair and service
problems and
questions:
(All of these problems and questions were taken from actual calls we
received over the past couple
of years. They are listed in order of the most
frequently asked)
Problem #1:
"My toilet wobbles and and
rocks.."
The
longer it rocks the worse the problem will get. The
toilet flange could break, the toilet could crack or
fall over. (See Alert #2--Unhealthy Sewer
Gases)
Solution:
The toilet
needs to be pulled and properly reset by an experienced
professional. Our resets are guaranteed. (See Alert #6--Toilet)
Problem #2: "I
think I broke my toilet thing... (the
flange)"
We get this
call a lot from handy persons. Temptation was too much
(see Alert #6--Toilet). You did it
anyway. When the toilet bolts are over tightened and the
toilet is not properly leveled, it is highly likely that
the flange holding the toilet will break.
Solution:
We’ve repaired
thousands of them over the years. We have a fix that is
better than just replacing the flange, it is better than
the original installation, and it ‘s 100% guaranteed not to break.
Problem #3: "I
have no hot water... do I need a new water heater?"
In most cases
the water heater does not need to be replaced.
Solution:
We would have
to diagnose the problem, but if you have an electric
water heater, it could be a simple matter of the circuit
breaker or the internal water heater reset bottom being
tripped. Or it could be the replacement of a single
heating element.
If it is gas,
it could be a as simple as re-lighting or replacing the
thermocoupling.
Problem #4: "I
hear banging and popping noises near the water
heater."
These are
usually water heater tank related problems. Banging
noises, loud pops, significant increases in hot water
temperature at faucets, burning or egg/gas odors... If
not properly diagnosed, these can all lead to serious
problems, including, tank rupture, pipe or fitting
bursts, fixture water supply lines blowing apart, fire
starts around the water heater, (See Alert #1--Home
Fires) but the tank
may not have to be replaced.
Solution:
In most cases,
we can diagnose the problem with in the first hour. It
may be a simple matter of flushing and cleaning the
build up at the bottom of your water heater tank and/or
calibrating or replacing the tank thermostats.
Problem #5:
"When I shut off a faucet (or a washing machine shuts
off) I hear a loud banging
sound.."
This is a water
hammer, and it is caused by a momentary increase in
water pressure when a valve is quickly shut. This causes
lower pressure water in the pipes to be forced toward
the ends of the piping system at an increased velocity.
If there isn’t anything (like an air chamber or a long
vertical piping run) to absorb the water columns
velocity it will hit the ends of piping or valves
causing all sorts of weird banging noises.
Solution:
This problem is
a bit complicated and would require an in depth
investigation of the piping system and fixture valving.
We would be looking for where the air chambers are
located,(if you have any) the water heater piping
configuration, check for loose piping and valves,
defective shut off and service valves etc. This is where
experience really pays off.
Problem #6:
"My washing machine (or dishwasher) is taking forever to
fill..."
This indicates
that your water may contain small mineral or sand
particulate. The debris clogs the screen in front of the
solenoid valve at washing machines, dishwashers or ice
makers and refrigerators.
Solution:
These can be
cleaned quickly, but a lasting remedy would be to add a
5 or 10 micron filter to stop the small particulate from
getting into the piping and building up around the
solenoid valve screen.
Problem #7:
"My toilet is running.. it shuts on and off in the
middle of the
night..."
Our water on
the Northshore is full of things that create havoc on
toilet internal parts. The flapper valve is the biggest
problem. The ones they sell at the Depot don’t last very
long and are usually the wrong type for their toilet.
Solution:
Use only
professional flapper and fill valves. These are always
on our truck. We can usually rebuild the toilet problem
areas i.e. replacing the flapper, the fill valve and
installing a new water supply line all in the first hour
of service.
Problem #8: "I
hear a dripping sound in the ceiling (or wall), but I
don't see any signs of water. Is something
leaking?"
Chances are
this is not a leak, but the sound caused from the
expansion or contraction of a pipe that is touching
something (usually a piece of wood) This is a hard thing
to convince people of because the sound is exactly like
water dripping. And it usually does not cause any damage
risk.
Solution:
The remedy is
sometimes simple if the area can be gotten to from the
attic, otherwise sheetrock has to be removed to fix it
and it’s not so simple.
Problem #9:
"Areas of my front yard are soggy... and it hasn’t
rained for a while. . . "
More than likely this is a water line leak. If
the water line is deep, the leaking water can often take
strange and multiple underground paths before coming to
the surface.
Solution:
1-Water Main
leak: The leak has to be
pinpointed, excavated, and repaired. Over the
years, we have located and repaired thousands of these
type leaks. We have developed extremely efficient
methods
2-Septic or
Sewer Leak: This symptom is usually associated with
odors and sewer problems like gurgling toilets,
slow flushing, or stoppages. If so, than you may have a
sewer main stoppage or a septic tank problem where
sewerage is escaping from piping or the tank. The
leak or leaks must be pinpointed and the sewer line
cleaned out. And if your sewer was not installed
correctly, the piping may also have to be
reworked.
3- Underground
springs and under sod rain water run off are usually
only found here on the northshore. For those that
have lived in New Orleans or Metairie all of their
lives, it is a very strange thing to see water pooling
up in a spot in the yard many feet away from anything.
But it happens often in this area
Non absorbent
clay soils cause rain water to travel just under the
grass and sod for long distances before the water finds
its’ way to the surface.
Underground
springs pop up from time to time on property north of
Covington and Abita Springs. And the hardest thing is
convincing property owners that it’s spring water and
not a water or sewer leak. But we are getting pretty
good at it.
Whatever is the
cause of the leak, we’ll find what it
is.
Problem #10:
"My faucet is dripping... can it be
fixed?"
We will need to
look at it to tell, of course. There are many different
manufacturers and just as many styles--most of them
require different replacement parts.
Solution:
We carry a
complete stock of standard rebuild kits on our truck,
and if we don’t have we can usually get it the same day.
If we can’t find it, no one can.
Problem #11:
"My faucet is very loose... does it need to be
replaced?"
As in problem
10 above, we will need to look at it.
Solution:
Some faucets
loosen over the years and it can be a simple matter of
properly resetting the faucet base--it usually doesn’t
have to be changed unless you want to use that excuse.
Problem #12:
"I want a new faucet... Can you recommend one??"
We have
replaced thousands of faucets over the years and know
which ones are good and which ones you need to forget
about.
Solution:
Before choosing
a brand, give us a call.
Problem #13:
"I need to replace a tub valve (or shower valve) but you
won’t be able can’t get to the back of the tub..."
That use to be
a problem. Architects, contractors (or plumbers) will
incorrectly place tubs in a position where you can’t get
to the valve wall because of an exterior wall or another
tub or cabinets etc. on the other side.
Solution:
We have a
method to change tub and shower valves from inside the
tub or shower where you never knew we were there.
Problem #14:
"Can my old tub be replaced?"
It
certainly can. Tub and shower replacements are a big
part of our repair and remodeling business.
Solution:
This is
something that has to be looked at carefully. There are
lots of factors that can effect the project scope and
the price. The size and style of the new tub, whether
you want tile or marble walls, deck mounts or wall mount
faucets. With a short visit, we can go over all with you
and give you a firm price.
Problem #15:
"My tub is a narrow tub (30" wide) is it possible to
install a wider tube?"
The
standard builders model tubs are 30" wide. Often home
owners that like to bath find these a bit cramped. They have the tub space for
a wider tub (the minimum allowable distance between the
tub skirt and an adjacent toilet is 15" to the center of
the toilet) but when they measure the door frame
clearance it seems that the 30" tub is too big to fit.
Lots of homeowners don’t, at first, realize(even you
smart customers) that even a 48" wide tube can fit
through a 24" door. Since even the deepest tub is only
about 21" deep, the tub just slides through standing on
its’ side. I know it seems obvious, but we explain this
a lot.
Solution:
This is not a
job for the inexperienced. Everyone of these change outs
requires great planning, preparation and execution. We
will go over the complete details of the installation
and give you a firm price before we start.
Problem #16: "I have a water saver toilet
and it takes two flushes to flush. .
."
Since 1994,
this has been a huge problem. Double and triple flushing
is certainly not saving water, but that is what you’ve
got to do with some of the "water saver" toilets.
Solution:
There are
particular toilets on the market (made by name brands)
that are far superior than the others, and those are the
ones that we will recommend. These toilets start at just
$115.00, about $25.00 more than the standard toilet, but
they are well worth it. They flush about as good as the
old 3.5 gallon tanks using the mandated 1.6 gallon
flush. So they work and save water.
Problem #17: "I can’t get rid of these
(usually brown or yellow) water stains. .
."
Water stains
like rust or blackish sediments usually means that you
need a filter. But you may not need one that is
expensive.
Solution:
Your first step
is to have the water analyses to see what type of
minerals are in your water so we can match the results
with the right filter. This will avoid spending lots of
money on a filter that you don’t need. Getting the right
filter the first time will save you big.
Problem #18:
"My hose valve (bib) is humming. Can I take that thing
(the vacuum breaker) off
?"
You can, but
you shouldn’t. That aggravating little thing on the end
of your hose bib is there to stop contaminated water
from entering the potable water system. It is the only
water valve in a building where there isn’t a built-in
air gap. (unless you have a hose connected to the
laundry tub, in which case it should also have a vacuum
breaker)
Solution:
The hose bib
and the vacuum breaker needs to be replaced. It’s not
something a handyman or property owner should do. We
have gone behind many of these replacements and it has
cost the owner lots more. Not knowing what you’re doing
can cause the piping or fitting behind the brick or
siding to come apart. Then you got a big problem. Avoid
the temptation.
Contact us today!
Old
Metairie, River Ridge, Kenner,
Jefferson: 835-9272
Lakeview,Uptown, Lakefront, City
Park: 486-4881
Covington, Mandeville,
Slidell, Madisonville, Folsom: 892-7909
Copyright ©
2003 Owen M. Patterson, Louisiana Licensed Master
Plumber #3797
Master Plumbers
Company | 
Repair and Service
Always free estimates and phone
consultation 
