Why Do I Run Out Of Hot Water Or Just Get Lukewarm Water?

Running out of hot water has happened to a lot of folks.  Why is it, that it happens at the coldest time of the year? Murphy’s Law or not?

If you currently have an electric water heater, and have had plenty of hot water in the past and now you are only getting lukewarm water, then this is an indication of a lower heating element not working.

There are several ways to confirm this.  First turn off the power to the water heater and remove both access covers, the upper and lower covers and check it with a voltage meter to make sure the power is off.

After confirming the power is off, to manually check the elements without an electric meter, just put your thumb or finger on the tank itself next to the element. If the  top element is working properly, the tank should be hot to the touch near the element.  Check the bottom element the same way.  If, next to the bottom element, it feels cooler than the top element, then you have just found out that your bottom element is not working and needs to be replaced.

Your plumbing professional would also use an electric meter to see if the element has continuity and if it is drawing the correct amperage and voltage.

Plumbers have to know a lot about a variety of different trades.  Electric being one of them, in order to properly diagnosis why you are only getting lukewarm water or no hot water at all.

Sometime, depending on your hot water usage, the lukewarm problem may only surfaces when the weather gets cold.  This is caused by the temperature of the incoming water being colder, due to the weather. If the bottom element is not working, the top element can’t keep up when you take a shower, due to the temperature rise necessary to keep up when the incoming water was warmer.

If you are getting no hot water at all, you will need to check to see if you have the proper voltage coming into the water heater. If the voltage is correct, check to see if the reset button on the top thermostat is tripped. If it makes a  definite click when you push it, it was tripped.  Sometimes this is caused by an electrical surge or a faulty thermostat.

If your electric meter shows no voltage, then you may have a bad electric breaker or a bad switch.

Your plumber in Sarasota should be able to guide you through the steps to check these things or schedule to come check it for you.

Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air is available 24/7 to answer your questions or come to your home to give you an estimate. Call 941-322-1911 or schedule on-line at www.LoveYourPlumber.com

Should I Turn Off My Water When I Leave My House?

There are a few folks who have gone through more than one flood in their lifetime from their plumbing system failing.   Usually, if you are going to have a leak or a flood, Murphy’s Law dictates that it will happen when you are gone.

Professional plumbers will always tell you to turn off the main valve to your house if you are going to be gone.  Gone for how long is the question.

Don’t wait until the day of your departure to see if your main valve turns off or not.  Chances are, it won’t turn off or it might break off, because it hasn’t been exercised.

This is why proper maintenance of your plumbing system is crucial to your homes health.  Maintenance is less work than paranoia.  At least twice a year you should turn your main valve off to make sure it works. But first,  you must know where it is. Make sure everyone in the household knows where the main valve is and how to turn it off.  A 1/4 turn lever handle ball valve is the easiest and most positive shut-off valve to have.

Now a days, nothing is a lifetime product, things need replacing.  Individual shut-off valves under each fixture  should also be inspected twice a year, making sure that you see no signs of corrosion and that they turn on and off properly without leaking or dripping.  1/4 turn valves are available as replacements for these also. They are much easier to operate.

While you are doing your household plumbing inspection, make sure to check your washing machine hoses.  If they show signs of rust, corrosion or have bubbles in them, change them.  Most plumbers prefer stainless steel washing machine hoses and supplies.  However, these should be changed every five years.

If no one is going to check your house every day while you are gone, then we recommend that you turn off your water.  Because if your water heater leaks, it is better to have 50 gallons on the floor verse thousands of gallons.  Also, you should turn off the power to your water heater if you are gone for more than two days. No “sense” in heating up the water if you are not there to use it.

Routine inspections and maintaining your plumbing system is by far, easier and cheaper than the consequences of one flood.

One should also be aware that if you are on well water, and have a lot of algae, debri, sand or just plain bad water, sometimes turning on and the water can flush this loose in the pipes and cause obstructions in your faucets and toilet fill valves.  What you should do is turn the water on slowly, especially if your system is not pressurized, and open up your largest faucet. Start by opening all of your hose bibs, and your bathtub faucet making sure the water comes out of the tub spout, not the shower head. After the water is flowing clean, then bleed off the other faucets and flush the toilets.

If you need help on your plumbing system or you can’t locate your main shut-off valve, schedule with us on-line at www.LoveYourPlumber.com or call Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air, Inc. at 941-322-1911. We would be happy to serve you.

Can I Put Pumpkin Pulp/Guts/Seeds in my Garbage Disposal or Down my Toilet?

Fall is here and it’s time to carve a pumpkin and make pumpkin pie.  This  is a great time for the family to participate in carving a pumpkin and to enjoy the weather.  What will turn a fun time into a plumbing disaster is to carve the pumpkin in the kitchen sink,  thinking your disposal will just grind the pulp and seeds up, never to be seen again. Take this advice from your professional plumbers in Sarasota: Don’t put pumpkin pulp or pumpkin seeds down your disposal.  The pumpkin pulp is stringy and sticky. 

Pumpkin Guts – A Fast Track to Sarasota Drain Cleaning

When it dries, it hardens in the drain pipes and will choke off the opening in the pipes, clog your garbage disposal and gum it up.  Since the weather is so nice, take this project outside and put down newspaper to catch the mess, then bundle it all up when you are done and throw it in the trash.  This action will prevent you from having to call a plumber for drain cleaning in Sarasota or the surrounding areas.

 Some people may think that the disposal is a bad idea to put pumpkin pulp in because they have way to much, so they will flush it down their toilet instead. 

This will only create a problem further down the drain line and create a stoppage in your main sewer line, resulting in you having to call a plumber for sewer cleaning in Sarasota.

So heed the advice from the plumber, Just throw it away!

One other word of wisdom, is to use a sharp knife. It will cut without as much force as a dull knife.  In case you slip, the less force you are using will prevent deeper cuts.  Be careful, have fun and watch out for the trick or treaters.

Should you be reading this after you have carved your pumpkin, your trusted Sarasota plumbing company, Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air, Inc. are always ready to help you in your time of need. 

My Toilet Leaks Around the Base.

A common problem with toilets is water around the base of the toilet.  The first thing you want to do is to dry it up around the base.  Then put toilet paper around the base, laying the paper flat.  This will absorb water very quickly to help you determine exactly where the water is coming from.

Have a flashlight handy because it is easier to spot a drip.  Start by looking at the supply line that connects to the shut-off valve to the fill valve of the toilet.  Sometimes the leak around the base of the water closet is coming from where the connection is made to the fill valve.  If you find it leaking from the supply line, replace it with a stainless steel braided closet supply line.  The fill valve shank could also have a hairline crack in it, so you may have to replace the fill valve too.

If the leak is not on the supply line, check the bolts that connect the tank to the bowl.  Look under the tank where you can see the ends of the bolts and look for drips. If the bolts are leaking or are rusted, ( steel and water don’t mix) replace the tank bolts with brass bolts.  While you have the tank off, it is cheap insurance replace the tank to bowl gasket.  These rubber gaskets dry rot over time and will cause leaks.

Up to now, all you have done is checked for static leaks with the toilet tank full.  If no leaks are found at this point of inspection, the next step is to flush the toilet. Sometimes the leak is between the tank and the bowl. If the tank to bowl gasket is bad, water will leak out, sometimes pour out when you flush the water closet.  If this happens, replace the tank to bowl gasket, tank bolts (use brass bolts), and the supply line.

After inspecting the water closet from the top down and finding no leaks on the toilet paper you have laid down, but when you flush the toilet water leaks around the base of it, this means the seal has gone bad.  Or the toilet waste line has a stoppage and the back pressure has blown the seal.

Does the water closet rock when you sit on it?  It should be solid.  If the seal is bad, you will need to pull the toilet and replace the seal.  When the toilet is removed, check the closet flange to make sure it is not broken. If it is broken, the toilet will not bolt down to the floor securely, so it would need replacing also.  When resetting the toilet make sure to use brass closet bolts.

Sometimes, depending on the age and flushing action of the toilet, you are better off just getting a new toilet.  We recommend  Gerber Avalanche water closets with soft close seats.

Need help? Call Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air, Inc..  We serve the Sarasota, Bradenton, Osprey, Lakewood Ranch,  Siesta Key, Casey Key, and Longboat Key.  We also will take care of your plumbing needs in the Old Miakka community and Myakka City.

Call 941-322-1911 or visit LoveYourPlumber.com to schedule on line. Bubba Butler and our team would love to be your plumber!

My Washing Machine Hose Burst and Won’t Come Off, What Do I Do?

Maybe you and your spouse just bought a new washing machine and it’s going to be delivered in two or three days. You are checking out what needs to be moved for the installation guys and you happen to look at the valves where the washing machine hoses connect.  You may notice that the connections are all corroded or green and just nasty looking.  Are you thinking, I hope these installation guys know plumbing?  Chances are, they know enough to tell you to call a plumber to have the corroded valves changed, so they can hook up your new washing machine and leave it with no leaks.

The most common item that floods peoples home is a burst washing machine hose.  This can easily be prevented by just inspecting both washing machine hoses from end to end.  You want to check that there are no bubbles in the hoses and the connections on each end, especially the end connected to the shut-off valve, is clean with no signs of corrosion. Also, make sure the shut-off valves work.  If they don’t turn off and on, or leak when you do turn them, it is time to replace them.

Your valves may turn off and on, but you can’t unscrew the hoses.  Sometimes, you can cut the hose connection with a hacksaw and split the connection on the hose.  However, it would be best to replace the old valves with new ball valves.  Ball valves are by far, the best option for washing machine valves.  They make it easy to turn the water on and off.  A single lever washing machine valve would look nicer and operate even easier.

Since a burst washing machine hose can cause catastropic  damage to a home, even the well known insurance company, Geico, recommends that you replace your washing machine hoses every five years.  I recommend you inspect your hoses monthly, so you are in the habit of checking them.  When you do replace them, the choices are rubber hoses or stainless steel braided hoses.  Even though the stainless steel braided hoses still have rubber inside them, they prevent the burst hose from shooting water.  Washing machine hoses should be replaced every five years or sooner if you see signs of corrosion or leaks.

Another new item on the market, is a flood stop hose.  There have been issues with these hoses not letting the water into the machine even from brand new. Great idea, still needs improvement.

If you need help checking or replacing your washing machine hoses or shut-off valves, Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air is ready to serve you in the Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch and Myakka city  area.