Posts Tagged ‘Plumbing Repair’

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Cleveland, OH Plumbing Tip: Signs of High Water Pressure

Monday, May 6th, 2013

Our home plumbing systems are comprised of two major parts. The water supply line that comes from a well or municipal water source is pressurized so that it can move against gravity and be turned on and off by the use of fixtures and valves. The wastewater line, comprised of drainpipes and the sewer line, operates by gravity alone, requiring no pressure to do its work, when correctly installed. You rely heavily on the correct water pressure in your home. Most residences have between 30 and 80 psi (pounds per square inch) of water running through your supply plumbing. While low water pressure can be irritating, especially mid-shower, high water pressure is also problematic. In this post, we’ve described a few signs of high water pressure to watch out for. For comprehensive Cleveland, OH plumbing services, call Pompeii’s today!

  • Multiple leaks: This is a characteristic sign of high water pressure because it shows systematically that your pipes are failing. While a single leak may indicate a local pipe failure, the onset of a more systematic failure in multiple locations indicates that there is something wrong with the entire plumbing system. High water pressure can place excessive strain on the piping in your home. Leaks within the walls and ceilings can cause significant damage to sheetrock and wooden framing, in addition to your belongings and furniture.
  • Toilets running occasionally: If you find that one or more of your toilets runs occasionally, then the water pressure may have caused a leak in the toilet valve that separates the tank from the siphon bowl. While this may not seem like a pressing issue, it can lead to problems down the line, especially if leads to a leak or high utility bills.
  • Hammering noises: If you hear loud hammering noises coming from within your piping, and not merely pipes banging against the walls, then that’s usually an indication of high water pressure. Your plumber may recommend installing or replacing your pressure regulator.

If you think you may have high water pressure, call the Cleveland, OH plumbers at Pompeii’s Plumbing & Heating today!

 

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A North Ridgeville Plumbing Question: Why Is My Toilet Flushing Very Slowly?

Monday, April 8th, 2013

We often take our plumbing systems for granted. We don’t think about the pressurized calibration of our water supply system, and the various piping, joints, and fixtures that supply our bathroom and kitchen faucets, dishwashers, and washing machines. However, when a clog occurs or our toilet flushes only very slowly, we start to think of our plumbing very quickly.If you need a plumber in North Ridgeville, OH, call Pompeii’s Plumbing & Heating today!

In order to drain wastewater out of your home, your drainage system needs adequate ventilation. There are a few reasons why your toilet may be flushing slowly:

  • Main stack blocked. The main stack is the primary ventilation pipe. If it is partially blocked, it may need to be rodded out so that adequate ventilation can take place.
  • Drain blockage. Over years of use, your drain system can accumulate hair, grease, and organic waste that will eventually block the passage to your septic tank or city sewer system. While local clogs can be typically dealt with by means of a plunger or augur, main drain clogs need professional care. The use of harsh chemicals can actually damage your plumbing.
  • Roof vent blocked. Occasionally, debris can block your main roof ventilation outlet, which connects to the main stack. This can seriously impact the efficacy of your entire wastewater system.

There are other possible causes, but we hope that these give you some idea as to why your toilet is flushing slowly. Consider a thorough drain cleaning or video camera inspection to allow your plumber to pinpoint the issue, and to get your home plumbing system back up and running once again. For more information, contact a North Ridgeville, OH plumber at Pompeii’s Plumbing & Heating today! 

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What Causes Slab Leaks? A Cleveland Plumber’s Guide

Monday, February 11th, 2013

Slab leaks are one of the most dreaded plumbing repairs that homeowners in Cleveland  have to deal with. At Pompeii’s Plumbing & Heating, we wanted to put together some of the more common causes of slab leaks. We hope that this will be able to help our customers be able to detect the signs and know when to call a plumber. If you do start to notice any of these signs, call a plumber in Cleveland. If you let a slab leak continue with intervention it can cause considerably more damage.

What Is A Slab?

For those that are unfamiliar, the slab is the cement block on which your house is built. You can see why the stability and structural integrity of your slab is critical to your home’s safety and health.

Common Slab Leaks in Cleveland

In most homes, the plumbing and sewer lines are buried inside the cement slab. Water leaks and the plumbing lines inside your slab are often the culprit for slab leaks. Here are a few of the common causes slab leaks.

  • Dented pipes – During the installation process, the copper water pipes in your slab can get dented. Over time, as water flows of the dent it will gradually wear away and form a small pinhole.
  • Pressure – If your water pipes weren’t installed correctly there can be unnecessary pressure on them. With time, the pressure can cause the pipes to crack and leak.
  • Corrosion – While copper is resistant to corrosion, it can still happen. The condition of the soil on your property can determine when your pipes will corrode.
  • Hard water – The mineral deposits that result from hard water can fill up your water lines. This can form blockages and clogs in your water lines that can build up pressure.

Signs of Slab Leaks in Cleveland

There are a few signs of slab leaks that homeowners should watch out for.

  • Warm floors – If you notice warm spots on the floor of your basement it could indicate that you have a water leak in your slab.
  • Water pressure – A sudden or steady drop in water pressure in your home can indicate that water is leaking out somewhere. While it doesn’t always mean that the leak is in your slab it still is something that a professional plumber should look at.
  • Puddles – If you see water spots in strange places, it could indicate that you have a water leak in your slap or in one of your other pipes.

If you suspect that you have a slab leak in your home in Cleveland, call Pompeii’s Plumbing and Heating.

 

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2 Leaks You Do Not Want in Your Avon Home

Monday, January 7th, 2013

Dependable access to clean running water is one of the most basic luxuries that we have grown accustomed to in our homes. With a high quality plumbing installation, water line maintenance and other professional services, you can expect reliable access to running water throughout your home. Unfortunately, sometimes problems with your plumbing will develop. Regular, professional maintenance can greatly reduce the risk that you will require a serious plumbing repair in Avon, but at Pompeii’s Plumbing & Heating we believe our customers should have the information they need to prepare for any serious problems.

As a homeowner you never want to hear that you have a plumbing leak, but here are two serious leaks that can cause especially big headaches. If you have any reason to suspect that either is present in your home, call for professional help immediately. Our Avon plumbers always here to help.

Your main water line is the pipe that supplies your home with access to water from the city water supply. As you can imagine, quite a bit of water moves through this main line. If your main water line is corroded, cracked or otherwise damaged a lot of water can leak from it in a pretty short amount of time. This volume of water can do a lot of damage in that short time. If you water pressure drops, you notice a pooling of water by your main line or anything else out of the ordinary occurs with your plumbing be sure to call us right away. The sooner this problem is resolved the better.

Another, even more cringe worthy leak you may face in your Avon home is a slab leak. Slab leaks are especially troublesome because they are notoriously difficult for a homeowner to notice, let alone diagnose. A slab leak is a leak that occurs beneath the concrete flooring of your home. This means that getting to the leak is a process in and of itself. You need a professional to find, access and repair your slab leak, so call as soon as you notice unexplained spikes in water bills or the sound of running water without a source. This is not a problem that you can afford to ignore.

If you have any questions about these types of leaks or suspect one on your property call Pompeii’s Plumbing & Heating right away. We want to help you avoid serious damages to your property. Let us protect your Avon  home from main water line damages and slab leaks.

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Avon Plumbing Question: Why Does My Garbage Disposal Leak?

Monday, September 17th, 2012

Garbage disposals can often end up having problems that can either be an easy fix, or it may indicate that a garbage disposal replacement is needed. The Avon plumbing experts at Pompeii’s Plumbing & Heating can help you out with all your garbage disposal repair and replacement needs. Here are some common garbage disposal problems.

Garbage Disposal Leaks

Garbage disposal leaks can indicate a number of problems, depending on where the leak is coming from. If the leak is coming from the top of the disposal near where it attaches to the sink drain, it has likely come loose from its mounting bracket and needs to be re-tightened so that the seal is secure once again.

Garbage Disposal Grinds Poorly

Garbage disposals that grind poorly could be caused by not running enough cold water during the grinding process, or it could be that the blades need to be sharpened.

  • To use the right amount of water, start by turning on the cold water, then run the disposal, then turn the disposal off, then turn the water off.  This should allow the proper amount of water to maintain proper grinding.
  • To sharpen blades put a few cups of ice or eggshells, along with lots of cold water. Blades should be sharpened about once every month to keep them sharp enough to work properly.

Garbage disposals that stop grinding altogether could be due to a jam or another issue, but the only way to tell if you need a simple repair or replacement is to call one of our plumbing professionals to take a look to determine the cause of your grinding problems.

Garbage Disposal is Making Noise but Not Working

Garbage disposals that are making noises but that do not actually grind the food are most likely jammed.  Jams can happen when a foreign object, such as a spoon, fruit pit, or other piece of fibrous food, has become stuck under the blades, which prevents the blades from moving freely.

The experienced Avon plumbers at Pompeii’s Plumbing & Heating have experience with all types of garbage disposals and can assist you if yours has any of these problems. Contact Pompeii’s Plumbing & Heating today and have your garbage disposal up and working in no time.

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Cleveland Plumbing Guide: Causes of Common Plumbing Disasters

Monday, August 27th, 2012

Some of the worst plumbing disasters to watch for and prevent are broken pipes, frozen pipes, backed up toilets, clogged drains, and sump pump failure.  Wherever possible it is important to prevent these plumbing disasters from ever occurring.

Broken Pipes can happen at any time.  Having a water line that breaks can be caused by a pipe under a house being frozen during a cold night in winter that then cracked and started to leak, or even a pipe clog that resulted in water pressure building up..  At the first sign of a broken pipe it is imperative to turn off the water supply either to that section of the building or to the whole building, whichever is quicker.

  • Avoid Broken Pipes by having your plumbing system maintained and inspected professionally by a Cleveland plumber every year so that deterioration and clogs can be identified and dealt with early on.

Frozen Pipes tend to happen when it’s cold outside.  As the air around a pipe gets cold enough the pipe will freeze and expand and either during the freezing process or when it defrosts, the pipe can break.  A frozen pipe that has broken will ultimately lead to water leaking out of the pipe and causing water damage.

  • Avoid Frozen Pipes by running warm water through pipes on the coldest days and keeping your home warm to prevent freezing.

Clogged Drains that are not noticed or are not tended to can not only cause issues for the single drain, but can affect other parts of the plumbing system as well.

  • Avoid Clogged Drains by not placing anything down the drain that shouldn’t be there, use drain screens throughout your building, and regularly remove leaves and garden waste from outdoor drains.

Backed Up Toilets can easily sometimes turn into overflow situations where waste water floods the floor and permanent fixtures in a bathroom.  A backed up toilet can be caused by non-degradable items being put down the toilet drain.

  • Avoid Backed Up Toilets by ensuring that nothing unusual is placed in the toilet, and have a plunger handy for those small blockages which are easily fixed.

Sump Pump Failure can be a disaster, causing flooding of a basement

  • Avoid Sump Pump Failure by performing your own frequent checks of the sump pump, as well as having a professional sump pump maintenance performed prior to the rainy season.  Pay attention to signs that your sump pump is wearing out, and make certain that your sump pump is the right size for your water removal needs.

Let the plumbers at Pompeii’s Plumbing & Heating keep your Cleveland plumbing system working smoothly – call us today if you need any repairs!

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How to Lower Energy Costs for Your Cleveland Home: Water Heater Tips

Monday, July 30th, 2012

If you want to lower the energy costs for your Cleveland home, the water heater might not be the first place you’d think to save energy. However, when you add up the savings from a few easy steps that can improve your water heater’s efficiency, it can make a significant difference in your utility bills.

Here are some of the ways you can reduce the use of hot water in your Cleveland home and increase your energy savings.

Saving Energy by Using Less Hot Water

Even if you own an energy-efficient, tankless water heater, and you try to conserve water as much as possible, hot water usage can always be reduced in other areas. Installing low flow faucets and fixtures can provide up to 60% in water savings because they reduce the flow rate (gallons per minute) for each fixture. Tankless water heaters are also more efficient when they are used with any application with a lower flow rate.

Replacing older appliances that require a lot of hot water with more energy-efficient models is worth the money and effort because of the energy savings you will get in the end. Make sure you fix any leaks on older hot water faucet or fixtures. A leak that costs a dollar or two extra per month doesn’t seem like much, but it will add up over time.

Lower the Temperature on Your Hot Water Heater

For every 10°F that you lower the water temperature on your hot water heater, you save between 3% to 5% in energy costs. The manufactured setting for most water heaters is 140°F, but most homes only require a maximum temperature of 120°F. Check your owner’s manual before you lower the temperature on your water heater to find out what the recommended settings are and how to change them.

Insulate Your Water Heater Tank and Water Pipes

Whether you have a gas or electric hot water heater, you can find fairly inexpensive and easy-to-install insulators or “jackets” for your water heater tank. Every tank has an R-value that determines how much heat it loses, so unless it is a high value, your water heater tank needs insulation. Call a Cleveland plumbing professional or check your owner’s manual for the R-value of your hot water heater, but the general rule is that if the tank is warm when you touch it, you need more insulation.

You can reduce emissions and your energy costs simply by paying more attention to how much hot water you are using in your Cleveland home. For more tips and expert advice, call Pompeii’s Plumbing & Heating to speak with one of our technicians.

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Cleveland Plumbing Question: Why Is My Garbage Disposal “humming”?

Tuesday, May 29th, 2012

Ah, the garbage disposal: one of the great conveniences of the modern kitchen. When it is working well, it makes cleaning up after dinner so easy. But when it is on the fritz, there is nothing more annoying.

One common occurrence is the “humming” garbage disposal. You flip the switch to turn the disposal on, but instead of spinning up and sucking those coffee grounds away, it just makes a humming noise and doesn’t do anything. Definitely frustrating. The good news is that since it is making that humming noise, you may be in OK shape. Read on for an explanation.

There are two basic causes of the humming phenomenon. Let’s discuss the simpler one first.

Stuck Flywheel

Most of the time, the problem is as simple as a stuck flywheel. Usually this problem is identified by the brevity of the humming sound, as the garbage disposal will either reset itself or the circuit breaker will trip and the whole thing will shut down.

To fix a stuck flywheel, a plumber will:

  1. Shut down the power to the garbage disposal by shutting of the circuit breaker or pulling the fuse.
  2. Using an offset wrench (it came with the disposal unit, but you can buy a replacement at the hardware store), turn the flywheel clockwise to dislodge it.

If the problem is just a stuck flywheel, that should take care of it. However, there is another, more sinister explanation for the humming sound.

 Seized Motor Bearing

If your efforts to free the flywheel did not get the disposal working again, then you may have a seized motor bearing on your hands. A disposal with a seized motor bearing needs to be replaced. It’s as simple as that.

Whatever your problem it is always best to have a  Cleveland plumbing professional look at it. It is possible that the flywheel is just quite stuck and needs the touch of a pro. If not, he can go ahead and install a new unit for you.

Call Pompeii’s Plumbing & Heating today if you need any plumbing repairs in Cleveland!

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Cleveland Plumber’s Tip: Fix Water Leaks Before They Cause Major Damage

Monday, May 21st, 2012

Water leaks are one of the most destructive and frustrating problems in many Cleveland homes. Undetected water leaks can rot wood, destroy drywall, and cause mold to grow in unseen spaces of your home. Spending the time and money to find and fix water leaks in your Cleveland plumbing before they cause significant damage is one of the most cost-effective actions a homeowner can take.

Sinks

Cabinets beneath kitchen and bathroom sinks are a good place to start. Look for signs of water damage or build up. Mold and mildew are telltale signs of water leaks. Touch the pipes, particularly the areas where they enter the faucet. Run the hot and cold water faucets for a few minutes and repeat the inspection. Finally, fill the sink with water, let it stand a few minutes and open the drain. Now check the drain pipe and the joints that connect it to the sink for leaks.

Dishwashers

Dishwashers can’t easily be checked for leaks without pulling them out from beneath the counter. But you can inspect the water lines that connect the dishwasher to the kitchen sink. For some units, you may be able to shine a flashlight beneath the dishwasher to look for puddles.

Toilets

Toilets can leak from the water supply pipes filling the tank and from the seal between the toilet and the waste pipe in the floor. Flush the toilet several times and carefully look for any signs of leaks in the  joints of the water supply pipe and the floor around the base of the toilet. Lift the lid off the tank and flush the toilet. When the tank refills, the water should completely shut off. If the flush valve or water control unit is old, corroded, or loose, the water will continue to run. Running water cools the water delivery pipe to the toilet and the tank, which will cause them to collect condensation in humid weather. The condensation will drip and eventually cause water damage to the floor behind the toilet. Bottom line – don’t ignore a running toilet. Have the water control and flush valve fixed or replaced.

Tubs and Showers

Inspect the caulking around the tub or shower. Old, cracked, or missing caulking can allow water to leak into the wall. Water dripping from a leaky faucet or shower head will go down the drain and not cause any damage, but the faucet may also be leaking water behind the tub or shower.

Hot Water Heaters

Finally, inspect the hot water heater for leaks, and the boiler if the house has hot water heating. The first place to look is the floor around the appliance, but also look at the joints where the water pipes connect.

For any help with leak detection or plumbing repair in Cleveland, give Pompeii’s Plumbing & Heating a call today!

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Why You Should Regularly Clean Lorain City Your Sump Pump

Monday, April 16th, 2012

Keeping the sump pump clean in your Lorain City home has many benefits. Not only does a clean sump pump run more efficiently, which lowers your energy bills, but it also helps prevent malfunctions. The sump pump in your home pumps out excess groundwater that could potentially flood your basement and cause major water damage and mold growth.

To prevent flood damage in your home, make sure your sump pump well is free of debris and that the pump it is maintained regularly. Call Pompeii’s Plumbing & Heating any time if you have questions about how to maintain your Lorain City sump pump or to have it professionally cleaned and inspected. Here are some specific reasons why a clean sump pump is important.

Float Switch Malfunctions

Most submerged sump pump models have a floater or similar device that detects the water level inside the well. Once the water table reaches a certain point, the float switch turns the pump on. If debris or dirt gets trapped underneath the switch, it can get stuck in the “on” position, which causes the motor to run constantly and potentially overheat.

Clogged Filters

Most filters in sump pumps are designed to allow smaller particles through, but larger pieces of debris can clog the system and cause it to shut down. An overheated motor or tripped circuit could result from a clogged filter because the motor has to work harder to pump out the water. If you aren’t sure how to check the filter for debris, call a professional plumber for advice.

Preventative Maintenance Tips

Try to keep debris from falling into the well, and clean out any large particles that you can see in the water. Occasionally fill the well all the way with a hose and test the floater switch to make sure it’s working properly. At least once a year, hire a Lorain City plumber to drain your well and clean the inside of the well and the pump. Your plumber will also inspect the pump to make sure it is in good working condition.

You can help maintain the sump pump in your Lorain City home simply by keeping it clean! Give Pompeii’s Plumbing & Heating a call today if you would like to discuss installing a sump pump in your home.

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