Welcome to ASK DAVE, our exciting new question and answer column.
Do you have plumbing questions? Do you need plumbing advice? This is the place to get answers to plumbing questions, big or small.
Just post your questions here below on our ASK DAVE column, and David Parker, master plumber and president of ER Plumbing Services, will answer questions and give advice.
Dave will be covering questions about:
• Plumbing brands and products
• Plumbing services
• Plumbing maintenance issues
• Who to hire to perform specific services
• What kinds of plumbing jobs are safe to tackle on your own
• Plumbing How-To questions and DIY plumbing projects
Feel free to ask questions about:
• Hot water heaters
• Water filtration systems
• Garbage disposals
• Washing machines
• Dishwashers
• Toilets, showers and bathtubs
• Leak detection and repair
• Drain clearing
• Pipe work
• Sewer and water line installation and repair
• Gas logs installation
We want to answer your questions so you can make educated decisions as you tackle your plumbing projects and concerns.
What should I be doing to maintain my water heater? How often should I do what?
Bonnie,
The water heater is one of the most important fixtures in the house so it’s great you’re even asking. I would have your water heater drained at least once a year to help remove the sediment that builds up if your anode rod fails. I would have a professional out every three years for a full service. We do a lot of internal cleaning and external checks for gas pipe and flue leaks.
Thanks,
Dave
Thanks, Dave. But how do I drain it? Do I cut the power off? Do I shut the gas off? Is it safe to do this on my own?
Bonnie,
Let’s start with an electric heater. The breaker panel will need to be shut off to perform this task because we don’t want to burn out the elements. The hose will need to be hooked up at the bottom of the heater and ran to a drain or outside. The valve can be turned off at the top of the heater and the relief valve on the heater will need to be opened so the heater will drain. We can do the same thing with a gas heater by turning the gas off but you will have to relight the heater after completion. The drain valve can then be closed after the heater is drained and the shut off’s on top of the heater cut back on. I also want to mention to let the air out of the faucets as your filling it back up until no more air is present. We are now ready to turn the power back on at the panel and relight the heater if it’s gas?
My toilet is leaking at the base. What should I do?
Kyle,
It sounds as if the toilet will need to be pulled up and a new wax ring installed. I would first make sure nothing is leaking around the supply valve and tubes? The tank to bowl nuts and washers should be checked as well.
Dave
What if it is leaking around the supply valve and tubes? Can I fix that myself, or should I have someone come out and look at it?
Kyle,
That’s a comfort issue! I would always hire a professional when dealing with water. We get most of our weekend calls from homeowners trying to solve issues themselves. We are always here if you do run into problems!
Hi Dave,
Every so often, usually after running the dishwasher, there is a smell like sewer coming from the sink area. I also seem to get that same smell from our upstairs bathroom as well. It’s not all the time, but when it happens, it’s horrible! What would cause this and what can I do?
Thank you!
Tina,
Are you on a Well System? if so it could be the hot water tank anode rod failure and a bacteria issue. The hose that comes from the dishwasher and connects to the garbage disposal drain needs to be looped up high under the cabinet as well. I am leaning towards the water heater because of the stench in the other sink. The other things that come into play are the venting system or food and scum buildup in the lines. We could address this with friendly bacteria products.
Dave
My water heater pilot light went out. I noticed water in bottom of tank, i.e. a leak. A plumber told me gas and direct ventr were most expensive; w/o looking at installation ! Any difference in cost of waters heaters, direct vent vs other? Jim D
James,
The heater sounds like it has an internal leak causing the outage. The year of the heater can usually be identified by the first few serial numbers. The direct vented heaters that penetrate the wall sideways with the flue are more expensive for sure. The heater cost more because the way it vents. The heater brings air in from the outside for proper combustion and exhausts through the same penetration. I would go tankless if it fits your budget and you plan on living there a while? I would go back with the same heater that’s currently installed for ease of installation if your trying to keep costs down? We cannot install a standard heater in a direct vented hole it would have to go through the roof.
Dave
Tina,
Are you on a Well System? if so it could be the hot water tank anode rod failure and a bacteria issue. The hose that comes from the dishwasher and connects to the garbage disposal drain needs to be looped up high under the cabinet as well. I am leaning towards the water heater because of the stench in the other sink. The other things that come into play are the venting system or food and scum buildup in the lines. We could address this with freindly bacteria products.
Dave
Hi Dave,
My dishwasher isn’t draining all the way. What should I do to get it to drain? Do I need to replace it? Is this a dishwasher problem or something wrong with my plumbing overall? Advice, please!
Natalie,
You could have a few different issues going on? I would first of all want to make sure the drains at the sink are working? I would also make sure the strainer at the bottom of the dishwasher is clean. If both those items are clear and free you need to make sure the drain hose is not kinked and is looped up high under the cabinet before it ties into the drain to prevent a back siphon. The hose could also have food waste stuck in it creating a partial or full clogg. If all these items have been checked you may want an appliance man for repair if it’s worth repairing. I would say if it’s got some age on it put the money in a new one instead of repairing an item like the dishwasher pump which could be costly?
Dave
My pipes are moaning when we use water. Should I be concerned? What can I do about it?
Anthony,
The pipes are probably moaning from the pressure reducing valve. The valve protecs the home from extreme pressures. A failed valve can make this noise on both the hot and cold side. I would have it checked out because you don’t want to much pressure in the house and the noise can be a nusiance.
Dave
The sink in my master bathroom is draining slowly. We haven’t had problems with any other sinks in the house, just this one. Any advice? Any drain cleaners I should use?
Kim,
Sinks are a pretty common stoppage and the first thing we check is for hair and soap buildup in the pop up drain. The way to disconnect this is from underneith the cabinet. The way to free the pop up is by lifting it out and this can be done from the middle of the drain assembly where it attaches to the rod coming down from above in the cabinet. We just loosen that one nut and pull the rod out that attaches to the drain enough to pull the stopper out. We use a hanger at this point if the hair is deeper down the drain and create a hook. The job is complete after cleaning it out, and replacing the stopper and rod assembly. I bet there is a You Tube video on this precedure? I would allways do a paper towel test after this by running water and having a paper towel in place below to make sure no leaks are present after the repair.I would also say drain cleaners can be dangerous and caustic so be careful if going that route. We see hair causing most problems unless your bald like me?
Hi,
Thank you for taking the time to look at my post. I’m desperate for an answer to my shower issue. I recently bought a house that was in the middle of renovations. The old owner had moved the electric hot water tank out in the garage for more space in the house. Since the garage isn’t attached we decided to have the plumber install a recirculating pump so that the 50 gallon electric hot water heater didn’t have a problem getting water to the house quickly. I finally moved in and realized that I have hot water in both of my sinks, but only about 30 seconds of hot water in the shower. Originally we thought maybe the cartridge was bad in the single handle shower control so we replaced that as well as took it apart to make sure the red scalding thing wasn’t set too low. When that didn’t solve the problem we decided to look at the dip tube in the hot water tank thinking it needed to be replaced or that a heating element wasn’t working right on the tank so we weren’t getting all 50 gallons. Well, our contractor ended up messing up the dip tube so we bought a brand new Whirlpool 50 gallon hot water tank. Still no hot water….I’ve been taking cold showers for a month now and I don’t know what else to do. As soon as I get out of the shower I can turn on the sink and have hot water there so it’s really mind boggling. The plumber who did the work isn’t returning phones call to come back out, so I’m resorting to the internet to see if someone can help…I’m hoping someone can help me so I don’t have to keep boiling water for my son’s bath!!!!
Thank you for your time!
Catie, The shower should be connected to the same water heater. I would say if you have hot water in the sinks you should have hot water at the shower. I’m concerned the plumber crossed the lines in the shower or has the valve upside down in the wall? I am also concerned that the plumber never tied the hot into the valve if it’s new? The thirty seconds of hot may just be from the water circulating system? The problem is either within the valve installation or the way the plumber piped the lines. I would say if the house is on a crawlspace you can trace the lines to make sure there tied in correctly underneith. I would also say if the bathroom is upstairs it’s going to require some drywall removal to verify what was done. The bottom line is if you have hot water everywhere else it’s not the heater. The water heater will give you 75% usage before it tempers down at 120 degrees if that’s what the heater is set at? The amount you should be getting from a 50-gallon heater with just turning the hot side on is about seven 5 gallon buckets full before it starts loosing temp. Hope This Helps!
Dave
Hi Dave,
What is an on demand water heater? Are they any good? If we need a new water heater, what kind do you recommend?
Thanks for the advice,
Kelly in Matthews
Kelly,
The term on demand is getting hot water when your asking for it! The tankless heaters do this,an example would be when you turn the hot side of the faucet on for any hot fixture it senses flow,ignites,and starts heading towards you. The great thing with tankless is multiple fixtures can be ran at the same time and everyone has all they need,as long as they need it! We like Rinnai and Noritz units and I actually have one at the house. We can give a free estimate if you ever need one? We need to have a look at the current installation and layout of the house to determine the best fit.
Thanks,
Dear Dave,
My family has been considering a water filtration system for a while because our tap water doesn’t really taste that great. What kind of water filtration systems are the best? Is there much latitude in what kind of water filtration system are available? What factors should I consider when choosing a water filtration system?
Roberta,
I would first have to ask you if your on city or well water? The treatment really depends on what your water quality test comes back like. I would say a good pre-filter and carbon system will handle most city water systems. The pre-filter will handle things like sediment and rust. The pre-filter also can be managed by the consumer every three to six months with ease. A carbon system can give the house great quality water for several years without any maintanance and removes items like chorline. We like to purchase water filtration systems that taste great, keep us healthy, and little maintenance is required. I also know it’s a great investment knowing what your family is consuming and bathing in.
Hey Dave,
I appreciate you giving our free plumbing advice here on your site – it’s very helpful. I have a question for you. I’m thinking about renovating my master bathroom (in fact, I think my shower has been leaking for a while – the caulking is pretty bad)and I’m wondering: Is this a job I can tackle myself? How will I know if there is water damage or not? How tough is it to replace a shower by myself? I’m pretty handy, but I’ve never tackled anything like this before. Thanks for the advice.
Tom,
I would say doing the demo should save you some money but be careful, and where your safety equipment! Having the right tools will make a differance as well. I would say when it comes to shower bases leave it to a professional the potential damage is not worth the headache if improperly installed. The water damage would be easy to spot after pulling up the tile and old pan material. The flooring may need new wood if it’s leaked for a while? and keep an eye out for any discoloration a professional may have to deal with.
Thanks,
Dave,
I’m thinking about a whole-house water filtration system. However, the main water supply comes to a cut-off valve located in a closet in the interior of my house. My assumption is that any sort of whole-house filter will need to be inserted at this main supply line. Because I want the filter to actually be located in my garage, does that mean that the main water supply needs to be re-directed to the garage and what all is involved with that?
JR,
We see this a lot where the water main is in a closet inside the house. I would say if you have a crawlspace we can move it with no problems. We just extend the piping to the garage, pipe it through the filters, and return the line back into the main distrabution system. I know you will need to change the pre-filter at some point? The garage makes since and gives you ease of access for any filter replacements needed.
Nice site! I may need your help as we remodel this old ranch house of ours!
My first question has to do with a hammering that we get at our kitchen sink. We get the hammering when hot or cold is used. The hammering stops as soon as we use the sink sprayer. Any thoughts?
We are also looking at redirecting our grey water and having the toilet be the only thing that drains to the septic. Are we asking for trouble with that?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts or advice you may have!
Pat
Pat, I think the diverter in the faucet is the issue causing the hammer noise. I would find out what brand of faucet it is and have a diverter shipped to you. We can help with the install or order if we know the make and modelof the faucet. The grey water system is a complicated issue depending on the layout of the house? A two story for example is much harder to achive the goal. A one story house with a crawlspace is best case senario. The systems very and we see some installs that reclaim the water and fill the toilet tanks back up for a new flush. We would have to look at the job and see what your looking to do for sure.
Thanks,
Last time we had plumbing work done, the tech said our water pressure was too high, so he adjusted it. Now all three toilets don’t do a good job of flushing sometimes, if you get my meaning. We have to carry a bucket of water to add to the flush. Embarrassing! What can be done to correct this?
Helen, The water pressure should not be higher than 80psi in the house. The toilets should still perform if they are decent quality? We can turn the pressure back up as long as we don’t exceed the 80psi. I have the Toto toilets at my house and have low pressure because were on well water. We have no issues and the pressure is 65psi. I think you may want to consider changing the toilets if they are not performing under a safe pressure level and all three are performing the same?
pressure release valve has been leaking. Changed the release valve twice and got a expansion tank but it is still leaking. We checked the psi and in the kitchen it is at 60 but at the washer and dryer it is 120. What could be the problem and why are they so different and what should I do?
Jamey, I would have you test the pressure at the hose connection at the back or side yard. The pressure would be different at the two fixtures because of water saving devices installed in the faucets. I would also make sure the expansion tank is set to the right pressure and is not water logged. You can check the pressure tank by pressing the valve at the top where you would fill air. We should have no water coming out of that area when being pressed. The only other we would check for is weather the water heater is getting very hot or set to a high temp? The control valve could be out of calibration and causing it to over heat and run the relief??
Thanks,
Hello Dave i just replaced the valve stems in my bathroom but know the shower diverter is not working when i turn it water still comes out of the faucet and very little from the shower head what can i do……
Mardy,
If the diverter pull out is on the tub spout change the spout. I would say if you have good pressure the diverter should transfer. We do need some decent water pressure so hopefully the system is not galvenized? The faucet will sometimes have diverters in the wall and if that’s the case you would have three stems? I would change out the diverter stem if you have that type of application?
Dave,
I think my first post timed out and disconnected. If this question is a repeat, just ignore it. My question is about kitchen sink strainer installations. The rubber washer that is used on the underside of the sink when installing a strainer, is it really necessary and what is its purpose. Does not the plumbers putty used on the topside provide all the leak prevention? Thanks.
Wayne,
The basket comes with a black rubber gasket that seals underneath the basin, a thick paper washer, and a die-cast metal lock nut to clamp the basket onto the basin. There is also a smaller lock nut that connects the sink tail-piece (the first part of the drain system) to the basket. The cardboard washer would be for friction. The putty on the top is the main sealant for sure and the rubber would be a backup and vibration barrier when the garbage disposal is used.
Thanks,
Hey Dave,
I wanted to know if I can run a copper tee horizontally off of the hot water inlet for a shower valve?
Thanks
Gary, That is just fine when running copper!
Thank You! Great Site you have.
I put on a hand held shower and now when I use it cold water continues to run from the tub spout. Is it the shower head or is it the spout or is it the taps that are the problem? Had new washers put on the taps and a new spout recently, before the shower head was installed.
Hey Dave. I’m having a bit of toilet trouble. I believe that a piece of cardboard got flushed down the toilet and now it is clogged. I tried a plunger but it didn’t seem to help and I tried feeling for it but nothing. What should I do?
Jocelyn,
I would get a small Closet Augger Snake for the house from Lowes or Home Depot if your handy? The cardboard is probably lodged in the trap or throat of the toilet and a plunger can’t retreive the item.
Thanks,
I have a complex issue. We live in an upstairs apartment, and have had the same problems for almost 2 years. Periodically, but often our kitchen sink will back up into our bathtub. We have snaked it, used expensive drain cleaners, dawn dishsoap (that my landlord swore would work), but still this is a problem. It seems like the kitchen sink, bathtub and bathroom sink are all connected. Our landlord hasn’t done anything to fix the issue and we’re getting really irritated. If we run water in the kitchen sink it will slowly fill up. As it fills in the sink the water starts to come out of the bathtub drain and fill up the bathtub also.
Ron, I’m sorry to here the owner is not taken care of the issue properly. The kitchen line is probably full of grease and needs a proper cleaning. The system is attached in some way on the same branch to be coming up in several areas. The only way to address this issue is with a proper snake and a freindly bacteria product that eat’s waste and helps clean the lines.