After a long winter, I just tried to turn on one of my outdoor spigots and I am only getting a trickle of water. I tried opening up the spigot completely and then opening/closing the shutoff valve in the basement, but still no luck. Help!
If your spigot on the outside of the house does not have water coming from it, you probably have to start with the valve on the inside of the house. What I and most other plumbing contractors do is shut off the water to the house, remove the stem from the shut off valve and turn on the water slowly (place a buck under the valve to catch the water). If no water comes out, then there is a blockage either at the entrance to the valve or on the pipe coming from the main.
The next steps would be to replace the line or use back pressure to unclog. But you may want to call us for this faucet repair Baltimore, Tacoma and everywhere in between Roto-Rooter can assist will all of your plumbing problems.
I've had high water bills for several months now. I have looked for water leaks and also investigated to see if I have wet spots on the ground outside the house to no avail. Do you have any ideas as I live on a fixed income?Make sure you have
checked all of your toilets for leaks by doing a simple and cheap test. Place a few drops of food coloring in the water in the tank. If the water in the bowl changes color without you flushing, then you know it's the flapper. If you replace the flapper and the water is still leaking, then check the stop to see if there are any cracks or grooves in it that prevent the seal from making a full contact.
If the toilets are not leaking, then you may have a broken or leaking water main underground. The only way to find this is to
call a leak detection company, such as Roto-Rooter, that can use an acoustic leak detection device. Once the leak is located, the area is excavated the plumbing repair begins.
Search "
Roto-Rooter Leak Detection Baltimore " on the Web (substitute Baltimore for your city).
Roto-Rooter offers 24 hour plumbing so you can call us day or night.
So you've replaced the stems on your on bathroom's hot and cold water fixtures and now no water is running from the faucet, even though there is water in the stems. It sounds as if the stems were not installed properly. Although this seems like a minor plumbing repair, I would suggest you call one of your local plumbing contractors to take a look at it.
If the stems were not installed properly, they may not open fully to allow water to pass. I once had a situation where the wrong washers were took thick for a particular stem. The stems were fully retracted and the washers were sealing against the seats. Only after I removed the washers and used flatter washers did the faucet work.
If you need help with this or other bathroom plumbing solutions, call us at 1-800-GET-ROTO or
schedule service online. If you have any questions, you can ask me through the
Ask a Plumber section of our website.
I recently had plumbing services done at my home in Philadelphia. The plumber snaked the pipe for a kitchen sink clog as the kitchen sink was draining slow. Why wouldn't he check the line going out of the house first for blockage, then snake the rest of the house?
If the kitchen sink is draining slow, local plumbing companies will always snake the kitchen drain first. A kitchen sink line is a very small drain line, typically the pipe size of 1-1/2 inch to 2" underground. A snake that fits and cleans a 2-inch pipe will not work in a 4-inch sewer drain that leaves the home. To clear a 4-inch line, you have to use a 4-inch snake, which requires a main line cable machine. A plumber will not pull out that machine if he knows that it is a kitchen line that is running slow. The main line machine is a much bigger machine that weighs a lot and has a 3/4 inch cable. If no other plumbing fixture in your home is running slow, like toilets or tubs, then the plumber will only clear the kitchen line.
Call
Roto-Rooter if you need assistance with any kitchen plumbing jobs.
Visit our website to get
helpful kitchen plumbing tipsLearn more about
Pipe Shield, Roto-Rooter's drain care product that's safe for the environment.
We have a newly-built house that's only 4 years old and the garage drains are slow to drain. We suspect it's from winter debris and possible tile dust from sawing tiles. We requested information from our local home improvement store's rental department, but they were fearful it would break their cable knowing what I mentioned above. We would like advise on this clogged drain Baltimore is the area we live in.
This happens a lot with newer homes because the tile guys rinse their buckets in the floor drain without realizing their causing potential plumbing problems.
Your local home improvement store was afraid to rent their equipment because tile dust will often solidify inside the pipe and turn into concrete. Given this, when someone tries to clear the line they will sometimes punch a hole through the plastic floor drain because the plastic is softer than the concrete.
We licensed plumbing specialists are often taxed with fixing the problem. I found one drain so full of grout (concrete), no water could pass at all. I ended up breaking up the floor and cutting open the floor drain so the homeowner could see the problem. Too bad this wasn't taken care of the first year as the contractor could have back charged the tile layer.
Once in a while an experienced drain cleaner can get through the buildup, but there are no guarantees there will not be any damage.
The first thing a plumber will do when he is called to your house because of
low water pressure in the shower, but no place else in the house, is to
remove the shower head and check the pressure without the shower head (leave the arm coming out of the wall so the water is directed down into the shower).
If you have good water volume coming out of the shower head arm, then you just need to
clean or replace the shower head. Household vinegar dissolves the buildup of scale and rust from the inside of the shower head and other residential plumbing fixtures. To remove these deposits, set the shower head in a bowl of vinegar overnight.
In addition,
check the flow restrictor inside the female end of the shower head to see if there is debris. The flow restrictor is generally removable so you can work on it in the light.
Roto-Rooter offers 24 hour plumbing solutions should you need assistance. Call
1-800-GET-ROTO or
schedule your service appointment online.
Opportunities? Yes! You can go green with your plumbing and save some
green $$ in the process. Green bathroom plumbing solutions include swapping out your water guzzling shower head for a new low-flow model. They're much better than the early models lampooned on the Seinfeld TV show and will save you a lot of money on water bills.
Toilets are one of the biggest water wasters in your home. If you still have an old 3.5 gallon flush model, you owe it to yourself and the rest of us to convert to a 1.6 gallon per flush model or one of the new 1.28 gpf toilets. They're powerful and they sip water. This is a quick plumbing repair for a licensed plumbing specialist.
If you have faucets without aerators, pick up some at the hardware store. They'll save you lots of water and they're only a couple of bucks each. Got an old water heater more than ten years old? News flash: It's going to die within a year or two and it's costing you big money now. New models are more efficient, especially heavily insulated ones and the new tank-less ones. Do your part to conserve. It's easier than you think. Need help? Schedule a Roto-Rooter plumber to do an inspection and show you how to save water.
Thank you so much for following up with our last service call. The repair man was wonderful, prompt, professional and very friendly. We placed our service call on Sunday. At the time we did not know your company offered 24 hour plumbing services. The plumber was there to fix our bathroom faucet and had the problem resolved within 20 minutes.
This was the second time using your company and we were happy with both service experiences. Your rate is reasonable compared to other companies. With us having a home, you can be sure that we will use your company for all plumbing repairs. Truly appreciate the good service. Please keep up your good work.
Sincerely,
Ed & Kim P.
Baltimore, MD
We have natural ground water coming up in the front yard. We live in Baltimore. Who can we contact about our plumbing problems?
If you are sure it is natural ground water and not a septic tank or water service line that is causing the problem, you probably need to speak to your
local department of natural resources.
If it is not natural water, contact your licensed plumbing specialists for a leak detection Baltimore Roto-Rooter can assist you with this plumbing service.
If it is natural, then you will have to look at
installing a french drain leech line under the ground to collect the water and direct it away from the yard and out to the street's storm drain or drainage area.
A french drain is a tube that has perforations to allow the water to flow into the pipe. The outside is covered with a filter sock to prevent sand from entering and the whole pipe is encased in 3/4 inch pea gravel in a trench. A filter paper is installed on top of the gravel and your soil is reinstalled on top of the whole thing, so you can't see the drain when it is done.
Should you need help installing a french drain, Roto-Rooter can assist with the plumbing repair.
What a busy time it has been at Roto-Rooter. We're preparing some interesting and beneficial programs for 2009, which I'll discuss later as they are developed. Personally, I'm scheduled to travel a lot the the next few weeks to promote and discuss some of these programs with our franchises across the country.
On top of my busy schedule, rainy weather will continue to cause plumbing problems for many home owners and businesses. Sump pump replacements are common this time of year so keep an eye on yours to make sure it's functioning properly and keeping your basement dry.
Meanwhile, do your part to conserve water by checking for a leaky faucet Baltimore Branch replaced lots of them last year and any of our locations can repair or replace yours.
How to Get Rid of Problem Tree Roots
One problem that often plaques homeowners and usually requires professional assistance from licensed plumbing specialists is when tree roots enter the underground piping. While most construction companies have moved from clay or cast iron to plastic pipes, a more root-resistant material, powerful roots from large trees can still gain entry to residential plumbing as well as commercial plumbing.
In dealing with bothersome roots, there are two options:• Reline or replace the network of underground pipes
• Have the pipes regularly cleaned and maintained
Both repairs will be expensive; replacing or relining the pipes will treat the problem all at once with one large expense, while the latter solution would cost you money annually.
Because
Roto-Rooter offers 24 hour plumbing, we can take your plumbing service calls day or night and help treat your root-related plumbing problems around the clock.
Follow these tips if your kitchen sink is clogged and you'd like to trying snaking it yourself:
• Remove the trap and the trap arm that is connected to the drain branch back at the wall.
• Insert the snake and point the tip of the snake downward so it goes down the pipe inside the wall
• With the snake in the wall, turn the hand held canister as you are sliding the cable into the wall
• Leave about 1 foot of cable outs tide the wall and lock the nut. As you turn, the 1 foot enters the pipe and stirs up the clog breaking it loose.
• When you get all the way to the wall, loosen the locknut and pull out more cable
• Lock the nut and repeat the process until you have the clog cleared or you run out of cable.
• Reinstall all of the pipe and test to see if you've cleared the clog.
• If the clog hasn't cleared, remove the pipe and try again.
Make sure you read and follow the instructions included in the snake's box. If you are having trouble clearing the clog, Roto-Rooter is equipped to handle these types of kitchen plumbing jobs. We offer 24 hour plumbing service to fit your schedule.
It is recommended that you contact licensed plumbing specialists as plumbing snakes can break through old pipe causing more plumbing problems, especially if not properly trained to use.
We worked with the Chicago Tribune on a story about sump pumps. It appeared in the Tribune yesterday (Sunday) edition and on line today: http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/home/chi-0329-five-sumpmar29,0,6063971.story
This is helpful information to anyone who depends on a sump pump to 
keep their basement dry, especially as the winter snow melts away and spring rains arrive. Sump pump failure strikes fear in homeowners and is one of the primary reasons we get after hours calls, as a 24 hour plumbing company.
Residential plumbing can be tricky and sump pumps in particular seem unfamiliar and mysterious to laymen. The steps laid out in the Tribune article are helpful for the do-it-yourselfer. If you don't feel confident doing this sort of maintenance yourself, that's why there are are professionals to do it for you.
One thing that wasn't mentioned in the article is that Roto-Rooter replaces more sump pumps in Chicago than in any other city in North America. The high water table and great number of basements is the reason.
A customer recently commented that they scratched their toilet bowl when taking matters into their own hands with a clogged drain Seattle is an area of DIYers, so he went to his local home store and bought an toilet auger. Faced with new residential plumbing problems, he has asked if there is anything he can use to clean markets in the toilet bowl left from the toilet auger.
Toilet auger marks are made from the steel cable scraping the china surface of the bowl, depositing rust.
To remove marks left from a toilet auger:
• Remove the water from the bowl
• Use a little rust remover, such as CLR or ZAP
Drain cleaning Seattle is extra important as things begin blooming out this spring. New root growth often means roots infestation of sewer pipes below ground contributing to backed up drains.
Over-the-counter drain care products are not effective beyond a few feet into the line so if your sink drains don't work and a drain care product doesn't bring relief, chances are you're going to need a sewer cleaning Seattle has significant tree and vegetation growth due to its heavy annual rainfall.
Such drain problems caused by roots in the main sewer aren't limited to sinks and shower drains. Commodes are affected too. Fix toilet Seattle is a common need once roots infiltrate sewer pipes. Local plumbing companies can handle these fixes without much difficulty so reach out to a professional if your DIY remedies don't do the trick,
Your employees were extremely professional and knowledgeable. We feel they went above and beyond to give the best customer service.
When water was backing up into our tub we searched the internet for " bathtub drain Seattle " and found your website. The technician came out immediately and cleared everything out.
We had another great experience with Roto-Rooter with a second plumbing problem - the washing machine water was backing up into the kitchen sink. Again we searched the internet for your company and found your listing when searched " drain cleaning Seattle "
We've had numerous local plumbers Seattle over the years come out who could not correct these plumbing problems. We will call Roto-Rooter if at anytime we need plumbing or drain cleaning help again.
As consumers, we're hunkered down, not spending money on anything that can't wait for greener pastures. Well, you can green up your plumbing and those greener pastures will be here before you know it allowing you to recover your initial investment.
one of the greener bathroom plumbing solutions is to replace inefficient old toilets with a water-sipping 1.28 gallon per flush model, or even a 1.6 gpf model. If you aren't willing to spend $200-$300 on a more efficient toilet, consider other aspects of your bathroom plumbing Tacoma Roto-Rooter or any other location can replace your toilet fill valve with a more efficient model that will save up to three quarts per flush! That's instant savings that will add up to money in your pocket in short order.
Today's low-flow shower heads are much better than they used to be. You really can't feel the difference anymore. Add one of these and watch your savings grow. Whether dealing with residential plumbing or commercial plumbing, Roto-Rooter or most local plumbing companies can save you greenbacks as you become a little greener. There are kitchen plumbing jobs that can save water too.
We live in Seattle. The kitchen sink, which is the highest trap in our house, is venting a terrible smell into the house. Is this a clogged vent? Can Roto-Rooter of Seattle fix it?
It could be a clogged vent or a clogged drain, both will produce the same condition that allows sewer gas to come into your home.
Roto-Rooter fixes these types of plumbing problems all of the time. We are constantly removing leaves, birds' nests and squirrels' stashes from vent pipes.
When you think of kitchen plumbing Seattle, you may not think of vent pipes.
Call in professional plumbing contractors to clear the vent and / or drain.
Roto-Rooter plumbers have experience in handling these situations.
Water is a precious resource so we should all do our part to use less of it. I know water doesn't seem to be in short supply in rainy areas but it is. If your water bill seems higher than it used to be and you feel your house is using more water that it should be, hire a plumber to do leak detection Seattle is an area that gets lots of rain and appears to have a healthy, abundant water supply but the day may come that wet areas like Seattle may need to pipe excess water to drier areas.
If you fix leaky faucets and toilets you can save thousands of gallons of water per year. Don't wait. Do that faucet repair
Tacoma and other Northwestern cities could save so much water simply by fixing leaks that we can avoid going to extreme measures to restrict lawn watering, etc.
If you can't handle these repairs yourself, Roto-Rooter has the right plumber DC to Cali and every city and state in between. They're your 24 hour plumbing provider and can provide leak detection services, faucet repair, bathroom plumbing solutions and any other necessary plumbing and drain service.
I believe my basement drain is plugged or possibly caved in. It does not drain into the main sewer line.
If you believe the main drain has caved in you will need to get Roto-Rooter, who hires licensed plumbing specialists, out with a fiber optic camera to find the problem location and then determine a course of action. But if the line is just clogged, you may want us to try and clean it before you invest in the camera inspection. Ask your local Roto-Rooter though, in some areas such as in Seattle, we will wave the camera charges if you need your line cleaned.
In any case, have a tech look at your residential plumbing. They will be able to suggest the best course of action.
