Question: I can hear water running when I’m near the main shut off valve. When I turn the main valve off the sound of water running continues. My water bill has recently been much higher than usual. Is there probably a leak in the pipe bringing water to the house? Answer: If you have a [...]
Q & A Archive
Question: We have a sewer smell in an old home. There are no apparent leaks, and the lines drain OK. The smell starts after a long bath or strangely enough late at night. Answer: Each fixture has a “trap” holding a small amount of water that seals against the sewer gasses that are lighter than [...]
Question: Is it possible to disconnect my gas fireplace from the outside gas line and connect it to a 20 or 40 gallon tank? We cannot have a large external tank due to HOA rules, but I am hoping to put a 40 gallon one in my crawlspace. (I am going this because we pay [...]
Question: For the past several months this has been occurring. When I turn on the cold water in the bathroom it runs hot. It takes several minutes for the water to run cold. The pipes aren’t near any heat source. It seems like hot water from the tank is migrating back up the cold water [...]
Question: When I shower the toilet bubbles air. It does this for a short period and when it stops the shower won’t drain and the toilet won’t flush. This conditions persists for about and hour before the toilet flushes again. Answer: If there are no other drain-related problems, such as slow draining at other times, [...]
Question: Will black gas line work on water line repairs. Answer: Black steel gas line should not be used for water piping. While the function is similar and the pipe is capable of carrying water, black steel often is coated with oils that may not be suitable for consumption. It also is confusing for future [...]
Question: During the recent hurricane/storms I have had some back up of ground water into my basement bathroom via the septic tank. My sewage line runs across (parallel) the basement flloor and out the back wall of the house. My question is can/should I have a check valve installed along this parallel run prior to [...]
Question: When I started to make coffee this morning, no water will come from the kitchen faucet…just a drop or two at a time. All the bathroom and outside faucets work fine, as does the dishwasher. The kitchen faucet was working fine last night; what could be causing this problem? Thanks for any suggestions you [...]
Question: I am having serious electrolisis problems in the copper lines in our home. I want to replace the copper with pex, but am afraid that the problem will persist in the metal fittings used with pex. Will they be OK? Answer: The cause of electrolysis is often hard to find; in homes where the [...]
Question: Bad odor comming from the shower drain, how do I eliminate the odors. Answer: The shower drain should have a trap that holds a small amount of water, sealing off the sewer gasses and preventing them from entering your home. If the shower is used infrequently, the water can evaporate out of the trap [...]