Plumbing Question
I just replaced my hot water heater. Everything works great… no leaks… knock on wood… except one thing. Oddly enough, the problem is with the kitchen faucet. It doesn’t turn on as quickly or shut off as quickly as it did before we drained the lines to change the hot water heater. When I turn it on, water comes out, but it’s like it has to build up to its full stream. When I shut it off, it doesn’t immediately go off either… kinda slows down for a second, then stops. ??? Not sure if this is a pressure problem… is there a bubble in the line? Did some gunk get pushed into the faucet that is somehow creating this problem?
Answer:
In installing the water heater it was obviously necessary to turn off the water. So in doing so, it is likely that your faucet aerator or line is obstructed as a result of the pressure/air changes moving sediment through your pipes. Possibly it is as simple as changing that element or the washer or cleaning off the sediment debri on the screen. To eliminate water pressure as the cause, simply put a pressure gauge on your line to assess your pressure levels. But it is most likely not a downstream pressure issue, but occurring right at your faucet.
Next Question:
Lately my main bathroom has been smelling bad (even when no one has used the bathroom in a while.) I can’t find any leaks though. No other rooms smell either. But I have been living in my home 2.5 years and this is a new thing – this has been happening only a week or so. The sink, toilet, and shower are used daily. Do I have a major problem?
Answer:
You need to locate the source of what is causing the bad smell. Is it sewer gases escaping up from a toilet that is not seated or sealed properly? Is it sewer smell coming up from your P-trap at the sink level? Is it your vent pipe obstructed? Not likely due to your shower drain. Hence, you just need to do a little trouble shooting to narrow down the problem. We have a handful of very informative articles on this website addressing bad smells coming from the bathroom area that will guide you to a solution once you have narrowed the probable cause.