Leaks are among the most common plumbing issues homeowners have to deal with. If your toilet leaks when you flush it, you might have one (or more) of the following problems:

• Your supply valve or fill valve are loose.
• The nuts and bolts connecting the tank to other parts of the toilet aren’t tight.
• Your toilet tank is cracked.
• The flapper is not shutting correctly over the valve seat, causing the flush valve to leak into the bowl.

If you want to try to fix the leak on your own, take some time to thoroughly examine each part of the toilet, including the bowl, inside the tank and around the water supply valve. Sometimes, a leaky toilet can be fixed just by tightening nuts and bolts. In some cases, unfortunately, you will have to replace the entire toilet.

A toilet leak can quickly become a serious issue. Water leaks can cause damage to your bathroom or … Read Full Post »

No homeowner wants to discover a leak. Dripping water isn’t just an annoyance—it can cause serious damage to your property if left unattended. When you combine leaks with hot water heaters or electricity, potential dangers increase. So, what does it mean if your hot water heater is leaking? And more importantly, what should you do about it?

There are many possible reasons why your water heater might be leaking, including:

• Your valves need to be replaced or tightened
• Your fittings or supply piping need to be replaced
• You need to install an expansion tank
• There is condensation
• Built-up sediment is causing the tank to crack and leak
• There is a larger problem which may force you to consider replacing your water heater

Obviously, some of these problems are more serious than others. Unfortunately, neglecting to address the issue will only continue to allow mold and mildew to grow in the area around your water heater. Even condensation may … Read Full Post »

Here in Texas, we are lucky that our winters are relatively mild. However, we do have those nights where it can get a bit chillier than we’re accustomed to. When it drops below freezing, many homeowners start to wonder: Will pipes freeze at 32 degrees? Water freezes at 32 degrees, so technically that is the temperature at which it becomes possible for pipes to freeze as well. That said, it’s not quite that simple.

Pipes can freeze at 32 degrees or below, but it will take a sustained period of time for this to happen. In other words, a pipe needs to be at freezing temperatures for at least half a day before homeowners have to worry about any freezing occurring. And, generally speaking, the temperature needs to be well below 32 for at least that length of time before freezing becomes likely.

While you may assume that homeowners in the North … Read Full Post »

High water pressure in a house might sound like a good thing. No one likes taking a shower with low pressure, and many people rely on a good shower first thing in the morning to wake up. But high water pressure—that is, pressure over 65 psi, or pounds per square inch—is too hard on your home’s internal pipes and fittings. If your home has high water pressure, there will be signs indicating the pressure is too high. It is important to pay attention to these signs so you can remedy the problem before the high water pressure ends up damaging your home’s pipes, water heater, toilets or shutoff valve. Symptoms of high water pressure in a house include:

• A knocking, banging or hammering noise coming from the pipes when you turn on a faucet in the house (this is known as a “water hammer”).
• Leaky faucets.
• Irregular water pressure in your showers and … Read Full Post »