There are so many ways to enjoy a day in San Antonio, whether it’s walking around the Pearl, spending an afternoon on the Guadalupe River, seeing a new exhibit at the McNay, letting the kids burn off steam at the Hemisfair or carb loading at the Magnolia Pancake Haus.
No matter how you decide to spend your free time in San Antonio, there is one thing we can all agree on: the last thing you want to do is waste an afternoon, a day and even a weekend trapped inside trying to fix a plumbing problem. Unfortunately, plumbing problems tend to spring up at the worst times, including when your kids are in the car and you have packed the car for an all-day outing.
As locally based San Antonio plumbing experts, the licensed plumbers at ABC Home & Commercial Services have encountered nearly every plumbing malfunction and mishap you can imagine. While you may be able to handle some plumbing issues on your own, others require professional intervention. In some cases, you may start a plumbing project and realize you are in over your head and need a helping hand. Some owners prefer to outsource all plumbing issues to avoid any hiccups or to save time.
We designed this guide to help homeowners discover solutions to common plumbing problems, big and small. With the help of these tips, you can get a better idea of how to solve your plumbing woes so you can get back to enjoying all our area has to offer.
Without further ado, here are a four of the most common San Antonio plumbing problems and solutions:
Leaky Faucet
Is there anything more annoying than the drip, drip, drip of a leaky faucet? Leaks aren’t only irritating, either. As every San Antonio resident knows, they are also a huge waste of water!
The Problem
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, American household leaks waste more than one trillion gallons of water every year. One household alone wastes on average more than 10,000 gallons a year.
The good news? You can fix leaky faucets on your own with a few tools and a little bit of determination. Ready to dive in?
The Solution
While there are many types of faucets, the process for fixing a leak is virtually the same for all of them. To stop a leaky faucet, you’ll need to take apart the faucet, stop the leak and then put the assembly back together.
Which tells you absolutely nothing, right? Don’t worry, we’re going to go through a step-by-step instructions for fixing washer and compression faucets.
Step One: Shut Off The Water Supply
Why? Otherwise, you’re probably going to get really wet. Moreover, you may end up flooding your home. Neither option is ideal.
After you do this, turn on the faucet. Sound counterintuitive? Here’s why: because it allows any remaining water to drip out.
Step Two: Disassemble The Faucet
How? Start by taking off the cover of the faucet and unscrewing or pulling off the cap below. Then, you can take off the handle and see the stem underneath the facet.
Remove the cartridge or stem so you can check if the black rubber O-rings are worn or damaged. If so, you’ll need to purchase replacement O-rings at your local hardware store.
If the O-rings appear fine, the problem could be caused by a valve seat, which is the technical term for the part of the faucet below the cartridge. You can also purchase a new part for this at a hardware store if you notice wear and tear.
A word of advice on shopping for replacement parts: Take the parts you need (or photos of the parts) with you to the hardware store, so you can locate the correct replacements from the same brand-name.
Step Three: Reassemble The Sink
After identifying and replacing the culprit, you can reassemble the sink by piecing the different components back together in reverse order. Test that everything is in working order by turning the water supply on and then shutting the sink off and on.
Keep in mind that these instructions are primarily intended for washer and compression faucets. The process may be slightly different for cartridge, ball-type, diaphragm and other varieties of faucets. However, the same basic idea applies: take apart the sink, find and fix the problem and then put the assembly back together.
Clogged Sink Or Tub
If you notice your sink or bathtub is draining slowly, you may have a clog on your hands.
The Problem
Over time, food, hair and other scum can gather in the drain, obstructing and slowing the flow of water. If a homeowner neglects the issue for a longer period of time, you may risk the clog becoming worse or even blocking water completely. If that happens, your sink or tub can overflow, causing water damage and other, potentially costly damage.
The Solution
As with a leaky faucet, there are a few things homeowners can try to get water flowing again before calling in the professionals.
Option One: Remove Your Sink’s Pop-Up
With sink and some bathtub clogs, the first thing that you should try to do is to remove and clean the pop-up. The pop-up is typically fastened to the drain beneath the sink by a nut that you can unscrew. After cleaning the pop-up, you can reassemble the sink.
Option Two: Remove Your Tub’s Drain Plug
Alternatively, some bathtubs have pop-up drain plugs that can be unscrewed and removed from the top. Once you remove the plug, you may discover a whole mess of stuff clogging up the top of your drain pipe that you can remove by hand.
Option Three: Use Drain Cleaning Tool
If the clog isn’t right there at the top for you to pull out, your next best option to unclog your drain is to use a Zip-It drain-cleaning tool. The Zip-It is a long, thin tool that slides into your drain and grabs onto debris so you can pull it out. You can find one of these tools at your local home improvement store.
Option Four: Make A DIY Drain Cleaner
If you manage to remove a clog that you can see but can’t manage to get water moving through your pipes, you may have a problem further down that you can’t reach. In those cases, you can try making a DIY drain cleaner by pouring baking soda and then white vinegar down your drain. Cover the opening with a rag and then run very hot water down the pipes to flush out any problem areas.
Jammed Garbage Disposal
The garbage disposal is a great invention that most homeowners don’t fully appreciate—that is, until yours becomes jammed.
The Problem
You can usually tell when your garbage disposal is jammed because it will either emit a loud noise, make a humming noise but refuse to grind or stop grinding altogether before you turn it off. When this happens, it usually means a hard object is stuck in the impeller blades. Whether it’s eggshells in your garbage disposal or a forgotten spoon that was left in the sink, you’ll want to take care of the problem quickly.
The Solution
To fix a jammed garbage disposal, you’ll need to remove the foreign object from the blades. To unjam your garbage disposal, follow the steps below.
Step One: Turn Off The Disposal
Running a jammed disposal can cause the motor to burn out. Because of this, the first thing you need to do is turn off the disposal, then unplug or switch off the electric circuit that powers the disposal before you begin to address the problem.
Step Two: Examine The Drain Opening
With a flashlight, examine the opening of your sink to see if you can see what is blocking the blades. Common culprits include silverware, bones and fruit pits. If you can, dislodge the object with a wooden spoon or broom handle and dispose of the item in the trash.
Step Three: Try The Hex Socket
If you can’t see any object through the drain or the object is stubbornly stuck inside, try the hex socket. This hex-shaped hole is located beneath the garbage disposal. With a hex wrench, move the socket back and forth to loosen the impeller hub.
Step Four: Test It Out
When the blades can move freely, you can reconnect your garbage disposal to its power source. Before turning the disposal on, press the reset button, which is typically red and located beneath your disposal. Then, give it a test run by running water through the drain with the disposal on.
A Running Toilet
You’ll know you’ve got a running toilet problem if your toilet is constantly running or cycling on and off.
The Problem
Not only is a running toilet frustrating, but also it can results in the waste of gallons and gallons of water, thereby driving up the cost of your utility bills. A running toilet can be caused by a variety of factors, including worn flappers, broken fill valves and low water levels.
The Solution
In order to fix a running toilet, you’ll first need to locate the cause. Here are some common sources of a running toilet and the way to fix the problem.
Replacing A Worn Flapper
The flapper or valve seal is a rubber cap that prevents water from seeping from the tank into the bowl. Over time, flappers can decay or become hard and need to be replaced to properly seal your tank. You can purchase a new flapper at a hardware store. Be sure to purchase a replacement that is the same brand and size as the original flapper.
To install the new flapper, begin by turning off the water supply beneath the toilet. Next, flush the toilet to remove as much of the water as you can. Remove the old flapper and install the replacement according to the instructions included with the package, as installation may vary depending on your toilet’s design.
Reconnect the flapper chain to the handle lever, making sure the chain is long enough to allow some slack when the handle is at rest. Finally, turn the water back on and test the new flapper by flushing the toilet a few times.
Repair Faulty Fill Valves
The valve is the part of the toilet that regulates the water flow. When the valve is not working properly, it may allow water to flow continually. You may have a broken fill valve if your float valve is fully submerged.
To replace a broken fill valve, start by turning off the toilet’s water supply. Next, empty the tank by flushing the toilet. Use a pair of tongue and groove pliers to unscrew the locking nut located beneath the fill valve outside the tank.
Remove the old fill valve and install the new valve, adjusting its length so it’s the proper height for your tank. With your pliers, re-screw the locking nut. After the new valve is installed and the nut is screwed on tightly, you can turn your water supply back on.
Correcting Improper Water Levels
When your float is set too high, it allows water to leak into the toilet bowl and cause the water levels in your tank to drop. Low water levels can keep your toilet continually running.
To fix the water level of your tank, you need to adjust the float. Use the screw at the base of the float arm to raise the float, which will cause the water level to rise.
ABC Is Your Solution For Your San Antonio Plumbing Problems
Although many common plumbing problems can be fixed with a bit of know-how and the right tools, other issues may require the help of a professional plumber. Taking on a major plumbing repair can result in a homeowner unintentionally causing common plumbing mistakes which can lead to property damage, injury and even more expensive repairs in the long run.
So how do you know when to DIY or call a plumber? Common issues that are too dangerous or complex to take on by yourself include water heater problems, burst pipes, septic tank leaks, sewer line leaks and the installation of pipes and major appliances.
Of course, you can also just give our professionals at ABC a call whenever there’s a plumbing job you don’t have the time, energy, or desire to handle on your own. When in doubt, contact ABC’s San Antonio office for a consultation and estimate before you make a decision on how you want to handle your plumbing issue.
