Heating Tips l Cooling Tips l Plumbing Tips l Water Heater Tips

Plumbing Tips

General Plumbing:

A Stopped-Up Sink:

Shut off any faucet or appliance draining into the sink.
Unclog the sink using a plunger or snake. Call Laury Heating if this method fails.
DON'T use a chemical drain cleaner if there is a total blockage.

Low Water Pressure: Try replacing the aerator on your faucet. The aerator, the small screen at the end of the faucet, can become clogged or dirty, and reduce flow. Before doing any repair work on sinks or tubs, be sure to close the drain in order to keep small parts from literally washing away.

Weak or Erratic Water Flow: This is usually caused by mineral build-up. You can clean the outlet holes with a pin or, if you have a perforated faceplate: unscrew it, soak it overnight in white vinegar, scrub it clean, and reinstall.

Toilet Tanks Sweat: When the cold water in the tanks cools the surface of the tank, which in turn causes the humidity in the room to condense on the tank, running onto the flour or wall. Buy a terry cloth tank cover to absorb the moisture. Or have us install a mixing value- this warms the water coming into the toilet tank.

Cold Water Pipes Are Sweating: During the summer, wrap foam pipe insulation over the pipes. The tubing keeps the warm humid air from condensing on the cold pipes.

Drain Odors: Pour baking soda and hot water down the drain about once a week to reduce odors. You can also try to pour 1 cup of vinegar down the drain, let stand 30 minutes, and then run hot water. Keeping all grease, hair, and vegetable matter out of the drain also helps with odors and possible clogging.

Little Drip = Big Problem: A dripping faucet can waste up to 400 gallons of water per year. If it's the hot water that's dripping, you're also wasting money by heating the water. If you don't know how to fix a leaky faucet, Laury Heating will fix the problem, saving you money in the long run.

Garbage Disposer Tips: NEVER dispose of grease, coffee grounds, or popcorn in the sink. Don't pour grease down

your drains. Keep drains free of hair and other debris. Once a month, to prevent residual grease and soap from clogging drains, try this:

Run hot water through the drain
Mix a handful of baking soda with hot water and let stand for 15 minutes
Run the water to let the system 'flush'
Maintain your garbage disposal
Do not use commercial drain products
Use cold water at all times when the deposal is operating
Grind ice cubes to clean, lemon peels to freshen
Read your maintenance manual

A Steaming Hot Water Faucet:

Open all the hot water faucets to relieve the overheated hot water heater
Turn off the gas or electric supply to the heater
Let the faucets run until cooler water flows from them (this indicated the water in the heater is no longer overheated)
Close faucets
Call Laury Heating to make any necessary repairs to the heater's thermostat and pressure relief valve