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The Plumber Who Saved Christmas

By holidays, plumbers No Comments

Plumbing isn’t for the faint of heart. Or amateurs.

( The following is a true story that happened to our friend and content writer: Lisa Butcher)

For three days, we’d wandered around our 110-year old house, trying to find the source of that distinctive sewer smell. It was so strong it made our eyes water. All we wanted to do was get rid of it! We wracked our brains: Maybe the basement drains were too dry and let gas into the house? Maybe the master cleanout needed to be re-snaked? Maybe the main stack was clogged?

A couple of gallons of bleach poured into all of the drains, a re-caulked floor drain, a call to the drain guy who snakes our cleanout valve twice a year, and a call to the stack guy who cleans out the breather valve on our roof, but to no avail. Where was that smell coming from?

It was the day before Christmas and all through the house, we were gagging on air with the windows pushed out. Holy moly, we had to do something. The whole family was coming into town and we expected a houseful of people in less than 24 hours. Did we have to tell them not to come? That we had a house emergency?

We called in the expert: a certified plumber.certified plumber

Our plumber re-snaked the drains, re-checked the air flow in the roof stack and then checked one last thing: the toilet. The toilet is on the second floor. What would happen with a toilet? It flushed fine, most of the time. Sometimes, we had to flush it twice, but other than that, we didn’t notice anything untoward. The plumber insisted, thinking maybe some of those baby wipes were stuck in the works.

By the way, even if those baby wipes say they’re flushable, they’re not. They can get tangled in sewage systems and shut down part of the waste water system for days.

But we didn’t have a baby, we assured him. We didn’t use baby wipes. Even so, he was pretty adamant. He was pulling the toilet. If it was nothing, well, at least we’d know for sure.

After he turned off the water supply, emptied both the tank and bowl, he pulled the toilet out and stared down the sewer pipe. Sure enough, it was blocked, but not by baby wipes or too much toilet paper. There were tree roots in the sewer pipe of a second-story toilet.

Even the plumber was surprised. A second floor was usually well beyond the reach for tree roots. And yet there they were, blocking the draw on the toilet, causing sewer gas to leak from the base of the toilet, down the stairs and into the main rooms of the house.

Our house had been vacant for a couple of years before we took residency. And we’d had a couple of years where the rains were nearly nonexistent. When it was dry, the neighboring trees searched for the best water source they could find: standing water from the toilet in our house.

The plumber snaked the toilet lines just like he would a cleanout valve. Once he was sure the lines were clear, he reset the toilet, turned the water back on and cleaned everything up neatly.

Honestly, we never would’ve imagined tree roots in a second-floor bath. But when you call in an expert, you get the answers and the solutions you need without a lot of wasted time and money.

Christmas went off without a hitch. And our plumber is on our Christmas card list from now on.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

By holidays, local plumber, Phoenix Plumbing No Comments

I hope everyone has a Happy and safe New Year!

Here is a helpful tip to end 2014 and bring in 2015 in:
We don’t get freezing temps too often in Arizona, but it still does happen. With all this cold weather coming in its not only important to cover your plants, it’s also helpful to cover or insulate your exposed piping outside. That includes pool piping, lawn sprinkler piping and your service riser piping.

Stay warm and make 2015 an AWESOME year!

plumbers happy new year

Phoenix, Arizona Residents Rest for the Holidays

By AZ, holidays, Phoenix, Phoenix Plumbing No Comments

Are you living in Phoenix or have a vacation rental in Phoenix, AZ?

Well, we want you to know that here at City Wide Plumbing, we have your best interest at heart.

We have trained and experienced plumbing technicians that are friendly and willing to get you out of your plumbing distress. Let’s face it, if you are calling us, it’s because things are probably not going well at home with your plumbing.

Plumbing distress at the holidays is never good weather it’s in Phoenix Arizona or Port Huron, Michigan. It can pretty much be expected as that’s when you need it to work the most since family is visiting and there are more people in the home using all the facilities. You know what I mean. You need to buy more bathroom tissue… top grade too!

We want you to know that we are grateful for your trust in us over the last 30+ years and we will not let you down. We are here if you need us. We wish all your Holidays will be filled with great cheer and rest… after the family has all left!

Just remember to call us if you want us to check into those pesky things like drips and leaks that you have maybe been ignoring. Don’t let it go before the family arrives… that’s just asking for trouble. City Wide Plumbing is here for you. Call 480-966-8795 and Rest!

 

If it is your bathtub or toilet or any other fixtures, we can fix it at City Wide Plumbing Service Co.

Happy Labor Day!

By holidays, Labor Day, Phoenix Plumbing No Comments

City Wide Plumbing wishes you a Happy Labor Day!

“Forrest Gump said, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates.’ Your career is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get. But everything is going to teach you something along the way and make you the person you are today. That’s the exciting part. It’s an adventure in itself.” — Nick Carter

How to fail-safe your Thanksgiving Holiday?

By holidays, Phoenix Plumbing, Thanksgiving, toilets No Comments

Take care of your little plumbing problems before they turn into Big Trouble on the Holiday!

Step One: Recognize the possible problems.

If you are having more than a couple people over for a nice big Thanksgiving dinner, you are probably a little concerned about the way it’s all going to turn out.  Will the Turkey be fully cooked and juicy? Will there be enough side dishes and will the stuffing be too dry? The main course and dessert are not your only concerns; however. Anyone knows that when a group of people get together to eat, and to eat “big”, there are usually extra trips to the bathroom.
Can your toilet handle the extra usage?

Step Two: Access your situation.

Better be sure your plumbing is up to par this Thanksgiving. If you have any toilet leaks, you will want to get them fixed immediately before the guests arrive.

Step Three: Take Action.

Give City Wide Plumbing and Service Co. a call 480-966-8795! Now don’t be a turkey and wait til it’s too late. Plumbers like to eat turkey with their family too. Have you ever had a plumber stuffed on turkey dinner over? Probably not something any of us want to see. Be sure to call before your problem escalates to BIG Trouble!!  We are Here for you!!

Emergency Water Shut Off

By Gilbert Arizona, holiday plumbing emergency, holidays, local news, Mesa Arizona, Phoenix Plumbing, plumbing, plumbing tips, plumbing trouble, Slab Leaks, water heaters No Comments

It is important to know where your water shut off valves are located. You also need to make sure that the valves are in proper working order. Internal shut off valves are usually located behind toilets, refrigerators, wash machines, under kitchen and lavatory sinks, and above water heaters. If any of those items malfunction you can quickly shut off the water to isolate the problem and have a lower risk of water damage. There is also a main water shut off valve located outside on the main service riser. If the valves inside are not working or you can not locate the valve you can shut off the water to the entire house. Some town homes, condos, or apartments may not have service riser shut off valve if this is the case or if the valve is not working you can call your local water company emergency line and have them shut off the water at the meter.

Call your local plumber for a location and inspection of your shut off valves. Also test them regularly, after time the valves can corrode and freeze.

What is a slab leak?

By Gilbert Arizona, holiday plumbing emergency, holidays, local news, Mesa Arizona, Phoenix Plumbing, plumbing, plumbing tips, plumbing trouble, Slab Leaks, SLIPP, water heaters No Comments

Leaking pipes inside or underneath the concrete of a house’s floor or foundations are called slab leaks.

What are signs of a slab leak?

  • Hear running water, when no water should be running.
  • Warm or hot spots on the floor
  • Cracks in walls or floor
  • Mildew, excessive moisture under carpet, or musty odor
  • High water bills

What to do if you think you have a slab leak?

Call a plumber who specializes in leak detection or a locating professional to pinpoint the location of the leak using thermal imaging, pipe locating, and sound equipment.

If a leak is detected, how does a plumbing professional repair it?

One option is to jackhammer the floor and repair the leak in the ground. A plumbing professional will take up some tile or carpet and jackhammer the concrete to reach the leaking pipe. They will then cut out the bad section of pipe and solder a new one in place, and most companies will rough patch the concrete. It us up to the homeowner to replace any tile or carpet but some home owners insurance will cover this type of repair.

 A second option is the reroute the line. This is where a plumber will run a new line from through the walls and attic to eliminate the leaking pipe in the ground. Most plumbers will only reroute one line unless you would like to re pipe the entire home. This option does cause some damage to the drywall and most insurance companies will not cover this type of repair.

Call 480-966-8795

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