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Make Your Water Heater Last Longer!

By home repairs, water heaters No Comments

Water heaters don’t last forever, unfortunately, and once you get a new one, you’ll be looking for ways to make it last longer.

Here are three easy steps you can do once a year to keep your new hot water tank in tip-top shape.

3 Steps to Flush the Tank

  1. Hook a garden hose to the valve at the bottom of the water heater and run the hose outside or to the nearest drain.
  2. Leave everything on, open the drain valve and let the water flow for a few minutes.
  3. Shut off the valve and remove the hose. 

Note: This is only recommended for newer tanks. Older tanks may have too much sediment built up and may not flush or the valve at the bottom of the tank may break. 

Besides an annual tank flush, there is some simple maintenance you can do along the way: 

  • Set the tank’s temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. A lower temperature:
    • Helps preserve the life of your tank, saves on your energy costs and helps prevent scalding accidents. 
    • Helps prevent mold and bacterial growth in the tank – a great way to maintain your home’s water quality.
  • Use the “Vacation Setting” when you leave for an extended visit. 
    • The pilot light stays lit but the water won’t heat. 
    • You’ll save on your energy costs!
  • Check the area around your water heater regularly. 
    • Keep the floor around it clean – excessive rust or other buildup in the area can indicate potential problems.   
    • If a leak develops, you’ll help prevent water damage to your belongings.
  • Make sure you change out anode rod at three years.

bathroom, shower and tub and sink
Even the best water heater needs periodic replacement, but with yearly maintenance and very minor upkeep, you’ll keep the hot water flowing.  

Call City Wide Plumbing today:  480-966-8795.

Mesa Residents Update Water Heaters

By home repairs, Mesa Arizona, water heaters No Comments

When Mesa residents think about their town, the first adjective that comes to mind is “smart.”

Smart technology when it comes to appliances usually equates with efficiency, but you may not think about how water heaters are at the heart of your dishwasher’s and washing machine’s performance. For example, when your hot water isn’t so hot anymore, its lack of performance can compromise those big-ticket items in the following ways:
Dishes aren’t getting clean. If you have to use an elaborate pre-washing process before you put dishes into the dishwasher, where’s the benefit? You’ll notice detergent not dissolving all the way or that your dishes are coming out still greasy, you’ve just wasted a lot of time and money.

Lukewarm water equals lukewarm performance. When your washing machine’s water isn’t getting water that’s hot enough, whites and other clothing won’t get sanitized, and greasy stains can set in deeper. You’ll have to rely on extra spot treatments, chemical additives or bleach to make up for your lack of hot water – all requiring more work and time.

So when your water heater isn’t living up to its name, give us a call. We’ll provide the answers you need, and give you options so you can make an informed choice on whether water heater repair is the way to go, or how a new water heater can help save you in the long run. Same-day service – even on Saturdays – can help you get your water temperatures back up where they belong.

 

Call City Wide Plumbing today:  480-966-8795.

Chandler Residents Update Water Heaters

By Chandler Arizona, home repairs, water heaters

Man Updating a Water Heaters

If you are a new resident to Chandler and need to update your appliances, water heaters probably do not come to your mind.

They do not get the press that a fancy new washing machine or even a high-tech dishwasher does, but both rely on hot water to keep them operating in tip-top shape.  When your hot water isn’t so hot anymore, its lack of performance can compromise those big-ticket items:

  • Dishes aren’t getting clean. If you have to use an elaborate prewashing process before you put dishes into the dishwasher, where’s the benefit? You will notice detergent not dissolving all the way or that your dishes are coming out still greasy.  You have just wasted a lot of time and money.
  • Lukewarm water equals lukewarm performance. When your washing machine’s water is not getting water that’s hot enough, whites and other clothing won’t get sanitized and greasy stains can set in deeper. You’ll have to rely on extra spot treatments, chemical additives or bleach to make up for your lack of hot water – all requiring more work and time.

So when your water heater isn’t living up to its name, give us a call. We’ll provide the answers you need and give you options so you can make an informed choice on whether water heater repair is the way to go, or how a new water heater can help save you in the long run.  Same-day service – even on Saturdays – can help you get your water temperatures back up where they belong.

 

Call City Wide Plumbing today:  480-966-8795.

How to Extend the Life of Your Garbage Disposal

By garbage disposal, home repairs, local plumber, Phoenix Plumbing No Comments

Recently we explained how to unjam your garbage disposal, but if you keep your eye on what goes down there you may never need to unjam it; consequently, you will extend the life of your garbage disposal.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when operating your garbage disposal.

  • Don’t use hot water when grinding food waste. Hot water will cause grease to liquefy and accumulate, causing drains to clog.
  • Don’t put large amounts of food down the garbage disposal. Feed food into the garbage disposal a little at a time with the cold water running; this will help the food scraps flow down freely through the drain pipes and plumbing.
  • Don’t put expandable foods into your garbage disposal. Foods like pasta and rice expand when you add water in a pot; they do the same thing once inside your pipes or garbage disposal and are the cause of many jams and clogs.
  • Don’t grind extremely fibrous material like corn husks, celery stalks, onion skins, and artichokes.  Fibers from these can tangle and jam the garbage disposal motor and block drains.
  • Don’t put too many potato peels down the garbage disposal. The starches in the potatoes will turn into a thick paste and may cause blades to stick.
  • Don’t grind large animal bones (beef, pork etc.).

Plumber fixing a garbage disposal

These are just some tips to help prevent clogs and jams from occurring, if you are having trouble with your garbage disposal please call your local plumber: City Wide Plumbing 480-966-8795. We have all the tools and knowledge to help you with whatever plumbing problem you may have.

Replace your old shower head in a few easy steps.

By home repairs, Phoenix Plumbing, replace shower heads No Comments

Watch the shower Head replacement video to see how easy it is to replace your old shower head in a few easy steps.

Items needed:

  • New shower head
  • Teflon tape / plumbers tape
  1. Remove old shower head (If the old shower head is hard to remove by hand you can use a pair of channel locks. You will need to use caution, if you use too much torque/ power you could damage the shower arm in the wall.)
  2. Remove old pluming tape from threads (Teflon tape/ plumbers tape… It is not critical to remove every bit of tape. If you feel you need to you could lightly use a wire brush, you don’t want to mess up the threads in the process.)
  3. Apply new plumbing tape, one layer over the threads.
  4. Screw on new shower head, making sure you don’t cross threads. It only needs to be hand tight, do not use any tools to tighten down, you could damage the shower head and or the shower arm (pipe coming out of wall).

If you have any leaks remove the new shower head and make sure the gasket inside the head is sitting flat. When you screw the head back on you can use the existing tape but also make sure you do not cross thread.

If you continue having leaks after you have double checked everything, first try exchanging the head for a new one, there could be a defect in the shower head, and try again. If that does not cure the issue then call your local plumber, 480-966-8795 there could be an issue with the shower arm.

Homeowners Can Avoid Costly Sewer Repairs

By home repairs, Phoenix Plumbing, plumbing repairs, Service Line Protection Program (SLiPP), sewer, SLIPP No Comments

avoid-sewer-repairs-SLIPPAvoid costly water and sewer line repairs with Tempe’s Service Line Protection Program.

Many homeowners are unaware that they are responsible for both the main water line that runs from their home to the city’s water meter and the main sewer line that runs from their home to the city’s sewer main.

If these lines become clogged, collapse or otherwise fail to operate, the homeowner is responsible for any necessary repairs, which can cost thousands of dollars. The City of Tempe created the Service Line Protection Program (SLiPP) to help ease this financial burden for homeowners, and you may be eligible to enroll.

Enrollment & Info

Did you lose your invoice for your water heater?

By home repairs, Phoenix Plumbing, save money, water heaters No Comments

Money Saving Tip:

Always hold on to your receipts  for installs of new appliances. Manufactures will normally go off the install date for the warranty vs the manufacture date.

For example, a company comes out and installs a new water heater. The water heater was manufactured 06/07/2008 but sat in the warehouse and was not installed until 12/15/2008. On 08/30/14 the water heater springs a leak and needs to be replaced. The customer is unable to locate the receipt of when the unit was originally installed, so the manufacture goes off the manufacture date and says the warranty is expired causing the customer to have to purchase a new unit. If the customer kept the invoice with the install date the manufacture would have warrantied the unit and the customer could have saved money by having the unit replaced under warranty vs have to purchase a  new unit.

Now do keep in mind that usually after one year, there is only a parts warranty and you will still have to pay for labor costs. It’s still much cheaper than having to buy a new unit and have installed. If you have any questions, please feel free to call City Wide Plumbing and Service Company at 480-966-8795.

Flushable Wipes are Toilet Terrors!

By home repairs, non-flushable wipes, Phoenix Plumbing, sewer, toilets No Comments

I’m sure many of you have heard in the news recently that “flushable wipes” are wreaking havoc

in sewer systems and water treatment plants in New York and throughout the United States.

Baby wipes: Although these may be used to wipe your baby’s bottom, they are not toilet paper. Baby wipes are thicker, sturdier, and do not break down easily, resulting in clogged systems.

Band-Aids: Made of non-biodegradable materials, they easily tangle up with hair and fat to create blockages.

Cat litter: Scoopable and flushable cat litter sounds sensible, but in reality, it causes problems. Flushing litter and feces down the hatch not only causes plumbing problems, but it’s possible that a parasite found in cat feces is killing sea otters and seals — and it could be coming from flushed cat waste.

Chewing gum: Flushing what is basically an adhesive down the toilet is not a sound practice, for obvious reasons.

Cigarette butts: Although they seem flushable, cigarette filters don’t easily biodegrade and they are filled with chemicals, which leach into the wastewater.

Condoms: Easy to flush, but not so easy on the sewer system. Condoms can inflate like balloons and cause fairly destructive obstructions.

Cosmetics: Your old moisturizer and other beauty care products can be potentially toxic and disruptive to wastewater treatment plants and septic systems.

Cotton balls and swabs: Cotton doesn’t break down easily, and although it may take a while for cotton products to accumulate into a clog, they are difficult to dislodge once they do.

Dental floss: Seemingly innocent, dental floss is non-biodegradable and wraps around small clogs and tangles them into bigger masses.

Disposable diapers: It’s hard to believe that one could even get a diaper to flush down the toilet, yet that hasn’t stopped sewage workers from finding systems clogged with disposable diapers.

Dryer sheets: It’s bad enough to tumble synthetic chemicals with your clothes, but flushing a dryer sheet afterwards is even worse. They retain synthetic chemicals that can get into the water system, and they are made from non-biodegradable materials.

Facial Cleaning Pads – Thicker than toilet paper and thus can cause problems.

Feminine supplies: The padding and absorbent nature of these products make them too thick for the plumbing.

Food fat: Grease and fat congeal once they cool down, turning into solid masses that block pipes and cause serious sewage problems. Sewer workers call the giant grease lumps “fatbergs.”

Food: Although food is biodegradable, it can still lump together and cause clogs.

Hair: After cleaning your hairbrush, deposit the clump in the garbage not the toilet. It tangles, catches things, and clogs like crazy.

Paper towels and napkins: Too sturdy for the pipes.

Pets: Yes, pets. Goldfish are commonly flushed, but small rodents (hamsters and gerbils) are also found in sewer systems. They’re sturdy and they create clogs; consider a proper burial.

Prescription medicines: No, no, no. Marine life does not need to ingest your old drugs, not to mention that flushed meds can work their way back into our drinking water. See the Food and Drug Administration guidelines for disposing of unwanted medications.

Main Water Shut Off Valve

By Gilbert Arizona, home repairs, plumbing tips, water heaters No Comments

Every homeowner should locate their main water shut-off valve and know how to use it.

There are two types of main water valves: the gate valve and the ball valve.

The gate valve is recognized by its round handle that must be turned a number of times to open or close the valve.

The ball valve is recognized by its single handle that needs to be turned ¼ turn or 90 degrees, to turn the water on or off.

City Wide Plumbing can tell you about the condition of the main water valve in your home and replace it if necessary.

 

Locate! Locate! Locate!

By home repairs, Phoenix Plumbing, plumber, plumbing, plumbing repairs, plumbing tips, plumbing trouble, remodeling No Comments

I cannot stress enough how important it is to locate your utilities before starting a home improvement project. No matter how big or small the project, locating your utilities first will save  you spending money in unnecessary repairs later. Call Blue Stake before you dig for public utilities outside of your home. Call your local plumber or locating company for all private utilities inside your home.

This is an example of a small job gone wrong. A company came out to install a doggie door. As they cut into the block wall they got flooded with water. The tech installing the door cut through a copper water pipe. Luckily the homeowner is not out any money, the company is taking care of the repairs, but this could have all been avoided had they had the utilities located first. After the plumbing, concrete patch and paint, I’m sure the company is going to spend more on repairs then it cost to put the door in.

Call 480-966-8795

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