Home

About Us

Contact Us

Plumbing Specials

Rainmaker Irrigation

Testimonials

Business Associates

Payments / Rebates

Photo Gallery

Go Green

Text Box: Plumbing Tips 1

To contact us:

www.AmericanPlumbingNH.com

NH-603-897-9606

MA-978-548-2000

Info@AmericanPlumbingNH.com 

Plumbing Tips

Water Heater Safety Tip

 

If steam or boiling water ever comes out of the safety blow off valve or the hot water faucets in your home, shut the heater off at once. If you ever hear a rumbling sound, shaking or banging assume the heater is overheating and turn it off.

Water Temperature Chart

The following chart shows just how dangerous hot water can be.

 

Water Temperature Time to Burn

150 F   2 Seconds

140 F   6 Seconds

125 F   2 Minutes

120 F 10 Minutes

 

Not Enough Hot Water?

If you can't get enough hot water from your hot water tank we can install a mixing valve. This will allow us to raise the inside temperature of the tank to around 140 F and MIX the outgoing water (to your fixtures) temperature to 120-125 F. It will give you a longer reserve of hot water.

 

At 140 F any bacteria inside the tank will eliminated.

Some area require this to be installed on every new tank. 

Please call us for any Plumbing, Heating, Gas or AC related issues. 

 

 

Plumbing Tips

 How To Fix Sweating Pipes

Sometimes there's so much water dripping from a pipe that you're sure there must be a leak somewhere. On closer examination, however, you may discover there is no leak but rather sweating, or condensation, on the pipe.

Sweating occurs when the water inside the pipe is much colder than surrounding humid air. During the summer, the surrounding air is naturally hot; in winter, the air is heated by the furnace. In either case, when warm, humid air reaches cold pipes, drops of moisture form and drip as if there was a tiny hole in the pipe.

One effective way to control the moisture problem of a sweating pipe is to insulate the pipes. There are several types of self-adhesive thick "drip" tape designed to easily adhere to problem pipes.

Before applying the tape, wipe the pipes as dry as you can. Wind the tape so that it completely covers the pipe and the fittings. You should see no further signs of sweating.

 

Another method would be to add a dehumidifier to the basement or room where this is happening. This will help pull the moisture out of the air and help reduce the "sweating" of the pipes.

 

Please give us a call for any Plumbing, Heating , Gas & AC service you may need. 

Plumbing Tips

Problems With Your Toilet Tank

 

If you're having a problem with your toilet and it isn't a clog, than it is probably your tank. When you flush, there is a series of events that occur in the tank. Though it may look complicated, it actually isn't.

 

After you flush, there is a stopper valve in your tank that lifts up, allowing water from the tank to flow into the bowl, whisking away the waste. Meanwhile, as the water in your tank is draining, the ball float lowers and the rubber stopper valve settles back into its valve seat. Then the tank will gradually fill up again with clean water that spurts out of the tank refill tube. If one thing breaks it will cause your toilet not to flush or to run constantly.

 

Here are some of the very common toilet issues and some tips on how to fix them. Don't forget to shut off the water to your toilet before working on it!

 

Problem: Water continues running even when tank is full  Reason: 
1. Your trip assembly is blocking itself and not allowing the cycle to finish. Take the lid off of the tank and flush. Check to see if everything looks like it's working.
2. Your stopper chain is too long. Readjust it so that the chain is only about 1/2 inch longer than necessary.
3. You need a new stopper valve or valve seat. Reach into the tank and using your hand, push down on the rubber stopper. If it doesn't run anymore, this is your problem. Get a new stopper.
4. Look at your float. If the float ball has water in it, it will drag it down. Get a new one.
5. Your trip assembly that is connected to the toilet handle has worn out. Flush the tank and look inside to see if the stopper still rises and falls back into place. If it doesn't, replace it.

 

Problem: The toilet doesn't flush completely  Reason: 
1. Your tank's float ball could be set too high, which causes too much water to fill up in the tank. Bend the float down or adjust it to the proper height. 
2. Your tank's float ball could be set too low, preventing enough water from getting in the tank. Bend the float down or adjust it to the proper height. 
3. Your float ball might have water inside of it.

 

Problem: Tank doesn't fill completely
Reason: 
1. Your tank's trip assembly may be blocking itself, preventing the tank from finishing it's cycle. Remove the tank lid and flush. Look to see if everything is working correctly.
2. Your tank may not fill all the way if your float ball is too low. Bend the float upwards so more water can get in. If the ball has a lot of water in it, replace it.
3. Your tank's trip assembly may be bent, stretched, or worn out. Look at your toilet handle and see if its loose. Tighten the handle's screw inside of the tank. Check the trip lever and guide arm for any wear and tear, or any kinks. This can stop it from moving properly. Examine the wire that attaches the trip lever to the stopper. It could have stretched or worn out.

 

Problem: Tank sweats (has condensation on the outside)
Solution: 
If your tank has a lot of condensation you might want to insulate your tank. Turn off the water to your toilet and flush it until all the water is gone. Soak up any leftover water with towels or use a wet vacuum. Let the inside of the tank dry. Get some watertight glue and attach a 1/2 of foam rubber to the inside walls of the tank. Let dry before refilling. They also sell foam wall kits you can install.

 

Problem: Tank leaks
Solution:
You will want to make sure the tank really is leaking and not just sweating. Put some food coloring in the tank water and let this sit for an hour or so. After, take a white tissue and rub it along the bottom of the tank. If it's clear, than your tanks is just sweating. If it's colored, than you have a leak. You will need new tank to bowl nuts & washers and also a new spud (gasket). This may require a professional plumber. I have found that the universal kits don't work that great. It is always best to get the manufacturers genuine replacement parts.

 

Give us a call if you would like us to do any of these services for you!

 

Plumbing Tips 

When or Why to replace your water softening resins

 

1. The number one reason to replace your resins is because they have been damaged by years of exposure to chlorinated "city" water. After about 10 years ( can be much sooner, or a bit later ) the resins break down and become so fragmented they start to restrict the water pressure through the resin tank. This is generally how you "know" you need new resins. On some systems the fragments ( "Fines" ) will start coming into the house and clogging faucet screens.

 

2. When the resin bed has become contaminated by a noticeable and usually visible amount of algae growth

( This problem is common in tanks installed outside ).

 

3. When the resin tank has a large amount of fine sand in it. This sometimes happens on well water. It is always recommended to have a sediment pre-filter installed in the water line before your water softener. This fine sand in the resin bed will cause you to have very poor water pressure. The only way to solve the problem is to dump ( or suck ) out all the resins and sand. Replacing with new resins is a whole lot easier than trying to sift the sand out of your old resin.

 

4. When a resin tank has been sitting unused for months or years, and a strong odor is detected from the resins. You can try cleaning with a weak chlorine solution, but odds are you will need to dump the resins, bleach out the tank ( with a strong chlorine solution ) and start with fresh new resins.

 

Of course replacing with new resins works every time.

 

Please give us a call and we can to do this service for you. 

 

Plumbing Tips

Garbage Disposals

 

 

Most garbage disposals fail because of abuse. Many people tend to overwork their garbage disposals.

Here are some common mistakes:

 

Overloading: Put stuff into your garbage disposer a little bit at a time. If you shove a whole bunch of stuff in there at once, it could clog the blades or burn out the motor.

 

Running it dry: When you use your garbage disposals, always run some cold water at the same time. This will keep the motor from overheating. Continue to run cold water down the drain for at least a minute after you turn the disposal off. This will clean off the blades.

 

Dumping in the wrong stuff: Try to avoid putting foods that have a lot of fiber into the garbage disposal. These foods tend to clog up the works. Avoid onion skins, chives, celery, carrot, and potato skins, at least in large doses.

 

Over-greasing: Don't put animal fat down the disposer. When it cools, it will congeal and clog the blades and the motor. It's also doesn't smell very good.

 

Grinding up solid matter: If you think something solid has fallen in there, get out your flashlight and peer in. Pull it out (carefully!) with a pair of tongs. Don't use your fingers!

 

If your disposals no longer works when you turn on the switch then you may have tripped the overload switch. Let the disposer cool and then you can reset it. Just push down the reset button, which is usually a little red button and located on the bottom of the unit. If you can't find a reset button, it may have a thermal breaker and automatically reset after cooling.

 

If your disposal doesn't make a sound when you turn it on you may have tripped a circuit. Check the breaker box and reset any breakers or fuses.

 

If the unit's motor is humming but not running, it could be jammed. Look under the disposal. Your unit may come with a crank and flywheel that you can turn to manually release the jam. If not, there may be a socket (Allen socket) in the center of the bottom of the disposal.  This is for the special wrench that came with the unit. If you've lost the wrench you can just use an Allen key in the socket.

 

If you have none of these special features or if you can't get them to work, put a wooden broom handle into the sink. Move the blades back and forth until the jam is gone. Don't use your fingers.

 

If your disposer is clogged, put a snake into the trap cleanout. Push the snake up towards the sink or towards the wall, depending on where the clog is. If you can't find a snake, take the trap out and see if you can get the blockage out.

 

If your disposal still isn't working give us a call and we will be happy to service it for you!

Plumbing Tips 

Facts on Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

 

Carbon monoxide is a tasteless, odorless, colorless toxic gas that is a by-product of combustion and is virtually impossible to detect. Any fuel-burning appliance or device can produce dangerous levels of this gas and must be maintained properly to avoid the build-up of this poison in your home.

What can cause carbon monoxide poisoning in the home?

· Fuel-fired furnaces (check for cracked furnace exchange)

· Gas water heaters (check for corroded or disconnected water heater flue)

· Fireplaces and wood stoves (check for dirty or clogged chimneys)

· Gas stoves (check for proper installation)

· Gas dryers (use outside ventilation)

· Any gas or kerosene appliance such as portable heaters

· Charcoal grills (don't operate inside or in an enclosed area such as garage)

· Gas engines such as lawnmowers, blowers and other yard equipment

· Automobile exhaust (especially dangerous in an attached garage)

· Cigarette smoke

· Anywhere combustion takes place

Call us to have your gas appliances checked

Plumbing Tips 

Boiler Air Purging

If you are getting noises in your forced hot water baseboards or some your baseboards are not heating up it is most likely air.

 

Follow the instructions below to help eliminate this problem.

 

1. Shut the isolation valves for all the zones on the return side and supply side.

2. Turn power off to boiler and circulation pumps.

3. Working only one zone at a time, do the following:

A. Open the isolation valve on the supply side for the zone.

B. put a hose on the correct drain and run outside or to a drain or put end into bucket

C. open drain thereby letting water go out.  Open fast-fill valve (actually lever), keeping an eye on the boiler pressure gauge to D. Make sure it doesn't exceed 30 PSI or relief valve will blow onto the floor.

E. Continue until no more air bubbles come out.

 

Try watching this online video from DIY for more information

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG-CqFr6FLM

 

If you are still having trouble please give us a call and we will be happy to service it for you!

garbage disposal

Plumbing Tips

Hot Water Pic