We have the answers for all of your common household Atlanta Plumbing FAQs. You can contact us anytime for your Atlanta plumbing needs.
My garbage disposal has an odor. How do I eliminate the odor? Do I need to clean it out?
Odors occur from build up of food and debris. Place ice cubes and lemon peel in the disposal, run for about 30 seconds. Leave disposal and water running and squirt dish detergent inside. Continue to let the cold water run to rinse all debris away.
What causes the white substance around the showerhead where the water comes out?
Mineral deposits. To remove, use vinegar. If the aerator can be removed, soak it over night inside the vinegar. If it can not be removed, pour vinegar in a plastic bag and use a twist tie to hold in place overnight. When the aerator is removed from the vinegar, use an old toothbrush to gently scrub off the deposits.
Lately we are not getting enough hot water from our water heater. Does this mean the water heater is going bad?
The water heater has a dip tube that forces incoming water to the bottom of the tank so that hot water will be drawn from the top. If the dip tube breaks, the cold water entering the tank mixes with the hot water and cools it down.
If you have an electric water heater the problem could be a thermostat malfunction or a heating element. Electric water heaters have 2 heating elements. If only one of the elements are working this will also cause a problem.
I want to replace the toilets in my home but am uncertain about the new toilets. I have heard that the newer toilets require multiple flushes to clear them. Is there a specific toilet that I should look for?
Manufacturers had to develop a toilet that would only flush 1.6 gallons per flush. This was according to the Federal Government. This had to be achieved with a flush that would clear the bowl and carry the waste to the sewer or septic system. Earlier models did not do this. The complaints forced manufacturers to develop new ways of flushing.
They now offer a pressurized toilet tank which looks like a regular toilet but with a pressure tank inside. It works like a commercial toilet sending a large surge of water into the bowl clearing the bowl of waste. You can also replace with a residential gravity flush toilet with a 3" trap built in. These toilets have been tested and proven its flush to be strong enough to flush multiple golf balls. However we do not recommend flushing golf balls down your toilet.
I believe my toilet has a leak. Can I check this before calling a technician to my home?
Turn the water supply off to the toilet. Remove the tank lid and use a pencil to mark the water level inside the tank. After 12 hours, check the water level to the pencil mark. A leak will be indicated if the water is lower than the mark. The leak could be due to a bad flapper, fill valve or flush valve. A leaky toilet can also contribute to a high water bill.