Tips & FAQ

What winter weather precautions can a homeowner take?

Closing the vents on the foundation of your house can conserve energy on heating and protect your pipes from freezing. If there is water or moisture under your house, only close the vents closest to the plumbing water lines to help keep them from freezing. When the temperatures drop below freezing, be sure to disconnect your outdoor hoses from the faucets, this keeps the faucet from freezing into the wall and breaking.

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How can I save on my water consumption?

Repair leaky faucets and pipes.

Replace old fixtures, supply companies are coming out with more efficient, cost effective faucets, shower heads, toilets, etc… every year that help home owners save money.

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How can I tell if my toilet is running?

More than likely you will hear your toilet running, there are a couple other ways to determine if you have a slow leak. Check to ensure that water is not overflowing into the tank via the overflow pipe. A second method is to put about 10- 20 drops of dark food coloring into the tank. If within 15 minutes the water in the bowl changes colors, you will know that water is leaking and that either the ball or flapper needs to be replaced.

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What can cause a toilet to clog frequently?

If your toilet clogs fairly frequently, you need to investigate the fixtures in your bathroom. Slow drainage in your sink could indicate that you have an obstruction in your main sewer line such as tree roots or build-up, and that’s going to require a bit more than a plunger. But if the sink has no problem, the source of the clog is probably in your toilet trap. This could be caused by any number of things, from a small toy dropped to wet wipes that are not made to disintegrate like toilet paper. The problem could be that you simply have a poorly designed toilet and it just doesn’t work very well. A plunger can probably create a temporary solution. But if the clogs are frequent, we recommend you let one of the plumbers from A.R.M take a look at it for repair or if necessary, replace your toilet altogether.

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How can I help maintain my garbage disposal?

Be sure you are following the garbage disposal manual’s advice on what items can be put through the disposal. You can help sharpen and clean the blades of your garbage disposal by running a few ice cubes through the grinder. To aid in deodorizing your garbage disposal, you can run a few small pieces of lemon peels through the grinder. Remember anytime you put food into your garbage disposal, be sure that you run it, it’s also recommend that you run the water at the same time until the food has passed through the disposal. Allow the water to run an additional 15-20 seconds so the disposed product flushes completely through the drain line.

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Disclaimer for Tips & FAQs: “We recommend that you hire a licensed plumber to professionally evaluate your plumbing issue. OUR Tips & FAQS DO NOT CREATE ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. You are responsible to assess your capabilities and refrain from any activities that you are not qualified to perform. YOU ASSUME ALL RISKS AND ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR INJURIES, LOSSES, COSTS, AND DAMAGES incurred as a result of your activities related to the Tips & FAQs.”