FAQ

A common problem among homeowners is they find they run out of hot water more quickly than they’re used to.

So, why does this happen?

The first potential reason is that your family has outgrown your water heater’s capacity. Whether you’ve added to your family or your kids have matured, often, your old water heater simply can’t keep up with longer showers and more loads of laundry.

Fortunately, the solution to this problem is to upgrade to a larger tank.

Another reason you’re running out of hot water more quickly is that you may have too many situations where there’s too much hot water going out of the system at once.

It’s easy to forget that the water heater stores a limited capacity, and we run the dishwasher and washing machine while someone is taking a shower. Multiple hot water streams deplete the system more quickly, and you run out of hot water.

Finally, your water heater may be running out more quickly because it’s damaged.

Potential damage could be something like a broken dip tube. The dip tube sends cold water to the bottom of the tank to be heated, and when it breaks, the cold water remains at the top, where it comes out to the spigot.

Another form of damage is common among water heaters, and that’s sediment buildup.

As water heaters age, a layer of sediment forms on the bottom of the tank and grows over time if you don’t flush it out regularly.

As the sediment layer grows, it reduces the tank’s water capacity, and you end up with less hot water.

Lastly, if a heating element has gone out, it will affect how quickly your water heater can heat water.

Fortunately, most of these problems are easily fixed by calling a professional plumber for repairs.

Low water pressure makes everyday tasks like washing or doing dishes frustrating chores.

Before we look at why your water pressure might be lower than average, let’s try and better understand water pressure.

If you get your water from a city source, it’s usually pumped from a lake or river to a treatment facility and then goes to a higher altitude pressure tank like your city’s water tower.

Gravity creates natural pressure as the water flows down from the tank to your home, but sometimes, booster stations help maintain pressure throughout the line.

The typical water pressure for a residential home is between 45 and 55 pounds per square inch (psi). Any reading under 40 is considered low.

Now that we know how water pressure works, it’s time to delve into what causes it to decrease.

Increased Water Demand
If you have multiple water fixtures running at once, it can put too high a demand on the water supply to flow at a steady pressure.

Damaged Fixtures
One factor many people don’t consider regarding low water pressure is damaged or outdated fixtures. In some cases, cleaning out the fixture’s aerator solves the problem, and in other cases, upgrading to a new faucet does the trick.

Broken Pressure Regulator
Water pressure regulators stabilize water pressure in the home by keeping it in line with the standard. When a regulator fails, you wind up with water pressure that’s either too low or high.

Clogged Pipes
One of the most common causes of low water pressure in older homes and buildings is mineral buildup or clogs in pipes. If you live in an area with hard water, calcium accumulates in the plumbing system like cholesterol in an artery and reduces the water flow.

As with the issues we saw with water heaters, it’s easy to restore proper water pressure by calling a plumbing company to diagnose the cause.

When it comes to maintaining a healthy, free-flowing plumbing system, people often get confused by the difference between clogged drain repair and drain cleaning.

Let’s look at both services.

Drain Cleaning
As the name implies, drain cleaning service is when a plumber removes the buildup within the pipes to maintain water flow. Depending on your system and the nature of the material, plumbers can use snakes, chemical agents, or hydro-jetting to do the job.

Drain cleaning isn’t clog removal; however, it’s an excellent way to prevent significant clogs and maintain a healthy plumbing system.

Clogged Drain Repair
If you don’t maintain your plumbing system and have a bad habit of putting material down the drains that should go into the trash instead, there’s a good chance you’ll experience a clog.

When food waste, grease, hair, and other materials get stuck in the drain, it stops water flow, and your sink or tub won’t empty. That’s when you need clogged drain repair.

Many people use liquid drain cleaners to solve this problem, but the evidence shows that over-relying on these products will damage your plumbing, causing leaks and burst pipes.

If you have a clogged drain, calling a professional plumber is safer and more effective in solving the problem. Once the clog is removed, you can use routine drain cleaning to keep your pipes free-flowing.

Short answer, yes.

We get it. Everyone experiences clogged drains, and they don’t want to hassle with them, so they reach for a “magic bullet” like a liquid drain cleaner, pour it down the drain, and move on with their lives.

Easy, right?

Well, not so fast.

The problem is that liquid drain cleaners, while effective in some instances, don’t solve everything and can cause significant damage to your plumbing system.

How Liquid Drain Cleaners Work
Many drain cleaning products contain sodium hydroxide, bleach, sodium chloride, sodium nitrate, and aluminum. All of these ingredients, except salt, are toxic to humans.

When you pour a liquid drain cleaner down the drain, it starts chemical reactions to remove the clog.

For example, lye reacts with aluminum to create heat close to boiling temperatures. The heat breaks up organic matter allowing it to flow down your plumbing system.

How Dangerous Are They?
The problem with these products is that they sit in your pipes, generating heat and chemical reactions that can destroy certain plumbing materials.

Also, if your pipes are corroded, the chemical reaction often makes the problem worse, leading to cracked joints or melted PVC material.

Another thing people don’t consider is that sometimes, these chemicals can remain in your sink or toilet traps. When you use a cleaning product, the chemicals mix with the drain cleaner and create toxic fumes.

Lastly, liquid drain cleaners aren’t just bad for your plumbing; they’re bad for the environment too. The chemical-laden wastewater can seep into the ground through cracks in the sewer line, affecting wildlife, trees, and other organisms.

The bottom line is that you should avoid using chemical drain cleaners. Baking soda, salt, and vinegar will often do the same job as a drain cleaner, and it’s safer for you and your plumbing.

Otherwise, you’re always better off calling a plumber to fix a clogged drain instead of relying on a liquid drain cleaning product.