Tag: low water pressure

Check Your Home Vitals: Water Pressure Regulators

Posted on | by Drainiacs

DanielCordovaPlumbing - Water_Pressure_Regulators_2

Do you know why your doctor checks your blood pressure with every visit?  Or have you ever wondered why?  Well, it’s because your blood pressure is vital to understanding how well your heart is working.  Your heart and your blood vessels are interconnected systems of pumps and pipes that need to work properly to keep you healthy.  Similarly, your home plumbing system is an interconnected system of pipes and valves that work to keep your home healthy.  Therefore, just like taking your blood pressure at every doctor’s visit, checking the water pressure of your home at least once a year is vital for keeping a properly running plumbing system.  So how do you know your water pressure and how can you help regulate it?  That’s simple…water pressure regulators, but what can they do for us?

Now, when it comes to your blood pressure, doctors will tell you that if it’s too high, your heart may be working way too hard and if it’s too low, it may not be working hard enough to properly circulate blood to your entire body.  So normally they’ll prescribe some type of medication or regime to regulate it.  Similarly, the water pressure in your home communicates problems just as well as the blood pressure in your body.  If water pressure gets too low it can cause decreased circulation and irregular water pressure from your faucets and fixtures.  If more than one fixture is working, less pressure at each fixture will be highly noticeable, sometimes even down to a mere trickle.  On the other hand, and on a more serious note, if water pressure gets too high, it can cause major stress on your system.  This can easily cause faucets and other fixtures to work improperly, freeze up, or completely shut down.  It is the most common cause for knocking in water pipes, but in the worst-case scenario, high water pressure can even cause major pipe bursts and home flooding.  So just like medication for blood pressure, that’s where a water pressure regulator comes in!

A water pressure regulator is a plumbing valve generally located on the main water line after your main shutoff valve but before the mainline enters your home.  The function of the water pressure regulator is to reduce the water pressure coming from the main water line into the home.  This valve regulates the water pressure to a safe level before it reaches any fixtures inside the home.  If you already have a water pressure regulator installed, an annual maintenance check is recommended to make sure it stays working properly.  If you do not currently have a water pressure regulator installed, give your favorite local plumber a call and get one installed immediately!  Just like your blood pressure and your health, keeping a properly maintained plumbing system is vital for you and your family to live a happy, comfortable, and flood-free life!

Low Water Pressure & The Vinegar Fix

Posted on | by Drainiacs

If you begin to notice the water pressure on any of your faucets or showerhead getting low, try this: Fill a small sandwich-sized baggie with vinegar.  Put the baggie over the faucet so the facet is completely submerged in the vinegar, and tie it down with a rubber band or two, leaving it to set overnight.  That should break down the mineral build-up and clear the holes that caused the pressure to backup.  Rinse it thoroughly and begin use as normal.  You should be able to notice an immediate difference.  If the pressure is still really low, the problem might be something deeper into your system. Give us a call and we’d be more than happy to check it out for you.

Hard Water Headaches

Posted on | by Drainiacs

HARD WATER HEADACHES: SOLUTIONS FOR THE TOUGHEST GRIME

Hard water stains

We’ve all seen it.  That white grime that sticks to our shower walls, bath & kitchen sinks, and all of our faucets and fixtures near water.  We clean and scrub until our knuckles are white and our backs are aching, but to no avail. What causes this headache and how can it be fixed? Well, the culprit is hard water, and although this filthy residue CAN be cleaned, unfortunately, there’s not quite an “easy fix” to the problem.  There are however many solutions that you can try which will work, and which we have listed here, but first, let’s start from the top.

What is hard water exactly?  Hard water is water that has an extremely high mineral content of calcium and magnesium.  When water is left sitting on a surface, like water drops on your shower door after you have just taken a shower or on your sink faucet after you wash your hands, the calcium and magnesium in the water harden to form a rock-hard film or debris that looks a lot like soap scum.  It often makes these surfaces look grimy and filthy no matter how often or how hard you clean them, and although hard water generally is not harmful to one’s health, it can often pose serious problems to the plumbing in your home and to certain household appliances as well.  A few unseen problems, such as slow-building drain clogs & low-water pressure in showers and faucets, are just a few of the many problems, aside from that filthy-looking residue, that hard water causes.

As mentioned before, and if you’ve already tried, you know that hard water is not the easiest to clean, and the longer the buildup remains, the more hard water buildup piles on, and the harder it is to clean.  So, before you call a professional and spend a lot of money, why not try a few of these solutions yourself:

Cleaning hard water deposits on shower doors, tile, faucets, countertops, etc

  • Industrial cleaners- which are made from certain chemicals can be used to break apart the scaly deposits and make it easier to wash them away.
  • High-pressure steamers- the high-pressure steam causes the residue to loosen and then fall off these surfaces.
  • High-pressure washers– the high-pressure washers harshly break apart the residue and wash it away; however, extreme caution needs to be taken with this method, as the high pressure of the water can often tear apart the surface causing even further damage and sometimes necessary replacement.
  • Muriatic acid- can be diluted and sprayed on to hard water crust to wash it away, but make sure that it is being used in a well-ventilated area, and is stored away from chlorine, as it will become explosive.
  • White vinegar- sprayed on or poured on to the surface, the vinegar begins to break apart these deposits.  Letting it set for a minimum of ten minutes, and taking a toothbrush to the surface after it has finished setting will greatly help the process, and then just wash it away.

Cleaning hard water deposits in fixtures and appliances

  • Low water pressure in shower and sink faucets– often caused by hard water buildup inside of the faucet, it can easily be cleaned by submerging the faucet in vinegar for 6-8 hours.  Taking apart a fixture isn’t always the easiest thing to do, so to make things easier, try filling a small sandwich-sized baggie with vinegar and putting the baggie over the faucet so the facet is completely submerged in the vinegar.  Tie the baggie into place by using a rubber band and leave it to set overnight or for at least 6-8 hours.  This will break down the mineral build-up and clear the holes that caused the pressure to backup.
  • Coffee makers, teapots, and other pots and pans- pour white vinegar directly into your coffee maker and run as usual.  It might take more than one cycle to get the water spots to come clean, but after a few runs, it should be looking pretty clean and clear.  Calcium deposits in teapots and kettles can also be removed by bringing 2 cups of vinegar to boil, let set for 10 minutes, and then wash well.  Same with other pots and pans.
  • Dishwashers and washing machines- Pour 2 cups of vinegar directly into your dishwasher and run through a short cycle to clean the interior and hoses of the washer, or pour 2 cups of vinegar down the bleach dispenser of your washing machine and run a small cycle to clean the interior and hoses of that washer.

If hard water still remains a problem, give us a call at (855) 327-0885 or contact us online.  These parts might need to be replaced to prevent any further problems deeper within these systems.  General maintenance of hard water spots and residue is key, whether it is weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly.  Hard water shouldn’t be a headache, so keep on top of it by using these solutions to help you relieve this headache once and for all!

10 Easy Things To Do (And Not To Do) To Avoid Calling A Plumber

Posted on | by Drainiacs

Plumbing problems can be a major pain, especially when they occur at the most unexpected, and sometimes most crucial moments.  For example, picture yourself having a nice holiday gathering at your home.  You’re right about serving a wonderful dinner that you have slaved to cook for hours over the stove for when all of a sudden your plumbing backs up!  What a mess!  Calling a plumber at a time like this might be your only option, but there are many ways to prevent this mess from ever occurring.  Below are 10 easy things to do (and not to do) to avoid calling a plumber.  Some of these may sound very trivial and some even completely obvious, but year after year, we find the same exact problems springing up in homes all around our general service area in Los Angeles County, with people disheartened by the damper it has put on their day.  So before that next big event at your home, or even just as a daily or monthly cleaning and prevention plan, remember these tips!

  • Don’t put grease down your drain!  Grease solidifies and clogs drains very easily.
  • Don’t use your garbage disposal as a trash can and dump large amounts of food & scraps down it, they build up and will either cause it to back up or break down.
  • Always turn on the water before turning on the garbage disposal, and keep it running for at least 30 seconds after turning it off to wash the waste down the drain.
  • Try to scrape off as much scrap food on plates and dishes into the trash, before rinsing in your sink, and especially before entering your dishwasher.
  • Try to keep the area around your sink clear of any small objects such as utensils and other kitchen gadgets that can easily slip down the drain into the garbage disposal and/or pipes.
  • Don’t dispose of any paper towels, cleaning wipes, sanitary wipes, or sanitary napkins down the toilet.  These almost always cause toilets to clog.  (Tip: Avoid making these items available in guest bathrooms altogether, as guest bathrooms are usually the ones that get backed up first.)
  • Once every two weeks pour about 2 tablespoons of regular liquid dish soap (preferably w/ a degreaser) down the drain, followed by about 1 quart of boiling water.  This will help cut down the grease and buildup in your pipes to help avoid future clogs.
  • If you begin to notice the water pressure on any of your faucets getting low, try this: Fill a small sandwich-sized baggie with vinegar.  Put the baggie over the faucet so the facet is completely submerged in the vinegar, and tie it down with a rubber band or two.  Leave it sitting overnight.  That should break down the mineral build-up and clear the holes that caused the pressure to backup.
  • Don’t use a liquid drain cleaner if there is already a clog!  Once the clog is past your drain, the harsh chemicals in liquid drain cleaner will sit in your pipes and eat away at them, which will eventually cause even bigger problems.
  • Instead, if you begin to notice a clog or water backing up, try this: Take out as much of the standing water as possible, then pour about 1 cup of baking soda down the drain followed by about 1 cup of vinegar.  The bubbling action should cut through most clogs.  Once the drain starts running, pour about 1 quart of boiling water down the drain to flush out the remaining material.

Just like your teeth, although prevention through brushing is always your best bet to avoid any problems, sometimes cavities still occur.  In this case, although you may follow each of these steps religiously (or at least just a few), problems sometimes still have their way of rising to the surface.  In this case, don’t hesitate or wait until the last minute, give us a call today to get your FREE ESTIMATE or click here to request service online today!  You don’t want to end up knee deep in brown water at your next big family gathering while the turkey is in the oven, so don’t forget these tips, or if you’re already there, give us a call as soon as possible!  We’re always on call to help serve all of your plumbing needs.  24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  We also do annual drain cleaning and inspections at a discounted rate.  Just give us a call and ask us how to get signed up!