Author Archive for Dorothy Skinner – Page 15

Beware Using Chemicals to Unclog Drains

Sometimes it makes sense to use an anti-clog chemical like Drano or others to get the water moving again, but there are some things you need to know.

Master Plumber Gary Skinner and great-granddaughter.For one thing, not all of the chemicals are just the same thing in different packaging. These are dangerous for many reasons, one is the caustic nature of the chemicals themselves. If more than one agent is used on one clogged drain, several bad things can potentially happen.  Read More→

Defend Your Home Against a Winter Attack

Frozen ice cubesThe cold winter nights are upon us. The fire is crackling and the aroma of holiday cooking surrounds us. Before heading off to bed we double check to make sure the fire is all the way out and the kitchen appliance knobs are turned to the off positions. These are the obvious things we do to protect our homes from a fire hazard.

It is important in the cold months to consider the possibility of a hard freeze. We need to make sure our homes are as protected as possible including the parts that are vulnerable to cold air.  Read More→

Why My Water Heater Goes Bump in the Night

Water heater.Hard water leaves deposits everywhere it travels. It contains mineral deposits such as calcium. These deposits can build up on the walls inside of a water heater. If this happens, a water heater can be very noisy, even scary when you hear a loud “Bang” in the middle of the night and don’t know where it is coming from.  Read More→

Be Kind to Your Faucet Washer

Most faucets work by turning a handle, which compresses a flat rubber washer up against a piece of metal. This closes off the circulation of water. It is a round washer that pushes up against a round seat. Most of the time when washers are damaged, it is not due to age or bad rubber. It’s caused by user mishandling.

Faucets that require washers periodically need them changed for maintenance purposes. In most cases when we see severely damaged washers it’s due to over tightening. When a homeowner sees a drop of water come out of their faucet it’s their natural inclination to crank the faucet harder. This can destroy the washer, rendering it useless. It can even break it into several pieces that end up in the aerator.  Read More→

It Could Be Your Water Heater, But Maybe Something Else

Bird in a tree.Have you ever just woke up, climbed in the shower and … hey, what happened to the hot water? Me either (and I’m glad of that!), but it’s happened to some of our customers.  Read More→