Category: Uncategorized

1. Water Draining Slowly From The Sink, Shower, Or Bathtub

A slow drain in your sink, shower, or bathtub is probably the most obvious sign of a clogged drain. This problem is caused by soap scum, razor clippings, food scraps, and any other type of debris that has the misfortune to fall into your drain.

The solution to this problem is to clear the drain of any hair or other debris that might be clogging it up. You can use a plumber’s snake or a plunger to clear your drain. Another viable solution for this problem is to boil a pot of water and to pour it down the drain. This will remove soap scum and dissolve other debris that might be caught up in the drain.

2. Bad Odors Coming From Sinks And Bathtubs

Bad odors coming from your kitchen sinks or tubs indicate that there might be something rotting in the pipes. Such smells can be caused by small food particles or organic materials decomposing in the drain.

The best way to fix this issue is by using a plunger or plumber’s snake to clear out your drain. You can also use boiling water, baking soda, and vinegar to clear out the blockage.

3. Toilet Doesn’t Flush Properly

If your toilet isn’t flushing properly and you’re finding yourself having to flush multiple times, this is an indicator that something is up.

This problem results from an accumulation of toilet papers or foreign objects like sanitary napkins, wipes, or children’s toys lodging themselves into your toilet’s pipes.

Your best bet is to use a plunger or a plumber’s snake to clear the obstruction. If this problem persists, you might need to call a professional drain cleaner to clear the blockage.

4. Water Pooling Around The Base Of Your House

If water is pooling around your front porch, back porch, or other areas near your home’s foundation, there is a good chance that there might be clogged drains or sewage issues.

This problem is mainly caused by grease buildup in the kitchen sink drain. Grease buildup in the drains hinders water flow, creating a soggy mess around your home’s foundation.

To fix this problem, you will need to clear your kitchen sink drain. You can do this by removing your sink’s trap and using a plunger to clear the drain. If this doesn’t fix the problem, you will need to call a professional plumber.

5. Plumbing Rumbles When You Turn On The Sink

If your plumbing system emits a rumbling noise when you turn on the sink, it means that water is beginning to back up in your drains. This is a sign that there might be an obstruction in your pipes.

The best way to fix this problem is always to remove the obstruction blocking your pipes. You can do this by using a plunger. If this problem persists, you might need an expert to look at your pipes and to clear the blockage for you.

6. Water Flows Up The Drain

Depending on the severity of the problem, water flowing up your drains can be a minor inconvenience, or it can be a major disaster.

The worst-case scenario is if your sink suddenly begins to fill with water and you can’t turn off the faucet. This indicates that there might be serious damage done to your home’s foundation, which could result from a flooded drain.

In the best-case scenario, water flowing up your drains can just indicate that something is blocking your pipes. In this case, you need to clear the blockage in your drain with a plunger or by using boiling water.

Clogged drains can be identified before they cause damage in your home. As long as you take care of these issues quickly, they shouldn’t cause more serious problems with your drain.

If you are located in Fountain Hills, AZ and need help clearing out your drains, you can call Travis & Sons Plumbing & Rooter today. In addition to our plumbing services, we also offer tankless water heater installation and shower repair and installation. Get in touch, and we’ll get your drains back on track.

1. Clogging

Almost everyone has dealt with a clogged toilet. They’re vexing, and clogs left unchecked can cause problems with your plumbing and property, like burst pipes, mold, or damaged flooring.

Flushing foreign things down the toilet might create some blockage problems. These can cause substantial issues with your sewer system, resulting in significant backups. A plunger could clear most small clogs, but when the situation is more severe, it’s time to bring in a professional.

2. The Flapper Isn’t Working Properly

Another typical source of toilet difficulties is worn-out or defective toilet components. The flapper is the part of the toilet that permits water to flow from the tank into the bowl and fill it up after you flush it. A faulty flapper valve can drive your toilet to flush by itself or to run continuously, causing your water bills to increase.

If your toilet tank keeps refilling on its own or if the toilet runs continuously, inspect the valve within the tank. If altering the valve does not fix this, you should have a competent plumber look it over before your water bills get out of control.

3. Float And Valve Problem

The float and valve are also tank components. They manage the water level in the toilet tank; therefore, an overflowing tank or a tank that does not fill correctly is most likely caused by a malfunctioning float and valve. If the valve is not fully open, the tank may not fill sufficiently, preventing the flapper from entirely closing the exit to the bowl. This may cause your toilet to flush. This problem can also occur if the float isn’t at the proper height. If it is lower, the tank will not fill sufficiently, causing your toilet to run.

4. Rusty Washer Bolts

There are two possible causes for discovering random pools of water under your toilet tank. One is rusty washer bolts. Examine the toilet bolts and feel the exterior and base of the tank for leaks. It’s possible that a leaky bolt washer just needs to be tightened.

5. Loose Connections

Another reason for a leaky toilet is loose connections. Even on toilets, it’s natural for components to slip out of position over time. Rubber linings, for instance, might deteriorate and enable water to soak through. Mounting bolts and supply tubes could become loose as well. You should have a plumber inspect these areas to verify that everything is properly sealed.

6. Broken Toilet Tank

Finding water surrounding your toilet is a dead giveaway that you have toilet trouble. One of the most serious problems is a damaged or fractured toilet tank. Although cracks are not always evident, the ensuing water is.

A faulty tank may quickly cause difficulties for your household, bathroom, floors, and utility costs if left unchecked. The valve on your toilet will continue to enable water to fill the tank. However, if your tank has a crack, it may never be totally full, forcing your toilet to run by itself. If that’s the source of your toilet difficulties, it’s time to replace the appliance.

7. Clogged Sewer Line

Although most toilet clogs indicate an issue with your toilet, some might indicate a larger plumbing issue: a sewer line blockage. Clogs in sewer lines can occur as a consequence of damaged pipes, shifting soil, tree roots, disruptions in the mainline, or flushing foreign objects. If several appliances, like your toilet and shower, have backed-up water, are slow to drain, or all have a repugnant smell coming from them, it might indicate an issue with your sewage line.

If this is the case, you should contact a plumber immediately. Allowing a sewage line blockage or crack to go unrepaired can be hazardous to your safety and property and can shut down the whole neighborhood.

At Travis & Sons Plumbing & Rooter, we offer residential services and repair throughout Fountain Hills, AZ, and the surrounding area. We are dedicated to resolving all your plumbing issues with our expertise in toilet repair, toilet installation, pipe repair, water heaters, leak detection, and water filtration. Contact Travis & Sons Plumbing & Rooter today if you’re having toilet problems or other plumbing issues.

Prepare Your Outside Faucets

Your outdoor faucets are highly likely to slip your mind, and they might freeze since they are outside. When this occurs, it may cause serious damage to your plumbing system. Preparing outdoor faucets involves disconnecting the hoses and storing them away in the shed or garage. The next things that you should disconnect, shut down, turn off, and/or completely drain includes:

• Swimming pools
• Cooling units
• Sprinkler systems
• Outdoor taps
• Water supply

Ensure that these are empty and turn off the water supply to anything that is not going to be used during winter.

Insulate Exposed Pipes

Pipes are prone to freezing, especially during cold winter nights, and this can cause them to burst. This kind of damage will cost you hundreds if not thousands of dollars to repair. You should therefore insulate any exposed pipes in your Fountain Hills home with foam. If you cannot do it with foam insulation, then a towel or any other material that retains warmth can be used as a substitute. You can source the insulation kits from Travis & Sons Plumbing & Rooter to protect your pipes from freezing and improve energy efficiency.

Drain The Cooling Units

The AC unit is another source of potential trouble if not drained before the winter sets in. The pipes require being completely drained, and the water valves shut off if it has them. Some homes in the Valley are cold enough to freeze pipes, and you will not need to use that AC system anytime soon, anyway. If you are not sure how to do it, then our Fountain Hills technicians can assist you.

Insulate Cold Areas In Your Home

Insulating your pipes is a good effort to retain the heat, but it will be useless if your home is still freezing. If there are areas in your home that have not yet been insulated, then you had better do so. The basement and the garage in most Fountain Hills homes are high-risk areas. Consider insulating those spaces and finish the incomplete basement walls. Most pipes run through the walls, thus they will be warmer as well.

Repair Any Leaks

Leaks can end up being major problems if you do not contain them before the deep freeze strikes. You need to look for leaks in common areas such as showers, toilets, sinks, and tubs. You might also need to be on the lookout for water puddles in crawlspaces and basements. This would be a good time to call in Travis & Sons Plumbing & Rooter technicians to help you repair issues while they are still manageable.

Leave The Heat On When Traveling

When you are leaving town for a while, do not turn off the heating system to save something on the energy bill. Instead, turn it down to around 55 degrees for the safety of your pipes, which might burst if they freeze over. You only need to shut down the primary water supply. You could turn on the faucets throughout your home to drain water from the pipes for added safety.

Flush The Water Heater

Arizona has hard water, and it causes a build-up in the water heater. You should not leave this out when you are doing the rest of the plumbing preparations. With time, the build-up makes the water heater less efficient and reduces its lifespan. While you might perform regular annual maintenance to plumbing, we recommend that you call Travis & Sons Plumbing & Rooter technicians to come and drain/clean your water heater.

Get Professional Inspection

While you can do some of these preparations on your own, seeking the expert services of Travis & Sons Plumbing & Rooter would be a wise move. We are the leading specialists in plumbing and water heater services in Fountain Hills and the rest of The Valley. Since 1989, we have provided the residents of The Valley and its environs with high-quality and dedicated plumbing services. We are a fully bonded, licensed, and insured company that will handle any plumbing issues that you may have.

Call us now if you require a thorough inspection of your plumbing!

Inadequate Water Supply

If you’ve got a tank-storage heater, then there might not be enough water in it. These systems store water inside of a tank before heating it. Every time you turn on the tap, hot water rushes out of the tank. Sometimes, all the water drains because you’re using too many appliances. So, if you’re trying to take a shower, wait to do the laundry.

Problems like this are pretty easy to detect, though. Simply give your water heater a little time. Then, try using the tap again. Usually, these systems can refill their tanks in about 10 minutes. If there’s still no hot water, it’s probably something else.

Sediment Buildup

Sediment accumulates at the bottom of your water heater’s tank over time. Regularly maintaining them should flush all of that out. But, if you’ve gone without regular maintenance, those buildups could cause problems. Enough sediment could block water flow entirely. Then, nothing will make it out of the tank.

To check for sediment, listen to your water heater. Typically, you’ll be able to hear if there’s any in there. If you hear something rattling around, you’ll need to hire someone to help. Our team can flush the tank, removing all the sediment. After that, your water heater should start working normally again.

Issues With The Pressure Relief Valve

Every water heater has something called a TPR valve. These valves release excess pressure whenever the water heater gets too hot. Otherwise, the whole thing could explode. However, if the TPR valve begins to leak, it could cause problems with your water pressure.

Usually, you’ll notice if there’s a leak on the TPR valve. Water will pool underneath the water heater. You can try to fix it yourself. First, place a bucket under the overhead piping. Then, try to open the TPR valve. It should release a little bit of water. And, if there’s anything blocking it, that should come out as well. After opening the valve, try closing it again.

Any remaining leaks would indicate that you’ve got a defective valve. You’d have to call a professional to replace that right away. Defective valves could be a potential safety hazard.

Pilot Light Won’t Ignite

Gas furnaces use something called a thermocouple to keep the pilot light on. These create a tiny electrical current, opening the gas valve. When the thermocouple breaks, no gas can get released. Then, your pilot light won’t stay on at all.

Pilot lights can go out for other reasons too, though. Even a disruption to your gas service could extinguish it. And, without a pilot light, your water won’t heat up.

If you’ve noticed the pilot light is off, you can try to reignite it. Take a small match and put it near the pilot light. As long as it’s still working, it should light right up. Otherwise, you might have a defective part. Calling a professional would be the easiest way to get to the bottom of things.

No Power Or Gas

Finally, if there’s a disruption to your power or gas, the water heater might not work. Gas furnaces must have a steady supply of gas. Electric water heaters have to use electricity. Without them, neither of these devices will function. If that’s the problem, they should work again once the service has been restored.

With an electric unit, there could even be a tripped circuit. Take a look at your circuit breakers to make sure they all work. Flip any of them that seem to be tripped. A lot of the time, that will take care of any issues.

For gas heaters, you’ve got to keep their tanks full. Call your gas company to see if they’ve sent enough gas for yours. Sometimes, they might have forgotten to fill it up.

Your Fountain Hills Water Heater Team

Travis & Sons Plumbing & Rooter has been helping Fountain Hills residents with their water heaters since 1989. We can help you maintain, repair, and install your water heater. We can even help you with any plumbing services you may need. Call Travis & Sons Plumbing & Rooter today to schedule a service call.