You turn on the faucet, expecting to fill your glass with clear, clean water. Instead, brownish stuff gushes out of the tap. What’s wrong with your water, and do you need plumbing repair? Can you use this water for drinking, washing dishes, showering or doing the laundry?
If your water looks brown, it might be due to rust. While this water is probably not dangerous to drink, the high mineral content isn’t good for everyday use. It may stain your hair and clothing, and can also make it more difficult to keep dishes and other objects clean. Here’s how to tell what’s wrong with your water so you can make the appropriate plumbing repairs.
Where is the rusty water coming from?
You might be able to pinpoint the cause of the rusty water, depending on where the water is coming from. For example, if it’s only rusty when you’re using hot water, it could be an issue with your water heater. If the water is rusty in just one location, this indicates that a local pipe might be to blame. If your entire house is experiencing rusty water, then there may be an issue with an outdated water main.
What causes rusty water?
Rusty water can be caused by internal and external factors. For example, if you own an older home with outdated plumbing, you might have rusty water due to galvanized pipes. Alternatively, your hot water heater may have an excess of sediment buildup, sending rusty water through the pipes and out the faucets. Determining where, when and how the rusty water is occurring will help you figure out any potential internal cause. In many cases, you may have to replace your pipes or hot water heater.
However, the problem might not be with your plumbing at all. Public water mains can accumulate rust, especially if work has been done on the water mains or fire hydrants have been recently flushed. This disturbs the water pressure and may kick up rust and other sediment as normal water pressure builds back up. This means the rusty water will be present in every faucet and fixture in your home. It may clear up within a few hours. In the meantime, refrain from bathing, drinking or doing laundry with tap water.
If the rusty water doesn’t disappear after a few hours, it may be time to call for plumbing repair.
What to do when you notice rusty water
Once you notice rusty water, the first thing you should do is determine whether it’s an internal or external problem. If it seems to be external, call your water supply company to find out if there’s a known issue with the system. It may clear up on its own, or the water company may handle the issue on your behalf.
If the problem is internal, call your local plumbing repair service for assistance. The team at PlumbSmart Plumbing Heating and Air can help find the source of the problem and make any necessary repairs or replacements.
Remodeling your kitchen is one of the best home improvement projects for boosting property value and making your daily cooking easier. But what some homeowners don’t realize is that kitchen remodeling involves more than getting new counters, cabinets and appliances.
You also need to consider all of the unseen utility lines running through your kitchen. Keep reading to learn more about dealing with these lines and why it should be the first thing to tackle.
Why should utilities come first?
It’s tempting to rush into installing luxurious new countertops or beautiful new cabinetry. But before you get ahead of yourself, these are the reasons to start with your utilities:
Save time: Unlike what you see on home improvement shows, redoing an entire kitchen can take weeks or even months to complete. The timeline only gets longer when remodeling contractors run into problems, like finding a hidden utility line. By rerouting or upgrading utility lines first, you can drastically shorten that timeframe.
Reduce costs: When you reduce the amount of time it takes to remodel your kitchen, you save a ton of money on your contractor’s labor costs. You can save anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand by having a professional tackle your utility lines before working on any other part of your kitchen.
Ensure functionality: Imagine going to turn on the faucet or starting your stove to find that you don’t have water or gas. That can happen if your utility lines aren’t correctly rerouted or upgraded to fit your new appliances. Avoid this headache by dealing with those utility lines before anything else.
Utilities to consider
Even though they may be hidden behind the wall or under the floor, your kitchen is full of utility lines. These are the utility lines your kitchen remodeling contractor will deal with:
Plumbing: Kitchen sinks need to be connected to hot and cold water lines as well as a waste pipe. Dishwashers also need hot water and waste pipes. If you’re relocating or upgrading your faucet or dishwasher, your contractor may need to extend the plumbing lines while also trying to keep them close together.
Electric: Your kitchen is full of electric appliances and lights, so you may need to reroute your electric wires or upgrade your outlets to accommodate larger appliances. Fortunately, rewiring a new kitchen is easy after the old kitchen has been demolished. However, this is still a job for the pros.
Gas lines: This one only applies if you have gas appliances in your kitchen. But if that’s the case, your contractor will need to reroute or upgrade the current gas lines. We advise always hiring a professional to connect your new gas appliances after the lines have been adjusted.
Let us tackle your remodel
Kitchen remodeling isn’t a DIY project—but it’s also not something you want to leave to just any contractor. At PlumbSmart Plumbing Heating and Air, we specialize in kitchen remodels, plumbing, gas work and more! We’re your one-stop shop for all of your remodeling needs. Give us a call today to get a quote for your project.
If your old water heater is on the verge of giving out, you might wonder whether it’s time to switch to a tankless water heater. This type of water heater is great for people who want to save money on their electric bills. Since the water heater only heats water as needed, you won’t spend extra cash heating gallons of water and keeping them warm until you use them.
Talking to a plumbing contractor is a great way to decide whether a tankless water heater may be right for you. Read on for an overview of how they work and their benefits.
How tankless water heaters work
Traditional water heaters use large tanks to collect, heat and store water until you need to use it—and when that hot water is gone, it’s gone until the heater can produce the next batch. If you’re the last person to shower in a five-person household, you’ve probably encountered this frustrating phenomenon.
Tankless water heaters, on the other hand, don’t use tanks (hence the name). Instead, when someone turns on a hot water tap, the cold water goes into the tankless water heater, where a heating element immediately heats the water. The water is heated until the hot water tap is turned off.
Tankless water heaters can be electric or gas-powered, and will heat two to five gallons of water per minute. While they’re not suitable for heavy simultaneous use (such as taking a shower and washing the dishes at the same time), they do provide virtually unlimited hot water for your shower and appliance needs. Some families install multiple tankless water heaters to keep up with large demand.
Benefits of tankless water heaters
Tankless water heaters offer a number of benefits over their traditional counterparts. Check out these big advantages:
Save energy and money: If your family uses 41 gallons of hot water or less on a daily basis, you could save about 25 to 35 percent on energy. If you install multiple tankless water heaters, your savings could go up to 50 percent, depending on how much hot water is used each day. Compared to traditional water heaters, that can mean saving hundreds of dollars per year.
Easy to install and maintain: Traditional water heaters are unwieldy and can be dangerous to install or maintain. Tankless water heaters are much easier to install, especially when you work with a reputable plumbing contractor. They’re better equipped to handle the plumbing and gas or electrical requirements your new water heater demands.
Virtually unlimited hot water: Imagine never running out of hot water, no matter where you are in the household shower queue. (Younger siblings of the world, rejoice!) Since you don’t have to wait for your water heater to heat up the next batch of water, you’ll always have hot water for a shower, your dishes or your laundry.
Summer’s here—and so is the record-breaking heat. If your electric bill is skyrocketing thanks to the hotter temperatures, there are a few things you can do to keep your budget in check. By following the tips below, you’ll be able to stay comfortable and happy all summer long:
Get your HVAC unit serviced: Your friendly HVAC contractor is standing by to help you through the worst of the summer heat—but the savviest customers will get their HVAC units serviced in the spring and fall, before summer heat and winter cold get too dramatic. Setting a twice-yearly appointment is the best way to ensure that your air conditioner is in good working order. If you need any repairs, you’ll know long before the triple-digit temperatures set in.
Close your windows and doors early: Generally, temperatures cool down at night and start heating up well before noon. Keep your windows open at night to let air circulate in your home, but plan to close them around 9 or 10 AM. You’ll get to air out your home and escape the worst of the heat.
Run large appliances at night: Your dishwasher, washing machine and other major appliances can give off a lot of heat. Try not to run them during the day, as that will heat up your home with no way for the hot air to escape. Instead, save them to run at night after the sun has gone down and you can open your windows.
Set your thermostat to a reasonable temperature: You might love a 68-degree home, but that’s often not feasible in the summer. Try setting your thermostat a little higher than you’d normally have it. That way, your air conditioner won’t work overtime—which is often futile in the worst of the heat.
Turn down your water heater: Most water heaters are set to 140 degrees. In the summer, turn the water temperature down to 120. It’s still hot enough to shower, do dishes and more, but you won’t spend extra money heating the water.
Don’t run the oven if possible: Summer is not the season to get into baking shows—at least, not if you want to keep your air conditioning bills low. Running the oven is a surefire way to heat up your already too-hot house. Try grilling instead. If you absolutely must run the oven, do it late at night or in the early morning, so you have time to air out your home.
Wash laundry in cold water: Washing laundry in cold water will save money on hot water—and in many cases, it’s better for your clothes, too. You can also take advantage of the heat and sunshine by drying your laundry outdoors.
Seal doors and windows: Finally, make sure you’re not paying to air condition the entire neighborhood. Seal up your doors and windows with weatherstripping so the cold air stays inside where it belongs.
When you need the services of an HVAC contractor, call PlumbSmart Plumbing Heating and Air today to schedule an appointment.
Summers in the Southwest are some of the hottest in the nation. What can you do to keep cool? Try these simple tips from your HVAC contractors in Mesa, AZ. You’ll feel more comfortable, and you might save some money while you’re at it!
Be a fan of fans
Ceiling fans can make a drastic difference in the comfort level within a room. They provide a wind chill effect, which makes the surroundings feel cooler. In fact, running a ceiling fan in a room can allow you to increase the thermostat setting by up to four degrees without sacrificing comfort. That means you don’t have to crank the air conditioning, which will help you save on utility bills.
Do the dollar test
Perform a simple test to see if your home is sealed properly. If areas around your windows and doors are not sealed well, it will be much harder to keep your home cooled to a comfortable level. To determine if a seal is tight enough, insert a dollar bill in the gap. If you can pull the bill through the gap, it needs to be sealed more tightly. If the bill gets stuck, the seal is working appropriately.
Create a shady atmosphere
You may want to enjoy the views from your windows, but these large glass panes let in a lot of sunlight, which can quickly heat your interior. To keep your surroundings cooler, consider closing blinds or curtains during the warmest times of the day or when the sun is facing a particular window. You may also want to invest in energy-saving blinds that are designed to keep the heat out and the cool in.
Get smart
Have you upgraded your thermostat in the last few years? HVAC technology has come a long way in a short time. Now, with smart thermostats, it’s much easier to keep your surroundings comfortable and save on utility bills. With a smart thermostat, you can program your system to automatically adjust the temperature at certain times of the day. You can even adjust the temperature while you’re away from home, so it’s nice and cool when you arrive.
Partner with professionals
It will be hard to stay cool if your air conditioning unit fails in the middle of summer. To avoid this uncomfortable situation, schedule regular maintenance of your unit. Contact your HVAC contractors in Mesa, AZ each spring and fall to perform this maintenance. This will help keep your system running efficiently throughout the season.
Let us keep you cool
For optimal performance from your air conditioning this summer, contact your HVAC contractors in Mesa, AZ. The professionals at PlumbSmart Plumbing Heating and Air are here to help. We will inspect your HVAC system and keep it running smoothly, so you stay cool all season long. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality service, combined with the best warranty in the industry, at the lowest possible price. Reach us today at 480-654-8865—we’ve been voted #1 Plumber in Mesa two years in a row!
Water leaks can cause significant damage to your property and result in costly water bills. They can also be hard to detect before this severe damage is done. When the leak is under concrete, it can be particularly difficult to detect in the early stages. However, the earlier you can detect a water leak and contact a plumber in Mesa, AZ to make the necessary repairs, the better off you will be. Use the following tips to find that leak before it finds you.
Keep an eye on your water bill
If you have a leak in an underground pipe, you will experience a spike in your water bill. All the extra water that is draining away is costly, so you should notice a difference in your utility bill total. If your water usage has remained the same, but you suddenly get a bill that is larger than your typical amount in the past, you might have a leak.
Check your flooring
If your concrete slab has a leak, water will most likely build up underneath the foundation. It may pool on the concrete or under your flooring. Look for dark spots in your carpet or warped places in wood floors. If you find these signs of a leak under the concrete, it’s time to contact a plumber in Mesa, AZ to address it.
Sniff around for mold
A leak will allow water to sit on surfaces for extended periods. This, in turn, encourages mold or mildew growth. If the leak is under concrete, you may not be able to see this growth. However, you will probably smell it. If you notice areas of your home that have a musty or funky odor for an extended period of time, this is an indication of mold growth. You should contact a plumber in Mesa, AZ right away to find the source of the problem before the mold spreads.
Test your pressure
If you notice that your appliances and faucets seem less powerful than they once were, this may be due to a loss of water pressure caused by a leak. To get an accurate test of your water pressure, turn off all water appliances, then turn on a single faucet. Note if the faucet has good pressure or provides a smaller or weaker stream than it used to deliver.
Monitor your water heater
Water heaters must run occasionally to replenish your hot water supply. However, your water heater should not be running most or all of the time. If it is, this can indicate a hot water leak. Beneath the concrete, all the hot water is escaping, so the appliance is working overtime to try to keep up with the leak.
Hire a leak detective
If you suspect a water leak under your concrete, don’t hesitate to contact a plumber in Mesa, AZ. These leak detectives can examine clues to find the root of the problem and sleuth out the best solution. The experts at PlumbSmart Plumbing Heating and Air are ready to solve your mystery. Contact us today at 480-654-8865.
