The Importance of A Clean Shower Drain
August 30, 2021 Drains No comments yet
Importance of A Clean Shower Drain By Leone Plumbing A clean shower drain is important for a healthy and efficient plumbing system. If you disregard any small clogs or pile up such as hair, it will accumulate and can become a serious plumbing concern to deal with. A clogged shower drain can disrupt the balance of the pressure in your plumbing system which causes the pipes to rupture. The obvious sign of a clogged shower drain is the presence of murky standing water pooling on your ankles. To maintain a clean shower drain, you need to identify the culprits that can clog your drain.

The Culprits That Causes Shower Drain Clogs

There are many culprits that can clog your shower drain. Hair is the most common cause of drain clog. Normally, people may shed 50 to 100 strands of hair per day. Hair can wrap itself with other items that can intensify the clog issue. When you shower, it produces soap scum which flows to the shower drain. Soap scum is a binder that holds together hair and other items in the drain. Aside from hair, other causes are loose towel thread, plastic fibers, and small toys (this can happen if you have a toddler) that could be washed down the drain and cause a clog.

Simple Preventive Methods For A Clean Shower Drain

Achieving that goal of having a clean shower drain is easy with preventive measures. Here are the suggested methods to prevent your shower drain from getting clogged.
  1. A Drain Cover Can Help
Small items and hair can easily get through your drain every time you shower. A drain cover can stop small items and hair to enter your drain. Leone Plumbing Clean Shower Drain Tips
  1. Minimize Oil And Grease Usage
Most shower and bath products contain oil and grease that can cause clogs. The residues from oil and grease every time you shower can build up on your drain over time. We suggest using these occasionally to avoid oil or grease getting into your drain.
  1. Routine Rinsing
If you see visible small items and hair, clear them out immediately and don’t wait for them to accumulate. Once you are done showering, you can let the hot shower water run for a few minutes.
  1. Baking Soda And Vinegar
These are natural alternatives that are less corrosive than chemical cleaners. They contain properties that can dissolve clogs. Regularly pour vinegar into the drain and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes. After that, flush the drain with hot water. It’s also the same with baking soda. Pour some baking soda into the drain with hot running water. This can help clear the drain and stop odors.

For Persisting Shower Drain Clog Concerns, Consult An Expert

Do not tolerate a slowly draining shower. This can be a sign of serious plumbing concern. Call us for professional help! Contact us today.      

| Photo Credits: From FreeImages – Csaba J. Szabo, Pexels – Ksenia Chernaya

 
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AO Smith Hot Water Heater Proper Care And Maintenance
May 17, 2021 Water Heaters No comments yet
  AO Smith Hot Water Heater Proper Care And Maintenance Water heaters are one of the important appliances in your home that you need to maintain. As a certified AO Smith Hot Water Heater technician, we know very well how to maintain the unit. If you own an AO Smith Hot Water Heater or planning to have one, this article will help you how to maintain the unit safely on your own.

Maintaining your AO Smith Hot Water Heater

You can do the unit maintenance by yourself. But before you get your hands working, make sure that you turn off the unit before touching it. In your home’s breaker box, switch off the circuit breaker for the water heater first. After you have turned off the unit, you are good to go. Maintaining your AO Smith Hot Water Heater can be performed with these easy steps.
Check the temperature and pressure relief valve.
This should be done once a year. Annually test the temperature-pressure relief valve by discharging it quickly at least three times. While doing this, keep an eye for small leaks from the valve. If you see any drips, you need to repair the leaks or tighten the connections.
Watch out for leaks.
One of the culprits of water heater leaks is high water pressure or thermal expansion. You can control water pressure by installing a thermal expansion tank. To monitor the water pressure, you will need a water pressure gauge attached to the water heater drain valve or an outside faucet. If you find the water pressure reaches above 80 PSI, we recommend installing a pressure-reducing valve. We recommend setting the home’s water pressure to 50-60 PSI. Higher water pressure can damage your water heater and your plumbing system. Also, check the water heater flue pipe for any leaks that could result in carbon monoxide leaks. Inspection for leaks should be done every month. Do immediate repair if you find any leaks.
Check the anode rod.
This aluminum or magnesium rod should be checked from time to time and needs to be replaced if worn out. The anode rod helps in protecting the tank from leaks. To remove the anode rod, follow the instructions in your owner’s manual. You will know that you need to replace the rod if it looks slightly “chewed up” or most of the metal is gone.
Drain and Flush
Drain and flush the tank at least once a year. The first thing to do is you need to connect a garden hose to the drain valve and place the other end on a drain or outside. Using a screwdriver, open the drain valve and drain a few gallons of water. If the water looks cloudy, drain the tank until the water is clear.

Additional Maintenance and Safety Tips

Aside from routine maintenance, make sure that your water heater is not near any flammable materials such as gasoline, paint, and chemicals. Remove any combustible materials close by the unit to avoid incidents of fire. If you need urgent maintenance assistance, please feel free to contact us.
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Common Problems With Kitchen Sink Drains
April 28, 2021 Drains, Faucets, Plumbing, Sewer Lines No comments yet
  Kitchen Sink Plumbing Service by Leone Plumbing The kitchen sink drain is one of the most essential parts of your kitchen. For your kitchen to perform efficiently and smoothly, it needs to have a well-functioning plumbing system. Many homeowners are still intimidated by kitchen sink plumbing issues. It is not only inconvenient to deal with, but it can also cause serious damage to your home!

Can I fix kitchen plumbing issues by myself or call a professional?

It is important to know when to pick up the phone to call a professional and when to fix the issue by yourself. Regardless, any of these common kitchen sink drain problems can bring you much stress:
Clogged Kitchen Sink Drain
This is a common issue with any kitchen sink drain. Food and other debris may cause a buildup on your sink drain which causes foul odor and may attract insects. One way to deal with this issue is to simply pull out food waste or blockage from the drain. Using a plunger can help to pull the clog out by yourself. You can also use (non-acid-based) chemicals to dissolve clogs.  If these tactics don’t work, you need to call a professional plumber.
Leaking Kitchen Faucet
Before calling a professional, you may attempt to fix it on your own. If the leakage is coming from the base of the spout, the O-ring seal might have been worn out. Before you dismantle the faucet, turn off the water source. To locate the O-ring, pull out the coupling nut and gently coax the spout from its socket.  You can then replace the O-ring seal if it’s worn out.
Leak Under The Sink
The possible reason why there is water beneath your sink is because of a leaking drain basket. It is the area underneath the drain where water should flow into the plumbing. Leaking may happen if there is a bad connection or it is not sealed properly. This kitchen sink plumbing issue is very easy to fix by replacing the part.
Clogged Faucets
This is a kitchen sink plumbing concern that is mostly overlooked. To determine if your faucet is clogged, you need to unscrew it to the very end. You then need to pull out the strainer and check if there is any debris that is causing the obstruction. Clogs can happen when there is a build-up of mineral deposits or sediments in the internal faucet parts. You may attempt to investigate prior to calling in a professional. If not, leave it to us and we will take care of everything!

Kitchen Sink Plumbing Tips

Avoid using acid cleaner products for your kitchen sink drain that can erode the pipes. Go for an enzyme-based cleaner instead. Kitchen sink drain clogs are usually resolved using a small snake machine. Using a plunger might help, but it can be challenging due to several openings that don’t allow the plunger to get good suction.

Trust The Kitchen Sink Plumbing Experts

If the issue is out of your control, leave it to us. Contact us today and we are here to help!   | Photo Credits: Pixabay, Canva  
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How Are Sewer Cameras Used In Sewer Line Inspection?
April 15, 2021 Plumbing, Sewer Lines No comments yet
Sewer Camera Inspection By Leone Plumbing Before the advent of sewer cameras, excavation was the only option to determine the sewer lines’ condition. Digging may leave a big mess and causes inconvenience not only to you but also with nearby residences or establishment. Today, the job becomes easy with sewer cameras. Doing sewer line inspection with a camera only needs a small entry point. The sewer camera is connected to a flexible cable, and the plumber can watch through a monitor as the gadget travels through the sewer line. Our licensed plumbers now have the ability to see the undetected problems within the sewage pipe.

Common Findings Of Sewer Camera Inspection

The sewer camera findings can help us pinpoint unseen sewer line problems such as:
Tree Roots Invasion
A single undetected crack in your sewer pipe can allow tree roots to invade your sewer line and grow into it. This will cause serious damage to your sewer line if not prevented.
Damaged Pipes
With the help of a sewer camera, unseen damaged pipes can be detected.
Bellied Sewer Line
When the sewer line starts to crumple, waste gets trapped which causes multiple blockages.
Accumulated Blockages
Over time, there can be a build-up of blockages in your sewer line. Items such as towels, feminine bathroom products, and dips in the underground plumbing due to settling dirt over the years can be detected by sewer cameras.

Types of Sewer Cameras

There are many types of sewer cameras available in the market. You can find a wide range of sewer cameras from RIDGID. We have been using RIDGID cameras for our sewer inspection. Here are some of the camera types you can find. Sewer Cameras Used By Leone Plumbing
Manual Feed Black and White Camera
This is the most basic sewer pipe camera. You will only see things black and white. But if your purpose is to only look for blockages in the line, then this is useful.
Power Feed with Either Color or Black and White Camera
This camera type automatically snakes its way through the drain and pipes whenever you press a button and put the camera down the pipe to get it started. It stops when it hits a blockage. You have the option to choose a black and white or full-color video to identify what the blockage is.
Power Feed with Color Camera and Recording Features
The camera system has a recording feature that records what the camera sees in the pipe. With this type of camera, we can further study and find a better solution to solve sewer line issues. This camera has an SD memory card that plugs into a special slot inside the main compartment of the camera’s handheld monitor.

Get Your Sewer Line Inspected

If you are experiencing sewer line issues but the cause of the problem is puzzling you, then you need to get your sewer line inspected. Contact us today to schedule a sewer line inspection. | Photo Credits: Leone Plumbing photos, Canva Actual Sewer Camera Inspection By Leone Plumbing
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Sump Pump Installers: Sump Pump Replacement and Installation
March 13, 2021 Basement No comments yet
  Sump Pump Installers Service by Leone PlumbingA sump pump is an important piece of equipment in your home. It prevents groundwater from entering your basement. As springtime approaches,  the snow starts to melt and the water goes into people’s basements. Frequent basement flooding may cause the sump pump to fail and may require replacement. If this happens, you need a reliable service from trusted sump pump installers.

Common Issue With Sump Pumps

One of the common issues that our sump pump installers have encountered is stuck sump pump float. The usual reasons for stuck sump pump float are blockages, dirt build-up, and damaged attachment arms. Any obstructions may cause the float to get out of place. If water has been sloshed on your sump pump and expelled a lot of air, this may cause the float to stuck on the sides of the sump pit. With this scenario, our sump pump installers may reset the pump into a better position to avoid obstructions.

When to replace a sump pump?

Any appliance will one day reach its end of life. If a sump pump isn’t working, then it’s cost-effective to replace the sump pump entirely. When the time approaches to replace the unit, you will begin to see these obvious signs.
Loud Noises
You will get to hear the sump pump operating if you get really close to it. It is very odd to hear loud grinding or gurgling noise from a sump pump. It is an obvious sign that the motor is malfunctioning.
No Water in the Sump Pit
If there is no water in the sump pit while the sump pump is running, then this tells you that it’s not connected to the drainage system. The pit is empty maybe because the sump pump was not installed properly or due to clogged drainage.  As soon as you see the pit is empty, call a professional plumber immediately.
Contaminants in the Sump Pit
With heavy flooding,  debris and contaminants may get into the sump pump and clog the system. Eventually, this will slow down the equipment until it fails.
No Power
Most sump pumps operate on electricity and will stop working without power. A sump pump may lose power due to a blown fuse, dead battery backup, and accidental removal of the plug from the outlet.
Recommendation: 
We recommend a “water-powered backup” system and water alert sensors. The water-powered backup will take over during a power outage if the water level rises too high. The alerting sensors will alert the homeowner’s cell phone if the basement starts to flood (this does require that the internet is working though).

Trust The Sump Pump Experts

Sump pump replacement is cost-effective than persistent repairs. Our team of sump pump installers is highly trained for all your sump pump installation and replacement needs. Contact us right away so we can help you resolve your sump pump concern today. Sump Pump Replacement Service by Leone Plumbing  |   Photo Credits: Canva  
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Residential Plumbing Guide
November 16, 2020 Plumbing No comments yet
Leone Plumbing Residential Plumbing Guide
Most households rely on residential plumbing for day-to-day chores such as cleaning the toilet, washing dishes, laundry, bathing, and more. A few hours with no running water or clogged drains can be a serious problem for a household. Getting caught off guard with plumbing issues will cause you so much stress. This residential plumbing guide will provide you with basic tips to resolve or prevent some plumbing problems in your home.

Residential Plumbing Guide: Basic Plumbing Tips

Calling a master plumber for plumbing maintenance can be of great help. But we still recommend preventive measures to avoid plumbing issues. Here are some tips to guide you:

1. Check the pipes regularly.

Do a routinary inspection of exposed pipes for signs of wear and tear that causes leaking. You can rub a compound stick for tiny leaks in pipes. A compound stick is available at most hardware stores.

2. Drain the Water Heater.

We recommend emptying water heaters at least twice every year. Do this to avoid building up of sediments that reduce water heater efficiency.

3. Keep your sewer lines away from roots.

Avoid planting trees near the sewer lines because the roots can be a source of damage. We also suggest periodically snake the lines. If the roots have seriously damaged your sewer lines, let an experienced master plumber fix the problem. Do not fix it on your own as you may also damage other plumbing systems and will lead to civil lawsuits.

4. Be watchful of what you flush.

Remember that clogs of today are the result of yesterday’s mistake. Keep debris from drains and be watchful of what goes down. Educate your household with proper plumbing maintenance. Set up house rules like what to flush and what not flush on the toilet.

5. Be careful in selecting pipe cleaning solutions.

Avoid the corrosive pipe cleaning solution as it can lessen the pipe’s longevity. Go for an enzyme-based cleaner that introduces bacteria into the plumbing. The bacteria do the natural break down of clog into a liquid to expel it easily. The bacteria do the job naturally without destroying the pipes.

6. Invest in strainers.

Use strainers to prevent the debris to get into the plumbing. However, strainers may get damaged over time as well. You need to replace them as necessary.

7. Protect your pipes from being frozen.

Since water expands as it freezes, it causes the pipe to explode. We advise you to insulate your pipes in the winter. This is often neglected by many people causing the pipes to get broken each year.

Prioritize Your Residential Plumbing

Good residential plumbing plays a healthy role in maintaining cleanliness in a home. A not well maintained residential plumbing may result in sanitary issues that can harm your family’s health. We hope that these residential plumbing guide tips will help you in resolving basic plumbing issues. If you want to know more about our service, please feel free to contact us today.  
Photo Credits: Pixabay, Canva
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