Boost low water pressure in your home

Are you facing a problem of low water pressure even though the pipes are new? There could be several possible causes, but if nothing works, a water booster can be installed at the water meter.

Pressure Test: Water pressure should be tested using an outdoor water spigot.

Poor water pressure is usually caused due to clogged pipes. But, if the pipes are new, make sure that the shut off valves near the water meter are fully open. Then check the water pressure. Ask the local water department for a reading if your house is on city water supply. A reading of 45 to 55psi is ideal.

You can also test the water pressure yourself with a pressure gage. The gauge should be hooked up to an outside water spigot and turn on the water for an instant reading. If the reading is low as 40psi, the city may be delivering water at a low pressure. Consider installing a water booster if the city is not likely to boost the pressure. A water booster will increase the water pressure in your house. The washers on your plumbing fixtures will wear out if he setting is over 80psi. If you install it yourself, please apply for a plumbing permit so that your work will be inspected. Some municipalities require a reduced pressure and backflow preventer to be installed when a water pressure booster is hooked up.

If the pressure reading is adequate, there may be obstructions or some pipes that are too small. In that case, call in a licensed plumber to evaluate and fix the problem.

Dealing with Clogged Drains

Did you ever deal with a clogged drain?

One of the most common plumbing problems in homes is a clogged drain. Drain clogs have become more prevalent with the advent of food disposal system. Here are a few details that might be helpful if a major clog occurs in your home:

Food Disposal systems

Items that really should be thrown in the kitchen garbage can are often placed in the food disposal system. Peels of potatoes and left over’s from dinner should be dumped straight into the trash. The food disposal system is nothing more than a machine that grinds the items into mush and sends them into the drain and then to the sewer system. Items like peelings, rinds and large amount of food cannot be processed efficiently in the disposal system and will be invariably caught in the P trap under the sink. The pressure from the disposal system may impact the food so tightly that the entire piping has to be taken apart to remove the clog. All the other items except small table scraps scrapped from the plates should be thrown in the garbage before they place them in the food disposal system.

Clearing drain clogs

Problems with water back up in your sinks or tubs that refuse to drain, are frustrating and confusing so as to what needs to be done first. People generally find this problem to be small and feel that they can clear the drain on their own. With the tools you have, you might use a toilet plunger. To clear minor clogs the uneven pressures created by a toilet plunger are often enough. A drain stake is another tool used commonly to clear drains. A drain stake is a flexible rod with a claw- like end attachment which will rip through the materials causing the clog and open up the drain. 

If you have tried everything and are not happy with the results, calling a Zierman plumber would be a good idea because our technicians have lots of experience in clearing the clogs and know what exactly to be done.

Which one to choose - ABS or PVC Plastic Pipes?

There are quite a number of factors which you should look into before choosing pipes for your building. The major among them are

Longevity

Local plumbing codes

Material availability

Ease of use

Others

When longevity comes into picture there isn’t any specific reason to choose one over the other. If the pipes are installed correctly either ABS or PVC pipes will serve longer that what you expect.

So now the question arises again.. How to choose?

First and foremost thing to do is to check with your building inspector. Some of the local building codes allow either PVC or ABS.

If the code allows both PVC and ABS, you can go ahead and make the selection at your local home center. There is much wider selection of fittings for each one of the types. So it is your choice to decide which one to go with. Always go for big selection.. which makes your plumbing life easier.

If the code and selection both fail, you can probably go with ABS.

ABS is little easier to work with and it is joined only with cement unlike PVC, which requires purple primer and cement. ABS is also easier to cut and is more flexible comparatively.

For any reason if you need to combine both of them during a remodeling project, don’t simply cement both of them together instead, use a rubber transition coupling with stainless steel clamps.

How To Dress Up Your Old Dishwasher

It is very expensive to buy a new dishwasher. To get a new look to the kitchen, many people replace their dishwasher while others get a new one to enhance the performance. But, a dishwasher can be cleaned or repaired to improve their performance. Zierman can help us with these types of repairs and can usually be completed in a nominal time period.

Lack of proper water supply is the common issue faced with a dishwasher. Reasons behind this could be the sediment that blocked the supply line, shut off valve, or inlet on the dishwasher. This is the first and foremost place to check when the performance is low. We can begin to work on the inside of the dishwasher if we are sure that water is reaching the appliance. The lower spray arm can be removed to locate the filter. The filter needs to be cleaned often to ensure that there is no food particle blocked at the bottom of the discharge unit. There is a float valve on the dishwasher which prevents overfilling of water. Sometimes, this can get stuck and will prevent filling of the unit. This can be rectified by tapping with a small object.

There are a few more basic things that can be done to troubleshoot the dishwasher. But, we can go for a new dishwasher if it cannot be repaired. We always recommend to get a new one from a direct factory appliance.

Businesses Go Green with water conservation efforts!

Companies are making good business out of water conservation. By demonstrating the financial benefits of going green for a long period, plumbers like Zierman are servicing a long list of large A-List commercial customers. By making modest investments in low-flow faucets, more efficient toilets, sprinkler systems and water heaters, it makes more sense for businesses to control costs as water and sewer costs are increasing day by day.

“Going Green” plays a vital role in businesses. Most of the customers feel good in doing business with the companies which are socially responsible in going green. It is easier for a business to go green, if they are financially rewarded for their efforts and today is definitely the case with “Green Plumbing. The reliability of plumbing fixtures has become much better and their cost has come down eventually. In most of the commercial rest rooms, plumbing faucets that automatically turn on and turn off for washing hands is what we commonly see. If we witness some of the droughts that took place in the Western countries, it would be better understood how fresh water has become a scarcity.

Zierman plumbingand Heating service is advising all the businesses to be more serious about water conservation. We suggest fixing an appointment with the plumber to identify ways to consume less water for our business and to find a marginal difference in the utility bills, if we fix all the leaks and tune up old urinals & toilets. Green plumbing fixtures will pay for themselves in a very short period of time for lower water and sewer bills.

Tips to maintain your toilets and prevent clogs

Clogs and toilet repairs are a real headache for a household and also cause unknowing and expensive damage to the plumbing system. Here are some quick tips to avoid these.

Toilets

• Toilet leaks cause a lot of water wastage and can turn out to be a costly affair if neglected. Ensure that you check toilets for leaks atleast once a month.
• Add red food coloring to the tank and check the toilet bowl later, if the toilet bowl water is red colored, water is seeping through the tanks. Replace the tank ball if you identify it has a leak.

Clogs

• Fit all your tubs and shower drains with a strainer that is capable of catching hair and soap chips. Make sure that you clean the strainer on a regular basis.
• Do not rinse fats or cooking oils down the sink as they may cause solidity In the cold pipes and create clogs.
• Avoid using caustic liquid drain openers and try to clear the completely clogged drains. If you can’t snake the drain yourself, contact a professional.

Hope these tips help you out! 

Maintenance Tips To Increase the life of Faucets and Water Heaters

A good maintenance of your home’s plumbing will make it go long towards top working order and thereby avoiding costly repairs.

Faucets and Sinks

Even small leak in water can cause thousands of gallons of water and great damage  in the form of dollars. 

• Make sure that you check under the sinks for moisture and small leaks. Always repair leaky faucets right away to avoid loss of money and also to avoid damage to your pipes and fixtures. 
• Clean faucet aerators annually to make sure that the flow of water is even.
• Ensure that overflow holes on tubs and vanity are clear and open so that the water can flow easily and prevent damage to floors and ceilings.

Water Heaters

• Before you start any maintenance on your water heater be sure that you shut off the power.
• Drain water from the tank once in every three months to remove the sediment accumulated at the bottom of the heater that hampers the performance.
• Inspect your water heater burner periodically.
• Have the water heater inspected by a service technician atleast one in every two years.

      Maintain the plumbing system of your house and avoid spending a lot of dollars from your pocket.