 If you find your hot water tank is having trouble dispensing hot water throughout your home, then there are a few reasons for this.
High Water Usage. The first is the most common reason for your lack of hot water, the tank has emptied. If you are running multiple things at once that require hot water use, then you’re bound to run out of the water that has been heated. Your tank needs time to refill and heat the new water coming through. Avoid running dishwashers, clothing washers, and multiple people taking baths and showers at the same time to prevent this from happening. Your home could also have a hot water tank that is too small for the size of your home, which can also lead to running out of hot water. If you find your home frequently has this problem, consider installing a tankless water heater that can help with this problem. Check your Thermostat. If you feel your water isn’t getting hot enough, check your hot water heater’s thermostat. This controls the temperature of the water in the tank, so you can simply turn it up to increase the temperature. Or vice versa, if you think the water is too hot. Remember, water scalds at 140 degrees, so don’t set it any higher than that. Call us at Tony’s Plumbing for a malfunctioning thermostat and we will inspect your hot water tank and thermostat to make sure everything is functioning properly. Sediment in your Tank. If there is sediment in the hot water tank, it will stop hot water from coming out of the tank. Minerals can build up in the bottom of the tank (especially if you have hard water), which will stop the water from being heated to temperature. If there is rust in the water, then that is a sign of corrosion, and you’ll need to update your hot water tank. Remember to drain your tank once a year to clear out any sediment. If you have rust, give us a call at Tony’s Plumbing to help fix this problem. Check the Dip Tube. There is a plastic tube at the top of the tank that goes all the way to the bottom. This is where the cold water enters the tank. The hot water is at the top, and the tube makes sure the cold water goes to the bottom, so the hot water at the top is dispensed to your home first. If the tube breaks or disconnects, then the cold water will mix with the hot at the top of the tank and cool it down. You can call a plumber for this repair. Once you’ve established the problem the fix can be simple or a little more complex. Give us a call at Tony’s Plumbing with any questions, upgrades, or repairs you might need, and we’ll get your home’s water all warmed up.
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 So you’ve spotted rust at the base of your water heater… How does this happen? And now what do you do to fix it?
The cause of rust on your water heater can happen when there are loose connections. If the rust is on the bottom of your tank, then it might be that the interior liner has rusted. Your hot water tank has a part called the anode rod that pushes impurities out of the water. If it fails, it can cause the liner to rust, and the bottom of your tank to rust. If you see that the bottom of your tank is rusted, then you should call us at Tony’s Plumbing to get a replacement. With a rusted bottom, it will eventually fail and flood your home with water. If you wait, you’ll have water damage on top of the hot water tank that needs to be replaced. Here are a few indicators that your hot water tank might be about to fail: Rusty water - As discussed before, your tank is corroding and that is why your water has rust in it. You may be able to tell there is rust in the water, if your bathroom fixtures are stained, your clothes are getting stained in the washer, or your water has a strange taste. Lack of hot water - If your tank is struggling to keep up with heating the water in your home, this can be an indicator that there may be a bigger issue. Odd noises - If your anode rod fails, and the rust builds up, then it takes longer to heat water. This causes banging sounds coming from the water heater. Old age - Water heaters are typically good for 10 years, depending on the model. Older tanks are more likely to fail. If you have an older water heater, it’s time to start thinking about replacing it. Consider a tankless option for your new water heater. These have multiple benefits over a hot water tank, including not having a rusty bottom that can flood your home with gallons of water. Consider annual maintenance from Tony’s Plumbing, so that we can react quickly to any potential problems, like a rusty water heater, or we can prevent this from happening. If you’re ready for a new tank or an upgrade, we can help you with that too!  As a homeowner or renter, we have to deal with many issues that spring up. One of those is a leaky pipe. But what do you do? If it’s something outside of your ability to fix, call the plumber right away to have them make an emergency visit. But in the meantime, what do you do to provide a temporary fix to keep the damage to a minimum?
First thing you’ll want to do when you discover a leaky pipe is to throw a bucket underneath it to stop water from getting all over the floor. Then quickly turn the main water valve off to stop the flow of water coming through the pipes. Then turn on the faucets connected to the leaky pipe to drain those pipes. Next, you’ll want to clean up the mess, by drying the wet areas with some towels. Including wiping the leaky pipe dry to prepare it for a temporary patch. Tighten the joints of the pipes with an adjustable wrench to fit it to the pipe’s size. If the pipe has loosened, then that may be a source of where the leak is coming from. So you’ll want to tighten them up. Depending on the items you have in your home or have time to pick up at your local hardware store, you can patch the pipe in a few different ways. The preferred way is to apply some epoxy putty. You’ll need some rubber gloves to knead the putty by hand, and then you can apply it to the source of the leak. Wrap the putty completely around the pipe where the leak is happening about an half inch thick, taper the edges so it has a water tight seal. You can turn the water back on after 5-10 minutes after it is dry. You can also apply duct tape, by wrapping it tightly around the pipe several times while you wait for the plumber to arrive. When you’re in need of emergency plumbing services, give us a call at Tony’s Plumbing for quality service to help you in your time of need. We can get someone to your home and to fix the leak as quickly as possible!  So you’ve discovered your garbage disposal is leaking… This is not good, you say to yourself. But before you panic, let’s go through the best way to deal with the situation. There are three places the garbage disposal can leak from and there are different ways to deal with them.
Leaking from the bottom - There are internal seals on the garbage disposal that can wear out over time, which can cause a leak. The fix is to get a new garbage disposal. They can last 5-10 years, so if it has been less time between replacing the disposal, check the warranty on the one you have installed to see if it is still valid. Leaking from the side - This means that the leak is coming from the drain lines. There are two connections on the side of the disposal, the bottom, bigger hose pipe is the drain out the disposal to the sewage system, and the top, smaller pipe is where the dishwasher drains into the disposal. This is an easy fix. Just tighten the connections to your disposal. The metal clamp that is on the pipes can be tightened with a screwdriver. The main drain line is connected with screws, with a rubber gasket on the inside. So you can tighten the screws, or possibly have to replace the rubber gasket. Leaking from the top - There is a seal on the top of your disposal that connects to your sink with a plumber’s putty or a flange. This can loosen or rust over time and cause the top of your disposal to leak. To fix it, you can just re-seal the disposal by removing the old putty and replacing it with new plumber’s putty. If your unit has a flange, then you can tighten the screws. It may need to be replaced, if you can’t get it to tighten. This is a bigger job to do, if you are not familiar with garbage disposals. Some of these fixes, you can handle yourself. But if you find yourself having trouble with repairing these leaks or disposal on your own, you can give us a call at Tony’s Plumbing and we can get it all fixed up and running like new again.  Pretty much all of us operate our lives on a fixed budget. So when it comes to home repairs, it’s easy to push off any work that needs done as long as possible. Maybe you have to save some money before the repairs happen, so you prolong the inevitable. But when it comes to plumbing, delaying work can cost you.
One of the most common plumbing issues is having a leak. These can sometimes be an easy repair and it can definitely be easy to do a quick fix to delay major repairs. But what will it cost you in the long run? On the bigger scale, your small leak can easily turn into a bigger leak and cause flooding, which can damage everything. Floors, walls, furniture… On a smaller scale, if you have a leak in your bathroom sink, bathtub or toilet can lead to rot and mold issues. Leaks can also cause bug damage from water loving insects, higher water bills, and unpleasant odors. Temporary fixes can last for a short amount of time, but it’s best to call the plumber right away to fix a leak, or you’ll end up with much costlier repairs due to the damage a small leak can cause. Mold - One of the biggest problems you could face is mold. Breathing in mold can be dangerous for those living in the house, especially for children with compromised immune systems. If left unattended mold will keep growing and can lead to having a professional to clean it up. Water and Structural Damage - A leak anywhere in the house can lead to water damage on walls, flooring, furniture, and carpeting. And the longer the leak is left to do its business, the greater the water damage gets. In particular cases, if it seeps through cracks and floors, weakening the support of the building, leading to structural damage in the foundation. Water Loss- Leaks can cause water tanks to work harder to pull more water into the system. And it can cause water pressure to drop, so faucets and showers have less pressure when they are running. Since your water tank has to work harder and you’re losing water, this can lead to higher utility bills as well. So whenever you discover a plumbing issue, no matter how small, it’s best to get it taken care of right away. You may be inclined to put off spending money on smaller issues, but ignoring them can lead to much bigger issues that will cost you much more money. If you find yourself with any plumbing problems, call us today at Tony’s Plumbing and we’ll make sure your plumbing is done right.  Ewwwww… gross. There is a hair clog in your drain. This might be one of the most wretched tasks that one might have to accomplish. If you have ever cleaned out a hair clog in a drain, you know that it looks gross, smells gross, and is wretch-inducing. So, to avoid having to perform this task, let’s talk about how to prevent the hair from clogging up in the first place. You’re probably not going to remove the source of the hair-causing clogs (i.e. family members and yourself) from your home, so let’s focus on your plumbing.
Before taking a shower or bath, clean any loose hairs you see laying on the base of the tub and shower and throw them in the trash can. The same goes for the bathroom sink. This helps reduce the amount of hair that can end up down the drain. Add a protective screen, such as a drain cover for over and under your drains. This will catch the hair and prevent it from going down the drains, we suggest the drain covers that are specifically designed to trap hair. Remember to clean the cover regularly by removing the hair and placing it into a trash can. You can also try flushing all of your drains at once, sending a torrent of water to clear up the hair and debris. Several people will have to coordinate for this task. Close all the drains including the bathtub and shower and sinks, and then fill each one with warm water. Have someone standing by each one of your drains and toilets, then coordinate your water attack! Have everyone open the drains and flush all the toilets at the exact same moment. This could flush all the debris out of the pipes, but if this fails, further cleaning of the pipes will need to be done. If these preventative measures don’t quite do the trick, and you still have water that won’t drain, here’s how to clean the clog. If you can see the clog, try removing it with your hands or a bent wire hanger (they also sell plastic, barbed drain-cleaners instead of using a wire hanger). If this doesn’t clear the drain, then you can try a chemical drain cleaner from the store, or you can try this natural solution. Pour ¾ cup of baking soda into the drain, and then pour ½ cup vinegar down the drain after the baking soda. Then plug the drain for about 30 minutes, then pour boiling water down the drain. Look to see if you can see the drain is clear and run water for about five minutes to see if this did the trick. If the clog still persists, you might need to bring in the professionals. Give us a call at Tony’s Plumbing to help with your clogged drain needs!  Dishwashers are a god-send. Most of us out there do not enjoy washing dishes. So when our dishwasher starts having trouble, it can get frustrating. One source of dishwasher trouble is a clog. This can be caused by not rinsing dishes properly before running them through the washing cycle. Make sure you clear all bits of food off your dishes to help prevent clogging. If there are bits of food, they can accumulate in your filter basket or drain hose causing clogs.
But how will you know if it’s clogged? Signs indicating a clog can be water backing up in the sink, gurgling sounds, shaking or thumping while the dishwasher runs. Standing water in your dishwasher after a wash cycle also indicates a clog, because leftover food is clogging the drainage basket. Once you’ve figured out the dishwasher is clogged, how do we fix it? First, clean your drain basket. Make sure it is free and clear of debris. Then you’ll want to gather all the items you’ll need to clear the clog.
If the problem persists, give a plumber a call as there might be a bigger issue. Call Tony’s Plumbing and we’ll get your dishwasher all cleared up and draining smoothly!  When it comes time to upgrade your main bathroom, you will most likely be very excited to redecorate and pick out all the pretty stuff you’ll see in the bathroom. But the biggest concern should be upgrading your plumbing, so your bathroom functions properly and you don’t have to worry about any issues down the road.
When you decide to remodel your main bathroom, one of the first things to think about is what kind of fixtures you are going to install and what kind of plumbing you need to support that. Whether it’s adding jet spray shower panels or a bidet, these are the types of items that will need additional plumbing. Plan out what types of fixtures you’re adding to your bathroom, and plan for a larger budget for the additional piping that may come with it. Even if you’re not adding new items to the bathroom, you may have to replace or repair your pipes. Especially with older homes, pipes could be rusted or rotted out where you can’t see it until you’ve torn out your old bathroom fixtures. So there may be some additional pipe replacement. This also leads to the opportunity to upgrade your pipes with a 2 inch drain for faster drainage. The standard drain sizes are a half inch to three-quarters inch smaller than a 2 inch drain, and by increasing the size of the drain even minimally, will speed up the drainage in your new bathroom. This is very beneficial if you have multiple members in your household. Also consider installing anti-scald devices that can add cold water to the hot water coming from the water heater to prevent scalding hot temperatures on your skin. Or now may be the time you want to also upgrade your hot water tank to a tankless system. With this, you can control the highest temp that your water will come out of your faucets, which can also prevent scalding. With your upgrade on the new bathroom, you can also add a water softening system if your home has hard water. When you’re ready to tackle your main bathroom remodel, give us a call at Tony’s Plumbing and we’ll get your bathroom all set for your beautiful new bathroom.  Now that the frost has thawed and the flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, as we cue baby Bambi to emerge from the forest… You get the idea, the sun is shining, our winter hibernation period is ending, and it’s time to get out there and see the world again! Here are some fun ideas for grabbing our family and leaving our couches to explore the Twin Cities.
 It’s time to take a nice, relaxing hot shower... but what happens when the water is too hot. If your water is suddenly burning hot when you try to take a shower, there are several things that could be wrong. Let’s take a look at how to fix this problem.
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AuthorAt Tony's Plumbing & Heating, we offer outstanding residential and commercial plumbing and heating services in the East Twin Cities metro. With our blog, we hope to bring you useful tips and tricks for ever day life! Archives
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