Author: infogenix

Why Is My Toilet Leaking

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Handling plumbing in bathrooms is a huge part of the job of any professional plumber. The reason is simple: there are more plumbing pipes and fixtures in a bathroom than in any other room in the house—including the kitchen. People are likely to notice bathroom plumbing issues soon after they start and move fast to have them fixed. That’s the right instinct. When you think you need a plumber in Rockville, MD to repair your bathroom’s plumbing, get in touch with us and we’ll get the job done. We offer 24-hour emergency service for your convenience.

What Causes A Toilet To Leak?

Speaking of emergencies … is your plumbing problem a leaking toilet? This is common trouble, and there’s no single source for it. We’re going to list some of the possible reasons this is happening to your toilet, but only a professional plumber can do a proper diagnose and fix the problem.

Leaky Gaskets

The rubber gaskets between where the tank is connected to the bowl can dry up and deteriorate over time.

  • When this happens, water will begin to leak from the tank and flow down onto the floor.
  • Plumbers can put in new gaskets to stop this.
  • Loose tanks bolts are a similar cause of leaking.

Loose Feed Line

The feed line is the flexible rubber tube coming from the wall that delivers fresh water into the tank.

  • If the line starts to loosen, it will mean escaping water.
  • The frequent cause of this is a broken fill valve nut.
  • Water can also start leaking from around the valve that shuts off the feed line in cases of emergencies.

Failed Wax Ring

Have you noticed the water leaking seems to be escaping from around the base of the toilet? In this case, the problem is a failed wax ring. The wax ring is the seal against water escaping from the pipe in the bottom of the unit. The ring can shrivel up with time.

  • The only option to repair a failed ring is to have it replaced.
  • A new ring doesn’t cost much, but the job necessary to replace it—unbolting and removing the whole toilet—is one you must to leave to a professional plumber.

Cracked Porcelain Bowl

Damage to the porcelain of the toilet bowl is a serious issue. If you notice any crack in the toilet bowl, even if you don’t see any leaking yet, call for a plumber immediately. In most situations, the only solution is to have the bowl—or the entire toilet—replaced.

Dangers Of Leaks

We want to stress how important it is to have plumbers repair a leaking toilet as soon as possible. These leaks not only waste water, but they can also inflict water damage to the bathroom floor.

  • Water damage is expensive to remediate and creates mold and mildew trouble.
  • Worst of all is that it weakens building material.

Toilets have even collapsed through floors because of water damage! Please don’t let your leaking toilet even close to that kind of disaster—put in a call to our plumbers and we’ll take it from there.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating Is the Service Contractor of Choice throughout Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

What Is Causing That Drain Clog?

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Our plumbers handle a huge number of different jobs, from installing new piping for homes to extensive commercial plumbing services. But we know that when most people think of “plumbers,” the first job they think of is “drain unclogging.” Drain clogs are the most common plumbing hassle and drain cleaning to fix clogged or slow drains are one of the most important parts of our day-to-day operations.

A reason clogs are so common is that there are so many different things that can cause them to start in drain pipes. Below we’ll try to answer this most frequently asked of all plumbing questions, “What’s clogging up my drain?”

Hair

Hair clogs are the bane of bathroom drains. Sink, shower, and bathtub drains often draw in a lot of loose hair. The hair strands become stuck in the p-trap, the curved section of pipe beneath the drain. Once lodged there, the hair will begin to ensnare other hair as well as debris, leading to a tangle that can slow down the drainage or stop it completely. These clogs are tough to clear out thoroughly without the assistance of professional plumbers. We recommend using drain covers to slow down hair accumulation.

Soap scum

It’s hard to stop soap from going down drains around the house. If you’ve ever seen soap caked onto a soap dish, you’ll have some idea of how tough and obstinate soap scum build-up is. Not only does this build-up threaten to clog the drain, but it can also create chemical reactions with the pipe material leading to corrosion. (A potential chemical reaction between soap and liquid drain cleaners is one of the reasons no professional plumbers recommend using these store-bought “cleaners.”)

Food and FOG

This is the big trouble for kitchen drains. Food particles and fats, oils, and grease (FOG) wash down the drains—but often not all the way. FOG is particularly tenacious: when the hot liquid cools down, it changes into a waxy solid that is tough to remove from pipe walls without using professional tools like hydro-jetting. This organic accumulation can also lead to unpleasant odors from the drains and the appearance of drain flies.

Hard water minerals

Many homes have problems with hard water, which is water with high levels of calcium and magnesium. The minerals leave scale behind in the pipes, which slow drains and even clog them entirely. Professional drain cleaning can remove this scale, but we also recommend you look into having a water softener installed to attack the trouble at its source. Your entire plumbing system will thank you!

Small objects knocked over into the drains

Finally, bottle tops, children’s toys, and other small objects that might accidentally fall down a drain are another leading cause of clogs. Again, we recommend putting drain covers over your drains to stop this problem from happening in the first place.

Solving any of these drain clog troubles is as easy as contacting us for drain cleaning in Frederick, MD or elsewhere in our service area. We also offer routine drain cleaning to see that your drains have as few clogs in the future as possible.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating: The Service Contractor of Choice in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Should I Turn up the Water Heater Temperature?

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Although you rely on your water heater throughout the year, probably every day, it does more work for you during the winter. On a chilly morning, a hot shower feels better than ever—and it can also be a wonderful relief to soak in a hot bath at the end of the day.

So what do you do if the water heater isn’t as warm as it should be? The simple answer would seem to be an adjustment to the thermostat for the water heater (which is called an aquastat). The default temperature for most water heaters is 140°F, although homeowners often lower it to 125°F or 120°F to help conserve energy. If you’ve lowered the temperature during the rest of the year and wouldn’t mind having it back up to the default, then it’s fine to put it back to 140°F.

However, if the reason you’re thinking of raising the aquastat is that the water heater’s performance has dropped, you’re putting yourself at risk of scalding hot temperatures!

Don’t go above 140°F!

Whatever you do, don’t raise the aquastat’s temperature higher than the default setting of 140°F. Above this temperature, the water can rise to potentially scalding levels. An aquastat isn’t as precise with temperature control as an HVAC thermostat. Due to a situation called thermal stacking, the water at the top of the water heater’s tank can rise to extremely high levels and enter the plumbing. Putting the aquastat higher than 140°F makes scalding a serious risk.

Losing hot water is a reason to call for repairs

Even if you don’t turn the aquastat above 140°F, please don’t try to compensate for a faltering water heater by raising the temperature setting. You’re not only creating a scalding risk, but you’re also putting a possibly malfunctioning water heater under greater stress. The system needs licensed plumbers to look into it to discover if it either needs to be repaired or replaced.

To arrange for service for your water heater in Gaithersburg, PA, from repairs to a full replacement, contact our heating and plumbing professionals.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the Service Contractor of Choice!

A Tankless Water Heater Also Needs Occasional Repairs

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The tankless water heater is a fantastic invention. Although the first tankless systems for heating water were invented more than a hundred years ago, the innovations that allowed them to become cost-effective for homes is a recent development. But those innovations have made a tremendous difference. A tankless water heater uses much less energy than a standard storage tank water heater, it won’t run out of hot water, takes up less space, has a longer service life, and runs into few repairs.

Of course, a tankless water heater isn’t magic. Even with the best regular maintenance service for one, it can still run into malfunctions and even a full system breakdown. Let’s take a look at ways a tankless system might run into troubles requiring the help of professionals to fix.

Leaking and corrosion

Anytime you have water, you have the potential for leaks. A tankless water heater is at less risk than a storage tank system because water moves rapidly through the heat exchanger of a tankless system and doesn’t create the same type of pressure. But the pipes in a tankless system can develop leaks, and when that happens, water is likely to drip down on the gas jets in the heat exchanger—and this creates corrosion danger. Corrosion is extremely damaging to the heat exchanger, and it may cause the computer system in the water heater to shut the system off. If you see any water dripping from the tankless unit, call for repairs before corrosion becomes a major issue.

Hard water problems

Hard water in household plumbing can create big trouble for a tankless system. The minerals in hard water will create limescale inside the heat exchanger, starting to close off the passage of water through it. This will cause a loss of efficiency and may even inflict permanent damage to the water heater. If you detect a drop in water pressure from the hot water taps in your home, mineral build-up might be the problem. Repairs will descale the water heater, but we recommend you look into attacking the root of the problem by installing a water softener. (This is also a service we provide.)

Poor ventilation

For gas-powered tankless water heaters—the most common kind—venting out exhaust gases is just as important as with any other natural gas appliance. The hot exhaust must escape fast from the small tankless system, and this can be difficult if the ventilation tubes are too long or twisted. What will happen in this case is the computer system of the water heater will trigger a shutdown as a safety precaution. If your water heater stops like this, you’ll need to have technicians look into the venting to discover what needs to be fixed.

When it comes to water heaters in Bethesda, MD and throughout Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, the people to contact for service are the ones on our staff. We provide full repairs and replacements for tankless and standard storage tank water heaters.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating Is the Service Contractor of Choice in Silver Spring, MD, and the Surrounding Areas.

Tankless Water Heaters Will Need Occasional Repairs

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A tankless water heater is an excellent option for modern homes: they can keep up with the demand of the majority of households (provided they’re sized correctly), cut down on energy bills, and won’t run out of hot water the way standard storage tank water heaters do. We are proud to offer top quality installations of tankless water heaters in Bethesda, MD and throughout our wide service area.

A special advantage of tankless water heaters is that they require fewer repairs over their lifetime on average than storage tank water heaters. That doesn’t mean no repairs, however! Any type of water heater can encounter problems that require the assistance of professionals to fix. We’ll take a look at some potential water heater malfunctions below.

The trouble with the burners

The most popular type of tankless water heater is a natural gas-powered model. There are electric models, but they cost much more to run. A gas-powered tankless system has to use burners just like a tank system. The difference is the burners apply heat to water moving through the tankless system, rather than to a standing water supply, and the burners only come on when there’s a demand for water. The burners can become dirty and clogged, which will cause them to have trouble firing, and you’ll notice this by a drop in hot water temperature in the house.

Corrosion

Corrosion is an enemy of all systems that have metal and water in contact. A tankless water heater is less likely to corrode than a storage tank system, but if the pipes start to leak, corrosion can start up. If the corrosion develops too far, the whole system may need to be replaced. This is why it’s crucial to act on any leaks you might notice with the water heater.

Hard water problems

The water from a tankless water heater moves through small holes, and this can cause problems if there’s a build-up. It will lead to a drop in water pressure, followed by no hot water at all. The prime concern is hard water minerals building up in the system. You’ll need to have the water heater cleaned out, but we also strongly recommend installing a water softener to eliminate the problem at the source.

Poor venting

Gas-powered water heaters must vent out combustion fumes safely from the system. If a water heater has poor ventilation, acid condensation will start to develop inside the heat exchanger and quickly ruin it. Poor venting is also a potential safety risk. However, this problem is unlikely to occur… as long as the water heater was professionally installed to have the right sized venting.

Failed heating element

This applies to electric tankless water heaters. If the heating element burns out, there’s no heat to apply to the water. You can find online guides about how to fix this on your own, but we strongly advise against it! Call professionals to ensure the work is done accurately.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the Service Contractor of Choice in Silver Spring, MD and throughout Montgomery County.

Reminder about Frozen Pipes (What to Do and NOT to DO)

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As we head into the seriously cold weather of the winter, a concern you may have about your plumbing (and a concern you should have) is pipe freeze. We’ve previously written about what causes frozen pipes to burst, and it’s definitely something you want to watch out for. We recommend taking precautions now to help prevent pipe freeze, such as disconnecting outside hoses, insulating hose bibs, and checking to see that exposed pipes have insulation sleeves.

What do you do, however, when you do end up with frozen pipes? We have some advice on what you shouldn’t do…

Don’t…

  • Use any type of space heater, kerosene heater, or acetylene torch to attempt to thaw out the pipe. For one thing, this may cause the pipe to burst because of the sudden increase in pressure. For another, it’s potentially dangerous.
  • Use a hair dryer to thaw the pipes. Not only will this not be enough heat to thaw the pipes, but there’s also an electrocution damage potential.
  • Ignore it. Pipe freeze is something that needs to be fixed ASAP!

But what should you do?

Do…

  • Call for professional plumbers. This is one of our fields of expertise, and we can have frozen pipes fixed fast and without danger of bursting.
  • Open up the faucet at the end of a frozen pipe. This will help relieve the pressure within the pipe and make a burst pipe much less likely.

Once the pro lumbers arrive, they’ll be able to take over the job from there. They’ll also help you with advice and installations that will help prevent more frozen pipes in the future.

You have great plumbers available in Potomac, MD to help you out when pipe freeze strikes! Our plumbers are ready to help you 24-hours a day for any plumbing emergency.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the Service Contractor of Choice in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Avoiding Emergencies with an Automatic Shut-Off Valve

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We know that if at all possible you want to avoid calling for an emergency plumber in Rockville, MD—or wherever your house is in our service area. We understand, of course. Our expert plumbers are always ready to come to your assistance, and we offer 24-hour emergency plumbing service because we know that plumbing problems don’t obey schedules and calendars or care much what time of night it is. When you need that burst pipe or gushing broken faucet fixed, you can count on us to be on the job.

But let’s talk prevention because, as we said above, you don’t want to be in a situation where you’re calling up a 24-hour service plumber. And you’d also like to have peace of mind about plumbing problems striking when you can’t call for a plumber, such as a broken fixture creating flooding while you’re off on a vacation (something that’s a big concern at this time of year).

An Automatic Shut-Off Valve Is a Great Prevention Device

We recommend all homes in our service area have an automatic shut-off valve (also called an emergency shut-off valve) installed in their plumbing if they don’t have one already. These valves are attached to the main water line as it enters the home, close to the manual shut-off valve.

(Reminder: If you don’t know exactly where the manual shut-off valve is, make sure you locate it. You may at times need to shut off water to the whole house. Hopefully, not in emergencies—that’s the job of the automatic shut-off valve.)

What the automatic shut-off valve does is right there in its name: when water starts to flood from a burst pipe or other plumbing fiasco in the home, the valve shuts off water flow into the house on its own. There are a number of ways these automatic shut-off valves can work. One of the most common is a pressure sensor. If there is a sudden drop in pressure in the water line, it often means water is being lost through a large leak. The pressure drop causes the valve to swing closed. The valve may also work through sensors placed strategically around the house, such as in the basement, that will detect water where it shouldn’t be and then send an electronic signal to the valve to close.

If you have a water leak emergency, the shut-off valve will close off the flow of water to the house so that no further damage is done from the burst pipe or other problems. You can then arrange for the necessary repairs without panic. But best of all, the shut-off valve will offer you the relief of knowing you already have an emergency plumber of a sort guarding your home when you’re not there. You won’t have to worry about major plumbing accidents causing serious damage to your house.

Our plumbers install and service automatic shut-off valves. If you already have one for your home, contact us for regular maintenance to ensure it works when you need it. If you don’t have one, there’s no time like the present to schedule installation.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the service contractor of choice in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Is It Time to Replace Your Old Kitchen Sink?

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If you’re reading this, you have some reason to have the current sink in your kitchen removed and replaced. There are a couple of reasons you might be debating this change:

  • You’re just tired of the look of the old sink. It’s been there for years—probably since before you moved into the house—and you’d like a fresh kitchen look without having to do an extensive remodel.
  • The sink isn’t flexible enough for your cooking needs. You’d like multiple bowls, better faucets, more space, etc.
  • You’re looking to have the current material of the sink replaced with something more durable.
  • The sink has damage, such as cracks or leaking around the sides, and it’s not the type of damage that a localized fix will remedy.

Whatever the reason, you’re ready to have the old sink tossed out and a new one put in. To handle this type of sink plumbing in Bethesda, MD, you’ll want to look to experienced plumbers to help you through all the steps so you end up with a great new sink.

Don’t Try to DIY This Job!

You can type in a few keywords into an Internet search engine, and the Internet will “reward” you with numerous pages and videos explaining how you can replace a kitchen sink on your own. These get clicks, but they aren’t actually helpful.

Replacing a kitchen sink is a big job. Just removing the original sink takes a great deal of work. If you want to make an upgrade to a new kind of sink—and we definitely recommend this—then the job becomes even more complex. Making mistakes with installing kitchen plumbing can have major consequences, such as leaking and water waste. A sink that isn’t correctly sealed into place can leak around its edges and develop mold and mildew troubles.

You not only are assured of an excellent sink installation when you turn to professionals, but you’ll also save time. The new installation is a fast job for plumbers with training and experience.

Choosing the New Sink

Another way professionals assist you when it comes to sink installation is helping you find the right new model. With so many different options for the layout of the sink and the different materials, you might feel worried you’ll end up with the wrong sink for your needs. Our plumbers are here to help you with making the best choice.

Arrange for Your New Sink Installation Today

It’s too late to have a new sink put in in time for Thanksgiving, but starting out the rest of the holiday season with a refreshed kitchen is a great way to give yourself an early gift—and to head into the New Year with an improved kitchen workspace. Contact us to get started.

Also, keep us in mind if you do decide to go with a complete kitchen remodel. We can handle the plumbing remodeling work that’s necessary to see your new kitchen works without leaks or water waste.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the Service Contractor of choice in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Quick Garbage Disposal Reminder for the Holidays

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The big holidays are coming up, and for many households, that means hosting guests and enjoying big feasts. And that also means a lot of work for the kitchen plumbing. In fact, Thanksgiving time is one of the highest periods of the year for emergency plumbing calls! The #1 part of the plumbing that can go wrong during Thanksgiving is the kitchen garbage disposal.

We’re always glad to help out with plumbing needs—it’s why we offer 24-hour emergency plumbing service—but we also want you to enjoy as trouble-free a holiday season as possible. So here are some tips for your garbage disposal in Chevy Chase, MD to see that it doesn’t run into any major snags:

  • Keep meat bones out of the disposal. Turkey bones should always be disposed of in the regular trash (and we recommend sealing them in plastic bags). The disposal isn’t capable of grinding down anything as tough as bones, and you’re likely to break the mechanism if you do let bones down into the disposal.
  • Pour fats, oils, and grease from cooking into a separate receptacle, not into the disposal. These cooking liquids, collectively called FOG, are deceptive when they’re heated up. But when they cool down, they change into waxy solids that can be a nightmare for the disposal and the rest of the drainpipes.
  • Be careful with rice and pasta, which look harmless but can turn into a serious problem if they become lodged in the disposal. Both rice and pasta absorb water and start to swell, leading to problems.
  • Fibrous vegetables, like asparagus and onion skins, can tangle up in the mechanisms of the disposal and cause it to break.
  • Finally, don’t use ice to “sharpen” the blades in the disposal. The disposal doesn’t actually have blades in it, and the hard ice can cause damage.

Mallick Plumbing & Heating is the Service Contractor of Choice! Serving Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

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