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At Terry’s Plumbing, we like beautiful things. We also like plumbing fixtures, and award winning stuff, and we like anything that is environmentally friendly. So when we heard about this beautiful, environmentally friendly, award winning plumbing fixture, we got really excited. For this month’s post, we’re showcasing this brilliant faucet, called the Swirl, that’s been making a splash on various websites online. It’s all about water conservation You’ve surely heard that water conservation is of critical importance for environmentally concerned citizens, and will probably become more important in the coming years. After all, water is the linchpin of human existence, and […]
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You’re lying in bed, it’s 12:30 at night. The witching hour. You’re about to drift off to sleep when suddenly you hear it: the toilet flushes in the empty bathroom down the hall. Is it a ghost flushing your toilet? The most likely answer is no. Unless your house was built over a pet cemetery, you probably have a common leak. Ghost Flushing 101 To understand why your toilet flushes when no one has pushed the lever, you must first understand the way a toilet works. When you push the lever to flush your toilet, the water in the toilet tank […]
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Ladies who use tampons: this is an important post that could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars on sewer or septic tank repair. Our advice is simple. Never flush tampons down the toilet. Ever. Don’t Do It Even If the Tampon Box Says You Can For some reason, tampon companies frequently market their tampons as “flushable”. While many tampons will usually go down the toilet without causing a clog, your tampon company does not know what is best for your plumbing or sewer line. At Terry’s Plumbing, we do–and we can tell you this is bad advice. Here’s why. […]
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At this time of year, hot showers are valued and many homeowners change the temperature of their hot water heater to reflect their desire for warmth. Still, some homeowners find it difficult to find the perfect equilibrium in their hot water heater, and the result is a shower or bath that runs too hot or too cold. Other baths and showers simply run too hot or cold, regardless of the hot water heater temperature. There are several options for solving this problem. Adjust the Hot Water Heater Temperature It’s possible your shower runs hot or cold because you just haven’t […]
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You may have heard that the day after Thanksgiving is the biggest plumbing day of the year–and it’s true that there is a spike of plumbing problems that occurs on Black Friday. Knowing what those plumbing problems are and where they come from will help you avoid plumbing issues in your home this coming Thanksgiving. Common Thanksgiving Day Plumbing Issues You can expect two parts of the house to exhibit plumbing problems on Thanksgiving day: the kitchen and the bathroom. The reasons behind this are probably obvious. With all those turkey scraps, potato peels and starchy foods disappearing down the […]
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Clearing a clog can be a headache. Many people turn to Drano and other harsh chemical cleaners, but they may not be safe in some situations. Read on to learn the truth about Drano, when its okay to use, and how less harsh alternatives can get the job done just as well. Drano in the Toilet Drano has long been advertised as a quick and easy way to eliminate clogs and prevent septic tank backup. However, many plumbers advise against using Drano at all. Liquids placed in the toilet will sit for a while. The chemicals in Drano are volatile […]
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Disposing of cat waste on a daily basis can be a pain. Many cat owners eventually find themselves wondering if used litter can simply be flushed down the toilet. This question is logical enough. After all, cat litter contains a form of excrement. The simple answer is “No“. Although there are some types of cat litter that are marketed as flushable, this does not mean that flushing is an acceptable method for disposal. Clogs Not all types of cat litter are flushable, and flushing the non-flushable cat litter can clog pipes. Many types of cat litter are designed to absorb […]
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A hissing toilet is not at all uncommon and is usually an indication that water is leaking from the tank into the toilet bowl. In many cases, the hissing noise is related to an issue with the parts inside the toilet tank, known as the flush valve assembly. Fortunately, many homeowners are able to fix issues with the flush valve assembly on their own without the help of a handyman or a plumber. Water Draining Into Overflow Tube When your toilet flushes, water empties out of the tank and into the bowl, then the tank fills again. The fill valve […]
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Have you ever gone downstairs in the morning, ready to start your day, just to discover what appears to be Niagara Falls-esque leak coming from your ceiling? After further inspection, you realize that the origin of the leak is coming from your bathroom. Not sure what to do from here? Don’t worry, this problem can often times be fixed without the help of a professional. What Do Ceiling Leaks Look Like? Ceiling leaks from upstairs bathrooms may present themselves as slowly expanding damp spots making their way across your ceiling, or they may present as continuous and steady drips. Either […]
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Whether it’s a sudden change or a gradual change in performance, it can be really irritating when you’re not getting sufficient water pressure in your shower. But is it always necessary to call a plumber for what may end up being a simple fix? In this post, we’ll walk you through some common problems that cause low water pressure and how to give your shower superhuman strength again. Is The Low Pressure In The Entire House Or Just The Shower? The first thing is to determine whether the low pressure is limited to the shower or involves the entire home. […]
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