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FAQs
Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Call a Plumber
Garbage Disposals
Instant hot and cold water in the kitchen
Water Filters
Toilets
Sinks and Faucets
Bathrooms
Water Heaters
Drain cleaning and stoppage
Some other questions
Questions about us Garbage Disposals What size or model of disposal should I get? Looking for the right garbage disposal might be a little baffling: there are so many sizes, models and vendors. However, the main difference in garbage disposals is the power output. Garbage disposal usually come in ½, ¾ and 1 horse power models. Our recommendations are: ½ horse power model for light kitchen use, ¾ horse power for a normal household use, and 1 horse power model for heavy home use or small commercial use. What is safe to put down my garbage disposal? Any non-fibrous food can be put down the garbage disposal; as long as the water is running (cold water is recommended). Meat, eggs, eggshells, apples, citric fruit peeling (orange, lemon, etc), potato peelings, and coffee grounds are safe for most garbage disposal systems. What should I NOT put down my garbage disposal? Fibrous foods, such as celery, asparagus, or artichokes, are bad for your garbage disposal. Will the disposed food clog my drains and pipes? Unless your pipes are clogged with some deposits before you get the disposal installed, it should not clog your pipes. However, it is always a good idea to get your pipes cleaned before installing a garbage disposal. Should I let the water run while using the disposal? Absolutely. You must always have running water while food is passing through the disposal; in fact, for a few seconds after you turned the disposal off. This prevents the blades from running hot and it helps the food pass easily through the pipes. Why is the water backing up into my sink while I run the dishwasher? Often there is a connection between the dishwasher and the drain from the disposal. If there is food left behind in the disposal it can clog that connection to the main drain and therefore the water backs up into your sink. To prevent this, you should make sure that your disposal is free of food before running the dishwasher. Run the garbage disposal with plenty of water before turning the dishwasher on. My garbage disposal broke down, what now? Don’t hurry out to buy a new garbage disposal – breaking down could be due to various reasons and the disposal may not need to be replaced right away. Something might have just blocked the blades from moving. First, make sure the disposal is not jammed with a hard object (spoons, etc). Please make sure the garbage disposal is TURNED OFF or even disconnected from the power. If you don’t find anything that could have jammed the disposal, try to reset it with the reset button (usually located underneath the garbage disposal) or check your breaker switch in your breaker box. If all fails call us at 650 323 3112 for service. My garbage disposal stinks, what do I do? There are two ways of cleaning your garbage disposal. You could buy commercial garbage disposal cleaners and dump them down the drain. Or you could use a cup of ice cubes and run the garbage disposal to clean the blades. To give your sink a better smell, we recommend using some lemon juice and lemon peel. Garbage Disposals Can I have instant hot water for Tea coming out of a faucet? Hot water dispenser? Hot water dispensers are like little electric water heaters located underneath your sink. These tanks have a water holding capacity of about ½ gallon of water. This water gets heated to about 180 degrees and will come out of a faucet at this temperature - at your command - for tea or other uses. Since the tank is so small and the temperature stays steady, the hot water dispensers are energy efficient and use very little electricity. Can I have instant chilled water coming out of a faucet too? Chiller? It almost works the same way as the hot water dispenser, only the other way around. It will provide nice ice cold chilled water, right out of your faucet whenever you command. Even better, now you can get a unit that provides a hot and cold water dispenser in one. Garbage Disposals Which water filter do I need and what are the differences between them? Water filtration is starting to play a bigger role in our daily lives. There are several different types of water filtrations systems ways on how to use them. Since different water filters will remove different sediments from your water, it is advised to find out what your water quality is like in your area.
Once you determine the water quality, here are some types of water filters you could look at:
Where is the difference between a water filter and a reverse osmosis filter? A reverse osmosis system/ filter will remove everything from harmful bacteria to nutritious and healthy minerals. The water that comes out of a reverse osmosis system is almost dead. Whereas filtered water goes through a carbon which filters out the sediments/ chemicals that are harmful to our bodies, but will leave in the minerals that come with fresh healthy spring water. Do find out more about water filtration go to our water filtration (link). Do I still have to be afraid of harmful lead in my water? It depends on how old your house is. If you have a house that was build before 1980’s you have a higher chance of having lead in your water. Before the 80’s lead was used in the installation of copper tubing. If water sits dormant in pipes for a while, sometimes even overnight, the lead content in water will elevate. To protect your self, either let the water run for a while in the morning, or consider a water filter. Garbage Disposals What is a low flow toilet and is it worth it? It uses a lot less water to flush your waste down the drain. A low flow toilet usually uses about only 1.6 gpf to get rid of your waste. Most cities or counties will even give you a rebate if you install a low flow toilet. What is the difference between a handicapped toilet and a regular toilet? A handicapped toilet has a raised seat so that elderly or handicapped people can get up from the toilet much easier. Usually it is raised by 18 inches from the floor. What is a low boy toilet? A low boy toilet is an older model of toilets, which are hardly installed anymore. They are about 15 inches of the ground, like a normal toilet, however they have a very low water tank at the rear of the toilet, which gives its it name. How do I know if my toilet is leaking? Sometimes leaking toilets can go un-noticed for a long time and is the most common cause for an expensive water bill. Signs that your toilet is in need of repair or might be leaking:
Sinks and Faucets Can old faucets be repaired? It depends on the faucet. Usually we can fix any faucet. However, sometimes it is more efficient to replace an old faucet with a new one. What type of sink should I choose for my kitchen sink? There are different types of kitchen sink styles available in various materials. The style that suits you - like say, farmhouse or square - is mostly up to your taste. There are many different choices in materials and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The most common ones are stainless steel, cast iron, porcelain, and enameled steel. However you could also choose from various styles of corian, acrylic, fiberglass americast, or copper. You should ask yourself a few questions before choosing a sink:
Bottom line: Stainless steel and cast iron sinks are more durable. Some stainless steel sinks will show scratches after a while. Enameled, and porcelain sink might add a nicer look to your kitchen, however, they will scratch, chip and break if dishes are dropped. What is an “Air gap” and do I need one? An “Air gap” is like a little two inch metal cap that sits at the top of your sink. This is supposed to prevent dirty water from backwashing back into your dishwasher. However, newer dishwashers and sinks with garbage disposals make it possible to eliminate this extra little metal cap. Consult your plumber and see, if you can run your dishwasher safely without having an “Air gap”. Bathrooms I am loosing water pressure in my shower, what could be the problem? Your shower head could be plugged with water deposits such as rust and dirt from your pipes. You could try to remove the shower head from the pipe coming out of the wall and check it for deposits. Clean the shower head gently with an old toothbrush and rinse it to remove all the dirt. Also run the shower without the shower head on to possibly remove any left over dirt in the pipes to prevent the shower head from plugging up again. If cleaning your shower head didn’t take care of your low water pressure, give us a call at 650 323 3112. It is more than likely that you might have a problem with either your shower valve or a shower valve cartridge that needs to be replaced. However, if you notice that water pressure is low in several areas around the house you might have a more serious problem. If your house is older than 40 years old you probably still have galvanized pipes throughout the house. Over the years these types of pipes tent to deteriorate and cause rust build up inside the pipes. That will slow down the water flow through the pipes. Click here (needs to be linked to our repipe section) to find out more about what to do if you have galvanized pipes or low water pressure. Or call 650 323 3112 for more detailed information. Do I need a pressure balanced shower valve? We recommend pressure balanced shower valves in households with multiple bathrooms and people. Did you ever take a shower in a house or a motel and all of sudden the water got either freezing cold or burning hot? Just because someone else in the building or bathroom flushed the toilet or turned on the faucet? A pressure balanced shower valve will prevent exactly that. It will maintain the water temperature of the shower, while someone else in the building is using water elsewhere. What is an overflow? It is a “Water Break” for bathtubs. Technically, it will prevent a bathtub from overflowing with water and flooding your whole bathroom or house. Once the water reaches a certain level in the bathtub, it starts to drain through the overflow. So if you would ever walk away from your filling bathtub and forget about it, your overflow would prevent you from a flood, but not from a high water bill! Water Heaters What are the different types of water heaters?
What size of water heater should I get? Water heaters come in different sizes and it depends on your size of living quarters and how many people are using hot water on a daily basis. A normal household with a family of four, two bathrooms, and regular appliances will get by with a 40 gal water heater. Should I get a gas or electric water heater? Sometimes you don’t really have a choice. However, if you do, consider the following:
How long does a water heater last? It depends on the model/brand and maintenance of the water heater. A 5 year model will last anywhere from 5-7 years and a 10 year model can last up to 12 years. However, a lot depends on your water quality, and proper installation. You should check your water heater on a regular basis for any rust or corrosions around the valves and pipe connections. That will give you a good idea about the condition your water heater is in. How do I maintain my water heater? It is good to drain the water heater every now and then. Draining the water heater will clean the bottom of the water heater tank from harmful build ups. These build ups can cause the tank to overheat and shorten its life. My water heater sounds like a bubbling hot tub? Is there something wrong with it? What you hear are the bubbles rising up from the bottom of the tank. The water heater bottom is covered with sediments and is overheating: when water starts to boil, the bubbles rise to the top. At this point you should try to carefully drain the water heater and see if this solves the problem. Call us at 650 323 3112 directly. This is one of the warning signs that it is time to replace your water heater soon. Why can’t my water heater be placed directly on the floor? Your water heater has a pilot light. By raising your water heater and its pilot light off the floor, fires can be prevented. Spilt flammable cleaning supplies or household liquids and their fumes can turn the water heater into an explosive. So it’s best that all water heaters are raised above the floor when installed. Why are they strapped to the wall? This is called earthquake strapping and is required by the state of California. In the event of an earthquake a properly installed and strapped water heater will prevent it from falling off the wall, breaking and damaging the pipes, or creating an unintended gas leak. Is there a temperature setting on the water heater? Yes, the normal water temperature setting for a water heater is 120 degrees F. Setting it at this temperature will prevent accidental burns from hot water coming out of the faucet. Some water heater models have a digital temperature control and can be set up to 190 F. Drain cleaning and stoppage My toilet is not flushing and water is backing up into my shower/tub, what is wrong? You either have a clogged drain or sewer line. We usually use a drain cleaning machine or a rooting machine. This is a cable type drain machine that sends a long cable down your drain usually attached with some sort of cutting head at the end. This cutting head will cut through roots or will clean out what ever is blocking the sewer and drain pipes. The cable comes in different sizes to fit different fixtures from tubs to small sinks and large sewer lines. What should I avoid flushing down the toilet to prevent stoppage. Technically you shouldn’t flush anything down the toilet, other than human waste and toilet paper.
Can I put grease from cooking down my drain? No, you shouldn’t. Hot grease or fat seems liquid enough to pass through the smallest pipe, however once it hits the drain and goes down the cold pipes it hardens or puts a slick film on the inside of the pipes. After a while this slick film grows thicker closing up the pipes, like cholesterol does in your arteries. Eventually this will cause a heart attack or a blocked drain. What is hydro jetting for? Hydro jetting is a different form of drain cleaning. With hydro jetting your drain will be flushed with pressured water. Water is usually send with1500 to 4000 pounds of pressure through the pipes. A hydro jetting device has several front and back nozzles. Each has its individual purpose. Some move the devise deeper down the pipe, some help break up the debris in the pipes and the best cleaning power comes in from the rear nozzles when the pipe is being pulled out again, washing everything out. Hydro jetting cleans out the pipes more efficiently than cables, however it cost more and is right now more commonly used for the commercial industry, such as restaurants, hotels, car washes, etc. Hydro jetting is very efficient if it comes to cleaning grease, sand, or soap residue. Some other questions What is a pressure reducing valve? A pressure reducing valve reduces the water pressure in your pipes. If you have high water pressure a pressure reducing valve will help regulate the water pressure within your pipes of the house. That will save you water by lowering the water pressure since less water will flow through the shower, faucet, etc. It will also help with the life of your appliances such water heater, washing machines, and dishwashers. Why should I repipe my house with copper? Copper is much safer metal and more durable than galvanized iron piping. With new copper pipes you don’t have to worry about your water supply system until you tear the house down. Galvanized iron on the other hand only last about thirty years and it will start to rust and put unhealthy deposits into your clean water without you knowing it. The third choice would be PVC or plastic pipe, which is very common in Europe. PVC is still fairly new to the Bay Area and many cities still don’t approve of it. However, it is by far cheaper than copper and faster to install. I have brown, rusty smelling water coming out of my fixtures, how can I fix it? This is usually a sign that your house has passed the life expectancy of its galvanized pipe and the rust deposits are getting heavier and are being flushed out if the water was dormant in the pipes for a while. Let the water run until you see clear water again, and call us for a re-pipe estimate. The only other reason you could have brown water is from dirt that has entered your pipes by someone that has performed work on your water system. Questions about us What form of payment do you accept? We accept cash, local checks, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. What are your payment terms? All our jobs are COD, which means you pay us when the work is done. Some of our bigger projects usually have a 10 payment schedule from the day they were billed, unless we have specified different payment terms in the contract. Where is your big Yellow Pages ad? Our philosophy is to let our work speak for itself. Besides, with the Internet becoming such an integral part of communications, we prefer to be in touch with our customers the quickest and simplest way – via email and through our website. Why would I call you and not one of the other 100 plumbers in the phone book? Most of our clients come to us by referral. We are not commission based, which means we pay our technicians a salary whether or not they sell a job. That way they can really concentrate on what the client really needs instead of worrying about the commissions they could make out of each service call. Our company has a lot of experience especially with new construction and remodels. There have been many instances when Dave’s Custom Plumbing has been called upon to fix projects that others had already given up on! Our pricing is honest and transparent. Depending on your needs we can either do a time and material job or give you a bid up front. There are never any hidden costs. You can always call all the other plumbers, or you can call us first and save yourself time and hassle. After all at Dave’s, we want what you want for your home: a safe, healthy and clean environment. |
