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3 Things Not to Do When Removing a Toilet

Residential Plumbing

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How hard could it be to remove a toilet, really? After all, don’t you just pull it right up? It might not be as simple as you think. Here are 3 things not to do while removing a toilet. (For today’s purpose, we’re not going to get into putting the toilet back on.)

1. Turn off the Water.

I have literally seen people not turn off/disconnect the water from the toilet before removing it from the floor. Luckily, most people do get this part taken care of. However, when you remove a toilet, you also need to empty the water from the tank and bowl. Otherwise, when you pull the toilet up, it’s going to pour all that water all over the floor. Always remember, don’t leave any water in the toilet.

2. Cutting the Caulk .

I’ve seen someone pull the toilet up and caulk that’s still stuck to the linoleum or laminate floor will actually pull the floor covering right off with the toilet itself. If it’s old, it can also crack and ruin the floor covering. Always make sure to get the caulk completely loose from the floor.

3.  Inspect the flange.

Any time you pull a toilet, you should take the wax off of the flange, remove the old bolts, make sure the toilet flange is in good working order, and make sure it’s at the correct height before setting the toilet back. One of the most common mistakes people make is they pull the toilet up, do work like installing a new floor, and then set the toilet right back—without replacing the wax or bolts, and without adjusting the height of the flange. This often happens with flooring contractors who are not plumbers and are just worried about getting the new floor installed. They just put the toilet right back, which is a big no-no because sewer gas can get into the house and leaks can rot the floor right around the flange.

In these kinds of situations, it might be a wise idea to get a professional to take a look before the toilet gets put back. If someone has the right tools and experience, they might be able to remove a toilet by themselves. Otherwise, it’s probably a good idea to reach out to someone like the team at Wisler Plumbing. Contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

 

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Top Considerations When Choosing a New Faucet

 

It’s not very often that someone shops for a new faucet. Here are four important things that everyone should pay attention to when choosing one.

 

How is it used?

 

Make sure you consider the use of the new faucet. For instance, if you do a lot of cooking and use your kitchen heavily, the kitchen faucet is not a place to skimp when it comes to your budget. Something that you might use up to 10 or 15 times a day needs to be able to hold up to that kind of demand. If you install a low quality or cheaper faucet in that kind of environment, you’re definitely going to be disappointed.

 

On the other hand, there are places like a half bath that only guests will use. For areas that aren’t going to receive heavy or daily use, you can probably get by with a faucet that looks nice but maybe isn’t the highest quality. The key takeaway here is just to consider how much use the faucet will get. You’ll want to spend more on a faucet in a master bath that gets regular daily use.

 

One handle or two handles?

 

For a faucet that you will use a lot, I would recommend a single handle because it’s easier to adjust the temperature and easier to use in general. However, in most environments, a two-handle faucet will tend to look better. Remember, if you want a functional faucet, then a single handle will be the better choice. However, if you want something that looks nicer, a two handle is probably going to be a better design.

 

What kind of cartridge?

 

On the inside of the faucet, the component that turns the water on and off and keeps the faucet from dripping is called a cartridge. An important thing to remember is that cartridges can have rubber components in them, which can fail and lead to drips. However, in the last five years, ceramic disc cartridges have become a very popular item. They use ceramic components instead of rubber. If you want a faucet with longevity, I definitely recommend a ceramic disc cartridge.

 

Don’t take a faucet for face value.

 

Although a faucet might look really good, or maybe appear similar to another faucet when placed side-by-side, it might be made out of plastic components that have been chrome-plated or applied with a chrome finish. A chrome finish will not last as long on plastic as it does on metal. Check to see if the faucet’s handles, underside, drain, or spray wand are made out of plastic. This is really how manufacturers make a faucet cheaper or more economical, even though they might look identical to a more expensive faucet on the outside. If longevity is important to you, pay attention to what material the components are made of. Metal will always last longer than plastic in terms of functionality and robustness. Plastic will tend to break or chip much faster.

 

If you have any questions or want professional assistance, all you have to do is contact the team at Wisler Plumbing and Air today. Contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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What is DIY for a Septic Tank?

We might not normally think that DIY and septic systems go hand-in-hand, but there are actually some things that anybody can do to maintain a septic tank so it will work optimally.

Bacteria and Your System

Onsite septic tanks mainly rely on bacteria to do their job. However, today’s society uses antibacterial agents in a wide variety of products like soap, hand sanitizer, bathroom products, and even some laundry detergents. The first thing someone can do would be to introduce some sort of supplemental bacteria. The widespread use of antibacterial products has been harmful to the septic industry because it reduces a septic system’s ability to break down and decompose matter that goes down the tank. If you do continue to use any type of antibacterial products, you’ll need to supplement the septic system with helpful bacteria. We carry a product called BioOne, which contains living, breathing bacteria that can be safely flushed down the toilet to recharge the septic system. (These kinds of products can also be found online.)

Safe Products

Next, be aware of what type of toilet paper you use. Fluffy, heavy toilet paper might not be the best kind for a septic system whereas a thinner product which decomposes faster will definitely be helpful. Aside from toilet paper, someone might also want to be careful about what gets put down the septic system. Do not flush anything down that doesn’t decompose easily. Fibrous cleaning products such as Clorox wipes, general purpose cleaning wipes, or baby wipes will not decompose quickly and could build up over time. You definitely want to avoid flushing down any toiletry products too.

Regular Maintenance

This last item isn’t something you’ll do entirely by yourself, but you can definitely make the phone call. I would definitely recommend having someone inspect your septic system at least every 10 years. You might also want to have the system pumped out to make sure it’s clean. It might not need to be pumped out if it’s a well-operating septic system, but you definitely don’t want to wait too long to find out if a problem exists. (By then, you could have ruined your drain field.) Inspection every 10 years is most important just to make sure everything is working properly.

 

For professional help with your septic system, contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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Wisler Plumbing and Air uses Evolve SystemsWater Softeners & Septic Tanks

Most people share the common fear that the salt used in a water softener’s regeneration process will be harmful if discharged down the drain and into the septic tank. We have always done our best to combat this untrue, misleading information. It’s obvious that the use of salt can hurt bacteria or concrete, so it’s understandable that someone could come to the incorrect conclusion that it would be bad to discharge salt into a concrete environment that depends on bacteria. Here’s why that’s not actually the case.

New, More Efficient Water Softeners

One of the first things to understand is that there’s a huge difference between water softeners made today and water softeners made 20 years ago. A lot of the information still being circulated is just old and outdated. Water softeners today are much, much more efficient than the models of old. In fact, they only use a small fraction of the salt an old model would have required. Virginia Tech here in Blacksburg is performing an ongoing study about how water softeners affect septic tanks. Experts from both the water softening industry and the septic industry are working together to better understand the interactions between water softeners and onsite wastewater systems. It’s truly a collaborative effort and not just a one-sided view.

What the Study Showed

In the study, they use the terms high efficiency or efficiently operated units. This is an important distinction in which they are talking about new units/technology versus old units/technology, which definitely makes a big difference. According to the authors of the study, the data indicates that the use of an efficiently operated water softener improves septic tank performance. Previous experimentation has shown that the ideal amount of calcium and magnesium are put into the wastewater stream along with the sodium, which actually helps the settling process of the septic tank. In other words, an efficiently operated water softener performs the exact opposite of what someone may fear—it is actually beneficial to the septic system.

How Does this Affect the Septic Tank?

Another thing to understand is that a septic tank is 1,000 gallons or larger, so if you put a little bit of sodium into that thousand gallon tank, it’s going to be extremely diluted, pretty much rendering it ineffective at disturbing bacteria or harming the actual concrete tank. It really is just a drop in the bucket.

 

We share documentation with all of our clients whenever we’re in their home so they can understand exactly how water softeners interact with septic tanks. We also recommend that the softener is discharged into the septic system whether it’s public septic or a private onsite system. For more information, contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

 

 

 

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When someone has a problem with a water heater, they are usually caught by surprise. All they want is to have the hot water working again. It’s easy to call a service provider and find out that a part like the thermostat needs to be replaced. However, it’s very important that whenever you’re going to start replacing parts that you first take the whole picture into account. (After all, a water heater can be as expensive as a car.) Here’s what you need to know in order to make an informed decision.

 

What is the life expectancy of your water heater? If you’re getting a certain part replaced, what caused the part to fail? (It might be an outside factor like water quality, for instance.) Was something not done correctly in the piping system or the gas line? These are some of the big picture considerations you need to discuss with a professional before you decide to get started with a repair. The worst thing that could happen would be to put hundreds of dollars into a water heater only for it to need repair all over again. If the water heater is near the end of its useful life, you might have to replace the whole thing a year down the road. There is the very real potential to waste money if these larger considerations aren’t taken into account.

 

On an electric water heater, there are normally two thermostats/elements doubled up to work non-simultaneously. If we’re replacing one of them because they failed, it makes most sense to replace both of those parts. After all, if one has failed and both parts are in the same water conditions and the same age, you probably wouldn’t want to make two separate service calls to replace the second one when it fails shortly after.

 

There are also items around the water heater that should be checked. On a gas water heater, the venting should be inspected to be free of obstruction. Don’t just assume that it’s clean and clear—there could be an item that caused the water heater to fail or for the particular part to go bad. Newer water heaters have a flame vapor ignition resistance on them, which is basically a safety device. If you have a combustible object (like a can of gas, paint can, paint thinner, etc.) nearby, this mechanism prevents it from flashing back into the home and causing a fire hazard. If the water heater is located beside a laundry area, it’s very important that you keep it clean so that lint or pet dander won’t interfere with the heater’s operation.

 

Water heaters can also be overly taxed if they are not sized properly. (We actually see most water heaters fail for this reason.) If your household has several teenagers and the whole family is constantly running out of hot water, that means that the water heater is working overtime. Because it’s undersized, you’ll probably be experiencing more repairs or problems with the heater.

 

If you need water heater repairs this season, make sure you reach out to an experienced, professional team. Contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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A water tech (technician) can mean several different things, but let’s go with the meaning that generally applies to someone who works on water supply systems. Their work might include the municipal side of the system, or well system for those who live in a rural area. A water tech generally makes sure that water is getting to the residence or business. If the lines/systems that transport water are broken or need repair, the water technician will step in.

 

A water treatment specialist, on the other hand, focuses more on the quality of the water. They are an expert about everything that might be in the water, such as chlorine, sediment, iron, pH, bacteria, hardness, or total dissolved solids. They know how to properly test for these items, and are also capable of prescribing solutions to turn poor quality water into good water. If the water is already good, they can turn it into great water.

 

There are several different levels of water quality. A water treatment specialist is familiar with the differences and what needs to be done to get to those levels. For instance, water that’s appropriate for washing cars or watering the lawn doesn’t need to be extremely high quality. For doing laundry, there shouldn’t be any contaminants in the water that could stain clothes. This is the same kind of water that would be good for taking a shower, since stains and buildup can occur in showers/tubs as well. When it comes to water you intend to consume, it is very important that it’s drinking water quality.

 

Any time the topic of health effects comes up, there are always various different opinions. There are many myths surrounding healthy drinking water, what’s best for someone’s body, and whether hardness causes problems in the plumbing system. Because plumbers see the effects of water on a plumbing system, we have firsthand knowledge about what different contaminants can do.

 

Do you prefer water with high alkalinity, or water without anything in it? I personally believe that pure water with nothing in it is most desirable. But because there are so many differing opinions, the best thing I can say is that someone with experience in water treatment tends to have more truth and facts than someone who has just done online research. (There’s a lot of misleading and inaccurate information out there.)

 

If you want to learn exactly what’s going on with your water and get the best option for your home, reach out to the team at Wisler Plumbing and Air to work with a water treatment specialist. Contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

 

 

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