Question: Recently, my water bills appear to be rather high and none of the faucets appear to be leaking. What else could contribute to a high water bill?

Answer: You may want to check to see if a toilet is leaking. a good sign that a toilet is leaking is you may sometimes hear the toilet fill by itself. If no signs of this, you may have a leak in the ground. This may be in the yard, in crawl space, in or under concrete slab. Enco Plumbing can pin point location of this leak and give an estimate to repair.



Question: How often should I have my septic system inspected?

Answer: Septic systems should be inspected and pumped a minimum of once every three to four years. You may not be experiencing any problems now, but a full septic tank may allow unwanted solids to flow into the drain field, which is the part of the system that consists of a distribution box and a series of connected pipes. Each pipe allows water to flow into a bed of stone that drains into the ground. If paper and other solids flow into the drain field, it becomes blocked and ineffective. A blocked drain field is very costly to repair or replace.



Question: We live in TEXAS. Winter days are sometimes cold and we were told to turn off the outside faucets in the fall before the freezing weather arrives. We did this, however, the pipes leading to our outside faucet still froze and broke. What did we do wrong?

Answer: Turning off the water is not enough. You must also disconnect the garden hose connected to the faucet to allow the water in the pipe to drain out. This will allow the piping to withstand the cold weather.



Question: My showerhead and faucet aerators have a buildup of a white substance around the area where the water comes out. Is there anything I can do other than replace them?

 Answer: The unsightly buildup is mineral deposits. To remove these deposits from the showerhead, take a plastic bag and pour a cup of vinegar in it. Place the bag over the showerhead and use a twist tie to hold it in place overnight. In the morning, remove the bag and use an old toothbrush to gently scrub off the deposits. You might be able to remove the aerators from the faucets and allow them to soak in the vinegar overnight.

HINTS

 

1.   Check your water meter during a period of time when no water is being used. make a note of the meter reading and check it 8 to 10 hours later. If the meter has moved, there is an indication that you may have an undetected water leak.

2.   Water pressure in your home above 60 pounds per square (PSI) is harmful to your plumbing system and will cause excessive water usage. Contact your local water authority to find out what the water pressure is on your street, and consider installing a pressure reducing valve to limit the pressure within your home.

3.   Repair leaky faucets quickly to avoid further damage to the fixtures and faucets.

4.   When replacing plumbing fixtures, consider the long-term savings by purchasing a high-efficiency water heater or a low water consumption fixture.

5.   Stop annoying water hammer noises by installing shock absorbers that absorb vibrations in the water lines.

6.   Toilets consume more than 40% of your total water usage.

7.   It is extremely important to know the location of the main water shut-off valve to the house. Find it now so you're prepared to shut it off fast if a pipe breaks of the water heater bursts.

8.   Do not put up with any slowly dripping faucets. A slow drip can waste as much as 150 gallons of water each day.

9.   Don't pour liquid grease down the drain. Before washing pots and pans, wipe out congealed grease with a paper towel.