Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning Blog

Tag: Plumbing Repair

Toilet Flushes

Have you ever been home alone and relaxing when your toilet suddenly flushes for no reason? That isn’t normal. The good news is that the odds of it being a water-wasting poltergeist are low. The bad news is that this is a likely indicator of a leak in your toilet.

Fortunately, we can help you solve this issue. We offer plumbing repair in Fort Collins, CO. This article will help you determine what might be the cause of phantom flushing and how to get it fixed.

Why Does My Toilet Flush on Its Own?

The most common culprit of a flushing toilet is a leak in some part of the system. Essentially, the water drains from the back of the toilet and causes the trigger for the toilet to fill back up. Lose enough water, and it will automatically flush.

The Flapper Needs to Be Replaced

The leak is likely happening in the flapper. These wear out over time or develop a layer of algae that prevents the flapper from sealing tightly. Flappers should be replaced after a couple of years or as they corrode. How often your toilet flushes on its own will tell you the severity of the leak.

There’s a Leak in the Bowl

Another part of the bowl that can cause a leak is the nuts and bolts that connect your toilet. These also corrode over time and can cause water to leak out the back of the bowl, onto the floor, and maybe into the walls. If you notice water residue or build-up around your toilet, turn your water off immediately and call a plumber.

A Leak in the Drain Line

A potentially more serious problem is a leak in the drain line. These may be a bit harder to identify. But, if you notice water around your toilet and some moisture along the drain line, you want to turn off the water supply to the toilet and call a professional.

What to Do

As previously stated, begin by turning off the water and draining the water that’s in the back of the bowl. If you have it handy, check the manufacturer’s instructions to get the proper parts and troubleshoot any issues. If you do not have an instruction manual, then your best bet is to simply start out by coming to a professional plumber.

If you are not able to locate where the leak is happening, then it’s best to give a professional on our team a call. Ignoring a leak or letting it go for too long can cause serious problems. For example, if your toilet is on the second floor, a leak can run into the first floor’s ceiling and cause damage to the walls and flooring.

When in doubt, call our team to get your toilet leak figured out. We know exactly how to figure out what is going wrong and resolve the issue.

Contact Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning today to schedule an appointment. We’re big enough to serve, but small enough to care.

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3 Easy Ways to Protect Plumbing

We are writing this post on a sunny Friday morning in Loveland. It may be mid-January, but the weather isn’t too cold. In fact, it’s going to be a pretty warm day! Nearly 50 degrees! Not too bad, right?

Of course, currently it is only 19 degrees, which brings us to the point of this post.

Don’t get complacent.

Sure, we’ve got some warm and sunny days on the radar. But we’ve also got some cold nights and mornings ahead, as well. Just because the temperature is pleasant during the day doesn’t mean your pipes aren’t still at risk of freezing.

Keep these tips in mind to protect your plumbing in Loveland, CO, this winter.

1. Insulate Pipes and Hose Bibs

This is one of the simplest ways in which you can protect your pipes throughout the coldest time of the year. When temperatures drop, water can freeze inside pipes and outdoor hose bibs. As most of you will recall from science classes way back when—water expands when it freezes.

And that spells trouble for pipes!

If any water in your pipes freezes, and it expands enough, it can cause pipes to burst. That can lead to extensive damage, not just to your pipes but to your property at large. The last thing you want to wake up to on a winter morning is a flooded basement.

Insulating pipes with cheap, easy to install sleeves is a breeze. Covering hose bibs with insulating caps after shutting off the water to those outlets is also a great precautionary measure. A simple online order or a (safe) trip to the local hardware store can save you a major headache and expense this winter.

2. The Ol’ Trickle Trick

We know people shy away from this, and we understand why. You don’t want to waste water that you’re paying for.  You want to be environmentally-friendly. Both great arguments.

But, if you’ve had issues with freezing pipes in the past, you’ll understand that this isn’t wasting water. It’s using it for preventative purposes.

When you keep even a tiny trickle of water moving through taps, you’re helping to keep water from freezing in those pipes. Yes, you’re paying for it, but reserve the practice for very cold temps, and you can avoid an even heftier pipe repair bill.

3. Allow for Airflow

This one is maybe the easiest of all, though it may make your home a bit unkempt when in practice.

Have pipes passing under cabinetry, or behind closet doors?

Open them up.

These spaces may be uninsulated, and they may be a lot colder than your living space. Opening doors and drawers can help to facilitate airflow around these pipes.  That can go a long way toward keeping water flowing through them reliably.

Of course, even the most careful homeowners can’t avoid plumbing problems 100% of the time. That’s why you should have our number stored right in your phone. Make us your go-to plumbing service!

Schedule your plumbing services with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big Enough to Serve, Small Enough to Care.

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Out of sight, out of mind. If you want to minimize as much stress as possible from your life as a homeowner, then there is one thing that you should put out of your mind—and that is that very phrase! Just because something is out of sight does not mean that you can afford to put it out of mind—and we mean the word “afford” quite literally. Many plumbing leaks, for instance, develop in areas that you cannot actually see with the naked eye.

However, that does not mean that you should just ignore them. Nor should you ignore any plumbing problems because they seem, in your opinion, too “minor” to really worry about.  Trust us, we’ve had plenty of plumbing repair calls that were the result of ignoring “minor” problems. When it comes to your plumbing in Loveland, CO, you can’t always anticipate problems. But when you know some warning signs to look for, you can at least act fast!

How’s Your Water Pressure Doing?

Nothing gets the day started like a nice, invigorating shower, right? Well, it can really put a damper on your day if you start it off by being annoyed due to low water pressure. Don’t just write this off as an annoying situation, though. Think of this as a potential sign of a plumbing leak!

Now, if you’ve always struggled with water pressure in your home, there may be a more comprehensive problem to address. If it’s a new occurrence, though, then a leak is the prime suspect. Is the pressure low in just one fixture? Then you may have a supply line leak. Throughout the whole house?  That could indicate a main water line leak—nothing to take lightly!

Noticing Strange Staining?

When you live in a house,  you’re going to wind up with stains. Stains on the carpet, stains on the couch, stains on the—ceiling? Walls? What? Don’t downplay what such stains are telling you. Water staining is one of the most common and obvious signs of plumbing leaks.

Even if you have stains on the floor, walls, or ceiling where you’re certain no plumbing pipes run through, that doesn’t mean that a plumbing leak is not the cause of the problem. Water follows gravity, and can travel along construction materials. The symptom may appear quite far from the actual leak itself. We’ll find it for you, and fix it right.

Hear Running Water?

If you’re out camping or relaxing by a brook on a hot day, then the sound of running water can be quite soothing and relaxing. If you’re just sitting in your house, not using any water, and you hear water running, though, it’s not nearly as relaxing. And it shouldn’t be! It should send you to your phone, our number in hand.

If you can’t locate the source of the running water sound, try shutting off the main water valve in your home. If you still hear running water, or you see the water meter ticking upward, then you have a leak that needs to be pinpointed and addressed.

Schedule your plumbing services with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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water pressure

Picture this. You’re running late for the workday. Got out of bed a bit later than you’d intended. That’s okay, it happens to everyone. You throw on the coffee pot, jump in the shower—and make do with the weak stream, little more than a sputter, spewing forth from the showerhead. Now an inconvenient morning has become just that much more frustrating. Do not forget about this issue as you rush to go about the rest of your day.

Low water pressure is not just an inconvenience. It may indicate a very serious issue with your plumbing system at large. If you find yourself facing down an issue with low water pressure, it is definitely in your best interest to schedule service with a professional plumber in Severance, CO, immediately. The longer that you wait to do so, the greater the risk to your plumbing system. This is not a time when rolling the dice is going to pay off in any way.

Is This a Localized Problem?

When we say localized, we don’t mean local to your neighborhood. We mean local to a specific area in your home. If you have a single fixture that is suffering from low water pressure, then you almost certainly have a leak in the supply line running to that fixture. Now, this is more serious than you may realize.

Sure, only one fixture is compromised, but that does not mean that you don’t have a major problem on your hands. That pipe could be leaking somewhere behind your walls or beneath the floor, so you don’t really recognize the extent of the issue. Or you don’t at first. Before long, you could be dealing with major water damage, wood rot, and even the proliferation of biological pollutants like mold.

Is It an Issue Throughout the House?

If you notice that you have low water pressure throughout your entire home, then chances are that you don’t have a leak in every individual pipe serving every individual fixture. It’s much more likely that you have a main water line leak. There is a pretty simple way to test this. Shut off all of the water in the house, check the meter, then recheck it an hour or so later. If that meter is going up, it means that water is still coming in, even if you’re not using it.

Of course, there may be even more obvious signs. Like a new, growing pond in the yard, or a very unfortunate swimming pool filling up where your basement used to be! If you notice any such issues, you really need to call us right away. You’re at risk of serious water damage, potentially even to the foundation of your home.

What About the Neighbors?

This is something too many homeowners forget about. Unless you’re using a private well, you’re getting the water in your home from the same main water line as your neighbors. If you notice a sudden drop in pressure, get in touch with them. If they notice the same thing, then you’re probably looking at an issue that the municipality needs to resolve. Give them a call, and they may be able to give you a timeline.

Schedule your plumbing services with the company you can trust: Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning.

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Plumbing Problems Plaguing

Your bathroom is the apex of the plumbing system in your home. Yes, you have a water heater tucked away somewhere in your house. And sure, you have plumbing fixtures in your kitchen. But when you hear the word “plumbing,” we’re willing to bet that it’s the bathroom that springs to mind. And that makes sense. It’s where most of your direct interaction with your plumbing system takes place. Unfortunately, due to this concentration, it’s also where many plumbing problems will surface.

When you encounter bathroom plumbing issues, and encounter them you will, you’ll need to get in touch with a professional plumber in Windsor, CO, immediately. The longer that you wait to do so, the worse off your plumbing system is going to be. Trust us, we’ve dealt with many extensive, complex, and costly bathroom plumbing repairs that could have been a lot more minor had the homeowner acted faster.

Clogged Drains and Toilets

If there is one plumbing problem that we can all but guarantee that every homeowner will run into eventually, it’s the dreaded clog. Clogs aren’t always that serious, but failure to take clogs seriously can definitely lead to much more serious problems than you may realize. Let’s put it this way—if you can effectively clear a clog with a few pumps of the plunger, great. Problem solved. If you can’t resolve the clog that simply, do not turn to online tips or tutorials for what to try next. You need the help of a professional.

Remember, there is a world of difference between removing enough of a clog to allow water to pass through, and effectively clearing that clog to resolve the current and also to help prevent the problem from developing again before long. When it comes to lasting results, professional drain cleaning is the way to go.

Leaks of All Kinds

That dripping faucet may just seem like a bit of an annoyance, but consider this—you are paying for every drop of water that comes out of that faucet and goes down that drain, regardless of whether or not you are actually using that water. This can be a major waste of water and your hard-earned money over time, not to mention the environmental impact of consistent water waste.

Then there are those leaks that seem a lot more pressing because they are either disrupting your life or putting the condition of your home at risk. We’re talking a leaking toilet tank that renders your toilet inoperable, leaks that are occurring behind walls or beneath floors, etc. Remember, by the time you actually notice a leak, there is a good chance that this leak has been in action for a while already. That means that some damage may have already occurred, and is only going to get worse. This is not a time to delay in scheduling professional plumbing services. We’ll find the source of the leak accurately, and we’ll resolve it completely.

Schedule your plumbing services with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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Prevent Frozen Pipes

When you think of the different problems that may develop with your plumbing system, you may think of a subpar water heating performance or a backed-up toilet. What you may not think of, at least not until it happens, is the freezing of your pipes. Unfortunately, Colorado is more than cold enough to make this a real possibility. The last thing you want after an exciting day on the slopes is to come home to your own personal skating rink.

We’ve got a few tips from our plumbers in Loveland, CO, that will help you to avoid frozen plumbing pipes in your home. Just remember that, while prevention is key, there is no way to guarantee that you’ll never run into this problem in your home. If you notice any signs at all of frozen pipes, or if you’re unsure of what you can do to prevent this issue even after reading today’s post, then let us know right away.

Maintain Airflow Around Your Pipes

If you look around your home, you are probably not going to see pipes running through your living space. If you do have pipes running along your living room ceiling, at the base of your bedroom walls, etc., well,  you may want to find a new contractor! Because so much of your plumbing system is hidden away from view, there is a very good chance that much of your piping is tucked away in unheated areas of the house.

This might mean under cabinetry, behind drawers, etc. By opening up your cabinet doors and drawers in order to let heated air from your home pass over and around those pipes, you may be able to prevent them from freezing up. It may look a bit odd to have those doors and drawers open, but it sure beats the alternative.

Insulate Your Pipes Well

There are very few plumbing services that we advise homeowners to handle on their own, but insulating your pipes is so simple that you can actually handle it yourself if you feel up to the task. Pipe insulation is very cheap, very easy to use, and can definitely prevent frozen pipes in most circumstances.

Not all of your pipes are exposed, of course, but those that are should be wrapped up in insulation. Not only can this help to prevent pipes from freezing up and bursting, but it can also help to boost efficiency as well. Wrapping hot water pipes in insulation keeps heat in the water from going to waste.

The Trickle Trick

It’s not a trick on you—it’s a trick on winter temperatures trying to devastate your plumbing system!

When you run a trickle of water through your plumbing system on those very frigid nights, you’re allowing just enough water to move through them to prevent the freezing of still water left in the pipes when they’re not in use. Don’t think of it as wasting water. Think of it as using water to prevent wasting a lot more!

Schedule your plumbing services withFort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care.

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professional plumber

Would you cut away at the walls in your home in order to service—or attempt to service—your electrical wiring? We’re betting and, frankly, hoping that you wouldn’t. Let us ask you this, then. Would you feel more comfortable servicing the pipes in your home?  If you answered yes, we’ve got to ask: why? Safety is probably your first and foremost answer, but we really want to stress that DIY plumbing services come with their own inherent risks.

While there are certainly some cases in which you can handle your own plumbing needs—you probably don’t need a professional plumber to plunge the toilet on occasion—most plumbing issues are really going to require the skill and expertise that only a professional plumber can offer. In today’s post, we’ll talk about a few instances in which it’s in your best interest to contact a professional plumber. So read on, and be sure to contact a member of our team when you need any plumbing services in Loveland.

 

Your Drains Keep Clogging

Oh, I think you lost your train of thought. We’re supposed to be talking about plumbing issues that require professional intervention. Drain clogs I can handle on my own. 

Not effectively, you can’t. And no, that is not a challenge on our end. We know that there are cheap chemical cleaners you can use to clear up clogs in your drains, but the fact is that they’ll probably only do an effective enough job to allow the cleaner itself to pass through. Same with DIY-drain snaking. Yes, you can buy an auger. Yes, you may be able to free up some clogs. But you may also just push the auger through the clog. In either event, clogs will likely redevelop before too long.

Your Hot Water Isn’t Hot

That doesn’t mean that it has to be frigid, either. The idea that “good enough” is ever really good enough when it comes to a plumbing system is exactly how so many homeowners wind up in—apologies for this—hot water.

You may have a temperature control issue. You may have sediment at the bottom of your tank. You may simply need to replace an old, ineffective heater. Whatever the case, you want to have a professional resolve the problem ASAP.

Your Water Bills Keep Rising

This is an issue that way too many people overlook. In this world of automatic payments and managing different accounts, it can be easy to overlook fluctuations in what you’re paying for what. Don’t let high water bills sneaky by under your radar, though. If you do, you may wind up ignoring a pretty clear sign that you’ve got leaks in your plumbing system.

Remember, not all leaks are “major” and not all leaks are going to result in flooding. Many will trickle away for quite a while before you notice that anything is wrong.  Keep an eye on spiking water costs, and contact us if you have any reason to suspect leaks in your home.

Schedule your plumbing services with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning. Big enough to serve, small enough to care

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Water Pressure

Running water in your home is not something you should ever take for granted. Yes, of course, indoor plumbing is standard in homes throughout the country. Just because something is so common, though, doesn’t mean that you can take it for granted. Nor does it mean that you should settle for a subpar performance from such systems in your home. If you’ve got low water pressure in your house, then you’ve got a problem that must be dealt with.

If you encounter low water pressure in your home, then it is time to schedule service with a professional plumber in Loveland, CO. We cannot stress this enough. Not just anyone has the tools, training, and experience necessary to ensure the job is done right. Don’t get suckered into DIY service attempts just because an instructional online video gave you an undeserved boost of confidence. Reach out to a member of our team to get your water pressure back up.

 

It Could Be Your Water Main

This is something of a worst case scenario, but it is a topic we definitely need to cover. If you’ve lost water pressure throughout your entire home, then a leak in your water main could definitely be to blame. Now, a water main leak is not the cause of every instance of water pressure loss, and every water main leak may not actually result in water pressure loss. So what else should you look out for?

Keep an eye out for discolored water, which could be the result of sediment making its way into a damaged water line. You might also notice wet patches in your yard, where the line is leaking. If you have a leaking main line, then it must be repaired or replaced as soon as possible to avoid serious damage to your property.

It May Be a Localized Issue

No instance of lost water pressure is something to celebrate. But lost water pressure in one particular area of the home or to just one fixture is probably going to be a bit less intimidating than low water pressure throughout the entire house. If you run into this issue, it is likely that you’ve just got a leak in a single supply line servicing that area or fixture.

This isn’t to say that the problem isn’t serious. Remember, that water is going to wind up somewhere, and your home does not have to flood in order for serious damage to be done. If you have any reason at all to suspect a leak, be it related to water pressure or otherwise, have a plumber investigate promptly.

It Might Even Be an Issue with the Source

If you get your water from the municipal supply, then a problem with the delivery system could be to blame. You might want to contact your city or township, or at least touch base with your neighbors, to see if the problem is exclusive to your home. If you seem to struggle with water pressure regularly, and you use a water well, then a well pump replacement may be required.

Schedule your plumbing services with Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning, the company you can trust.

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