Plumbing Questions From Grand Rapids Homeowners

Food and grease coat the trap and disposal, and the coating smells long before it slows the drain. Run the disposal with cold water and ice, then flush with hot water. A smelly basement floor drain usually has a dried-out trap.

Gurgling means air is being pulled through the toilet’s trap as water rushes past in the drain below. A partly blocked main line or a blocked roof vent is the usual cause. If water also rises in the toilet or a floor drain, stop using water until the line is cleared.

Yes, though rarely in a hurry. A slow drain is a clog still forming: hair, soap and grease keep collecting on what is already there. Cleaning the stopper and trap often fixes one slow sink; several slow drains at once point further down the line.

A cleanout is a capped opening in the drain or sewer line, often a round plug in the basement floor or a pipe stub near the foundation outside. It gives a straight way in to clear the main line, so keep it uncovered and easy to reach.

Minerals settle at the bottom of the tank. Water trapped under that layer boils in small bursts as the burner or lower element heats it. Flushing can help, though on an older heater the noise often means it is near the end.

Bacteria in the tank can react with the anode rod and give off a sulfur smell, strongest after the heater sits unused. If only the hot water smells, the heater is the source. Flushing helps, and a different anode rod often ends it.

Yes. A soft whoosh as the burner lights is normal, and so is a little ticking as the tank and vent warm up. A loud bang at ignition, a smell of gas or a yellow, flickering flame is not; for a gas smell, leave the house and call the gas utility.

Sediment taking up room in the tank, a broken dip tube mixing cold water in at the top, or a failed element on an electric heater are the usual causes. In a Michigan winter, colder incoming water also means less hot water.

Often it does. Pinholes usually come from corrosion working along the inside of the pipe, so another tends to appear on the same run. Repairing the first is reasonable. When more appear nearby, replacing that section is usually the better repair.

If only hot water is brown, the heater tank is the likely source. If hot and cold are both brown and clear after a minute, old galvanized pipe rusting inside is the usual cause. Work on a city main can do it too.

Heat cable made for water pipes works when installed to its instructions and plugged into a ground-fault protected outlet, but it does nothing in a power outage. Insulating the pipe, sealing the draft or moving the line is the lasting fix.

PEX stretches a little as ice forms, so it splits less often than copper or galvanized pipe. It still freezes, though, and the fittings at its joints can crack. PEX lines still need the same insulation and warmth as any other pipe.

On older two-handle faucets, a worn seat under the washer keeps cutting new washers, so the drip returns until the seat is replaced or reground. Single-handle faucets have a cartridge or ceramic disc instead, and a drip there means that part or its seals are worn.

The floor bolts have loosened, or the flange under the toilet is uneven or damaged. Rocking breaks the wax ring seal and lets water seep into the subfloor. Overtightened bolts can crack the porcelain, so a reset on a new wax ring is the usual cure.

A flush draws cold water away from the shower, so the mix swings hot. Many older shower valves cannot correct for the change. A pressure-balancing valve or cartridge keeps the temperature steady, and narrowed galvanized pipe makes the swings worse.

Usually, yes. Most disposals mount to the same kind of sink flange, but a larger unit sits lower and may not line up with the drain. If a dishwasher drains through the disposal, the knockout plug inside the new unit must come out first.

Know when the problem started, which fixtures it affects and what has been tried. Say so if drain cleaner went down, since the plumber may be working in that water. For a water heater, know its age and whether it is gas or electric.

Empty the cabinet under the sink in question and clear a path to the water heater, the main shutoff and any floor drain or cleanout. Keep pets in a closed room, since doors may stay open while tools and parts come in.

Yes. Find it, clear anything stored in front of it and turn it gently to see whether it moves. Do not force a stuck valve; mention it instead, so it can be looked at during the visit. A tag on the valve helps later.

A wide shot of the area and a close-up of the problem: the leak, the stain, the drain or the fixture. Add the label on a water heater if it can be read. Photos sent ahead help the plumber bring the right parts.