These are the questions customers of Cherrington Plumbing ask most often, grouped by topic, from slow drains and lost hot water to frozen pipes, wet basements and what to have ready before a visit.
Short answers cannot cover every house. Where a question needs a closer look, the related service and guide pages listed after the answers go into more depth, and a call during business hours settles the rest.
Drains and Clogs
Why is only one drain slow?
A single slow fixture usually has a blockage in its own trap or branch line: hair in a bathroom drain, grease in a kitchen line. Several slow fixtures at once point to the main line.
Are “flushable” wipes safe for toilets?
They are a frequent cause of toilet and main line blockages, because they do not break apart the way toilet paper does. They are best put in the trash.
What does it mean when the toilet gurgles while the sink drains?
The two share a drain line, and air is being pulled through the toilet’s trap. A partial blockage downstream or a blocked vent is the usual reason.
Water Heaters
Why does the hot water run out sooner than it used to?
A failed lower element on an electric heater, a broken dip tube, or a thick layer of sediment taking up room in the tank are the common causes. A growing household can also outgrow the tank.
Is a little water under the water heater a problem?
It depends on where it comes from. A dripping drain valve or fitting is a repair; water seeping from the tank itself means the tank is failing and needs replacing.
Gas or electric: which is better?
Where natural gas is available, a gas heater recovers faster after heavy use. Electric units are simpler to install and need no vent. The buyer’s guide compares both, along with tankless and heat pump units.
Leaks and Frozen Pipes
How do I find the main water shutoff?
It is usually in the basement where the water line comes through the front foundation wall, near the meter. It is worth finding before an emergency and checking that it turns.
What should I do if a pipe freezes?
Leave the faucet open, warm the area gently with a hair dryer or a space heater kept away from anything that can burn, and never use an open flame. If the pipe has split, close the main valve before it thaws.
Why is the water pressure low everywhere in the house?
In older houses, galvanized pipe narrowed by rust is a common cause. A partly closed main valve, a failing pressure-reducing valve or a hidden leak can also lower the pressure.
Sump Pumps and Basements
How do I know the sump pump still works?
Pour a bucket of water into the pit. The float should rise, the pump should start, empty the pit and stop on its own, and water should leave the discharge line outside.
Why does water come up through the basement floor drain?
Usually because the main sewer line is blocked and the floor drain is the lowest opening in the house. Stop using water and call; it is not a sump pump problem.
Is a backup pump worth having?
Where a wet basement would damage finished rooms or stored belongings, a battery or water-powered backup covers a power cut or a failed main pump.
Before You Request Service
What should I have ready when I call?
Where the problem is, when it started, which fixtures are affected and where the shutoff valve is. For a water heater, the age and whether it is gas or electric help.
Can I send photos of the problem?
The request form takes text only, but photos are welcome by email at office@cherringtonplumbingservices.com after the request is sent, with your name and street.
Will I know the cost before the work begins?
Yes. Each estimate is written up before the work starts and explains what is included. If the job turns up something unexpected, the customer is called first and the options are explained before going on.
Do you work for landlords and property managers?
Yes, along with small businesses that need a plumber for tenant calls and routine upkeep. The property manager page covers how those visits are usually arranged.
Related Pages
- Drain Cleaning and the drain troubleshooting guide
- Water Heaters and the water heater buyer’s guide
- Leak & Pipe Repair and the seasonal maintenance guide
- Sump Pumps
- Property Managers and Residential plumbing
- Schedule Service to request a visit
Plumbing Terms in Plain Language
Search the Glossary
Type a word such as trap, anode or valve, then press Search Terms. The list below narrows as you type.
- Aerator
- The small screen at the tip of a faucet that mixes air into the stream. Minerals and grit clog it and cut the flow.
- Anode rod
- A metal rod inside a tank water heater that corrodes in place of the tank. Once it is used up, the tank itself starts to rust.
- Backflow
- Water flowing the wrong way in a pipe, which can draw dirty water into the clean supply. Valves and air gaps prevent it.
- Ball valve
- A shutoff valve with a lever that turns a quarter turn. In line with the pipe it is open; across the pipe it is closed.
- Check valve
- A one-way valve. On a sump pump discharge line it stops water falling back into the pit.
- Cleanout
- A capped opening on a drain or sewer line that gives a cable direct access to the pipe.
- Dip tube
- The pipe that carries cold water to the bottom of a tank water heater. A broken one mixes cold water into the hot supply.
- Drain pan
- A shallow tray under a water heater or washer that catches leaks and directs them to a drain.
- Expansion tank
- A small tank on the water heater’s cold line that absorbs pressure as water heats and expands.
- Float switch
- The switch on a sump pump that starts the pump when rising water lifts it.
- Galvanized pipe
- Steel pipe coated with zinc, common in older houses. It rusts from the inside and narrows over time.
- Hose bib
- An outdoor faucet, also called a spigot or sillcock. It needs draining before freezing weather.
- Main shutoff valve
- The valve that stops all water entering the house, usually near the meter where the line comes in.
- P-trap
- The curved section of pipe under a sink that holds water to keep sewer gas out of the house.
- PEX
- Flexible plastic supply pipe used in newer houses, remodels and repipes.
- Pressure-reducing valve
- A valve that lowers high incoming water pressure to a level that is safe for the house’s pipes and fixtures.
- Relief valve
- The temperature and pressure relief valve on a water heater, which opens if the tank gets too hot or too pressurized.
- Repipe
- Replacing a house’s old supply lines with new pipe in one planned job.
- Sediment
- Minerals and grit that settle at the bottom of a water heater tank.
- Sewer lateral
- The pipe that carries waste from the house to the public sewer main under the street.
- Shutoff valve
- A small valve under a sink or behind a toilet that stops water to that fixture alone.
- Sump pit
- The lined hole in a basement or crawl space floor where groundwater collects for the sump pump.
- Supply line
- A pipe or braided hose that carries clean water to a fixture or appliance.
- Thermocouple
- A safety sensor on a gas water heater that shuts off the gas if the pilot goes out.
- Wax ring
- The seal between a toilet and the drain flange in the floor. A failed one leaks or lets odors out at the base.