Action Plumbing, HVAC, & Electric

Your Local Plumbing, HVAC, & Electric Experts

385-509-4239 Utah
623-469-3795 Arizona

Category: Plumbing

No one wants to wait around for their hot water supply, and you’re probably wondering what’s going on if long waiting periods have begun to show up for some of your home’s hot water fixtures. Why is a given shower, tub or any other fixture taking so long for water to heat up?

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric, we’re here to help. We offer a huge variety of water heater repair and replacement services, including offering high-quality tankless water heaters that provide water on-demand so you’re never stuck waiting for a slow heating process again. There are several reasons you may be experiencing slowness with your hot water heater, some of which can be easily remedied while others tie back to installation or related themes. This two-part blog will dig into everything you need to know in this realm.

Simple Distance Themes

In some cases, particularly in larger homes or areas where significant plumbing pipes are required to transport water from the heater to the fixture that requires it, the reason for slow heating traces back to this distance. It simply takes a bit longer for hot water to make its way through a longer set of pipes to a distant faucet or showerhead.

Homeowners in this situation often find numerous benefits from a tankless water heater installation. Instead of having to wait for water to travel through pipes, this system provides hot water on-demand for all your fixtures immediately.

Sediment Buildup

Maybe the most common issue that leads to slow hot water delivery, and luckily one that’s easily remedied, is the buildup of sediment and minerals in your water heater tank. Various loose minerals will be present in the water, sinking and settling at the bottom of your tank. When this reaches a significant enough point, this sediment will block the hot water outlet pipe either partially or even completely, stopping hot water from flowing out at the normal rate. This sediment will also block heat transfer from the heating element to the water itself.

As we noted, however, sediment buildup can be removed. Just call our plumbers to flush your water heater and drain this sediment.

Volume Restrictor

In other cases, you may have some kind of volume restrictor present on various fixtures in your home. A good example here is a low-flow showerhead, which is meant to lower the amount of water pressure and overall water used – but in some cases, it may not be working properly and could lead to issues with hot water flow and timing. In these situations, our plumbers will usually be able to make some basic tweaks to any restrictors in place to solve the problem.

For more on the potential causes of slow hot water in your fixtures, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric today.

In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some of the basics of sump pumps and whether you might want one in your home. Sump pumps are plumbing items that are placed at the very bottom of a given home, usually in the basement or a crawl space, with the purpose of pumping out water during heavy rain or snowfall and preventing flood risks from taking place in your home.

At Action Plumbing, our quality residential plumbers are here to help with a variety of fixtures and items, including a sump pump if you’re considering installing one in your home or are having issues with a current sump pump already installed. In today’s part two, we’ll go over some of the basic factors you should be considering when you choose a new sump pump, including the types available and your switch format – plus some simple maintenance areas we recommend for those who have installed sump pumps in their homes.

Qualities to Consider in a Sump Pump

If you have decided to install a sump pump in your home, or if your current sump pump has failed and must be replaced, you will have several options at your disposal as your search for the new pump. Here are some of the primary qualities you should be considering as you browse:

  • Submersible vs pedestal: The more common format for a sump pump is submersible, which refers to an integrated design where both the motor and the pump itself are inside an enclosed container, which can get wet without damaging these components. A pedestal option, on the other hand, divides the unit into two pieces, with a standalone motor above the floor and then a hose fed down into the sump pit. Generally speaking, submersible pumps have fewer issues over time and should be your choice unless other specific factors dictate otherwise.
  • Switch: Another potential fault area is with your pump switch, which should be a mechanical switch, not a pressurized one. The latter may fail over time, failures that are difficult to notice in many situations and may cause significant hassle.
  • Material: You may have choices of either cast iron or plastic material for your sump pump, and we generally recommend cast iron for a longer lifespan.
  • Secondary pump: For those with significant flood risks or a living space in the lower part of the home, a secondary or backup sump pump can be installed as a backup in case of failure.

Basic Sump Pump Maintenance

Sump pump maintenance is relatively easy, and only needs to be done every so often. You should clean the area at least once a month, including screens or inlet openings. Test your power cord and float capacity as well. In addition, we recommend a removal of the pump roughly once a year, a period where you can clean the pit and the pump to help remove grime that’s built up over the past year.

For more on sump pumps and whether your home might benefit from one, or for information on any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today.

While there are certain plumbing components that are absolutely vital for any home and simply cannot be ignored, certain others may be present in certain homes but absent in others. A good example here is a plumbing element known as a sump pump, which some homeowners are intimately familiar with – but others have never even heard of.

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical, our quality plumbing contractors offer numerous residential plumbing services, including informing you of the benefits of a sump pump and whether your home might require one. In this two-part blog series, we’ll dig into some of the basics of sump pumps, what they do, whether your home needs one and some basic selection and maintenance tips to keep in mind.

Sump Pump Basics

A sump pump is a device that’s installed in what’s known as a sump pit, an area dug into the single lowest point in your house (usually the basement or a crawl space). The device is submersible, meaning it can operate when underwater.

The majority of the time, your sump pump will sit idle in a standby mode. However, when rain or any other kind of moisture begins falling, groundwater will funnel toward the sump pit, filling it with water and activating the sump pump float switch, turning the pump on. The pump then drains water from this pit into a storm drain, well or detention pond nearby, stopping the water from rising to the level of your basement floor and risking a flood.

What Sump Pumps Help With

Here are some of the specific benefits associated with sump pumps:

  • Resistance against flooding in your basement
  • Protection of paint and other coverings from peeling or corrosion
  • Reduction of mold, mildew or fungus formation
  • Safeguarding basement appliances against corrosion and water damage
  • Improve indoor air quality
  • Limit risks of termites and other pest infestations
  • Helps home foundation remain intact
  • Meets basic requirements for homeowners’ insurance coverage of basement flood damage

Do I Need One?

So do you need a sump pump in your home? While the answer isn’t necessarily as simple as a yes or no, here are some of the conditions that often prompt homeowners to install a sump pump:

  • Flood-prone area: If your home is built on a plot with poor draining soil, low conditions or surrounding hills, it’s more likely to deal with flooding risks.
  • Heavy rain or snow: The same is true if your area receives heavy rain or snow.
  • Finished basement: Those with finished basements, even in low flood risk areas, often want to protect their space.
  • Previous water issues: If you’ve pad past flooding issues or regularly struggle with moisture levels, a sump pump could go a long way.

For more on sump pumps and whether one is the right choice for your home, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today.

If your home is in need of a new water heater in the near future, a modern upgrade you should be strongly considering is the tankless water heater. Also known as an on-demand water heater, the tankless water heater removes the traditional tank from the equation, instead providing hot water through an on-demand heating component that brings several distinct benefits, including major water savings and several convenience areas as well.

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical, we’re happy to offer the highest quality in tankless water heaters available today, plus experienced plumbers who will help with every area of water heater replacement. Perhaps the single most common question our plumbing contractors get when considering a tankless water heater for their home: What size unit should I be purchasing and installing to meet my home’s water needs? Here are the important factors that help determine the answer to this question.

Flow Rate Requirements

The first metric to be aware of is flow rate, which refers to the amount of hot water the tankless unit is able to produce. Flow rate is generally listed using gallons per minute (gpm), and your unit must have the requisite capacity to meet the needs of all your fixtures.

When you have the expected flow rate of the various fixtures in your home, you can use this information – combined with how often you expect given fixtures to be used during peak times – to determine the total flow rate the system needs to be able to handle. Keep in mind here that tankless water heaters generally restrict you to one or two simultaneous water activities. As a reference, here are the average flow rates found in low-flow plumbing fixtures:

  • Showerhead: 2.5 gpm
  • Bathroom faucet: 1.0 gpm
  • Tub faucet: 4.0 gpm
  • Kitchen faucet: 1.5 gpm
  • Washing machine: 2.0 gpm
  • Dishwasher: 1.5 gpm

Temperature Rise Factors

The other major factor to be aware of when sizing your new tankless water heater is the temperature rise, which describes the temperature of the water when entering the system compared to how hot you need it to be when it comes out of your fixture. This involves knowing the average groundwater temperature in your region, something our pros can inform you of. You need a unit capable of delivering a temperature rise within your basic range, which will help determine the size you choose.

Combination Listings

In most cases as you browse tankless water heater models, flow rate and temperature rise metrics will be listed as a combination. For instance, units will provide their flow rate based on the required temperature rise – the former will often change based on the latter. Both must be considered when sizing your tankless heater.

For more on choosing the proper size for a new tankless water heater, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today.

Art of junk in sewer meant to depict risk of causing main sewer line clogs

In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some of the basics on why main sewer line clogs are different from other kinds of drain clogs in your home, plus some of the factors that may cause them. The main sewer line is your home’s entryway into the primary municipal sewer system, allowing your waste to pass into this system in the proper ways.

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical, our detailed plumbing services include several sewer line maintenance areas, from trenchless sewer line repair to sewer line cleaning and assistance with any other issues you may have in this area. In today’s part two, we’ll go over a few additional potential causes of these clogs, plus some of the signs that may indicate you have such a blockage that needs to be addressed.

Improper Garbage Disposal Use

In part one, we went over some of the improper uses of toilet drains that can lead to main sewer line clogs – the garbage disposal is a similar concern in many homes, though often in different ways. Just like the toilet, however, the primary issue here is folks in the home believing the garbage disposal drain is meant for purposes that, in reality, it is not.

For starters, the presence of grease, oils and other cooking liquids in the drain is a big no-no. This will lead to hardening further down in the drain system, often in the main sewer line itself. The same goes for larger food particles – even if you think the disposal would do fine breaking them up, we highly recommend throwing away larger food debris separately and placing less strain on the garbage disposal.

Sewer Line Damage Issues

In other cases, clogs in the main sewer line take place because the line itself has become damaged over time. Cracking, sagging, corroding and general breakage are all possible in older pipes, especially those that have been present for multiple decades. This will not only allow in dirt and other debris, but will also prevent wastewater from flowing properly.

Signs of Main Sewer Line Clogs

Here are some of the primary signs that indicate you may have a main sewer line clog and should immediately contact our plumbers about remedying the issue:

  • Your toilets are all gurgling or bubbling at the same time
  • Smells of sewage and other foul plumbing odors are coming from multiple drains in the home
  • More than one drain in the home is having drainage issues
  • Wastewater begins to back up in one plumbing fixture while another is in use, and vice versa
  • Strange wet patches begin to show up in your back yard above the main sewer line, even when the weather itself is dry

For more on identifying and remedying main sewer line clogs, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today.

Art depicting idea of plumbers working on main sewer line

There are a few different clog or blockage types that are possible within a given plumbing system, and they are not all created equal. And on the more severe end of the spectrum here, at least in most cases, is a clog or blockage in your home’s main sewer line.

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical, our plumbing services include a wide range of solutions for main sewer line issues, including sewer line cleaning and trenchless sewer line repair. While many homeowners have dealt with a basic toilet clog or some other simple drain blockage issue, the main sewer line is an entirely different animal. This two-part blog series will dig into what makes sewer line clogs different from others, plus what causes them and how you can recognize their potential signs.

Sewer Clog Vs. Standard Clogs

So why are sewer line clogs different from a basic toilet backup or something else you can handle with a plunger? Well, because the sewer line is the central one that connects all the other main plumbing lines in your home.

A single clog in a sink drain, toilet or some other area can usually be remedied simply enough, whether via a plunger, drain snake or some other tool. During main sewer line backups, however, every drain in your home can become blocked all at once as the main system floods, leading to major concerns that typically can’t be solved so easily.

Our next few sections will dig into the common causes of main sewer line clogs and backups, plus how they can be avoided so you don’t run into these issues.

Tree Root Concerns

As the home’s primary feeder to the municipal sewer system, your main sewer line typically runs out of your house and through your back yard in piping below the ground’s surface. In cases where your sewer line is damaged in any way, or even in some situations where it isn’t, tree roots from nearby trees may grow into the area and even directly into the pipes as they reach out in search of water sources. This blocks the flow of wastewater, and the issue only increases with time as the roots expand.

For this reason, it’s important to understand where your main sewer line is and manage tree roots in the area. If you’re considering planting new trees, know your sewer line location and avoid it entirely.

Toilet Usage and Items Flushed

Another possible cause of main sewer line blockage: Materials being flushed down the toilet that do not belong there. This includes literally anything other than human waste and toilet paper, even certain wipes listed as “flushable” on the packaging – you still shouldn’t flush these. Toilet paper is made to break down within sewer lines and avoid clogging risks, which is why it’s the only approved material to flush other than your own waste.

For more on clogs in your main sewer line, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today.

Tankless water heater installation

If your home’s water heater is on the decline and you’re looking into replacement options, one area to take a long look at is the tankless water heater. This modern option works in a different way than the older tank water heater format most are familiar with, providing on-demand hot water in a way that’s often much more efficient for today’s homeowners.

At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical, we provide a wide range of water heater installation and repair services, including tankless water heater options available at your request. Let’s go over how tankless water heaters work and how they benefit you, plus the steps you should take toward determining if they’re the right choice for your new water heater.

Tankless Water Heater Basics

A tankless water heater, also known as an on-demand water heater, removes the tank used by older models and instead provides hot water as it’s needed in the home. It does this via a gas burner or an electrical unit – when a hot water tap is turned on anywhere in the home, water enters this unit and is immediately heated on the spot. Generally speaking, a single tankless water heater can produce between two and five gallons of hot water per minute.

For homes that need more water than this, multiple units can be connected to a parallel system. In other cases, some people install a tankless water heater specifically for certain appliances.

Benefits of Tankless Options

Tankless water heaters come with several specific benefits compared to other hot water heater systems:

  • Hot water is provided instantly, rather than waiting for it to flow up from the hot water tank.
  • The water’s temperature remains consistent at all times, rather than fluctuating based on how much hot water is in the tank.
  • Tankless water heaters have longer lifespans than traditional options.
  • Tankless options require less space for installation.
  • There is a reduced flooding risk based on a lack of a large tank filled with many gallons of water.
  • Many homes find major energy savings when it comes to the production of hot water within a tankless system.

Examining Your Water Bill

So how do you get an idea of whether a tankless water heater is the right call for your home in terms of efficiency? By looking at your water bill.

If you discover that your home averages under 41 gallons of hot water used per day, the US Department of Energy says a tankless option will be anywhere from 24 to 34 percent more efficient than a traditional tank option. If your home uses up to 86 gallons per day, the hot water heater will be between 8 and 14 percent more efficient. The USDE also has a convenient tool that helps you calculate water heater costs and determine if a tankless option would be a better choice for you.

For more on tankless water heaters, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today.

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