The summer is over and it’s back to school and work. Those tasks around the house that you put off until after the kids are back in school – Yes, it’s that time of the year now. For the father who thinks he can fix anything or the mother that must seem like a superhero to their children, we all like to think that we can do anything. But, those menial tasks that you just don’t want to do, you have to get to them at some point. With today’s blog post, we at Chasles Plumbing Professionals will be addressing 3 plumbing issues that you shouldn’t put off – no matter the circumstances. We’ll also be providing initial steps and pointers that should make you want to bookmark this page should any of the below common plumbing issues arise. In our next blog post we’ll be going over more issues in similar detail. We hope that by digging a little deeper in each topic, you’ll want to refer back to this page in the future.
1. Overflowing Toilet
We hope that you don’t currently have an overflowing toilet as you read this post, but in preparation for the next time it happens, we suggest you read through carefully. Stopping a toilet from flooding requires fast thinking and quick decision making. While most people instinctively reach for the plunger, we actually suggest a couple preliminary steps in order to stop the toilet from overflowing. Having said that, the first thing that you want to do is lift the lid to the tank of the toilet and place it aside. Next, you want to reach down and push the rubber “flapper valve” down so that more water doesn’t keep flowing into your toilet. Don’t worry about that yucky feeling if you have to submerge your hand in the tank’s water supply; this is the same water that comes out of your tap! Once completed, you’ll next want to lift the rubber float so that the tank of your toilet stops filling up. By lifting the rubber float (the black ball shaped device) you’ve essentially cut off the toilet’s water supply temporarily. You’ll also then begin to see a decrease in the toilet bowls water level. If after a minute the water level doesn’t drop, you’ll have to keep holding the float up while you manually shut off the toilet’s water supply valve which is usually located near the floor or behind the toilet. Twist that bad boy clockwise and you’re done the first part. Only now do we suggest you reach for that plunger and begin the typical blockage removal process that we all know and love so much. Remember that should your toilet overflow often, we strongly suggest giving us a call at (519) 240 – 0077. Chasles Plumbing Professionals does all types of toilet repair and even does 24/7 emergency plumbing!
2. Wet Spots in the Backyard
After a large rainfall you may notice that water tends to just stand in a low spot in your yard. This may be caused by a number of issues, but it’s important to fix it right away. Remember that this is ideal breeding ground for those mosquitoes that all Canadians have come to love so much. One solution may be to use a catch basin. This allows the water to flow freely to a lower section. For something like this we urge you to call a professional. Every situation is unique. Each spring we see lots of different drainage issues. They all require a consultation to judge how easily we can fix the problem.
3. Foul Odour in the Home
In some cases, sewage-type smells can stem from sinks and toilets. It’s not the toilet water and it’s not the degree of cleanliness. No amount of scrubbing can get rid of the smell. In this scenario, there are a couple things you want to check first before calling in the professional but first, let’s discuss how the smells came about. You may have noticed the U-shaped section of piping below your sink before. This is what’s known as the P-trap. It allows water to stay trapped in that section of piping which acts as a barrier to methane gas coming up from the sewage system. Sewers always release this type of gas. It’s that rotten egg, sulphuric smell. In normal homes, this gas goes up through your piping and out the vents on the top of your roof. In a damaged plumbing system, it may escape through the bathroom where it’s not supposed to be. Whether this foul odour escapes through broken seals in the piping, a non-capped pipe stemming from a new bathroom renovation or simply not enough water in the P-trap, it’s often difficult to pinpoint the direct cause for the smell. As mentioned earlier, the first thing you want to check is to make sure the plumbing system’s P-traps have enough water in them. If there is a sink or bath you haven’t used in a while, simply let the water run a bit to fill up the P-trap. After 15 minutes, the smell should dissipate if that was the cause. Next, check to make sure there are no openings in the piping. Sometimes after a recent renovation certain pipes aren’t properly capped off. If that doesn’t reveal anything, it’s time to call in Chasles. Things may get messy and there are many possible causes, but it’ll take a professional to get down to the bottom of it. Chasles Plumbing provides all sorts of plumbing consultations for a variety of issues.
Phew! This was a long blog post here at The Clog Blog. Originally we were planning on fitting 5 plumbing issues in here, but alas, we got a little carried away on each topic. We hope that you save this post for future reference! Come back again for our next post where we will address more plumbing issues we were planning on covering this week. We’ll also throw in a few bonus tips and solutions to common problems, so stay tuned to The Clog Blog!