Tulsa Water Heater Repair & Replacement Services

TULSA WATER HEATER REPAIR SERVICES

If your water heater doesn’t seem to be delivering as much hot water in the winter, it may not have anything to do with cold temperatures. Fresh water does cool off in the winter, but if your water heating appliance is fully functional, the incoming temperature shouldn’t matter .Most problems with heating water occur when the heater:

Needs flushing.

The most common cause of high water heating bills and premature tank failure are the hard water deposits that collect at the bottom of the tank. A few won’t interfere with water heating, but if there are too many, the heating process will slow, especially in gas water heaters. A gas water heater heats from the bottom only, and when that surface is covered with hard water deposits, there won’t be as much hot water.Most electric units have two heating elements. One sits close to the bottom of the tank and the other near the top. If the bottom is covered with solids, the water won’t heat as well. One of the heating elements may also not be working and needs replacing.

Has a broken dip tube.

The dip tube is made from plastic that can become brittle and break over time. This tube connects to the cold water inlet and sends the water to the bottom of the tank where it heats up. If it’s broken, the cold water stays at the top of the tank and the water you get won’t feel as hot.

Needs insulation to combat cold temperatures.

If the tank feels hot to the touch, consider wrapping an insulation blanket around it to keep the heat inside longer.

Is too small.

If your family size has changed, someone’s taking longer showers, or you’re washing more clothes in hot water might force you to install a bigger water heater.Some of these water heater maintenance tasks might be better done by a pro. If you’d like assistance, contact Air Assurance, providing HVAC and plumbing services for Broken Arrow.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.

Toilet Flapper Troubleshooting

A malfunctioning toilet flapper can prevent your toilet from working correctly. If your toilet is running or won't flush like it should, check for some common signs that will help you pinpoint the problem.

The Toilet Won't Stop Running

Your toilet flapper's job is to rise up from the flush valve and let water into the bowl when you flush, then drop down and stop the flow of water when the flush ends. As the flapper wears out, it can warp, harden or deteriorate and no longer form a tight seal. When this happens, it can't completely stop the flow of water. This leaves you with a toilet that runs constantly and wastes water.

First, make sure the toilet flapper chain isn't so long it's getting tangled and stopping the flapper from closing or so short that it's holding the flapper up off the flush valve. If this isn't the issue, adding a few drops of food coloring to the toilet tank will help you detect a leak. After you add the coloring, wait 10 minutes and if you find the color has seeped into the bowl, you have a leaky flapper you'll need to replace.

The Toilet Won't Flush Correctly

Your toilet flapper chain should have just a slight amount of slack. A chain that's too short will cause the flush to cut off too soon, leaving too little water in the bowl or even fail to fully clean the bowl. A short flush can also happen when the chain is too long. In this case, the rushing water pulls the flapper closed before the flush is complete.To check for this toilet problem, remove the tank lid and watch the toilet flapper as you flush. The flapper should start to drop when around 80 percent of the water has left the tank. If it doesn't, readjust the chain by unhooking it from the flush lever and shortening or lengthening it as needed by two links.

For help with your toilet or any other plumbing fixture, contact us at Air Assurance anywhere around Broken Arrow.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “gmstockstudio/Shutterstock”

Tulsa Sewer Drain Clog -- Tame the Roots

Sewer problems come from two sources, broken sewer lines and clogs. Both of these can be caused by tree roots infiltrating your existing lateral line (the pipe that connects the house to the main city sewer line). Prevent sewer problems by keeping tree roots out. This will virtually eliminate clogging.

Tree roots naturally seek out water underground. Since lateral lines are a constant source of water, it's no surprise that they find their way into the pipes. Older lateral lines were made of clay pipe that is very easy for tree roots to grow through. These lines also had joints where roots didn't have to work nearly as hard to enter. Newer lateral lines are made from fewer pieces and are composed of UPVC (unplasticized  polyvinylchloride) which is almost impenetrable by even the strongest willow roots.

Replacing your current sewer line with a UPVC one to prevent sewer problems is the best choice. A trenchless sewer replacement will destroy the existing sewer line and replace it without digging up your yard. There is just one hole at the lateral line junction with the main city line and one at the exit point of the house. The old pipe is broken and pushed into the surrounding soil with a bursting head and the new one is drawn into the void. It takes a few hours and leaves no sign it was done.

If you can't afford a full trenchless sewer replacement to eliminate your root issue, there is another option. You can use a chemical root retarder (copper sulfate or potassium hydroxide) to prevent root growth. Some plumbing companies also offer a proprietary blend of their own that does the same thing.

When you are considering landscaping, plant large trees at least 30 feet away from your drain line. This will prevent roots from seeking out your sewer line.

A bit of knowledge and some pre-planning can help you prevent sewer problems in the future. If you are currently having sewer issues, please contact Air Assurance in Broken Arrow today. We can help you get your drains running fast again.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Viktor Gladkov/Shutterstock”