South End Plumbing Heating & Air Expert Tips

How Much Time Does the Average Shower Last?

The amount of time people spend in the shower is all over the place, and if you share a household with someone who spends way too much time in the shower it can begin to infringe on your hot water supply. But it is a fact that we all have to get clean and a shower is usually the fastest way to do it unless you have a very laid back morning routine and can take a long hot bath. But for the rest of us, it is a rushed morning shower or often a quick shower before bed.

According to the site Home Water Works, the average person living in the US is in the shower for 8.2 minutes every day which comes out to 17.2 gallons of water. When you add up the amount of used water in a year all across America, the numbers are staggering. 

Common Problems Soldering Pipe

For most of us, soldering is not an everyday task. For some, it is an ability which includes an additional level to your DIY pipes skills. No matter where you stand on the range of knowledge, you will likely come across soldering copper pipe troubles.

The most typical DIY soldering for copper pipes gets on a pipes, which is why some specialty is required. You desire a potable water supply and not something which has actually been infected by flux and solder. 

With the right equipment, info and a touch of persistence, you can avoid the worst soldering copper pipe issues.

How To Fix A Rocking Toilet
If you’ve ever had a toilet that rocks or sat on one at a relative or friends house, you don’t have to be an expert to tell that something is not right. The cause of a rocking toilet is that the flange height is too high for the toilet base. To fix the rocking toilet issue you’ll want to use plastic shims to wedge under the base, then caulk around the base to help support and form a water tight seal. 

What To Do If You Accidentally Flush A Clorox Toilet Wand
The short answer is you’ll want to retrieve it with a snake, stiff wire, or a wet vac/shop vac. 
If you’ve never flushed anything down the toilet you didn’t mean to then you’ve never lived. In fact one of the most common calls we get for toilets is where someone’s accidentally flushed something down the toilet. Usually it’s blocks or kids toys, a wash cloth, or a Clorox Toilet Wand. The toilet wands seem to make their way to being flush because the release accidentally gets hit when your flushing or because someone cleaning with the wand doesn’t realize that they are not flushable. In the event that you do accidentally flush a Clorox Toilet wand, you will want to make every effort to retrieve it. Even if it looks like water if flowing down as you flush, they actually can get stuck in the trap of your toilet and cause clogs later on after you’re trying to flush a number two. This will only make matters worse. 

Does a Fan Cool a Room With No One In It?
In general no, a fan cools the occupants of a room, not the air within or the room itself. 
Have you ever wondered why some home owners leave fans on in rooms they aren’t in? Perhaps in a bedroom during the day a ceiling fan might be left on all day. Is there any benefit to this at all, or are they just wasting power? The answer may not be so simple. 

How Serious is a Leak in Your Crawl Space?

A crawl space home structure differs from a basement or slab. When standing directly up, the normal crawl space has a dirt or crushed rock floor and isn’t high enough for an adult. So just how serious is a leak in your crawl space? In short, a leak or standing water of any kind can be pretty serious, it can cause wood to rot, mold, and insulation to soak from humidity and fall out of the floor joists due to increased weight.