The Family Plumber - Surprise, Arizona

What Is The Expansion Tank For On My Plumbing System?

Episode 28
"The water heater is heating up. So it's expanding a little bit and that is being handled by the expansion tank - it will take care of all that."
- Bobby Crowder, Plumbing Expert
 
The question today - "What Is The Expansion Tank For On My Plumbing System?" 
Check out this episode of The Plumber Podcast to find out more...
For more information about The Family Plumber in Surprise, Arizona log on to www.callthefamilyplumber.com or check them out at www.checkapro.com.
 
Visit Us At -  CallTheFamilyPlumber.com
 
 
You Can Call Anytime:  (623) 738-6171

Is It Safe To Flush ’Flushable Wipes’ Down The Toilet?

" When I go to these houses I'll see you know these wipes on the toilets on top of the toilet tanks and I see a lot of baby wipes and those are a no no..."
- Bobby Crowder, Plumbing Expert
Bobby Crowder from The Family Plumber joins Jim Klauck (Check A Pro Joe) today on the show!
To flush or not to flush wipes down the toilet?  That is the question today on the program!
Check out this episode of The Plumber Podcast to find out more... For more information about The Family Plumber in Surprise, Arizona log on to www.callthefamilyplumber.com or check them out at www.checkapro.com. Visit Us At -  TheFamilyPlumber.com
 
You Can Call Anytime:  (623) 738-6171
 
Podcast Episode Transcript:
This question comes up all the time are those flushable wipes that we use those personal wipes something that we should be putting in the toilet aren't they safe to flush down the toilet I've asked my good friend Bobby Crowder he's the family plumber in surprise AZ to answer this question for my listeners here today on the program hey Bobby how are you hey Joe how are you I'm doing fantastic thanks for joining me here on the program so some people don't ask the question they just throw everything including the kitchen sink into the toilet and they wonder why they call you out to you know have you clean out that line you know to get it unclogged so are these flushable wipes flushable well actually when I go to these houses a lot I'll see you know these wipes on the toilets you know on top of the toilet tanks and stuff like that the I see a lot of baby wipes and those are of no so any flushable wipes even though it says you know biodegradable it really is not most of them are not there is one that does do quite well we've done a lot of research and done tests and stuff and the one that does is the Cottonelle it actually breaks down the other ones do not after 24 hours they're just they're still like a big cotton mess so you've heard of icebergs before right yeah now these are called fatbergs is what we call that birds are softballs so if that bird is just like a big mass of fluid you know flushable wipes feminine hygiene products disposable diapers everything down and then it's combined with you know solidified fats so it just becomes big softball fat bird is what we call them so mostly residentials or the we call them softballs but yeah those are not the best thing if you're going to do that I highly suggest you know put them in a trash can or something like that because you're just going to mess up your sewer line and you have to have one of us come out and unblock that for you but if you're going to do anything I would definitely you know start the cotton mills that's for sure the tip of the day is don't put Q-tips in there don't put anything in there even Kleenex but just you know anything that's you know toilet paper disgusting fine but I have a recommendation which is totally coming from left field don't use toilet paper and you're like what do you mean don't use toilet paper well Europeans often don't they use the bidet and you're actually going to bathe yourself clean it's odd to us here in North America but it's very common in other countries isn't it oh for sure you know like the Europeans they've gotten a lot of stuff before we've gotten like the tankless water heaters all that stuff so we're kind of you know behind everything behind them so but yeah but days are very nice you know I would recommend a bidet and no pun with the behind you clean the behind with water and it's it is it's either another fixture like a toilet in your bathroom or you have toilets now that can do all in one but it's kind of nice because you're saving money on toilet paper you're saving money on plumbers coming out to fix the mess and the only thing going down is human waste and really that's all that should be going into the sewer system or the septic system exactly 100% hey Bobby this has been great hey all of Bobby Crowder's information from the family plumber is listed in the description of this podcast you can easily Click to get ahold of him or his phone number is there as well to get ahold of him Bobby once again thank you so much for joining me today on the program thanks for having me Joe appreciate it!
 

What Can I Put In My Garbage Disposal?

"I've seen bones,I've seen,I meat,yeah,accidental stuff like,you know,forks and silverware and stuff like that."
- Bobby Crowder, Plumbing Expert
 
Why do we continue to abuse our garbage disposal and plumbing system?  The garbage disposal should not be used for most food items.  Plumbing expert, Bobby Crowder, The Family Plumber joins Jim Klauck - aka Check A Pro Joe on the show today.
The question today - "What Can I Put In My Garbage Disposal?" 
Check out this episode of The Plumber Podcast to find out more...
For more information about The Family Plumber in Surprise, Arizona log on to www.callthefamilyplumber.com or check them out at www.checkapro.com.
 
Visit Us At -  CallTheFamilyPlumber.com 
You Can Call Anytime:  (623) 738-6171
Podcast Episode Transcript: 
My good friend,Bobby Crowder is joining me the family plumber.Hey,Bobby,how are you doing,Bud?Hey,how you doing?Nice to,nice to be here.Yeah,it's great to have you here.Ok.You're my go to guy when it comes to plumbing questions out here in Arizona.And I'll tell you,people don't know what they're doing with their garbage disposal.For some reason,people think that they can put everything down there,including the kitchen sink.That's funny.So there are things that we should and should not put in our garbage disposal.Correct?Oh,that is 100% correct.Hey,I've gone to houses that you won't believe where?I don't know.They just think that it's a,it's a,it's a trash compactor.I mean,it's like a,like a big giant garbage truck that's gonna compact and just bring it down the drain.I mean,I've seen bones,I've seen,I meat,yeah,accidental stuff like,you know,forks and silverware and stuff like that.But there's stuff that just not,they've,I've,I've seen,they've tried to put,uh,like paper towels and just everything they can,they just think it's,it's a,you know,it says garbage disposal but,you know,there's things that you shouldn't be putting down there for 100%.I think it should be called light vegetables and fruit.That's rotting disposal because,because those are soft.Um,and many of you may not know this but really what's to go into your sewer line or certainly if you have your own septic system should only be human waste.It really shouldn't be food products.It's not what the systems are designed for.Now,a sewer system isn't really your problem.It goes to the city if you will and they process it.But,but if anyone is listening,if you ever get a septic system,yes.Do not throw it off balance.It's like our stomachs.There's certain things you should not put in there.And so,uh,you know,don't put bones in there.It's bad for the,the actual machine itself.The garbage disposal.I'll tell you something else is big and Bobby backed me up on this isn't your busiest time around the holidays around Thanksgiving and Christmas you'll put too much grease in there.Oh,yeah,that's so,so the thing is,is like,uh,I think my busy.Exactly.It's gonna be Thanksgiving and around Christmas and it's usually the day before it's always at night.So it's,it's a constant basis.So where,you know,they're just like,uh,potato peels.No,nos,uh,carrot peels.No,nose eggshells.No,no.Uh,I,I can,the list can go on and on.Grease.100.We put it in a jar,seal it up,throw it away.Yeah.Don't,don't put that down there.That's just bad for the drain.So,the thing is here,here,here's the thing.They could put a lot of that stuff down the garbage disposal and they'll run it.The thing,the,the garbage disposal will handle it.It's the drain that will not.And that's where it just kind of compacts in the drain.And then that's when they have,they have a backup and it just,it just doesn't work so light stuff.Uh,you know,vegetables,fruits,you know,little scraps off your plate is fine.Uh,like I said,septic tanks,you know,we try to,when it comes to septic tanks,I always look for it towards customer that,you know,eliminating the garbage disposal,even though,even though I'll educate the homeowner,who knows what their kids might do and stuff like that.So we try to stay away from that kind of stuff.But,you know,let's,let's keep it light.It's,let's prevent from one of us coming out if you would like.But we're more than welcome to come out if you want us to.Yeah.So I'm,I'm kind of anti garbage disposal.I don't have one.I,I live on a ranch.We have a septic system and it's,it's a balanced system.It actually is designed to break down human waste and process that.It's not designed to take the carrot peels and the,and,and a banana peel for that matter.And you're just looking for trouble and it's really better to throw it in the trash and let the trash guy deal with it.Even things like,you know,gravy,which has fat in it,but any kind of,you know,fatty substance,uh if you have,you know,some,you know,leftover butter that's starting to smell,don't throw it in the sink or garbage disposal,put it in the trash and have it carted away.Here's the thing,it's easier for them to just to step over and put it into a sink than it is to walk over and put it into a garbage.It's kind of,you know,it's shorter distance for or quicker distance to get it,get it done.So it's just,it's,we see that a lot,everybody,it's not a garbage chute.It is really designed for,for liquid to travel through.And if you put this stuff in it,it's gonna make it more difficult for the liquid to travel through.If the liquid has trouble traveling,it will back up.And that's when you call Bobby Crowder.Bobby's information.All of his information is located in the description of this podcast for all of your plumbing needs,including your garbage disposal needs.Contact him at the family plumber.Thanks Bobby.I appreciate it,buddy.

Why Does My Toilet Continue To Run?

"So, the first thing to do is check your flapper, make sure it's not warped,soggy, like the rubber deteriorated."
- Bobby Crowder, Plumbing Expert
 
It can be annoying to hear our toilets constantly run.  Plumbing expert, Bobby Crowder, The Family Plumber joins Jim Klauck - aka Check A Pro Joe on the show today.
The question today - "Why Does My Toilet Continue To Run?" 
Check out this episode of The Plumber Podcast to find out more...
For more information about The Family Plumber in Surprise, Arizona log on to www.callthefamilyplumber.com or check them out at www.checkapro.com.
 
Visit Us At -  CallTheFamilyPlumber.com 
You Can Call Anytime:  (623) 738-6171
Podcast Episode Transcript: 
Check a pro Joe here with my friend Bobby Crowder.He's the family plumber.In surprise,Arizona.Hey,Bobby,how you doing pal?Hey Joe.Thanks for having me on.Absolutely.We get questions here all the time and questions cross my desk again.This comes up all the time.Why does my toilet keep running?You know,we flush the toilet and I know it's supposed to happen because uh I'm a quasi plumber and I'm,I'm kind of joking around.I am not a licensed plumber,but I do know when I push the lever down,it will lift up the flapper.Ok.And then the water from the tank will flow to the bottom of the toilet,the base of the toilet.And it will basically allow the water to push the waste out and then the flapper closes and then the tank fills again,but sometimes it continues to run or it'll run like a minute after it'll go off and on.So thanks for having me on again here,Joe.But uh I get a lot.So you,your toilet's running.Well,you better go catch it.I'm kidding.No,no pun intended.That's just kind of a bad joke for us.But uh here's this,there's,there's several,several things.So we've got,we got,of course your flapper the most common,right?And,but you also have your flush,your flush valve,your fill and your fill valve.So there is some more uh complicated issues we can get into,but then I'd probably throw everybody off.They probably wouldn't be like,what's,what's that mean?You know.So let's just do the three basics fill val flush valve.Flapper.So flapper,of course,every,you know,everything is about five years inside a toilet tank.So you should start thinking about,especially the flapper,five years,the fill valve about five years.And the flush valve,man,you know,that's you do lifetime with the toilet.But you know,that thing can leak or crack or,you know,the filled tube can crack and that's where you're getting your water,your,your leak from.So,um,first thing to do is check your flapper,make sure it's not warped,soggy,you know,like the rubber deteriorated.Um I would just recommend replacing it every five years anyway.It's just,you know,this way you can kind of save water waste.Um,the flush valve,the center tube where the flapper sits on that the bushing can go bad and start leaking through there.Uh,your fill tube that's right in the middle that could be cracked and it's leaking from there.Um,go to the fill valve,the fill valve is either on or off.That's just point.So,if it's a constant,uh and a constant flow,ok,you've got a bad fill valve.You,I mean,you can replace like the little diaphragm that's inside the fill valve,stuff like that.But,you know,after about five years,let's go ahead and replace,replace the whole thing.Let's buy your best bet,you know,five years in the flab for five years on the fill valve,flush valve just depends on if it's cracked or not.But those are your three main reasons.A toilet would be running.Yeah.And some of these things really can be handled by the homeowner if you want to.I mean,it's,it's,you know,call Bobby out if you'd like,which is fine.But if it's just a flapper,you really can't go wrong by replacing it.You're not gonna damage anything if it continues to leak because you thought it was the flapper.But it's not,it's only gonna cost you five bucks by the way to put the flapper in.No big deal.But sometimes people will do it themselves.And after they've replaced a number of parts,the thing is still,still running.So they have to call you out.Yeah,exactly.And when they can't figure it out,you know,your little customers,like,oh,I do a lot of stuff but when it comes to plumbing and water they kind of stay away from it.But you gotta keep in mind a lot of people are just used to the,the flapper that comes up and comes back down.They're actually,there's are different flappers or,you know,the cylinder,you know,rings and stuff like that,that those are a little bit more difficult to get off.But,you know,if you call me up and stuff,I can kinda help you out and see what we can do from there.But you know,there is different cylinders,flappers for the toilet.So and everything is getting a little different nowadays.It's not just standard,standard flapper anymore.So everything's kind of advancing just just for to keep the uh waste water low.Like our toilets are now 1.2 eights.I used to love the 1.6 is in,but now those are becoming obsolete and now we're down to 1.28.So I'm sure we're gonna keep going,you know,just kind of conserve water,which we're ok with.Absolutely.And so yeah,the technology is changing.Our plumbing expert Bobby Crowder,the family plumber,all of his information,including a link to his website.You get a hold of him is located in the description of this podcast for all your plumbing needs.Get a hold of my buddy Bobby.Thanks,Pal.Thank you.Thanks for having me on again.Take care.

How Often Do I Need To Change My Washing Machine Supply Lines?

Episode 27
"Those lines could get brittle, especially if they're not stainless steel braided. The valves to the washing machine   get brittle, bubble out, and burst."
- Bobby Crowder, Plumbing Expert
 
The question today - "How Often Do I Need To Change My Washing Machine Supply Lines?" 
Check out this episode of The Plumber Podcast to find out more...
For more information about The Family Plumber in Surprise, Arizona log on to www.callthefamilyplumber.com or check them out at www.checkapro.com.
 
Visit Us At -  CallTheFamilyPlumber.com 
You Can Call Anytime:  (623) 738-6171

What Is That Chrom Dome? Do I Need That Dishwasher Vent On My Kitchen Sink?

"So it prevents any kind of waste going back in there, so you'll see little Chrome domes, it just prevents food and water waste coming back into the dishwasher so but over time those tend to leak so we'll just remove those ..."
- Bobby Crowder, Plumbing Expert
Bobby Crowder from The Family Plumber joins Jim Klauck (Check A Pro Joe) today on the show!
Okay, we all have this question!  What is chrome dome on our kitchen sink?
Check out this episode of The Plumber Podcast to find out more...
For more information about The Family Plumber in Surprise, Arizona log on to www.callthefamilyplumber.com or check them out at www.checkapro.com.
 
Visit Us At -  TheFamilyPlumber.com 
You Can Call Anytime:  (623) 738-6171
Podcast Episode Transcript:
What's that Chrome Dome that's on the sink another counter on the sink in the kitchen that is there sometimes it makes a little bit of noise I think and I think it's important can I unscrew that and just put some type of cap there and I've asked our expert here in plumbing today on the show Bobby Crowder from the family plumber to answer that question hey Bobby how are you good how are you Joe I'm doing great can I just unscrew that and disconnect that and just plug that in my sink because I don't really need that little Chrome Dome do I well here's thing that a lot of people don't even know what that is so that's an air gap for your dishwasher to your disposal so this way no food can come back into your you know into your dishwasher when you run the garbage disposal cause with regard to suppose full and you're running it does push that waste down you know down the drain and they can't push back up towards that dishwasher so that air gaps prevents that and it's like a code thing too as well but now dishwashers have the newer ones have a check valve on their drain line so it prevents any kind of waste going back in there so you'll see little Chrome domes you take out that little chromedome cap that you'll see two little ones higher than the other it just prevents food and water waste coming back into the dishwasher so but over time those tend to leak so we'll just remove those and you just take a from the dishwasher all the way up underneath the ties you can't create the loop back down into your disposal that's just as good because now newer dishwashers have a check valve on them prevents that waste going back in so you can you know they're a hassle and they're noise maker and hmm did you get rid of them you can doesn't they're not really that pretty I mean it's something else that's right there on your kitchen counter on your sink near your you know spray faucet and so forth it's just something else popping out by the way everybody had checked valves in case you don't know allows water to go one way and not the other so we wanted to go um you know we don't want to come back in right so right we want it to be drained and we don't want to come back into our supply into the garbage disposal or directly into the drink because if you don't have a garbage disposal it will be drained right into your waste pipe Yep all right hey Bobby thank you so much once again you are a wealth of information for plumbing I really appreciate it bobby crowder the family plumber in surprise AZ and all of his information is in the description of this podcast so reach out to him for all of your plumbing needs thanks bobby thank you joe thanks for me on.

What Are The Differences Between Tank and Tankless Water Heaters

Is a Tankless water heater better than a traditional tank water heater?  Well, it depends.  In many instances a tankless water heater may be the way to go. 
Check out this episode to learn more about tankless and traditional tank water heaters.
 
For more information about The Family Plumber in Surprise, Arizona log on to www.callthefamilyplumber.com or check them out at www.checkapro.com.
 
Visit Us At -  TheFamilyPlumber.com 
You Can Call Anytime:  (623) 738-6171

What Is That Rusty Water In My Water Heater Drain Pan?

"OK now we have a tank leak if it's not that means it's coming from somewhere else .. ."  - Bobby Crowder, Plumbing Expert
Have you seen water in your drain pan?  The pan that is under your water heater, the drain pan, is there to catch water that may have escaped your water heater. Plumbing expert, Bobby Crowder, The Family Plumber is on the show to help us out today!
Check out this episode of The Plumber Podcast to find out more...
For more information about The Family Plumber in Surprise, Arizona log on to www.callthefamilyplumber.com or check them out at www.checkapro.com.
 
Visit Us At -  TheFamilyPlumber.com 
You Can Call Anytime:  (623) 738-6171
Podcast Episode Transcript:
 
Here are the check a pro radio show we get all kinds of questions and we got a plumbing question today so I asked my good friend Bobby Crowder the family plumber to join me here on the program hey Bobby how you doing buddy hey check a pro Joe how are you how are you I'm doing I'm doing great hey a question came in and I think I know the answer to this even though there may be multiple answers but the question was this from one of our listeners why is there rusty water in that pan that metal pan underneath my water heater what could that be hmm well not just rust it could be anything actually it could be you know water itself it could be dirty water making it look like rust it depends on where the locations at you know like said addicts or you know Texas has yeah they're installed in the attics in Arizona where they're in the garage and so they tend to get really dirty so um usually if there's any kind of liquid or any kind of water or anything that's in that pan there's something going on and usually most of the time it is a leaky water heater but you get a check it first you come out when you come out there check to see if you know if it's a gas water here put that little that front plate there and stick your fingers inside the inside where the gas control valve assemblies at and see if there's any water in there if there is OK now we have a tank leak if it's not that means it's coming from somewhere else so you want to jump up above see what's going on if there's any of the flex lines leaking a ball valve any of the connections or I've even seen somebody have a water line that's ramped to a fridge around the back and it wasn't visible until that little water line was just thinking down inside there it wasn't what it was not a water heater issue so now they're using it as a drain pan exactly Yep so you know be very cautious dream pans are great they've been out here in Arizona we didn't do them very often until recently probably about uh I want to say six or eight years ago they've kind of put them in you know wanting them put in per code some cities are different than others so Arizona's a little bit different than maybe some other states but now we don't do we don't install a water heater without a pan whatsoever now it has sure have a pan and honestly if it's in the garage or somewhere that's more outside ish if you will it's not as big of a deal but if it is inside a utility room maybe in the laundry room type thing which it could be well then yes you're definitely going to want to do that also the pressure relief valve isn't it possible that that could leak it does usually like technically you're supposed to exercise that that TMP valve every six months he does that no one really ever does that you know flip it on off and when you do if it hasn't been done for a while and you flip it on and you try to flip it off now you're now you're probably going to causally or it's going to drip out the main line you know the drain line of it you know itself or it's just going to drop out of that little Chrome handle and then that could cause an issue down below but you know something like that would be an easy fix you know replacement with that TP valve so you know something like that I'd be very I love doing stuff like this is a very I love investigating stuff you know going on the problem yeah oh I love it you know instead of just going OK I know what it is boom I know I like to go in there and hey what's going on here I just I love that kind of work I really who doesn't like a mystery right we all do all right the best thing to do is to get ahold of my friend Bobby Crowder the family plumber all is all of his information is in the description of this podcast hey bobby thanks for taking time out of your day buddy really appreciate it you bet thanks Joe.

What Causes My Drain To Clog?

"So keep greases away from the sink."
- Bobby Crowder, Plumbing Expert
 
It can be annoying to hear our toilets constantly run.  Plumbing expert, Bobby Crowder, The Family Plumber joins Jim Klauck - aka Check A Pro Joe on the show today.
The question today - "What Cause My Drain To Clog?" 
Check out this episode of The Plumber Podcast to find out more...
For more information about The Family Plumber in Surprise, Arizona log on to www.callthefamilyplumber.com or check them out at www.checkapro.com.
 
Visit Us At -  CallTheFamilyPlumber.com 
You Can Call Anytime:  (623) 738-6171

What Are The Dangers Of High Water Pressure In My Home?

Episode 26
"When the city starts building around or they start raising pressure up, they don't care about your home's water pressures. That's what I say. It's the home owner's responsibility to maintain it."
- Bobby Crowder, Plumbing Expert
 
The question today - "What Are The Dangers Of High Water Pressure In My Home?" 
Check out this episode of The Plumber Podcast to find out more...
For more information about The Family Plumber in Surprise, Arizona log on to www.callthefamilyplumber.com or check them out at www.checkapro.com.
 
Visit Us At -  CallTheFamilyPlumber.com 
You Can Call Anytime:  (623) 738-6171