Pro Tips from Chris

At Moench Plumbing & Gasfitting Inc., we believe in honest, transparent service. With over 17 years of experience in plumbing and gasfitting, our owner, Chris Moench, has seen it all. One of our passions is ensuring our customers are treated as partners; we give honest, reliable advice on plumbing and gasfitting challenges and always put our customer’s needs first. Here are a few insider pro tips from Chris to get you started.

1. Know where to find your home's water main

When you’re dealing with a plumbing issue, the first step is usually to turn off the water main. Technically to plumbing code you don’t need isolation valves for sinks, so it’s a good idea to know where the water main is located – not only for plumbing repairs but for emergencies. It’s also helpful for you and those performing service on your home to have the have the water main clearly labeled.

2. Know where your home's supply valves are

While the first tip is still fresh, it’s a great idea to know where the other water supply valves are located. The toilets, sinks, and appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers normally have an isolation valve installed on the water supply serving the fixture or appliance. It’s good to know where these are, as it allows you to quickly isolate the water in an emergency. If you can’t find a supply valve, it possible that a previous plumber did not install one. Some plumbers only do minimum code and don’t always install secondary valves to fixtures.

3. How to prevent clogged toilets

To prevent a toilet from clogging, only flush items that are actually flushable. You should also flush while you can – AKA the curtesy flush – so keep the kids from flushing huge wads of toilet paper. To tell whether a “flushable wipe,” baby wipe, or feminine hygiene product IS flushable, leave it in a bowl of water for an hour or so and check to see whether it disintegrates. If it doesn’t, don’t flush it.

4. Wet-dry vacuum: secret weapon

Ever have a sink clog that won’t go away no matter what you do? Instead of using chemical drain cleaner — which I never recommend using — ever consider a using a wet-dry vacuum? Also known as a shop vac, this machine can help dislodge a severe clog in no time AND helps with clean up!

5. Turn the water off before you go on vacation

Consider the consequences: while you’re away, even a small leak or other issue such as plumbing problems from water backing up can prove disastrous. Left unchecked, these issues will continue to pour water into your home for days or weeks, depending on how long you are away. If you’re going to be away longer than 1 week, I would highly recommend turning your water off at the main. Then quickly relieve the water pressure from the kitchen faucet by opening the faucet until the water stops and then closing the faucet. When you come back from vacation, slowly turn the main back on. DO NOT open the valve quickly. Water is a hydraulic load and does not compress. Turning the water back on quickly can rupture water lines and fittings. Just take your time and don’t be in a rush.

6. Check for leaks after plumbing projects

I know I shouldn’t have to say this, but if you do decide to take on that DIY plumbing project. ALWAYS test your plumbing joints, water lines, and supply lines after install. You can imagine how many calls I get from people who did it themselves without testing before installing drywall, then get a nice surprise once they start using the fixture.

7. Do not overtighten connections

Whether you are tightening plumbing connections, fittings, or pipe, make sure not to over tighten them. I always say there is 3 kinds of tightness: hand tight, proper tight, and superman tight. If you are grunting or your wrench is slipping when your tightening, it’s way too tight. Make sure if you’re tightening a threaded connection to use proper sealant tape and pipe dope. In the trades there is the age-old debate over what should come first: tape then dope OR dope then tape. I prefer tape then dope, but I know there are other plumbers out there who will strongly disagree. We all know who is right here ; )

8. Use the garbage (garburator) disposal properly

I can’t say this enough: not all food is safe to put down the garbage disposal. Many food items can damage the garbage disposal or cause it to back up.

Avoid certain foods in the garbage disposal, including:

- - Grease and fat that can congeal
  - Pasta, bread, rice, and similar starchy items that expand when wet
  - Coffee grounds
  - Bones, shells, and other hard objects
  - Nuts, seeds, and pits
  - Tough meat
  - Food with membranes, such as onion layers and eggshells
  - Potato peels
  - Stringy and fibrous items
  - Non-food items