When To Call For A Water Heater Repair If You Suspect a Leak

Posted by on Oct 10, 2016 in Leak Repair Service Longview TX, Plumber Longview TX, Water Leak Repair Service Longview TX | 0 comments Cold weather is on its way to East Texas and the last thing you want to have to worry about is a water heater repair.  Unfortunately, there are a number of things that can go wrong with a water heater that will require a repair or a replacement of the whole unit.  If you don’t seem to have as much hot water as you need or there’s water on the floor around your water heater, you may have a leak, which is one of the more common water heater problems.  Here are some of the reasons your water heater may be leaking and how to know if they mean you’ll need a water heater repair: Condensation If your water heater is new, it may leak for a few days after installation.  Often a new water heater sits in a warehouse for a length of time before making its way to your home.  During that time, humidity can accumulate inside the insulated lining of the tank and once the unit is connected, heated and filled with water, this humidity is released – resulting in a small puddle on your garage floor.  However, water on the floor after the first couple of days could be a sign of a problem that your installer should be notified about. Leaking Plumbing Connections Take a look at the plumbing connections on the top and bottom of the tank.  Use a dry rag or paper towel to wrap around connection points to see if water is seeping out.  If you find that it is and you feel brave enough to retighten or replace connectors, make sure you unplug the unit first and turn off the water inlet.  For most people, this kind of repair can be daunting and it can also void a warranty so proceed with caution.  Always make sure you have a plumber you trust on call in case you can’t fix the problem yourself. Leaking Pressure-Relief Valve The pressure-relief valve, or T&P valve, is a safety feature on all water tanks that allows for the release of water when the pressure gets too high inside the tank.  The T&P is almost always clearly marked on the unit, either with a stamp on the metal body of the tank reading, “T&P Valve,” or with a warning tag or both.  It’s also designed with a pipe that directs water away from the heater.  If...
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How To Know When It’s Time For A New Water Heater Installation

Posted by on Sep 12, 2016 in Plumber Longview TX, Water Heater Installer Longview TX, Water Heater Repair Longview TX | 0 comments At Bird Dog Plumbing in Longview, TX, we know a thing or two about water heaters and water heater installation.  We know that most water heaters work so well for so long that it’s easy to take them for granted – until they stop working.  When your home’s water heater malfunctions, it can impact and interrupt many of the activities you do in your home on a daily basis, like doing laundry, washing dishes and bathing.  So, what are some of the clues you should look for that might mean your water heater is about to disappoint you? You Have No Hot Water At All If you’re not getting any hot water out of any tap, check your circuit breakers or fuses first to see if one is tripped or blown.  After that, check the reset button on your water heater limit switch, which will shut your water heater off if there’s a problem.  If you replace a fuse, reset your circuit breaker or limit switch and everything seems to go back to working the way it should – the water is hot and the fuses and breakers don’t blow or trip again – then your system should be all right but if any of the problems recur, it’s time to call us at Bird Dog Plumbing. The Water Is Too Hot This is a serious issue because water that is too hot coming out of the faucet can scald or burn.  It can be caused by a thermostat that may not be working properly or was set too high when the water heater was installed.  Call for professional help immediately. You Don’t Have As Much Hot Water As You Expect Once again, your water heater’s thermostat may be the problem when you notice that the water turns cold halfway through a shower or when you seem to have to wait forever to get hot water for washing dishes after someone has taken a shower.  The thermostat may need to be adjusted to a higher setting.  One or both of your heating elements could be bad or there could be loose wiring to one of them. Your Water Looks Rusty Or Smells Funny Two things inside your water heater can cause your water to look rusty or even black; one is a buildup of scale on the heating elements and another is a disintegrating anode rod.  The purpose of...
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How a Clogged Restaurant Drain Can Become a Problem

Posted by on Jul 18, 2016 in Clogged Drain Longview TX, Plumber Longview TX | 0 comments When you run a restaurant, a fully functional kitchen is your livelihood and a clogged drain can cause a lot of problems. There are several common culprits that cause drains to become backed up. Whether at home or a business, a clogged drain can be a big problem. Foreign objects in a drain can be a big plumbing problem. Kitty litter, paper towels and hygiene products can end up in the pipes and cause a backup. Hair can cause drains to become clogged as well. If something inside the pipe is broken, a professional can help seek out the issue and resolve it as soon as possible to get things running smoothly once again. The most common plumbing problem professional kitchens face is grease and fat getting into the drains. Grease and fat don’t do well in pipes and end up solidified. This backs up the drain and has to be removed by a plumber. If your business relies on a fully functional kitchen, this can get in the way of your bottom line. These are some of the things that can lead to a clogged restaurant drain. By calling Bird Dog Plumbing, you can get your business back up and running. Clogged Restaurant Drain Longview TXBird Dog Plumbing LLC2206 Balsam StLongview, Texas...
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Even a Small Gas Leak Can Be Dangerous to Your Health

Posted by on Jun 20, 2016 in Leak Repair Service Longview TX, Plumber Longview TX | 0 comments The common assumption that if there is a gas leak in your home in Longview, TX, you will be able to smell it right away. For a large leak, this is true, but a small leak is often hard to detect with your nose and even small leaks can cause damaging effects on your health. The symptoms that can be directly related to gas inhalation include: Headaches Memory Loss Nausea Fatigue Abdominal Pain Bird Dog Plumbing can conduct an inspection of your home to detect if there are any gas leaks present. Keep the air in your home safe for those you care about. Call us today at (903)225-2272 to schedule an appointment or visit us online at www.birddogplumbingllc.com. Gas Leak Longview TXBird Dog Plumbing LLC2206 Balsam StLongview, Texas...
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Clogged Drain Longview TX: What’s Clogging Your Drains

Posted by on May 10, 2016 in Plumber Longview TX | 0 comments Anyone who lives in a house with indoor plumbing has experienced the joy of a clogged drain Longview TX.  The problem isn’t just that water stops going down the drain, it’s that everything you were trying to wash down the drain with the water backs up into your house and onto your floors.  The best thing you can do to solve the problem of clogged drains is to avoid getting them in the first place — and you can do that by identifying the most common causes of drain blockages. Clogged Drain Longview TX:  Foreign Objects Foreign objects are things that end up in the toilet that aren’t supposed to end up in the toilet, like cat litter, baby wipes, paper towels and feminine hygiene products.  If you have children in your home, examples of foreign objects that shouldn’t end up in the toilet are infinite.  Children flush anything and everything, including toys, keys, pet food, human food, cell phones and much more.  Talk to everyone who uses the toilets in your home so they know the rules about what flushes and what doesn’t flush and consider getting childproof toilet lid locks to thwart the really young children in your home. Plumbers Longview TX:  Hair If your household is full of people with long hair, you probably wash large chunks of hair down the drain — in the sink or the tub — and you’ve probably spent many fun-filled evenings pulling wads of hair mixed with shampoo, soap and saliva out of the drain of a sink or tub that has standing water in it.  In addition to not letting hair flow freely into the drains, consider installing a plastic hair catcher in your tub drain and try to resist the temptation to use caustic drain cleaners, as these can be damaging to your pipes. Clogged Drain Longview TX:  Grease and Fat When you’re cooking, you often don’t think about the food remnants or cooking residue you’re pouring down the sink.  That’s because, for the most part, everything pushes out of your pipes pretty effectively, even the items that probably shouldn’t be there in the first place.  Used grease and fat, even in their liquid states, should never be washed down your kitchen sink drain.  Though you may think that flushing with hot water makes everything alright, at some point in your pipes, liquid grease and fat solidify into...
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Using Vinegar Before Calling Your Plumber Longview TX

Posted by on Apr 26, 2016 in Plumber Longview TX | 0 comments Having a clogged drain does not have to mean purchasing harsh chemicals before you call the plumber Longview TX. In fact Bird Dog Plumbing at 903-225-2272 are the right people to call for any of your plumbing needs. But you can try some items you have in your home for smaller clogs first. Pour some really hot water down the drain and then pour in some baking soda. Then, add some white vinegar and then cover the drain with either the plug or a plate. Leave it there for a couple of minutes and when you come back the drain should be unclogged. Baking soda and vinegar not enough? Call Bird Dog Plumbing at 903-225-2272 anytime you need a plumber Longview TX. Plumber Longview TXBird Dog Plumbing LLC2206 Balsam StLongview, Texas...
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