Plumbing follows the basic laws of nature — gravity, pressure, water seeking its own level.

The plumbing system in your home is composed of two separate subsystems. One subsystem brings freshwater in, and the other takes wastewater out. The water that comes into your home is under pressure. It enters your home under enough pressure to allow it to travel upstairs, around corners, or wherever else it’s needed. As water comes into your home, it passes through a meter that registers the amount you use. The main water shutoff, or stop, valve is typically located close to the meter. In a plumbing emergency, it’s vital that you quickly close the main shutoff valve. Otherwise, when a pipe bursts, it can flood your house in no time. If the emergency is confined to a sink, tub, or toilet, however, you may not want to turn off your entire water supply. Therefore, most fixtures should have individual stop valves.

Curious to learn more about plumbing? Give our office a call! We’d be happy to explain your system during our next visit. We think its important for everyone to understand plumbing basics, so they can communicate with us and take better care of their system.

When your garbage disposal breaks, it can be a big problem. Before you rush to call the plumber, figure out what the problem is. Some issues can be taken care of with a quick fix, others will need a whole system replacement.

Won’t turn on.
There could be a short in the wiring between the switch and the disposal, in which case replacing the wiring should be a quick fix for the problem. However, it’s also possible that you have a burned out motor. The motor comprises a large part of the disposal system, and replacing it is often not worth the cost. If your disposal motor isn’t functioning properly, you’re almost certainly better off just installing an entirely new system.

Destroyed Impeller
The impeller is the part of the disposal that is responsible for chopping up the food waste you put into the chamber. The impeller is not a set of sharp blades, as many people think, but a series of blunt propeller-like protuberances that chop things up by brute force. This puts a lot of stress on the part, and often part of it will break off. While it’s definitely possible to just replace part of the impeller, if the part is in poor enough condition you might want to consider replacing the entire system. Talk to a plumber to see what they think about your specific case.

We all need to work together to reduce our water usage in order to protect the planet. It only takes a few small changes to our daily habits to save significant amounts of water every year.

1. Use a timer for showers
By limiting everyone to 10 minutes or less, you can save water while keeping everyone on time in the mornings or at bedtime.

2. Reuse your towels
Instead of throwing your used towel in the hamper everyday, hang it up to dry and reuse it!

3. Be mindful of your laundry
Are your clothes really dirty? Unnecessary washing not only uses up extra water, but also precious energy and time! Only do laundry on items that really need to be washed, and always wash with cold water.

4. Install water-saving taps and appliances
A low-flow showerhead, a new faucet that doesn’t leak, or a more efficient washing machine or dishwasher can all help lower your impact. Small leaks or old faucets can cause huge amounts of accidental water waste.

5. Use sprinklers sparingly
Run sprinklers at night so the water makes a maximum impact. You should also make sure your sprinklers are all pointing in the right direction and in working order. A leaky or broken sprinkler can waste dozens of gallons of water weekly.

6. Use water consciously
Turn the water off while you brush your teeth or washing dishes. Every time you turn on the faucet, do so with attention, so you don’t accidentally leave it on longer than you should.

Give Millennium Plumbing a call to install these money and water saving items!

Spring is here! Keep your plumbing working all year round and try these spring cleaning tips for your pipes.

Check faucets for drips or leaks. Make repairs to save water.
Check toilets for hidden leaks. Add six drops of food coloring to the toilet tank. If the toilet is leaking, color will appear in the bowl within 30 minutes
Ensure that all drains have strainers to prevent hair, soap and debris from clogging the drain lines.
Inspect toilet tank and bowl for cracks or leaks.
Exercise water supply valves under sinks and toilets to prevent them from sticking.
Make sure toilets flush properly. If the handle must be held down for a thorough flush or jiggled to stop the water from running you may need to replace worn tank parts. They’re inexpensive and you’ll notice a lower water bill.
Check the temperature setting on the water heater. It should be set no higher than 120°F to prevent scalding and reduce energy use.
Carefully drain several gallons from the water heater tank to flush out corrosion causing sediment, which reduces heating efficiency and shortens the life of the heater. A great Spring Plumbing Tip.
Consider replacing a water heater more than 15 years old. (The first four numbers of the serial number represent the month and year it was made.) Newer water heaters are more energy efficient

Do you know what do in case of emergency? Make sure you and your family have a plan, and that you know how to prepare your home should the unthinkable happen. Follow these tips to be prepared:

1. Know where the water shut off valve is
In case of emergency, shutting off the water valve will reduce the risk of flooding. If you need to evacuate your home, shut off the water just in case.

2.Shut off electrical power
If the breaker box is safe to access during an emergency, turn it off. This can also help reduce the chance of further damage to your home. It can help eliminate fires, plus it won’t electrify any flooded water if that is a concern.

3. Install a whole-house backwater valve in the main line.
This will make solving big plumbing emergencies much easier. It allows you to plug up different drains if the sewage is backed up. Give us a call for quotes on this service. You’ll be glad you have it should an emergency occur.

Whether you’re a new home owner or just inexperienced with plumbing, it can seem very overwhelming. While we’re always happy to come help you, it’s important to learn how to properly care for your plumbing system and avoid major problems. Try these plumbing tips for beginners.

Manually Unclog Your Drain
Next time your shower or sink drain is clearing slowly, don’t buy expensive, chemical drain cleaners. These can damage the pipes and are not very effective. Instead, manually unclog a drain with a drain snake. Just insert into the drain and pull back out with the clog culprit attached. A wet/dry shop vacuum will also do the trick.

Check your shower head
If your shower head is dripping, invest in some thread tape. Unscrew the shower head, apply tape by wrapping in a clockwise direction, and reattach.

If the shower head is clogged, soak it in a bowl of warm water and vinegar for one hour. Then, use a small brush to loosen any mineral deposits that could be causing the blockage.

Water Heater
Check your water heater’s thermostat to make sure it’s not set too high. You should be able to go down to 115 degrees and still have enough hot water for your needs. You’ll also want to insulate your water heater’s tank with a blanket to keep water hot for longer.

During the busy holiday season, the last thing you want is a running toilet. Here is how to fix it.
Two common solutions are closing the flapper and adjusting the float.

Closing the flapper: Take the top off the back of your toilet tank. See the little arm with the chain? The chain is attached to the flapper. If the flapper is stuck open, your toilet is going to run…and run…and run. Check and see if the chain is kinked or hung up. Wikihow recommends threading the chain through a plastic straw if this is the problem.

The flapper may also be slightly misaligned – a simple adjustment may allow the flapper to land on the opening cleanly, creating the necessary seal.

Adjusting the float: The float is the balloon-looking plastic piece that floats on the water in your toilet tank. If the float is the problem, troubleshoot these possible solutions:

Make sure the float is set to the right level. If it’s floating too high, it will allow water to seep through the flapper.
Make sure the float isn’t rubbing against anything. If the flapper is touching other pieces of the flushing mechanism, it may not be able to work properly. Check the fill tube, too – if the fill tube is filling the toilet over the float, the water pressure may be preventing the float from, well, floating.
Make sure the float is still in working condition. A waterlogged float or a float assembly covered in limescale are signs that you need replacements. You can buy replacement parts at a hardware store or call a plumber for a quick fix.

If your toilet is overflowing, don’t panic! Before you get to the clog, you should turn off the water.

The first thing to do if the toilet is overflowing is to stop the flow of water. Typically, the best way to do this is the toilet’s main shutoff valve.

You should be able to see a water line leading from your bathroom wall to the toilet, and a hand-crank valve along that line. If not, it’s possible that your toilet’s valve is hidden behind the wall. In this case, you’ll need to call a plumber before you move forward.

Closing the valve will stop the flow from filling and give you time to clear the clog.

This valve unfortunately can get sticky or rusty if it isn’t used for many years. Before you get a clog, test the valve adn see if you can move it. If not, spray it with lubricant and try again. Every time you clean your bathroom, you should close and reopen the valve to test it and make sure its ready if there’s an emergency.

Fall is here, and winter is just around the corner. Temperatures can drop suddenly, and if you aren’t ready, you could run into a slew plumbing issues.
As it gets colder, take these simple plumbing precautions:

Disconnect outside water hoses. If left connected, water in the hoses can freeze and expand causing faucets and connecting pipes inside your home to freeze and break.
Make sure outside faucets aren’t dripping or leaking. Make the necessary repairs or call a plumber before freezing temperatures arrive. Be aware that when pipes freeze, water pressure builds causing cracks – no matter if the pipe is made of plastic, copper or steel. Even a tiny crack can unleash enough water to cause serious damage or flooding.
If your home is equipped with interior shut-off valves leading to outside faucets, close them and drain water from outside lines.
Cover outside faucets using a Styrofoam faucet insulation kit available at home centers.
Insulate pipes in unheated areas, such as garages or crawl spaces. Apply heat tape or thermostat-controlled heat cables around pipes that are exposed and prone to freezing.
Follow these tips to keep your home safe and avoid any major plumbing emergencies this fall. If you have any questions, give us a call!

Do you know all of these interesting plumbing facts?
If you have a leaky faucet that drips twice per minute, you’ll waste over a gallon of water in a week.
The flushing toilet was invented by John Harrington in 1596, which is where we get the nickname “the John.” We also call the toilet “the crapper” because of Thomas Crapper, who widely increased the popularity of it.
Ever hear the myth that when you flush a toilet in the Southern Hemisphere, the water flows the opposite direction? It’s not true. It’s possible for the water to flow either direction in either hemisphere.
The word “plumber” comes from the Latin word “plumbum,” which means “lead.”
There are two different types of plungers – a toilet plunger and a sink/shower plunger. Toilet plungers narrow at the bottom to fit into the toilet while sink/shower plungers are flat.
In 1939, Al Moen invented the single-handle faucet that can control hot and cold water in just one turn.
Insulating your home’s pipes can reduce the amount of heat lost as your water travels from your heater to your faucet. You’ll run less water waiting for it to warm up and save money on your utility bills.