Frequently Asked Questions

Save time and money with these quick tips from the experts at Foundation Plumbing & Heating.

Dealing with a clogged drain in a home or business is a gross hassle. The very moment that you need soiled water to drain away through your pipes, it backs up into sink basins, toilets, and bathtubs. When plumbing fixtures clog, it is never fun to deal with. Here are a few ways that you can prevent clogs from happening to you:
  • Discard kitchen scraps in the garbage instead of running the garbage disposal.
  • Keep cooking grease out of the sinks and pre-rinse dishes with detergent to bind grease before it enters pipes.
  • Provide wastebaskets to discard wipes and feminine products in the trash instead of flushing.
  • Have toilets inspected to ensure proper flush volume.
  • Keep toilet lids down to prevent foreign objects from falling in.
  • Install hair catchers to keep hair out of tub and sink drains.
Not every plumbing problem requires a plumber. Knowing the difference between a real problem and something you can handle on your own can empower you to make smart decisions about your plumbing. For example, most homeowners can plunge a toilet to remove a small blockage but most can’t change their own fixtures. Some reasons to call for help can be:
  • Clogged sewer lines
  • Gas leaks
  • Water heater installation
  • Water leaks
  • Water softener installation
  • Water filtration installation
Getting ready to hop in the shower only to find that there is no hot water can be frustrating. Instead of immediately calling a plumber, first, check a few things to try and fix the problem yourself.
  • Make sure the breaker hasn’t tripped.
  • Check for leaks around the water heater.
  • Ensure all valves are open to the bathroom, fixtures, and water heater.
  • Check the pilot light.
  • Make sure the gas bill got paid!
For problems like a breaker tripping or a pilot light going out, they can be easily fixed. Though, if they continue to happen you should call a plumber to check them out.
Second only to bathrooms, the kitchen is the room in the house with the most plumbing action. In the kitchen, plumbing is found in gas lines to appliances, water lines to sinks and dishwashers, and drains coming from sinks and garbage disposals. At any given time any one of these can fail and leave you with no water, no gas, or a sink full of dirty water. At Foundation Plumbing & Heating we can help with any kitchen plumbing issue. We can help with:
  • New appliance installation
  • Renovations
  • Replacing damaged sinks
  • Updating fixtures
  • Garbage disposal repair
Despite the reputation of fossil fuels, natural gas is one of the best choices to use to heat your home, your food, and your water. Natural gas burns cleanly and efficiently and gives the user greater control of what they need, whether that is cooking a delicious meal or heating water for a shower. New hot water heaters and tankless water heaters can improve on this already efficient fuel. New gas-powered water heaters can reach nearly 100% efficiencies and heat water very quickly. An added bonus of tankless water heaters is that they provide hot water instantly and endlessly.
Most homes in the US deal with some level of hardness in their water sources. Hardness is dissolved minerals in the water that come from the source that your city uses for water. Calcium and magnesium are the two minerals that most contribute to hardness and they can easily be removed from your water with a water softener. The benefits of installing a water softener are:
  • Healthier skin.
  • Cleaner, brighter clothes.
  • Dishes with no residue.
  • Greater longevity in pipes and appliances.
  • Better water flow due to reduced scale build-up.
  • Better tasting water.
While your utility bills go to treating the water that you drink, the standards by which clean water is defined can leave something to be desired. Often municipal water supplies still have large amounts of sediment, chemical contaminants, and biological agents. All of these can easily compromise your health. To remove these impurities from your water, you can install a whole home water filtration system to target the contaminants you want to remove. Foundation Plumbing & Heating are water quality experts and we’re ready to get you back on the path of health with cleaner water.

Take charge of your plumbing with good plumbing habits. For all other problems, call the professionals at (717) 850-1285. Our experienced professionals are ready to solve your problems.