Larkinplumbing.net

The Truth About Plumbing in Las Vegas

by Larkin Plumbing

It's true:

• Because of the aggressive hard water in the Las Vegas valley, any device that uses water, such as the water heater, faucets, toilets, washing machine, shower heads, even your coffee maker and ice maker will last longer if you have a correctly functioning water softner.

• Crushing up a couple of handfuls of ice cubes in the garbage disposal every once in a while usually helps in keeping the odors down in the kitchen. It's a good idea to throw some enzyme in it also just before going to bed, as it kills a lot of the odors coming up from the disposal.

• You generally get more life from an electric water heater than with a gas water heater. That's because the flame from a gas water heater heats the actual tank and then the tank heats the water. This causes the tank to expand when getting hotter and contract when cooling down. An electric water heater has immersed elements that actually heat the water, and that keeps the tank from expanding and contracting as much.

• Using less hot water actually does increase the life of a water heater.

• Flushing your water heater every six months or so will add to the life of your water heater.

• Changing the anode (sacrifice) rod in your water heater each year is arguably one of the best things you can do to extend the life of your water heater. But be careful, getting your old anode rod out of the heater is not as easy as you may think; the manufacturer really socks them in tight.

• A glass-lined electric water heater is actually lined with porcelain glass. Never buy a dented or used water heater, the glass lining may be cracked, leaving the bare metal exposed to the water. Remember that the metal tank of a water heater is only about 1/32" thick and is only cold steel, not even galvanized.

• An electric water heater will cost about three to four times as much to heat water as a gas water heater.

• A typical electric water heater will heat only 16 gallons of water per hour. A typical shower can use up to 12 or 14 gallons of hot water (teenagers will use more of course). And one load of laundry using hot water will easily use 12 to 18 gallons of water. As you can see, a 40-gallon electric water heater won't last long supplying the need of a normal family.

• Always run the water in the kitchen sink for another 15 seconds after using the garbage disposal. This will allow the water to push the waste further down the line to the house main drain.

• Using an enzyme, such as our Bio Clean drain cleaner is one of the best forms of preventative maintenance programs a homeowner can do for the kitchen sink, laundry, and bathroom basin drain problems.

Contact us @ info@larkinplumbing.net