Why Your Drain Backs Up or Runs Slowly Only During and After Heavy Rain
Drains that back up or run slowly only during or after heavy rain are pointing to a fundamentally different problem than a standard clog, and the solution is different too. The cause is almost always one of three things: your home connects to a combined…
What Happens Inside Your Sewer Line When a Crack or Offset Goes Unrepaired
A cracked or offset sewer pipe that is discovered during a camera inspection and then left unaddressed does not stay in the same condition. The structural failure progresses through a predictable sequence: the opening grows, roots establish themselves through it, surrounding soil migrates inward, the…
What Plumbing Changes Are Required to Convert a Half Bath to a Full Bathroom
Converting a half bathroom to a full bathroom requires adding a shower, tub, or combination shower-tub to a space that currently has only a toilet and sink. From a plumbing standpoint, this means adding a new drain connection to the existing drain system, running both…
What Is a Grease Trap and How Often Does a Connecticut Restaurant Need It Cleaned
A grease trap, also called a grease interceptor, is a plumbing device installed on the drain lines of commercial kitchens to capture fats, oils, and grease, collectively known as FOG, before they reach the municipal sewer system. Connecticut municipalities including Bridgeport have updated their grease…
Why Your Shower Knob Keeps Spinning Without Actually Turning the Water Off
A shower knob or handle that spins freely without changing the water flow or shutting the shower off usually means the cartridge inside the valve has failed or the connection between the handle and the stem has stripped. The handle is no longer engaging the…
Why Your Bathtub Drain Smells Like Sewer and What That Odor Is Telling You
A sewer smell coming from your bathtub drain is almost always caused by one of four things: a dry P-trap that has lost its water barrier, biofilm buildup on the drain surfaces, a clogged or blocked plumbing vent stack, or, less commonly, a deteriorated P-trap…
Warning Signs of a Water Leak Under Your Kitchen Sink Before Damage Spreads
Most under-sink leaks in the kitchen do not announce themselves with a sudden flood. They start as small drips at pipe connections, supply lines, or the drain tailpiece and progress gradually over days or weeks, causing damage to the cabinet floor, the subfloor below it,…
What Phantom Flushing Means and Why Your Toilet Refills Without Being Flushed
Phantom flushing, also called ghost flushing, is the phenomenon where a toilet fill valve activates and refills the tank by itself at regular intervals without anyone having flushed it. The tank simply runs for 20 to 30 seconds, fills, stops, and then repeats the cycle…
Why Your Shower Diverter Won’t Switch the Water From the Tub to the Showerhead
A shower diverter that won’t switch the water from the tub spout to the showerhead is almost always caused by mineral buildup, corrosion, or a worn rubber seal inside the diverter mechanism, and in most cases it can be cleaned, freed up, or replaced without…
Why Your Dishwasher Stopped Draining Right After You Installed a New Garbage Disposal
If your dishwasher suddenly stopped draining right after a new garbage disposal was installed, the most likely cause is a small plastic knockout plug still sitting inside the disposal’s dishwasher inlet port, blocking the connection completely. Every new residential garbage disposal ships from the factory…