dishwasher

Top 5 reasons your dishwasher didn’t drain

dishwasher

The humble dishwasher…it’s a modern appliance we take for granted. And when it breaks we are sent straight back into flashbacks of our childhood ‘drying up rosters’ and kitchens that took an hour to clean if dad had been cooking. So, before you break into a cold sweat and call the repairman, what should you check if your dishwasher has stopped draining?  Thanks to ipswichplumbing.com.au for the tips!

  1.    THE DOOR ISN’T CLOSED PROPERLY

Since the simplest explanation is often correct, checking that your dishwasher door is latched correctly is often the best place to start. It’s possible your son didn’t close the door properly when he snuck that cup in midway through the cycle. Or perhaps the door isn’t latching properly altogether? Either way, it’s the best place to start.

  1.    THE DISHES WERE TOO DIRTY

If you have a newer dishwasher that is relatively good at cleaning food from plates, you might be tempted to put dishes in there a little dirtier than normal. And whilst your dishwasher might be doing a great job of getting those dishes clean, those little bits of food need to go somewhere. If you’re frequently finding yourself with a dishwasher that won’t empty, it might be because your dishes haven’t been rinsed properly when they went in…leaving food to back up in the drain or overfill the catcher.

  1.    THE FOOD CATCHER IS FULL

Ahh…the food catcher. That wonderfully gross basket sitting in the bottom of your dishwasher that you beg your husband to empty every couple of months. How long has it been since you’ve fished that thing out and given it a good clean? If your dishwasher isn’t draining, it unfortunately might be time to roll up your sleeve and pull it out.

  1.    THE DRAIN HOSE IS BLOCKED

Okay, so you made it through the first two steps and your dishwasher is still not draining on a normal cycle? It might be time to check the hose connection. This is where it can get a little smelly….

     Pull your dishwasher out, making sure the power is switched off at the wall.

     Check to see if there are any kinks in the hose.

     Check to see if the hose is blocked. You’ll need to disconnect it from the dishwasher itself and should have some old towels and an old toothbrush handy to help remove any blockages.

  1.    YOU NEED A REPAIRMAN

If you’ve gone through all the troubleshooting steps, reset your cycle and you still can’t get your dishwasher to drain, it might be time to call in the cavalry. Some possible other issues that a professional might be able to assist with include:

     Replacing the drain hose

     Checking electricals

     Checking cracks on the sealing of the door

     Looking for leaks

     Inspecting the pre-heating mechanism.

 

Frequent Causes of Clogging In Bathrooms

bathroom clogClog in the bathroom happens at some point, but it can be avoided. Understanding your plumbing system is key if you want to avoid plumbing issues. Below are the common causes of bathroom clogging.

Soap Byproduct

Perhaps you did not think of soap byproduct to one of the causes of bathroom clogging. There are certain ingredients in the soap when mixed with water leaves behind a hard residue called soap scum. Soap scum not only leaves an messy look on your bath fixtures, but it can also congest your pipes. A thorough drain cleaning can remove soap scrub that may be clogging the drain.

Hair

It’s likely that you already know how taxing hair is to your plumbing system. A little hair washed down the drain adds up over time. Most of the time, it isn’t the hair itself that’s the problem, it’s the hair that gets caught in preexisting sludge and grime coating your pipes. When this happens, clogs are much more common. You can reduce the likelihood of these clogs happening by getting a drain cover for your shower.

Feminine Wipes, Personal Care Products

Never let these items travel down your drain–especially if your plumbing is older. Just like what hair can do to your pipes, feminine hygiene products can cause clogging in your pipes. The material of these products catches in preexisting grime and causes blockages. Although wet wipes may advertise themselves as flushable, they never truly are, the material of wet wipes is a major cause for clogs.

Small Objects

Small objects can cause clogging in the bathroom. If you have shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and other items sitting in your shower, you’ve probably knocked one of these items over or dropped an item before. This causes clogs when caps or other small objects from these items accidentally fall down your drain. These create almost immediate clogs, but a plumber can always fix this issue for you.

Why Is Hiring A Plumbing Company Advantageous?

emergency plumbing service basin pocketPipes and fixtures in your home need regular maintenance to keep them in good condition. A well-maintained pipe system will allow better distributions of water and/or gas and proper disposal of sewage. This is the area where you can count on a professional plumbing company.

Why is hiring a plumbing company advantageous?

Using professional plumbing services will allow you to get immediate solution to your plumbing needs. Never disregard or delay any plumbing repairs or maintenance as it may become a bigger problem in the future. Many people tend to call a professional plumber only when a plumbing problem calls for emergency repair.

Your plumbing system also needs regular maintenance services to prevent serious plumbing repairs. This is why hiring a reliable plumbing expert makes sense.

It is very common for homeowners to do what they can to fix a plumbing problem. However, some plumbing situations are not easy to detect or repair. Basic plumbing problems may be a task that homeowners can do but when it comes to plumbing issues that require experience and expertise you need the help of a plumbing company who has trained staff to unclog toilets and drains, repair leaking pipes and fix busted pipes that may cause water damage to furniture.

Another thing about professional plumbing service is the tools and equipment they have for any plumbing problems. Professionals are well-equipped to handle different problems of plumbing. They are trained to find the main source of the problem and offer lasting solutions and not just quick fixes.

Professional companies offer various plumbing services and are also dependable when it comes to gas fitting services as many certified plumbers are trained and able gas fitters. In case you need emergency plumbing services, these professionals are up to the challenge as many companies offer prompt services.

Do You Really Need To Hire A Plumber?

emergency plumbing services dinmorePlumbing problems happen all the time and may cause a big distraction to your daily routine. While you can take care of some plumbing problems, there are cases that you really need a residential plumber for your home and fix your drain.

Do you know that plumbers do not just fix drains since they also have other services which you can ask them to do? When it comes to unclogging drains, they mostly have the most up to date de-clogging technology to carefully remove those unwanted blockages.

They can also remove the unnecessary soap scum, grease, build up organic matter and so on. For difficult clogs, they can even do a video camera inspection to see where the clogs, possible cracks, root infiltrations, and leaks are happening.

They also do the installation, repair, and do replacement of toilets, faucets, sink and even water heater. When leaks in your house occur, make sure that you fix this right away since more problems can occur if you just ignore or delay the repair of it.

Other plumbers are capable of providing service and repair for natural gas fixtures and appliances. However, you will have to make sure that the plumber is certified and well-equipped to provide gas fitting services.

Plumbers are not created equal so make sure you hire a plumber that is professional and service oriented. Whether you just want to add a new appliance in the basement, or just need minor plumbing repair, it is necessary to always look for a well-equipped plumber to ensure quality service and guaranteed result.

What To Do When You Find Your Tap Water Is Brown

What should you do if you find your tap water is brown? Can you still drink from it? There are several reasons why the tap water in your house is producing such discolourations especially when you commonly know the water quality in your area.

Brown flakes appearing. If there are brown flakes coming from the tap while the water quality is still clear, there is a chance that the plumbing in your house is already corroded and these chips that are joining the water are coming from them.

Rusty colour. Rusty coloured water that comes out from your tap can be a yellowish or dark brown to black which is caused when there is a pipe maintenance, burst main pipes, fire hydrant testing, or natural causes. This rusty colour mostly goes out on its own and your water quality will be back to its old self so you do not have to worry when this happens.

What should you do if there is brown water coming out from your tap?

Do not worry first and don’t panic. Check your home if the discoloured water is coming only from one tap or if it is happening to all your faucets. Also, check if your neighbours are experiencing the same water issue or if it is only your house that is having a problem.

If your neighbours are also experiencing your dilemma, this is a good sign that there may be a water maintenance happening in your neighbourhood. If your house is the only one having water problems, there is maybe a chance that something is wrong with your water pipes. Contact a plumbing service provider especially if the quality of water coming out from the taps are not safe to use.

Factors That Determines The Cost Of Plumbing Services

emergency plumbing service basin pocketWhile most homeowners in Australia place extra care with their plumbing and gas fitting needs, they are also cautious when it comes to the price of such services. Plumbing services mostly cost around $80 an hour but can go for $75 an hour for a simple gas fitting job and $90 an hour for complex repairs and installations.

Factors that determine the cost

On average, a gas fitting or piping cost can go around $225, but this only applies to straightforward tasks that do not require removal of the existing pipes.

If the gas fitting has some issues, you will need to check the average rates to determine how much you need to spend once they are done.

Factors that will determine the prices are:

  • Size of the house
  • Number storeys
  • Difficulty of the task
  • Removal of existing pipes
  • Materials needed

Residents in New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and Victoria are paying gas fitters around $80 per hour. The Australian Capital Territory is paying slightly higher with $84 per hour while Western Australia cost is the highest at $99.50 per hour for the services of a gas fitting company.

Total cost for such services can go around $1,100 to around $4,500 and these are mostly depending on the simplicity and complexity of the job.

For instance, the total cost of $1,100 can be because of a damaged water pipe that made the hot water system leaked which required pipe replacement. While the total cost of $4,500 is for the services of also a pipe replacement of a hot water system that is located inside the wall of a bathroom duct.

Before you hire a gas fitting contractor, make sure they are qualified and that they are experienced so that they will be able to do the quality service that is right for your money.