When you’re an expert in your field, you’re always going to have family, friends, and even strangers asking you particular burning questions.

It’s no different for your local plumber in Footscray! There are some things about plumbing that people are just dying to know the answer to. So, we’ve taken the hard work out of it, and asked an expert plumber here at NLK Plumbing to answer 3 of our most commonly asked questions.

1. Why Does My Toilet Keep Running?

It’s frustrating to hear the toilet still running long after it was flushed. Most people will do the old trick of pushing the flush button multiple times until it stops. But if it keeps running, there’s a problem of some kind. In most cases, a running toilet is caused by the flapper inside the tank, not closing properly or making a proper seal around the valve. Depending on why it won’t close properly, jiggling the handle can lodge it back into place. If that doesn’t work there could be debris stuck in it, so make sure it’s clean before trying to lodge it back into place. If this still doesn’t work, the flapper may be worn out and need to be replaced. You may be able to find the parts at your local hardware store, but you can save yourself the hassle by calling in your local Footscray plumber to handle the dirty work for you.

2. Can You ‘DIY’ Clearing Blocked Drains?

Blocked drains are another common household problem that people try to fix themselves, because they don’t want to spend the money on a plumber. Blocked drains Footscray wide can be caused by many different things, including hair, leaves, food scraps, oil and grease – right through to larger items that have fallen down the drain or toilet. The roots of trees have also been known to grow down along water pipes, crack them, and cause blockages. If it is a minor blockage, you could try and fix it yourself with a homemade drain cleaner, a chemical drain cleaner, or by using a drain snake. You should be aware though, these might not fix the problem, especially if you don’t know what is actually causing the blockage. Chemical drain cleaners can also be very toxic and bad for your pipes, causing further deterioration. Likewise, drain snakes have made some client’s drain problems worse, and they have needed to call a plumber for their emergency plumbing in Footscray. It’s always a good idea to get a qualified plumber to check out the pipes for you, from the very beginning.

3. Why Do I Keep Running Out of Hot Water?

So you’ve cut down your shower time, but you still find yourself experiencing cold showers. We know this is a real pain, especially in winter. So, if this keeps happening to you, you should call in your plumber because it could be an issue with your hot water system. Hot water systems only have a lifespan of about 10 years, and there are a lot of parts in the system that need to be in working order so you can get hot water. If one of the heating elements is faulty or the dip tube is broken, you will need to get it looked at straight away by a plumber, and they will be able to tell you if it is fixable or you will need to replace the whole system.

If there is anything wrong with the plumbing in your home, before you find yourself in hot water in Footscray, make sure you call or email the team at NLK Plumbing, and they will sort you out.