Our Plumbing Blog

Plumbing Tips

Dip tubes are important to the operation of your gas or electric water heater. The dip tube is a long plastic tube that fits into

Plumbing

Are you worried about your toilet leaking? There are lots of places where a toilet can leak. Water pooling around the base of the

Drains

Mr. Rooter Plumbing^® shares helpful information on how to ensure your trap primer is working as it should to prevent dry drains and associated bad smells!

• Trap Primer Purpose and Location: A trap primer keeps drain traps filled with water to prevent sewer gases from entering buildings through dry drains. They’re common in rarely used drains (e.g., garages, basements, vacation homes), and are often required by code for commercial or industrial floor drains.
• Signs of a Failing Primer: Several signs indicate a failing primer, with sewer smells being the most common, followed by a dry trap, a leaking primer, gurgling drains, and inconsistent, limited, or no water flow.
• DIY Maintenance Tips: Check for proper installation, test by activating connected fixtures, inspect for leaks, and clean debris from the outlet every 3–6 months.
• Primer Types: Options include continuous flow, pressure-activated, flush valve-operated, electronic, and manual trap primers.
• Why Drains Smell: Dry P-traps allow sewer gases (like hydrogen sulfide) to escape. Flush them with hot water or clean them with baking soda and vinegar to eliminate odors.

Pro Tips

A thermostatic mixing valve, also known as a water heater mixing valve, is a crucial plumbing component installed in homes and businesses to prevent scalding.

Plumbing Tips

Out of sight, out of mind. Pumping your septic tank is one of the easiest home maintenance tasks to forget about.

Plumbing Tips

A drainage catch basin is an engineered drainage structure with the sole purpose of collecting rainwater or snowmelt and transporting it to local waterways, mainly through underground piping.