How a Water Softener works

A water softener is necessary when a home has “hard water”. Hard water contains an abundance of calcium or magnesium. This can cause two major problems. It can make “scale” form on the inside of the pipes. The calcium and magnesium permeate out of the water and stick to the pipes; this reduces the flow through the pipes causing the pipes to eventually clog. Another problem caused by scale is it reacts with soap to form a scum and reduces the soap’s ability to lather; this is turn makes showering less effective.

A water softener replaces the calcium and magnesium ions in the water with sodium ions. To replace the ions the water in the home runs through a chemical matrix or through a small bed of plastic beads. These beads are covered with sodium ions. The beads only contain calcium or magnesium and eventually stop softening the water.
Next regeneration takes places: the beads are soaked in a stream of sodium ions. The water softener creates a brine solution and flushes it through the beads. The brine replaces all of the calcium and magnesium that was built up with sodium. The leftover brine and all of them calcium and magnesium are flushed out through a drain pipe.

Read more about installing a water softener in your home>>

Quick Tips for Conserving Water in your Home:

• Check your home’s water pressure to make sure it is below 80 pounds per square inch. Anything above this number can be destructive to your home’s plumbing system and lead to an over usage of water.


• During a time when you are not using any water check your water meter. Re-check the meter reading again after eight hours. If the meter is different it may mean there is a water leak that needs to be fixed.


• Over 40 percent of your home’s water usage is due to flushing your toilets. By installing a new flapper and fill valve it will help your toilets run more efficiently.


• A new showerhead can help you save up to 7.5 gallons of water per minute while showering and will not effect your water pressure.


• Repairing all your leaky faucets can save up to 150 gallons worth of wasted water each day, and 4,500 gallons per month.
  

For information about water quality in your home visit our website>>

Toilet Tragedies

When a toilet in your home backs up, fails to flush, leaks, or continues to run it becomes a major problem for all members of your household. We have provided a few quick-fix tips to getting to the bottom of your bowl.

Clogging
A plunger will not always fix your toilet clogging problem, but usually a toilet auger will do the trick. If neither of these unclogging methods are successful it is time to call Russo Bros. & Co. If your toilet clogs frequently you may need to assess the items you are flushing down your toilet or upgrade to a power-flush model.

Leaking
Water on the floor around your toilet could be due to: a leak in the water pipes, a broken toilet gasket, condensation from the tank, or a jarred toilet assembly. Check for any visible leaks on the outside of the bowl and for condensation. If the leak is inside the toilet you may need to call Russo Bros. & Co.

Running
A running toilet is usually the most manageable toilet problem. First, lift the lid off of your toilet. Usually it is a broken seal that prevents the toilet valve from allowing water into it after the tank refills. Another common occurrence is that the flap valve or chain has worn out or broken. Before performing any work make sure to shut off the toilet’s water supply. If the problem seems out of your control or you find that you have taken your toilet apart and are unable to reassemble it give Russo Bros. & Co. a call and we will perform an emergency visit to your home.

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Longing for a hot shower…

Is your shower not running hot water? Are you experiencing only cold water running through all of your faucets and fixtures or is it just your shower? This constant cold water flow could be due to a number of different issues.

If all of the fixtures in your home are having cold-water issues, the water heater in your home could be the problem. First, begin by checking your water heater’s temperature to see if it is set on the proper setting. If the heater is an electric model, check for a blown fuse. If the heater is a gas unit the pilot light may need to be relit. After relighting the pilot light, if there is still no hot water there could either be an impediment in the flue, a malfunctioning part, a defective temperature control or a buildup of sediment.

The pipes in your shower could be another cause for a lack of hot water. Unless your home has copper piping, which hardly ever corrodes, you may need to inspect and replace your galvanized steel pipes. The issue may also be that you need to check your hot water valve. If your hot water valve is only slightly open or not open at all you will need to widen the opening.

After checking the water heater and pipes if you do not find anything wrong the problem could also lie in the valve in your shower. After time the rubber parts in the valve become worn out, they may begin to bulge and block the waterways. When the water temperature passing through the valve increases the valve enlarges, this leads to parts falling off and obstructing the hot water valve.

Diagnosing your own hot water problem is not always easy. If you are experiencing a shortage of hot water in your home call Russo Bros. & Co. and we will gladly come inspect the possible problem areas and give you an estimate on the spot.

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Have a Drain that Always Clogs?

If you have a drain that continuously becomes clogged, you're not alone.  At least one in five homes has a similar problem with a tub, shower, sink, toilet, or drain. If you're like most people, you've probably used a plunger or poured a chemical down the drain to free the blockage.

Don't!

Over time, drains and pipes become impacted, and a "sludge" forms around the inside of the pipes. Snaking or plunging may temporarily assuage the clog, but they don't eliminate the cause. And if you use chemicals, you may be harming your pipes and fixtures.

When you have a drain with consistent problems, call a professional, like Russo Bros. & Co.  We will send a highly qualified technician in a fully stocked truck to assess the situation.  They can find out if it really is just a clump of hair causing a clog, or something more serious, like a tree root that's slowly destroying your piping.

Learn more about our drain cleaning service >>