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There’s nothing worse than getting ready to start a plumbing project only to realize that you can’t turn off the water supply. Plumbing valves have a way of freezing up over time, and that can make it difficult to do even the simplest repairs. In this post, we’ll explore the best ways to unfreeze stuck valves. The Traditional Grease-and-Wrench Approach The traditional grease-and-wrench approach to opening a stuck shut off valve is basically a matter of trial and error. Start by turning off the main water shut off valve to the house. Then, spray down the stuck valve with penetrating […]
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Your water heater comes with a safety feature called a “temperature pressure relief valve.” When the pressure builds up inside of your water heater, the TPR valve releases it. The TPR valve is attached to a discharge pipe that aims the overflow at the floor or ground where your hot water heater is positioned. If the TPR valve were to malfunction, pressure inside the tank could cause the tank to explode, causing terrible damage to your home. You can see what would happen here: If the TPR valve starts to overflow and develops a constant drip, this is a sign […]
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So you’re thinking about buying a home and you’ve been looking at some properties that have sewer lines and other properties that have septic tanks. If you’re struggling to decide which one is better for you, it’s important to understand the differences between these two systems. Sewers and Septic Systems: A Brief Overview Before you can decide which system is better for you, you should first understand the very basics of how these systems work. Sewer systems are a series of underground pipes that haul away waste water from a home in a town. The waste water is then treated […]
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Replacing your sink is a step-by-step process. In today’s post, we’ll discuss the method for installing a kitchen sink drain. This process should be relatively easy for anyone with DIY plumbing skills. If you’ve never done your own plumbing before, we recommend starting with a project that’s a little more basic, like replacing the faucet or inner parts of your toilet. To get started, you should understand the anatomy of your kitchen drain. It consists of: Sink basket Tail piece (the long straight part that comes out of your sink) P-trap (the curvy part that hooks up to the tail […]
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Pipes bang sometimes. They bang, rattle, knock, whine and hammer. While these noises might occur because of a very minor plumbing problem, over time the banging can get annoying and destructive, doing damage to pipes and causing leaks. In this post, we’ll walk you through the potential causes of your noisy issue, and then we’ll suggest potential solutions. If Your Pipes Bang While the Water is Running Potential Solution #1: Loose pipe Here we start with the simplest explanation first. Suppose the problem is a pipe that has become loose and needs to be secured to the wall. While a […]
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Exposure to sewer gas can have a negative effect on a person’s health, causing migraines, respiratory problems, fatigue, dizziness and more. Fortunately, a sewer smell in your house is something that you can do something about. The most challenging part of taking care of a sewer smell is determining where the smell is coming from. In this post, we’ll explore a few of the issues that often accompany sewer smells and what can be done about those problems. Dried Up P-Trap The P-trap part of a drain is a curved bit of pipe that holds water. That water creates a […]
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When it rains, water is supposed to roll down the side of your roof and into your gutters, through the gutters to a downspout, into the downspout and away from your home’s foundation. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way. On some homes, water tends to drip behind the gutters, down the fascia and soffit and then either down the side of the house, or straight to the ground. If you’re not closely attuned to the behavior of your home’s water drainage system, you may not notice this occurrence. To be sure that your gutters are functioning the way they’re […]
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You could say it was only a matter of time before this was going to happen: Robots have taken over the city of Pittsburgh. …the sewers, anyway. On June 22nd of this year, a robotic sewer inspector called the Solo launched its career underground. The Solo is described as looking like “R2-D2’s accessory dog” or “a little tank with a camera on it,” but at Terry’s Plumbing, we think it looks like a hotdog in a bun, kind of like what you would buy at PNC Park. The Solo is a creation of the RedZone Robotics, a “provider of waste […]
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Buying a toilet is not as simple as you might think it is. We’ve put together this toilet buying guide to help educate you about your choices and help you make the right toilet purchase for your bathroom. Low Flow: What You Should Know Water usage standards have changed a lot in the last several years, and low flow toilets are now more than a novelty: they’re a standard. Toilets that use only 1.6 gallons per flush are the federal standard and are available for sale basically everywhere that toilets are sold. Low flow toilets have come a long way […]
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A French drain is a perforated tube that allows water to enter while keeping soil out. Exterior French drains are buried in the soil and surrounded by gravel. The gravel acts like a filter, allowing water to sift down to the pipe while providing support for the soil. The entry point for a French drain is usually found at the top of a grade, maybe or maybe not connected to a home gutter system downspout. Over time, French drains can be compromised by tree roots, stray soil, gravel and other debris. Regardless of whether or not your French drain has […]
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