John's Plumbing FAQs

The overflow pipe is actually a temperature and pressure relief valve. Most water heater relief valves are set to discharge water at 150 psi or 210 degrees. So, if your water pressure or temperature is too high, the valve may discharge water.

When a food disposer becomes jammed, the cutting blades can’t rotate and the electric motor makes a humming noise when the power is turned on. Most food disposers have an allen head bolt on the bottom that can be manually rotated to help free the jammed blades. Disconnect the power and try to rotate the bolt with the appropriate allen wrench.

Rest assured that 90% of our leak detection calls turn out to be a running toilet. An easy way to check your toilet is to put a small amount of food coloring in the toilet tank and see if it leaks into the bowl.

Hydro jetting is basically a large pressure washer with a long hose that is inserted into a drain pipe. The high pressure water discharges through a special nozzle that cleans the pipe and pulls the hose down the pipe.

PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) is a flexible plastic pipe that's used for hot and cold water. It was introduced in the US in the 1980s and has become the most widely-used water distribution piping system.