Plumbing & Heating Questions

DCJ Plumbing and Heating is based in Whitecourt, Alberta, and works throughout the Barrhead area. If you’re not sure whether your home is in the area, call 780-779-1481 and ask.

Call 780-779-1481, or use the quote request form on the contact page. Say what’s going on, where you are, and roughly how old the equipment is. Photos help.

It depends on the job: what’s wrong, what parts are needed and how easy it is to get to. Call 780-779-1481 and describe what’s happening to talk through what’s involved.

Usually because the buildup was pushed further down rather than removed, or because grease, hair or wipes keep going down the drain. A drain that clogs again and again can also have a sag or damaged section that catches debris.

Keep the heat on, even when you’re away. Open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls so warm air reaches the pipes, and disconnect garden hoses before the first hard frost. Pipes in crawlspaces, garages and outside walls are the most likely to freeze.

In most homes it’s in the basement or utility room where the water line comes through the foundation wall, near the water meter on town water or the pressure tank on a well. Find it and make sure it turns before you need it.

If it’s one tap, a clogged aerator or cartridge is the usual cause. If it’s the whole house, it could be a valve, a pressure regulator, a leak, or water treatment equipment. If only the hot water is weak, look at the water heater side.

Most often the flapper at the bottom of the tank is worn and lets water leak into the bowl, so the tank keeps refilling. A fill valve set too high or a tangled chain can also cause it.

As a general guideline, many tank-style water heaters last around 8 to 12 years. That’s a typical range, not a promise: hard water, heavy use and skipped maintenance can shorten it.

When the tank itself is leaking, when the hot water is rusty and the tank is getting older, or when it needs repair after repair. A leaking tank body can’t be repaired.

Sediment and scale settle on the bottom of the tank, and water trapped under them boils and pops as the tank heats. Hard water makes it worse.

In a zoned boiler or in-floor system, one cold zone often points to a zone valve, a circulator pump or air in that loop. If every room is cold, look at the boiler or its controls first.

Most manufacturers recommend maintenance every year. Check your boiler’s manual for its schedule.

In-floor (hydronic radiant) heating runs warm water through tubing in the floor, usually heated by a boiler. The floor warms the room evenly from the ground up, with no blowing air.

Many high-efficiency boilers and water heaters vent through a side wall. If snow or ice blocks the vent or air intake, the appliance can shut down. Check them after every big snowfall.

Shut off the main water valve right away, open a faucet on the lowest floor to drain the pressure, keep away from water near outlets or the electrical panel, and call a plumber. Take photos for your insurance.

Don’t switch lights or appliances on or off, and don’t use your phone inside. Get everyone out of the house, then call 911 from outside. Don’t go back in until it has been checked and declared safe.