How to thaw frozen pipes
A frozen pipe is a warning, not yet a flood. Here is how to thaw one safely, when to stop and what to do if it splits. Open page
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Plumbing Guides for Thornton Homeowners
Straight answers to the questions Colorado homeowners ask most: frozen pipes, hard water, water bills, toilets, drains and the shutoff valves that save a basement.
All guides
Each guide explains what is happening, what you can check on your own and when a phone call makes sense.
Tracking down a hidden leak
Reading the meter, dyeing the toilet tank and walking each room will turn up most leaks. Here is the order to do them in. Open page
Why the water bill is so high
A jump in the bill usually has a short list of causes: a leak, a seasonal change, an irrigation setting or a billing mistake. Here is how to sort them. Open page
Water heater leaking from the bottom
Pooling beneath a tank might trace to a fitting, a valve or a dead tank. Learn how to tell which, and what to do first. Open page
Low water pressure causes
Low pressure at one tap is usually a clog. At every tap it points to the valve, the regulator or the pipe. Here is how to sort it. Open page
Sewer smell in the house
A rotten egg or sewage smell has a short list of sources: a dry trap, a vent, a broken pipe or a backup. Here is how to track it down. Open page
Tree roots in the sewer line
Roots find tiny cracks and grow into a dense mat that catches everything. Here are the signs, the fixes and what keeps them from returning. Open page
Toilet will not flush
A toilet that will not flush usually has a handful of causes, from a lifted chain to a blocked main line. Here is how to sort them. Open page
Running toilet fix
A running toilet can waste thousands of gallons a year. The fix is usually a flapper, a fill valve or a chain, and takes minutes. Open page
PEX vs copper pipe
Both work. PEX is quick and flexible, copper has a long record. Here is how hard water, freezing and cost shape the choice. Open page
Water hammer: the banging pipes
A bang in the wall when a tap or washer shuts off is water hammer. Here is what causes it and which fixes work. Open page
Outdoor spigot leaking
A leaking hose bib wastes water and can freeze and split inside the wall. Here is how to repair it and how to protect it. Open page
Locating your main water shutoff
Know where it is before the flood. Here is how to find your main shutoff, test it and what to do if it will not turn. Open page
Hard water in Thornton
Thornton's water is hard. Here is what the city's own report says, what scale does to heaters and fixtures and what helps. Open page
Sprinkler backflow preventer winter care
The brass backflow assembly on your sprinkler line cracks if it freezes. Here is what it does and how to protect it. Open page
Prefer to talk to a person?
Skip the reading and phone the all-hours line. Describe the trouble, and a dispatcher will write down the details.