Modern Plumbing Features That Can Stump Upgrading Homeowners
If you have lived in older housing for a while -- housing that's never been upgraded, which is not unusual in many areas of the country -- it's normal to get used to how things work in that environment. You get used to the older appliances, the way the sinks react, and so on. If you're about to move into housing that's either new or that's been upgraded, though, the change in how some fixtures and appliances react can kind of surprise you. In fact, some of the changes can actually frustrate you as they may make the newer fixtures seem like they are more trouble than they're worth. However, they are worth using -- you just need to be aware of why they act the way they do.
Drain Connections
So you want to clean out your bathroom sink drain but can't get the plug out? No, it's not stuck. Very old sinks often had plugs that just sat in the drain on a ledge connected to the knob you'd pull up to lower the plug and seal the drain. But now, sink stoppers have a connection underneath the sink that prevents them from being pulled straight out. If you want to remove the stopper, you need to disconnect the structure under the sink. This is usually easy to do once you know what to look for, but for first-timers, it can be difficult because the connection is at an odd angle. After some practice, though, you can remove the stopper easily.
Temperamental Tankless Heaters
A tankless heater can be an economical way to heat water in a home that doesn't need to use much. However, they have their own quirks, and one of the really weird ones is that some tankless heaters will actually turn off if the water pressure and flow isn't high enough -- and that "low" flow is often the same as the flow out of low-flow showerheads. In other words, by trying to conserve water at the showerhead, you cause the tankless heater to shut off. Calling a plumber to figure out a good way to save water while still having hot water for a shower can really help -- it could be there's a different showerhead that you could use, or it could be that you need to replace the water heater.
Supersensitive Toilets
Toilets that clog a lot are so frustrating, especially when you are careful about how much goes down per flush. Ultra-low-flow toilets seem to have this problem a lot just because there is less water in the tank to push everything down. Toilets work on a very basic mechanical principle: The weight of the water descending from the tank shoves everything down through the pipes. The less water there is, the harder it is for the toilet to flush without clogging or letting material back up into the bowl. In this case, you likely need to get a different toilet, and a plumber can install that quickly for you.
Don't live your life frustrated at your plumbing. Call a plumber, such as from Brother's Plumbing, have the fixture checked out for major problems, and then look at modifications that could end the frustration.