How To Repair – Wilbur Henry

How to Fix a Copper Pipe Leak Without Soldering

Blog Posts, How To Repair, Plumbing / Tom Henry

A copper pipe can spring a leak inside your home at any time. It can also occur without any warning signs. But that does not always present an emergency plumbing situation. Most homeowners are not well versed in soldering, which plumbing-emergency-fix may be the best method of repair. But there are other quick fixes. One way to fix a leak in copper pipe is with flair fittings. Another way is with compression fittings.

The easiest fix is one that is relatively new to the market. The application of SharkBite fittings is a way to circumvent the soldering process. It is a name brand that has introduced a unique product.

SharkBites are fittings with flexible ends. In the event that you need a coupling, these fittings have a brass insert with two brass ends on it. Inside those brass ends are stainless steel teeth, which look almost like a shark bite. Connect them together and it can be held in place with an O-ring which keeps it from leaking. The stainless steel teeth keep it from falling off. This product is not cheap but one of the advantages is that SharkBites are replaceable. Just push the ends in and open the teeth so you can pull them apart again.

Great For the DIY – Not The Professional Plumber Choice

Most professional plumbers frown upon using this type of fix, but it is an easy solution for someone looking for a do-it-yourself method. It also comes in handy in older homes where people may be tentative to solder due to the potential threat of starting a fire. Old wood has a tendency to be a lot more flammable, so caution should definitely be taken.

However, you can put the torch away. The use of SharkBites is the easiest way for someone who knows nothing about soldering to fix a leak in a copper pipe.

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My Central Air Conditioner Smells Musty

Air Conditioning Unit, Blog Posts, How To Repair / Tom Henry

Air conditioning, particularly central air, can’t make you feel comfortable during warm spring and summer nights if there’s an unpleasant, musty smell coming out of your vents. dirty filter That smell is usually caused by mildew and it means there has been moisture in the duct system or AC unit and the unit may require cleaning or air conditioner service. Once that’s done, you may still need to get rid of lingering odors and eliminate possible health hazards and allergens associated with breathing in mold and mildew. Here are a few simple steps to check to see where the problem might be starting. If these don’t work, it’s time to call in the air conditioner experts like your friends at Wilbur Henry of York, PA.

Check and possibly change the filter if it appears dirty or clogged.
IF you are able to get to it easily, unscrew the condensate drain from the coupling at the drip pan with a wrench and remove the drip pan. Give the drain and tray a good cleaning. Bleach or white vinegar are good for this.
Check the coils for debris and dirt.

If you have checked and cleaned these and there is still an unpleasant odor, there is likely mold/mildew somewhere in your system. Check the ducts in the basement or attic for leaks when the blower is on. If air is leaking out, it also means that moisture is leaking in and forming mold within the ducts. If the smell wasn’t present in the winter or if there are no signs of moisture in the ducts, I would rule out the ducts and focus on the A/C unit. In either of those cases, you should have the unit cleaned and possibly serviced by a professional, which is a good idea anyway.

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Older Homes In York PA – Check Your Chimney Annually For Debris Build Up

Heating, How To Repair, York PA / Tom Henry

As a safety precaution home owners and property owners should make it a habit to check their chimneys annually to ensure there is no blockage for the furnace and hot water heater to vent out of the chimney.

York PA Residents – This Applies To You!!

This is more applicable to older homes that have brick chimneys. Which is the case with most homes in York City.

Who Does This Exclude?

If you have a chimney liner.
Electric hot water heater.
A high-efficiency furnace that vents through PVC out the side of your house.

Why Does This Happen?

With the older brick and mortar chimneys, the debris from the older brick and mortar deteriorates over time and falls to the bottom which is of course where your furnace and hot water heater are venting. Along with any dead birds, animals or other debris that has accumulated over time. If a build-up occurs and the air is not flowing correctly, asphyxiation and death could result for the people inside as well which is obviously a very serious problem.

This debris is loose and is like piling sand and dirt in the chimney, the vapors from the hot water heater and furnace can not escape. Thus backing up into the home or property. Note the picture below of how the loose brick broke away and fell to the bottom of the chimney. The pictures below came from one of our customers who did a chimney cleaning himself.

Checking Your Chimney Is Not That Hard To Do – With A Little Effort

As long as you are willing to get your hands a little dirty and invest a little time you can save a life and a service call.

To Get Started

Start in the basement, assuming your furnace and hot water heater are located there.

Check the air-flow at the air vent where the draft hood is by holding a match at the vent. You should see a strong draw up through the chimney, you should also be able to feel the draw of air on your hand.

If it’s a hazy smoke that is being drawn and not that strong you should pull the pipe stack off and check further.

Allow the smoke pipe to cool and then pull it out of the chimney. Often the smoke pipe will be set into the thimble (as in picture below) or chimney with mortar. If your smoke pipe easily comes apart, you can pull the joint out and leave the last six to ten inches there. Note in the picture below the pipes were disconnected to allow access to the chimney.

How To Disconnect Your Furnace Pipes

Okay The Pipes Are Apart Now What

Looking into the chimney you should be able to see daylight coming from above.

Inspect it with a flashlight and mirror while wearing a breathing apparatus to ensure there is not blockage.

Insert the mirror and angle up and you should see the opening at the end of the chimney and see daylight.

Using the flashlight look at the base of the chimney to see if any debris has accumulated. In the picture below, yes the customer could see daylight above, but as you can see there was quite a big pile of debris that had accumulated. The customer then used a shop vac to remove the debris.

Cleaning Chimney Debris

A good practice is to do regular maintenance on the furnace, and when you do, also check the chimney.

A Clean Chimney

Some furnaces will vent to the outside of the home through PVC so you will need to follow the PVC piping in order to identify where the exhaust exits. In that case you will not have this brick waste but still have to keep an eye out for any animals that entered the vent pipes.

Nonetheless, checking your furnace and regularly chimney cleaning can not only save you the cost of having someone else do it, but can also be life saving (quite literally). Most people should be able to do this themselves and dont realize that or how important it is.

Contact Wilbur Henry For Your HVAC needs In York PA

Wilbur Henry is the expert to call when you HVAC In York PA. When you need service we will treat you right.

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Keep The Stink Bugs Out Of Your Furnace!

Heating, How To Repair, Question and Answer / Tom Henry

Over the past few years “stink bugs” seem to be a growing problem in York PA and they can surely cause havoc in your home. Locally, HVAC service York PA has been very busy helping homeowners to keep the stink bugs out of the exhaust pipe and air intake. It is very important to have both of these possible entrances clear as they are accessible from the outside of the home.

They Are Just Looking For Heat Too..

Insects, mice, bees, and stink bugs enter the exhaust and air intake pipes as they seek the heat of the furnace in your home during cooler nights. One solution is to use chicken wire which will allow air to move through the pipes, but still act as a barrier for intruders.

If the stink bugs and other critters are able to enter the pipes, they will gum up the fan inducer which can burn the motor out. The chicken wire will help during all times of the year as long as the operation of the unit is not inhibited by a lesser flow of air through the pipes.

Depending on the length of the pipes, the further the run the less air flow which makes it more difficult for the fan inducer to activate the pressure switch with a negative draw. Chicken wire is generally safe because it?s a little bigger, but something more fine may cause the flow of air to be constricted, so a screen is not an ideal choice.

How Do You Know If You Restricted The Air Flow?

Put on the wire. Go back inside and start your furnace. If it comes on with ignition you will quickly know whether the fan inducer is receiving enough of a flow of air after turning on the furnace. The furnace will start working and blowing air. Something to keep in mind also, is that as air gets colder it becomes heavier which will also affect how well the air flows through the pipes.

Being Proactive Can Save You Money

You might save yourself a $400 fan inducer motor by being proactive.

Keep The Blockage Away From Exhaust Pipes – Plants, Tarps, Stacks Of Wood

Be sure to keep the pipe openings free of other blockage like tarps, plants in garden beds, and wood stacks too. Remember that the pipes need to effectively exhaust the CO2 and draw enough fresh air to maintain the pressure that the fan inducer needs to operate properly. Try to keep a three-foot radius open for the area around those pipes. Also, the air intake and exhaust pipe will generally be pointing in opposite directions because there would be very serious problems if the exhaust were to be sucked in by the intake.

Don’t feel comfortable installing a barrier for your exhaust pipe and air intake? Call a professional HVAC service technician to keep the stink bugs out at 717-755-5461.

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My Furnace Pilot Light Will Not Stay Lit

Heating, How To Repair, Question and Answer / Tom Henry

My furnace pilot light won’t stay lit! What do I do? There are a couple of possible reasons for your pilot not staying lit when you have furnace problems.

Either you aren’t holding the safety on long enough, or if you have a newer furnace, the flame sensor may be damaged or dirty.

Okay, So I Tried A Bunch Of Times.

If you have made several attempts to light your pilot and it does not light or stay lit, you may not be holding the safety in long enough. Make sure that you are holding the safety on for at least a full minute.

If after a full minute, the flame goes out when you let go of the safety, the pilot may be dirty. The flame should be blue and if it is white or has white tips, the pilot is dirty and must be taken apart and cleaned by a professional service technician. newer- furnace- with -out- pilot- light

Replace Your Thermocouple Every 5-6 Years

If you haven’t had a thermocouple replaced in five to six years, it is recommended you do that to make sure you won’t have problems with the pilot. Keep this is mind the next time the HVAC technician is at your house. Save yourself a service call in the future.

New Furnaces Do Not Have A Manual Pilot Light

Newer furnaces have no standing pilot. It’s either lit by a globe coil or spark ignition. In this case, there isn’t a thermocouple either. These units use a flame sensor.

Furnace Goes Off and On Repeatedly?

If you notice that the furnace comes on and goes off repeatedly with a gas burner, check to make sure that the flame sensor is clear of carbon buildup. The flame sensor is made of white porcelain and has a metal rod coming out of it. If you find that the sensor appears to be dirty, use steel wool or sandpaper to clean the electrode (metal rod) and save yourself from the cost of calling a technician. Otherwise, the carbon build-up causes the burner to short-cycle.

You Gave It A Go-To Fix, But Time To Make The Call…

Some furnace-related problems are a little more complex. If it seems like what you’re experiencing is not something you can fix yourself, give Wilbur Henry Plumbing, Heating, and A/C a call and we can get you back in business in a snap. Call 717-755-5461. We can help with your HVAC repair needs!

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How Often You Should Flush Your Hot Water Heater

Blog Posts, Hot Water Heater, How To Repair, Question and Answer / Tom Henry

Hot water heater maintenance is often overlooked, but very important. Maintenance on your hot water heater should take place at least once a year.

To Get Started – It Is Pretty Easy…

What you can do is use a five-gallon bucket to allow the water from the hot water heater to drain into. Draining all of the water isn’t usually necessary and you can just flush the bottom to remove the calcium and dirt. Otherwise, it acts as an insulator because the burner is on the bottom and if you have an inch of sediment, your burner needs to run much longer to maintain the desired temperature.

Newer hot water heaters run the cold tube through the bottom which helps to keep the calcium and dirt flushed out. If the burner comes on and you hear crackling, it’s because of the sediment on the bottom of the water heater. If you hear that, try flushing a gallon or two of water out to loosen the debris and remove it.

Locate The Relief Valve

If you’re going to flush the water or drain it completely, attach a hose to the bottom. The drain is located at the bottom of the tank within the hot water heater unit. When you drain a water heater, open the relief valve (which is at the top and noted on the right) to allow air to come into the tank, otherwise, there will be a vacuum and it won’t allow the water to flow out.

Just A Few Gallons Not Completely

Avoid draining it completely unless necessary! This should only be done in extreme circumstances. Typically, if you need to drain the entire tank it’s probably time to replace the hot water heater.

Let It Cool Before Adding Back The Cold Water

The worst thing you can do is drain a hot water heater to put cold water back in it. They? re glass-lined and can be cracked due to the difference in temperatures. Allow the heater to cool to about room temperature before refilling.

If you don’t feel comfortable handling hot water heater maintenance yourself, seek the assistance of a professional service technician like Wilbur Henry. Contact us today at 717-755-5461 or use our contact form, and let us do the hot water heater maintenance for you!

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Preventative Maintenance That YOU Can Do – Keeping Your Drain Line Open

How To Repair, Plumbing, Question and Answer / Tom Henry

In this video Dave Henry gives you suggestions that YOU can do to keep your drain lines open and minimize the chance that drain clogs will occur.

Of course saving you headaches and money.

Preventative Maintenance

To minimize your chances of calling for a York PA Plumber try to do a little preventative maintenance – One thing you can do is have this simple tool you can pick up at Home Depot, it is called a zip-it tool. It has a bunch of hooks on the sides. You should periodically (every 6-12 months) go around your house and clean out your drain lines. This tool is for bathrooms and lavatory drains. ?Bathroom sinks and tubs. If you see the water is slow at going down the drain that would be a good time to use this tool

Boiling Water and Vinegar

For kitchen sinks get yourself a big pot and add in 3/4 water and 1/4 vinegar. Put on the stove. Bring to a boil. Then dump down you kitchen sink. You may also want to try this down your bathroom or lavatory sinks and tub drains and also your clothes washing machine drain. The hot water and the vinegar is a mild acid helps break up that gunk. Now it will not open your sink if its clogged, but it will help keep the gunk from building up.

Clothes Washing Machine Drain Cleaning:

For clothes washing machines put your washing machine on hot water on the extra large load setting. You want to get as much water as possible.

Fill it the whole way up and turn it to the spin cycle and dump it out. The hot water will help break up the gunk and the detergents in the drain lines. The detergents actually break down and turn it into a black gunk.

The hot water will help flush the drain line. Again, this will not help if it’s already stopped up or clogged. This is something that has to be done before it is stopped up.

The Coat Hanger Trick

Another little thing you can do is try a coat hanger if you don’t want to run to Lowe’s or Home Depot and get the special tool noted above.

Take a coat hanger, cut and straighten to make as long as possible. Make a hook on the end. Insert into drain line. You will most likely need to remove the stopper to get the coat hanger down the drain line. With the special tool above you most likely can leave the stopper in place.

You can also use the metal coat hanger on toilets.

Landlords And Property Maintenance

I would suggest you every year or so or when you have a tenant move out you make it a habit of cleaning out the drain lines to remove hair and build up. And dump the water and vinegar mix down the drains to remove the build.

This will keep your tenant happy and lower your unexpected expense of calling for a plumber in York PA.

Please consider Wilbur Henry for your next plumbing-related problem by using our plumbing contact form or calling 717-755-5461.

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What To Expect On A Service Call For Your Central Air Unit

Air Conditioning Unit, How To Repair, Question and Answer, York PA / Tom Henry

Dave Henry answers the question:

You should have your central air conditioning unit serviced every 1-2 years.

When we come out some of the steps we perform are:

Checking your indoor filter (which you should do anyhow).

We also check the refrigerant levels.

We check to ensure the unit is level.

We also clean the unit. Check out the video below to see a time-elapsed video of the cleaning process. ?But what we do is spray on a special cleaner which then foams up and expands pushing the dirt outward. Afterward, we hose off the dirt and just like that the unit is clean. ?Since the unit is sealed this is the best way to give your ac unit a good cleaning.

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4 Steps To Hiring A Good Plumbing Company

How To Repair, Plumbing, York PA / Tom Henry

Finding a good plumbing company you can relay is not always an easy task. There are a lot of plumbers in the York County market to choose from. You most likely want someone that you can call that will show up within a reasonable amount of time based on the emergency situation at hand.

You want a plumbing company that will do the job right, and do the job right the 1st time.

You want a plumbing company that will stand by there work. And if there is a problem, (nobody is perfect) they will make it right and make it right with a smile.

And you want to pay a fair price.

1. Check for a Plumbing License

Most municipalities including the city of York PA, Springettbury Township, and Dallastown Borough require a pa-attorney-general-101 plumber be licensed. The PA Attorney General also requires contractors to be licensed. Wilbur Henry’s number is 002124.

Before agreeing to do business with the company, make sure that they can present a plumbing license. If they have one, they should be ready and easily willing to show it. Beware of companies that can’t find or produce one.

2. Check with Online Reviews

If consumers are unsatisfied with a service or product that they received, they are often likely to get online and tell all about it.

Search for the plumbing company on the internet and you’ll quickly have access to reviews and other commentary from others who have worked with the company in the past.

Be sure to use unbiased sites that could not have been manipulated by the plumbing company to work in their favor. Google reviews are a good place to search.

3. Ask About Their Guarantee

Find out what their policy is on getting money back for work done, the stipulations of getting the money back, etc. If the service is legitimate and genuine, the company will usually guarantee a refund in the event that the consumer is unsatisfied.

4. Get Referrals from Other Home Maintenance Professionals.

Lastly, get recommendations from other professionals in the home maintenance business. For example, if you had satisfactory work done by an AC repair technician or electrician, ask if they have any referrals for a good plumbing company. The chances are high that they’ll be able to point you in the right direction.

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Effective Ways to Clear Clogged Toilet York PA

How To Repair, Toilet Repair, York PA / Tom Henry

There are numerous things that can cause your toilet to clog. These range from too much toilet paper deposited in the bowl at one time to paper products such as sanitary napkins and diapers that have been flushed down the toilet. Often a cap from a beauty or clogged-toilet-york-pa-call-wilbur-henry grooming product inadvertently falls into the toilet bowl or children think it’s a game to throw small toys into the toilet water which then get trapped in the pipe’s curvature. No matter what has caused a clogged toilet, we understand you need to find a fast and easy solution.

As soon as you notice that the water in the toilet bowl has clogged and that one simple flush isn’t draining as normal, there are some simple steps to take that are very effective. Turn the water valve to the off position and grab a plunger. Then add water to the toilet bowl by filling a bucket from the sink or other water source so there is enough liquid in the bowl to cover the plunger. Using a vigorous up-and-down action is usually enough to dislodge whatever has been clogging the bowl.

Another option although less desirable to some people – wearing rubber gloves, removing the clogged mass rather than flushing it down the toilet, turning the water back on, and flushing again. You may have to repeat this process more than once to ensure you’ve broken up all of the clogged material.

You can also use something called an auger to guide a thin metal snake; down into the bowl and pull up whatever mass has created a traffic jam.

Pouring several cans of carbonated soda into the bowl and waiting about 30 minutes can also be effective in clearing the clog.

Pouring in a pail of very hot, but not boiling, water mixed with liquid detergent, often does the trick.

For a frequently clogged toilet, you may face a more serious blockage in the main drain system or have sewer pipes with serious clog issues. That’s the time to contact the reliable professionals at Wilbur Henry Plumbing Heating and Cooling. We offer fast and convenient emergency service calls to clear any clogged toilet York PA homeowners may be experiencing.

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