We Love What We Do

Air Conditioning Unit, Blog Posts, Heating, Plumbing /

It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it. At Wilbur Henry, we do enjoy our job. The business has been in the family for three generations for over 60 years and it brings a smile to our faces to solve our customer’s problems or set them up with heating and cooling solutions. It is a rewarding career.

I have a soft spot for older couples and I just want to make sure they’re taken care of -Dave Henry

It’s our goal to turn every customer into a lifelong relationship, and we do that by providing people with solutions that aren’t going to cost an arm and a leg. It’s a rewarding feeling when you help somebody out who might not be able to afford a new air conditioner and you can find the problem and get it fixed.

We’d love to have a chance to prove it to you, so give us a call the next time you need plumbing, heating, or air conditioning solutions at 717-755-5461.

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How Do I Know If My Drains Are Clogged?

Plumbing, Question and Answer /

So you’ve been trying to figure out if your drains have been doing their job as well as they used to, but not really sure if you’re experiencing a clog or not. We’re taking time today to inform you of what the signs are of a clogged drain and what you could be in for as far as repairs go.

Start At The Main Drain Line First

The first thing you’ll want to do to check if your main line is clogged is to go to the lowest fixture in your house. This might be a toilet, a shower, or a floor drain. If you don’t notice anything immediately wrong, go upstairs and flush a toilet, then go back down. If water is coming out of your lowest fixture, you’ve got a problem. This is a telltale sign your main sewer is clogged.

It could be a couple different things. We’ve had a pretty big problem with flushable wipes in the sewer lines. We know they claim to be flushable, but we’ve had some first hand experience that says otherwise.

It could be roots in the sewer. Sometimes tree roots will grow right through the line. In these cases, we can pour root raider down the line to try to kill the roots, but unfortunately, once you get roots in the line, you will always have the problem.

It could also be the house trap right before your sewer goes out to the street. You should have clean out lines accessible before the line reaches your street. If you can open them and see standing water inside, you’ll know for certain that your main line is clogged.

If you’ve found that you do have a clogged drain line, don’t hesitate to call Wilbur Henry Plumbing Heating and A/C today at 717-755-5461.

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How to Fix a Copper Pipe Leak Without Soldering

Blog Posts, How To Repair, Plumbing /

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, whichplumbing-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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Why Does My Shower Head Keep Dripping?

Blog Posts, Plumbing, Question and Answer /

The big question to ask here is HOW LONG is your faucet dripping? A leaking shower head may not actually be a problem with your plumbing.leaking shower head

The head of a shower is lower than the arm which extends from the shower wall. It’s the same as with a faucet, where the head of the faucet hangs below the handles. The water that has been coming out of the faucet or the shower head has a source above it. When you turn off the water, there is still some in the pipes that is going to want to come down. A ‘normal’ amount of time for a faucet or shower head to drip after it has been turned off is 3-5 minutes. If the water stops dripping within that time, don’t worry about it.

Now if your shower head is still dripping after 5 minutes, your shower head may need new washers. Additionally, if the water pressure is causing leaking through at the handles BEFORE the water comes up the shower and out at the shower head, then there may be a more serious plumbing issue. In that case, your expert resource for plumbing, heating, and air conditioning in York, Pennsylvania, Wilbur Henry, will be happy to help!

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Save A Service Call? How to Avoid Grease & Build-Up Clogging Your Drain

Blog Posts, Plumbing, Question and Answer /
  • Clean/scrape your plates properly before washing them or putting them in the dishwasher. Get all the grease and by-products off your plate so it doesn’t go down the drain.
  • Flush your drain regularly by letting your hot water run for several minutes and pour some vinegar down the drain or pour a pot of boiled water with vinegar in it down the sink once a month.
  • When using a garbage disposal, make sure you let it run long enough to get the grease and chopped-up food pushed through the sink line.Running- Water- in- Kitchen- Sink

How grease creates clogs in the first place; as the grease heats up, either from cooking or from the hot water of washing dishes, it goes down your drain in liquid form. It’s a long way along that drain pipe though, and as the grease travels it starts to cool and solidifies. As it solidifies, it turns into the gooey mess that sticks to pipe walls and clogs your drain.

The Secret Is To Run A Lot Of Hot Water

The secret is to run a lot of hot water when doing dishes and periodically take some white vinegar and pour it down the sink with the water. The vinegar helps cut through the grease and flush it through and makes your sink smell better. Do this about once a month.

Thoroughly Run Your Garbage Disposal

Also, if you use a garbage disposal, most people don’t flush it long enough afterwards to get the grease and chopped up food pushed through the sink line. Let your disposal run for a moment as hot water runs through it after you are done using it. Flush with hot water, I just can?t say this enough. Proper maintenance of your drain and you won’t have to use harsh chemicals like Drain-o or have to call a plumber over a clogged sink. For other questions and tips, check out or contact Wilbur Henry, your one-stop shop for plumbing help!

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My Sink Is Clogged and Draino Didn’t Work! Now What?

Blog Posts, Plumbing, Question and Answer /

The first and most important thing to remember – if you use Draino and it doesn’t work DO NOT use any other do-clogging agents until you contact a plumber. Draino is made with Hydrcholoric Acid. Most other professional pipe clogged-sink-york-pacleaning agents use Sulphuric Acid. Combining Hydrochloric and Sulphuric Acid is a great way to cause a pretty dramatic explosion. If you use Draino and it doesn’t work, call a plumber. We have seen dozens of customers have bad, even dangerous, results from layering chemicals.

A plumbing note for the future

Draino can be used in slow-running or sluggish drains but if you get to the point where you have standing water in a fully clogged sink, the odds of Draino working go way down. Not to mention that if Draino doesn’t work at this point, now you or your plumber will have to wade through a sink or tub full of harsh and potentially dangerous chemicals to get to that drain. I have had to stop working and take my boots off because the tub water was eating right through them. (On that note, please TELL your plumber is you have already put chemicals in the water!)

Bottom Line

If the sink is still clogged and you have used Draino, or another de-clogging agent, according to directions and recommended usage, it’s time to get a plumber in there with an auger and find out what is inside that drain. They can usually have your water running freely in no time. Contact Wilbur Henry plumbing experts for plumbing help when you need it, where you need it, and we’ll be there.

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My Pipes Rattle When I Run the Water. How Do I Make It Stop?

Blog Posts, Plumbing, Question and Answer, Uncategorized /

Rattling pipes are generally an uh-oh waiting to happen, but exactly what type of plumbing repair you might need depends on decoding the sounds coming from the pipes. The problem could be as simple as your pipes not being properly secured or fastened in the cellar. The pipes should be secured at every other floor joist. Okay, so we checked the pipes and they are secure. What else could the problem be It depends on what you hear.

Break Down the Sound:

A hammering rattle That probably means a washer is loose in a shut-off valve or a faucet. The washer will vibrate when water is going through it. More of a humming noise The loose washer could be in an older ballcock. Loose washers are probably the most common cause of rattling pipes. They can be frustrating and hard to track down but with patience, that irritating rattling can be quickly repaired.

Banging pipes when you turn the water off It’s time to check your water pressure. For a residence, 45-50 lbs of water pressure is good. A higher number than that is going to be hard on faucets. Most people nowadays have thermal expansion tanks (ST-5s or ST-12s) above their water heaters. They help with hammering caused by the electronic water valves found in ice makers, washing machines, and dishwashers. Because of the backflows that water companies have put on at the meter, it’s critical that the excess pressure caused by these devices is relieved and going into your expansion tank.

Another possible plumbing repair that can cause the water pressure to be too high is if there is a malfunction in the pressure-reducing valve. The pressure-reducing valve is at the water meter. In newer houses, it’s in front of the water meter on the street side. In older homes, it may still be after the water meter. The pressure-reducing valve takes high water pressure, anywhere from 75-150 lbs, and reduces it back to 45 lbs. Installing one of these is standard protocol in home construction/renovation so every home should have one of these. The homeowner is responsible from everything from the curb box to the house besides the water meter so this is up to you and your trusty plumber to maintain.

So how do I keep an eye on my thermal expansion tank since it’s so important Good question! Periodically take the cap off the side of it. Inside the blue or red cap is a Schrader Valve. When you press the valve a tiny burst of air should come out. If you press that valve and water comes out that means your tank’s bladder has burst and the expansion tank is no longer working. This can squash the flue on your water heater. If you press the valve and nothing comes out this means the bladder has wrapped around in there and has probably also burst. When that happens, you will eventually spring a leak and have rusty water on the hot side. Then it’s time for another plumbing repair.

Bottom line – don’t ignore the noise, let your plumber help you solve the mystery lurking in your pipes. Contact Wilbur Henry, the plumbing experts who can help restore peace and quiet to your home.

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Why Are My Water Lines Sweating and Why Is There Water On the Outside Of My Toilet Tank?

Plumbing, Toilet Repair, York PA /

Have you ever looked at the water lines running under your subfloor, through your basement, and noticed condensation on the water lines? When water enters the house, it is cold from being underground, and when it enters your basement, the basement is warmer. So if you are using are large amount of water the water in those lines never has a chance to warm up.

As For Condensation On The Outside of the Toilet

There is most likely water leaking from the toilet tank into the bowl of the toilet. Again just like the water lines in the basement, the water never has a chance to get warm, since there is always a flow of water running through it.

You may also be flushing the toilet more often and that would keep the water in the bowl cold.

How To Checking a Toilet for Leaks:

A bigger plumbing issue is water leaking through the tank into the toilet bowl. There should be a shutoff valve for the toilet at the floor. To check a toilet for leaks, turn off the toilet water valve and wait an hour. The flapper in the tank acts like a plug and should be watertight. If the water level in the tank runs out or goes down then the flapper is leaking.

One other thing to check is if the water level in the tank is OVER the overflow tube. That means the fill valve is leaking and the extra water is going down the overflow tube. Ideally, the water level in a toilet tank should be about an inch below the overflow tube. You might not hear or see either leak regularly, but a toilet leak needs a toilet repair!

Want More Leaking Toilet Information?

For more on checking for leaks in your toilet check out our post and video by Dave Henry called Why Is My Toilet Running When Not In Use, Dave discusses doing a simple dye test that any homeowner can do, yes anyone.

Need Plumbing Help or Toilet Repair?

If you need help with your plumbing repairs or to change the flapper in your toilet, we are the York PA plumber to call at 717-755-5461.

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How Do You Know You Need A New Hot Water Heater?

Hot Water Heater, Plumbing, Question and Answer, York PA /

There are a few ways to determine if you need to have your hot water heater replaced.

The most apparent is when you notice leaks. Chances are, if your feet are getting wet it is time to take a serious look at the cause of the problem.

hot-water-heater-leaking

Relief Valve Leaking?

If you notice that the relief valve is dripping, there is over 150 pounds of pressure built up which indicates that either the expansion tank is bad, or the pressure-reducing valve at the meter is not operating properly. If you notice that the relief valve runs continuously, it’s probably not good. If it comes on and then goes off every so often, it’s because too much pressure is being built up.

Rust On The Exterior Of The Hot Water Heater?

Visible rust on the exterior of the unit will indicate a need for hot water heater replacement.

If you notice rust marks on the side it’s likely because the heater is leaking from the top. If there is rust at the burner, the unit may be leaking, but the water is evaporating before it makes it to the floor.

Water Heater Leaking By Burner

Expansion Tanks Help Relieve Pressure and Can Prolong The Life Of The Hot Water Heater

The expansion tank (if you have one) is located on top of the water heater. It can prolong the life of your water heater by taking the hammer shocks out of anything that uses a Expansion Tank For Hot Water Heatersolenoid valve (like washing machines and dishwashers).

Water will expand as it heats which causes a rise in the pressure.

A Quick Water History Lesson

Years ago, the water would expand back into the street, but more recently the water companies have been using backflow preventers at the water meter. This gives the pressure no way to be relieved. The resulting build-up of excess pressure is then transferred to your pipes, appliances, fixtures, and hot water heater.

What An Expansion Tank Does

With the installation of an expansion tank and maintaining it, you give the pressure a way to be relieved. Maintain it by pressing in the Schrader valve every couple of years or annually to see whether air is in it or not. If water comes out of this valve, the rubber bladder inside has ruptured. Water is now against the steel in the expansion tank which inevitably will lead to leaking.

In Summary, A Leak Is Not What You Want To See.

Again, the most obvious sign that it’s time for hot water heater replacement is when you notice leaks.

If your feet get wet, it’s time for a hot water heater replacement. If you notice any of these symptoms, contact a professional plumber in York PA.

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Is Your Toilet Clogged? 5 Steps You Can Try Before Calling A Plumber

Plumbing, Question and Answer, Toilet Repair, York PA /

Having a toilet that is clogged is frustrating, but what is almost equally frustrating is to call for plumbing service to repair, the plumber shows up, and 5 minutes later they say “Well we are all good”.

You exclaim “That is it !?”

He says “Yep, I flushed it and everything is working fine.” Or something similarly simple.

Some Of The Most Common Causes Of Toilet Clogs – How To Avoid The Clog Problem In The 1st Place

Toilet clogs occur for a variety of reasons some of which are:

  • Way too much toilet paper – remember it may be better to make that extra flush than risk a clog.
  • Flushable Wipes – I know they say flushable on them. But these older homes which are quite common in York PA can not take them. The wipes do not break up. Also, the old sewer lines are made of cast iron pipe. Over time they get buildup inside which can cause the wipes to get snagged on the rough edges, and thus a backup begins.

Actionable Steps You Can Do – To Save Yourself A Trip By The Plumber

  • Let it sit for a couple of hours – That could be three or four hours. Now if this is the only toilet in your house this may not be the best solution. But if you have another toilet and have the patience to wait it out and think it is most likely just toilet paper, this is a good strategy.
  • Metal Coat Hanger – You can try a metal coat hanger. If I am at home and don’t have my tools with me, I would cut a coat hanger and bend it as long as I can. On the one end, I would make a little hook to grab any debris. Then I would stick it up as far as I can to help break up the blockage.
  • Just Flush It – The other thing you can do is try flushing the toilet when it’s clogged.
    • The more water that is in the bowl the more head pressure that is on the clog and that might help it push it out through.
    • ***WARNING*** Before you try this have the toilet lid off. If the water comes up too high – Just push the flapper (in the bottom center of the tank, the hole where the water is going) down as fast as you can.
  • Plunger – Try a regular old plunger.toilet-plunger-unclog-your-toilet-york-pa
  • Toilet Auger – These are available at many home improvement stores.
  • Check Water Flow – Make sure the jets are open the whole way around the rim of the toilet. Also check the main jet at the bottom of the bowl (the main jet is not in all toilets). Over time buildup occurs in these jets and the flow of water decreases. This is especially true on well systems with calcium deposits.
    • These jets are going the whole way around your toilet. They are up under the rim. I use a little Allen wrench or hex key tool. Go up inside your holes, just wiggle it around and open them up.
    • Then I make sure to hit the main jet at the bottom.

Last Resort – What To Do

We offer some additional steps for removing a clog on another clearing a clogged toilet post here.

If you tried all of the above or you decided none of the above steps are in your job description we would love to take care of your toilet troubles with a quick no hassle service call.

Call 717-755-5461 and Crystal will get one of the friendly techs out right away.

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A Satisified Client

We want your experience with Wilbur Henry Plumbing, Heating, & A/C to be outstanding. From the time you call us until our technician leaves your house, we want your experience with our company to leave you with a smile on your face.