HomeThis page is dedicated to answering the most frequently asked questions concerning services, causes of problems, and solutions. We are constantly updating it and hope it helps when deciding if you need a professional to help resolve you problem. Keep coming back as we are adding more answers and your question may be one of them.... The Bert's Team
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1.The lights in my house are constantly flickering or going bright then dim. Why is this happening?
This is generally caused by problems involving loose wires and or connections either at the switches, outlets or at the main service. Lights respond first to any faults in the home wiring and generally are not the problem.
A qualifed Electrician should check out your system to determine if, and/or where a fault is occuring. We have tracing tools that help us locate most faults just give us a call.
2. My main breaker at my metered panel keeps tripping. Should I reset it each time or leave it off and call an electrician?
If the main breaker or any breaker keeps tripping and your not sure what has caused it, then yes it should be left off until a qualified Electrician has checked and corrected the cause. Resetting a tripping breaker multiple times can result in a fire. BE SAFE, LEAVE IT OFF AND CALL FOR SERVICE.
3. I would like to add ceiling fans too all of my rooms but there isn't any box in the ceiling for one. Can a fan be added with out having to tear all of my walls open?
In most cases a fan can be added with a box rated to support it with minimal intrusion of the walls or ceilings if no attic or crawl space exists. Power can be run across a flat roof in conduit as well. We can evaluate your home for the best way to install the boxes and power and provide you with a no cost estimate, just give us a call.
4. My pool pump and lights are not working and the breaker(s) wont reset. What can be causing this?
In most cases involving pool equipment installed prior to 2001 the power was run in metalic conduit underground and over time the conduit decomposes. The wires inside also rot and eventually short out. The system will need to be evaluated by a qualifed Electrician to determine if it needs to be rewired and/or the conduit replaced/rerouted. For safety leave the breaker off and give us a call.
5. I have water coming up from under my floor. I believe a pipe is leaking but I am not sure. What can I do to verify this?
Most homes have a water meter out by the street. If you know where yours is or can get a neighbor/friend to help you locate yours, once it's found open the lid and check the meter dial under the cover. If the needle is going around like a clock or a star/triangle is spinning then you most likely have a leak.Make sure all of your faucets, irrigation valves and Evap cooler lines are off then re-check it, If it the meter dials are still spinning around locate the main shut off valve to the house and if possible turn it off. Go back and recheck the meter. if the spinning has stopped then there is a leak under your floor and it will need to be assessed for either a repair or re-pipe. We can help you to locate the leak and also give you an estimate to repair it and or possible re-pipe the line overhead rather then opening up your floor to fix that one leak, only to have the pipe leak again further away at another time in the future.
REMEMBER, for prompt service we are are only a phone call away.
6. My washing machine water keeps backing up into my kitchen sink every time I use it. I have had other plumbers out and they run a cable down the clean out in the wall but that only lasts for a month or two. Can anything else be done?
Most homes built in the 50's and 60's with a laundry room near the kitchen were plumbed with the 2' drain lines connecting together under the floor then running over to the nearest bathroom where the 3"main begins. Overtime the 2" line collects build up and the interior of the pipe diminishes. A "Jetter" service combined with a cable service can clean the pipe nearly to full diameter allowing water to free flow again rather then backwashing into the kitchen sink.
Call us...We provide this service along with cameras to check the larger diameter pipes as well.
7. Every time I turn on my bathtub faucet my pipes shake and the whole house seems to be vibrating. What is causing this?
If your faucet is a 2 or 3 handle style it uses a valve with a rising stem to open and close the water port. These stems have washers on the end and a "Seat" in the valve body in the wall. If the washer comes loose it can vibrate as the water is coming on and the pipes will "Hammer" until the washer is forced back against the stem. Generally washer's loosen up because the "Seat" it sits against is deteriorated and has nicks that catch and hold the washer. As you turn the handle, the washer stays still and unscrews itself from the stem. Special tools are needed to extract and replace the seats. Give us a call, we can fix it right.
8. My water heater has a "RED" button on the upper thermostat that keeps popping and I have to go reset it everyday, sometimes twice a day. Also I am not getting as much hot water as I used too even though at first it comes out scalding hot for about 3 mins then goes warm after that. Do I need a Plumber or an Electrician?
What your experiencing is common to most electric water heaters when either one or the other of the two elements have failed and/or the t-stat is malfunctioning.
Generally unless the water heater is leaking, an electrician that can service an electric water heater is the one too call. Our techs are all versed in how to trouble test and diagnosis an ailing water heater and we carry all the components needed to restore it back to good health. We can also test the primary electrical power to the water heater to determine if it contributed to the system failing to heat.
REMEMBER, WE ARE ONLY A PHONE CALL AWAY FOR PROMPT, FRIENDLY SERVICE.VICE.
9. We have a leak in our front yard and water is bubbling up. We dug it up and found a large BLUE pipe that is cracked/split. can this be repaired.?
This pipe is commonly referred to as Big Blue and was popular during the mid 80's to late 90's. Depending on the manufacture it could be Polybutylene Or Polyethylene. Either one is obsolete and the fittings used to repair it are also obsolete and getting harder to find. It was also installed about 4-5 ft deep which is why some leaks, when small, never migrate to the surface.The leak generally appears on the surface when it has increased enough to over saturate the surrounding soil, allowing it to rise and percolate. We generally recommend a re pipe with the new piping depth at 18". Tho shallower then the original pipe this depth still helps keep the pipe, and water within, cool in the summer and insulated in the winter. WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH A FREE ESTIMATE, JUST GIVE US A CALL.
10. Last winter my outside water spigot and brass valve for my irrigation system froze and split. It has since been repaired but we are worried it may happen again. What can we do to protect them?
The best insulation we have found is the high density black foam rubber available from the Home Depot, Lowes or Ace. It can be installed and wrapped with 10mil PVC tape also available at any of the stores above. Another consideration is a freeze/frost bag that comes in many sizes to fit over different devices/configurations. Give us a call for a professional install.
11. We have a commercial property that has a Backflow device after the meter. It was stolen late one night and we found out the next morning from the water company that we are responsible for the repairs and replacement. We've since had it done but are worried the thieves could return and do it again. Our Plumber can only get a conventional "Cage" but we need a custom one. Any Ideas?
We now provide and install any type of protection cage needed to secure your devices. A few of the many Clients we have provided them for, and/or installed them for, include the U-Store-It facilities here in Tucson, Southern AZ Aids Foundation, Various HOA's, Arizona Children's Assoc, Octopus Car wash, Etc.
We are also Backflow certified for testing, repairing, and replacing all devices and can obtain all necessary permits.
For any and all of your backflow device needs just give us a call, we'll be happy to come out and provide you with quality service.
