Plumbing tips

A short plumbing tip from our family, every month.

Simple, honest advice from a licensed master plumber — the things we wish every homeowner knew before they called us. New video posted monthly.

Read the full walkthrough below — a filmed version of this tip posts monthly.

This month

Winterizing outdoor faucets before the first hard freeze

West Texas cold snaps come fast. A five-minute walkthrough of hose bibs, covers, and shutting off irrigation lines before a freeze cracks a pipe.

Disconnect every garden hose. A hose left attached traps water in the bib and that's where most freeze breaks start.
Shut off and drain the irrigation system, then open the test cocks on the backflow preventer so no water is left standing inside it.
Cover each hose bib with an insulated dome, or wrap it with pipe insulation and tape if you can't find one.
Find the shutoff for any unheated line — well house, shop, detached garage — and close it, then open the faucet downstream to drain the pipe.
If a freeze catches you unprepared, open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls and let one faucet drip overnight.

Read the full walkthrough below — a filmed version of this tip posts monthly.

Kitchen drains

What actually belongs in a garbage disposal

Grease, fibrous scraps, and the habits behind most kitchen drain calls we get — plus what to do when the disposal hums but won't turn.

Never pour grease or bacon fat down the drain. It cools inside the line and collects everything that comes after it.
Keep fibrous and starchy scraps out: celery, onion skins, corn husks, potato peels, rice, and pasta.
Run cold water before, during, and for about 20 seconds after grinding so scraps clear the trap instead of settling in it.
If the disposal hums but won't spin, cut the power at the switch, free the flywheel with the hex wrench in the bottom of the unit, then press the red reset button.
A drain that gurgles or backs up into the other basin is a line problem, not a disposal problem — that's a drain cleaning call.

Read the full walkthrough below — a filmed version of this tip posts monthly.

Water heaters

Reading your water heater before it fails

Popping sounds, rusty water, and the little signs a tank gives you months before it leaks across the garage floor.

Popping or rumbling means sediment has built up on the bottom of the tank. Draining a few gallons a year slows it down.
Rusty or metallic-smelling hot water usually means the anode rod is spent — replacing it is far cheaper than replacing the tank.
Check the pan and the floor around the base for moisture or rust stains once a month.
Water that runs out faster than it used to, or never gets fully hot, often points to a failing element or thermostat.
Most tanks last 8-12 years in our hard West Texas water. Past that, plan the replacement instead of waiting for the leak.

Get it fixed

Call now, or send us the details.

The fastest way to reach us is the phone — you'll get a member of the family, not a call center. Prefer to write it out? Send the form and we'll get right back to you.

(806) 738-2201

doerflerplumbing@gmail.com

PO Box 146, Anton, TX 79313