Plumbing in Fort Worth

Rescue Plumbing Tips

If you have ever dropped your wedding ring down the sink, have stubborn hard water stains on faucets, or even if you have attempted to remove an aerator from the faucet only to discover hard water has ‘welded’ it in place, this article is for you.

Even if you have never lost a ring to a drain yourself, it’s a good bet that you know someone who has. There is probably a small fortune in wedding rings lost in the drains of homes across America each year.

Use the following instructions to retrieve your lost wedding ring. If you are unable to salvage the situation (or the ring) Benjamin Franklin Plumbing will be happy to come to your assistance. Our exceptional plumbers provide plumbing in Fort Worth, Arlington, TX and the surrounding areas.

Retrieving a wedding ring from a sink drain:

• Do not run water down the drain! Hopefully, the p-trap has caught the ring. Running water will flush it further down the drain where it will be harder to retrieve.
• The p-trap is the curved section of the drain pipe underneath the sink, place a bucket under it. Place towels or other absorbent material around the bucket to capture water from the next step.
• This step will be determined by the type of p-trap you have.
  Newer pipes should have an access plug on the p-trap. If the p-trap has an access, proceed to the next step. Older pipes will require a wrench to remove and the services of a plumber. Go to the last step.
• Pull out the access plug. This will allow water to pour into the bucket. Allow it to drain. Hopefully, your ring is in the water.
• If your ring is retrieved, replace the access plug then run water through the pipe to ensure there are no leaks. If you were unable to retrieve the ring, do not flush water, call a plumber.
• Plumbers often receive calls to receive lost items from drains. When you call inform them you have an emergency plumbing situation. Plumbers possess specialized tools to reach into your plumbing to retrieve lost rings.

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing understands the agony of lost jewelry. We provide 24 hour emergency service for all emergencies, and a lost wedding ring is an emergency that we are well acquainted with. Give us a call and let us help you if you are unable to rescue your ring from your homes plumbing in Fort Worth.

Hard Water Stains on Faucets

You have tried everything, and nothing completely removes the residue of hard water stains from your chrome or brass finish faucets. Vinegar will do what nothing else can when it comes to removing hard water residue.

First, test in an inconspicuous location to ensure that acidic vinegar will not damage the finish. Not all chrome and brass fixtures are created equally, and acids will mar some finishes, so test yours before proceeding.

With an artist’s paint brush “paint” white vinegar on the hard water residue stains. Wait 5 seconds and wipe off with a damp cloth. If the stains remain repaint and wait 10 seconds. Only you can determine how long the vinegar needs to remain to be effective but use the least amount of time necessary. For vinegar safe finishes vinegar provides a sparkling clean faucet that shines like new! Rinse off all vinegar and dry all surfaces.

Your faucet aerator can also be soaked in vinegar (test to ensure vinegar doesn’t mar the finish) to dissolve hard water build up. Use a soft tooth brush to scrub all areas of build-up (including the screen) after soaking in vinegar. Use the bristles to get into the holes and cracks of the aerators plastic surface. If the holes remain clogged you may have to use a dental pick, but use with caution to avoid damaging the plastic surface.

What if you can’t remove the aerator due to thick hard water build-up that has formed between pipe and aerator? Use vinegar of course! “Paint” a heavy coat of vinegar on the joint where the aerator screws onto the faucet. Let the vinegar sit a minute to loosen the “weld”, then try again to loosen it. If it is remains stuck repeat the process until you are able to remove it and clean.

Even those porcelain handles that have build-up of soap and mineral deposits underneath can be soaked for a minute and brushed clean. For stubborn areas that remain use vinegar and a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Rinse well and dry thoroughly. Don’t let porcelain soak for very long, the acids may remove the glaze finish. Half a minute to a minute is generally sufficient to remove the soap/mineral build up that can accumulate on the underside of the handles.

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing is your full service plumbing provider for plumbing in Fort Worth and Arlington, TX. All of our work is backed by a 100% guarantee.