Frequently Asked Questions

From odors to water temperature, if you have a question about plumbing, you may find the answer here.

Foul Odors

I smell foul odors coming from the garbage disposal in my sink. How can I get rid of them?

  • Foul odors eminating from your sink typically occur from a buildup of food or debris within the drain or disposer. A simple tip to eliminate these odors is to put ice cubes, lemonpeels or orange peels in the disposer and then run it  for 30 seconds. While the disposal is still running, add a little liquid dishwashing detergent. Then run cold water through everything for about 30 seconds and that should take care of the problem.


I'm getting foul odors from our bathroom basement. It's rarely used and it's beginning to smell up the rest of the house. What can we do to fix it?

  • It's most likely a trap problem with one of your fixtures.  Traps contain water to seal out foul odors and if the water seal aorund the trap evaporates, can get into the house. A simple solution is to help prevent odors from entering into the house is to pour a bucket of water in each trap, sink, shower and floor drain to moisten the seals. This should do the trick.  If not, best to call us at K. Kelly to take a look.

Freezing Pipes

Living in Northern Wisconsin, we were told we should turn off the outside faucets in the fall before it freezes. We did this but the pipes leading to the outside faucet still froze and broke. Why?

  • You probably didn't disconncet the garden hose from the faucet to allow the water in the pipe to drain out allowing the pipe to withstand the cold weather.  Just truning off the water wont do it as water can still remain in the pipes which sounds is what happened.

Root Growth

Why do roots preset such big problems?

  • Roots generally extend down and out below the ground as much as 2 or 3 times the height of the actual tree, and can extend as far out as 7 times the tree height. Old, mature trees can literally have thousands of feet in root systems growing below the surface. While not as extensive  in clay, sandy or well drained soils extended roots can impact your underground pipes

What if roots get inside the lines?

  • If not addressed, roots can completely fill a pipe with hair-like root masses wherever they enter the pipes. These root masses soon become cluttered with toilet tissue, grease and other debris flowing from the home to the main sewer, resulting in a reduced water flow and slower drains. If not removed, the roots can eventually casue a complete blockage.
  • After roots have entered a pipe, they will continue to grow and enlarge creating pressure on pipe cracks or joints eventually leading to the pip breaking or even complete collapse which then  requires repair or replacement.
  • Certain pipe materials are more susceptible to roots than others. For instance, clay tile type  pipe is easily invaded and damaged by roots. Concrete and PVC piping may also allow roots through, but to a much lesser degree than clay pipe as they usually have fewer and tighter fitting joints.  This results in a smaller likelihood of them leaking as a result of settlement around the pipe.

How can roots be controlled in my pipes?

  • If roots have gotten into your pipes, a K. Kelly technician can remove them by using a special tool that utilizes powerful cutting blades. You may consider using a root destroyer type product, but we have found doing so can often to lead to further pipe damage and we dont normally recommend it.

Septic Tanks

How often should a septic system be inspected?

  •  Depending on how often the toilets are used, once every 3 to 4 years is a good guide. While you may see any problem now,  a full septic tank could allow unwanted solids to get into the drain field. Each pipe within your drain field system allows water to flow into a bed of stone and draining into the ground. If solids such as paper are allowed to flow into the drain field it eventually becomes blocked and no longer functions properly. Repairs and replacement of a blocked drain field are very costly.


Slow Drains & Faucets


I'm seeing a buildup of a white substance on my shower head and faucets where the water comes out. What can I do to get rid of this without replacing them?

  • This buildup you're seeing are mineral deposits. A simple way to remove mineral deposits from the showerhead is to pour a cup of vinegar into a plastic bag, place this over the showerhead so the showerhead is submerged in the solution and tie it down so it stays on overnight. The next morning, take off the bag and then use an old toothbrush to scrub off the remaining deposits. If needed, any parts that can be removed can be soaked in a vinegar solution as well, scrubbed clean and then put back in place

Our kitchen drain is taking longer than usual to drain. Should  it be cleaned?

  • Before having the drain professionally cleaned, try running a smaller type snake into the drain and slowly twist.  This should allow you to pull out most unwanted hair, grease and other debris. You wnat to avoid dumping chemicals into your drain as while this will often clear the line, the corrosive nature of these chemicals will also eat at your pipes eventually leading to leaks and failure.

Strange Noises


When our water heater is operating in our laundry room, I'm hearing a rumbling sound coming from the water heater. Is this normal?

  • Rumbling sounds eminating from your water heater is an indication that you have a sediment buildup on the bottom of the water heater. What you're hearing is water boiling that is trapped in the sediment. This is a sure sign that your water heater is not operating efficiently. The sediment on the bottom will also not allow the heat to transfer to the water in the tank resulting in cooler water than normal and your water heater running longer attempting to heat the water to the temperature set on the thermostat.
  • You can attempt to drain a few gallons of water from the bottom of the water heater. This is done by attaching a drain hose to the valve at the bottom of the tank or opening the valve into some form of drain pan when you can try and work some of the sediment out as the water drains out. Allow the tank to drain for about 5 minutes or so.

     WARNING: HOT WATERS ARE DANGEROUS! BE SURE AND DISCHARGE THE WATER INTO A
    FLOOR DRAIN, LAUNDRY OR BATHTUB. HOT WATER WILL KILL YOUR GRASS IF EMPTIED
    DIRECTLY ONTO YOUR LAWN. HOT WATER WILL ALSO CRACK A TOILET BOWL IF
    RELEASED DIRECTLY INTO THE TOILET.

  • Many new models of water heaters have a feature that prohibits the buildup of sediment by constantly moving the water around in the tank. If you have an older model water heater and sediment buildup has become a problem, it may be more cost effective to simply replace the water heater.  Call K. Kelly for details at 920-469-3500

I hear a whistling sound that appears to be coming from the plumbing system. It comes and goes and I can't find the cause of it. What could this possibly be?

  • What you are describing sounds like it is being caused by a toilet fill valve that may have a slow leak. To isolate the problem, remove the lid from each toilet tank and adjust the fill valve until it stops. Once you find the toilet that is causing the problem, have the fill valve repaired or replaced.

Toilet Replacement


We are looking to replace a toilet in our home but have heard that most new toilets do not flush properly or they require multiple flushes. What would you recommend for a new toilet?

  • The government required that new toilets use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush and as a result, toilet manufacturers had to develop a toilet that would comply but also flush properly and still carry the waste out. Some of these original newer toilets didn't accomplish this very well. Since that time, complaints forced manufacturers to develop new toilets that utilize a pressurized toilet tank. These look like a regular toilet, but they have a pressure tank. When flushed they work, just like a commercial toilet. These toilets work well, but are much noisier than a conventional toilet.
  • We'd recommend you stick with the toilets from major manufacturers, such as American Standard, Kohler or Eljer.

Water Temperature & Water Bills


My hot water seems warmer than it needs to be. How can I get adequate hot water and still be sure I'm conserving energy?

  • Most people are set their hot water temperature at 120°F, which is also the manufacturer's factory pre-set temperature. IFor older water heaters, set the thermostat to medium. On gas water heaters, you'll find a dial on the front of the gas valve. For electric water heaters, the thermostat(s) are usually concealed behind the two panels on the side of the tank. IMPORTANT: BE SURE you turn off the electricity before removing these panels. There are high voltage wires behind these panels!

We have 4 people in our house and are constantly running out of hot water. After only a five-minute shower, the water gets cold and fast. What do we need to do to correct this?
  • There's 2 possibilities. One, the dip tube has busted off. The dip tube is a tube that forces incoming water to the bottom of the tank so that the hot water will be drawn from the top. If the dip tube breaks, cold water is allowed to enter the tank mixing with the hot water and cools it. This can happen in both gas and electric water heaters.
  • Second, if you have an electric water heater, the lower heating element may not be operating properly allowing only the upper half of the tank to heat. The could be caused by a bad element or a malfunction in the thermostat. If you suspect this may be the problem, be sure to contact a qualified K. kelly technician to have it inspected.

My water bills have been getting higher recently. I don't see any dripping or leaking fixtures. What else could be causing my water bills to get higher?

  • Be sure to check and see if a toilet is leaking. Start by checking the water level to make sure that water is not overflowing the tank from of the overflow pipe (the pipe in the middle of the tank that has small tubing connected to it). If you find water running into the overflow, adjust the fill valve to stop the water flow about one inch below the top of the overflow tube or the water level mark stamped on the side of the tank.
  • Second, try putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank in order to test the flush valve. If you see the water in the bowl change color within 15 minutes, this is a sign that water is leaking into the toilet bowl.  In that case, you'll need to have the ball or flapper valve replaced.
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