Frequently Asked Questions

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At Poole’s Plumbing, there are no hidden charges. We believe our clients should know what their costs are up front before we perform any plumbing service on their home. Therefore, we have devised pricing to reflect the quality of our services. Our technicians will ALWAYS give you the price upfront and PRIOR to performing any work so you will ALWAYS know exactly how much you are going to pay.

We accept cash, checks, Visa, Mastercard, and Discover

Poole’s Plumbing does provide free estimates, but only for larger jobs such as sewer repairs or installations, water line repairs or installations, tankless water heaters, flood control systems installations, RPZ installations, etc.

We can give estimates over the phone for most tank type water heaters and other routine plumbing services. See pricing system section.

Yes, we do! At Poole’s Plumbing, we are known for our reliable emergency service. It is guaranteed that 24 hours a day/seven days a week you can call Poole’s Plumbing.
You wouldn’t go to a doctor that wasn’t a “real” doctor, would you? At Poole’s Plumbing, we are serious about our commitment to providing quality service while upholding to all of the State of North Carolina’s plumbing codes.
We do offer 1-year labor warranty. We offer a wide range of warranties depending on the product that you install. Contact Poole’s Plumbing today to find out more!
Usually, the shut-off valve is in the basement, crawlspace, a closet, laundry room, under the sink in the kitchen, or in the bathroom, under the lavatory basin. If there is none, shut off the branch-line valve in the basement or the main valve where the water supply enters the house. Knowing where and how to shut off water for the entire house or any part of it can be important in an emergency, and in which direction it should be turned to shut off the water. One way to identify the valves is to have a tag on each valve indicating its function. Obviously, the most important valve in the house is the main shut-off valve for the entire plumbing system.
You should set water heaters at 120 degrees. At 140 degrees it takes five seconds to burn skin and at 160 degrees it takes a half second! Also, those degrees can mean excessive wear on the water heater and the potential for scalding.
Closing or covering crawl-space vents during the cold months will keep more heat in the crawl space, and the pipes will be far less likely to freeze. On very cold nights, it is wise to turn your thermostat up a couple of degrees, and perhaps leave a faucet running a thin stream overnight, particularly if the water line to that fixture has frozen in the past.

Before the cold freezing weather sets in, make sure that all the garden hoses outside your home are disconnected. Failing to do so can cause not only the hose but also the hose bib to which it is connected, to freeze and be damaged. This is especially important with antifreeze hydrants. The hose must be disconnected to make the faucet freeze-proof. Failure to do so will trap water in the faucet body, which they can freeze. If the hose is disconnected, the anti-freeze faucet can properly drain, and this will prevent freezing.

Water pipes which are exposed to freezing temperatures or drafts should be covered with insulation. Whenever possible it is best to drain systems not being used in severely cold weather. Small water pipes will freeze quicker than will waste or sewer pipes. Never leave a garage door open in severely cold weather, if there is plumbing in the garage. The cold and draft can freeze water lines in minutes. Pipes located in unheated basements or garages can also be insulated with a commercial covering. You can lose up to 180 gals a month or 2,160 gals a year with a leaking hose bib

Closing or covering crawl-space vents during the cold months will keep more heat in the crawl space, and the pipes will be far less likely to freeze. On very cold nights, it is wise to turn your thermostat up a couple of degrees, and perhaps leave a faucet running a thin stream overnight, particularly if the water line to that fixture has frozen in the past.

Backwater Valve: The function of this valve is to prevent the sewer from backing up into the house during heavy rains. Most backwater valves operate automatically. A valve with a butterfly action closes against the sewer on the house side. Sometimes, however, debris lodges against the seat of the valve so that it cannot close tightly and you need to keep the valve free from corrosion and lessen the chances for debris interfering with the valves closing.

Preventing sewer clogs and back-ups once your current plumbing system is disturbed or amended it will perform and act differently than in the past. The addition or deletion of fixtures, rerouting of supply or drain lines, or replacement can all have an impact on how your overall system performs. It is never a good idea to flush solvents, grease, oil, large items, or feminine products down your sewer system, even if you have done so in the past. These items can cause clogs and can be very costly to remedy. Your plumbing system is an intricate, delicate, and functioning system in your home. Taking care of your internal system will ensure a healthy system for years to come.

Below are some possible issues and causes for water discoloration:

  • Yellow/brown/reddish water is usually caused by rust, either in the water mains that run from the water supply or the pipes in your home. If the water is only discolored momentarily when you first turn the water on, it is probably rust in your pipes that gets flushed out quickly. If it persists longer, it may be rust that was stirred up in the water mains.
  • Water that appears white or cloudy often does so because of trapped air bubbles. Air that is under pressure in your pipes gets released when you turn the tap on, which causes tiny bubbles, just like in a bottle of soda. This has no effect on your water’s quality. The discoloration should dissipate after standing for a few minutes.
  • Sometimes water appears to have a greenish hue, especially when standing under a fluorescent light. This is sometimes due to tiny copper traces from the piping in your home, or — depending on the climate — seasonal algae blooms in the local water supply. Either way, this green color is usually harmless.
  • Bluewater can occur for a few reasons. One is severe copper corrosion in the plumbing system, which leeches into the pipes. A second cause can be toilet cleaner. If you use a cleaning product in your toilet tank, sometimes that can cause your tap water to turn blue.
  • Back feeding into your water system from irrigation systems.