Unclogging Drains - Give it a try on your own

Are you like me? You like to try things yourself before calling in the experts. If so then it is possible to unclog minor sink and tub stoppages by yourself. Now I have to say none of these methods are guaranteed to work, but besides a little water in the face they won't do much harm if they fail.

The first thing to check is the pop up. You may be able to lift the stopper from the drain. If the stopper won’t lift out, that means it’s connected to the pivot rod. If you go behind the sink, you’ll see where the pivot rod and pop-up mechanism screw together. Unscrew this connection and remove the stopper.

Sometimes unclogging a sink or tub stoppage can be as simple as hitting the stoppage with a plunger. First you'll need to seal of any areas that air might escape, you want the force of plunger to hit the stoppage, not escape through the overflow. Use a wet rag and plug of the overflow or the side sink. Fill the sink so that the water level is above the rubber part of the plunger. Using the plunger, just as you would to unstop a toilet, hit the clog with all you got.

I recommend staying away from things like Drano or any of the acids. Not only can they be harmful to your health but they do more harm to your plumbing system and environment than good. Every year we come out to a house where the client has done thousands of dollars worth of damage to their plumbing system, either ruining the glues and plastics of their sewer line, or completely ruined their septic tank. My advice, try the methods above, and if all else fails call in a plumber.

“Meter, meter wherefore art thou?”

Locating a leak is never an easy task, it's usually one you want to leave to the experts. But, it is fairly easy to determine if you have a leak. It starts by locating you water meter and understanding how to read it. It's always a good idea to slowly remove the lid as wasps, reptiles, and rodents have a tendency to set up shop in the meter box.

The meter is usually located along the sidewalk, in front of your home, inside a concrete box with a concrete cover marked “WATER METER.” In some homes the water meter is located in the basement. It may be a bit dark inside the meter box, so bring a flashlight along! Also you may find your meter is buried in dirt, a small garden shovel is a good idea for exposing the meter if necessary.

Meters measure water either in cubic feet or gallons. One cubic foot equals 7.48 gallons. For example, if your meter says you used 41 cubic feet in a day, you would multiply 41 by 7.48 to find out that over 306 gallons were used that day. Utilities with meters bill by the “unit,” normally, such units are measured as 100 cubic feet (748) or alternatively, 1,000 gallons. You can check for leaks on individually metered residences by using your meter. Make certain that no water is being used on the property. Then open the cap of your water meter. Note the location of dial test hand. Don’t run water for 30 minutes. If the dial has moved, you’ve got a leak.

The leak can be anywhere, toilets, angle stops, exposed pipe, underground pipe, hose bibs, water heater, the list goes on. Next week I'll discuss some potential leak spots and how to test.

Furnace Tune Up...A do it yourself project???

Fall has officially begun and over the past couple weeks I've noticed a dramatic increase in the number of furnace calls I'm receiving. It's a sign that cold weather is just around the corner and it's time to get that furnace checked out so you don't suffer a cold night when the "snap" hits.

A lot of clients call me and ask if a furnace tune up is something they can do themselves. They usually preface the question by saying they saw and article in readers digest or saw a flyer at Home Depot about performing the service yourself. My answer to them is usually along the lines of, it wouldn't be that hard to change my cars oil, but do I really want the mess and what if something does go wrong, wouldn't I be liable?

Now you're probably thinking of course I'm going to recommend seeking an experts advice and service, but a furnace is one of the most complex and expensive products in a home. It's a job for a trained and experience service technician. Not only does it void the manufacture warranty, but I've known quite a few experienced technicians, myself included that have suffered burns, gas leaks, electrical shocks, short circuits, and deep cuts and gashes while working on the basic furnace system.

The typical furnace service includes:

• Cleaning the plenum box, fan, and heat exchanger
• Carbon monoxide test and inspection of heat exchanger for cracks and excessive cracking
• Filter change out
• Remove motors and fan to lube and oil
• Inspect wires and electrical

So give your local heating company a call and set up an pre-winter furnace tune up. Don't get stuck in the cold.

Circulating Pumps - Hot Water in an Instant

A hot water water circulating system eliminates cold water runoff at the faucet, using a bypass valve and pump with a timer to control water flow. Now you can have hot water on demand.

Pumps such as the Grundfos Comfort Series are a great option. As water slowly cools in the hot water line, the circulating pump moves hot water from the water heater through the pipe back, past the a baffel installed at the futhest hot water location, and back to water heater via the cold water line. A long complicated sounding procedure but really quite simple. The end result is what matters - warm water is instantly available for use with no waste.

What's great about circulating pumpes is that your can enjoy the comforts of instant hot water while also saving water. Put the pump of a timer and you save energy by having it run only when you want. So during the middle of the night when everyone is asleep or in the middle of the day when everyone is out the pump shuts off and saves energy. Most people find that running the pump between the hours of 6am and 9am and 5pm and 10pm to be sufficient, but it is up to you.

The Mother of All Plumbing Problems - FLOODS

“Every year I see 4 or 5 homes flooded by hoses that burst while homeowners are away or asleep," says Bellows Plumbing, Heating, Sewer & Drain co-owner Greg Bellows

According to State Farm Insurance Statistics, washing machine hose failures cause approximately $170 million in damages to homes in the United States & Canada. The true figure may be even higher, as this amount accounts for reported claims only. Fortunately, there are some simple, quick and inexpensive steps that homeowners can take to eliminate the problem.

"Rubber washing machine hoses represent the weakest point in your home's entire plumbing system. They're really nothing more than a thin black garden hose," says Bellows.

A failure at 70 pounds of pressure can disgorge up to 650 gallons of water per hour. The problem is that most are poorly constructed and offer very little in the way of protection. The key is to understand why hoses fail. Contrary to popular perception, hoses do not simply burst due to high water pressure.

Rather than simply bursting, hoses fail in a very specific place- the coupling. The truth is that standard hose couplings are rolled and stamped from a thin sheet of copper alloy. In time, water flow hones them to a fine edge. When the hose bends at the coupling, this sharp edge is forced into the exterior wall and slices it open. This is called "razoring."

Steps you can take to prevent hose failures:

1. Regularly inspect your washing machine hoses
2. Make sure there are at least 4 inches of clearance between the water connection and the back of the washing machine. This space will help reduce the chances that the hose will kink.
3. Make sure your connections are secure.
4. Buy a high quality hose.
5. Shut off your hoses when not in use.
6. Never leave your washer on when you are asleep or out of the house.
   
   

Consumer Warning - Copper Theft on the Rise

Too bad pennies are no longer made of copper; they would actually be worth about 1.45 cents today. Copper is currently selling at $3 to $4 per pound, which is enough to entice thieves into stealing it in every form.

Since 2005, the price of copper has risen between 70 and 200 percent. As a result, not only is copper becoming a more expensive plumbing option but also a more attractive item for thieves, who are stealing and reselling it at scrap yards for increasingly high returns. Power and telephone line are also lucrative targets despite the obvious dangers. But, exposed copper piping, gutters and downspouts on homes are easy targets.

Copper thieves commonly target unoccupied homes, especially those with “For Sale” or “For Rent” signs in front. However, and home with copper hardware on its exteriors is vulnerable, particularly those with exterior crawlspace access. Thieves have been know to disguise themselves as service technicians, so neighbors and bystanders innocently overlook the theft taking place. Though many scrap yards now require sellers to provide photo identification, it’s nearly impossible for recyclers or law enforcement to know which copper items have been stolen because they don’t carry an identifier.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much a homeowner can do to prevent copper theft from the home. Police departments suggest installing motion sensitive exterior lights and using plastic (PEX) pipes for pluming. Plastic has a number of advantages – ease of installation, resistance to pitting, corrosion and scale – but more of all, it has no resale value!

New Technologies Prevent Destroying the Yard

I frequently come across clients that think the only way to fix their broken water or gas line is to dig up the entire yard and lay a new pipe. It's funny, but most people are either confused or in total disbelief when I tell them that it's possible to install a new water service line by only digging two small holes in their yard. The method is known as hydrosion.

I'll try to give you an idea of how it works, although you may still be confused, so just trust me it works. Essentially we use the new water line like a giant drill bit. Forcing water through the end of the new pipe and 1" drill bit we literally drill our way underground from point A to point B. Sounds simple enough right, well there's a little bit more to is and a lot of prep work that goes into setting it up. But, using this method we are able to install new water and gas service lines without digging up the yard or driveway. Plus we are able to save the client time and that means a savings in money.