Posts Tagged ‘Perryville’

History of Plumbing: Some Info from Cecilton

Thursday, November 10th, 2011

Everyone in Cecilton knows that water runs downhill, right? That’s because of gravity. And that simple theory was the key milestone in the history of plumbing. As far back as the days of the Roman Empire, people were using gravity to move water from its source to where it was used. There were no systems of piping back then and no way to pressurize a means of transporting water from one location to another.

The beauty of the gravity movement was how the Roman engineers achieved it – through the use of aqueducts. These aqueducts carried water from higher elevations in mountains to the cities below. Some of them were outdoor architectural marvels but most of the water was carried through underground tunnels. The gravity that carried the water was achieved by a slight pitch in the tunnel or aqueduct. It is estimated that as much as 300 million gallons of water found its way into Rome every day.

The fall of the Roman Empire brought the demise of this elaborate system but other plumbing marvels followed in the decades and centuries to come.

The means of transporting water changed from aqueducts and tunnels to something that was very abundant in the early stages of developing countries like the United States – namely wood. Hollowed out logs were the forefathers of modern iron pipes. These wooden pipe systems were found in the northeastern U.S. in the 1800s. Unfortunately, wood exposed to water soon deteriorated and rotted – and also left a bad taste to the water.

Iron and steel water pipes began to show up in the late 1800s in the U.S. These pipes were characterized by their heavy weight. The next generation of piping was made from copper. This material was introduced in the early 1900s and became commonly used by the middle of the century. Eventually, plastic was used to replace copper and steel. It is less expensive and just as durable.

Of course, any type of indoor plumbing was deemed a luxury for the “common” homeowner in the 1800’s and 1900’s. Indoor plumbing was not a standard and as late as the 1940s and 50s, many homes still utilized the good old fashioned outhouses as toilet facilities. That happened, in part, because towns did not have central water pumping and treatment facilities – and there were no city sewer lines to tap into. And the cost of indoor plumbing was out of some household budgets.

Today, what we take for granted in our array of indoor fixtures and appliances would have been deemed a luxury fitting to kings and queens by our ancestors.

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When to Use a Pipe Inspection Camera: A Guide from Warwick

Saturday, October 15th, 2011

For Warwick plumbers today, pipe inspection cameras are a huge aide. In the past, it was often very difficult to determine the location of a blockage or a leak, or indeed if one even existed at all. But now with this great modern equipment, it is much easier to get a thorough picture of the exact state of a pipe system and the nature of a potential problem.

These types of inspection cameras are especially useful when a clog is located underground or when an underground leak is suspected. Many types of plumbing problems can have multiple possible causes. But with pipeline inspection cameras, you can know for sure quickly exactly what type of problem you are dealing with.

For instance, even if you know that an underground pipe is leaking, it can be next to impossible to figure out exactly where the leak is. But to fix the leak you will have to unearth the damaged section of pipe and repair it. If you cannot pinpoint the leak precisely, you will be forced to unearth a large section of pipe. This takes a long time and causes unnecessary, although hopefully temporary damage to your yard as well.

However, if you can determine exactly where the leak is, you can dig up only the affected portion of pipe. This saves a lot of time and labor and it also means that you can limit the disruption the work causes in your yard. And the best way to find a leak like this is to use a pipe inspection camera to get a look at the inside of the pipe before you ever begin digging.

You do not need to wait for an emergency situation to develop to make use of a pipe inspection camera either. This technology is also extremely useful during annual drainage and sewer maintenance visits to help ensure that there are no unnoticed problems lurking below the surface. It is perfectly possible that one of your pipes is getting close to cracking but has not done so yet. The repairs can be a lot simpler if you catch this type of problem early, and that is exactly what a pipe inspection camera makes possible.

Pipe inspection cameras are also useful during maintenance visits because they allow technicians to determine which parts of your system need the most work. They can see where the larger buildups are and get the job done quicker overall than they could if they were operating blind.

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What You Can Do to Prevent Problems in Your Drains: A Tip From Colora

Monday, September 19th, 2011

When you look at a drain in your Colora home, it seems fairly simple. You pour things down and they disappear into the ether, never to be seen again. Of course, that logic goes out the window the second the drain starts to backup or overflow. There are things you can do to avoid such problems though and most of the time, they cost nothing and take only a few minutes a week.

Simple Household Drain Maintenance

The first step to avoiding a problem is not putting anything down your drain that might cause said problem in the first place. Specifically, avoid grease, food, or other objects that might build up in your drains if not properly disposed.

Food can be broken down by a garbage disposal or, even better, placed in a compost pile. Grease, however, should never enter your sink at all. Pour all old kitchen grease into a coffee pot or bucket and dispose of it carefully. It can be thrown away in some places, or it can be recycled. Whatever you do, though, don’t pour it down the drain.

Another easy tip to keeping those drains clear is to pour a natural compound down every now and then like dishwashing liquid or baking soda and vinegar. Expensive drain cleaners are not only unnecessary – they are unsafe for the person using them and can cause damage to the pipes if you are not careful. To avoid such damage, stick with hot water based compounds and vinegar. The key is to do it preventatively.

If you wait until a full blown clog occurs, baking soda and vinegar may not get the job done and you’ll need to call a plumber who has a snake or other equipment to get the clog out.

Professional Maintenance

While regular flushing of your drain with hot water and vinegar allows you to clear out the vast majority of the stuff that builds up there every week, it’s also a good idea to call a professional for annual maintenance. Such annual maintenance involves visual inspection, professional grade clearing of food and waste products and a full flush. Done properly, this will minimize the cost of future repairs and replacements and keep your plumbing running smoothly for years to come.

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Is There REALLY Such a Thing as Plumbing Maintenance? A Question From Earleville

Thursday, September 15th, 2011

Because it is so specialized and can lead to big messes if handled improperly, your Earleville home’s plumbing is sometimes neglected among routine areas of maintenance. This is a mistake, however, as there are some routine tasks that should be performed on plumbing systems, such as:

  • Remove rust, calcium and lime deposits from the water heater
  • Cleaning the aerators
  • Clearing drain lines
  • Sharpening disposal blades

Some of these are simpler than others, but for the most part, unless you are a very savvy homeowner, they should be done by a licensed plumber. Even if you are not up to doing your own plumbing work, there are still plenty of routine things you can do in order to detect potential problems and see if further work is needed.

In the Bathroom

  • Unscrew the showerhead and look for deposits of lime, calcium, rust and other minerals.
  • Run water down shower and tub drains for signs of slow drainage.
  • Inspect the shower/tub for cracked tiles, which can be signs of leakage beneath the surface.
  • Flush each toilet with the tank lid off to make sure they are flushing properly and all parts are working.
  • Examine all caulking for cracks, gaps or peeling.

In the Kitchen

  • Turn on the faucets. See if water leaks out of the knobs, handles or elsewhere.
  • Have leaky faucets fixed right away.
  • Look beneath the sink for signs of leakage from the exposed drain pipes.

Elsewhere around the House

  • Take a look at the flame and burner chamber of your water heater. A yellowed flame may mean the fuel jets need to be cleaned. Make sure the chamber is free of rust and other small debris.
  • Inspect the washing machines hoses for loose joints, cracking or holes.
  • Look for mold and mildew throughout.

Next Steps

If you find any troublesome issues during this inspection, it is time to call in a professional to get them fixed right away. Doing this simple walkthrough once to twice a year can help prevent plumbing disasters before they happen.

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Troubleshooting Drain Problems: A Tip From Conowingo

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

It’s Saturday afternoon in Conowingo and you are preparing dinner for a number of guests. The kitchen is packed with groceries and you start to clean a lot of veggies for dipping. But there is a problem. The drain in your kitchen sink is “acting funny.” It drains slowly and is making a gurgling sound. In fact, it’s beginning to smelly funny, too.

The timing couldn’t be worse. Before you hit the panic button, let’s take a moment to troubleshoot the problem. Maybe it isn’t much of a problem after all.

First of all, is the problem confined to just the kitchen sink? There may be similar problems in other sinks, which would indicate a larger problem with the plumbing in your home. Hopefully, the kitchen sink is the only area you need to be concerned with.

Next, if you have a two-basin sink who should check to see if both sides are clogged or just one. Remove all dishes and utensils and run water on both sides. If water drains from one and not the other, there is a clog somewhere in the pipe leading to the union of both pipes. You have now centralized the drain problem. If both sides back up, the clog is further down the pipe. But it is still not a big problem.

One way to troubleshoot for drain problems is to simply run very hot water down the drain. This tends to break up clogs of grease by melting it away. The fix can also be as simple as running the garbage disposal long enough to dislodge any debris. You may even want to grind up some food you were planning to dispose of or take some lettuce greens and use the disposal on them. If this food takes a long time to grind or doesn’t at all, the disposal may be the culprit, leading to blocked drains.

And if you are preparing for your party by taking a shower and the shower drain is acting funny, don’t hit the panic button just yet. You may just have a build-up of hair or skin on the drain cover or screen. Use you foot to swish around the water and if water drains more quickly when you do this, the fix can be as simple as reaching down and picking up the debris. Having a plunger nearby helps, too.

None of this is brain surgery and quick fixes are easy to do. But if the problem persists and you don’t have the time or patience to work on your drain problem, call a plumbing professional – and stick with your party plans.

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