2013

Today is the last day of 2012. We had a good year in our business. We help a lot of people with our services, we make them happy. We thank our customers for 2012. We wish you the best for 2013, I hope is going to be a good year for everybody.

                HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013!

Bathroom statistics

Bathroom Statistics

One in four Americans with kids go to the bathroom to escape their duties and relax.

Almost 33% of Americans sing in the shower.

89% of women leave the toilet seat down, while only 70% of men in America leave it down.

32% of men claimed to have made love in a bathroom, which is double the number of women making the same statement.

85% of Americans who lost something down the toilet decided to retrieve the item themselves using their hands, a toilet scrubber, removing the drain, or some other homemade device.

Those notes I took from web and I think is interesting to share with you my blog reader.

Wish

We have a dry weather this December which is not as fair as needs to be. Snow, rain, cold are the nouns most common for this season. Instead we have mild temperatures, sunny days and a lot of skunk.
Regarding our activity was extremely busy. We had from main line cleaning, new plumbing,  lot of sump pumps change, wh replacements to minor repair. And more then that satisfaction  we help people doing good job and help them to have a nice end of the year. In the same time we wish next year to make more people to understand having a good, functional plumbing system in the house is healthy  for their environment, for their children.

something funny!

Funny and true!

Complaining

Complaining is the weapon of  that kind of people which don't know what to expect of the work what has to be done for them, who don't understand the work what has to be done. Usually the people who expect for less money to have excellent  work done at their request. Now they have an important place to complain: internet. Unfortunately they can create huge damage the companies who perform good work, but they complain even if the work is nearly perfect, because let be honest nothing is perfect. I would like these people before complaining to think about. Is their complaint to create something better or is only to create bad? I would like ... . 

About water heaters

There is same questions about what has to be done when the water heater pilot is falling, the burner is not working anymore or the tmp valve is not closing anymore. Do you need only to do the repair or change the whole unit? The way what i recommend is to change the unit. The new ones are more efficient, new warranty, energy saving, and more than that you are safe. It is possible to change the burner, the thermocuple , the tmp valve.
Don't forget all the manufactures recommend to change the anode rod every 3 years and every year tune up the water heater.
In last few months i saw units older than 15-20 years which i think is completely insane. The water heater should work properly as many years as warranty years the water heater has plus, if you change the anode rod every 3 years, one year/ anode rod change.And the space surrounding the water heater needs to be clean, empty of inflammable products.
Take this like a friendly advice.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY!

WE WISH HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY! And be safe and dry!

Where is located!

Do you know where your main water shutoff valve is located in case of and emergency? 

Most main water shutoff valves are located in a basement, 1st floor closet, under house crawl space or garage. 

Here are a few examples of main water shutoff valves.

Ball Valve
Gate Valve

  

Do not use DRANO!

    THIS IS YOUR ENEMY IN YOUR DRAIN PIPES. KILLS THE PIPES. Before to buy if you read this, think twice. Do not take the advertising like is presented. It is not true what shows you. The best way to clean your drains is to call a plumber-drain technician. Is probably more expensive, but secure and safe for your pipes in the house. 

New house

There are so many people who move in new house and they notice after a while the house started to show them different problems. One usual problem is that the main sewer line is backing up after few months. The water heater fail. The tub is not draining. The toilet did not flush properly. How about that you have to call a plumber to have a plumbing inspection done! That will help you a lot! And you will learn something having the inspection done.

Floor drain replacement in basement

 The floor drain in the basement was broken at p-trap. When the rodding has been done the cable went directly in the clay. Then we replaced the floor drain. We posted few pictures which demonstrate our cleanest work. 

New owner, new clean out

 

 Just moved in the house the owner had issues with his main sewer line. Collapsed pipe through out the foundation. We installed new pipe through out sleeve, reconnected the inside PVC pipe, installed outside 4" clean out. After the job was done, the sewer system works again. And a happy customer. 

fall of the empire

We are still here, but busy weeks! We'll come soon to present what we did.

web site

Our web site is www.bbpplumbing.com.

Q/A

Are you doing a periodical plumbing inspection? Do you ever check if the valves in your house are easy to turn on and off? Do you ever fix the water heater tune up? Do you ever clean your main line or kitchen sink drain? If the answer is yes congratulations. If not you have to consider these questions:

Advice for new home owners

If you want to buy a house, you have to be aware that the inspection  before the closing date needs to be well done. And this mandatory inspection needs main sewer line camera inspection. More and more people sell their houses without cleaning their main sewer line, or they know there is a problem and transfer to future owner to solve it. And believe or not, if there is something like a shifted pipe, roots intrusion or worse, you'll have pay for that. Because you pay the house inspection make sure the camera will be in that main line and if possible, in front of you. Consider this advice and you will not regret it.

Working on Sunday!

Because the factory was closed, the plumbing repair was scheduled on Sunday. The floor drain was completely without its bottom and all the waste was discharged in the ground. New floor drain, new slab and a VERY GOOD SUNDAY I HOPE!

ABOUT DRAINS

                 Drains are an integral part of every home. Unfortunately, it is often left forgotten and ends up getting clogged. We have to admit that not all of us are experts at drains but a good insight can help us avoid these costly hassles. Obviously, we first need to know what drains are in order to understand them. It’s not really rocket science and just about anybody can pick up a thing or two.

                 The basic idea or principle of a drain is simple. Water starts at the high end and goes through a pipe or down a trench by the aid of gravity into the low end where it then flows out into a ditch or a sewer. Today’s homes are a little bit more complicated though as they require three things to work properly. These are the trap, the stack and the clean out.

                  Here are a few things about the drains that we regularly use. Because we use these drains often, it is only right that we know more about how they work so that we can have a easier time assessing the problem if ever it comes to that.

                  And never forget, is not really rocket science, but if you have problems with your plumbing, call a PLUMBER with very good skills in DRAIN CLEANING.

BBP PLUMBING INC.

Clean job

There was a broken pipe at the foundation. The whole work took about 8 hrs. The depth was 5 ft. At the end the whole yard was clean.

bbp plumbing inc logo

sky, even more!

sky, even more, a jet plane !

Roots intrusion

Tree root intrusion into sewer lines is an amazingly common problem. Tree roots naturally seek out the best source of moisture and are attracted to the limitless supply of wastewater found in sewer lines. Roots enter through any joints or gaps in between pipes. As they draw moisture from the sewer line, these roots not only multiply but expand - which over time leads to structural decay of the pipe and eventual collapse. Contrary to popular belief however, there are ways of permanently solving the problem without cutting down the tree.
The less expensive is yearly maintenance or at every couple year. No season for cleaning. The time is wright now.
And don't forget, a good maintenance is always followed by the camera inspection.


BBP PLUMBING INC.

FALL

from our garden 

Small job

 SMALL JOB.
Cleaned the catch basin which technically was only a basin for rain water and underground water.  Than cut the down spout brake the concrete side walk, by the way was 10 inch, and installed drain to catch basin because before  handyman cancelled. Put back the concrete and the down spout. Nice and clean. And another job made by BBP PLUMBING INC. 

Is the last weekend of the summer. Kind of sad. And because this weekend i could not develop some pictures; buy the way all pictures are made by us, I want to remind some words what has been said by a great personality: " I am the master of my faith, I am the captain of my soul!"
Have a great weekend!

Good, Better, Best

There is a debate regarding which camera is better for main line sewer inspection: Ridgid or Spartan, or I would say between Ridgid or the other cameras. How probably  has been seen on the picture I chose RIDGID. Easy to work in crawl spaces, hard access, easy to operate. The locator is very precisely, but gave some error when sewer is deeper than 7 feet and under the concrete path. Overall  RIDGID camera is the best on the market.

NEW LOOK!

After few months in virtual, we consider has come the time to change our look. And here we are. We hope, YOU, our visitors to enjoy!

PALMS

up, up in the sky!

8hrs job

There"s many stories in the field regarding all kind of bad work done. Recently we had a service where the kitchen sink drain in basement unit was backing up. Two other companies was there to do the work. One tried to use the air gun and blown up the strainers, and p traps , and the other one couldn't do it at all. What we did!? First we rodded and because of the length of the cable( 60') we couldn't open. Next day we tried to jet and we couldn't pas the first joint. With owner permit we cut the wall and with camera we saw kind of Picasso art. After 2" copper pipe 4" cast iron pipe and again 2" copper pipe and again 4" copper pipe. After jet and rodding we pulled out plastic bags. The whole work: 8 hrs. Because of very skilled plumbers, whit license of course.

History!

 DID YOU KNOW!?

     Testaments to the ancient plumber echo in the ruins of rudimentary drains, grandiose palaces and bath houses, and in vast aqueducts and lesser water systems of empires long buried. Close to 4,000 years ago, about 1700 B.C., the Minoan Palace of Knossos on the isle of Crete featured four separate drainage systems that emptied into the great sewers constructed of stone.

             Terra cotta pipe was laid beneath the palace floor, hidden from view. Each section was about 2 1/2' long, slightly tapered at one end, and nearly 1" in diameter. It provided water for fountains and faucets of marble, gold and silver that jetted hot and cold running water.

Harbored in the palace latrine was the world's first flushing "water closet" or toilet, with a wooden seat and a small reservoir of water. The device, however, was lost for thousands of years amid the rubble of flood and decay. Not until the 16th Century would Sir John Harington invent a "washout" closet anew, similar in principle. And it would take still another 200 years before another Englishman, Alexander Cumming, would patent the forerunner of the toilet used today. The luminous names of Doulton, Wedgwood, Shanks, and Twyford would follow.

Still summer!

Alone!

Vortex

Do you know that the Vortex phenomenon north of Equator is right-left and south of Equator is left-right!

DEFINITION
A vortex (plural: vortices) is a spinning, often turbulent, flow of fluid. Any spiral motion with closed streamlines is vortex flow. The motion of the fluid swirling rapidly around a center is called a vortex. The speed and rate of rotation of the fluid in a free (irrotational) vortex are greatest at the center, and decrease progressively with distance from the center, whereas the speed of a forced (rotational) vortex is zero at the center and increases proportional to the distance from the center. Both types of vortex exhibit a pressure minimum at the center, though the pressure minimum in a free vortex is much lower.( FROM DICTIONARY)

Wrong!

I was watching different sites of all kind of companies and I saw this picture posted inside the home site of one of multiple plumbing companies. This is totally wrong in the Illinois State. They use a normal coupling not a no-share coupling. But this you can see in many places of Chicago land area, if you are you doing sewer replacement.

COMMERCIAL COMPANIES

For companies, plumbing problems are much more than just an inconvenience. They can disrupt business, or worse- force you to temporarily shut down operations. When a problem occurs, wasting time trying to figure out to call is not an option. When you need a partner you can trust to provide, exceptional plumbing service, call  US, BBP PLUMBING INC.

Hot! Very hot!

was 50F in last day of 2011!

Old building, old plumbing

Flush meter 

Leaking every were

Toilet from ice age

The ice age toilet is not flushing because of the flush meter valve which is kind of old. Tried to make this one to work but no way. Will be change next days.

Water heater costs

Typical costs:

Buying a water heater costs $150-$3,500, depending on capacity, energy efficiency and type. Traditional tank systems run about $100-$600 for electric and $250-$1,000 for gas. Tankless types cost $200-$1,200, from a small under-sink unit to one that delivers 5 gallons a minute. Heat pump models are$600-$2,000 or more, and solar water heaters run $1,000-$5,000 (including installation). Weigh the purchase price against the ongoing monthly expenses; the cheapest units are going to be the most expensive ones to use. The U.S. Department of Energy gives detailed descriptions of each type. Installation runs about $200-$400 for a traditional tank model depending on size, existing set-up, fit and other factors; installing a tankless water heater can cost two to four times more if the supply lines or venting need resizing or other significant changes are required; heat pump water heaters cost about $300-$700 to install; and solar systems usually have installation included in the purchase price. It costs more to replace an old-style heater with a different system, but can save money in the long run. What should be included:

Traditionally, two people need a 30-40 gallon capacity tank; five or more in a household calls for 50-80 gallons. But the first-hour rating (how many gallons it delivers in an hour of use) can be more important than capacity; if you buy a tank that puts out more than you need hourly, you're wasting money heating extra water. The on-demand tankless systems avoid that cost and take up less space, but you might need more than one to shower and run a dishwasher at the same time. A heat pump system requires a lot of open space around it in a room that stays warm. Replacing an old water heater with a similar but updated model is relatively straightforward, but be sure to check the dimensions. New more-energy efficient units are often a bit larger, and might not fit the existing space. And be sure you're clear on the space and hook-ups available in your home, as compared to the requirements of a more energy-efficient style of water heater. Always call a plumber to install a water heater.

TIPS(1)

What do you have to do if you discover a floor drain in the basement, under the carpet, after you recently move in the house, and this one is getting really stinky and making the basement a no standing zone!?

Answer: There might be a partially clogged drain, collapsed drain. A good cleaning with a hose usually does the trick. Can be cap it with a test plug if is OK. But the best way is camera inspection with a mini camera and see if is still connected with main sewer line or with a sump pump pit. Either way is better first to see what will be in the future the room destination and for how many years, and make the decision after you consult a plumber.

end of july

mingo fall

Impossible main line cleaning

after the work is done

6" c/o, no-share couplings, gravels

other view

 There was no access to do the main line cleaning. Tried to pulled toilet, through roof and no result. Camera the main line and when the  house was built the plumber contractor did some wrong connections and so, when the time has come to clean the main line no way to do it. The outside 6" c/o was necessary. The depth 5', front yard. At the end clean front yard we let.

Enjoy the nature

good for rafting

New job

bathroom under remodeling

bathroom under remodeling

new cabinet and new toilet

granite counter top

new vanity drain