Hot outside,be cool on weekend!

beautiful life!

New drain for kitchen sinks

the basement under stinky water

old galvanize pipe, disconnected

new underground c i pipe connected with main sewer line

8 ft of pipe

new drain for 1st and 2nd kitchen sinks

GREAT WEEKEND!

red roses

Broken pipe at the foundation

the site

the broken pipe has been removed

broken 4" cast iron pipe

the front lawn is protected

new 4" pvc pipe with 4" clean out

Toilets

The toilet life is somewhere between 10-15 yrs. You can use a toilet more than 15 yrs but is not healthy. And never use  toilet seat more than 3-4 years. Minor repair needs to be done once in a while. Turn off and on the toilet shutoff valve every year. Sometimes is better to have your own plumber who knows your house plumbing in each detail. Do not buy the cheap ones,Kohler ,American Standards and Toto are the best.

More tips

Make sure everyone in the house knows where the main water cut off is, in case of an emergency.
 
In the event that your toilet begins to overflow, open the tank lid and push the flush valve closed. This will keep the  toilet from overflowing, while you clear the hindrance.
 
Check your meter on a regular basis. If there is no water running, all the dials on the meter should be static. If there is one moving on its own, this may indicate a leak in the house.

 Make sure you know where the cut off valves for your toilets are. This way, in case of an emergency, you don’t have to go all the way to wherever the main cut off valve is located.

 At least once a year, open and close all water valves in the house. This will ensure that they stay in working order.

 Once a year drain  tune up  your water heater. This will allow harmful sediment to clear. Check the water heater anode    rod and change it every 3 year.

 When you have a stopped drain, always use a plunger first over a drain cleaner. Drain cleaners should only be used as a last resort but drain cleaners are not recommended.

 Plungers with necks on them are the best to use on sink drains. If can not be unclogged, call the plumber.

Every two years clean your main sewer line, or at least video camera inspection.

FLOWERS

LIFE IS OURS!

CLOGGS!

There are few sites which recommends to use different methods of unclogging the drains; sinks and tubs drain. Don't do that. Call a plumber! You have 99% chance to make more damage in the drain. Most of the plumbing companies will came for free estimate. Ask when the plumber will be there as many question as possible. YOU DECIDE AND ONLY YOU if you want to pay for service! Don't use backing soda! That's madness! Be smart!

Still here!

from Munich with love!

We are still here, but  a little bit busy! We will post interesting news in few days! Stay cool! And because is EURO 2012 enjoy it!

enjoy the weekend

stay cool in the hot summer!

small job

 the pump discharged in the broken drain tile

after the replacement, simple and nice looking

Low flow

Bathroom vanity and kitchen sink faucets have three basic causes for low flow.

Faucet Supply Valves

The typical faucet supply or “stop valve” has a handle on it that opens the valve when turned to the left (counter-clockwise), and closes the valve when turned to the right (clockwise). Make sure the stop valve is fully open by turning it to the left until it stops turning. Do not force these valves, as they become easy to break as they age.
While looking under the sink, inspect the tubing or pipe leading from the stop valve to the faucet. If the tubing is flexible plastic, ensure it does not have a kink in it, or has been crushed during assembly. If it is kinked or crushed, it should be replaced. Close the stop valve by turning it to the right (clockwise) until it stops, then remove the tubing and take it to the plumbing department to ensure you get the correct replacement.

Faucet Aerators

Most faucets have an aerator, or filter screen, that may be clogged.
This aerator is most often threaded onto the end of the faucet. When removing the aerator, use a cloth around the aerator to protect it from tool marks. While looking down at the top of the faucet, you will thread the aerator to the right (clockwise) to remove it. Inspect the debris found on the inside of the aerator screen. Most often, you will find sand, hard mineral buildup or, more rarely, plastic chips. If the material rinses off easily, set the aerator aside and run the cold and hot water for two minutes each, with the aerator off. This will flush the remaining material out of the faucet. Mineral deposits may be hard to remove.
If you have two or more faucets with low flow, and the aerators are clean in both of them, it is unlikely that you would have two failed faucets. While it does happen, it is far more common for debris or scale to affect several fixtures.

Defective Faucets

If the flow is not restored, the problem could be a clogged or defective faucet itself. Many faucets can be cleaned, but the process varies by brand and model of faucet. The basic steps are to turn off both hot and cold water supplies to the faucet. Remove the handle and then access the valve cartridge, if equipped. If there is a valve cartridge, it will be within the body of the valve, and removing the handle will reveal screws, a nut or a clip that is removed to thread or pull the faucet cartridge out of the faucet. Once it is removed, inspect it for sand, mineral buildup or other debris. If the o-rings or gaskets look worn, take the entire cartridge to the plumbing department to ensure you get the correct repair parts. Some cartridges are available as a complete replacement unit.

But don't forget, seems to be easy, but the plumbing isn't. CALL THE PLUMBER. WE ARE HERE, TOO.

DO YOU KNOW?

Do you know what should be the water pressure  in your home?

 40 to 60 pounds is "normal." Over 80 is too high and will cause problems with your plumbing fixtures and water heater. You can buy an inexpensive test gauge that attaches to an outside faucet. Just be sure to run the water a bit before hooking it up so you do not get a false reading from air trapped in the gauge. But better you should call a plumber.

 

forget handymen in plumbing problems!

Working with handyman in plumbing or sewer problems is kind of hazard. Having them to do a main line cleaning could create a big problem for you. If they use a jetter with 3/8" hose in 6" main line, that is a nightmare for owner. The hose will go in but will not came out. What means that for owner? Expense. Another thing, if your floor drain is backing up, and the guy which you called to help you is doing floor drain cleaning instead of main line cleaning, that's another problem for you. DO NOT CALL UNPROFESSIONAL GUYS. Think twice and do once.

we wish you a good weekend!

alone!? never. always with bbp plumbing

Definitions for main line equipment

spartan rodding machine

 

 Rodding machines are flexible steel rods with rotating blade cutters, augers, or
corkscrews. Rodding machines are most effective in small diameter sewers, up to 12”.

jetter

 Jetters, also known as flushers, flush trucks, jet rodders, jet trucks, and hydraulic sewer
cleaners, consist of a high pressure water pump, water tank, hose reel, and ½” to 1”
sewer cleaning hose. Water shooting through orifices in the rear of the nozzle propels
the hose through the sewer, blasting it through obstructions. As the hose and nozzle are
retrieved, debris is hydraulically flushed back to the insertion manhole for removal.
  Jetters can also be equipped with water-propelled spinning root    cutters. Root cutters
 often get snagged however, and can only be removed by digging   them  out.

$99.00 for sewer line cleaning!?

$99.00 sewer line cleaning; $93.00 sewer line cleaning. Service guaranteed.
How much do you have to trust in those prices? None. Those prices are only a way for those companies to step inside of your house. Think about this. Usually to clean the main sewer line from outside 6" clean out, in length of 60-100 ft takes for a GOOD technician about 1hr to 1-1/2 hrs. The machine price is around $3,000.00, the main line cable plus the blades around $350-$400. The technician will be pay with $30-35 per hr. At the end the company profit. Where is this? In your packet! Why? Because they will try to sell excavation, which means thousands of $ for you. Sometimes probably is necessary. But not all the time. Think twice, and do once.