Pipe Gripes - By Thompson Plumbing Heating Cooling

Do I Have to Insulate the Pipes in My Crawl Space?

The simple answer to this question is: yes, you do. But we’ll also give you a more detailed explanation and some advice on how to do it.

The pipes in your crawl space are in an unheated portion of your home and, therefore, they could freeze without proper insulation (provided, of course, that you live in a climate with cold winters and that your pipes are not buried far below the frost line). Fortunately, crawl space pipes can be insulated relatively cheaply and easily, just like the pipes in your basement or attic.

Begin by using an insulating material, such as an electrical wire heating wrap

, to wrap the exposed pipes. Alternatively, there are also spray foams that can be used to surround and insulate your pipes. However, these are usually used in basements or in walls where there is already some form of insulation from the cold. Because a

crawl space is essentially outdoors, the foam may not work as well for this applicatio

n if you live in a brutally cold climate.

Regardless of what type of insulating material you use, be sure to insulate all

of the cold and hot water pipes in your crawlspace. It is a myth that cold water pipes don’t freeze as much as hot water pipes do – insulate everything.

Depending on your climate, you may also want to insulate your entire crawlspace as well as the individual pipes.

In addition to insulation, you can also prevent pipes from freezing during the coldest months by keeping the water running at a constant trickle. For best results, run both cold and hot water taps. This might result in slightly higher water and electricity bills, but overall, it will be cheaper than the cost to fix a burst pipe. 

(Flickr Photo by numberstumper)

Why Drains Are Only For Water

Often, people rinse more than water down their drains, not thinking about where the chemicals or other liquids could lead. However, rinsing things down the sink aren’t good for the environment or your pipes.

For starters, it’s never a good idea to rinse household or automotive chemicals down any drain in your home. These cleaning products and chemicals will make their way into lakes and oceans, causing serious damage.

Do not put any pesticides down the drain, along with any cleaning products, germicides, or antiseptics that contain mercury.

Several common items people rinse down the sink are from the kitchen, but they still don’t belong in the drain. Throw away items including sauces, dairy products, meat fats, lard, cooking oil, butter, margarine, shortening, baking goods, and food scraps, coffee grinds, egg shells, and produce stickers.  Grease, in all of its forms, will harden along the sides of the pipes and eventually block them after a period of time.

Many of the other items, such as food scraps and egg shells, just don’t dissolve over time, so eventually they will clog the pipe, or need a professional cleaning.

Check the labels on the cleaning products in your home. Any product containing quaternary ammonia sanitizers (often found in fabric softeners, commercial cleaners, and pine oil cleaners) should be avoided.

Other items that you should not rinse down the drain include grease from cars and lawnmowers, motor oil, transmission fluids, anti-freeze, pieces of garbage, flushable cat litter, paper towels, solvents, nail polish and nail polish remover, or medication of any kind. Products of this sort can corrode the entire plumbing system, which means you’d need an entire plumbing remodel to fix it.

If the pipes in your home do become clogged, only use drain cleaners as a last resort.

Pipe Gripes is written and published by Thompson Plumbing Heating & Cooling .

(Flickr Photo by vanz)

What To Do About A Stinky Garbage Disposal

Even after you rinse everything down the garbage disposal, you might still detect a funky smell emanating from the drain. Over time, small food particles build up in and around your garbage disposal, stinking up an otherwise fresh-smelling kitchen. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to clean out your garbage disposal and eliminate that unpleasant odor.

First, try flushing out the disposal with some soap and hot water. The best way to do this is by putting a stopper over the drain, then filling the sink with several inches of hot water and a squeeze of dish detergent. Then, remove the plug and turn on the disposal, letting the sudsy water flush through.

You can also try turning on the disposal and keeping it running while you toss in several ice cubes and a handful of kosher rock salt. The friction provided by these items will help scrub away rotting food particles clinging to the disposal and the sides around it. This will also help keep your disposal’s blades sharp. To add a pleasant scent, throw some lemon peels into the running disposal after the salt and ice have gone through.  

If the smell persists after trying the above methods, pour a half-cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by a cup of vinegar. Wait about ten minutes for the fizzy mixture to do its work and then flush with boiling water.

Want to prevent future stink-ups? Make sure you always run your garbage disposal long enough so that all the larger chunks are washed completely down the drain. You can also make a habit of running ice cubes, rock salt and lemon peels through the disposal from time to time so that particles don’t get a chance to build up in the first place and your sink stays smelling fresh year-round.

(Flickr Photo by Chris Winters)

Prevent Sweating Pipes

This summer, we’ve all been sweating enough in the heat. The last things we want to deal with are sweating pipes, too. Although sweating pipes aren’t the biggest deal in the world, they are a nuisance and can signify larger problems at work. Do you notice condensation forming on your pipes? At times, condensation can accrue to the point that your pipes drip. If you use your basement for storage, a laundry room or for a place to hang out, dripping pipes are not only annoying, but they can provoke mold and mildew growth – and that’s a real problem.

Eliminate nasty, sweating pipes with these tips:

• Run a dehumidifier. Yes, this is treating the symptoms before treating the problem, but a dehumidifier can make a big difference.
• Check your basement’s foundation for cracks. If water is getting in through your walls, you should address it immediately before things really get out of hand. (See this week’s “Unclog Blog” for flooded basements.)
• How does your gutter system work? Are your gutters clean? Does rainwater go down the downspout and away from the foundation of your house? If not, this could be the problem.
• Insulate your cold water pipes with foam pipe wrap, which you should be able to procure easily at any do-it-yourself store or hardware store.
• If you have a sump pump, make sure it works properly.
• Avoid hanging wet clothes in the basement to dry. Naturally, this adds unneeded moisture to the air.

As always, never hesitate to contact us at Thompson Plumbing Heating & Cooling for questions about your plumbing or HVAC systems.

 

Getting Your New Plumbing Inspected

Homeowners and business owners probably look forward to inspections as much as you look forward to your next root canal. We often associate inspections with headaches and nitpicking over codes that can wind up costing a lot of money and seemingly wasting a lot of time. The fact is, though, a thorough inspection can save more headaches that it creates (if it creates any).

If you recently bought a new or existing home, make sure you have these key areas looked at by a certified inspector:

• Plumbing fixtures: There’s a lot more to your fixtures than meets the eye. Your plumbing fixtures are responsible for turning your water on and off, controlling the flow and temperature. Some of the things inspectors will look for are sufficient water pressure, flow rate, functionality and scalding water.
• Shut off valves: It’s always good to know where your shut off valves are in case of an emergency, and that they’re in proper working order.
• Water supply lines: Whether you have plastic, galvanized steel, copper or brass, getting your supply lines looked at by a professional ensures potential problems can be accurately spotted, diagnosed and corrected.
• Drain lines: The most common problem with drain lines is leakage and this is an area in which you definitely do not want leaks. Drain lines are responsible for carrying waste to the septic tank and sewer. Your inspector will make sure this is happening the way it should.

For more information on plumbing in your home, contact Thompson Plumbing Heating & Cooling today.

 

How Do You Know There’s a Problem?

Some problems are easy to diagnose and others aren’t, but one thing you can be sure of is this: if you have regularly clogged drains, dripping faucets or pipes that make noise, drip or worse, spray water, you’ve probably got a problem on your hands. When it comes to plumbing, time is of the essence, so get moving once you’ve noticed a problem exists to mitigate further damage.

Dripping faucets and clogged drains are usually easy enough to fix. Depending on the severity, you may be able to correct them yourself without the aid of a professional plumber. In fact, many episodes of Pipe Gripes and the Unclog Blog have been devoted to home remedies for clogged drains, including easily accessible items like vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice and boiling water. As for leaky faucets, you’ll need the proper tools. If you have a suitable pipe wrench, fixing a leaky faucet can be a snap.

Beyond leaks, drips or the occasional water hammer (knocking in pipes caused by an abrupt pressure change), homeowners need to be especially cautious to keep their pipes from freezing and possibly bursting during the cold seasons. When the weather dips, check your pipes to make sure they’re not too cold. If you think portions of your piping are potentially subject to freezing, run hot water frequently and consider investing in pipe insulation or a space heater to keep sections of the pipe warm. If a pipe bursts, the fallout is costly and a giant headache.

For more tips to keep your plumbing in good working order, contact an expert at Thompson Plumbing Heating & Cooling today.

 

Benefits of PVC Vs. Copper

Are you installing new piping or building a new home and feeling unsure of whether to go with PVC or copper? Never fear, Pipe Gripes is here!

Here’s the rundown of each so you can be the judge:

PVC Benefits

• PVC doesn’t conduct electricity and is immune to electrochemical reactions caused by acids, bases and salts that corrode metal piping.
• PVC piping has an excellent strength to weight ratio that makes it particularly easy to transport and install.
• PVC is flexible, meaning it can yield under loading without breaking. This benefit helps reduce the magnitude of pressure surges (water hammer) that creates a knocking sound in metal pipes.
• Water quality is high due to the non-corrosive nature of the piping and resistance to chemical attack.
• PVC piping is generally available in longer than traditional lengths, meaning fewer joints.

Copper Benefits

• Copper is easy to work with and has excellent thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance and durability.
• Copper is a versatile material that’s proven useful for a variety of applications including underground water and gas services, water distribution systems, chilled water mains, drainage and vent systems, heating systems, fuel-oil systems, oxygen systems and non-flammable medical-gas systems.
• Copper is remarkably durable to stand the test of time. It is now light, strong and maintenance free. It also is flame resistant.
• Copper conducts heat up to eight times better than other metals, including aluminum and steel.
• Copper is easy to join and install. It’s ductile, meaning it can be soldered on site and formed any way homeowners see fit.
• Copper is an abundant resource that can be scrapped and recycled over and over again.

Need more questions answered about your plumbing, heating or cooling system? Call Thompson Plumbing Heating & Cooling today.

 

Green Your Plumbing

Getting your home plumbing on the right track to becoming earth-friendly and efficient is easier than you may think. Here’s the lowdown on some common pipe materials and how they can help improve your home:

Iron and Copper: The good news with metal pipes is that they are usually made primarily of recycled content and as a result, are easily recyclable themselves when the time comes. The drawback with metal pipes is the amount of energy necessary to form them in the first place. Melting and forming iron and copper requires extreme temperatures and consumes more energy than the production process for plastic pipes. On the up side, metal pipes are the strongest and most resistant to cracking.

PVC: Hard plastics are made mostly with raw petroleum-based chemicals and unfortunately, tend to end up in landfills. Some PVC products can be recycled, so if you’re thinking about PVC pipes for your home, consider disposal before you buy.

Alternative plastics: Polyethylene and polypropylene are less toxic alternatives than PVC. Aquatherm, a German company, manufactures polypropylene pipes that are easily recycled and expected to last about 50 years.

No matter which type of piping you choose, wrap your pipes with insulation. Pipe insulation is cheap and very easy to install. Wrapping pipes in neoprene foam tubes can cut heat loss by up to 80 percent and keep cold water pipes from sweating. It can also help raise hot water temperatures by up to four degrees. Now that’s smart!

 

No Gripes about These Restaurant Bathrooms

If you’ve ever watched the fantastic television show Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, you may have heard the notoriously foul-mouthed chef proclaim that a restaurant can only be as good as its restrooms. And if you like to go out to eat, you’ve certainly come across your fair share of reprehensible restrooms that can’t help but make you wonder what’s going on in the kitchen. As Ramsay said, a filthy restroom likely implies a filthy kitchen.

But not to worry. If you’re looking for a first-rate loo, these restaurants deliver. Word is the food’s good, too.

1. The Fountain on Locust – St. Louis, Missouri: The most photographed restaurant in St. Louis also has one of the greatest bathrooms, featuring hand-painted murals, ornate fixtures and designer mirrors.
2. Jungle Jim’s International Market – Fairfield, Ohio: Don’t be fooled by the entrance that is meant to look like a port-o-potty. Once you cross the threshold you’re in for a treat. A big one. This is potty humor at its finest!
3. Wendell’s Restaurant – Westerville, Ohio: They take great pride in their restroom at Wendell’s. It features a classic sports theme and is known for being neat, clean and loaded with fresh towels and mouthwash.

 

Plumbing, the Old School Way: A Little History

If you were on Jeopardy and were faced with the question, “Where was the United States’ first waterworks?” – would you know the answer? In this case, logical deduction would probably serve anyone well.

In 1652, Boston incorporated the country's first waterworks, formed to provide water for firefighting and domestic use. Fire was a common problem in the 1600’s because of wood-framed houses, stores and rashes of chimney fires. For this reason, establishing a waterworks for firefighting was essential, and it laid the groundwork for all plumbing to follow in the United States.

The line supplying water to Boston's wharves and other buildings ran from Jamaica Pond to the Faneuil Hall area, the meeting place for the Massachusetts rebels who held their Boston Tea Party in the nearby harbor on Dec.16, 1773. Just recently a section of a wooden water main was removed from that same vicinity.

Crude by almost anyone's standards, these new pipelines were invaluable to firefighters. They would punch a hole into the wooden pipe along the edge of the street, insert a smaller pipe, presized to fit the newly bored hole and harness the hose of their fire wagon, a two man pumper. The fire out, they would plug up the hole again with a pre-cut conical stopper on the end of a long pole, insert it into the hole, and bang it shut. This was the "fireplug," the wooden pole left sticking out of the ground marking the plug, ready to be pulled out for the next chimney fire.

Now that you’re armed with waterworks trivia, go razzle-dazzle your friends at the next get-together or party! Or better yet, maybe you can win some money on Jeopardy.