Everyone here wishes you a Happy New Year! New Year’s is one of the best times to reflect on all the good things that have happened this year and make plans for the next. We hope that you are able to achieve all of your resolutions! If one of your resolutions is to take better are of your house, remember that annual maintenance of your plumbing system will keep it running as effectively as possible and cut down on emergency repairs. And here is some New Year’s trivia to start your day: the first Time Square New Year’s Eve ball was dropped in 1907 after fireworks were banned in New York City. Today’s ball weighs nearly 12 thousand pounds and is 12 feet in diameter!
Brooks Plumbing Co. Blog: Archive for December, 2011
Happy New Year’s Eve from Your Plumber!
Saturday, December 31st, 2011Plumbing Repair Guide: How to Unclog a Floor Drain
Wednesday, December 28th, 2011It is never fun to wander down into your Lacey home’s basement only to find that your floor drain has backed up. This is not a situation that will take care of itself and you want to get it under control as quickly as possible. While there are certainly plenty of things you can do to try and unclog a floor drain on your own, there are quite a few potentially complicating factors to consider as well.
First of all, you should make sure that no one in the house turns on any running water for anything until the drain has been unclogged. The floor drain in your basement is usually the last stop on the line for all of the water used in your house, and so any running water anywhere above will only cause more water to back up in the basement. Of course, if you cannot use any running water anywhere else in your house, it is even more imperative that you are able to unclog the floor drain quickly.
If you happen to have a snake on hand, this may be the best option to try first. However, it can be a bit difficult to get the snake to make the sharp turn typical of these types of drains not long after the pipe descends below the floor. That is not to say that it cannot be done, but you should be aware that you need to make sure the snake turns the corner before it will be useful to you at all.
If you do not have a snake of your own, you may still be able to take care of the blockage without calling in a professional plumber. But first you have to find it. Depending on the layout of your drainage system, this may be easier said than done. You can also make a pretty big mess if you open up various sections of pipe looking for the blockage, so be aware and make sure you have something in place to catch the runoff and debris that may come out of the pipes when you open them.
You may also run into trouble if the blockage is actually outside of your house in the larger sewer line that runs to the street. Unclogging a drain with this type of problem is generally a job for a professional and there is very little you will be able to do on your own.
Happy Holidays from Your Plumber!
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011Everyone at Brooks Plumbing Co. wishes you a very Happy Holiday! We hope you enjoy this time with friends, family and loved ones. Stay safe and warm this season! Also remember that whether its you water heater or your plumbing system, regular maintenance will keep your equipment working and cut down on repairs.
The holidays are a time to celebrate, and one of the best things about them is the great food. Here is a little treat we found that will make any day even better:
Gingersnap Cookies
“This melt-in-your-mouth ginger cookie recipe that I received from my grandmother has been enjoyed in my family since 1899.”
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup dark molasses
1/3 cup cinnamon sugar
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Sift the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir the mixture to blend evenly, and sift a second time into another bowl.
- Place the shortening into a mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Gradually beat in the white sugar. Beat in the egg, and dark molasses. Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture into the shortening mixture; stir to thoroughly blend. Sift in the remaining flour mixture, and mix together until a soft dough forms. Pinch off small amounts of dough and roll into 1 inch diameter balls between your hands. Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar, and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
- Bake in preheated oven until the tops are rounded and slightly cracked, about 10 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Store in an air tight container.
For more details, visit allrecipes.com
Plumber Guide: Plumbing Basics
Wednesday, December 14th, 2011There are a lot of pipes, drains, fixtures and appliances in your Lacey home carrying out some pretty incredible tasks. For most people, plumbing is just another system that makes their lives easier. But, if something goes wrong, it’s important that you know exactly what to do and for that, you need to know how your system works.
Fundamental Plumbing
Plumbing is based entirely on the properties of gravity and water pressure. A plumbing system has two basic systems – one that brings water in and one that removes that water once you’ve used it. To bring water into your home, it is pressurized. With enough pressure, it can travel against gravity, rising in the pipes to your fixtures.
Every fixture in your home has a valve on it that allows you to shut off the flow of water when making repairs or if there is an emergency. If the emergency is big enough, you can turn the main water supply valve off outside your home as well.
Drainage Systems
While the water coming into your home is relatively simple – pressurized cold water goes directly to the fixtures and hot water comes from your hot water heater – the drainage system is slightly more complicated.
Once water has exited the faucets in your fixtures, it is no longer pressurized so gravity is needed to remove it. Each drain consists of a few basic parts – the flange, tail piece, trap, and drain extension. When you put water down a drain it goes into the trap and flows into the drain extension, eventually to the sewer line.
The trap is designed to always hold a small amount of water so that sewer gasses cannot back up into your fixtures. Vents are installed in your home as well to ensure there is always air in the plumbing system. That air ensures a vacuum doesn’t generate. If it did, water couldn’t flow out of the house. It’s the same as pouring from a small hole in a can – if you poke a hole in the opposite side, it flows much faster because air enters the can to displace the liquid.
Fixing Your Problems
A plumbing system is surprisingly simple to work on if you understand the basics. But, that doesn’t mean a plumber isn’t needed for most major jobs. Because a single fixture or pipe can have an impact on the entire system and because water leakage can be incredibly damaging, it is best to call a professional whenever you need a second opinion or are unsure you can handle it on your own.
Plumber Tip: Common Plumbing Tools and Their Uses
Wednesday, December 7th, 2011Every contractor has his tool chest, and an Olympia plumber is no different. To the novice eye, some of these tools may seem alien and complicated, but in fact the most common tools are quite simple to use. They are specialized to the job they perform, but they are all in all pretty simple.
Below are some descriptions of the most common plumbing tools and their uses.
When many people think of plumbing tools, they think of that big orange iron wrench that plumbers on TV and in cartoons always carry around. That is a pipe wrench, which is a powerful adjustable wrench specifically designed to loosen and tighten plumbing fixtures like pipes. (Hence the name.)
Perhaps the most common plumber tool that people already have on hand is the versatile plunger, which is a lifesaver for clearing up most simple clogs. For stubborn clogs, a pipe snake can come in handy. Essentially a snake is just a length of sturdy but flexible metal or plastic with a spring on the end for snaring clogs, like bundles of hair or debris.
For tighter spaces, there is a basin wrench, which is specially designed to loosen and tighten connections under sinks and basins. A pipe wrench usually cannot reach these spots, so a basin wrench is called for in these situations.
For the tricky nuts, or spots where neither a pipe wrench nor basin wrench will do, a pair of slip-joint pliers is a necessity for plumbers. These pliers are adjustable and have sturdy teeth for gripping hexagonal nuts, such as those attaching a toilet to the flange in your bathroom.
While a professional plumber will have a much more comprehensive selection available to him, these pieces make a good starting toolkit for tackling most common DIY plumbing repairs and other jobs around the house.
Generally speaking, if you have a plumbing need that can’t be met with these tools and your know-how, it’s probably time to call a real plumber and avoid any mounting headaches or damage.
