Brooks Plumbing Co. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Plumbing Installation’

Ready For Some Potty Talk? We’re Talking About Low Flow Toilets!

Monday, December 23rd, 2019

low-flow-toiletIf you don’t know anything about low flow toilets, you’re about to! See, regular toilets are becoming a thing of the past — low flow is the way to go! Why? This is because installing a low flow toilet in your home is one of the best way s to conserve water, which, of course, is good for both the environment and your wallet.

Low flow toilets offer a number of benefits and, below, we have outlined some of them for you. All you have to do is keep reading to find out more (oh, and as always, remember to contact our team when you need a plumber in Olympia, WA.)

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Your Guide to Installing a New Water Heater

Monday, June 10th, 2019

Owning a great water heater is absolutely essential to your comfort — stepping into a hot shower is perhaps the *best* feeling in the world! And without a great water heater, how would you wish the dishes, do your laundry, or enjoy a bath after a long day at the office?

So, if your hot water heater is no longer getting the job done, it might do you well to consider installing a new one. Now, we know what you’re thinking, and yes, installing a new water heater can certainly be a little overwhelming. But, that’s why we are here to help!

Below, we have provided you with a sort of quick-guide to installing a new water heater. All you have to do is keep reading to find out more! 

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Do I Need a Sump Pump?

Monday, March 18th, 2019

If you’ve ever had a pipe burst in your home, you know just how extensive the damage can be. Water rising in your basement can spell serious trouble for your furnishings, your walls, and your electronic appliances. Not to mention that repairing all of that damage can be quite costly. Now, imagine just how much damage can accrue when there is a major rainstorm or even a flood? The results of those events can be devastating.

So, what do you do to prevent flooding in your home? Today, one of the most effective methods of removing water from your home is to install a sump pump. By installing one of these systems, you won’t have to worry about the effects of a pipe leak or a flood. So, consider upgrading your plumbing in Yelm with the addition of a sump pump. Keep reading below to learn more. 

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What to Know about New Plumbing

Monday, December 10th, 2018

copper pipes and plumbing fixturesOver the course of the years, many advancements have been made to indoor plumbing to further improve how fresh and wastewater are transferred to and from homes throughout Olympia and beyond. For many decades, the type of piping materials most commonly used included clay, cast iron, and galvanized steel. But each has fallen out of use by professional plumbers due to their tendency to break down or corrode.

So if you are looking to schedule a new Olympia plumbing installation to replace your existing pipes (this service is called repiping), it’s probably because your home was built in a time that these materials were still common, and your current plumbing is in danger of failure from corrosion. Fortunately, when you call on our team for this service, you can count on our plumbers using the right material, to ensure that your new plumbing lasts for many, many years. So, what are these materials?

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Garbage Disposal Overload: Taking Care of Your Kitchen Sink Plumbing

Monday, September 18th, 2017

Closeup of the hands of a woman washing a lettuce and some other vegetables in the kitchen sinkThere are certain plumbing appliances in your household that you could probably never imagine living without. Take, for instance, your water heater. There are others that are—fair enough to say—more of a luxury than a necessity, such as the garbage disposal. Still though, even though you don’t have to have a garbage disposal, it’s still pretty handy!

Once you’ve gotten used to the benefits and convenience that a garbage disposal has to offer, it’s easy to see why a problem with this system can leave you feeling rather frustrated. Fortunately, if you do run into a problem with this system, you can give us a call for quality Lacey, WA kitchen plumbing services. But we’d also like to help you avoid a garbage disposal malfunction to begin with, if at all possible.

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How Homeowners Know Their Plumbing Needs Replacement

Monday, July 4th, 2016

Naturally, when a plumbing problem occurs in your home, you want the issue to be resolved as quickly and inexpensively as possible. However, if you don’t invest in professional products and services, you may find yourself with pipes and fixtures that don’t hold up as long as they should, and therefore more problems than you started out with in the beginning.

There are times when instead of a quick repair, the more economical choice may be to replace your pipes, faucets, water heater, toilet, or other plumbing fixtures. Keep reading to learn some of the top signs that homeowners need to consider plumbing replacement.

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How to Tell if You Need Whole House Repiping

Monday, November 4th, 2013

Plumbing is perhaps the most important component in your house: providing you with clean, safe water for bathing and cooking. Your system of pipes needs to be dependable day in and day out, and with durable components, you can expect your plumbing system to last you for many years. Sooner or later, however, everything wears out, and the time may come when you need to replace your existing system with an entirely new one. In towns like Tumwater, plumbing installation means factoring in seasonal rains and other local conditions, as well as the inherent logistics of getting a new set of pipes put in your home in a timely fashion. Before you undertake such an installation, you need to determine if the need is there. Here’s how to tell if you need whole house repiping.

The facts of the matter won’t arrive all at once. Even a large repair may only stem from a single problematic pipe, not your entire system. In all likelihood, then need for a whole system replacement will arise only over time, as costs build up. You may notice that you need frequent repairs over multiple parts of the house, for example, or your home may have chronic leaking problems that recur in the bother, kitchen and anywhere where you have sinks.

Similar signs may not be as dire, but definitely suggest a problem in need of addressing. For instance, notice your water pressure if you turn on the pipes. Has it been going down over time? If so, it may suggest a lingering problem with the pipes. You might also notice it with a spike in your monthly water bills, especially if you’re not using any more water than normal.

Whatever the signs, you should probably speak to an expert first. He can determine if you simply need a plumbing repair, or whether something more extensive is in order. If you know how to tell if you need whole house repiping and you’ve decided the time has come, call on Brooks Plumbing to help. We handle plumbing installation service in Tumwater and issues of all varieties and we are standing by to give you a hand. Pick up the phone and contact us today.

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What is a Drain Tile System?

Wednesday, August 28th, 2013

Given enough time, water can carve out giant valleys through mountains. It is actually one of the most destructive forces on the planet. That’s why it’s so important that you protect your home from water. One way to do that is with the use of a drain tile system. Also called a French drain or a perimeter drain, these systems are installed around the foundation of your home so that they can drain away any water that might collect against the side of your home and cause damage to your foundation, your slab or your home’s structure. Here at Brooks Plumbing, we have a complete offering of plumbing installation services and we wanted to share a little bit about what drain tile systems are and how they work.

Tumwater Plumbing Installation: Drain Tile System

Drain tile systems are designed to remove water from around your home and drain it away to a place that is further away so that it can’t damage your property. In order to do that, a large trench is dug around your home against your foundation. A plastic sheet called filter fabric is laid in this trench and against the foundation that prevents water from touching your foundation or from soaking into the ground under your home.

After that, gravel is laid on top of the fabric and then a pipe with perforations is laid on top of the gravel. More gravel is added on top of the pipe to allow water to drip down into the pipe. The pipe needs to be installed at a slight angle so that gravity will carry any water down the pipe naturally. Often, metal flashing is installed against the cement foundation to provide further protection from water.

As water starts to flow towards your home it will seep into the pipe and get carried down the pipe and away from your home. The outlet for the French drain also needs to be considered. Many times homeowners have their drain tile system empty onto the street where public drainage and sewer systems carry it away. Other homeowners choose to route the drain tile into a sump pump which then pumps the water away from your house. Call us today for more information about our drain tile system services.

If you have any questions or if your home frequently has floods around it, call the Tumwater plumbing installation professionals at Brooks Plumbing today.

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Tips from Plumbers: Benefits of Low-Flow Fixtures

Monday, May 6th, 2013

More and more, homeowners are paying more attention to the impact that their day to day life has on both their budgets and their environmental impact. It may seem impossible to balance the modern conveniences and luxuries we love with our desire to reduce consumption of resources, including water. By taking advantage of modern innovation, though, you can enjoy the same great convenience and luxury as always, while saving resources in the process. Consider the many benefits of low-flow plumbing fixtures in your home. Here is some information from the trustworthy plumbers in Olympia WA at Brooks Plumbing.

As with any investment in your home, there is an upfront cost that comes with upgrading your plumbing fixtures. Once the plumbing installation is completed, though, you can begin to enjoy the potential savings that using less water allows. If you have an old toilet, for example, you may be using more than twice the amount of water per flush that a new low-flow model would use. In order to qualify as low-flow, a toilet must use less than 1.6 gallons of water per flush. When you compare that to the 3.5-7 gallons of water that many older toilets use, it is clear to see that there are a lot of savings to be had. Plus, reducing your water consumption is a great way to make your home more environmentally friendly.

Your toilet is not the only fixture in your plumbing system that can benefit from a low-flow replacement, though. Sink taps and shower heads are other areas where you can greatly cut down on the amount of water that you use. By using aerators add air into the water dispensed, you can enjoy the same great performance from your sinks and shower while cutting down on the amount of water used.

Speak with the professional plumbers in Olympia, WA that you can count on with all your plumbing service needs. Call Brooks Plumbing today. We are happy to help you enjoy greater water efficiency in your home. Do not sacrifice convenience for environmental awareness. With low-flow plumbing fixtures, you can have both at the same time.

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Plumbing Tip: How Sump Pumps Work

Monday, September 24th, 2012

In areas like Olympia, WA, a sump pump acts as a primary line of defense against water getting into your home and causing damage to your basement, garage or bottom floor. These devices are actually quite simple to operate and relatively affordable to have installed, so they represent a very effective, highly recommended option for anyone with water issues in their Olympia home.

If you are having such a problem and are interested in learning more about what a sump pump does and why it is such a good investment, here are a few more details about them and how they work.

Sump Pump Technology at Work

A sump pump is exactly what it sounds like – a pump installed in the bottom floor of your home or basement, if you have one, that removes water before it can back up and create a problem. When the system is installed, a secondary drainage system is usually installed that will funnel water into a pit somewhere in your basement. As water fills this pit, a float rises and eventually triggers a switch on the sump pump.

The sump pump then turns on and starts removing water from that pit, pumping it into a drainage pipe or sewer line (depending on your municipal regulations regarding sump pump installation). The result is no water in your basement and a very efficient means of removing the water from your home.

Because the system consists of nothing more than a simple pump and some drain tiles to funnel water into the pit, it is relatively affordable to install and requires minimal maintenance – usually just a quick inspection once a year and a test during dry months of pouring water into the pit to ensure it comes on. Not bad for a device that will actively keep water out of your home for years to come.

If you’d like to install a sump pump in your home’s basement, call Brooks Plumbing today! Our Olympia, WA plumbing technicians are experts in sump pump installation and repair.

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