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Posts Tagged ‘Home and Plumbing’

Unclogging A Plumbing Vent

November 6th, 2009 Comments off

A malfunctioning in a drainage pipe and the affiliated sink may relate to the problems in the plumbing traps or the plumbing vents.

Once no potential problem is detected in the sink trap or the drain pipe then the attention shifts to the plumbing vents.

A vent is a plumbing component that makes way for the escape of waste gases and sewer gases produced by the said waste. Vents work in collaboration with the sink traps and the drainage system such that the waste gases don’t enter into the building and are expelled properly.

Vents are commonly installed on the roofs with a metal/plastic pipe of about 1 or 2 feet rising above the roof surface. They have a diameter of about 3-4 inches and are visible from a distance even.

To clean out all the debris and foreign materials from the vent, move to the vent site. Take an extension ladder and set it up inclined to the roof. Since you have to inspect the vent from the roof surface only hence it becomes mandatory to double check whether the roof surface is rigid enough to carry your weight. If your roof is a saturated one then standing on the roof may prove very risky. In such a case the examination could be performed by an expert who would possess necessary tools and techniques to reach out to the vent.

An additional roof ladder extending from the inclined ladder to the ridge of the vent may be used so as to place yourself in a comfortable position. This would also prevent you from standing on the wet and saturated roof.

Look into the vent with the help of a torch to explore any hidden clog down the vent. The clog would generally be in the form of leaves, debris, dust particles and other foreign materials. If the clog lies at a shallow depth then remove it with the help of bare hands only. If it is a moderate one then a long bamboo stick or a metal rod would do the job. If however the clog still looks unreachable then a hose-pipe may come to the rescue. Force down water from the pipe to unblock the vent.

If however the force of the water is not enough to unclog the vent then insert the hose pipe into the vent transforming it into a plumber’s snake. This would surely remove any clog stuck in the vent.

Scott Rodgers has been excelling with plumbing works for a long time now. His unique motivation has created business opportunities for many Las Vegas Plumbers and Raritan Plumbers.

How to Keep Your Pipes Warm

September 13th, 2009 Comments off

The season of winter brings snow and cold into our atmosphere. It bids goodbye to the scorching heat of summer and ushers in a season of snowflakes falling from the sky. But along with the chilly, cold weather, winter also brings a host of plumbing problems.

As we all know that plumbing systems are averse to cold weather. Ice cold showers, freezing pipes, broken radiators, flooding, leakage, are among the many plumbing hardships that cold weather causes. And things get worse when these problems come up in odd hours of the night, when there is no near help available.

Only help we can find in those odd hours is a plumber, whom we find out to be very expensive. Though plumbing is a specialized job, if we are aware of some basic plumbing techniques, we can save a lot of money, peace of mind and energy.

In the interiors of a house, the low temperature formed is one of main problems pipes and other plumbing systems get damaged. Always heat the entire area of the house and open doors and windows to allow air circulation to prevent the internal temperature to go down.

Always keep the water running at regular intervals through all the valves present in the plumbing system of your house. This will ensure that water dos not freeze and your taps do not get jammed.

You should insulate the pipes appropriately to prevent pipes and tubes from freezing. Wrapping with foam padding sleeves or special insulating tape, you can insulate them. To the cold temperature, exposed pipes are always vulnerable and therefore should be insulated.

To keep pipes and tubes warm, you can always keep space heaters near so that its heat keeps the plumbing systems warm and insulated from the cold temperature. Plumbing installations in your house should be always cleaned and maintained and should be taken good care of.

Though plumbing is a specialized work, it always helps if we know its basics. However, there are some activities that are beyond an average person and for that we should never hesitate in calling a professional plumber.

Scott Rodgers is a famous author who has authored various books and articles on plumber works. Since he has been very closely associated with this domain, the plumbing supplies have really benefited by his valuable tips and knowledge.