Kansas City –
http://news.yahoo.com/video/kansascity-kmbc-18211647/water-main-break-encases-home-in-ice-23484048
Shows how important infrastructure maintenance is as well as how hard cold weather can be on your pipes.
Posts Tagged ‘plumbing’
Water-main break encases home in ice
Tuesday, December 14th, 2010Prevent Leaks During the Cold of 2010
Monday, January 4th, 2010As 2010 looks to be extra cold for the middle states, make sure you and your home are prepared for freezing conditions.
See what the Farmer’s Almanac has to say about the winter of 2010:
According to the 2010 Farmers’ Almanac, this winter will see more days of shivery conditions: a winter during which temperatures will average below normal for about three-quarters of the nation.
A large area of numbingly cold temperatures will predominate from roughly east of the Continental Divide to west of the Appalachians (see map). The coldest temperatures will be over the northern Great Lakes and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. But acting almost like the bread of a sandwich, to this swath of unseasonable cold will be two regions with temperatures that will average closer to normal—theWest Coast and the East Coast.
This video from CBS explains issues with broken pipes and freezing plumbing.
If you suspect you have a leak contact The Original Leak Specialists.
Symptoms of a slab leak
Monday, November 9th, 2009The sound of running water, when no water should be running, could indicate a slab leak.
If you hear running water in your home when all should be quiet, means there is flowing water somewhere.
Your home’s plumbing is pressurized and static when all appliances and faucets are in the off position. The sound of running water is created by the vibration of the flow of water against the piping system. It means an outlet from the system is allowing flow. You will need to check all faucets, toilets, sprinklers, as well as water connected appliances like refrigerators, clothes washers, dish washers, or water purification systems.
If you don’t find visual clues to the source of the sound of water, it could mean you have a hidden leak in the wall or under the slab.
A hot spot on the floor could indicate a hot water line leak in your slab.
Hot water lines are usually insulated and don’t heat the floor unless it was built as a radiant heating system.
If you have pets, you may notice they gravitate to a certain spot on the floor. Check to see if it feels warmer than usual.
Cracks in walls or floors could be damage from a slab leak.
There are several possible factors in the appearance of cracks in walls and floors. If you live in a seismically unstable area, it could instead have to do with shifting ground due to earthquakes.
Even if ground shifting is due to unstable ground, it could also mean the area under your property has been compromised by water flow from a leak under your slab. If untreated, a water leak could create a massive void under the foundation. This void can put stress on the foundation, and increased stress on the foundation can cause cracks in the floors and walls.
Mildew or excessive moisture under carpets could indicate your slab is cracked and the pipes inside are leaking.
Cracks in a slab due to a leak allow moisture into the flooring. Drywall will wick the moisture up, and create an ideal environment for mold to grow behind the wall. Mold is an environmental hazard and you need to make sure that proper clean up and restoration of the property is performed. Before the restoration is performed, the mold needs to be removed. Then, the location of the source of moisture that feeds the mold can be identified and repaired.
High water bills could indicate a leak. Although a high water bill could indicate a water leak behind the wall or in your pool, plumbing under the slab is also suspect.
Unusually high water bills could occur for several reasons. Sometimes the meter is not working properly and needs to be replaced. You will need to contact your water authority for this kind of issue.
If your meter is working properly, then it comes down to usage.
Conduct the meter test to see if your toilets are leaking or if you have a hidden water leak.
The wrong way:
The right way:
What is causing a consistent flow of bubbles from the return pipe to the swimming pool?
Friday, June 12th, 2009We receive a lot of phone calls asking the same question. In most cases, a pool or spa owner has checked all of his or her pool equipment and even had a pool service technician do the same. Even after tightening every visible screw and lubricating all of the obvious seals, the bubbles continue to flow through the return lines. So what might be happening?
In most cases, air is getting into the system at some point that just might not be discernible to most homeowners or even pool service men. For example, there may be a leak on an underground suction line. As the pump draws water from the pool through this line, it also draws air through the leak. Without x-ray vision, homeowners and most pool service companies cannot detect this kind of leak. It takes specialized testing with modern leak detection equipment, something a good leak detection company can perform.
Besides underground leaks that allow air intrusion into the system, there may even be leaks on above ground equipment that cannot be detected without modern leak detection methods.
There is one other possibility that is not leak related. Sometimes the impeller inside the pump becomes so worn that it actually spins too fast. As a result, the impeller can end up spinning fast enough to break apart water molecules and form air bubbles to be sent through the return lines.
Plumbing Contractors Facing Tough Times
Friday, May 15th, 2009Check out this article from Plumbing and Mechanical Magazine:
The first step is admitting you need help.
Since we first published this list last year, the U.S. and global economies have gotten worse. And no one knows exactly when it will rebound, although some experts say we have finally hit bottom.
Some of your competitors may have hit bottom, too, and are no longer your competitors. This type of business climate can really weed out the underperformers — just look at all the out-of-business signs you see everywhere.
Some of these business owners may have just decided they wanted out and didn’t have any formal exit strategy, so they just shut the business down. Others may have not had the business knowledge they needed to prosper, so they had to close up shop or declare bankruptcy.
For contractors in the plumbing and heating industry, you have better options that will keep your employees working and your communities viable and flourishing. The first step is admitting you need help. The second is to decide if you want to stay working on the business or get out. The third step is to examine the different franchise and affinity groups listed here. The next step is to decide on a group or franchise that best fits your business philosophy.
The final step? Take action! If not, one of those out-of-business signs could be in your window.
Check out the American Leak Detection franchise opportunities.