Plumbing Questions Part 1

Plumbing Questions & Answers

Plumbing Question: From Josh Gordon in Brownsburg, Indiana who writes, “How do I keep my water pipes from freezing in the winter?

Plumbing Answer: The first thing you need to do is make sure your crawlspace vents are closed. The second is to make sure the outer walls of your crawlspace are insulated. This means attaching foam board to the walls using glue AND masonry fasteners that assure adhesion. If you do these two things and the lower part of your house is heated in the winter you should be able to avoid frozen pipes unless it gets to ridiculously low temperatures.

Plumbing Question: From Franco Albinez, Topeka Kansas who asks how do you unclog a toilet that doesn’t respond either to a plunger or a “snake?”

Plumbing Answer: The first thing to wonder about is who put what down there? Sometimes kids will put hair combs, and other flexible item down the toilet that will cause any successive materials to stop and ultimately clog the whole thing. Not to worry, odds are you will need to unbolt and remove the stool from the flange mounting. The trap inside most toilets is serpentine and if you can drain out all the water, lay the toilet on its back, you can then access the bottom portal. Take your “snake auger” and try to reach the clog from that position. There is a high probability you will be successful. Then after you remove the source of the clog, reseat the toilet on a new wax ring. Finally, have a long discussion with the person who caused the clog.

Plumbing Question: From David Sasburn, Albany New York, am I at risk using unlicensed plumbers in my city? They are so much cheaper than the licensed guys.

Plumbing Answer: Dave, the first thing you need to understand is what the local ordinances are. The rules can be down right harsh in some cities on this, but it often comes down to what you are willing to risk. If it’s a simple yet out-of-your-realm-of expertise fix, don’t worry about it, but watch the guy, & be sure to get his name, address and name of first-born child (just kidding here). Usually if a guy says he can fix the problem and has been at it for a while, he can probably do it and save you some money.

Intro To Commercial Heating

Basically without any long- winded answer, Commercial Heating is like Residential heating but on a much larger scale. When plumbers are installing residential heating units they can be carried in either by hand or by hand truck but commercial heating units have to be carried in with cranes, lifts or 2 more people.

Another difference [...]

What is a blast tube?

The blast tube is part of the burner system on a boiler.

When Should I Have My Boiler Serviced?

Many homeowners take for granted that their boilers are going to work year after year. But that is when the worst thing happens, right in the middle of winter the boiler breaks down. So, the question is When Should I Have My Boiler Serviced? The answer is every year, especially if you have an older [...]

What is Pex?

Depending on where you may live, Pex may sound old school to you or it may be a new term. Pex is more scientifically known as Cross Linked Polyethylene. It is basically a form or style of tubing, which is commonly used in Hydronic Heating System but not limited to domestic water piping and [...]

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