Archive for January, 2010

Announcing our connection to Technorati. The worlds largest search engine for blogs. We’re officially entered into their system

Good work Damon!

Plumbing & Hot Water Systems

Hot water tanks need regular attention for longevity and maximum savings. When replacing hot water systems your choices are initial costs or long term savings.

Some plumbers in Vancouver prefer to specialize in one area, especially if they are comfortable with the type of work or have built a reputation for themselves. Hot water is one of those areas where theres a never ending supply of worn out water heaters. Advances in technology have made new installations or replacement water heaters a lucrative area to get established in.

If a new water heater is in your near future plans then you will probably be considering the type of heater to install. If youre planning on moving soon, then a traditional water heater with the tank and gas heat system will be more reasonable.

If you plan on staying for a decade or more and theres a number of people to consider, then the high efficiency tankless hot water system can provide endless hot water on demand. Even though tankless hot water can cost a lot more than traditional, savings can be as high as 75% by comparison.

Long term saving with a high efficiency hot water system will pay off the added installation costs in time and continue to run for years after. Utilities will not be going down any time soon so planning future saving into household expenses is always a wise move.

There are other hot water systems too like electric heat, so plan on discussing the benefits of each with your contractor to get a birds eye view of the choices. Its always good to look back on a major appliance purchase like that knowing you made a good choice.

For a great contractor resource, visit our site to find a plumber in Vancouver

Book Ahead For  Plumbing Problems

I found an interesting article about how so many plumbers are busy these days because of the recent round of cold weather.  Luckily for us Vancouverites, we’ve been blessed with an exceptional warm winter this year. Something to do with the “Pineapple Express” It think they call it.

Here’s a quote from the article.

Speaking to the BBC, the body’s chief executive Clive Dickin commented that its members have been reporting that they are extremely busy at the moment, with the cold snap playing havoc on people’s homes, causing freezing pipes and resulting water damage.

He added that the increase in workload has generally been good news for professionals.

“After a period of deep recession and little work either in construction or domestic renovations this is a welcome and possibly business-saving busy period for many plumbers,” he said.

He went on to encourage homeowners who plan on thawing out frozen pipes to consult a Gas Safe Registered worker if gas is involved.

– End of Quote –

Even though we’ve had this warm spell it doesn’t mean you won’t have problems with your plumbing. I talk to Vancouver plumbers in the lower mainland all the time and they’re into their busy season too right how.

So it’s especially important to be careful if you need a plumber for something, that you take the time to do a little due-diligence if you think the bill is going to stretch your budget. Check out the BBB, talk to your neighbors and ask around. Someone you know might have a great referral.  If not you can always check out the plumbers at www.CertifiedLocalPro.com

The Vancouver plumbers listed there have all the right credentials.

DIY Home Insulation Tips:

If you’re thinking about saving money on your heat bill this winter, here’s a 5-step Energy Audit:

1. Take a walk around the exterior of your house and check for cracks around windows and doors where cold air can come in. Also examine brick work, stucco, siding and the foundation for any gaps. And be sure to check around gas and electric lines and plumbing, too.

2. Your next step is to get to the hardware store to purchase weather stripping, caulk and foam. The money you save on energy will be well worth the small price you pay for these materials. Then take your check list and plug those cracks and install the weather stripping. It shouldn’t take more than a couple hours depending on the amount of cracks and the size of your home.

3. Do a similar inside audit, check for air infiltration around windows, doors and switch plates on outside walls. To find air leaks use a piece of tissue on a tooth pick or an incense stick. Air coming in will make the tissue flag wave or disperse the incense smoke. Temporary caulking can be used around windows and then removed in the spring. Foam inserts behind switch plates will eliminate that infiltration problem (be sure power to switch plates is turned off when adding insulation).

4. Take your Energy Audit into the basement, attic or crawl space. Since insulation gets compacted over the years, add insulation to keep the heat from escaping. Check vents and duct work for leaks or separation.

5. Turn off the water supply to outside faucets, and even cover them with insulating material. Water damage caused by broken pipes can result in untimely, expensive repairs.

For more great tips about home renovations Vancouver, read the complete article here… http://www.homerenovationguide.com/articles/do-it-yourself-home-winterization-tips

How To Follow Old Plumbing

Here’s a great article with some good guidelines on how to prep for a plumbing project. I’ve edited the article a little for better reading, and you can find the original article here. http://findbetterwork.com/career-articles/planning-for-a-new-plumbing-system

– Beginning of Article –

The first step to any plumbing project is deciding where to run the pipes. This is often easier said than done because pipes are usually concealed in wall spaces by finished surfaces. Most often it is easiest to simply run new pipes in the same cavities that contain old plumbing. These spaces are already designed to allow for long, unbroken runs for pipes.

If there are some changes required for the new plumbing design, then it is better to run the pipes up from the basement. Like, you can get the bathroom drain line dropped into the basement and then connected to the main line under the joists rather than running them over the floor joists.

Do not try to modify the floor joists or the support beams as this can be very dangerous and can weaken the entire building. The local building codes have to be followed for any issues with support beams. Here are some tips that can help you while taking up any plumbing remodeling project.

Build a wall chase which is a false wall used to conceal plumbing. The chase can be stacked from floor-to-floor of the home. This allows plumbing to run from the basement to the attic. The chase is most commonly used for running new vent stacks.

Similar to the chase is the soffit. Instead of running from floor-to-ceiling, a soffit runs across the top of a wall. Inside pipes can be run vertically to accommodate new plumbing.

If you have an unused laundry space, it can be used to run new plumbing pipes. The connections are mostly made in the basement area in this case.

A long piece of pipe can be used to check prospective plumbing routes for any obstructions. Once the route is determined to be adequate, the pipe can be a guide for running larger diameter plumbing. This is easily done by sliding the larger pipe over the guide pipe.

These are a few different ways to run new plumbing in your home. As far as incorporating a modern plumbing framework is concerned, it is better to keep the operation to the open spaces and not behind-the-wall areas. Of course the local officials can be consulted if you’re uncertain about the architecture you chose.

– End of the Article –