Heat pump water heaters

Heat pump water heaters – the plumber tipps

If you use a regular water heater to heat your water then it is probably electric or gas fired. These will use either an electric heating element or gas fired burner assemblies to heat the water they provide. They will build their own heat and then provide you with plenty of hot water on demand. No only is this not the most economical or efficient way to heat your hot water for use in your home. It will not be the only options that you have. Now if you start to look at the newer technology you find out about the heat pump water heaters. These water haters will utilize a completely different option to heat your hot water. Now we will explore the way these units work and some of the reasons why you may want to have one installed in you house by our Plumbers in Oklahoma City, Ok

How They Work

It take two completely separate systems in combination to make up heat pump water heaters. The heat pump takes the place of you central heat usually. It uses refrigerant evaporation with the evaporator coil to collect thermal heat from the outside air around your home then the refrigerant gets condensed inside and releases the heat on the inside of your house. It does work some what differently in a heat pump water heater. The evaporator coil on a heat pump water heater is mounted on the top or at the side of the water heater and it will collect the heat from inside the room but it won’t send that heat to a different room. It will use that heat that it collected to heat the water inside the tank with thermal energy.

Heat Pump Water Heaters advantages.

These tanks are very, very efficient. Way more efficient then your regular eclectic or gas water heaters. The cost to operate these water heaters are very reasonable because they don’t need any electric or gas to run and or build their own heat. These are the advantages when you are thinking about installing a heat pump water heater. You won’t sacrifice losing any volume of the amount of hot water you will be provide and the energy efficiency of you house

It might be a good idea to learn plumbing

Learning Plumbing

Learn-Plumbing

Learning a Few Plumbing Tricks

It might be the time to learn a little more about Okc plumbing or plumbing okc. You probably thought about it before now, but you didn’t get around to trying it. If that is the case, our article will teach you some of the different tips and the tactics you can use to help solve your everyday problems that you find around your house.

It will be easy to fix the noisy pipes that squeak or sound like like they are hammering. Your exposed pipes will need to be anchored properly. If the pipes are located in the walls, floors or ceiling you will probably do best by calling a contractor to do the project.

When you need to winterize your home you will need to turn the water off at the source. This will not always be the case but you may need to call a good company to shut off the water at the meter located outside in the ground. When you have the water shut off the water, then you need to open all faucets. This will also include the outside seal cocks and it will allow some of the water to drain out of your water system. This will help relieve the pressure in your pipes and help to prevent them from freezing and bursting, which can prevent major damage to your home. Also you will need to hook up a compressor to the lines and try to blow out the rest of the remaining water. This is very important so you may have to call us if you need to get it done. You will want to use a shop vacuum to suck out any water that is remaining in your toilet tank and bowl as to prevent the porcelain from freezing and cracking. It takes a special antifreeze you have to put into all of your sinks, tub and shower pee traps to prevent damage to the drain pipes also.

Only pay the contractors once the job is done. Sometimes it will be required to put some money down before they start the job, but you should never pay for everything before you know the job is done correctly. If you do go ahead and pay everything up front, you will have no recourse if they don’t finish the job or they don’t do it correctly.

You always want to avoid the use of any kind of tablet or odor remover within your toilet. They may be somewhat effective for deodorizers, they will damage the rubber parts in your toilet and will rot or rust out the bolts. If they become corroded, your toilet will also leak or not operate properly, and will require you to hire us to either repair or replace it.

If you have a toilet that is plugged and the water is low along with the toilet being clogged, don’t try to pour some extra water in the bowl and try to make the plunger work again. This will over flow the toilet and possibly flood your bathroom. Turn the water off at the stop that is located behind the toilet to prevent flooding. At this point you should either call a plumber in Oklahoma City or go to your local big box store and purchase a 6’ closet auger. Insert it into the toilet and push the auger head while rotating clock wise to attempt to push the block through or snag the obstruction and pull it out. If this all fails call your plumbers in Oklahoma City because you have a clog further down the main line.

Plumbing hard water tips

Iron can cause an orange or pink stain in and on your sinks and faucets if you have a well. Its some time hard to get rid of this problem, you can either have a local plumber to install a water softener to soften the water, or do a water test to see if you need to filter. In fact any one that will sell you a water filter system without first testing it does not know what he is doing. You can’t filter out what is not there so your just wasting money. Most water filters will only filter specific chemicals and minerals. No single filter will filter it all and each filter will be specific for what it is to filter.

You will save a lot of money and also energy with the use of efficient shower heads. Your hot water usage is mostly from the shower. You will save up to a few hundred dollars a year if you simply install shower heads that are more efficient and rated at 1 gallon per minute. Most of the new shower heads come with the flow restrictors already inside to maintain this GPM no mater what your homes water pressure. The older shower heads did not come with these features or have been removed to increase the flow if the head is clogged. If you do have a clogged head that does not spray well or evenly, you have to unthread it from the shower arm and soak it in hot water and a cleaner called santeen. This product is found at locke plumbing supply and will eat the calcium, lime, and or rust built up inside the head. After you soak it for at least 30 to 60 minutes, you can replace it and see an increase of pressure and flow out of the shower head.

Plumbing cleaner tips

If you have clogged drain pipes, you should try to unclog them with an enzyme based cleaner. This cleaner uses a natural bacteria to eat the sludge and turn it into liquid that makes it drain out of the pipes. The enzyme cleaners are mostly preferred by us rotor guys to clear your clogged drains. Please be very careful, and as a contractor we would recommend calling some with experience to do the drain cleaning because there is chance of damaging the drainpipes and bodily injury. Chemicals are extremely toxic and will burn and destroy skin if contact is made.

Remember to always keep your dryer vent clean. This will prevent problems, it can catch on fire. Always check the dryer vent and make sure that there are not any rips or holes. This will cause problems like clogs.

A secret to lower or even no repair bills from your drainage issues is to do preventative maintenance. The majority of the repairs are usually clogs and leaks. Almost anything can get stuck in these drain lines and can cause them to clog , including foreign objects, hair, grease, and sediment. Always use a screen cover to keep the hair and other objects from going down your drains. Removing the hair from off of the screen and disposing of it will always be easier and cheaper than removing it from the drains.

If your having solids, a collapsed drain, or root obstruction in the line, you usually won’t be successful trying to cleaning it by yourself. Having PVC drains rather than cast iron drains will always work better because they wont corrode and they will maintain the smooth passage way for wastes traveling down the drain lines. They are also some what self cleaning as they cause the water to run on a criss cross pattern that helps keep them clean. It is up to a pro to fix these other issues as in most states they will require a license to correct these problems by law.

Well learning a little bit about your houses mechanics can be a very valuable tool to have. You can also offer your new knowledge to your family and friends , while saving yourself a lot of money on your other repairs. Hopefully understanding some of these basics now and having a little fun learning them.

Hard Water

HARD WATER

HARD WATER

 

Hard water will always be a problem for many of our customers. If you Understand just exactly what the problem stems from and what it can do to your Oklahoma City plumbing you should be able to figure out a solution to the problem.

 

Hard Water?

Hard water contains a high amount of minerals. When it rains the water which is soft absorbs into the ground and goes down through the various layers of earth and rock. As it does it will accumulate a lot of minerals like magnesium, manganese and calcium. This will change the water from soft water to hard water.The total amount of minerals that the water will contain show how hard the water is and the level of hardness. Most of the water that you have coming into your house does not contain anything dangerous it will still cause major problems.
If your water tests at a 3.5 GPG or above it is definitely hard water. You measure the hardness in grains of mineral per gallon (GPG)

 

What Are The Problems You find with Hard Water?

 

The hard water will cause problems when and how it reacts to your cleaning products, It will make hard water build up or deposits, and it will break down your fixtures and faucets faster than if you have soft water. Minerals in your hard water will make your cleaning products ineffective and it will make cleaning a lot harder. It will build up on your pots and pans, your dishes, your clothes and also on you hair and your skin.

 

Will This Cause Problems With Your Plumbing?

 

Also the deposits on your faucets, showers, tubs and sinks stemming from your hard water will only be part of your problem. The hard water will coat the inside of you water lines, faucets and your water heater. The deposits that we can not see will end up with you having lots of other plumbing issues such as low water pressure, stoppages and corroding of the inside of your faucets and water lines.Your hard water will not allow your water heater to function correctly causing it to wear out much quicker. Your water heater will have to heat a lot of mineral deposits and still try to heat the water. So for the long run your hard water will cause you to have problems with your plumbing plus a lot more repairs down the road.

 

Testing Your Hard Water

 

If you are having water spots on your faucets it is often a sign of hard water.If you think you may have hard water there is a easy way to check. When washing your dishes see if the soap suds up or not. Or how much it does. How much your dish soap suds will tell you if your water is hard or not.

If you want to see how hard the water is will you will have to do some research or testing . You can start by giving your city water department a call and ask if they have tested the water. See if they will give you their findings. Laboratories will test your water if need be. You can also use a water testing strip you put in water and it will have a gauge to check it with. You can buy test strips or you might get some free ones online. You need to test the water to determine what solutions you will need.

 

How To Address You Hard Water Issues

 

They do have conditioning agent if you are dealing with low to medium hard water. If your water is in the high range though you will have to go with more aggressive options. Usually you will have to have your Oklahoma City plumber install a water softener for the whole house. Especially if your water is testing above 3 GPG.

When the water lines and Drain lines wear out in these older houses

pipe wrench
Nothing in this world is immortal, same goes for piping system of your house. Piping system needs replacement due to corrosion, accumulation of rust and decays, over a time period of 20 years and more. If this system is not replaced on time, you may eventually face leakage in every corner of your house and ultimately a damage of thousands of dollars. If you are buying an older house, then you should get its water piping system inspected by a professional plumber so as to avoid any leakage mishaps in future.
Home water piping system brings water in and takes waste away. Besides damaging of the pipes, choking of old water pipelines due to tree roots or other arrangements of the house can also lead to disturbance in piping system. So you need to know about the pipes of your water system in order to get all the preventive measure against leakage and hence their replacement.
Supply pipes of material brass, copper and galvanized steel must be replaced after more than 10 years or so, despite the fact that they have a long life expectancy, they can contaminate your drinking water and problems like clogging rust particles in the drinking water. Also due to under constant pressure, they are most likely to cause water damage when they leak. Other two types of water supply pipe that should be removed immediately no matter how old they are include lead pipes as they can add lead into your drinking water, resulting in a serious health hazard. Other is the polybutylene pipes that are extremely prone to breakage.
So, you want re-piping of the water system of your old two story house but are looking for some professional, reliable and experienced plumbing facility center? Then Plumber Oklahoma City, Ok Plumbing & Repair is here. We try our level best to be the best plumbers in Oklahoma City, Ok for all your plumbing related issues within the local area. With reasonable priced services as compared to other such service providers, we believe in the satisfaction of our customers and a good relation with them. We will be at your service on the same day of your call. Our techs are highly and well trained as well as licensed. You can rely on us to take care of all of your clogged pipes or water leaks.
Water pipe leaks can cause a major issue with your foundations and can also cause mold to build up in your home, leading to health problems. Such problems are not easily detected unless you happen to notice a rise in your water bills. But worry not! We are here to detect and pinpoint the exact problem and if required, we will also go for re-piping of the water system. Being the major leading contractors in the surrounding areas, we try to fulfill our customers’ expectations and have a good feedback with any and all our work that we provide them.
So, have certified professionals check the foundation and pipes to and from sewer lines or septic systems of either your old home or the home you are going to buy, to prevent expensive future repairs and other issues related to piping system of your home that may pop up in the future.

TIPS TO REPLACE AND REPAIR PLUMBING UNDER THE HOUSE

Plumbing photo

In a house especially of an older age, you face many problems. This may include from electric to brickwork or wooden to plumbing. The problems in conventional houses are more common and also unbearable. These consist of: dripping faucets, leaky pipes, running toilets, low water pressure, leaking hose bib, slow or clogged drains, sump pump failure and many more.

Older homes were plumbed with galvanized steel pipes which do rust over time. When these pipes rust, it is like having clogged arteries. You may notice reduced pressure and rust colored water when valves are first opened. Galvanized water system is normally replaced with PVC or any other latest technology to avoid leaks.

On the drainage side of the home system, cast iron pipes were used for the drain pipes. Often these pipes may look fine, but cast iron drain- lines frequently get rusted from the inside and develop leakage. Upgrading the drainage system can be costly but being unavoidable must be done as soon as possible to prevent further deterioration.

Here are some top tips to easily replace or repair under the house:

Break through concrete slabs  to repair or replace sanitary piping has been an accepted practice in the construction industry for as long as there’s been indoor piping. Repairing or replacing under slab sanitary pipes by removing and replacing concrete begins by accurately locating the pipe and the leaks. Carpeting or other flooring is removed for later re-installation. After the repairs are completed, a hydro test should be performed before covering the work and patching the slab.

A traditional dirt-floor crawlspace with no slab has several disadvantages. The root cause of these disadvantages is moisture in the unconditioned air. In the summer, warm moist air comes in contact with the cool conditioned floor above it and condenses, which can cause mold, wood rot, and attract pests. In the winter, unconditioned air steals heat from the living area, driving up energy bills. Enclosed crawlspaces are usually contained by a solid concrete or masonry foundation wall that extends down to footings just below the frost line. Porous materials such as wood and insulation can absorb a lot of water. A concrete slab will function as a membrane unless the ground under the slab is very wet. A membrane under the slab coupled with a layer of gravel or stone to break capillary action will prevent water from rising to the slab.

There is no single approach to the repairs it really depends on a number of factors, including the cause of the leak, the location and the extent of the damage. In some cases, repairs are not expensive and can be performed in just a few hours. At these places, the pipe could be by-passed to avoid ripping up the slab and large scale excavation. However, other cases may be expensive, especially if there is widespread damage or if the pipe is difficult to access.

There are modern alternatives and the latest solutions that can  be innovative and effectively replace or repair the pipes and other faulty items under your slab without having to excavate through the floor or digging from outside of your property. It’s also much less money to do the trenchless pipe repairs than by digging for pipe replacement.

You need a good plumber repairing or replacing all issues will require the services of a technician because of the types of pipes used, complex networks, unknown designs. Depending on the age of the home, the material may be of different material and manufacturing concerns. It is not easy to DIY or asking to an inexperienced plumber to find and resolve the issues. It definitely needs well-organized and experienced people to satisfy you.

We can help you with the solution to your all kind of issues. We are experienced and know what exactly we are supposed to do to make you comfortable.

 

How bad plumbing can destroy your property

Hard water damage
Proper indoor plumbing is one of the most lucrative factors taken into account when one considers moving into real estate. It is also considered if one intends to invest a hefty amount in this business but if the system is faulty to begin with, you are literally risking throwing all that money down the drain. So here are a few problems which you may or may not be acquainted with.

  • Leaking pipes

These are the most common problems in most modern day places that have indoor facilities. Most if the time, this is the case with the wooden cabinets typically located beneath the basins of taps in kitchens and washrooms. As the water drips from these pipes, it stays stagnant over a specific area which is known as a “mold”. As the water continues to drip, the mold continues to grow in area. The mold can seriously weaken the foundations of these small wooden cabinets and account for the presence of a pungent odor rendering your house, inhospitable. These molds can also act as habitats for germs that can make you ill.

 

  • Clogged drains

These are never a good sign if the water won’t drain in the washroom. This mainly happens when hair, flakes and small random debris gets accumulated in them, thereby obstructing the flow of water. This stagnant water that accumulated can emit a bad odor which can then spread across the house by means of diffusion. The water can also leak into certain corners of the house thereby weakening its structure. The moisture from the water can cause water stains on floorboards and walls. The stagnant water can also act as a breeding medium for mosquitoes, pests and bacteria.

 

  • Running toilets

The running toilets can go on to waste a significant amount of water (about 200 gallons a day). Moreover, it dramatically increases the probability of injury or there have been significant reports of individuals slipping in the washroom due to the floor being wet. This resulted in concussions, injuries and deaths.

  • Rusty pipes

If the water leaks from faucets and drips onto pipes, remaining there for extended periods of time, it may cause the pipes to rust. This will affect the functions of the pipe itself along with the external disfigurement that has to be borne. Also, rusty pipes can emit a nasty smell that will repel a lot of individuals. The pipes may also become weaker and may not be able to carry water at a high pressure. This presents a risk of the pipes collapsing.

 

  • Low water pressure

A growing problem among faucets, many people complain that they aren’t able to use the water efficiently due to its low pressure. The first thing to check is whether the water pressure is low for both hot and cold water. If it is then this would mean that calcium deposits are present in the faucet aerator. This can affect your sanitation habits as the low pressure, means that the water is not being properly projected onto your hands for washing and therefore it may leave some spots untouched.

 

If you have come across any of the aforementioned difficulties, get in touch with a professional plumber and don’t try to fix it yourself unless you are reasonably experienced.