Brooks Plumbing Co. Blog: Archive for the ‘Plumbing’ Category

Tools Professionals Use to Clean Your Drains

Friday, November 7th, 2014

Chances are, you’ve had the misfortune to encounter a drain clog at some point in your life. If this happens in the shower, you’re left standing in a pool of dirty water. And if a drain clog occurs in a sink, even a small task like brushing your teeth becomes quite a chore. A lot of the time, homeowners rush out to buy anything that will make the clog disappear, including plungers and drain cleaning liquids.

While plungers are a great way to knock clogs loose from the drain and send them down the pipes, blockage further away from the drain opening may be too far for a household plunger. And chemical drain cleaning solutions are not safe for your pipes and are toxic to humans. Professional drain cleaning is the way to go for a particularly tough clog, using tools that won’t harm your pipes and take care of any type of obstruction. Let’s take a look at some of this equipment.

Small Drain Augers

For some clogs, a plumber will simply insert a drain auger into the drain opening in order to pull out the clog. These are long pieces of metal or plastic with a rigid or coiled end that will latch onto most types of clogs.

Large Motorized or Hand-Cranked Drain Snakes

Drain clogs that are located deep down in the pipes can affect multiple drains. Most plumbers are also equipped with large drain augers (or drain snakes) that can be fed through the pipes either via a crank or automatically with a motor. These may have a coiled end for clog removal, or additional detachable components. A plumber may decide to switch out the coiled end for a sharp tool to try and break up tougher clogs like tree roots and send them down the pipes.

Video Pipe Inspection

One of the most important pieces of equipment that professionals use is video pipe inspection. Before a plumber can begin to decide which type of tool to use, they must know the location and type of blockage. Technicians feed a long wire with a fiber optic camera at the end so they can view a live feed and decide on an appropriate course of action.

Looking for a quality plumber in Olympia? Call Brooks Plumbing for thorough professional drain cleaning services.

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How to Prevent Kitchen Plumbing Repair

Friday, October 31st, 2014

Waiting for a repair technician to fix your kitchen plumbing can be an unpleasant situation. Your plumber may try to show up as quickly as possible, but your dinner plans are already ruined, as you cannot properly drain wastewater, or because your kitchen sink does not provide adequate water pressure.

There are a few things you can do to keep things running smoothly in your kitchen. If you do find yourself in need of kitchen plumbing repairs in Olympia, call on the expertise of the skilled plumbers at Brooks Plumbing right away.

  • Dispose of F.O.G. in a separate trash receptacle. Fats, oils, and grease (F.O.G.) can cause a lot of problems for your plumbing even though they may appear to be harmless. When grease cools down it solidifies, and it may become stuck to the insides of your pipes. As you add additional F.O.G. and food of the garbage disposal, they can become caught along with the sludge, until a major drain clog forms.
  • Don’t use chemical drain cleaners in case of a clog. Any plumber will tell you that chemical drain cleaners are dangerous and can have disastrous effects for the skin and eyes. Also, these liquid cleaners are simply incapable of dissolving every type of blockage that may affect your drain pipes. If a plunger does not dislodge a kitchen plumbing clog, you need professionals with drain augers and other tools to clear away blockage for good.
  • Do not throw non-food items, hard food items, or fibrous foods in the garbage disposal. Plastic, paper, glass, metal, and hard-food items such as meat bones do not belong in your garbage disposal. Your unit simply cannot process these types of items and may break down in the process, so that you’ll need to replace your entire unit to avoid clogs. Additionally, fibrous foods like corn husks and celery can wrap around the blades, impairing your unit.
  • Schedule plumbing maintenance every year. Finally, be sure to schedule plumbing maintenance every year for a thorough inspection of your pipes and fixtures. Plumbers will look for any leaks that could reduce the water pressure of your kitchen sink and will clean and adjust components of your plumbing as needed.

If you need a plumber in Olympia, call the friendly technicians at Brooks Plumbing today!

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When Is a Grease Trap Necessary?

Friday, October 24th, 2014

Experts advise that you throw out any type of grease, fat, or oil in a separate trash receptacle instead of pouring it down the drain in your kitchen. This is because these substances can cause major problems for your plumbing system and for the environment. Of course, when you rinse dishes and put food down the disposal, some fat and oil will undoubtedly make its way into the pipes. This is why many homeowners choose to install a grease trap and why most commercial kitchens are required to do so.

Why Is Grease Such a Problem for the Drains?

Fats, oils, and greases (FOGs) seem rather innocuous, don’t they? However, these substances can solidify as they begin to cool down. And as they do so, they can cling to the insides of drain pipes. As food scraps and other debris move through the pipes, they may become stuck on to the sludge that lines the pipes and cause blockage that will require a professional to remove. Furthermore, these oils can create problems in the septic tank or sewer main and allow sewage to release into the environment and pose a risk to public health.

What Types of Structures Require a Grease Trap?

Many cities require a grease trap in order to keep grease out of the sewer system. In many cases, you will be fined if you are found to be responsible for any sewer backup caused by a lack of grease interceptors in your commercial kitchen. The fact is that your commercial kitchen disposes of large quantities of FOG daily, and you need a system that can separate these substances from the wastewater. However, many experts also recommend grease traps for use in homes, especially if you do a lot of cooking and cleaning or if you tend to put greasy dishes in the dishwasher.

Choose Professionals for Grease Trap Installation

Grease trap installation is a job best completed by professional technicians. There are a couple of reasons you should not try this on your own. For one, a grease trap must be properly sized so that grease does not accumulate too quickly. Furthermore, an expert is the best person to keep you informed about how often to clean out the trap.

Need a plumber in Olympia for quality grease trap installation? Call Brooks Plumbing today!

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How to Avoid Repairs for Your Sewer Line

Friday, September 19th, 2014

The sewer line is one of the most crucial parts of your home plumbing. The sewer line collects and removes all the waste water from the drains in a house out to the municipal sewer line in the street. If the sewer line develops leaks, blocks, or sustains damage, it will not only stop the drains in your home, but it could lead to a sewage back-up into the basement or the foundations, causing extensive damage. Making the situation worse is that repairs for sewer lines are often costly and time-consuming: you want to avoid these repairs if at all possible.

There are some ways to take care of the sewer line in your home to make repairs less likely. If you need plumbing services in Olympia, WA, call Brooks Plumbing. We handle multiple drain and sewer services that will help keep your sewer line in the best shape possible.

Ways to Avoid Sewer Line Repairs

  • Replace older galvanized steel pipes: This is major job, but as a preventive measure it is one of the best things you can do for your home’s plumbing. If your house is older than 1970, it may have galvanized steel pipes, which are prone to corrosion and will eventually fall apart. If the sewer line is an older steel pipe, you should arrange to have it replaced with a corrosion-resistant copper line and prevent numerous future problems.
  • Avoid planting trees and plants near the line: Tree root infestations are one of the principle reasons that sewer lines sustain damage and become clogged. The roots of trees grow naturally toward the moisture around the pipes and then seek the nutrients inside, forcing their way through gaps. The root growth is often enough to cause the pipe to break. To help avoid these problems, landscape your yard so that trees with deep roots are planted far from the sewer line area (you can ask a plumber to show you where this is) and the plants that are near it have shallow roots.
  • Do not dispose of oil, fat, or grease down kitchen drains: These food products look innocuous in liquid form, but when they cool down inside drains they turn into waxy solids that will quickly form tough clogs. If enough fat, grease, and oil coats the inside of a sewer line, it could end up cause a serious clog that will require extensive sewer cleaning services to eliminate. To help prevent this, place all fat, grease, and oil in a separate receptacle and remove them to the trash.

At Brooks Plumbing, our motto is “Quality in Everything We Do.” We have stood by this promise since we started in business in 1994. When you need professional plumbing services in Olympia, WA, make us your first call.

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What Is the U-shaped Pipe Under My Sink?

Friday, September 12th, 2014

When you look at the pipes under your kitchen or bathroom sink, perhaps the most prominent feature you will notice is a curved pipe that looks like the letter U. Tilt your head to the side and you’ll notice that it also looks like the letter P. This is the origin of the word “p-trap,” the name plumbing professionals use to describe this portion of the plumbing, although some also call it a u-bend.

For some people, the design of this pipe may seem counterintuitive. Wouldn’t it be more logical for water to flow straight down into the drain pipes? Doesn’t a curved pipe only lead to clogging? The p-trap, located underneath every drain in your home, actually has an important function in plumbing. Let’s take a look at its purpose and some of the problems that may lead you to call for plumbing services.

The Reason for the P-Trap

Your kitchen and bathroom drains lead directly to the drain pipes that connect your home’s plumbing system to the public sewer or septic tank. The p-trap’s main function is to keep the smell of sewage out of your home. As water flows down any drain in your house, it collects in the p-trap, blocking sewer gas from ever reaching your drain. And while it may not have been designed for any other reason, the p-trap has another purpose; it can also catch valuable items like jewelry that may have fallen into the sink by mistake!

Common Problems

However, if a drain is not used for a period of time, the p-trap may dry out. If a sewer smell comes from one of your drains, try running the faucet. If the p-trap is dry, this should fix the problem right away. If not, you may need to schedule professional drain cleaning. Unfortunately, the shape of the p-trap makes it prone to clogging from hair, food, or other debris. If a plunger cannot loosen the clog, you’ll need to call for professional plumbing services. A plumber is equipped with a drain snake that is capable of pulling out tough clogs from the p-trap and from much further along in the pipes.

Do you need professional plumbing services in Olympia? Call the team of experts at Brooks Plumbing today!

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There’s No Such Thing as a “Minor” Plumbing Leak

Tuesday, September 9th, 2014

When water slowly leaks from your pipes, it may seem like a problem that can wait for repairs. However, there’s no such thing as a “minor” plumbing leak. Even the smallest of leaks can affect your bills, your home, the plumbing system, or even your health in the long-term. It’s important to call for professional plumbing services at the first sign of a leak. Not sure if there’s a leak in your pipes? You should consider scheduling leak detection services whenever you suspect there may be a problem. In this guide, we’ll discuss some of the ways a “minor” leak may affect you.

One major reason to take care of seemingly minor leaks as soon as possible is that even the smallest of leaks can drive up your water bills. In fact, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, even the smallest leaks may cost homeowners 10% more on their water bills. And leaks are a bigger problem for homes than many homeowners realize. In fact, 10 percent of homes waste 90 gallons of water per day because of leaks!

Additionally, if a leak drips onto the walls, floors, or ceilings, mold and mildew may build up, which can be hazardous to your health. If you notice water spots anywhere in your home, it’s important to call a plumber right away to avoid any negative respiratory effects.

Another problem with leaks is that they affect the pressurization of your system. Your water supply is kept pressurized so that it can easily move out of the faucets. But a leak may change the pressure of the system, which means you will feel lowered water pressure. In fact, a change in the water pressure can also seriously damage your pipes. If a “minor” leak is located in the sewer line, wastewater may backup into your drains, or even into a basement.

You should never neglect a seemingly minor leak, as it may turn into a larger leak that means major problems for your home. When you need professional plumbing services in Olympia, call the dependable professionals at Brooks Plumbing for leak detection services and repairs.

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Fix That Leaky Faucet! Here’s What It Could Be Costing You

Friday, August 22nd, 2014

A dripping faucet in your bathroom can keep you up at night, but this isn’t something that you need to find a way to “live with.” The same goes for a leaky kitchen faucet which you can ignore when you’re somewhere else in the house. What looks like a small inconvenience is actually much more. A leaking faucet is wasting water and costing you money, far more than you may think.

If you have one or more faucets leaking in your home and you can’t stop them, you need to call for a plumber to come out to fix the problem. Brooks Plumbing can take care of any leaky faucets in your home, as well as any plumbing problem that can plague your pipes and appliances. We’ve brought great plumbing service to the Olympia area for 20 years, and we strive for the highest quality in everything we do. If you need a plumber in Tumwater, WA, don’t hesitate to call.

The Unpleasant Truth about Leaking Faucets

The small size of the drips from faucets can easily trick people into thinking that a leaking faucet is no big deal—those drips can’t possible add up to enough water to make a difference. However, the actual numbers on the volume of water that goes down the drain from a leaky faucet show that theses drip make a big difference.

For example, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the leaks from an average household can equal 10,000 gallons of water each year, which is equivalent to 270 loads of laundry. For a single faucet that leaks one drip per second can waste 3,000 gallons each year, which equals approximately 180 showers. And at least 10% of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day. If you make the effort to have professionals fix basic leaks (not counting leaking in pipes), it will save you 10% on your water bills annually.

Take a look over your water bills for the last year and add them up. Now calculate what a tenth of that amount is: that’s how much you can waste every year if you allow leaky faucets to continue drip-drip-dripping.

Remember, this is not just an issue for your house, but an issue for water conservation in general. When you have a leaking faucet fixed promptly, you’re helping the planet along with helping your water budget.

You can call on Brooks Plumbing to help stop water leaks in your home. We’ll send a plumber who will also look to find other places in your home where you may be wasting water. We strongly recommend that you have new low-flow faucets installed to replace leaking ones; along with stopping the leaks, these new faucets will lower your water usage an additional 30%.

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Consider Low-Flow Toilet and Faucet Installation for Your Bathroom

Wednesday, July 30th, 2014

When it comes time to update the fixtures in your bathroom for a remodel or only as smaller project, one of the top items on your list of “must-haves” should be low-flow faucets, shower heads, and/or toilets. You can create a gleaming, more attractive look for your bathroom and at the same time contribute to water-conservation that will reduce your water costs significantly. The planet will thank you as well!

Installing new bathroom plumbing in Olympia, WA is one of our specialties here at Brooks Plumbing. Especially when it comes to low-flow toilet installation, you need to leave the work to professionals who will make certain that your new fixtures provide the savings you want and do their job effectively.

Low-flow faucets

You’re probably curious about how much a low-flow faucet actually will save you, and if it will still provide the level of performance you need. According to U.S. EPA tests on WaterSense labeled faucets, they lower the water flow by 30% or more, dropping from 2.2 gallons per minute to 1.5 gallons per minute—and without impairing performance. With this reduction, an average family would save 700 gallons of water each year, which is the equivalent to 40 showers. Look at your current water bill and multiple the cost per gallon by 700… that will give you an idea of the savings potential. Low-flow fixtures will also save you energy, since they place less power demand on your water heater.

Low-flow toilets

Toilets are the principle source of indoor water use, accounting for a third of the water consumed in an average household. If you have an older toilet, it’s probably draining 6 gallons per flush, which is an immense waste compared to the efficiency of a low-flow model.

EPA-approved low-flow toilets use 1.28 gallons per flush, a huge improvement over old models and still 20% better than the current regular flow toilets that use 1.6 gallons per flush. Depending on the age of the toiler you’re replacing, a new low-flow model can save you 20–60% a year—almost 13,000 gallons. And, like the low-flow faucets, there’s no sacrifice in performance.

Although low-flow fixtures for your bathroom do cost more than standard models, keep in mind not only the savings but also the lifespan; these new installations should last you for many years and pay for themselves many times over.

Regardless of the reason that you decide to install new water fixtures in your bathroom plumbing in Olympia, WA, low-flow models are a terrific way to reduce your yearly bills and contribute to country-wide water conservation.

Call Brooks Plumbing today and talk to our experts in bathroom plumbing to find out more about how we can make your bathroom more beautiful and budget-friendly.

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What Are Slab Leaks and What Can I Do about Them?

Monday, July 21st, 2014

“Slab leaks” sound scary, and they can be—somewhat. A slab leak is the name that plumbers use to describe leaks in pipes that occur under concrete or stone slabs, principally in the water lines that run under the concrete foundations of a house. Slab leaks occur because of shifting in the ground or aging pipes, and once they start they can be difficult to locate and repair.

So what can you do about them? Simple: nothing.

But wait… before you throw up your hands and give up, we need to elaborate. There’s nothing you can do personally to fix a slab leak. You lack the tools and experience (unless you are a professional plumber) to access the leak under the hard surface and repair it. However, you can call Brooks Plumbing in Olympia, WA and have our specialists in slab leak repair take care of the problem.

More about Slab Leaks

You may be curious as to how professionals handle leaks that occur down inside stone or concrete, and how they even know where to look to find them.

The first thing that slab leak repair technicians do is use special listening equipment, usually small discs that operate similar to stethoscopes, to find the sound of water escaping through the stone. If they need to narrow down the search area further, they can use pressure scanners or send video camera equipment on a long fiber-optic line down into the plumbing system to pinpoint the exact leak location.

Once they’ve done this and they know the location and the extent of the leak, the plumbers will know how best to address the problem. The most common method is to use a jackhammer excavate the area above the pipe and then seal it. However, for smaller leaks, the plumbers can sometimes use non-intrusive methods to fix the problem. If leaks are caught soon enough, plumbers will usually be able to repair the problem with minimal excavating.

Keep a close look-out for signs of slab leaks so you can call for plumbing help as soon as possible: elevated water bills, dampness in the basement, cracks appearing along across concrete, unexplained water pools, the growth of mold and mildew. If any of these indications show up, you may have a slave leak and you should call for assistance from professional plumbers as soon as possible.

Brooks Plumbing has helped homeowners with slab leaks in Olympia, WA, including other types of plumbing problems since 1994. You can trust to our skill and professionalism to get the job you need done fast and right. “Quality in Everything We Do” is our motto, and we live by it!

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3 Considerations to Upgrade Your Bathroom

Friday, July 18th, 2014

The bathroom isn’t like the living room, kitchen, dining room, or even bedrooms: it’s a room that functions independently from the social areas of your house. But that doesn’t mean you should neglect it when it comes to remodeling. As the first room to greet you in the morning and the last one to see you before you go to bed, a bathroom that feels tired and drab will likewise make you feel tired and drab.

You can engage the professional plumbers and remodelers at Brooks Plumbing for complete bathroom remodeling in Olympia, WA. However, if you are only looking for a few upgrades at a time, we have a couple ideas for you to consider:

1. Replace your old sink with a stylish new model

There is a dazzling variety of sinks available for an upgrade. If you have a standard drop-in or under-mount sink built into a cabinet, you can completely change the appearance a feel of your bathroom with a different design, such as a wall mount or corner mount sink, pedestal sink, or the popular and eye-catching vessel sink. Each of these sink designs have advantages and disadvantages: some allow for greater space in the bathroom, but lack storage. Balance out the various factors of appearance, storage, and space to find a new sink that will bring the right touch to upgrade the look of your bathroom.

2. Low-flow fixtures

If you are concerned with water conservation and saving money on your bills, consider having a plumber install low-flow fixtures, such as a low-flow toilet, faucets, and/or showerheads in your bathroom. EPA-approved WaterSense low-flow faucets can reduce water flow by 30% or more without a noticeable drop in performance. Because of the enormous amount of water used in a master bathroom, reducing water use here even by a third will result in a large reduction in your water bills. If you save 700 gallons of water a year (the average for a family using EPA-approved faucets), that’s the equivalent of 40 showers. You’ll also save energy, since your water heater will need to run less.

3. Install a new bathtub

Here’s an excellent way to upgrade the appearance of your bathroom and upgrade your comfort and relaxation as well. Since the tub is the largest item inside a bathroom, replacing it with an attractive new model will give the room the sense of a full remodeling. You can also choose from bathtubs equipped with luxury features like water sets and contoured interiors.

Brooks Plumbing handles full bathroom remodeling in Olympia, WA, but we can also assist you with making smaller touches like the ones above to enhance your bathroom a few fixtures at a time. We have an excellent selection of tubs, toilets, and other fixtures to choose from so you can have the look you want to make your bathroom more attractive and functional. Our plumbers and remodelers have the years of experience necessary to make sure you end up with the bathroom upgrades you dreamed of.

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