Brooks Plumbing Co. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Olympia’

What Is a Pinhole Leak?

Monday, March 23rd, 2015

The advent of copper as the main material for plumbing pipes was a major upset in the industry in the mid-twentieth century. Prior to the widespread use of copper, plumbing pipes were mainly composed of lead or iron.

Iron, of course, was extremely susceptible to rupturing from rust. Lead, meanwhile, was flat out poisonous. Copper piping, on the other hand, is almost immune to the types of corrosion that plagued its predecessors. The key word there is “almost.” There is one type of corrosion that can still affect copper pipes, and it can cause all sorts of damage to your plumbing and home. Let’s take a look at pitted corrosion, and the pinhole leaks it causes.

The Cause of Pinhole Leaks

Pitted corrosion is a type of corrosion that degrades copper pipes from the outside inward. The corrosion is always focused in a very small area, allowing it to eat through the pipe more quickly. Eventually, it opens up a tiny hole in the pipe. This hole is called a “pinhole leak” because of its small size. Pinhole leaks are only large enough to leak one or two drops at a time, so you might think that they’re not that big of a deal. Unfortunately, they can inflict damage far beyond their small size.

The Dangers of Pinhole Leaks

With most plumbing issues, like pipe blockages or ruptures, there are symptoms that the homeowner can detect. Sudden changes in water pressure, discoloration, and other signs serve to warn the homeowner that something is wrong with the plumbing system. Pinhole leaks are so small, however, that they don’t cause any detectable symptoms. This means that the first warning a homeowner usually gets that a pinhole leak is present is when they come across the damage that leak has already caused.

Most of the plumbing pipes in your home are installed in the walls, surrounded by insulation, sheet rock, and support studs. Over a long enough period of time, even the slow drip of water from a pinhole leak can rot out the area around it. By the time a homeowner notices the damage that the pinhole leak has caused, it’s too late.

The best way to counter pinhole leaks is to have your plumbing inspected by a professional at least once a year. If you haven’t had your home’s plumbing inspected in a while, call Brooks Plumbing. We provide plumbing services throughout Olympia.

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Tips on Planning Your Kitchen Remodel

Tuesday, March 17th, 2015

Remodeling your kitchen can be an exciting endeavor, but it does require a great deal of work. This is why it’s so important to hire experts you can trust for your kitchen remodeling in Olympia. Planning is the key to making your kitchen remodel a success, and when you work with a Brooks Plumbing expert from the very beginning of your remodeling process, you can rest assured that you are in good hands.

So what kinds of tips should be kept in mind when remodeling your kitchen?

Let’s take a look:

  • Design traffic patterns that work – think about how people walk around your kitchen, and make sure that when you design your kitchen, you have walkways wide enough. Typically, regular walking paths should be at least 36 inches, and areas where you cook should be anywhere from 42-48 inches.
  • Make sure the microwave is at the right height – it sounds like a small item, but the microwave is used very frequently and if it’s installed at an inconvenient height, it could irk you for years. Children and the cook(s) in your home factor a lot into the placement of your microwave, so make sure you include them in your planning.
  • Plan for clearance – there is nothing more frustrating that having a beautiful kitchen that isn’t fully operable because of cabinets that won’t fully open because there isn’t enough clearance for the doors.
  • Include “landing space” on your counters – we all need space to put our food when cooking, yet this is an oft-overlooked item when planning your kitchen. The simple rule is that there should be 15 inches of countertop space on either side of your stove and refrigerator.
  • Plan for recycling – just about every town has recycling requirements at this point, so make yours easy by planning separate spaces for your garage and recycling containers.
  • Make sure you have enough outlets – outlets can often be forgotten about, so make sure you have enough outlets to make your kitchen as useful as you need it.

Your kitchen remodel should be as functional as it is attractive, and when you work with a trained expert from Brooks Plumbing on your kitchen remodel, your needs will be paramount to the overall plan.

Ready for a new kitchen?

Call us today and schedule an appointment to get a kitchen remodeling for your Olympia home.

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Which Water Heater Would Fit My Needs Best?

Tuesday, March 10th, 2015

For decades, the only real option homeowners had for water heating was a storage tank model. Tank water heaters are units that have large water storage tanks attached to them, some of which can hold over 100 gallons of water.

These water heaters keep all of that water heated day and night, just in case someone needs hot water at any given time. While these water heaters were quite convenient in many ways, that they were the only option was less than ideal. Now, there is a new option in the form of the tankless water heater.

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each of these systems, in order to help you choose the best one for your home.

Storage Tank Water Heaters

As mentioned above, a storage tank water heater is one that uses a large storage tank to constantly keep a large amount of water heated. The benefits of keeping so much hot water on hand are apparent. Any time you need hot water, you can make use of it. There are a number of cons to using this system, though.

For one, you’re wasting a lot of energy keeping all of that water heated when you don’t need it. That leads to you spending more money each year on your water heater for a benefit that you only might make use of. Second, if you ever do exhaust the hot water in storage you’re going to have to wait a while for more water to be heated. These two problems are what tankless water heaters were built to address.

Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless water heaters eschew storage tanks, as the name suggests. Instead, they only turn on when hot water is called for. The water is heated as it flows through the water heater on the way to its destination. The heat output is similar to tank water heaters, so there’s no need to worry about losing heating ability. The pros of this system include energy savings, as a tankless water heater turns off when it’s not needed. There’s also no need to worry about “running out” of hot water with a tankless water heater.

However, there are a couple of cons. The first con is that there is a definite delay between when you turn a hot water faucet on and when you start receiving hot water. The second is that if you have a lot of demand on the tankless water heater at once, it can be more easily overwhelmed.

If you aren’t sure what kind of water heater would fit your needs better, call Brooks Plumbing. We provide water heaters throughout the Olympia area.

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Ways You May Be Mistreating Your Garbage Disposal

Monday, February 9th, 2015

These days, it’s nearly unthinkable to build or remodel a kitchen without a garbage disposal unit. The garbage disposal helps to keep your pipes clear of clogs and it makes your work in the kitchen a lot easier.

The problem is that many people don’t actually treat their garbage disposals correctly. You may unintentionally inflict damage upon your garbage disposal and even put your plumbing system at risk if you don’t take the proper steps to keep it in check.

For garbage disposal replacement, plumbing repair, or drain maintenance with a team of trusted professionals, call Brooks Plumbing today!

How NOT to use your disposal

The following common garbage disposal mistakes should be avoided at all costs.

  • Putting non-food items down the drain. The garbage disposal is not as powerful as some people give it credit for, and for good reason. Paper, plastic, rubber, and other materials simply don’t belong in the plumbing system, and your garbage disposal won’t be able to break them down effectively. Be sure to inform family members that items like cigarette butts and plastic wrappers belong in the trash instead.
  • Leaving large chunks of food as-is. Your garbage disposal motor may wear down from large pieces of food as well. The motor can become overworked, and you may find yourself hitting the reset button underneath the unit frequently, and, eventually, replacing it too soon.
  • Pouring F.O.G. into the drain. Fats, oils, and greases all seem fairly innocuous, but these can be detrimental to the pipes. F.O.G. actually hardens as it cools down. And when this happens, they’ll collect in your pipes, leading to clogs. Additional debris gathers and sticks to the F.O.G., and you may deal with a major drain clog that needs professional repairs.
  • Throwing in these common food substances. Some things to avoid putting in the drains include hard food items (seeds, pits, bones, and popcorn kernels, for example), fibrous foods like celery and potato skins, and expandable foods. Celery could wrap around the impellers of the disposer, so be sure to cut it up if you do feed it into the unit. Foods like rice and pasta may expand in the pipes and should be avoided at all costs.

Be sure to take care of your plumbing system and call the friendly folks at Brooks Plumbing today to service or replace your garbage disposal in Olympia.

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Plumbing Items to Consider When Remodeling Your Bathroom

Monday, January 19th, 2015

People choose to remodel a bathroom for many different reasons.

While some homeowners just want a new look and feel to the room, others remodel for practical purposes, making fixtures and storage space more accessible or installing money-saving appliances. Others remodel to take advantage of upgrades that will make their bathtubs or showers seem more relaxing and luxurious. Regardless of your reasons for upgrading, you should remember to work with a trained plumber every time you make major changes to the room.

Bathroom remodeling usually involves some level of plumbing work, and, no matter how small it may seem, it takes a professional to determine the proper placement and sealing of your new fixture and to decide if any pipe reconfigurations must be made. You may decide, for example, to install a new pedestal sink, which involves reposition the pipes so that they are fairly hidden from view. Or, you may choose to switch to a single handle design over a separate hot and cold lever for the sink, another decision which involves some plumbing knowledge for installation.

Low-Flow Toilet Installation

Another plumbing item you might consider is a low-flow toilet. If your toilet is more than a couple decades old, it probably uses more water than it needs to for a single flush. Modern low-flow toilets use only half of the water needed for flushing of older toilets because they rely on a lot of pressure to get the job done instead of high volumes of water. Some toilets also have dual flush options for liquids and solids, and the single flush setting uses even less water per flush. Installing a toilet is a big job, requiring careful sealing and knowledge of valves as well as a bit of strength to pry the old toilet out.

Finally, if you’ve decided on a new bathtub, be sure to have a plumber work with you throughout the process so that you can get the right size and shape for your bathroom remodeling project. A plumber may need to reinforce the floors, reconnect drain pipes, and hook up the new tub to the main water supply, all while checking that the new installation is in compliance with local building codes.

The friendly people at Brooks Plumbing can work with you on your Olympia bathroom remodeling project and help everything to go as smoothly as possible. Give us a call!

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3 Common Bathroom Plumbing Issues

Friday, January 9th, 2015

Ah, your bathroom. It can be an oasis from a long day (think long baths) or a trip to Hades if you’ve got plumbing problems. The good thing is that many bathroom plumbing repairs can be resolved rather quickly, and even if they can’t, you’ve got the experts on hand who can help you day or night: Brooks Plumbing.

Problem 1: Drain Clogs

Drain clogs are very common in bathrooms because they see a lot of use and also have to deal with two tough challenges every day: soap scum and human hair. Soap has fat in it, and when the excess soap lather heads down the drain, the soap scum clings to the piping and can harden. Combine this with hair, and you’ve got a nice clog on your hands.

Problem 2: Toilet Problems

No one really wants to think about their toilet in any kind of detail, but it is a very used item in your home and can develop problems. One of the most common problems with toilets is running. With a running toilet, the water is constantly in flow; you’ll likely hear a noise coming from the tank. The main reason toilets run is because the flush valve isn’t closing all the ways, so water from the tank keep running into the toilet’s bowl. Other common toilet problems can be clogs and slow tank fill.

Problem 3: Slow Draining Sink

Slow draining sinks are usually the harbinger of clogs to come, so if you are experiencing a slow draining sink, try to resolve the issue before it becomes a full-on clog. Slow draining sinks can be caused by objects lodged in the piping, soap scum, hair, etc. You can try to clean build-up yourself with some white vinegar and baking soda, but if this doesn’t work, call a professional.

Don’t let your plumbing problems stop you from using your bathroom. If you are experiencing plumbing problems in your bathroom, call Brooks Plumbing to schedule bathroom plumbing service in Olympia today!

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Is a Tankless Water Heater Worth the Cost?

Friday, December 19th, 2014

More and more people in the United States are discovering the many benefits of tankless water heaters. Tankless water heaters were designed in order to alleviate the energy loss that comes along with owning a standard storage tank water heater. Storage tank water heaters use up a lot of energy throughout the day, resulting in high utilities and wasted natural resources. But with a tankless water heater, you won’t run into these problems, and you’ll save some money in the meantime.

But every now and then, someone raises the question of whether a tankless unit is really worth it. Tankless units tend to be higher in cost than storage tanks because they have more complicated machinery for operation. Traditional units, on the other hand, work under the simple natural principle that heat rises. Water feeds into the tank from the top through a long tube that leads to the bottom. A gas burner or electric heating element heats up the water, which then rises above the denser, colder water and reaches your faucets through a tube at the top of the tank.

But this means you have to leave the heat running all day even though you only use hot water every so often in the course of a day, an issue known as standby energy loss. With a tankless unit, a computer simply communicates to the unit when a hot water tap in the home has been turned on. Water heats up as soon as it passes by the heating element, and the heat shuts off immediately afterwards.

Yes, a storage tank water heater will eventually offset the cost of installation, and many feel that the initial investment is 100% worth it. However, a standard storage tank unit is still right for many homeowners. For some people, initial cost is simply too important a factor for them to worry about the future energy savings, especially since it will take many years to compensate for the expense. Besides, tankless units have been known to struggle when it comes to heavy heating loads in larger households, and you may find yourself needing multiple units at an even greater cost.

You don’t have to make the decision on your own. Call Brooks Plumbing to discuss tank and tankless water heaters in Olympia and to schedule professional installation or service.

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How Can I Tell that I Need Video Pipe Inspection for My Plumbing?

Friday, December 12th, 2014

Honestly, this question is best left up to the professional that responds to your home. He or she will be able to judge the situation and whether or not it needs any given solution. That being said, it’s never a bad thing to know more about your plumbing system, and the problems associated with it. Let’s take a look at what video pipe inspection is, and when it is most appropriate.

Video Pipe Inspection

Video pipe inspection is a type of visual inspected conducted by remote. It utilizes a small camera, equipped with lights and motors that allow it to see and rotate. Additional equipment may be attached, depending on the needs of the technician. These cameras are attached to a long cable, which often connects to a power source in the service truck.

During the pipe inspection, the camera is lowered down the pipe. Rollers are often used to improve the camera’s mobility. Once the camera is in place, the camera operator uses a computer to view the feed and remotely control the camera’s movement.

Why Use Video Pipe Inspection?

Video pipe inspection is commonly used to gain more information about blockages in your home’s pipes. Without knowing what exactly is causing the blockage, the technician is operating at a disadvantage when trying to remove it. It could be a tangle of hair, or food waste, or lime scale. It could even be a tree root that’s grown into the pipe. If the technician tries to remove a tree root, believing it to be hair, he or she can damage equipment and waste time. For this reason, video pipe inspections are used to verify what exactly the problem is before a solution is decided.

Video pipe inspections are not limited to blockages. In areas where the pipe is inaccessible any other way, video pipe inspections can find leaks and other damage that would otherwise be difficult to address.

If you need help with your plumbing, call Brooks Plumbing to schedule professional plumbing services in the Olympia area.

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Repairs You May Need for the Kitchen Sink

Friday, December 5th, 2014

It’s pretty hard to do anything in your kitchen without a properly-working kitchen sink, which is one of the reasons why problems with your kitchen can be such a nuisance. Unfortunately, problems don’t resolve themselves, so if you experience any of the following kitchen plumbing issues, call a Brooks Plumbing expert for help:

Leaky Faucets

Leaky faucets can waste a great deal of water and if left to drip for a long period of time, can erode and/or rust the area on which it is dripping. You can check the faucet aerator yourself by unscrewing it; if there is debris in the aerator, wash it out and screw the aerator back on. If your faucet continues leaking, call for an expert.

Clogged Drain

It isn’t unusual for food to lodge in your kitchen sink, or for grease to build-up inside the piping. These things and other issues can cause your kitchen sink to clog. You can try to plunge your sink, but if that doesn’t resolve the problem, call for help. Note: do NOT use chemical drain cleaners. These products have very harsh chemical that can damage your plumbing and many times do not resolve the issue.

Issues with Garbage Disposal

Garbage disposal can be misused, with items like plastic and glass being flushed down the sink. Garbage disposals are not for garbage; they are made to reduce food waste only, so only food should be washed into them. Most garbage disposals have a reset button on the motor, so if your disposal isn’t working, you try that first. If your disposal still doesn’t work after pressing the reset button, it’s best to call for assistance.

Trained and experienced plumbers have the right tools, knowledge and expertise to fix your plumbing problems quickly, correctly and efficiently. If you are experiencing problems with your kitchen sink, or have any other kind of plumbing problem, call Brooks Plumbing today and schedule plumbing repair in Olympia with one of our expert plumbers.

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Reasons for a Sudden Increase in Your Water Usage

Friday, November 28th, 2014

If you keep track of your water bills from month to month, you should have a general idea of how much you pay on average. You can expect fluctuations during certain seasons, or times when you have extra people staying in your home. But if you notice a rise in your water usage that seems unusual, you may have a serious problem with your home’s plumbing.

Below are some reasons that you might see water usage and water bills suddenly increase. In many of these cases, you will need to call for professional plumbers to investigate the issue and see if there are repairs that will solve the problem. Do not hesitate when it comes to repair issues; much more could be at a stake than just high water bills. To reach superb services for plumbing in Olympia, WA, call Brooks Plumbing today. We take pride in putting quality into everything we do.

Hidden Pipe Leaks

This is the most common reason for an unexplained spike in water bills in a home—and in this case, you should be thankful for the rise in your bills, since it’s a warning sign that you need to have professionals take care of leaking and prevent it from causing expensive water damage to your home. Leaking pipes in a home are difficult to notice since they usually occur in areas that are hidden behind drywall and floorboards. It’s very important for you to pay attention to signs that leaking is occurring, such as a water usage rise.

Busted Water Main or Slab Leak

If the water use rise seems remarkably high, the issue may be in the water main that brings fresh water from the municipal supply into your home. A burst water main will result in large volumes of water waste. Check the lawn of your home to see if there are puddles showing up unexpectedly; this is a strong indicator that you need professional repairs or a replacement water line. Another possibility is a slab leak where the water main runs beneath the foundation of your home. These are tricky to locate and require excavation to repair, so call for plumbing experts to handle the problem.

Leaky Toilets

See if any of the toilets in your home are running for long periods of time after being flushed. This indicates a toilet with leaky flappers or a similar problem that is allowing large amounts of water to run. This is often an occurrence with older toilets. When you call on professionals plumbers, they can advise you on whether the toilet needs repairs or if replacing it with a newer, more water efficient unit is the best solution.

If you decide to “settle” on having higher water bills, you could end up with significant damage to your plumbing and your home. Call on Brooks Plumbing in Olympia, WA today to look into those mysterious increases in water usage and find out how to remedy them. You’ll save money not only on water bills but also on future plumbing repairs and fixes to your home due to water damage.

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