Brooks Plumbing Co. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Olympia’

Don’t Trust Store-Bought Solutions for Drain Cleaning

Monday, June 9th, 2014

It’s unfortunate that the bottles of chemicals on store shelves advertised for use on drains are called “liquid drain cleaners.” That makes them sound like legitimate methods of cleansing your bathroom and kitchen drains of clogs and any other obstructions. But ask any plumber for his or her opinion on these store-bought chemicals and you will hear the same answer: liquid “drain cleaner” should never actually be used on drains. Instead, other professional tools like plungers, drain snakes, and hydro-jetters should be brought in to do the job.

We’ll go into detail about why you should leave the drain cleaning bottles on the shelf and instead call for professionals to handle drain cleaning in Olympia, WA. If you want fast and dependable service, make your first call to Brooks Plumbing, where we take pride in “Quality in Everything We Do.”

The problems with chemical drain cleaners

They can damage your plumbing: To break through various kinds of clogs, these chemicals must have very acidic action, and it is strong enough to corrode pipes. Older pipes are especially at risk; however, newer PVC pipes are in danger of softening and eventually breaking apart. A single application may not hurt, but this is a problem that accrues over time. Residual amounts of the chemicals will remain in your drains even after you wash water down them, and the heat they release can boil the water in the drains. Drain cleaners may cost very little to purchase, but the eventual costs to repair the damage they create can be steep.
They can expose you to toxic gases: When you dump a whole bottleful of chemicals down the drain, it releases toxic gases that you may not initially notice except as a powerful antiseptic smell. These gases can contain chlorine and chloramine, which are poisonous and can cause damage to your respiratory system.
They are poisonous: Keep in mind that these bottles are huge containers of very powerful poisons. If you aren’t careful when using them, they can cause damage to your skin and eyes. Only a small amount left on the floor can harm your pet if it licks it up. And the warnings on the sides of the bottles that they should be kept out of reach of children… if you don’t have to have these bottles in your house, why would you?

Let plumbers handle the job safely and effectively

When you call for a plumber to perform your drain cleaning in Olympia, WA from Brooks Plumbing, you’ll have the work done with safe and clean tools like motorized drain snakes and hydro-jetters. These methods are proven effective and will cause no harm to your plumbing—or to you. Trust to the plumbing name that has served Seattle and Olympia since 1994.

Tags: Drain Cleaning, Olympia
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3 Causes of Garbage Disposal Clogs

Friday, May 30th, 2014

Considering how much work kitchen garbage disposals does on a daily basis, it seems they should breakdown and stop working more than they do. Thanks to the sturdy construction of modern garbage disposals, most will keep working for many years despite sometimes having objects go down them that should never go down them. (Example: popcorn kernels. A good rule of thumb is that if you can’t chew it, your garbage disposal can’t either.)

However, you can rarely escape garbage disposal clogs forever. When your disposal stops working, don’t make the mistake of trying to put your hand down the drain to “dislodge” whatever has stopped it. Try the reset switch on the bottom of the unit first, and if that doesn’t work, call for a professional plumber to safely and effectively fix the problem.

Brooks Plumbing has 20 years of experience with repairs for kitchen plumbing. If you need help with your garbage disposal in Olympia, WA, make us your first call.

3 of the reasons for garbage disposal clogs

Liquid fat, oil, grease (FOG): Perhaps no other food product in a kitchen can do as much damage to a disposal than these hot liquids. They seem innocuous enough when poured down a drain, but once they dry they solidify into tough waxy substances that will start to coat the drainpipe and restrict water flow. In a disposal, they will soon jam up the mechanical parts and prevent drainage. Plumbers will need to clean out the drains and the clean the interior of the disposal.
Actual garbage: Don’t let the name fool you! A garbage disposal is never for inorganic garbage. Plastics, paper, tin foil, etc. all go in a true garbage receptacle. In the garbage disposal. They will quickly jam it up. There’s also some organic garbage that shouldn’t go here (see the rule above about chewable material): fruit pits and seeds, popcorn kernels, bones, eggshells. Another concern is coffee grounds, which will become caught in the garbage disposal’s trap, leading to clogs. Place coffee grounds in the garbage or a composting bucket.
Pasta: Surprised? The trouble with pasta is that it expands in water. If it goes into a garbage disposal, it can become caught in the disposal trap, or it might remain in the pipe and continue to expand until it creates a clog. This also applies to rice, which expands in water.

You should have few troubles from your home’s garbage disposal if you refrain from putting the above objects down the drain. But if you still run across a repair problem with your garbage disposal in Olympia, WA, contact Brooks Plumbing. We promise quality in everything we do.

Tags: Garbage Disposal, Olympia
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Types of Sinks to Consider for Your Kitchen Remodel

Friday, May 23rd, 2014

The phrase “everything but the kitchen sink” implies that a kitchen sink is the last thing you include in any comprehensive list… if you even include it at all. But when it comes to remodeling a kitchen, perhaps the phrase should be amended to “everything starting with the kitchen sink.” With the amount of choices available for new sinks, from layout to mounting to materials, you can make the kitchen sink the centerpiece of a redesign. Picking the right sink means a more beautiful kitchen and also one that’s easier in which to cook and clean.

Trust to kitchen remodeling specialists for assistance with new sink selection. You want to make sure that the sink will simplify and enhance your life, and not the reverse. Brooks Plumbing has the experience with kitchen remodeling that will see you have the best work possible.

Kitchen Sink Layouts

One of the first considerations regarding a new sink is its layout. The standard sink has one bowl, but many homeowners opt for multiple bowls and sometimes multiple faucets. Although multiple bowls have many advantages, more is not necessarily better in every case. A single-bowl sink is often ideal for smaller kitchens where you need to free up space. Single bowls are also better choices when it comes to cleaning larger dishes and pans, and they cost less than multi-bowl alternatives.

Many homes today use a double-bowl layout; provided they have sufficient space for the work done in them, these layouts work for the majority of kitchens. There is a great variety of configurations for double-bowl sinks, however, so the right layout will depend on how much you plan to use the two bowls.

Kitchen Sink Materials

The material that makes up a kitchen sink has an enormous effect on durability, how easy the sink is to clean, and the look of a kitchen. There’s an array of choices, some exotic, but the most popular materials are stainless steel, cast iron, fireclay, and composites of rock and resin. Stainless steel sinks are usually the least expensive, fireclay the most damage-resistant, and cast iron the most traditionally appealing to the eye. The different ways that sink material will work with a kitchen is so varied that you need to balance out many factors when it comes to making the best choice.

At Brooks plumbing, we strive for quality in every job we take on. We offer a full range of services for remodels, starting with choosing the right fixtures. When it’s time for kitchen remodeling in Olympia, WA, call us and we’ll deliver the work that you need.

Tags: Kitchen Remodeling, Olympia
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3 Factors to Consider When Remodeling Your Kitchen

Friday, May 16th, 2014

A kitchen remodel can enhance your home life in significant ways. Kitchens are often at the center of a home, so even if you do not do a large amount of entertaining and cooking, the kitchen will still make up an important part of your life.

When you begin a kitchen remodeling in Olympia, WA, make sure you hire the right experienced plumbers to tackle the work. Brooks Plumbing has served the Olympia area since 1994 with services that include quality kitchen remodeling. Contact us when you are ready to start your kitchen re-design.

Here Are 3 Important Factors To Consider For A Kitchen Remodel:

1. Should You Upgrade Your Piping?

You do not need to extensively replace the plumbing in your kitchen during a remodel: the plumbers can handle adding new fixtures and faucets without replacing the pipes. However, this is an excellent opportunity to upgrade older plumbing, especially if you have plumbing that pre-dates 1970. Replacing the plumbing will also give you more design options for the kitchen and provide the remodelers with more freedom.

2. What New Features Should You Add?

The options you have during a remodel for a kitchen can include adding new appliances that will make your kitchen more efficient. Now, for example, is when you should have a garbage disposal put in if you did not have one previously. You can have low-flow faucets installed to save water, or have under the sink water filtration devices to provide cleaner water. If you have an aging dishwasher, you can consider this upgrade as well. For the sink, you can change from a single-basin model to a multi-basin one that allows you to do more tasks at one time. Consult with remodelers for other ideas that will enhance the redesign.

3. What Sort Of General Design Do You Want?

This is perhaps the most important question to ask yourself. Focus on what you hope to achieve with this new kitchen remodel, and how you want it to look when it’s done. When you talk to your remodeler, this will help guide the direction of the project and establish a budget framework early on. Do you want a more modern design with easier workflow? Are you aiming to make the kitchen a more open and friendly gathering place for your household? Or do you wish to create a retro-design that is less about function and more about enhancing the appearance of your home?

Brooks Plumbing offers a range of services for your kitchen remodeling in Olympia, WA. We are proud of the quality that we bring to every job we do, and we can help you create the kitchen you want.

Tags: Kitchen Remodeling, Olympia
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Types of Tubs for Your Bathroom Remodel

Wednesday, May 7th, 2014

The most noticeable feature in your bathroom is the bathtub. But how often is a tub worth noticing? Not often. When you decide to have a remodeling done on your bathroom, you should make installing a new tub one of your priorities. No other change will do as much for turning a bathroom into a revitalized space than a modern or retro-stylized tub.

You have a large variety of tub types from which to choose when you have bathroom remodeling in Olympia, WA. They range from tubs with special high-technology features to designs that purposely recall previous centuries. When you work with Brooks Plumbing on your remodel, you’ll have your choice to craft the look and feel you want for your new bathroom.

Here are some of the types of tubs you can select for the remodeling:

Recessed tubs: Also known as “alcove” tubs, this fixture contacts the walls on three sides, fitting fully into a niche. These are the most common types of tubs, often seen in modern home construction. They work well as showers and can fit ideally with sliding glass doors. They are affordable and “no frills,” so they will work if you are going for a simple bathroom design.
Corner tubs: Similar to recessed tubs, except they attach into a corner with only two sides abutting the walls. Although often smaller than other tubs, they do help save space in a bathroom.
Freestanding: This is the “classic” tub style, what people think of when they imagine the bathrooms of yesteryear. But they still work today, especially with the freedom of placement they offer and the simplicity of installation. They also come in a variety of styles that will fit almost any décor. And haven’t you always wanted the elegance of a claw-foot bathtub?
Platform: These tubs are dropped into a platform or else sunk straight into the floor, much the way that drop-in sinks work. This makes them perhaps the most versatile of bathtubs when it comes to design, since they will fit in with almost any platform or floor look. However, they require more installation work and planning than other types of bathtubs, and may also cost more.

Your tub selection continues beyond choosing a type. You have variety of materials you can choose to fit your design as well as for function and ease of care. Your professional remodeler can help you navigate the multitude of choices. You will also have options for features such as whirlpool and massage tubs, plus numerous kinds of faucet designs.

Call Brooks Plumbing today to discuss how we can handle your bathroom remodeling in Olympia, WA. Finding the right bathtub to enhance a bathroom is only a part of our comprehensive services for remodeling.

Tags: Bathroom Remodeling, Olympia
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3 Different Ways to Clean Your Drains

Wednesday, April 30th, 2014

Be honest: when you first read the title of this post, did you immediately think of a bottle of liquid drain cleaner, the type sitting on a grocery store shelf near the mops and sponges? That’s what most people conjure up in their heads when they hear “drain cleaning.”

But the truth is that there are few methods worse for cleaning your drains than using a store-bough bottle of corrosive, toxic chemicals. These liquids will damage your drains, leave behind poisonous fumes, and can hurt your skin and eyes. Avoid them at all costs.

Let’s look at three ways that professional plumbers will handle cleaning your drains. These methods not only won’t damage the drains (or you) but do a much more thorough and dependable cleaning job. For a plumbing company that can offer you superb drain cleaning in Olympia, WA, call Brooks Plumbing today.

Effective Methods for Draining Cleaning

Drain snakes: Think of drain snakes (also known as “drain augers”) as long corkscrews that can go down a drain pipe and drill into a thick clog. The twisting action of the metal ends of a drain snake screw into blockage, and then either removes the block or breaks it up. Although you can purchase manual drain snakes from hardware stores, you should allow a professional plumber armed with a motorized drain snake to take care of those clogs you can’t remove with a standard plunger.
Hydro-jetting: This drain cleaning method uses high-pressure blasts of scalding hot water from a nozzle to scour the inside of drains. Hydro-jetting is extremely effective at breaking up clogs, but also at fully cleansing drain interiors of grease, fat, oil, soap scum residue, and all the other sorts of debris that will build up inside drains over time and lead to further clogging and spikes in pressure. Because of the potential danger of high-pressure water involved in hydro-jetting, leave this job to trained plumbers with the right protective gear.
Targeted cleaning with video pipe inspection: This last one isn’t so much a drain cleaning method as it is an approach to effective drain cleaning. Video pipe inspection equipment is the result of miniaturization technology that allows a plumber to send a small digital video camera with a LED light down into plumbing at the end of a length of fiber-optic cable. The camera returns a video feed to a monitor that allows a plumber to examine problems with drains and where they are located. This is useful for targeted drain cleaning that must address specific issues. Video pipe inspection eliminates the guesswork that once went into drain cleaning, streamlining the process to save time, money, and materials.

If you need a heavy clog cleared away, or if you want cleaner plumbing in general, call Brooks Plumbing today. We offer expert drain cleaning in Olympia, WA with the finest technology available.

Tags: Drain Cleaning, Olympia
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Why Trust Professionals When It Comes to Drain Snakes

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

Drain clogs occur more often than any plumbing issue, and so homeowners want to have solutions on hand to eliminate them quickly. A plunger will often do the job for basic blockages in sinks, showers, and bathtubs. But if the plunger fails, people ill often reach for one of two other tools: chemical drain cleaners and drain snakes.

Let us make this very clear: Do not use chemical drain cleaners on drain clogs! (Or anything else in your pipes.) The acidic action of these chemicals can cause severe harm to your drains, and they leave behind toxic residue that isn’t good for you either.

Drain snakes on the other hand… these are excellent tools for removing or breaking up clogs. You can purchase them in hardware stores and most large general merchandize stores. However, you should leave them on the shelf and turn to professionals when you need drain snaking.

For drain cleaning in Olympia, WA from a plumber armed with the best drain snakes and other unclogging tools, call Brooks Plumbing.

The reason you should allow plumbers to take care of handling drain snakes is that misuse of the standard commercial drain snake could damage the inside of pipes. Most commercial-grade drain snakes (also called drain augers) use manual cranks to turn the coils of the line that corkscrew into the clog to either withdraw it or break it apart. This manual power is often inadequate for the task, and if you’re unused to operating a drain snake, they can scratch the pipe interior.

Professional plumbers use more advanced manual drain snakes and have the training to get the job done without harming your pipes. They also use powered drain snakes, which are hooked up to electric- or gas-powered motors, to handle the difficult clogs. There are few drain blocks that a powered drain snake can’t handle—but few people can handle a powered drain snake without the right training. (They’re also too expensive and bulky for most consumer use; it’s less expensive to hire a professional plumber than to purchase a mechanical drain snake.)

A drain snake is not the only way a plumber can eliminate serious drain clogs. When a plumber comes to your home, he or she will inspect the pipes and the clog (often using video inspection equipment) and figure out the best way to tackle the problem. Rely on their expertise rather than troubleshooting the issue on your own and possibly coming up with the wrong solution.

For the drain cleaning in Olympia, WA that clears the clogs and keeps them from coming back, trust to the 20 years of experience at Brooks Plumbing.

Tags: Drain Cleaning, Olympia
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Why Are There Gurgling Noises Coming From My Water Heater?

Wednesday, April 9th, 2014

Generally speaking any unusual noise from a major appliance is cause for concern. This is just as true for your water heater – which rarely receives any attention except when something’s wrong – as it is for any other appliance. Gurgling sounds, in particular, are common signs of a significant problem with your heater. “Why are there gurgling noises coming from my water heater?” you ask. Any plumber in Olympia can give you an answer en route to making speedy repairs.

Gurgling noises usually result from water passing through sediment and build-up on the bottom of the tank. The sediment builds up slowly over the course of time, fed by mineral deposits in hard water that enters the tank. Hard water is usually harmless, but the minerals (usually calcium, magnesium and the like) will settle into the bottom of the tank and may even create strange little structures as they form. When water moves through them, it will gurgle and bubble, creating the noise.

This might not sound like a big deal – and indeed, the water heater will usually still function – but it constitutes a significant problem. The sediment forms an insulating layer between the water in the tank and the heaters intended to warm it. That means your water heater must burn more gas to do its job, costing you money and increasing strain on the bottom of the tank. If left untreated, it could eventually cause a breach in the tank, forcing you to replace the entire unit.

The good news is that a trained plumber in Olympia can help. Draining the tank and cleaning off the sediment is a fairly standard operation for most plumbing services, and some companies can install water filters in your home to cut down on the build-up. If you’re wondering why there are gurgling noises coming from your water heater, then contact the plumbing experts at Brooks Plumbing. We’ll fix the problem and can help you take steps to prevent it from recurring in the future. Pick up the phone and give us a call today. You’ll be glad you did!

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3 Basic Considerations of Bathroom Remodeling

Friday, April 4th, 2014

We often give little thought to how much use our bathroom receives through the day. But after you have a full remodel done, you’ll understand how central it is—and how much better it is thanks to the work of professional remodelers. A complete bathroom remodeling job is an excellent way to enhance your life.

A bathroom remodel doesn’t have to occur just on the surface, with new cabinets, faucets, wallpapers, and window frames. With the right plumbers working on the remodel, you can re-vamp the basic way that the room functions so you’ll have fewer future repairs and lower water bills. Here are 3 basic ideas for remodeling your bathroom that you might overlook.

Our specialists in bathroom remodeling in Olympia, WA at Brooks Plumbing can help you with these upgrades and many more. Contact us today to start designing your ideal new bathroom.

Replace your pipes: During a bathroom remodel, the construction work exposes most of the plumbing. This provides an excellent opportunity to replace aging or outdated pipes, such as galvanized steel pipes that may have started to corrode. The remodelers can also put in flexible and easy-flow plastic CPVC piping, which will permit more creative re-design concepts that won’t have to work around fixed rigid pipes.
Install a low-flow toilet: Standard toilets consume a large amount of water with each flush. Your standard toilet probably uses between 4 to 7 gallons of water each time you pull the handle. But if you have a low-flow toilet put in during a remodel, you can reduce water waste a tremendous amount: current low-flow models consume around 1.6 gallons of water per flush. Factored over a year, or even a month, that translates into enormous savings in water use.
Upgrade your tub: The largest new installation you can make in a bathroom is a new bathtub/shower, so you’ll feel tempted to leave your current one in. But this is a good chance to upgrade both the look of your bathroom and the quality of your time in the tub. Contoured tubs, whirlpool tubs, water jet tubs, or even a retro-free standing tub are all possibilities for your remodel that may fit your vision for a new bathroom.

Professional bathroom remodeling

Brooks Plumbing offers full-service bathroom remodeling in Olympia, WA. We can handle all the plumbing and repiping you need, and install any new fixture you desire. To help guide you, we offer a wide range of fixtures from which to choose, and our staff of experts will help you select the furnishings that will work best together. We can make your remodeling move smoothly and quickly toward a final product that will meet or even exceed your expectations.

Tags: Bathroom Remodeling, Olympia
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Plumbing Considerations to Make During Kitchen Remodeling

Monday, March 31st, 2014

The kitchen is often located at the heart of a house, and you may find that your family spends as much time gathered in the kitchen as in any other room. It’s not only an area for food storage and preparation; it’s part of your family’s daily social routine. Remodeling your kitchen, whether for a fresh surface appearance, to increase its size, to add new appliances, or for all of these reasons, will help enhance your life.

Kitchen restoration goes deeper than cabinets and countertops. The plumbing is part of the process, and you should take a few things about it into consideration when you plan for a kitchen remodel.

Brooks Plumbing can help you with the plumbing changes and upgrades when you have kitchen remodeling done in Olympia, WA. We’ve assisted homeowners with plumbing, from pipe installation to leak detection, since 1994.

What to consider during kitchen remodeling for your plumbing

Complete repiping: If you live in an older home (usually pre-‘60s), you may have outdated pipes made from galvanized steel. Although steel is hardy and durable, it also corrodes with time. During the period that you have your pipes exposed in the kitchen for the remodeling, have plumbers perform state-of-the-art plumbing replacement to change out steel pipes for copper, CPVC, or PEX plastic pipes that will last for many years without degrading.
Upgrade your fixtures: You need plumbers to handle adding new fixtures like sinks and faucets for your kitchen remodel. (And, if you don’t already have a garbage disposal, place this at the top of your list of priorities for new fixtures.) Skilled plumbers can help you determine which fixtures will work the best for the remodel.
Add water filtration: During a remodel is an ideal time to put in under-sink water filtration, which will help you get higher quality water from the faucet than you would from unfiltered tap water coming from the municipal supply.
Go “tankless” for your water heater: Another opportunity that a kitchen remodel offers is a time to take out your old storage water heater and install a tankless model that only heats up water as you need it, saving you on your utility bills each month.

Talk to expert plumbers about your remodel

When you call up Brooks Plumbing about your kitchen remodeling in Olympia, WA, we’ll lay out a plan and a timeline so you will know what work we’re doing and what other places you might want to add conveniences. Make your kitchen remodeling a chance to enhance your life in many different ways: work with experienced plumbers.

Tags: Kitchen Remodeling, Olympia
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