Author Archive for Dorothy Skinner – Page 18

Problems With Sewer Pipe Drainage

By Dorothy Skinner · Comments (1)
Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

Washing machine drain pipe.Pitch on a sewer pipe is a measure of how far a pipe should fall over a certain distance on a horizontal run. A proper pitch is what allows the contents of the pipe to keep moving. If you’re experiencing problems with waste leaving your home, this might be an issue and you should call us. Proper pitch on a sewer pipe is between 1/8th of an inch and ½ inch per foot. For example a four foot long pipe should be ½ inch higher on the front than the end of the pipe.

Many plumbing problems can occur if your pipes weren’t installed with the proper pitch. Water will just sit idle in a pipe that’s completely level. Furthermore, if the water is not moving enough or moving in the proper direction, back-ups will occur far more frequently. This isn’t even the worst of it .

Older homes where drainage and sewer pipes are cast iron may have the worst case scenario. Cast iron rusts when sitting under water. Over time a cast iron pipe full of water will simply rot out through the bottom causing a major sewer leak.

If you have frequent back-ups call us immediately. We’ll have one of our dependable plumbers come out to see that your pipes have the proper pitch for your home.

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Categories : Troubleshooter

Ask Us About Slab Leaks

By Dorothy Skinner · Comments (2)
Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

You hear water running in your home but just can’t find it. You know it’s not in your head. Perhaps you have had an unusually high water bill or maybe your entire house is full of water. NE Dallas, it’s time to call your plumber!

The process of locating a slab leak is a complicated one, requiring expensive and highly specialized equipment. The knowledge and skills required to use this type of gear doesn’t come in a bag along with rented equipment.

There’s generally a three-step process for slab leak location. Assuming there is a leak that has been isolated to the inside of the home and no evidence of a leak can be found above ground, it is time to locate the leak underground. 

  1. Locate the pipe. We electronically locate the pipe and mark the ground with masking tape so we know exactly where the pipe is located underground and roughly how deep it is.
  2. Listen along the length of the pipe with geophones. We use a geodesic headset which is a very powerful stethoscope with a separate microphone for each ear so that we can listen directionally.
  3. Measure the temperature of the floor along the length of the pipe to find the hot spot.
    This applies only to hot water slab leaks.

These steps come as second nature to any of our plumbers. Those without the skills and training to use this type of equipment, along with a full understanding of the processes involved, should not be allowed to start breaking into the slab. Our plumbers undergo continuing education, it’s an advantage you have with us over a handyman or less-qualified company. We’ll take care to detect and repair your leak while we respect your property.

Give us a call immediately at (972) 424-6479 to have one of our licensed, qualified plumbers come out to determine your next course of action.

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Categories : Troubleshooter
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Water Heaters in Attics

By Dorothy Skinner · Comments (0)
Friday, July 8th, 2011

Water heaters.Where is your water heater located? Water heaters can be found in many different areas of a home. Sometimes they are located in a closet, sometimes in a garage. Either of these locations makes sense. However, at some point installing water heaters in attics seemed like a good idea for some. This turned out to be a less than perfect situation. The severity of damage due to leaks greatly increased. Maintenance in replacements became more difficult, especially when put in 2nd floor pull-down attics. Believe it or not it, comes down to closet space. In my opinion, the added ten square feet to the home isn’t worth that much risk.  Read More→

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Categories : Plumbing Repair
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Detecting a Gas Leak

By Dorothy Skinner · Comments (1)
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011

So, you think might have a gas leak? Locating and repairing a gas leak can be a time consuming and complicated process. Gas companies will tell you to hire a licensed plumber to detect, repair, and permit the finished gas line work.

Gas pipes can be made out of a variety of materials. The gas pipe from the meter to the yard is made out of a specially coated iron riser. This is an L-shaped ridged piece of pipe that the meter hooks on to. Sitting between that riser and another riser at the house is a poly plastic pipe.

Inside of the home the pipe will generally be iron or some type of corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST). Iron pipe is usually piped up and over the home in the attic with one large main trunk that runs the length of the house. Tees come off of the main line to feed different appliances in the home. If you are dealing with CSST, it will go up from the main line to one central manifold where it feeds an individual line to each appliance in a radial type formation (picture bicycle spokes).

Any of the sections mentioned above are places where a leak could occur. At the meter there are several fittings, including the meter and valve, as well as the top six inches of the riser. Many times subterranean pipes aren’t protected. They should be double wrapped where the riser comes through the ground. A gas leak typically occurs where the connection isn’t wrapped with the special black tape six inches in both directions.

Many types of gas leaks occur outside of the home:

  • At the riser on the house end of the pipe
  • Connections at the manifold and shut-off valves that have not been properly installed
  • Improper installation of flex lines, and gas lines in older homes, that have had pipes run with copper tubing
  • Natural gas eats right through copper, especially at connections where the copper has been flared

Homeowners beware when having your roof repaired! A gas line can leak when it has been improperly installed right next to the roof decking. Most of the time roofers don’t look to see what’s under the roof before nailing new roofing down. It’s common for gas pipes, especially CSST, to be punctured by roofing nails.

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Categories : Plumbing Leak
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Hosed: Outside Faucet Crisis

By Dorothy Skinner · Comments (0)
Monday, June 20th, 2011

Hosebib Summer time is here and most of us have begun watering our lawns, washing our vehicles, and catching up on landscaping projects. Some of us are finding out quickly that this winter’s hard freeze is still reeking havoc on our home’s plumbing systems.

Some of the most common instances of pipes bursting due to a hard freeze are ironically the most preventable. A burst pipe in a wall can cause a lot of damage along with a huge mess in a hurry. Outside faucets (hose bibs) are the most vulnerable fixture in a home due to freezing. They invariably protrude from outside walls and most people will not discover that they froze up until the following spring.

Outside faucets must be frost-proof in order to be up to code. The washer that closes the valve seats up against an opening must be placed far enough back so that the water doesn’t get near the outside where it can freeze, bursting the pipe due to expansion.  Read More→

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Categories : Faucets
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