Tankless water heaters, also called instantaneous or demand-type, provide hot water when needed only. Unlike storage water heaters, it only provides hot water when you need it, so it prevents unnecessary energy losses.

A plumbing contractor understands the benefits of using tankless water heaters, such as energy efficiency, water-on-demand ability, longer life expectancy, etc. However, as a regular homeowner, you may not have the same information about this device. So you may not know whether or not the tankless water heater is beneficial and why you should buy one. That’s why we’re writing this article to keep you informed.

How the tankless water heaters work

These water heaters directly heat water without using a storage tank. When a user turns the hot water tap, cold water moves into the unit through a pipe, and the electric element or gas burner in the unit heats the water passing through it consistently. So it can provide hot water constantly without waiting for enough hot water to fill a storage tank. However, the output limit of the tankless water heater may limit the flow rate.

Tankless water heaters typically provide up to 7.6 – 15.2 liters (2-5 gallons) of hot water per minute. The gas-powered tankless water heaters have a higher flow rate than the electrically-powered ones. However, sometimes, even the most significant gas-fired models may not supply enough hot water for multiple households to use simultaneously. For instance, running the dishwasher and taking a shower simultaneously may stretch the device to its limit.

So if your home uses lots of hot water, you should consider installing more than one tankless water heater to cater to your burning water needs.

Benefits of tankless water heaters

• Energy efficiency

The cost is the bottom line for many people, and tankless water heaters help reduce monthly electric bills because of their energy efficiency. You can quickly determine the amount of hot water your household needs daily and educate everyone about the energy efficiency of this device.

If you have a small family or use less than 41 gallons daily, these water heaters provide more efficiency by 24% and 34%. So it helps to save hundreds of dollars per year.

• Extended life

The traditional storage water heater can last up to a decade – which is a very long time. However, the average tankless heaters have twice their life expectancy, so they can last up to two decades – which is a very, very long time. If you’re a homeowner staying put in your house for a long time, then you’ll value the importance of this life expectancy more than those planning to move on to another home.

• Space-saving

Another aspect of tankless water heaters is that they’re space-saving, which is an extra selling point for many people. Storage water heaters have an average size of 60 x 24 inches and have its closet where it resides. However, a tankless water heater averages the size of some shoe boxes. This gives homeowners more space to store other things instead of storing hot water that they may not need in another 5-6 hours. This feature is a pretty interesting one for homeowners looking to maximize the space in their homes.

• No waiting for hot water

These heaters are called instantaneous water heaters, too, because they provide hot water instantly. Unlike the storage heaters that take a while to heat the water in the storage tank, tankless water heaters heat the water as it passes through it and provide hot water immediately. This device will continue to heat water passing through it constantly and instantaneously as long as you leave the tap running. So they’re not only energy and space-efficient, but they’re also time-efficient.

• Safer

A big concern for many families, especially those with young kids, is the safety of the device they’re buying. However, tankless water heaters are very safe, so they don’t have to worry about anything.

The traditional storage water heater may overheat, and in a few instances, may explode. However, tankless water heaters hold little to no water in them, which reduces the threat of explosion or overheating.

Also, if you use a storage heater and have experienced a water heater leak, you know how much damage you can get from a storage heater. However, leaking is unlikely in tankless units because of the minimal amount of water in them. And if the leaking happens, it’s unlikely to cause any significant damage.

Conclusion

Tankless water heaters have many benefits over the traditional storage heater, which makes them considerably better. If you’re considering a water heater, you should think twice before settling for the tankless option.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

The drainage system in residential areas is essential as it helps to remove excess water. A sound drainage system takes water away from the driveways, roofs, and walkways to prevent flooding. It also helps prevent structural damage of buildings due to water buildup and prevents mold, mildew, and rotting.

Ensuring that water runoff is properly corralled and dispersed is crucial because water is needed for many things, such as watering the vegetation. However, you don’t want to drown them either. That’s why this excess water needs to be channeled appropriately.

Additionally, the collected water can also replenish the fresh water supply in the environment. Water becomes contaminated by sitting on a surface for too long, but you can prevent this by passing and dispersing the water through a correctly set drainage system.

Types of Drainage System

There are different types or classes of drainage systems. You must be able to comprehend each one correctly, understand the role of each one and how they can be combined to work together.

There are four basic types of drainage systems are:

• Surface drainage system
• Subsurface drainage system
• Slope drainage system
• Downspouts and gutter drainage system

In this article, we’ll be explaining the four basic types briefly to give you more understanding.

Surface Drainage System

The surface drainage system helps to remove excess water from the earth’s surface through ditches and channels. In many cases, the land surface is graded or shaped such that it creates a downward slope towards the channel. This drainage system consists of shallow ditches dug parallel to each other and act as canals or passageways for water running off on the ground surface. These ditches primarily guide the water to the main drain to avoid flooding or water pooling.

There are also different types of surface drainage systems:

• Humps and hollows
• Grassed waterways
• Levees
• Open drains

An excellent example of what a surface drainage system looks like is a cast-in-place trench drain.

Subsurface Drainage System

A subsurface drainage system is implemented under the top layer of the soil, hence the name subsurface. It is also sometimes called the French drain. This drainage system works at the root level to take off excess water. To create the subsurface drainage system, you have to dig ditches first, then install the pipes to drain the water at the subsurface level. It also involves the installation of a large collector drain that collects the water as it flows out of the pipe.

There are different subsurface solution options, so you need to be careful about the one you’re choosing. Your choice has to be based on the location of the drain and other things you would need.

Slope Drainage System

The slope drainage system is built to allow water to flow in a downward slope direction from a structure. This system is built using pipes that are set in the direction of the downward slope. The pipe is installed in a way that is anchored towards an incline to guide the water down the pipe and take it away from the building.

Downspouts and Gutter Systems

The downspout and gutter system is the first defense of a structure or building against the over-saturation from stormwater. This water is often drained into a buried drain pipe, a rain barrel, an aluminum extension, or other available solutions. This is done to carry the water away and route it to another drainage system on the sidewalk or the street. They may also be connected to a sewer line underground, sometimes using underground drains or gutter drains.

The downspout system typically takes water from the gutter and diverts it to the ground. It is mainly connected to the gutter system for buildings, takes water from the roof of the building to the ground, and empties the water into a slope to prevent it from pooling at the downspout base.

Drainage systems play an essential role in preserving and conserving water in ways that many people rarely understand or talk about. To perfectly understand the different drainage systems and their usage, you may need to look at them individually. However, you may also find that multiple types of drainage systems also work together to remove water and guide it into a more appropriate place. Therefore, seeing how they combine may aid your understanding of the individual drainage system.

Water must be moved from a structure or building or from an area that has become water-logged or formed a pool. The earlier this water is moved, the better for everyone that is involved.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

A pipe busts and all the sudden your floor is flooded. Now you need to get this fixed and fast!

Finding reputable, trustworthy help can be difficult, doubly so when it needs to happen quick, we get that. Who can you trust to come into your home and get the job done right at the right cost?

How to Find a Plumber You Can Trust

If it helps you can break down plumbers into two groups: a plumber who handles basic repairs and a plumber who specializes in full on remodeling, construction, and addition projects. We’re just going to look at the everyday plumber for now, as this is the help you’re most likely going to need.

The Everyday Plumber

For just about everything you might need under the sun – the everyday plumber is the guy for you. They handle drips, drains, clogs, leaks, new appliance installs, and anything else you can imagine.

If you can, hire a plumber for a smaller nonemergency job before disaster strikes so you can A) get a good feel for them and B) have ‘a guy’ ready to help when emergencies crop up.

To find and select a plumber, look for proof of license, as just about every state requires plumbers to be licensed to perform the work. These will have a number that you can call to verify that yes the license is real and current and there aren’t any ongoing complaints against the license holder. Look for them to be insured as well.

Often the best way to find a plumber, and any other sort of service, is to look for reviews and ask around. Friends and family can give you their recommendations, neighbors can also point you in the direction of someone who definitely works in your nieghborhood. A surprising resource is real estate agents! Real estate agents have to have plumbers on speed dial to get issues fixed before a sale goes through, so any real estate agent in your life might be a serious resource in this pursuit.

Are you in the Tucson area and searching for your ‘Guys’? Economy Plumbing Service is here.

We have a 4.8 Star rating on Google from over 50 Tucson locals, and we’ve been proudly serving the Tucson area for years. Here’s just one recent review from customer G. K. !

“The guys showed up on time, looked at a tough job and got busy! My old water heater was really hard to get to but they got the whole job done, heater replaced and out the door in just about 3 hours. The price for the work was very fair. I will definitely use this service again when I need a plumber. Top marks”

No matter the job, big or small, we’re here to help!

If Water Runs Through it Or To It, We Do It!

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Water heater installations seem like a big job at first glance, after all that water heater is a pretty big appliance and it’s connected to just about every other water fixture and appliance in your home. This time on the Economy Plumbing Services blog we’re going to run through what it takes for water heater installation and what you can expect from your plumber doing the job!

The 4 Steps of Water Heater Installation

The Call

The first step is the initial call, when the customer gives the plumber a ring and the process begins. This will lead to a consultation which might happen in person or just over the phone depending. During the consult your plumber will consider the placement of your unit, the available space, budget, and your household’s water use.

The more info you can provide your plumber the better, including:

• Size of current water heater 
• Where it’s located 
• If the heater is gas or electric
• If it’s a tank or tankless unit

The call will end with an appointment being scheduled. With this info in hand your plumber can adequately plan and prep the installation.

The Prep

While the plumbers are finishing their preparation there are a few things you can do to prepare for the appointment yourself! First, ask your plumber if they’d like to have photos of the area. If so,  take photos of the area where the new water heater is going to be installed. A visual reference point like these photos can help make sure the installation goes smoothly. Make sure you capture:

• Electrical outlets
• Vents
• Connections
• Surrounding area

With the photos squared away you can then move on to the next and maybe most important bit – cleaning up the area where the water heater installation is taking place.

Make sure to remove any clutter or debris from the area (you should keep your water heater and surrounding area clear in general). Make sure there’s a clear path from the entrance to the work area so your plumber can safely and easily bring the water heater into your home.

The Appointment

Here is what you can expect the day of your appointment. Your plumber will call you when they are on the way, giving you a heads up that the process is about to start. When the plumber arrives they’ll confirm that everything discussed in the call and prep stage are accurate. Then they’ll get to work!

The actual installation process should only take a few hours, but there is the is always the potential for some unknown factor that couldn’t have been accounted for cropping up. Also, depending on what sort of water heater installation this job is (tank water heater to tank water heater, tank to tankless, or tankless to tankless) the time will vary.

TANK TO TANK

Replacing a water heater with a similar model can be done in a couple of hours, typically. The tank is first drained, taking up to an hour, then disconnected and removed. Getting the new unit in place might take a half hour or so then another hour to secure all the connections, make sure it works and – of course-  it is up to code.

TANK TO TANKLESS 

If you’re changing over from a water heater with a tank to a tankless option, it takes a bit longer as new lines for power and water as well as air vents are typically required before the unit can be mounted and connected.

TANKLESS TO TANKLESS 

This is an easy swap  as, like tank-to-tank, the connections and proper lines should all be there ready to go!

The Wrap Up

After the water heater installation is complete it’s time for the old unit to be removed. Your plumber will take care of all that and you just have to worry about enjoy your next hot shower!

Ready to get your new water heater installed? Look no further! 

If Water Runs Through it Or To It, We Do It!

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Here’s the thing, in the night in Tucson we can still dip below freezing temps, so having some idea what your pipes need for the season is a good one! Plus, not all of our audience is local to the area, or if you’re snowbird prepping your home in the midwest for the trip down to Tucson this winter – this blog’s for you! This time on the Economy Plumbing Services blog we’re talking winter plumbing prep! Here are a few steps to take to keep your plumbing and pipes working come the spring!

Insulate, Insulate, Insulate!

Insulate Pipes

The number one thing you can do to keep your pipes safe during the cold months? Insulate them! If you have any plumbing that runs through an unheated area like an attic, garage, or crawl space. 

Insulate The Garage Door

While you’re in the garage take note. How many water lines do you have running through there? If there’s a few, insulating the garage door (if not the entire garage) might be the way to go to keep things warmer and prevent freezing over.

Turn Off Outdoor Faucets

Chances are you’re not going to be out using your faucets during the winter so shut them off using their shutoff valves. Drain any water out of the pipe, otherwise the water stuck inside could still freeze over and crack the pipe.

Disconnect and Store Hoses/Bibs

While we’re at it with the outside faucets, take a look at the hoses you have. Any hose with water left filling it up is just asking for a frozen and broken pipe. Disconnect the hose, empty it out and store it for the winter. Then cover the hose bibs with an insulated cover (these are cheap too, just a couple of dollars at most places).

Seal Around Rim Joists

Arizona readers skip ahead, chances are you don’t have any rim joists to worry about. Rim joists are the most common spots for cold air to push through into your home or walls. Seal these cracks or holes using a simple expandable foam, then insulate between the floor joists. Just make sure you don’t insulate the pipe from the heat that’s in the home, that can cause more problems than you’d like! Look around the for holes where pipes, wires, or cables pass through the exterior wall and insulate where able either with expandable foam or caulk.

Heading South For the Winter? Shut off the Water!

Heading to visit family in the Grand Canyon State? Make sure if you’re leaving town for even just a few days, to turn off the water at the main shutoff. This way, if disaster does strike and your pipes freeze and crack they’ll do way less damage. 

Prep Against A Snap

No, we’re not talking about Thanos here! We’re talking about cold snaps. These depend on location for sure, as a quick dip below 32 degrees isn’t much of a concern in Maine, but in Arizona? Yeah might be something to look at!

Come spring your pipes will thank you for all your help, and if something did break down, well you know who to call!

If Water Runs Through it Or To It, We Do It!

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

So you need a new garbage disposal. You call out a local plumber, they take a look, and luckily they have the unit you need on the truck! He comes back inside and after about 20 minutes under the sink and they’re out the door.

“Excellent, that’ll be $400 for the repair/replacement.”

“How much does a plumber cost? $400 for 20 minutes?!” you think.

There’s more to it than you realize! This time on the Economy Plumbing Service blog we’re going to look at answering that question and why an experienced, skilled plumber is worth every red cent!

How Much Does a Plumber Cost

Without diving into specific dollar amounts, when you hire a plumber to do a replacement, repair or fix on your home’s plumbing you’re paying for a few things:

• The parts
• The labor
• The experience of the plumber

All three of those are necessary! You can pay for the part, but then who is doing the necessary repairs? Ok, what if you hire a plumber, or somebody off craiglist who has the parts and the time? Sure it’ll come in cheaper but there’s no guarantee the job will be done right. You might end up with a new disposal installed, with pipes and hoses mismatched or the job incomplete, just begging for disaster.

No, the key to all of this is that when you’re hiring a plumber you’re getting all three of those things for one price tag. 

Plumbing, like gas or electric, is a utility for your home that you absolutely don’t want to mess up. An incorrectly installed pipe or fixture can lead to flooding and thousands of dollars worth of damages, and potentially harm to the inhabitants of the home.

So, how much does a plumber cost? Not even half of what they are worth.

If you look at it as a purely numbers game, the money that having a plumbing repair done correctly can save you in the long run as compared to an amateur or DIY job is clear. 

Ready to hire an experienced plumber who can get the job done, get the job done quick, and get the job done right?

If Water Goes Through It Or To It, We Do It!

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Last time on the Economy Plumbing Service blog we talked about how to identify and hopefully repair a leaky garbage disposal. And that got us thinking! This time on the blog we’re going to give a rundown of all the plumbing fixtures in your home and some basic facts about them. If you’ve wondered how long your toilet is likely to last, or when to replace shower heads – this blog is for you!

Plumbing Fixture Lifespans and You 

First a quick definition, just like school used to teach us. A plumbing fixture is an exchangeable device which can be connected to a plumbing system to deliver and drain water. Thanks Wikipedia! Now on with the show.

Bathtubs

You know a bathtub is! These are in most homes, some even have two! They are made up of thermoformed acrylic, porcelain-enameled steel, fiberglass-reinforced polyester, or porcelain-enameled cast iron.

Expected Lifespan: Depends entirely on the material! Acrylic tubs are likely to get you 10-15 years of good use out of them.

Hose Bibb

The hose bibb is the fixture outside of the home that allows you to connect a hose to. 

Expected Lifespans: A hose bibb should last you 15 to 25 years easy – but there are certain complications that could decrease it. Heavy use, inclement weather or having a winter freeze can all cut years off them.

Sinks

Kitchen or otherwise. Sinks are also called washbowl, hand basin, wash basin, and simply basin. Used for washing hands, doing dishes and other purposes. They have taps that supply cold and hot water, may include additional faucet attachments as well. Sinks can be made out of all sorts of materials including: Ceramic, Concrete, Copper, Enamel over steel or cast iron, Glass,  Granite, Marble, Nickel, Plastic, Polyester, Porcelain, Resin,  washbasin, Soapstone, Stainless steel, Stone, Terrazzo, Wood.

Expected Lifespan: Again, this is largely dependent on the type of material used in making the sink. If it’s made from an acrylic, expect it to give you a good 50 years of use. Copper, glass, stone, or porcelain might last a bit longer than 20 years. 

Showers

Showers feature a few common components. A drain in the floor, a showerhead and/or adjustable nozzle. Showers are most commonly made using the same materials as bathtubs (many in fact combine the two) such as fiberglass, acrylic, PVC, solid surface materials, steel and cast iron.

Expected Lifespan:  Showers made of tile can last a good 20 years but they’ll need regular (yearly) maintenance. Showers made of prefabricated acrylic or fiberglass can stil get you plenty of life at about a decade with less upkeep. 

Pipes

The means by which water gets from the supplies to the fixtures and from the fixtures to the sewer and drain lines. We’ve talked a ton about pipes in the past. In fact, we’ll just include a link to those pieces here and here. Pipes can be made out of a few different materials including copper, PVC, pex, and others.

Expected Lifespan: Copper pipes can last up to 70 years, galvanized steel pipes even longer! Pex tubing and piping in your home has a life expectancy of about 50 years – thankfully they’re incredibly easy to replace!

Those lifespans might seem like so long you have nothing to worry about but just think when your home was built, and when those pipes were install… right?

Tapware  

Tapware is an industry term for plumbing fixtures consisting of faucets or tap valves (or taps for Brits!) and their accessories, such as water spouts and shower heads. Tapware can be made of all sorts  Plastic, Zinc and zinc alloys, stainless steel, brass are common options.

Expected Lifespan: Tapware is handled constantly and because of this heavy usage it is more likely to need repair or replacement before it’s run its natural lifespan (based on materials), otherwise you can expect a good 10 years.

Flush Toilets

We really don’t need to describe these do we? Toilets are likely to be made up of ceramic, concrete, and plastic.

Expected Lifespan: The toilet can last 50 years easy – but that’s not without upkeep! You’ll need to replace flappers, seals, and other components that have a shorter lifespan than the solid construction of the toilet itself.

This has been just a brief rundown on some of the more common plumbing fixtures (there are plenty more!) and their expected lifespans. With proper maintenance and upkeep you can get many years out of most fixtures – so make sure you stay on top of it!

Not sure if your fixtures need some TLC? Call in a local experienced plumber to get your sorted out! 

If Water Goes Through It Or To It, We Do It!

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Garbage disposals are one of those work horse plumbing fixtures in the home. We put them through absolute hell and back – after all, it’s a motor with a shredder attached to it it’s meant to handle it! But what happens when you see a puddle of water flowing from under your sink, bust open the cabinets and discover water dripping from the bottom of your garbage disposal?

Let’s talk about it!

Leaky Garbage Disposal

Leaking garbage disposals can often go unnoticed and unattended until you have that sopping wet cabinet or a foul smell from under the sink gets you to take a look. Regardless, you’ve spotted it, so now what? There’s a couple possibilities, depending on where the leak is so first things first, you need to discover where the leak is actually coming from!

How to Find the Leak

First unplug the disposal from the wall outlet. Now is not the time to get yourself electrocuted! Turn off the power from the break box as well to further make things safe. Then, put the stopper in your sink drain and dry off the disposal unit.  Then fill a cup or bowl with some water and put some handy food coloring into it. Then, pour the freshly colored water into the stopped drain.

Grab a flashlight and take a look under the sink! There are three likely spots for a leaky garbage disposal: the top, the side, or the bottom. Ok that’s sounds a bit simple but it’s the truth those are going to be the three likely weak points.

The Top

This is where the disposal meets the sink drain.

The Side

This is where the main drain pipe or dishwasher hose connect to the disposal.

The Bottom

The bottom of the unit. There should be know pipes or connections here, which makes potential leaks  that much worse.

Use a flashlight and look for any colored water. Leaks in the top of the disposal, where it connects to the drain are possible while the drain is still stopped. If you’re not seeing any from the top of the disposal then continue your way down and open up the stopper. Look again. Leaks coming from the side or bottom of the disposal might need more water to be going down the drain.

How to Fix the Leaky Disposal

TOP LEAKS

If the leak is at the top of the garbage disposal, its simple! Reseal the connection, tighten the flange and you’re in business. The Flange is the metal portion that sits inside the sink drain. It is usually sealed with a type of plumber putty and secured with bolts. If either of those connections loosen or the putty deteriorates (which is totally possible over time) the seal won’t be watertight anymore and allows for leaks.

To reseal this connection you need to first loosen up the bolts securing the disposal to the sink and drain pipes. Then loosen the screws in the mounting ring that connects the disposal to the mounting assembly beneath the sink. With it loosened up you should be able to remove the disposal entirely, set it down on a dry surface. 

Then lift the flange from the top of the sink. Take a putty knife and scrape off the old putty that has broken down and clear it away. With a fresh working surface you can reapply a new layer of putty that should do the trick. Take a handful of the putty, roll it into a rope and place it along the edge of the flange. Place the flange back into the drain until it’s tight. Go back and reinstall all the mounting hardware and pipes and after some time the putty should dry and seal everything right up – leak be-gone!

SIDE LEAKS

If the leak is coming from the side of the disposal, you want to tighten the connections between the disposal and the drain lines, and potentially replace worn out gaskets.

There’s typically two drain lines that come of the side of garbage disposal. One that goes to a nearby dishwasher (the dishwasher hose) and th main drain pipe that connects the disposal to the sewer. Which of these two places is the leak coming from?

If it’s coming from the connection where the dishwasher hose meets the disposal, it may mean the clamp connecting them has loosened. Use a screwdriver to tighten and you should be in business.

If the leak is coming from the main drain pipe, loosen the screws that secure the drain and take a look at the rubber gasket inside the pipe. If it needs replacement, replace it and retighten your screws.

BOTTOM LEAKS

Bad news, if the leak is coming from the bottom of the disposal (such as from the reset button), you are going to need to replace the whole disposal. These leaks indicate that one of the seals inside the disposal that protects the motor from water has deteriorated enough that water is now getting through and damaging the inner components. There’s no easy fix here, you just need a new unit!

Do you need a new garbage disposal? Need a professional to come out and diagnose the leaks! Economy Plumbing Service is here to help! Give us a call today and we’ll be out in no time to get you and your disposal back in action!

If Water Goes Through It Or To It, We Do It!

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Here on the Economy Plumbing Services blog we take a look at and talk about a lot about how hot water heaters can break, why they may be leaking, that sort of thing. But you know what we’ve never done? We’ve never explained how hot water heaters work. So if you’re curious how that big cylinder in your garage takes cold water and produces that relaxing, piping hot water we need!

Just about every home out there has a water heater, though they may take different shapes depending. For the part they all work the same way, at least broadly speaking. And that’s how we’re going to be talking abut it today, to keep it easily understandable. First step? Looking at the parts inside the water heater!

Parts of a Water Heater

• The Tank 

Inside that big cylinder is a heavy tank with a water protective liner. This holds between 40 to 60 gallons, usually. It keeps the water under 50-100 psi. The outside of the tank is covered in insulating materials to keep the heat in. Then there’s the outer shell of the heater.

• The Dip Tube

The dip tube is the pipe that lets fresh water enter the water heater through the top of the tank. 

• The Shut-Off Valve

The shut-off valve shuts off (no duh, right?) the water flowing into the heater. The shut-off valve is outside of the tank, usually above / along the line that feeds the water into the tank.

• The Heat-Out Pipe 

This is the pipe that hot water travels out from the heater towards your home’s plumbing system and on to whichever appliance needs it.

• The Thermostat 

The thermostat in a water heater works just like the one for your home. Whatever you set it to is the temperature your water heater is going to raise the water to. Some models of water heaters will have multiple thermostats.

• The Heating Element 

There are two ways water heaters heat water. It could be electric or gas. Electric water heaters use a heating element, a bit of metal that gets crazy hot as electricity flows through it. Gas heaters will use a burner, igniting the gas and creating a flame to warm the tank of water.

• The Drain and Pressure Relief Valves 

These two valves are responsible for the maintenance and safety of the water heater. The drain valve at the bottom of the heater allows for easy access to empty the tank, as well as replace heating elements, or flush the tank of sediment. The Pressure Relief valve helps keep the pressure at safe levels.

• The Sacrificial Anode Rod 

This unique piece of the puzzle is suspended in the tank to help slow corrosion. It’s made of a steel core covered in either aluminum or magnesium. Basically, the corrosion will attack this rod before it does anything else – hence ‘sacrificial’.

Alright with those listed out you might already be getting a clearer idea of how it all works, but let’s lay it out here!

How it Heats the Water

Before anything else, the water heater’s thermostat is going to be set between 120 – 140° Fahrenheit. This makes it hot enough for most household uses and not too hot so as to avoid scalding etc. If you hover around the lower side of the dial, you can also save yourself some energy so be open to moving the dial if you like! With the thermostat set it’s the tank is ready to do its job.

First, the dip tube will take cold water from your freshwater lines to the bottom of the tank. At the bottom of the tank the water is warmed up via the heating element or burner until the water reaches the set temperature.

Hot water rises, so as the water heats, it moves to the top of the tank, and reaches the heat-out pipe. When an appliance draws from the water heater it will pull the hottest water first from the heat-out pipe, while the fresh cold water sinks to the bottom of the tank. When the hot water is used up, the tank will fill with cold water which will somewhat heat but instead the appliances, shower or washers, will draw warm or even cold water.

Simple thermodynamics… or something. It’s the principles of plumbing and it all works out! 

So – how does your hot water heater work? Does it deliver the hot water you need to get a good shower, run a load of dishes, or laundry? If not, you know who to call!

If Water Runs Through it Or To It, We Do It!

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Earlier this summer we talked about some of the more common summer plumbing problems that folks are likely to experience – hopefully you’ve been able to avoid all those so far! The trouble with summers, especially here in Arizona, is the heat yes but there’s also another source of adversity – the Monsoon.

Monsoon Problems

HVAC people have all sorts of problems with monsoons, as you can imagine. The high wind and rain can do a number on the HVAC sitting up on top of the roof or along your house but that’s not the only thing to worry about. Your home’s storm drains are also going to take a beating during these storms.

Here are a number of problems you might have to handle after increased rainfall including:

• Flooding

Heavy rains cause water to accumulate more than usual in lower points and dips throughout your yard, pavement, patio, and driveway. While those places might have reasonable drainage built-in, the odds that they’re designed specifically to withstand the increased amount of water from monsoons is unlikely.  

And we know Tucson doesn’t have the best drainage in general– check an underpass after a bad storm and you’re likely to find a lake!

And so, flooding. Flooding outdoor might be a sign of a few different problems. It could be that your home doesn’t have the requisite drainage. It could be that the drains you do have are filled with debris and not performing like they should – a definite possibility.

When this kind of flooding occurs it can devastated the structural stability of your yard, patio, etc so if you haven’t experienced this kind of flooding do your best to prevent it from occurring in the first place!

• Clogged / Blocked Drains

We touched on this briefly in the last point, but it deserves it’s own because it this problem won’t always lead to flooding but it’s still a problem of its own. With the heavy monsoon rains come heavy wind and those can do a number on the bushes, trees, shrubs and other landscaping. Guess where those end up? Yep in the drains. These can create some pretty hefty clogs which will cause problems even after the storm clouds finish rolling out.

• Sewage Backing Up

Now here is the absolute least fun thing that could possibly occur –  a sewage backup.

Depending on where you are and the type of water system you’re city has set up, heavy rainfall can also cause some back ups in your drains in your home! When the municipal water system gets filled with excess water it can cause the drains, sinks, and yes toilets to back fill full of water.

Yikes!

Now, what happens when those clogs linger…

• Pipes Bursting

Turn on the faucet. Notice anything off about the water? Is it slightly colored? Is there a smell? Does it taste… off? Any of these are an indication that there is a cracked or broken pipe somewhere in your plumbing. When that rainwater floods and sits with nowhere to go, it puts more and more pressure on the pipes. If those pipes are older, or already damaged, well that’s a recipe for breakage! And just like that, the freshwater that goes into your house can be tainted.

Want to avoid these troubles? Get your drains looked at before the storms hit. While it might be too late for that this year, it doesn’t hurt to get a jump on it right after to check for damages and be ready for the next one!

If Water Runs Through it Or To It, We Do It!

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »