Protect your Plumbing: Outside Hose Bibbs and Taps

Can you 

shut-off your 

Outside Hose Bibb OR Tap 

from inside your house?

We just installed this replacement Hose Bibb this past week. 

 

 You water your lawn and garden from this convenient source of water.

What would happen if your Outside Hose Bibb or Tap suddenly doesn't work?

What if it can't stop the water anymore and you see water soaking into the ground beside your house?

If you were blessed with a conscientious plumber who installed the outside hose bibb / tap, then he would have advised you to have a shut-off valve on the inside of your house.  That way, if something goes awry with your outside hose bibb or tap, then it can be shut-off and isolated from the rest of your house's water distribution system (unless of course you decided against your plumber's advice)

If you were not blessed as above, then you must helplessly watch water pouring from the spout of the Outside Hose Bibb or Tap until it is repaired or most likely replaced.  The other option is to shut-off the water to the whole house until the plumber shows up to repair it (not something most people like to do).

Other reasons you might want an inside shut-off valve for your  Outside Hose Bibb or Tap:

1.  You can fully control the use of water.  If you are concerned that someone might turn on your Outside Hose Bibb without your knowledge, then having a plumber (maybe Journeyman Jay) install a water shut-off  valve inside your house would be of great benefit to you.

2.  You can control when maintenance or repair is done to your Outside Hose Bibb or Tap.  If you have no shut-off then you may be forced to call a plumber right away to solve a problem.  With a shut-off, you can isolate your Outside Hose Bibb from the rest of your water distribution system.

3.  Peace of mind.  A properly installed, high quality 1/4 turn shut-off valve can give you peace of mind when you are away from home.  You will know that the water is off while you are not watching.

So next time you have to replace your Outside Hose Bibb or Tap, get your plumber to ALSO install a shut-off valve inside your house.  They are there anyway.  There is no better time to do it.


Thank you,

Jay Bortnik
Journeyman Jay Plumbing
780-266-3939

City of Edmonton AGAINST Kitchen Garburator

We were in our local Rona store (We shop everywhere for parts - because nobody seems to be a one-stop shop) the other week and I picked up a a booklet from their customer service desk:

Edmonton's Green Home Guide

On page 38 it says,

"Try to avoid using a kitchen garburator, since it consumes energy and water every time you flip the switch.  Putting food waste down the sink increases the load on city sewage systems and treatment plants....."

www.edmonton.ca/greenbuilding

I couldn't agree more.

A couple of nights ago we were unclogging a kitchen sink drain that was attached to this kitchen garburator and sure enough it had a tangle of something that should go down the drain.

We are always told not to put too much toilet paper (which disintegrates in water) down the toilet (which is connected to a minimum 3 inch diameter pipe). However, everybody seems to think it is normal to throw garbage down the kitchen sink drain (which is usually only 1.5 inch diameter pipe). Sounds irrational to me. But then again I just made money unclogging a kitchen sink drain which had "garbage" in it. I know some of you will say that you have never had a problem, but one day someone is going to put something they shouldn't down the garburator.

So if you want to remove your kitchen garburator, we would be glad to re-pipe your drainage under your kitchen sink (for a fee, of course).


Thank you,


Jay Bortnik
Journeyman Jay Plumbing
Serving NORTH Edmonton
780-266-3939

Top 10 Reasons to get a Written Estimate from your Plumber

We all want to know how much something is going to cost us before we do it.

  This is the simple reason we offer
FREE Written Estimates (for non-permit plumbing work)
 in North Edmonton.

 The above picture is our basic Estimate form for "small plumbing jobs"(non-permit plumbing) such as replacing a sink, toilet, faucet, hose bibb, or repairing a leaky drain or pipe.

For more involved plumbing jobs (such as adding a new basement bathroom) where there are a multitude of tasks and materials, we use a more detailed form, and charge a fee (please phone us to inquire).

 Top 10 Reasons to get a Written Estimate from your Plumber

1. Know what plumbing tasks are to be done (to resolve your plumbing issue).
2. Know what plumbing parts/materials are going to be used (not all parts/materials are equal). 
3. Get some understanding of what is involved to do the job (repair, replacement, or installation).
4. Find tasks that you might be able to do yourself (to save money).  You might be able to dispose of that old sink yourself.  On a bigger job (basement bathroom) you might be so inclined to do the "jackhammering" to remove concrete for new plumbing drain lines.
5. If you are getting more than one estimate, it allows you to interview your plumber before he starts.
6. The written estimate protects you and the plumber from misunderstandings about how much it costs.
7. You will have written evidence of service, parts, and prices to be provided instead of mere verbal commitments about how long the job might take.
8. You are NOT hiring a plumber, you are engaging the services of plumbing business.  Only workers should make an hourly wage.  Workers show up and expect to be provided with most everything to do the job.  Businesses have overhead costs such as equipment, tools, vehicles, insurance, administration, etc.  If the job involves trouble shooting a mysterious leak, the plumbing business should have a diagnostic charge (that they have been able to make work on most jobs).  Once they have diagnosed the possible problem, then they should provide a more detailed estimate.
9. On bigger jobs, it allows you to compare estimates.
10. There are many ways to tackle a plumbing job.  Sometimes your plumber can do a simple repair that will hold you over until you can completely replace the part or fixture.  Other times it is necessary to replace it right away.  A written estimate may better allow you to see what fits for you right now.

Thanks for reading,

Jay Bortnik
Journeyman Jay Plumbing
780-266-3939
www.JourneymanJay.com

Lurking Leaks

Your enameled steel sink may look fine on the surface, 

but what's lurking underneath?

We were here to repair a piece of leaky and corroded copper drainage pipe (old school).

Here is what the top of the bathroom sink looks like when we pulled out the old drain to "reseal" it.  It was leaking too.

So we tried to re-install the pop-up drain, but the drain hole in the bottom of the sink had rusted out.

This is not the first time we have seen this.

But in this case, we had to replace the sink for sure.

There have been instances where our client insists that we put the drain back in the same sink if it isn't totally rusted out (we don't recommend it as it is just going to leak again very soon anyway).

This is why porcelain sinks are now being used more frequently.
And that is exactly what we replaced it with.


Thanks for reading,

Jay Bortnik
Journeyman Jay Plumbing
FREE Written Estimates in North Edmonton
780-266-3939

Plumbing Code Service Call

Today, we went out to repair a "leaky drain" on a kitchen sink.
A quick repair .... right?

And here is what we found.

 What is wrong (according to the Canadian Plumbing Code) with PHOTO #1?
(aside from the attempts by silicone to repair the right drain)
1.   The Dishwasher (white hose between drains) connection to the drain is not protected by a p-trap.
2.    There are 2 separate traps for one sink without a vent between (actually you only need one p-trap).
3.   The "collective trap(s) arm drops more than its pipe diameter which means that we could lose trap seal.  Trap seal is essential to keep sewer gases (that could kill you and your family) out of your home.
4.  The second drain is on the branch of a "Wye" and it is "back grading" which means water and waste must go "uphill" before it goes down hill.

 So we informed that customer that their leaky drain was NOT meeting Plumbing Code.  We stripped the whole drain piping under the sink and replaced the Kitchen basket strainer drain on the right (which originally had all of the silicone on it).

Drain piping is installed using industry standards (a continuous waste is utilized so that we can protect the 2 sinks and dishwasher with one p-trap).


This situation shows you that:

1.  You need to check your plumber's credentials (Is he/she an Alberta Certified Journeyman Plumber?  Get them to show you their Alberta Journeyman Plumber wallet card).

2.  Try to check your plumber out.  Not every Journeyman Plumber follows good plumbing practices.  Google your plumber's name.  Google the plumbing company he is working for.  See what kind of reviews they have been getting.  Check his resume if he is contracting on his own.  He would have to have been employed as an apprentice by someone.

3.  Don't try to force your plumber to break the rules.  This could have been the case here.  The fittings were neatly put together, but they were neatly put together wrong.  Maybe the builder for which he was working wanted "more cupboard space" under the sink?  Who knows what the motivations were.  The end result is that the original installation was wrong according to the plumbing code which means that it was unsafe for the occupants.  As well, performance of the drainage system was impeded (back grading drains).

4.  A Plumbing Inspector would not have checked this because changing a fixture doesn't require a permit.  Imagine if you hired the plumber, who did the work in picture #1, to do something that required a permit (any new piping in the walls or floor for new fixtures).  Then imagine that you "convinced" him not to apply for a permit.  So he does his work.  It looks neat.  It gets covered.  But he "back graded" some of his pipe and he did not vent the drainage properly.  Now you are wondering why your drain is always "slow" or "clogged".  And you are wondering what that smell is?


 Just something to think about next time you call a plumber.


Thank you for reading,

Jay Bortnik
Journeyman Jay Plumbing
Providing Free Written Estimates in North Edmonton
780-266-3939

Journeyman Jay Plumbing PHOTOS

We have just added a separate page for select photos (when my photographer/wife is out on call with me).

http://www.journeymanjay.com/p/photos.html


Thank you,

Jay Bortnik
Journeyman Jay Plumbing
FREE Written Estimates in NORTH Edmonton
780-266-3939