Monday, September 28, 2015

How Drain Cleaning Leads to Lower Household Bills

Most Edmonton residents, like the majority in the modern developed world, don't give much thought to drains. Drainage is seen as something that goes on 'out there' and, once the waste water and debris have gurgled down the plughole, it's considered to be 'gone' with no further issues. This is, however, often far from the truth.

Friday, September 25, 2015

Annual Central Heating Service—What to Expect

An annual boiler service is an important part of central heating system maintenance. It is also a condition of many boiler warranties. Here is a guide to what you can expect from a service.

Step 1 – Visual inspection

Your plumber will start your central heating system service with a visual check to ensure that your boiler and its associated pipework has been installed correctly.

Step 2 – Interior examination

Your plumber may remove the boiler casing to take a look at your boiler’s inner components. He will then check and possibly clean the inside of your boiler.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Staying on Top of A/C Maintenance

Canada, which is not as well known for its warm summers as much as it is for its long cold winters, still needs some air conditioning in warmer weather, especially areas like Edmonton that are close to the border. With this, it is important to make sure your air conditioning system is working at its optimal capacity at all times. Here are some excellent reasons to stay on top of your air conditioning repairs and maintenance:

An inefficient air conditioning system can lose as much as five per cent of its power per year. This means that you will use more power and more coolant, and your equipment will be forced to work harder to reduce the house to a comfortable temperature. Regularly servicing and maintaining your air conditioning system – about once a year is strongly recommended – can keep your device working properly and keeping you cool for many years with little or no loss of efficacy.

Monday, September 21, 2015

Bring Your Plumbing Up-to-Date with Best Practices

A famous quote from L.P Hartley's book, 'The Go-Between,' states, "The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there." This could be a true reflection of the plumbing installed in your home, especially if you've an older house with a plumbing system installed before today’s best plumbing practices became the norm. Take, for example, the pipework running under your floorboards; that could be a significant bad practice, unbeknownst to you, weakening the structure of your house.

With central heating systems in the 1970s, plumbers often put pipes under the floorboards and used a technique called 'notching' (i.e. cutting a groove in the joists) to allow pipes to run across them. If done with care, the joists shouldn't have been weakened but this often wasn't the case, leading to weaker joists.

Friday, September 18, 2015

Stony Plain Plumbing Maintenance Benefits

While Stony Plain is indeed a picturesque region within Alberta, we are all well aware that the temperatures can be inclement from time to time. With the mercury dipping as low as -14ºC during the winter, it only makes sense that regular plumbing maintenance services can help to avoid major problems when these problems are least needed. Why is this type of upkeep so critical within any home or business?

Monetary Concerns

Let us imagine for a moment that a sink or shower has not been draining properly due to calcification over time. As opposed to a simple cleaning utilising a "pipe snake", putting such a condition off can cause the flow of water to back up and the entire piping system may need to be replaced. This is only one instance when proactive maintenance can save a great deal of money and frustration.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Advice about Garbage Disposal Units from Plumbers

Garbage disposal units are a wonderful modern convenience in many Edmonton homes. However, when they get clogged and stop functioning, this can be a nuisance. Not only will you be faced with waste backing up into your sink, but you'll also have a rotting residue in the pipes below, which will need the plumber!

Since plumbers work with pipes all the time, they know the best practices when it comes to garbage disposal units. Firstly, they'll advise caution in what you put down in your garbage disposal unit. Stringy, fibrous waste foods must be avoided, such as onion peel, garlic ends, celery, lettuce and potato peel. The processor can't deal with these effectively and they may get tangled in the motor, or block the pipes further down. The same goes for very tough fruit peel, especially banana skins. Large amounts of grease and oil should never be put down the disposer, as well as pasta, rice and large meat bones.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Effective Ways of Saving Energy (and Money) when Using Hot Water Tanks


Along with heating and lighting, water heating is perhaps one of the biggest energy users in an average Canadian household, and it’s up to you to ensure that your home’s water heating system is energy-efficient. Though you may think that only tankless water heaters can do an effective job in being energy-efficient, hot water tanks can still help greatly in reducing your energy bills when used the right way. Instead of considering on building your own expensive solar water heater or switching to other types of systems, you can try sticking to hot water tanks, have them installed professionally, and keep these energy-saving ideas in mind.
http://capitalplumbing.ca/effective-ways-of-saving-energy-and-money-when-using-hot-water-tanks/

Monday, September 7, 2015

Plumbing Companies Share the Most Prevalent Myths about Drain Cleaning


There’s nothing worse than having to deal with overflowing water coming from clogged drains, which can then lead to water damage if not addressed as soon as possible. To avoid this from happening, proper maintenance of your plumbing, more importantly your drain, should be a priority. Some homeowners, however, decide to take it upon themselves whenever there’s trouble with their drains, often leading to their drains ending up in a worse state. Most of them even believe that their plumbing system needs little maintenance, a notion that would cause more problems in the long run. It’s time to take your plumbing systems more seriously and know the myths about drains and drain cleaning that have been debunked by trusted plumbing companies.
http://capitalplumbing.ca/plumbing-companies-share-the-most-prevalent-myths-about-drain-cleaning/

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Summer’s the Time for the Proper Maintenance of Your Home Furnace


Heating may be the farthest thing on your mind right now in the middle of summer, but it’s actually the best opportunity for Edmonton and Spruce Grove residents to have their furnaces worked on by HVAC professional firms like Capital Plumbing & Heating Ltd. Here are some of the things these specialists can do for you. Inspection A thorough inspection of your HVAC system is the first step that a professional would take to ensure that it’s working in top form. There are several places that the inspection would focus on. One spot of concern is the flue pipe which carries exhaust out. A leak there can result in carbon monoxide filling your home. Another aspect is the condition of your burner flames; when the flame is even and blue means that the burners are clean, and if they’re not, this usually means dirt or blockages.
http://capitalplumbing.ca/summers-the-time-for-the-proper-maintenance-of-your-home-furnace/

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Tips for Edmonton Homeowners in Need of New Central Air Conditioning


Edmonton homes are in for a hot time this summer. Thankfully, air conditioning is available for homeowners hoping to keep themselves cool. With the help of local HVAC contractors like Capital Plumbing & Heating Ltd., you can finally replace your old AC unit with a new, energy-efficient cooling system so you won’t have to suffer through the summer heat. However, you’ll need to be smart in selecting the air conditioner for your home. Here are a few factors to consider to ensure you make the right choice. Correct Size and Capacity One of the key concerns that can affect your purchase is the size and cooling capacity of the air conditioning unit. Air conditioners come in a variety of sizes and their cooling capacity is measured in BTUs (British Thermal Units) per hour and in tons.
http://capitalplumbing.ca/tips-for-edmonton-homeowners-in-need-of-new-central-air-conditioning/

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Plumbing Problems—What to Do and When to Call an Edmonton Plumbing Pro


With frequent use, your home’s plumbing system is bound to need the maintenance services of an Edmonton plumbing professional once in a while. Regular plumbing maintenance is something that needs to be done not only to keep your plumbing fixtures and pipes in good condition, but also for the early identification of potential problems. That being said, plumbing problems can still occur unexpectedly. Below are some of the plumbing emergencies you may face and what you can do about it. Burst Pipes When a pipe bursts, your top priority is to stop water from flowing out. Locate the main water valve to your home and shut it. Turning off the main valve will close the water supply to the pipes, and as a result, prevent flooding in your home. After performing damage control, call your dependable neighborhood plumber immediately to have the broken pipes replaced.
http://capitalplumbing.ca/plumbing-problems-what-to-do-and-when-to-call-an-edmonton-plumbing-pro/

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Tools of the Trade—Get to Know the Vital Tools in a Plumber’s Arsenal


When a dependable Edmonton and Spruce Grove plumber visits your home, it is highly unlikely that he will come unprepared and ill-equipped—that is, he’s sure to bring with him the important tools of his trade. Some of them you may already be very familiar with: wrenches, screwdrivers, tape measures, hammers, files, and the like; however, a plumber also has specific tools that you may not have even seen or heard about. Here are some examples: Snake No, this doesn’t refer to a certain kind of reptile. If a clog proves too stubborn, plumbers will use what’s called a plumbing snake. This looks like a cone-shaped coil of wire connected to a zigzag-shaped offset crank. To remove a clog, the plumber unrolls the snake and pushes it into the pipe until resistance is felt.
http://capitalplumbing.ca/tools-of-the-trade-get-to-know-the-vital-tools-in-a-plumbers-arsenal/