Just the Facts, Ma'am - on Water Leaks

The single most important fact on water leaks may simply be that a significant amount valuable water is wasted every year without ever being used - often for reasons that are easily remedied. It's a crime. Or, as Jon Miller would say, "Call the cops. We've been robbed!"


According to the U.S. Environmental Protections Agency:

• Leaks can account for, on average, 10,000 gallons of water wasted in the home every year, which is enough to fill a backyard swimming pool.
• The amount of water leaked from U.S. homes could exceed more than 1 trillion gallons per year. That's equivalent to the annual water use of Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami combined.
• Ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day.
• Common types of leaks found in the home include leaking toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and other leaking valves. All are easily correctable.
• Fixing easily corrected household water leaks can save homeowners more than 10 percent on their water bills.
• Keep your home leak-free by repairing dripping faucets, toilet valves, and showerheads. In most cases, fixture replacement parts don't require a major investment and can be installed by do-it-yourselfers.
• The vast majority of leaks can be eliminated after retrofitting a household with new WaterSense labeled fixtures and other high-efficiency appliances.

Perhaps the simplest fix - and one that will make a big impact - is replacing a leaking toilet flapper.

• If your toilet is running constantly, you could be wasting 200 gallons of water or more every day.
• If your toilet is leaking, the cause is most often an old, faulty toilet flapper. Over time, this inexpensive rubber part decays, or minerals build up on it. It's usually best to replace the whole rubber flapper—a relatively easy, inexpensive do-it-yourself project that pays for itself in no time.
• If you do need to replace the entire toilet, look for a WaterSense labeled model. If a family of four replaces its older, inefficient toilets with new WaterSense labeled ones, it could save more than 16,000 gallons per year. Retrofitting the house could save the family approximately $2,000 in water and wastewater bills over the lifetime of the toilets.

Find more tips - and facts - on the U.S. EPA WaterSense web site.

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Cameras help to pinpoint sewer line problems - big time

Yes we can peer into out-of-the-way places deep in the recesses of your sewer pipes!

At Boden Plumbing we use cameras to inspect and even videotape sewer lines. They're a real lifesaver - or at least a time and money saver, not to mention a true headache preventer, when it comes to pinpointing problems and coming up with the most effective repair strategies.

It used to be that if your plumbing was clogged, you would call your plumber and he (or she!) would come and snake the line. If all was right with the World, it would be a simple clog and rootering the line would clear it. If, however, the cable came back with pieces of root on it, things were not so hunky-dory.

If there are roots in sewer pipes, it means the pipe is cracked or broken somewhere along the line. A plumber can use the snake or other tools to clear away as many of the roots as possible, but once a pipe is compromised roots will continue to find their way in. Forever. Snaking out the line will be a periodic requirement.

And decisions about how best to repair or manage the damage are difficult - BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SEE WHAT THE HECK THE PROBLEM IS.

But that was then, this is now.

Our cameras function very similar to a snake. On the tip there is a small infrared camera that transmits a video feed of the interior of the pipe. We can save the feed to a video cassette or simply use the camera to inspect on the day. The camera equipment also indicates distances which means if we do see a break we'll know where along the line it occurs. No digging up the whole darned yard to repair one short length of pipe. So, yeah, these cameras are a life saver.

We like them because they take the educated guess work out of our equation. We've repaired and replaced a lot of sewer pipes and we're good at deciding how best to proceed, but we like to know we're taking the most efficient and cost-effective route to a solution. Plus, you can watch the video with us live. You see what we see. It makes our job of explaining options that much easier.

So good stuff. Keep in mind that because we can save the inspection to a tape, the camera is also a great tool for documenting the condition of sewer pipes when you're buying or selling a house.

If you have any questions, just give us a call. We're here to help.

Prolong the life of your water heater with simple maintenance

Sediment builds up over time in water heater tanks. It just does. If it builds up too much it can make your water heater less efficient and, if left too long, it does decrease its life span. So it's wise to get rid of the sediment by periodically draining your water heater and flushing the sediment out of the tank.

The good news is this maintenance job is something you can do yourself. Once a year will maximize a water heater's lifespan and keep it operating at its best. All you need is a garden hose to attach to the tank to drain the water away. Then just follow these simple steps:

1. Shut off the heating element for the tank. If you have an electric water heater, turn off the breaker at the main panel. If it's a gas heater, turn the thermostat to the "pilot" setting.
2. Turn off the water supply to your tank. Most likely there is a shut-off right at the tank (on a copper pipe running into the top of the tank), but you may need to turn off the main water supply to your house.
3. Attach a garden hose to the bottom drain valve on your water tank and run the hose to a drain or out a door.
4. Turn on a hot water faucet in your home to ensure a vacuum doesn't form in the lines.
5. Return to the tank and open the drain valve near the bottom of the tank. (**The valve on the side of the tank, near the top, is a pressure relief valve. Leave it alone.)
6. Check the color of the water coming out of the tank. At first it will likely be rusty or dark - that's the sediment you want flushed from the tank. After a few gallons have drained, the water should begin to run clear.
7. Once the water runs clear, close the drain valve on the tank then turn off the hot water tap in your home. (Really, remember to shut that hot water tap off or you'll be refilling the water heater for a long long time.)
   
8. Turn the cold water supply back on to the tank and allow it to fill.
9. Turn the power or the gas supply back on to the water heater once the tank has filled with water.

If you do decide to drain your own water heater, remember the water is definitely hot enough to scald you. Be careful, watch your eyes, and wear gloves for protection.

Also, it's a good idea to read the manufacturer's instructions and warnings on your tank before you begin. Water tanks vary, and on some it's possible for the heating element to burn out if there is no water in the tank.

So pretty simple. Of course if it does seem a bit intimidating - or you just don't have the time - it is something Boden Plumbing can take care of for you. Just give us a call.

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Eat Your Spinach and Call the Plumber

Just so you know: Boden Plumbing's truck arrives stocked with parts (and gloves) and our plumbers are not Wimpy!

Popeye the Sailor - Plumbing is a 'Pipe'