Feng Shui Your Leaks Away for a Prosperous New Year

You might think we're kidding, but we're not. All year long we talk about water conservation and the things you can do at your home or business to cut back on use -- because it's the right thing to do in water-dry California. Now we've decided to invoke a little feng shui magic to motivate and inspire for a dripless and prosperous new year.

In Feng Shui -- the Chinese art of placement -- water represents sustenance, wealth, and the flow of life. Here in the West, it's pretty easy to understand those associations.

So clean free-flowing water is a good thing (think fresh water and clear drains) but stagnant water and restricted flow, not so much. And water drip, drip, dripping from a leaking faucet or toilet? Well, consider the full implications of the expression "money down the drain".

It all makes sense - psychologically, energetically and literally.

Anywhere you have a drain, you want the outlets and lines to be clean and clear, with no obstructions. Anywhere you have a water inlet, you want faucets, shut-offs and other moving parts to be working smoothly, with no drips. (No restrictions on incoming sustenance -- and no waste!)

It's pretty simple, but you can take the whole feng shui wealth and water thing up a notch by paying attention to where in your house or office the inlets and outlets are located.

  

The top graphic shows what's called the 'ba gua' -- a graphical representation of the eight taoist principles of reality: wealth and opportunity; fame and recognition; relationship; creativity; helpful people and travel; career; knowledge; and family.

In the art of feng shui, the bagua can be 'laid over' -- or is superimposed on -- our physical environment. That's where the second graphic comes in.

Notice in the second graphic where the front door is indicated. If you're mapping out your house or office, orient the layout of your room or building so the entrance lines up with the lower edge of the bagua.

Next, look to see where your kitchen, bathroom or other inlets/outlets fall. In this diagram the kitchen is in the 'Fame and Recognition' area. According to feng shui, any problematic plumbing issues are going to negatively impact things relating to your reputation -- and because water is involved, those impacts may well be of the cha-ching variety. Say, people stop referring you for work, so new clients seem harder to come by...fewer clients means fewer jobs...You know, that kind of thing.

So what do you think about feng shui-ing your way into a more prosperous new year? Could be just the ticket!

Boden Plumbing Wishes Everyone a Wonderful Holiday

    To all our customers and neighbors in
--   Sonoma Valley, Napa and Petaluma --

As always, our wish for you is a safe and prosperous New Year free of plumbing woes and worries. Knock on wood, be happy, but call us if you need us!

-- a very Merry Holiday and wonderful New Year, with best wishes from Terry, Mary, Casey, Chris, Rudy, Andy, Randy, (and his other brother) Randy AND Bruiser

Toilet Seat Art Gives Second Life to Old Fixtures

photo credit: Julie Gomoll on flickr.
Barney Smith, toilet seat artist

It all started when retired plumber Barney Smith of San Antonia was looking for something on which to mount a set antlers. Naturally he settled on a toilet seat lid, (The shield-like shape is perfect really, you'd have to agree.) and the rest is kitschy folk art history.

Mr. Smith did not sell his art but instead amassed a collection of hundreds of uniquely decorated seats and lids. His garage served as studio and museum where he received over a thousand visitors a year.

These kind of stories always get us thinking differently about our pile of defunct fixtures out back that are destined for recylcing. (see: Steampunk-style Lamps From Plumbing Parts on this blog)

And, if Barney Smith's toilet seat art gets you feeling a bit less nostalgic about your old but familiar toilet -- like maybe you could change it out after all, send it on to a new life in Art, well we can facilitate that.

Remember, Sonoma County is offering rebates and the Sonoma County Direct Install Program is back.

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Read more about toilet seat art:
Incredible Toilet Seat Art on Environmental Graffitti
King of the Toilet Seat Arts - Gone
The Toilet Seat Art Museum
Barney Smith's Toilet Seat Art Museum

The Loneliest Outhouses in the World

photo credit: Nestor Lacie on flickr

When it comes to needing to go, we humans love our privacy. Just check out this amazing collection of photos of the 13 loneliest outhouses on earth that we found on Environmental Graffitti. Even though each one of them seems to be located in the absolute middle of nowhere with nary a soul in sight, someone has still gone to the effort to set them up -- and generally situated them to afford the best view to boot.

Is that how it is for you? Is your bathroom, however humble, your own little away place?

This time of year attention always seems to gravitate to hot water issues. When you wake up on a dark, chilly morning and the shower isn't as steamy as you like -- or you have to wait for forever for the water to even get hot -- you notice.

It's a good time of year to perform basic maintenance on your hot water tank for that very reason: the damp and cold is a perfect reminder.

The other thing to think about is the water wasted running the tap waiting for the hot water to arrive. There is something that puts hot water at your fingertips when you need it. It's called a hot water circulation pump, or recirc pump in plumber's lingo.

Installation of a recirc pump is straightforward, and it's easy to maintain. The pump attaches to your hot water heater and a small return valve is unobtrusively installed on the furthest faucet in the home. Since the existing lines are used, there's no added expense for additional lines. Then a timer keeps that hot water circulating in the pipes just when you need it most - saving time, energy and water.

You may not run the hot water all day long while the family is away from home at work and school. During that time, heated water lays in the line cooling off. Then when you do get home - or up in the morning - and need the hot water, all that unused and now tepid water has to run through the line - and down the drain - before fresh hot water reaches the faucet.

The water savings can be significant. Some estimates suggest that in a typical household as much as 16,000 gallons of water can be saved per year with a recirc pump.

If you'd like more information, call the shop. We'd be happy to answer any questions or come to your home for a site evaluation.

:: PG&E energy calculators

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Boden Plumbing primarily serves Sonoma Valley, Napa Valley, and the Petaluma area. We provide a full range of residential plumbing repairs and services.
866-663-7477
www.nodrips.com

Happy Turkey Day from Boden Plumbing

Many of us will be visiting around the dinner table over the next few days with folks we might not get together with all that often. In case you're stuck for conversation, we thought we'd supply some fascinating turkey trivia -- a way safer topic than politics or religion. Trust us.

• At one time, the turkey and the bald eagle were each considered as the national symbol of America. Benjamin Franklin was one of those who argued passionately on behalf of the turkey. Franklin felt the turkey, although "vain and silly", was a better choice than the bald eagle, whom he felt was "a coward".
• According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 45 million turkeys are cooked and eaten in the U.S. at Thanksgiving—that's one sixth of all turkeys sold in the U.S. each year. American per capita consumption of turkeys has soared from 8.3 pounds in 1975 to 18.5 pounds in 1997. Ten years later, the number dropped in 2007 to 13.8 pounds.
• In 2011, more than 248 million turkeys were expected to be raised with an average liveweight per bird of 28 pounds with nearly 6 billion pounds of turkey processed. By contrast, in 1970, only 105 million birds were raised with an average liveweight of 17 pounds and 1.5 billion pounds processed. The turkeys produced in 2010 together weighed 7.11 billion pounds and were valued at $4.37 billion.
• In 2002, retail sales of turkey was approximately $3.6 billion. In 2010, sales reached $4.37 billion.
• Age is a determining factor in taste. Old, large males are preferable to young toms (males) as tom meat is stringy. The opposite is true for females: old hens are tougher birds.
• A turkey under sixteen weeks of age is called a fryer, while a young roaster is five to seven months old.
• Turkeys are the only breed of poultry native to the Western Hemisphere.
• Turkeys have great hearing, but no external ears. They can also see in color, and have excellent visual acuity and a wide field of vision (about 270 degrees), which makes sneaking up on them difficult. However, turkeys have a poor sense of smell (what's cooking?), but an excellent sense of taste.
• Domesticated turkeys cannot fly. Wild turkeys, however, can fly for short distances at speeds up to 55 miles per hour. They can also reach speeds of 25 miles per hour on the ground.
• Turkeys sometimes spend the night in trees.
• Turkeys can have heart attacks: turkeys in fields near the Air Force test areas over which the sound barrier was broken were known to drop dead from the shock of passing jets.
• The ballroom dance known as the Turkey Trot was named for the short, jerky steps a turkey makes.

Enjoy!

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Source: Turkey Trivia — Infoplease.com

5 Simple Steps for Avoiding the Plumber Around the Holidays

Greetings and Happy Holidays from Boden Plumbing! It's time for our annual holiday pep talk about keeping your drains clear when you're cooking up a storm and have a house full of company.

You know the drill. We've talked about it more than a few times before. The day after Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days of the year for plumbers. In fact, it might be the busiest - with calls to clear stopped drains by far the most common problem.

Lots of cooking and extra house guests can take a toll on your plumbing system - but they don't have to. Here are just a few tips to help keep your drains running and your system functioning for the holiday:

1. Don't put fats, grease or cooking oils down the kitchen drain. When rinsing anything down the drain, flush with plenty of water.
2. Avoid putting stringy or fibrous materials like celery and potato skins through the garbage disposal.
3. Never put turkey skins in the disposal
4. Remind your guests not to flush cotton swabs, cotton balls or similar materials down the toilet. The waste basket is the best place for those things.
5. Allow 15 minutes between showers so the drains can empty and the water heater can catch up.

Don't worry - we'll be open on Friday after the dust clears for business as usual, but just a few simple things can help you avoid hassles altogether.

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(For more tips on using your garbage disposal, see our previous post Friends will be envious...Dogs will be sorry

Knock, knock. Who's there? It's probably your water heater...

Do you hear a grumbling, rumbling, or knocking sound coming from your water heater? It's probably an indication of sediment or mineral build-up in the tank - and there's a simple bit of maintenance that you can do yourself to address it.

Sediment does build up over time in water heater tanks. If it builds up too much, it can make your water heater less efficient. If left too long, it does decrease the life span of the water heater. You can minimize those effects by periodically draining your water heater and flushing the sediment out of the tank.

The good news is this is a DIY kind of thing. Once-a-year maintenance 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. (If you forget this step, 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.

Haunted by dripping faucets, running toilets, not enough hot water, slow drains, water that tastes yucky, persistent craving for candy corn, leaks below your bathroom sink, low water pressure, weird noises, funky smells or roots in your sewer line?

Don't be spooked!

Call Boden Plumbing
the drip busters

707-996-8683 in Sonoma
707-255-8155 in Napa
866-NO-DRIPS Worldwide

Where is the Water Shut-Off? (Quick. This is a quiz.)

One of the most important things you can do when it comes to home maintenance is to prepare for a possible plumbing emergency by locating and identifying all the water shut-offs for the house - before a problem arises.

Take the time to take the tour. Armed with a flashlight, masking tape and a magic marker go through the house with anyone who may also have a need to know and identify and mark the main valves. Test them while you're at it to make sure they turn on and off easily without developing a leak. Then you'll be ready (knock on wood) should a pipe spring a leak.

First stop: main water shut-off. The main water shut-off is usually on the pipe as it exits the house on the street side - or under the house in the basement or crawl space. Go ahead and label it "MAIN H2O."

Next stop: water heater. If you do turn off the main valve, a gas hot water tank must be turned down as low as possible. Yours might have a "vacation" setting on the face of the tank. If so, go ahead and set it to vacation. An electric hot water tank can be shut off at the electrical panel. Label it on the panel to help locate the correct switch in a panic. If you have a hot water heating system, check that the boiler has enough water in it to keep from running dry.

Then head for to the kitchen, where you'll want to identify the hot and cold water shut-offs under the sink. Bathrooms also have valves for the sink, as well as the toilet. Look under the fixtures for them. Then there will be a shut-off for the tub/shower, perhaps in a closet on the other side of the wall or possibly under the house or in the basement.

Make sure you label the valves for the washing machine, dishwasher, ice maker, water softener, hot tub - or any other fixture with a water supply. You might be surprised how many there are once you start. Just as long as you're not surprised in an emergency...

When all else fails or time is of the essence, just head for the main shut-off for the house. Hopefully it's easy enough to get to - and you know just where it is.

Questions? Don't hesitate to call us here at Boden Plumbing (707 996 8683) or send an e-mail if you prefer. We're glad to help.

A little plumbing humor for a Wednesday...

Anyone got a clever caption for this one? :-)


photo credit: found on photobucket

Get the Chlorine Out with Whole-house Filtration

There are a few reasons why we like whole-house water filtration systems, not the least of which is the value of removing chlorine from the water supply at every outlet in the home.

Chlorine is a fact of life in municipal water, and while it might be an important step in removing dangerous pathogens from the general water supply, it turns out it’s not something you want to take in on a regular basis once that water gets to your home. Studies have linked increased cancer rates to drinking chlorinated water, and there are other health concerns as well. (See links at the bottom of this post for more info.)

Drinking chlorinated water is not the only thing to consider. Over 60% of the chlorine and other impurities that you take in from your water come through your skin while bathing or showering. During showering your lungs are rapidly absorbing the chlorine as well.

The Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA), the primary water wholesaler for Sonoma and Marin counties, adds chlorine as a disinfectant and also pH balances the water*. The water companies that receive the wholesale water from SCWA may or may not do additional things to treat the water before they deliver it to their customers. Check with your supplier if you want to know specifics (some links below).

Another concern with treated water are the byproducts of disinfection. Disinfection byproducts are compounds that form when chlorine or bromine disinfectants mix with naturally occurring organic material in the water.

The disinfection byproducts that occur most frequently are trihalomethanes or THMs. According to the EPA, "Some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of EPA's standard over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer." According to the Valley of the Moon Water District (a major water supplier in Sonoma Valley), "The federal standard for THMs is 80 ug/L (micrograms per liter, or parts per billion), while the THM count in VOMWD's water averages 17 ug/L."

So that's a good thing - that these chemicals are regulated and that VOMWD water falls well below the allowable limit, although given what we do know about these substances many people still choose to limit their exposure as much as possible by filtering their water prior to consumption.

You can avoid the chemicals used to disinfect municipal water to some extent with a point-of-use filter at the sink, but a whole-house system will cover the water in the bath, shower, and icemaker line.

We like to Flow-Tech Home's whole-house water treatment system. Flow-Tech Home provides a green, maintenance-free alternative to traditional water softeners that stops scale from forming, protects pipes and fixtures, reduces soap needs and makes water-using appliances operate more efficiently.

Added filtration removes particulates down to .5 microns, or optionally .015 microns, without the water waste associated with reverse osmosis systems. Instead, bad taste, odors and chemicals are removed with carbon filtration. And because it filters at the point of entry, every outlet in your home delivers clean sweet water.

It's not flow dependent and so it's working 24/7. And what we really like is that it prevents calcium and magnesium from sticking to your fixtures by altering the ions in the water - rather than exchanging them for sodium like traditional water softeners. The beneficial minerals stay suspended in your drinking water and travel harmlessly along without adhering to pipes and appliances.

So think about it. If you have questions, give us a call. We'd be glad to swing by your house for a complimentary evaluation. Just call us here at Boden Plumbing: 707-996-8683 in Sonoma or 707-255-8155 in Napa, or use our toll-free number from anywhere 1-866-663-7477.

Reminder: The Sonoma County Direct Install Program is Back

The Direct Install Program is back. Sonoma County is once again paying customers of select sewer districts to have their old-style non low-flow toilets changed out for the latest water efficient models.

This is not a rebate program. You are not required to pay any money up front for the toilet, seat, new angle stop or the standard installation. It is important to note, however, if there are any associated repairs or upgrades necessary when changing out your toilet, there could be charges not covered by the County.

But don't let that discourage you from getting your name on the list. Our experience during the first incarnation of the program (and we installed several hundred toilets as part of the County program) was that extra repairs were rarely needed.

So bottom line -- if you qualify -- you will be able to change out your non low-flow toilet fixtures at no charge, or certainly for significantly less money than you would normally have to spend. Trust us - this is an excellent opportunity.

The County is handling things a little differently this time. Instead of just making an appointment with us (or any of the other participating plumbers), you need to go ahead and sign up with the County. Once they get you signed up and queued up (they plan to fund a limited number per month), you can give us a call and we'll change out whatever antique thing you've got for a brand spanking new state-of-the-art water-saving wonder.

Visit the Sonoma County Water Agency Direct Install web page for more information and to get your name on the list.

World Water Week wraps with thoughts on water filtration

As World Water Week wrapped up its 21st anniversary celebrations in Stockholm last month, Scientific American was reporting that New York City is just two months away from opening the world's largest ultraviolet (UV) drinking-water disinfection plant. When the lights go on in New York's new facility, 56 massive UV units will neutralize waterborne pathogens in all the drinking water coming from the city's major sources—the Delaware County and Catskill watersheds – processing up to nine billion liters daily and adding a second layer of sanitation to the chlorine treatment that has been applied for years. (see Turning on the Zap: New York City Readies World's Largest UVDrinking-Water Disinfection Plant)

According to the article on the Scientific American website, Trojan's operation will dwarf the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's Tesla Treatment Facility, which opened last July. That $114-million project is California's largest UV water disinfection facility, treating up to 1.2 billion liters of water per day for the Bay Area from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park. (see $114 million Tesla project aids Hetch Hetchy water)

Here in Sonoma Valley – and Petaluma – our drinking water comes from either ground water sources or the Russian River system. If delivered through the Russian River system, the water is handled and treated by the Sonoma County WaterAgency (SCWA).

The water is first filtered naturally through the gravel river bed. According to the water agency’s web site, “water entering the collector wells is extremely clean and requires no additional treatment; however, chlorine is added as a precaution against possible contamination in the distribution system."

The water is also adjusted for pH. Again, from the SCWA, "The Russian River water has a natural pH of about 7.1 - 7.6. To reduce corrosion of lead and copper present in indoor plumbing fixtures, it is desirable to raise the pH of the river water to 8.3 - 8.5. The Water Agency operates pH Adjustment/Corrosion Control facilities, located at the Wohler pumping plant and at the chlorination facility, where sodium hydroxide is added to the water supply. This treatment helps reduce dissolved metal content entering the wastewater treatment plants in areas served by the Water Agency."

Water is distributed through some 79 miles of pipeline that runs from the Russian River to Santa Rosa, Cotati, Petaluma and Sonoma – and right out the openings in our faucets, etc. Some people like to add another layer of filtration in-home to remove the chlorine and other impurities that may be in the water and not removed by the County’s treatment.

If you have any questions about that, give us a call here at Boden Plumbing. We have a few recommendations if you’re interested. 707-996-8683.

Oh my gosh, there's a snake in the toilet...

photo credit: Matt Cunnelly on flickr.com

Wouldn't this just freak you OUT? Imagine, you lift the lid to use the toilet and there's a lovely but totally unexpected royal python staring up at you. Oh my gosh!

Well that's what happened to a German woman earlier this year. Her immediate reaction was to call the police. Why not? There was an intruder in the house! Sneaking in the back way, no less.

"However, the reptile was in no mood to show itself to the officers so the fire brigade was called in. They opened a manhole in the garden and were able to remove it from the plumbing," a police statement said.

A snake expert was then called in as a reinforcement.
She identified the serpent as a two-year-old royal python, normally not dangerous to humans, and offered to take it home until the owner steps forward.

"Until we have cleared up whom the reptile belongs to, the police have registered it as a lost item," concluded the police statement.

Source: German pensioner lifts toilet lid and discovers royal python

A Plumbing We Will Go, in which the Three Stooges commandeer Casey's plumbing truck and...well, you'll see

Casey's plumbing truck has evolved quite a bit since first appearing in this Three Stooges short. (Thank GOODNESS.) Yup, maybe you've seen our trucks around town? They're the ones that have "Living With a Drip?" across the front and all the fun graffiti down the sides. Wave next time you see us!

Enjoy the videos... (They're pretty silly.)

Part 1 of 2



Part 2 of 2



We found these on YouTube. You can watch them online here > Part 1 and here > Part 2.

Do-It-Yourself Laundry to Landscape Graywater Workshop in Sonoma Valley, Oct. 13-14

If you're looking for even more ways to conserve water (and who isn't) -- or you'd really, really (really) like to add a garden or landscaping but don't want to run more water, we wanted to let you know about a Do-It-Yourself Laundry to Landscape Graywater Workshop coming up in Sonoma. It's happening October 13-14 (Saturday and Sunday), and it's free to Sonoma Valley Residents.

Sponsored by the City of Sonoma's Water Conservation Program, the workshop is designed to teach you everything you need to know to transform your washing machine into a wondrous irrigation system for your yard.

Even though the workshop is free of charge, registration is still required - and space is limited so register today to reserve your spot!

http://sonomagraywaterworkshop.eventbrite.com/

Here are more details on the workshop:

READY TO GO GRAY?

Graywater that is. It's a perfectly wonderful, untapped resource that's easily and legally diverted to your garden, where it will make things flourish! Transition Sonoma Valley, in partnership with Daily Acts, the City of Sonoma and the Sonoma Ecology Center, is hosting a do-it-yourself, laundry-to-landscape workshop October 13 and 14.

During this weekend workshop you will learn about and install a system in your home.

You're a perfect candidate for this workshop if you:

• have a washing machine and a garden, and are ready for a do-it-yourself project
• have a washing machine and a garden, and a neighbor, friend or family member that will assist in installing a graywater system
• are interested in learning and can assist with an installation, but don't have an appropriate location for a system
• would like to save thousands of gallons of water a year and learn a new & easy way to make that washing machine do more than clean your clothes!



DETAILS

Who: Sonoma Valley residents that want to learn everything they need to know to install a laundry-to-landscape graywater system (Residents of other cities are welcome to join the training and volunteer with installations)

Why: You'll feel incredibly empowered after this hands-on weekend workshop and immediately reap the benefits of saving thousands of gallons of water, reducing irrigation demands and saving loads of time and money!

What: The first day is a full-day classroom-style lecture where you’ll learn plant selection, system design and plumbing skills to safely and confidently direct water from your washing machine to your landscape. Day two is a flexible, hands-on day where volunteers will be matched with a site, and Sonoma Valley residents will spearhead their graywater transformations at home. It will all be guided by our experts who will ensure proper code compliance, answer questions and offer helpful techniques to help you achieve your water saving goals. By the end of the weekend we’ll have collectively installed over twenty greywater systems complying with the new California state code adopted in fall of 2009. Let the graywater flow with gusto!

Materials and Tools: Each system will require a prescibed list of materials and some needed tools. Materials will be determined in advance during the site visits and will be available on the classroom day. City of Sonoma water customers will be provided the materials at no cost. (You will need access to some basic tools to do this installation. A suggested list can be found on the workshop webpage.)

For non City of Sonoma water customers, the materials will cost approximately $100 - $150. (The City is welcoming donations and sponsorships to offset these costs. If you would like to contribute, please contact Melinda Kelley.)

After you register you'll be contacted to discuss details and to schedule a site visit.

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Need more information? Contact Melinda Kelle at melbelkel@aol.com or (707) 938-7378.

And you can visit the www.trasitionsonomavalley.org web page for full details and links to more info.

It's Baaack -- the Sonoma County Direct Install Program

Just  a few weeks ago we put out a reminder that there were still rebates available in Sonoma County for water efficiency upgrades - even though the County's Direct Install Program was no more. Well, yes there are still rebates availabe. That part's true. But we were a bit off the mark on the other thing.

The Direct Install Program did end awhile ago - but it's back. Sonoma County is once again paying customers of select sewer districts to have their old-style non low-flow toilets changed out for the latest water efficient models.

It's a good deal all around. The County saves money in the long run by reducing water use and load on the sewer system, and you finally get those old water hungry fixtures out of your place.

This is not a rebate program. You are not required to pay any money up front for the toilet, seat, new angle stop or the standard installation. It is important to note, however, if there are any associated repairs or upgrades necessary when changing out your toilet, there could be charges not covered by the County.

But don't let that discourage you from checking it out. Our experience during the first incarnation of the program (and we installed several hundred toilets as part of the County program) was that extra repairs were rarely needed. So in general, you will be able to change out your non low-flow toilet fixtures - at no charge - and certainly for significantly less money than you would normally have to spend.

Trust us - this is an excellent opportunity.

The County is handling things a little differently this time. Instead of just making an appointment with us (or any of the other participating plumbers), you need to go ahead and sign up with the County. Once they get you signed up and queued up (they plan to fund a limited number per month), you can give us a call and we'll change out whatever antique thing you've got for a brand spanking new state-of-the-art water-saving wonder.

Visit the Sonoma County Water Agency Direct Install web page for more information and to get your name on the list.

Mining Wastewater for Electricity

Solar-collecting panels / SCWA

At the Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District treatment plant, one-third of the power needs are met by a solar collecting system. It's great that our local wastewater treatment plant can take advantage of all that readily available sunshine to do its work, but what if sewage treatment could actually generate electricity?

That's a question researchers at Oregon State have been investigating -- and they're finding that the possibilities are quite promising. Here's what the Smithsonian Institution had to say recently about the studies on their blog:

Could Sewage Be Our Fuel of the Future?

"Previous methods relied upon anaerobic digestion, in which bacteria break down biodegradable elements in wastewater in the absence of oxygen and produce methane (natural gas) as a byproduct. This gas can then be collected and burned as fuel.

"The Oregon State team’s technology, in contrast, harnesses the biodegradable material in wastewater to feed aerobic bacteria, which digest the substances with the use of oxygen. When the microbes oxidize these components of sewage—and, in turn, clean the water—they produce a steady stream of electrons. As the electrons flow from the anode to the cathode within a fuel cell, they produce an electrical current, which can be directly used as a power source. Additionally, this process cleans the water more effectively than anaerobic digestion and doesn’t produce unwanted byproducts."...

Kind of takes the Reduce, Reuse, Recyle mantra to a whole new level, wouldn't you say?

Aeration ponds / SCWA

You can find out more about how our wastewater is treated these days from this nifty interactive diagram on the Sonoma County Water Agency website.

And read more of the background of the Oregon State work -- as well as other 'Surprising Science' news -- on the Smithsonian science blog.

Here's the article again...
Could Sewage Be Our Fuel of the Future?

Plastic - the new Mermaid Tears

Did you know that plastic is the largest form of ocean litter? If you're still drinking water from plastic bottles (INSTEAD OF FILTERING YOUR OWN TAP WATER duh...), maybe this short video from Surfers Against Sewage will motivate you to make a few changes.

TheWaterChannel

More info: www.sas.org.uk

We found this video on The Water Channel.

Do You Have a Sewer Line Clog? Know the Signs...

Why is it that mainline sewer backups always seem to occur (1) after hours for the plumber, or (2) when you have a house full of people? Seriously. Why is that?

Usually we chalk that kind of thing up to Murphy's Law - "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." But truthfully, there are often signs of impending problems. Heed the signs and you just might be able to respond before the line becomes completely clogged and waste water backs up into the building.

Here are a few things to pay attention to:

1.  Are Multiple Fixtures Affected?

A very obvious sign of a sewer drain clog is when more than one plumbing fixture is draining slowly or backing up at the same time. If you suspect that you have a sewer drain clog, check other fixtures in the home - particularly the tub and shower.

Toilets have the most direct path to the sewer and the biggest drain line in the house, so if there is a problem with the sewer line you shoiuld notice it when you try to flush the toilet. It's rare to have a mainline sewer stoppage when the toilets are working properly.

And then tub and shower drains sit lower than sink drains, so check them next. Do you have water backing up or failing to drain in your tub/shower? If so, it's probably time to call the plumber.

2.  Out-of-the-Ordinary Occurences (with respect to plumbing fixtures).

Don't ignore burbling sounds or waste water moving upstream.

If you've got an issue with the sewer line, air may get trapped in the plumbing system. Do you get bubbles in the toilet bowl when you run the faucet in the closest sink? Do you get ominous gurgling sounds when you flush the toilet or take a shower? These are all signs that waste water isn't moving smoothly through the system.

And definitely if you have water rising one place when you're using a fixture another place, you've got issues somewhere in the sewer line. For instance, if the water draining out of the washing machine causes the toilet to overflow or backs up into the tub or shower it could mean a clog on the main sewer line. (Although if the toilets are still flushing fine while this occurs then this is likely due to a washing machine stoppage and not a mainline stoppage.)

3.  Check the Drainage at the Clean-Out

If you have a mainline clean-out (and hopefully you do), you can remove the cap and physically check to see whether or not the line is draining. You should not be able to see the water coming up the clean out pipe. If water is flowing up and out of the clean out or standing in the pipe, the line is not draining.

4.  And Lastly...

If your house has a septic system, always ask yourself: "How long has it been since the tank was cleaned out?"

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Whatever you do, once you realize you have a mainline blockage, stop running any water (or flushing any toilets) until the stoppage is cleared.

The problem could be a straight forward clog or there could be roots or some other kind of break in the line that prevents the line from clearing completely. These issues don't necessarily happen all of a sudden but develop over a period of time. Watch for indications that something is not right on the drain lines.

Actual Plumbing Business Slogans

The Lone Drainer - he come pronto.
Got a leak? I'll take a peek.
We're Plumb Crazy.
Call us when you're backed up.
We repair what your husband fixed.
Don't sleep with a drip. Call your plumber.
Reputation…our best asset.
Where a flush beats a full house.
Because sh*t happens.
Tap into 20 years of experience!
Flushed with success since 1999!
Professional, affordable - and we always leave the seat down!
#1 in the #2 business

oh, and one more... "Living With a Drip?"
That's us - Boden Plumbing.

thanks to Duluth Trading for the info...

Do You Love Your Plumber?

It's not like we're inviting this or anything. But in case you ever felt compelled, we just wanted to pass along some pointers. :-)

Boden Offers Whole-House Water Treatment Solutions

We've been big on in-home water filtration for a long time now. Whether you use point-of-use or whole-house filter devices, we just think it's important to reduce scale build-up and get certain things out of your water.

Recently we were introduced to Flow-Tech Home and we like their whole-house water treatment system. Flow-Tech Home provides a green, maintenance-free alternative to traditional water softeners that stops scale from forming, protects pipes and fixtures, reduces soap needs and makes water-using appliances operate more efficiently.

It's not flow dependent and so it's working 24/7. And what we really like is that it prevents calcium and magnesium from sticking to your fixtures by altering the ions in the water - rather than exchanging them for sodium like traditional water softeners. The beneficial minerals stay suspended in your drinking water and travel harmlessly along without adhering to pipes and appliances.

But there's more. Added filtration removes particulates down to .5 microns, or optionally .015 microns, without the water waste associated with reverse osmosis systems. Instead, bad taste, odors and chemicals are removed with carbon filtration. And because it filters at the point of entry, every outlet in your home delivers clean sweet water.

The chemicals used to disinfect municipal water are not necessarily what you want to be ingesting on a regular basis. You can avoid them to some extent with a point-of-use filter at the sink. But did you know a large portion of the impurities we pick up from household water is absorbed through the skin or lungs while bathing or showering?

It's definitely something to consider. Health experts will tell you that filtering your tap water makes a significant contribution to a healthy lifestyle. Bottled water won't get you there. Drinking water is part of the equation, but studies have shown that much of what we buy in a bottle isn't any different that what's coming out of our taps - and some of it is not as good. And then there's all that plastic!

So think about it. If you have questions, give us a call. We'd be glad to swing by your house for a complimentary evaluation. Just call us here at Boden Plumbing: 707-996-8683 in Sonoma or 707-255-8155 in Napa, or use our toll-free number from anywhere 1-866-663-7477.

Happy 4th of July from Boden Plumbing

Sonoma Fireworks by Susan Kelleher on flickr.com

We wish everyone a safe and fun time on the 4th -
relax, eat plenty and enjoy friends and family!

Take the Plunge(r). Really!

Perhaps you have forgotten that you meant to stop by the shop and pick up your FREE plunger. Perhaps you missed all those ads we've been running to remind you.

Well, WE STILL HAVE FREE PLUNGERS AVAILABLE. Stop by our shop on Broadway (right across from the high school) and pick one up today.

Before you forget again.

These are sturdy (we're talking you could keep it behind the door in case a bad guy comes knocking), made-to-last, professional-grade tools of our trade. And they come with NO STRINGS ATTACHED. The only thing attached to these babies is a $23-off coupon towards installation of a new toilet (should the need arise).

Seriously. Why are you not here already?

Save Water, Save Money: Sonoma County Still Offering Rebates

A few years back there was a big push in Sonoma County to get as many of the older non low-flow toilets changed out for bona fide low-flow models. The effort was called the Direct Install Program, and it was a great success. Thousands of water-hungry toilets went bye-bye and mucho water is being saved as we speak.

Maybe you were able to take advantage of the program - or maybe you missed the opportunity. The Direct Install Program is over -- but Sonoma County is still offering some water efficiency rebates.

You can find complete details -- and even download the necessary forms -- on the Sonoma County Water Agency's website. Visit www.scwa.ca.gov/sanitation-rebates/. There are rebates available for high-efficiency clothes washers and toilets if you're a customer of one of the sanitation districts listed.

If you're a resident of the City of Sonoma, go to the City's Water Conservation web page where you'll find info on the rebates available for high-efficiency clothes washers and toilets, as well as the Cash-for-Grass program. (No, not THAT kind of grass! geeze ;-)

The summer season is here, and this is when your water bill will start to climb if you're watering lawns and veggies. Let that be a reminder that there's water and money to be saved!

Drip, drip, drip, drip... Are YOU "Living With a Drip?"

When was the last time you assessed the situation at your house? Those piddling little drips you think are of no account? They add UP! Seriously people, don't be "Living With a Drip"!

The facts speak volumes - like gallons and gallons kind of volumes...

• Approximately 1 in every 318 homes or buildings has a leak.
• An invisible leak in the toilet will waste up to 15 gallons of water a day or 5,475 gallons a year.
• If a drip from your faucet fills an eight-ounce glass in 15 minutes, it will waste 180 gallons per month and 2,160 gallons per year.
• A slight trickling faucet or showerhead can waste up to 100 gallons of water or more in a week (depending on the size of the drip).
• A dripping faucet/hose bib can lose up to 180 gallons a month or 2,160 gallons per year.
• A 1/8 inch hole in a metal pipe, at 40 psi, leaks 2,500 gallons of water in 24 hours.
• A leak the size of a pinhead can waste 360,000 gallons per year, enough to fill 12,000 bathtubs to the overflow mark.
• Consider this, a failure at 70 pounds of pressure can expel up to 650 gallons of water per hour. That’s what you could be faced with if your washing machine hose fails. Washing machine hoses are usually made of reinforced rubber, which can lose resiliency and burst as it gets older. It’s important to replace this hose every 3-5 years.

Sources:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/plumbing
http://www.blindandsons.com

Sonoma Community Center Dedicates Rainwater Catchment Tank

The Sonoma Community Center will be hosting a special little event from 10 to 11:30 a.m. this coming Saturday, June 9, to dedicate their new rainwater catchment tank.

Their rainwater harvesting system, which includes a 7,900-gallon tank plus water catchment and irrigation systems, is the product of a two-year collaboration between city, county and local partners including the Water Conservation Program of the City of Sonoma; the Sonoma County Master Gardeners; the Ellman Fund; the Sonoma Valley Groundwater Management Program, a broad-based stakeholder group with representatives from agriculture, dairies, government, water purveyors, business and environmental interests; the North Bay Watershed Association; the Sonoma County Water Agency; Boden Plumbing (that's us!); and Rainwater Harvesting Solutions.

For more information, visit the community center's web page for the event at ... Rain Tank Opening.

Sonoma Community Center
276 E. Napa St.
Sonoma, CA 95476
www.sonomacommunitycenter.org
707-938-4626

Rain Harvesting at Sonoma Community Center

In last week's post, we mentioned the new water tank at the Sonoma Community Center and said we really think it would be great to see more people harvesting and storing water in Northern California.

Well, we could have gone on to toot our own horn a little as it turns out. Here at Boden Plumbing we're so enamored of this kind of thing that we donated our help in getting the tank plumbed and primed to deliver water to the Center's beautiful garden and landscape. And this week we've got a few more pictures to share showing the guys at work.

Boden Plumbing trucks onsite at Sonoma Community Center,
near the new 8,000-gallon water storage tank.

Randy and Rudy scoping things out. (Yeah, Randy. It's kind of high.)

Looks like they opted to get started on terra firma first.

And then decided Randy would go up the ladder.
Chris, Casey, Rudy and Randy (left to right)

One company donated the tank and the drain that will bring water off the roof and into the tank. Waldron Landscaping provided trenching to get the water distribution lines where they need to be onsite, and then we laid the lines and got everything hooked up and functioning.

A small pump will push water through the system. During the dry part of the year, City water will keep the tank topped up. And then when the rain is falling, there is an overflow mechanism that will let any excess water drain away across the parking lot as usual. There is also a metering system that will allow the folks at the community center to monitor just how much water they are saving by storing and using the winter rains.

So a pretty cool set-up. There are still a few details to take care of before it's tested and fully functioning, but we'll be very interested to find out how it works out. Hopefully it will inspire other people to try rain harvesting and storage.

The Ancient Ingenuity of Water Harvesting

In this TEDIndia talk, Anupam Mishra talks about the amazing feats of engineering built centuries ago by the people of India's Golden Desert to harvest water. These structures are still used today and, as he explains, are often superior to modern water megaprojects.

New water tank at SCC

In an area that receives just nine or ten inches of rain a year and where the saline groundwater is 300 feet below the surface - too far to use solar power to pull it up even if it could be made potable - people have developed efficient ways to capture and store the water they need. Wouldn't it be great if site-specific water-harvesting became commonplace here in Northern California?

[Actually, that reminds us. Have you seen the new storage tank at the Sonoma Community Center? Really flashy. They'll be storing rain water captured from the roof and using it to irrigate the garden.]

So here's the story from India.



About the speaker:
Anupam Mishra works to preserve rural India’s traditional rainwater harvesting techniques as part of his effort to promote smart water management and ensure that every community is self-sustainable and efficiently safekeeping an increasingly scarce and precious resource.

He travels across India studying rainwater harvesting methods and learning from the people behind them. He presents his findings to NGOs, development agencies and environmental groups, pulling from centuries of indigenous wisdom that has found water for drinking and irrigation even in extremely arid landscapes through wells, filter ponds and other catchment systems.

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Find more great talks from TED at www.ted.com

Bill Gates Drifts Towards Arrakis in Quest for New Toilet

Bill Gates wants to reinvent the toilet and he's putting the considerable heft of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation behind the effort -- plus German taxpayers are kicking in $10 million to a joint project. According to a report we picked up from Time, "Over the next five years, this project aims to provide 800,000 people in Kenya with access to sanitation facilities and ensure clean drinking water for 200,000.

"The goal is to find "innovative solutions" for sanitation in poor urban areas. Gates says it's time to move on from the era of the classic toilet. He points out that, despite all the recent achievements, 40% of the world's population, or some 2.5 billion people, still lives without proper means of flushing away excrement. But just giving them Western-style toilets isn't possible because of the world's limited water resources."

photo credit: Sand Dunes by David Stanley

Shades of Dune, don't you think? But there's more...

The engineer who heads the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene department at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Frank Rijsberman, is presently working on two projects. With one project, the foundation supports the construction of pit latrines in rural areas and slums without sanitation facilities. With the other, it supports research projects, giving grants to scientists who come up with new ideas for using human excrement. He says there have been experiments to turn excrement into a kind of microwave that can be used as a source of energy.

Isn't that wild?

He says there are biological bacteria that could turn waste into compost, which sounds kind of old school to us, but he also talks about the possibility of toilets actually turning urine into drinking water. In view of the world's limited water resources, both the Gates Foundation and German Development Policy support various projects for dry toilets that do not use water to flush and that separate excrement from urine in order to dry it.

Another method put forward by the Gates Foundation in South Africa is using the urine of 400,000 people to make nitrogenous fertilizer in powder form. A similar albeit high-tech variation is currently being tested by the Society for International Cooperation in Eschborn, Germany. The importance of this research is not always easy to explain, says Rijsberman, because anything having to do with human waste provokes a "yuck factor."

Necessity may be what ultimately overrides the yuck factor. As potable water supplies continue to dwindle relative to demand, we'll see how close we come to Frank Herbert's vision in Dune.

"The Fremen also have complex rituals and systems focusing on the value and conservation of water on their arid planet; they conserve the water distilled from their dead, consider spitting an honorable greeting, and value tears as the greatest gift one can give to the dead. The novel suggests that the Fremen have adapted to the environment physiologically, with their blood able to clot almost instantly to prevent water loss." [Dune (novel) on en.wikipedia]

see:
A Human-Waste Gold Mine: Bill Gates Looks to Reinvent the Toilet from Worldcrunch at www.time.com.

Top 10 Bathroom Movie Scenes

A couple of years ago Mira Showers, a U.K. company, conducted a little poll and came up with a list of the ten best bathroom movie scenes.

They must have been royally disappointed when Janet Leigh's frightful screaming scene in Psycho came second to Julia Roberts' tub scene in Pretty Woman, but then maybe they wouldn't want to make too much of the association of horror and shower valves.

Here's the list they came up with. What do you think? Any good ones that got missed?

1. Pretty Woman
   Vivian (Julia Roberts) sings Prince's Kiss in the bathtub as Edward (Richard Gere) looks on.
2. Psycho
   Marion (Janet Leigh) is taking a shower, as a shadow can be seen behind the shower curtain.
3. Porky's
   The girls play up to the boys peeping through a hole into their shower.
4. Something About Mary
   Ted (Ben Stiller) goes to Mary's (Cameron Diaz) home before prom and has a mishap with his trouser zip.
5. The Hangover
   Alan Garner (Zach Galifianakis) is 'relieving himself' as he realizes there's a tiger in the bathroom.
6. What Lies Beneath
   Norman (Harrison Ford) sedates Claire (Michelle Pfeiffer) and drags her to a running bath.
7. The Shining
   Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) hacks through the bathroom door to get to Wendy (Shelley Duvall).
8. Fatal Attraction
   Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) is drowned, strangled and shot in the bath.
9. Bladerunner
   Pris (Daryl Hannah) is taking a shower with her snake, and being interrogated by Derek (Harrison Ford).
10. A Nightmare on Elm Street
    Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) falls asleep in the bath tub and Freddie's knives come out of the water and pulls her under.

Pretty Woman scrubs up top bathroom movie scene

To Pee in the Sea or...

You know you've wondered this at least once: When you're out enjoying a lovely day at the beach and you 'gotta go', is it better (ecologically speaking) to urinate in the ocean or discreetly in the dunes?

Well, this and other kind of gross but equally important green bathroom questions were recently addressed by Ask Umbra on Grist. (see 10 gross green bathroom questions you never knew you had)

We suspect you knew perfectly well you had all these questions, and you were maybe just too embarrassed to ask. But it's okay. Really. Inquiring minds want to know.

The short answer to this one is pee in the sea, but the reasoning is surprisingly complex - which proves it's an EXCELLENT! question. Read the full rationale here > Umbra on peeing at the beach.

The World's Most Famous Plumber

is not really a plumber at all but a video game character, although not just any video game character. As the lead character in the wildly successful Super Mario Bros. game franchise, Mario (the plumber) is purportedly the most famous character in video game history.

Wow. If only he were racing around unplugging clogs and fixing drips, imagine what he could do for the profile of us everyday guys!

Instead he and his brother Luigi are preoccupied with running around the Mushroom Kingdom (?) trying to stop the turtle-like villain Bowser's numerous plans to kidnap Princess Peach, destroy them and take over the kingdom. And Mario also has other enemies and rivals, including Donkey Kong and Wario -- so maybe it is understandable that he never does get around to actually doing any plumbing.

And for a little more Super Mario fun...