Winterize Plumbing - even in Sonoma

Last January Sonoma Valley had a cold snap that lasted for awhile. Well, compared to what we're used to here in the Bay Area it seemed like it lasted for awhile...

Anyway, Sonoma might not be Buffalo, but it does get cold enough to freeze - and burst - outside water pipes. Now is a good time to make sure your pipes are protected.

Tip: Always do this before 8 p.m. the night a freeze is forecast. Otherwise Friedman's will be closed, and you'll be running around looking for MacGyver tape and old blankets. It will be cold and dark, and you will get annoyed with yourself. You might even kick the dog. And we can't have any of that.

So before you get all caught up in holiday hoopla, set aside time to assess the state of your outdoor pipes. Check existing insulation and replace any damaged or missing bits. Cover any pipes that haven't yet been insulated. Go ahead and put away your garden hoses for the winter and cover outdoor hose bibbs. There are inexpensive insulated foam covers available that just screw on over the faucet.

If you happen to have a valve that shuts off water to your outside faucets, you can easily shut down all of them at once. Then open the faucets outside to allow any water in the pipe to drip out.

Important: Don't forget your pool or hot tub. While you might very well leave the water in your pool or spa through the winter months, there may be plumbing leading to it that should be insulated. Check it out - just to be sure.

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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

Sonoma Valley Water Supply Questioned

Fourteen local conservation groups have argued successfully to the Sonoma County Superior Court that the Sonoma County Water Agencey (SCWA) essentially over estimated supply and under estimated demand when formulating its Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP).

In his ruling, Superior Court Judge Gary Nadler wrote, “While the UWMP identified a potential water shortfall by 2020, it relies on certain assumptions including constructing facilities for transporting the water; that Endangered Species Act considerations for salmonids would not present a problem, and that necessary licenses necessary to meet the shortfall will be obtained.”

You can read more background on the issue in this week's Sonoma Valley Sun article, Water agency plan under fire.

In response to the ruling and the resulting question mark hanging over Valley water supplies, then Sonoma Mayor Joanne Sanders called a meeting for Wednesday, December 10, at 6 p.m. at the Sonoma Community Center, 276 E. Napa St., Sonoma.

The meeting is billed as a Water Study Session of the City Council, Planning Commission and Community Services and Environment Commission. City staff and the SCWA will be presenting information regarding the water system and supply, demand projections, and water planning and development issues. Show up and be heard - or at least be informed.

And then...? Due diligence - get your water conservation mojo going!

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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

Space Plumbers

The space shuttle Endeavor is zooming towards the International Space Station with plumbers on board. Can you believe it? We always knew that plumbers were on the front lines protecting the health of the nation - now we're into outer space. Very cool.

In the New York Times article describing the plans to expand the space station's facilities so that it could accommodate six people rather than the usual three, we noticed they mentioned the "ick factor." Every plumber knows about the ick factor. In this case, they were talking about recycling urine to provide drinking water. (Don't gag! It could come to that in California.)

Anyway, mention of this particular icky thing inspired us to add Dune to our bathroom reading list. Have you read it? It's a pretty good book - check it out.

And remember: if it's yellow, you'll save a little water if you let it mellow, but don't drink it. The technology for that is still a little out there.

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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

Water Heater Prices Set to Increase in the Bay Area

Beginning January 1, 2009, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Regulation 9, Rule 6 will apply to natural gas-fired, tank-style water heaters that are less than or equal to 50-gallons in capacity with inputs of 75,000 Btu/hour or less.

In plain-speak? The cost of residential natural gas water heaters is going up.

On November 7, 2007, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District amended Regulation 9, Rule 6. The amendments expanded the scope of the rule to:

• regulate Nitrogen Oxide emissions from water heaters and small boilers from 75,000 Btu/hr up to 2 million Btu/hr heat input;
• regulate Nitrogen Oxide emissions from mobile home water heaters and commercial pool and spa heaters that were exempt from the standards in the rule;
• establish more stringent Nitrogen Oxide limits for all affected equipment;
• and modify the requirements for certifying water heaters and boilers subject to the rule.

The requirements are applied in phases and beginning in January the rule affecting residential-sized water heaters kicks in. If you are anticipating having to replace a water heater in the near future and want to avoid the price increase, now would be the time to go ahead and replace your old heater.

New water heaters 50-gallons and less sold and installed after January 1, 2009 in the San Francisco Bay Area will need to have been modified to limit exhaust to the new acceptable levels - thus the price increase.

So in a nutshell, this rule prohibits the sale, installation, or offer for sale of any of the following types of water heaters unless the water heaters meet these highlighted emissions limitations:

Residential Water Heaters: Nitrogen Oxide emissions for residential natural gas-fired water heaters (less than or equal to 75,000 Btu/hr) must meet the following schedule:

• Tanks less than or equal to 50-gal - manufactured after 01/01/09 - limited to 10 ng/joule (1)
  
• Tanks greater than 50-gal - manufactured after 01/01/10 - limited to 10 ng/joule (1)
  
• Any tank with power assist - manufactured after 01/01//11 - limited to 10 ng/joule (2)
  

(1) Does not apply to direct-vent, power-vent, power direct-vent storage tank water heater or water heaters used for mobile homes.
(2) Does not apply to water heaters used for mobile homes.

There are separate requirements that apply to additional types of water heaters and boilers. You can find the complete Bay Area Air Quality Management District compliance advisory on the web. It is good to be informed.

This comes to you from the 'Thought You Should Know' department at Boden Plumbing. If you have questions - or are interested in switching out your water heater - give us a call (707 996 8683) or send an e-mail.

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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 0r 707-996-8683
www.nodrips.com

Boden Recommends: A Hot Water Recirc Pump

Are you running the tap waiting for the hot water to arrive? We know - it's inconvenient, not to mention a waste of both water and money. But what are ya' gonna do?

Well, a hot water recirculation pump could be just the ticket.

With a recirculation pump, water temperature is maintained in the line when you need it most. At Boden Plumbing, we like the Grundfos Comfort System. Installation of the unit 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. In fact, Grundfos estimates that in a typical household as much as 16,000 gallons of water can be saved per year with their system.

Think about it. 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 needs to be run through the line - and down the drain - before fresh hot water reaches the faucet. It's goofy.

So why not take another step in reducing unnecessary water use and improving energy efficiency by having a hot water recirc pump installed at your home? We think you'll be glad you did.

If you'd like more information, call the shop. Or log onto the Grundfos site to learn more.

:: 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

Friends will be Envious...Dogs will be Sorry...

Garbage disposals - what a great invention, huh? This vintage 1951 General Electric advertisement expresses all the optimism that heralded this great invention - the out-of-sight out-of-mind machine! "Friends will be envious, dogs will be sorry and germ carrying flies will be discouraged."

Garbage disposals are a wonderful convenience (if it's not possible to keep a compost pile at your house), but you do have to be aware that not everything should be stuffed down one.

Never put fibrous foods like celery, corn husks, potato and onion skins, artichoke leaves or asparagus ends in the disposal.

And then there are egg shells. Technically they're not really a problem for the disposal. When they can cause a problem, however, is once they get down in the sewer pipe and combine with grease to form clogs. This can especially be a problem if your system is prone to clogs.

So when grinding eggshells, make it just a few at a time and wash the bits down the drain with plenty of water - and no grease. When you do send grease down the line, make sure you chase it with cold water, which will help to break up and solidify the grease.

Actually, no matter what you're grinding in the disposal, always run a strong flow of cold water through it whenever it's in use, and then for at least 20 seconds after turning it off.

Over time, a film of scum can form in the grinding chamber, causing an unpleasant odor. To freshen your disposal, grind a half lemon or lime while running cold water. Citrus is a natural cleanser. A sprinkling of baking soda will also help to dispel odors. Most important, when it comes to keeping your disposal clean and odor-free, never let food sit in the disposal without running it.

Another tip: Periodically run ice cubes through your disposal. This helps to sharpen and clean the blades.

And one last tip: Never use a liquid drain opener in a clogged disposal. If you do get a jam up, use tongs, pliers or a plunger to remove obstructions.

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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

In Case of a Plumbing Emergency...

In case of a plumbing emergency... No, don't scream. Remain calm if possible, and just head for the appropriate shut-off.

You do know where your shut-offs are, don't you?

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.

:: Water Heater Breakdown
:: Whole House Water Shut Off

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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