Danville Plumber - Loosing Water Pressure - Guaranteed Plumbing Danville, CA

I am losing water pressure, how do I find the cause?

If you are connected to a municipal water company, call them. If you have your own water source, read on.
If you notice the pump is coming on or the pressure reading on the gauge is dropping when no one is using water, there could be a leak somewhere in your system or a check valve might have failed. Leaks can be in your house, underground or in the well.

Let’s check the easy things first – leaks in the house. Look at each toilet in the home. Lift the tank lid to see if the fill valve is stuck open and pouring water down the overflow tube. Some fill valves can be taken apart and cleaned while others will have to be replaced. It could be a bad tank ball or flapper allowing the water to leak from the tank into the bowl. This will cause the water level to drop in the tank and the fill valve will open to refill the water. Replace the flapper or ball. It is also possible that an outside faucet wasn’t turned off completely or the garden hose has developed a leak.

If nothing was leaking inside the house, an outdoor source could be at fault. Do you have a shut-off valve on the house side of the cold water pressure tank? If so, turn it off and watch the gauge. If the pressure is still dropping, the leak is between the tank and the bottom of your well or spring. The leak could be a cracked fitting, a hole in the pipe, a loose hose clamp, a bad o-ring in the pitless adapter or a bad check valve or foot valve. If the water source is a spring, replace the foot valve and the fitting. If you have a well and the well head is underground, start digging. If you have a well cap above ground, it will be easier to access. Remove the well cap or well seal. Listen for water spraying or hissing. Look down the well with a flashlight for leaks around the pitless adapter. If you do not see evidence of leaking pipes, you will have to pull the pipe out of the well. For a single-line jet pump, check the pipe for holes or splits and replace the foot valve and fitting at the bottom of the pipe. On a two-line jet pump system, check the pipe and pay special attention to the jet assembly (the piece that ties the two lines together). Look for a hole in the jet assembly and check or replace all of the fittings. Replace the foot valve. For a submersible pump, check the pipe and the fitting at the top of the pump. There is a check valve either just above the pump or built into the head of the pump. Replace the existing check valve or add a new check valve above the pump.

Check the pressure on the well side again. For jet pumps you will have to prime them by filling the lines with water. Jet pumps will not work if there is air in the pipe. Hopefully, the problem has been solved. If there is still a loss of pressure you might have a leak underground. Look for a wet spot in the yard between the house and the well which may indicate a leak. If there is nothing obvious in the yard, the most likely spot for a leak is at the foundation where the pipe enters the house. Dig this area first. The next place to dig is along the outside of the well casing to the point where the pipe attaches to the outside of the pitless adapter. If both of these areas are dry, the leak is probably somewhere else in the underground pipe. Other likely areas are under sidewalks or driveways. You may want to plug the pipe at the well or spring and do an air-pressure check to be sure the leak is definitely underground before digging up and replacing the existing pipe.

source: http://keithspecialty.wordpress.com/2011/04/14/losing-water-pressure-2/

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Plumbing East Bay - Lead in my Water - Guaranteed Plumbing Co. Danville, CA

How Does Lead Get Into My Water?

Lead enters the water (“leaches”) through contact with the plumbing.
Lead leaches into water through:
Corrosion* of

• Pipes
• Solder
• Fixtures and Faucets (brass)
• Fittings

The amount of lead in your water also depends on the types and amounts of minerals in the water, how long the water stays in the pipes, the amount of wear in the pipes, the water’s acidity and its temperature.
*Corrosion is a dissolving or wearing away of metal caused by a chemical reaction between water and your plumbing.

What should I do if I suspect that my water contains high lead levels?

If you want to know if your home’s drinking water contains unsafe levels of lead, have your water tested.
Testing is the only way to confirm if lead is present or absent.
Most water systems test for lead as a regular part of water monitoring. These tests give a system-wide picture and do not reflect conditions at a specific drinking water outlet.

Quick Tips to Reduce Your Family's Exposure to Lead

Use cold water for drinking or cooking. Never cook or mix infant formula using hot water from the tap.
Make it a practice to run the water at each tap before use.
Do not consume water that has sat in your home’s plumbing for more than six hours. First, make sure to run the water until you feel the temperature change before cooking, drinking, or brushing your teeth, unless otherwise instructed by your utility.
Some faucet and pitcher filters can remove lead from drinking water. If you use a filter, be sure you get one that is certified to remove lead by the NSF International.

source: http://water.epa.gov

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Plumbing East Bay - What is the difference between a water softener-water conditioner-water filter? - Guaranteed Plumbing Co. Danville, CA

What is the difference between a water softener-water conditioner-water filter?

Basically, our water softeners are a private water treatment system. Through the ion exchange process described earlier, as the dissolved calcium and magnesium carbonate in your water, which are mainly responsible for the hard water, passes through the mineral tank and comes in contact with the softening resin beads, the sodium ions on the resin beads are exchanged with the calcium ions in your water thereby reducing the amount of calcium ions. This reduces the "hardness ions" of the water exiting the softener making your water "soft".

Water filters differ from softeners in that filters are made to remove suspended solids, chlorine, pesticides and some iron bacteria. A filter will not remove dissolved solids, such as the minerals responsible for hard water.
We view the term 'conditioner' as more or less a slang term and very vague. You could say that a water softener produces a form of "conditioned" soft water as a water filter produces "conditioned" filtered water.

source:http://www.qualitywatertreatment.com

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Guaratnteed Plumbing Danville, CA - Making Your Shower Safer

You're in the shower, doing your best imitation of a Top-40 pop star. Suddenly that warm, relaxing shower turns too hot to handle, causing you to jump back to avoid the scorching water. The cause? Someone in the house has flushed a toilet. If the situation sounds familiar, then you need to install a pressure-balance valve in your shower.

These pressure-balancing devices prevent "shower shock" by automatically adjusting for temperature fluctuations whenever water?cold or hot?is diverted from the tub or shower, such as when someone starts up a load of laundry or flushes a toilet. Even in an instance when the water pressure drops drastically, a pressure-balance valve ensures that the water temperature doesn't change by more than 3° F.

Antiscald devices have been required in hospitals and nursing homes for decades. Now, 31 states have enacted, or will do so soon, legislation requiring pressure-balance valves in all residential remodeling and new-construction projects.
Antiscald devices are a wise investment. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, each year some 200,000 Americans suffer injuries caused by sudden changes in water temperature while they're bathing. Everyone is in danger of getting scalded or falling as they try to escape the hot water, but young children, the elderly and the physically challenged suffer the most injuries.

By: Merle Henkenius
source: thisoldhouse.com

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Plumber Walnut Creek - What size water heater should I buy? Guaranteed Plumbing Danville, CA

WATER HEATERS

When we think about where our energy dollars go, we notice the obvious choices we see every day around the house - lights, kitchen appliances, television, and air conditioning and heating. But we tend to overlook the expense of heating water for our daily needs, however 25% of each energy dollar goes to heat water.

Like most appliances, water heaters have improved greatly in recent years. Today's models are much more energy efficient. That's why you probably couldn't replace your existing water heater with the same exact model - and you probably wouldn't want to. Instead, you may be able to purchase a more efficient water heater that will save you money on energy each month. That's why you shouldn't just consider the initial purchase price - think about how much it costs to operate. You could save hundreds of dollars in the long run.

Look at it this way - some cars get 15 miles to a gallon, while other, more efficient vehicles can go 30 miles or more on a gallon of gas. In the same way, some water heaters use energy more efficiently. Buy one of those and you'll spend less money each month to get the same amount of hot water.

The average life expectancy of a water heater is 13 years. That's how long you'll be living with the decision you make now. If you choose a water heater that saves you money, the savings will continue for years.

If your new water heater saves an average of a dollar a month in energy costs, that amounts to a savings of $12 a year - or $156 over its expected lifespan.

Electric vs Gas

Your first decision should be whether to buy a gas or electric model. If you're replacing an existing water heater, check to see what type you have now. Is it gas, electric or even propane? Do you have a natural gas outlet available at the water heater, or only an electric outlet? Many homes are not equipped with natural gas. Obviously, it would not be a good idea to buy a gas water heater if you have an all-electric home.

Which is better - gas or electric?

In almost all of California, natural gas is the most economical way to go. It usually costs three times as much to heat the same amount of water with electricity as it does with gas.

If you have an electric water heater and a gas furnace or stove, you may save money in the long run if you extend the gas line to your water heater.

If you live in a rural area that has propane service instead of natural gas, propane is usually less expensive than electricity.

Solar Hot Water Systems

The sun's heat has been used for decades to heat water for homes and businesses. At the turn of the 20th century, solar heated water systems were common in Southern California. Some countries have made their use mandatory. For example, all homes in Israel have solar hot water systems.

More than one-half million solar hot water systems have been installed in the United States, mostly on single-family homes. The majority of these systems are used to heat swimming pools.

Typically, a homeowner relying on electricity to heat water could save up to $500 in the first year of operation by installing a solar water heating system. The savings over time increases due to increasing electricity rates. The average solar heating system pays for itself in four to seven years.

For more on solar hot water systems,

Tankless or On-Demand Water Heaters

Tankless Water heaters are also called on-demand water heaters. These provide hot water right where you need it, when you need it, without a storage tank. Using electricity, gas, or propane as a heat source, tankless water heaters, in some cases, can cut your water-heating bill by 10 to 20 percent. The savings come by eliminating standby losses - energy wasted by warmed water sitting around unused in a tank.

Units large enough to supply hot water for an entire house can be located centrally. More commonly, tankless water heaters usually sit in a closet or under a sink where its hot water is used.

A tankless water heater can supplement a regular water heater in a distant location, or it can be used for all your hot water needs. But be aware that they aren't appropriate for all applications, and that sometimes they won't save that much energy or money.

Residential-sized gas-fired models that are now on the market supply only five gallons of water heated by 90 degrees per minute - a comfortable enough output for a house with one or two people. If you have a large family, however, and need to do laundry and wash dishes at the same time others shower, a tankless system probably won't meet your needs. Electrically heated models provide even less hot water than gas models - more like two gallons a minute, heated 70 degrees.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Here are some advantages to on-demand water heating:

• Tankless water heaters are compact in size and virtually eliminate standby losses - energy wasted when hot water cools down in long pipes or while it's sitting in the storage tank.
  
• By providing warm water immediately where it's used, tankless water heaters waste less water. People don't need to let the water run as they wait for warm water to reach a remote faucet. A tankless water heater can provide unlimited hot water as long as it is operating within its capacity.
  
• Equipment life may be longer than tank-type heaters because they are less subject to corrosion. Expected life of tankless water heaters is 20 years, compared to 10 to 15 years for tank-type water heaters.
  
• Tankless water heaters range in price from $200 for a small under-sink unit up to $1000 for a gas-fired unit that delivers 5 gallons per minute. Typically, the more hot water the unit produces, the higher the cost.
  
• In most cases, electric tankless water heaters will cost more to operate than gas tankless water heaters.

Here are some drawbacks to on-demand water heating:

• Tankless water heaters usually cannot supply enough hot water for simultaneous uses such as showers and laundry.
  
• Unless your demand system has a feature called modulating temperature control, it may not heat water to a constant temperature at different flow rates. That means that water temperatures can fluctuate uncomfortably - particularly if the water pressure varies wildly in your own water system.
  
• Electric units will draw more instantaneous power than tank-type water heaters. If electric rates include a demand charge, operation may be expensive.
  
• Electric tankless water heaters require a relatively high electric power draw because water must be heated quickly to the desired temperature. Make sure your wiring is up to the demand.
  
• Tankless gas water heaters require a direct vent or conventional flue. If a gas-powered unit has a pilot light, it can waste a lot of energy.

source; http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/appliances/waterheaters.html

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Plumber Alamo - Guide to Choosing a Low-Flow Toilet - Guaranteed Plumbing Danville, CA

Guide to Choosing a Low-Flow Toilet

Use These Tips when Considering an Eco-Friendly Toilet Model

Homeowners are starting to follow an eco-friendly trend when doing renovations to conserve natural resources, and most importantly, money. A popular eco-friendly trend is low flow toilets; eco-toilets use less water per flush and do the same job as their heavy flow counterparts. When shopping for eco-friendly toilets consumers have to be careful, because toilets with weak flows will clog often. This article will look at what you should consider when shopping for an eco-friendly toilet.

Low flow

The GPF (gallons per flush) is the measure of flow for toilets; this information can be found on the toilets box. According to getwithgreen.com, homeowners can save an average of one gallon per flush when switching to a low flow toilet, and even more if they switch to higher efficient brands, such as Kohler and Caroma. Heavy usage on low flow toilets can cause them to clog very easily since there will not be as much water delving the waist to either a septic system, or city sewer. If the toilet is used by a family I would recommend getting a toilet that averages about 1.6 GPF, and if it is used just by one person you can use a .8- 1.0 GPF low flow toilet.

Should I go with a brand name?

When converting any big household item to low flow, such as sink faucet, bathroom showerhead, and low flow toilet, you should always go with a name brand. The replacement parts are easier to come by on name brands, which makes doing repairs much easier than if you had to hunt for generic parts.

Read customer reviews

There are many different styles of low flow toilets, some of which are great, and others not so much. Research the model you wish to purchase before actually buying it; this will save you a lot of hassle in the future if it does not work well. Low flow toilets are a tricky purchase because although they save you money and water, they also have a tendency to not work as well as higher flow toilets.

Solid waste and liquid waste

A great eco friendly design that is starting to happen with low flow toilets is the option to flush for solid waste or liquid waste. The solid waste flush will use about three GPF, while the liquid waste will use about one GPF. This feature is great because it helps save money by using less water, but also helps prevent any clogs.

Prices

Dual flush toilets as mentioned above are currently about double the price of single flush toilets, but are well worth the extra investment. Although many brand name toilet companies are coming out with highly efficient single flush low flow toilets, I would still be cautious with purchasing one. If there is not enough water flow then you can expect constant repair, whereas if you can control the flow you will take a lot of the hassle out of owning an eco-friendly model.

by Josh Mason
Source:http://voices.yahoo.com/guide-choosing-low-flow-toilet-5269635.html?cat=6

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Guaranteed Plumbing Danville, Ca - The Advantages of Instant Hot Water Dispensers

Lots of people love the idea of having an instant hot water dispenser in their kitchen. Using instant hot water allows you to make hot cereal in the blink of an eye, or a cup of tea almost as fast as you can make a cup of instant coffee. And that ready supply of hot water makes clean up a breeze.

How Does an Instant Hot Water Heater Work?

Instant hot water heaters are basically small electric hot water tanks (none of them are gas fired). A small tank holds the hot water ready for use, just waiting for when you turn on the special instant hot water tap at the sink. Water is supplied to the tank through a small water line that runs off the sink's main cold water feed line. It comes into the base of the tank, where it's heated by an electric element. This heating causes the water to expand, and it moves up into a holding tank in the top of the tank where it is kept hot. When you turn on the dedicated tap, hot water flows out the top and fresh cold water flows in at the bottom.

Instant hot water dispensers range in capacity from 1/3 to 1/2 gallon, and the heating elements vary from 500 to 1500 Watts. It's estimated that a 750-watt 1/2-gallon tank can deliver up to 60 cups of hot water in an hour. Since the instant tanks produce water that is substantially hotter than regular hot water tank (about 190 degrees versus 120 degrees), the water is delivered at a much slower rate than a regular hot water tank (about one ounce per second).

Most instant hot water tanks have a thermostat that allows you to adjust the temperature if the water is too cool, or if it's too hot and boils away. You can get instant hot water heaters that are part of "total" water systems as well. Some are produced with integrated water filters or even water chillers to provide pre-chilled drinking water.

Source :  www.doityourself.com/stry/hotwatersolutions#ixzz1tpVkwaUf

by Murra Anderson 

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