Plumber Alamo - Garbage Disposer Answers to Common Questions - Guaranteed Plumbing Co Danville

Garbage Disposer Answers to Common Questions

What can I put into my disposer?

Most disposers can handle the following--regardless of whether you have a city sewer or a septic tank:

Soft food particles

Ice cubes, most softer bones, fruit pits, etc.--which help to clean the inside of the disposer

Citrus fruit peel--which freshens drain smells

Coffee grounds

Disposer cleaner, degreaser, or deodorizer

 

What shouldn't I put into my disposer?

Don't put these in your disposer:

Hot water, while you're grinding food waste (it's fine when the disposer is turned off)

Extremely fibrous material like corn husks, artichokes, celery stalks, onion peels, and so on

 

Do I have to run the water while using the disposer?

Yes. Run a full stream of cold water through the disposer while it grinds. Then let the water run for another 30 seconds after you turn off the disposer.

 

The most important thing to remember about a garbage disposal is that it is designed to work with your plumbing to dispose of food scraps through your drain pipes. If you don't run enough water before and after you turn the garbage disposal on, you will not send the food particles completely through the disks that cut up the food and you will also not send the food all the way out of your drainage pipes.

How long should I let the disposer run?

Just until the food has been ground up--which is usually less than 30 seconds.

Do coffee grounds/ice cubes clean a disposer?

Perhaps. They won't harm your disposer, though.

My disposer smells. How do I clean it?

Grinding a lemon rind helps reduce odors. You may also want to try one of the disposer cleaners, degreasers, or deodorizers that you can buy at the grocery or hardware store or see our parts section for the ones we offer.

source: http://www.repairclinic.com/Garbage-Disposer-Answers-to-Common-Questions

http://www.guaranteedplumbingco.com

Alamo Plumber - Water Heater Safety - Guaranteed Plumbing Co. Danville

Water heaters are often taken for granted. They sit in our garage or utility closet and perform their assigned duty day in and day out. If installed correctly they will operate with little fuss for many years. Most of us rarely give the water heater a second thought, but they have a life cycle just like every other component or appliance in your house.
At the very minimum you should take a careful look at your water heater at least once a year. One of the most common points of failure is at the top of your water heater where it connects to the house plumbing. If the water heater was not installed with proper dielectric connectors, you will get corrosion where the copper plumbing meets the steel tank. Corrosino at water heaterThis area is often difficult to see. A tank can be five feet tall and when properly installed on an 18 inch platform, the top of the tank is 6-1/2 feet off the ground. This area can easily be over looked.
If you see heavy rust in this area, your tank is ready to leak. remember that your plumbing system is under pressure 24 hours a day. It doesn’t take much corrosion to eat through the plumbing. Even a small leak can flood your house. Even if your water heater is in your garage, a leak can find it’s way to the interior of your house. Water often sprays out of a small breach in the plumbing with such force that it quickly destroys the drywall, and get’s inside the walls, and into your house. Just a small amount of water can destroy wood flooring, baseboards, carpeting, furninture, or personal items that are sitting on the floor.

Rusty water heater piping can cause leaks

In addition to looking for corrosion, look for evidence of soot at the exterior of the tank. This can be found around the burner compartment cover at the bottom of your water heater. If you are comfortable doing so, open the cover and look inside the compartment. Be careful of hot parts. If the water heater is on the inner cover will be hot. Once you remove the inner cover look for scale and rust inside the burner compartment. Old, damaged parts in the burner compartment can cause the water heater to remain on and over heat. This is a major cause of house fires.
Proper venting is critical to the safe operation of a water heater. Check the flue. It should be properly aligned with the top of the tank. And the sections of the flue should be well seated. Do not use duct tape on the flue. It can catch fire. An improperly installed flue can allow Carbon Monoxide to leak into your living space.
A general rule of thumb is to proactively replace your water heater when it has reached the end of its warranty period. That usually means that if your water heater is more than 7 years old, it should be replaced before you have problems with it. The price ofa water heater is usually less than your insurance deductable. When in doubt, have your water heater inspected by a licensed plumber. It does not cost much and could save your family from injury, and you home from damage.

source: http://sdinspections.com/tag/water-heater-safety

http://www.guaranteedplumbingco.com

Danville Plumber - What is Water Heater Strapping - Guaranteed Plumbing Co. Danville

Water Heater Strapping

Unsecured water heaters often fall over, rupturing rigid water and gas connections. If your water heater does not have two straps that wrap completely around it and are screwed into the studs or masonry of the wall, then it is not properly braced. This illustration shows one method of bracing a water heater.

Bracing kits are available that make this process simple. Also, have a plumber install flexible (corrugated) copper water connectors, if not already done.

Protected source of water – or a puddle

Fresh water after a disaster may be as close as your water heater – provided, of course, that it remains standing upright. A typical water heater holds 30 to 50 gallons of water.

However, this supply of water is extremely vulnerable to the ground undulation (swells and rolls) and ground acceleration of earthquakes, causing them to tip over.

You can protect this valuable resource by securing your water heater to the wall studs.

Changes to strapping recommendations

Your tank may be strapped, but incorrectly, as old methods are no longer recommended. Experts have modified the recommended procedure for strapping water heaters because many tanks broke through their strapping in both the 1989 Loma Prieta (San Francisco) and the 1994 Northridge (Los Angeles) earthquakes. Experts recommend these two important changes:

Larger imageDo NOT use this - this is plumber's tape. Use heavy gauge steele strapping instead.

Source: SPAN Disaster Services, Inc.

1. Secure both the top and the bottom, rather than just the top or just the middle, of the hot water tank.
2. Use heavy-gauge metal strapping rather than plumber's tape. Many water heaters in both the 1989 and the 1994 earthquakes broke through the plumber's tape that was intended to keep them secure. The thin metal in plumber's tape has been found to be too brittle to be effective.

Larger imageCommercially available kits like this one come complete with the strapping, lag screws, washers, spacers, and tension bolts. These kits can be purchased at many local hardware stores, and are recommended.

Source: SPAN Disaster Services, Inc.

Securing your hot water tank

Larger imageMake sure the strap wraps around the water heater 1 1/2 times! Water heaters are an excellent supply of emergency water. Water can be accessed from the drain spout - this is made easier by connecting a garden hose to the drain spout. Open a faucet somewhere in the house to allow the water to drain easier. Make sure the electricity or natural gas is shut off before opening the drain.

Source: SPAN Disaster Services, Inc.

Secure your water heater.

• There should be very little space between the water heater and the wall. If there is more than 1 or 2 inches, attach a wooden block to the wall studs with long lag screws (see illustration on page 20). The purpose is to prevent the heater from tipping backwards.
• Wrap the heavy-gauge metal strapping 1½ times around the tank. Start by placing the strapping at the back of the tank. Bring it to the front and then take it back to the wall (see illustration below).
• Secure this strapping to the wall studs or the wood block using several 1/4" x 3" or longer lag screws with oversized washers. If you are securing it directly into concrete, use 1/4" expansion bolts in place of the screws.
• Replace all copper and metal piping with flexible natural gas and water line connectors.

Another Solution for Water Heaters

The Problem

If water heaters are not properly braced, they can topple over during an earthquake causing:

Larger imageThe unbraced water heater in this home fell during an earthquake; the resulting fire destroyed the home.

Source: California Seismic Safety Commission

• Broken gas lines and gas leaks
• Fires causing major damage to homes
• Broken water lines and flooding

How to Identify

Larger imageThis unstrapped water heater tipped over during the 1984 Morgan Hill Earthquake. Fortunately gas and water lines were not ruptured.

Source: California Seismic Safety Commission

• Is the water heater free-standing?
• Are there straps or other types of restraints securing the water heater?
• Are there straps or restraints bolted to the studs?
• If the water heater is secured, was it completed properly using updated recommendations?
• Are there flexible pipes for water and gas connected to the water heater?

Remember

• Replacing a water heater after an earthquake can cost more than $500.
• Repairing fire damage and flooding damage can cost several thousand dollars, including the entire cost of your home!
• Check with your local Building Department for details of local requirements.
• Know where your main water valve is so that you can shut it off if you have a water leak.
• Know where your main gas valve is so that you can shut it off if you hear or smell a gas leak.

Water heaters must be braced (securely attached) to the studs in a wall. California law requires water heaters to be braced at the time of sale, or when a new water heater is installed.

The Solution

There are recommended solutions – all relatively inexpensive.

• Purchase and install a strap kit or bracing kit from your local hardware store. Be sure the kit is certified by the State Architect.

Other options include:

• Have a licensed plumber strap your water heater according to code.
• Use metal tubing or heavy metal strapping and lag screws and washers to secure the water heater to the wall studs.

Larger imageOne Method of Water Heater Bracing. Straps and screws visible with water heater in a garage installation. You may need to add wood blocking.

Source: California Seismic Safety Commission

The gas and water lines should also have flexible pipes. These are safer than rigid pipes during an earthquake.

Be sure to check the straps once a year. They may come loose due to vibrations, or other causes.

How-to Resources

• Your local home improvement store
• How to Brace Your Water Heater, City of Los Angeles, Department of Building &Safety, Information Bulletin #P/PC 2002-003, June 14, 1999.
• Guidelines for Earthquake Bracing of Residential Water Heaters, Department of General Services, Division of State Architect, August 11, 2004.
• How to Secure Your Water Heater, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, 2003.

source: http://www.earthquakecountry.info/daretoprepare/stuff/waterheater.html

http://www.guaranteedplumbingco.com