Stop Sewer Gas From Entering Your Broken Arrow Home

If you need to stop sewer gas from entering your home, you’re probably already well aware of how crucial this problem is. After all, the odor is unmistakable and can permeate your entire premise.Your plumbing contains built-in safety features to stop sewer gas from tainting your indoor environment. However, simple malfunctions in these safeguards may result in noxious odors pervading your living space. Here are some possible causes and cures:

• The U-shaped traps in drain pipes under sinks contain water at all times in order to seal out sewer gas from flowing into your home. If a sink isn’t utilized for a long period of time or there’s a leak in the trap coupling, water inside the trap may dry up or leak out. Run water into all sinks to make sure all traps contain water and check underneath them to make sure they’re not leaking.

• Check for a sewer cleanout plug in your basement floor drain. Remove the floor drain grate and make sure the plug is intac and tightened.

• Sewer gas may infiltrate through a defective wax ring seal around the base of your toilet. The wax seal may have deteriorated if the toilet feels loose or rocks. The services of a professional plumber will be required to remove your toilet and replace the seal. Also, while the trap normally contains water, if the toilet hasn’t been used for an extended period, the trap may go dry.

• Sewer vent pipes extend through the attic and terminate at the roof. When functioning properly, these vents intake air to equalize pressure in sewer pipes as waste material passes through. If a sewer vent is blocked by leaves, birds nests or other obstructions, air intake is obstructed. The resultant vacuum in the sewer line may suck water out of sink traps, allowing sewer gas to infiltrate your home. A plumber can access your sewer vents from the roof and clear obstructions.

For professional plumbing service in Broken Arrow, contact Air Assurance today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “pockygallery/Shutterstock”

Find and Repair Hidden Plumbing Leaks in Your Tulsa Home

Frozen pipes are a huge cause of hidden plumbing leaks and flooding in your home. As soon as water freezes, it expands and forces itself out of the weakest part of any plumbing system, causing it to burst. During freezing winter months, it's best to leave your tap running, especially if you plan to go on vacation. This steady flow can help prevent any freezing.

Although proper insulation is the more efficient and wiser long term-solution, it's a big relief to have some frost-free hose bibs installed in case of emergency flooding. Sometimes a faulty gasket or a loose connection to the wall may be the only cause of a leak. In this case, a simple replacement or repair, either by hand or with a wrench, will be required.

Leaks may also be cause by old mechanical parts or washers and o-rings. Don't overlook proper grout and sealant for your fixtures, as these aren't just needed for cosmetic reasons.

For a thorough run-down on leak prevention check, out this checklist. It covers much of what's needed to prevent and repair leaks, especially during the fall or winter when plumbing problems can be especially tricky due to cold weather.Industry leaders and renowned HVAC and plumbing firm, Air Assurance in Broken Arrow, can install a system that detects leaks in your home before they become a problem. Water alarms are a relatively simple technology, although they're all too commonly neglected by homeowners.

Essentially, these alarms feature a simple circuit that breaks when the slightest bit of moisture makes contact with it, causing it to sound off. Contact Air Assurance to give you the whole run-down on leaky plumbing solutions in the Broken Arrow area -- you'll be glad you did!

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Effective Ways to Avoid Costly Winter Plumbing Leaks

With winter raising its head early this year, now's the time for Tulsa area homeowners to be proactive about avoiding winter plumbing leaks. Reaching out to your local HVAC expert can be a great start, but there are several steps you can take yourself to accomplish your goal.Here are five projects that take very little time, and will save you headaches later on when freezing weather arrives:

Protect against frozen pipes: Take some time to inspect exposed plumbing pipes, looking for areas where pipe insulation has come free. Every little bit of protection helps, as the last thing a homeowner wants to do is clean up after burst pipes.

Repair pipes now: A quick scan of your plumbing and appliances can identify leaks that need repairing. With a dry cloth or paper towel, find areas where water is leaking and repair and replace if needed. Check gaskets for simple fixes, but if a pipe is cracked, have a plumber come in for replacement.

Remove outdoor hoses: An outdoor garden hose can let ice crawl into your plumbing. To avoid this issue, remove all hoses and store them away for the season. If you don't, you'll be protecting your lines from a domino effect of frozen pipes.

Close and drain irrigation system: Often forgotten once lawn maintenance season has passed, in-ground irrigation systems have standing water in their lines until they're flushed out. Contact your lawn care specialist for an appointment to flush out your system to avoid burst pipes underground.

Clean out sump pump pit: Last but not least, clean out any leaves and debris that could clog up and create a frozen block of ice in your sump pump pit. If this mechanism freezes, your system won't be able to pump excess water from your basement, leading to a flood.

For more expert advice on avoiding costly winter winter plumbing leaks, please feel free to contact your friendly HVAC representative at Air Assurance. We've been serving the Tulsa community since 1985.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Nelosa/Shutterstock”

Steps to Take During a Plumbing Emergency

If you've never experienced a real plumbing emergency, congratulations. However, many plumbing problems can occur from an overflowing toilet or a clogged drain. It pays to be particularly prepared in the wintertime when freezing weather can cause burst pipes.Here are some basic guidelines to keep in mind if you encounter a plumbing emergency.

Leaks

More often than not, plumbing emergencies will involve a leak or clog. Regardless, fixing the problem will likely require shutting off the water to your home. If you don't know where the main water shut-off to your home is, find out where it's located and learn how to shut it off.Also, figure out how to turn off the water to each plumbing fixture -- such as your toilet, wash basin and kitchen sink. If your water heater is experiencing some problems, be sure to turn off the unit, either by turning off the gas or the electricity.

Clogged Toilets

The main thing to remember after flushing a clogged toilet is to prevent your tank from draining into the bowl. You can do this by raising the floating ball and preventing the bowl from filling. After that, reach down and cut off the valve that controls water flow to the toilet. You may then attend to the clog, either by using a plumber's helper or calling a plumber.

Clogged Drains

It's often difficult to figure out where the clog to a bathtub or wash basin drain might be. It could be in the pipe that drains away from the fixture or further down the line.With a double kitchen sink, close off the unclogged drain, fill the clogged sink partially with water and employ vigorous plunging. If this doesn't unclog the stoppage and you're competent to do so, remove the sink trap and use a cable auger to unclog. You may have to contact a plumber to free up a clog further down the line.

For more information on how to deal with a plumbing emergency, contact Air Assurance in Broken Arrow.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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The Pros of Having an Anti-Scald Valve on Your Faucet

The Pros of Having an Anti-Scald Valve on Your Faucet

Most people use their water faucets every day, but what most people don't know is that the water that comes out of their faucet can potentially harm them. Without the proper equipment on your water heater you can get third-degree burns from exposure to scalding 150-degree water for just two seconds. Even temperatures of 120 degrees can give you third-degree burns if you are exposed to them long enough. Getting burnt from scalding is so common that 20 percent of all burns are from scalding, so it is important that you take the preventative measures to ensure that you don't hurt yourself.  

One way to prevent these types of burns from occurring is to install an anti-scald valve on your faucet. Anti-scald valves make sure that your water doesn't get too hot so that the water can't get to a temperature that will burn you. How the valve works is that it adds cold water to the hot water going to your faucet, which will then lessen the heat and allow you to have warm but not too warm of temperatures. Because you aren't using up your hot water as fast you can have more hot water to use throughout the day; and by using less hot water you are also saving money.

The next step is to learn how to install the valve. You can install an anti-scald valve in your hot-water line, but you also need a cold-water feed so that you can lower the waters hot temperature. The other method of installation would be to install it directly into your water heater, which can prevent a whole buildings worth of faucets from scalding. It's also important that you use proper maintenance techniques on your water heater so that it can last more than 20 years efficiently.

Safety is an important part of your plumbing needs and we hope that we can further provide you with helpful information. For more information on home plumbing, heating or air conditioning you can visit Air Assurance to contact someone that can help you with the information you're looking for.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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Protect Your Home and Find Water Leaks Before It's Too Late

Finding a water leak in your home might seem difficult, but with a little instruction, you will be able to find most leaks and stop them before they cause expensive damage.Start searching for leaks by checking your water meter. The water meter has the information you need to determine whether or not there's a leak in your home. Write down the numbers you see and make sure all of the water is shut off in your home to sinks, hoses, water softeners and washing machines. Then go look at the numbers again. If your meter still reads that water is circulating through your home, shut your water valve off on your main water supply. From there, turn on sinks or other sources of water to determine if water is still circulating through them (even if the main valve for water is off) and then check your meter once again.At that point, you can determine if you need professionals such as Air Assurance to correct your problem. And remember, freezing weather can cause pipes to crack. and once they thaw, cause serious leak damage to your home. Be sure to ask your expert for more information about how to protect your pipes from freezing this winter.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “bikeriderlondon/Shutterstock”

Fall Is a Good Time for a Plumbing Checkup

Winter weather requires special home care, especially when it comes to your plumbing system. Since water expands when frozen, it can cause a lot of headaches and expensive repairs if not prepared for. Here are some of the most important tasks that should be part of your plumbing checkup before the cold rolls in:

• Inspect outdoor faucets for leaks. Another caveat of the cold weather is that your plumbing piping will shrink a significant amount: it’s what most materials do. This makes the water pressure greater during the winter. If you have a leak and high water pressure, you could be in for a massive flooding problem. Look for faucets that are dripping or leaking and fix them.

• Put the hoses away. Garden hoses aren’t too useful in the winter. If any water is left inside, it can freeze and damage the hose, the faucet it’s connected to as well as the pipes. Store the hoses in the basement or the garage.

• Insulate outdoor piping. Not only will insulating any outdoor plumbing save you money by reducing heat loss, but it will prevent the piping from freezing and causing problems.

• Flush your water heater. Over time sediment is likely to build up on the bottom of a storage tank water heater. It can reduce efficiency and speed up corrosion. Draining your water heater and flushing it before the busy winter season is a good idea.

• Clean your gutters and downspouts. While your gutters may not seem like a part of your plumbing system, they are very important for water drainage. If they are clogged, water from rain or snow can accumulate and freeze, causing damage to your gutters and downspouts. You may also be at risk for ice dams, which can cause expensive damage to your roof.

If you are interested in a professional plumbing checkup for your Broken Arrow home this fall, contact Air Assurance.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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If You Need a Plumber, This List Will Help You Find the Right One

Since many homeowners don't realize they need a plumber until an emergency strikes, finding a reliable one can be tough. Although you can take steps to maintain your home’s plumbing system and prevent water damage, it is important to have a trustworthy professional available just in case. Here are some key tips for finding the right Mr. or Ms. Fix-It for your home.Ask AroundSince referrals are the foundation for good business, the first step when you need a plumber is to ask friends, family, neighbors and coworkers for their recommendations. Also, consult websites or service provider reviews.Do the ResearchWrite up a short list based on those recommendations, and then contact the Better Business Bureau. They can let you know whether potential service providers have outstanding or extraordinary complaints. The BBB can also help you find out your state's requirements and ensure that candidates more than fulfill basic requirements.Shop AroundWith your shorter list in hand, create a list of questions about your home's plumbing problem(s). Ask companies for free estimates and for general rates, whether by the job or hour, to help cut down your list further. This step also gives you a general estimate ahead of time.Ask the Right QuestionsBefore making your final choice, ask the following questions to avoid any surprises.

• How long have they been around? Look for plumbers with five to 10 years of experience.

• What licenses do they carry? Consult the Better Business Bureau again.

• What kind of insurance have they got? Generally, at least $500,000 in liability insurance, along with workman’s compensation, is standard.

• Is the job guaranteed, and, if so, for how long? Guarantees reveal confidence in their work.

Finally, review the contract details before agreeing. This ensures that you get the estimate in writing, and that you, your home, and your plumber are fully protected.Using these steps, you can take your time finding the right professional for your home before plumbing emergencies strike. For more expert assistance in addressing your Tulsa metropolitan area home comfort needs, contact Air Assurance Heating, Air Conditioning, & Plumbing today.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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Tulsa Sewer Drain Clog -- Tame the Roots

Sewer problems come from two sources, broken sewer lines and clogs. Both of these can be caused by tree roots infiltrating your existing lateral line (the pipe that connects the house to the main city sewer line). Prevent sewer problems by keeping tree roots out. This will virtually eliminate clogging.

Tree roots naturally seek out water underground. Since lateral lines are a constant source of water, it's no surprise that they find their way into the pipes. Older lateral lines were made of clay pipe that is very easy for tree roots to grow through. These lines also had joints where roots didn't have to work nearly as hard to enter. Newer lateral lines are made from fewer pieces and are composed of UPVC (unplasticized  polyvinylchloride) which is almost impenetrable by even the strongest willow roots.

Replacing your current sewer line with a UPVC one to prevent sewer problems is the best choice. A trenchless sewer replacement will destroy the existing sewer line and replace it without digging up your yard. There is just one hole at the lateral line junction with the main city line and one at the exit point of the house. The old pipe is broken and pushed into the surrounding soil with a bursting head and the new one is drawn into the void. It takes a few hours and leaves no sign it was done.

If you can't afford a full trenchless sewer replacement to eliminate your root issue, there is another option. You can use a chemical root retarder (copper sulfate or potassium hydroxide) to prevent root growth. Some plumbing companies also offer a proprietary blend of their own that does the same thing.

When you are considering landscaping, plant large trees at least 30 feet away from your drain line. This will prevent roots from seeking out your sewer line.

A bit of knowledge and some pre-planning can help you prevent sewer problems in the future. If you are currently having sewer issues, please contact Air Assurance in Broken Arrow today. We can help you get your drains running fast again.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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