Sewer, Gas, & Water leak Detection Service Tulsa

Leak Detection Services - Water, Sewer, & Gas

Do you small gas in your home, dealing with a possible gas leak? Do you have a water, or slab leak and needing the professional services of a water leak detection company in Tulsa? Look no further that with the professional plumbing services of Air Assurance. No matter what type of leak you are looking for, we offer services related to :

• Slab Leak Detection - Slab Leak Repair;

• Gas Leak Detection - Gas Leak Repairs;

• Water Leak detection - Water leak repairs;

• Hydro Static Sewer Leak - Hydro Static Sewer Pipe Test

No matter what type of leak you are dealing with, the professionals at Air Assurance can help. We offer 24-hour plumbing emergency services.

Types of Leak Detection

Gas leak repair is not something you can wait on. A gas leak is potentially dangerous and needs to be resolved quickly. A licensed plumber is requires to handle repairs that could affect your family’s health. It is important that gas work is done by a qualified professional plumbing contractor.

If you smell gas inside your home always take immediate action by calling 911 or your local fire department.  Natural gas and propane are dangerous flammable gasses.  You need to have the gas turned off immediately.  As you leave your home or business do not use any electrical equipment or mobile devices.  Do NOT flip any light switches, use a computer or a cell phone, evacuate immediately and leave the door open behind you to let the gas escape.

Call the Sewer Repair Professionals

A clogged or damaged sewer line requires the assistance of a trained plumbing professional. The experts at Air Assurance will utilize the latest technology to diagnose and locate the problem. If necessary, we may employ the use of a small video camera designed to travel through your pipes in order to locate and visually inspect the exact nature of the problem

What is a slab leak?

Slab leaks refer to water leaks of plumbing pipes installed in or under the slab concrete foundation of a home. Under particular conditions slab pipes leak out water and cause expensive structural damage. Hidden from view, leaky underground pipes are not always detectable unless homeowners recognize the five, most common slab leak symptoms. For their destructive nature, slab water leaks necessitate early detection before serious damage occurs.

Property owners ought to watch-out for the following symptoms of water leaks under concrete slab: high water bills, sound of running water when no water is used, excessive moisture under carpets, hot spots on floors or cracks on floors and walls.

LEAK DETECTION SERVICES

Does a higher water bill have you scratching your head? For expert Tulsa Metro water leak detection, trust Air Assurance. Call 918-258-2665 today for a quote. Save on your next plumbing service by clicking here for online deals and coupons.

While a water leak may not be the most obvious plumbing repair, it can lead to lots of unnecessary cost and frustration. Air Assurance Plumbing division works to detect and repair water leaks in your Tulsa or Broken Arrow property..

Common Causes for Water Leaks

Some of the most common causes for water leaks include the following:

• Clogged drains and toilets : Materials like grease, food, hair and even foreign objects like toys can cause clogs in your drains and toilets. It’s most common for simple clogs to cause water leaks.

• Wear and tear in the pipes ­: Over time, your home shifts and settles. As your pipes age and move when the ground settles, leaks can occur.

• Root systems taking hold ­: A root system planted near your pipes can make its way into the pipes, causing a blockage and a leak.

Confirm Your Suspicion Today with the Plumbing Professionals at Air Assurance in Tulsa, OK.

It's Almost Winter: Time for Your Plumbing Checkup

Air Assurance Plumbing - Tulsa, OK

With fall approaching, there's always plenty to do before the really cold weather hits. There's raking leaves, maybe covering up the HVAC condenser and calling for fall maintenance on the furnace. But do you also plan for a fall plumbing checkup? Here's why you should.

Why Your Plumbing Needs a Checkup

In our region, pipes can freeze. When water in pipes freezes, it expands, then thaws with warmer temperatures. Once thawed, the water may leak, flooding your home, damaging floors, walls, ceilings and furnishings. The key to preventing frozen pipes in your home and outside is installing sufficient insulation, and maintaining a temperature of between 50-60 degrees at minimum.

Fall Maintenance Checklist

You as a homeowner can do some tasks to prepare plumbing for fall, while some things may require a plumber.

1. Undo hoses from spigots and check faucets for leaks. Have them fixed before freezing weather arrives. Water trapped in hoses can expand in pipes and burst them. When you've drained the hoses and faucets, cover faucets with an insulated cover to prevent freezing.

2. If you have older sewer lines that tree roots have grown into, have them snaked to ensure water is flowing throughout the winter. If you have newer sewer lines, more than likely you have no cracks and tree roots aren't a problem.

3. Going on vacation? If no one is going to be visiting your home to feed pets or water plants, you may want to turn the water off at the street and drain faucets. Do leave the thermostat between 50-60 degrees. If you don't have a smart thermostat to monitor conditions, ask a neighbor to drop by to make sure the HVAC is working while you're gone.

4. Wrap uninsulated pipes in the attic, in cabinets built into exterior walls or in the basement with extra insulation or heat tape.

5. Have your water heater serviced. Sediment should be flushed out and the thermostat and other elements checked. Water heaters work overtime in the winter.

Need a plumbing checkup? Contact Air Assurance. We serve Broken Arrow and the surrounding community.

How Water Hardness Affects Your Plumbing

Hard water is simply fresh water supply with a lot of calcium, magnesium, and a range of trace minerals in it. The mineral content determines the level of water hardness, which is measured in grains per gallon (gpg). Anything above 10.5 gpg is taken to be extremely hard, whereas 3.5 gpg is considered to be on the lower level of hardness.

Hard water doesn't pose health risks. Some studies suggest that it can aid heart health. Unfortunately, the supposed health benefits come at the expense of your plumbing system.

Clogged Pipes

As hard water continually passes through your plumbing system, the minerals start building up inside your pipes and restricting water flow. The reduced flow of water may not always be harmful, but it's annoying and inconveniencing. With time, the scale deposits from the hard water could clog your pipes leading to complete blockage or increased stress that results in leaks.

Reduced Water Heater Efficiency

Hard water lowers the efficiency of your water heater. If you ignore regular maintenance, a significant amount of mineral scale can build up at the bottom of your tank. The water heater will have to heat the water as well as all the scale that has built up, thereby using more energy than necessary.

If you have a tankless water heater, scale can build up in its heat exchanger. That not only makes your heater inefficient but could also cause overheating and burnout.

Damaged Plumbing Fixtures

Hard water can negatively affect any of your plumbing fixtures. Damaged seals and washers, valve blockages, and ruined finishes are some of its common effects.

Hard water can do damage behind the scenes for quite some time before resulting in clogged pipes, a failed water heater, and damaged fixtures. Therefore, it's best to be proactive by maintaining your water heater frequently, finding out how hard your water is, and installing a water softener if you find the hardness to be over 3 gpg.

For assistance with dealing with water hardness or any other plumbing issues in the Broken Arrow area, contact the HVAC and plumbing experts at Air Assurance.

Expansion Tanks & Why They're Important

If your home’s utilizes a boiler and radiators for heating, expansion tanks are an important factor. Hydronic heating produces energy-efficient home comfort as water heated by the boiler circulates through radiators in each room. However, one specific fact of physics presents an issue: Water expands when heated. As the water volume inside a closed hydronic system increases with heat, the mounting pressure has nowhere to go and could potentially trigger pressure relief valves, over-stress system components, and degrade reliability. That’s where expansion tanks come in to relieve that pressure.

Here’s how an expansion tank protects your heating system:

• Connected to the water line between the boiler and radiators, the tank is divided into two segments: an upper half that receives water expanding under heat and an empty lower half that contains only pressurized air. A flexible rubber diaphragm separates the two halves of the tank.

• When the system cycles on and the boiler is heating, water volume in the system expands. The resultant pressure increase pushes water into the top half of the expansion tank. The flexible rubber diaphragm expands downward to accommodate this influx and moderating pressure in the system, preventing actuation of relief valves and/or damage to components.

• When the system turns off, water cools and system water volume decreases. Air pressure in the lower portion of the expansion tank pushes against the rubber diaphragm to expel water out of the upper portion and back into the system. This ensures that system water volume always remains in the safe range, without admitting air into the system.

Here’s a quick way to check expansion tank functioin. While the system’s running, feel the upper part of the tank. It should feel noticeably warm to the touch. The lower portion, however, should feel like room temperature. If both the upper and lower portions of the tank feel warm, contact a qualified HVAC service provider to check the condition of the internal diaphragm and make necessary repair or replacement.

For more information about the installation and maintenance of expansion tanks, contact the professionals at Air Assurance.

Summer Sump Pump Maintenance

When you have a sump pump installed in your home's basement or crawlspace, you might mistakenly think that you're automatically protected against water intrusions. In reality, periodic sump pump maintenance is crucial if you want to keep your home safe from:

• Costly water damage. Whether you experience minor groundwater seepage or significant flooding from a summer storm, your sump pump needs to be in good working order to handle it. If your home's basement is finished, this protects the drywall, flooring, the furnishings and stored items from damage.

• Mold-related problems. Having a well-functioning sump pump that keeps the crawlspace or basement dry can also minimize mold growth and musty odors and preserve your home's indoor air quality.

• Fire hazards. When your sump pump is well-maintained and on guard against water intrusions into your basement or crawlspace, you may not realize that it also reduces the danger of electrical fires. If a flood occurs and electrical wiring situated in the space gets saturated, there a risk that it can short circuit and cause a fire.

Essential Sump Pump Maintenance

It's vital to have a functional sump pump during a power outage, so invest in a battery backup if you don't already have one. To ensure that your pump is always in working condition, maintain it semi-annually by following these steps:

• Clear any debris from the sump pit so it can't clog the pump.

• Check the condition of the power cord and for safety, make sure it's plugged into a ground fault circuit interruptor (GFCI) receptacle.

• To test the pump's functionality, fill up the pit with water and check that it starts up and empties the pit efficiently.

• Unplug the power cord and repeat the above-mentioned test to check that the backup battery is working properly.

• When the pump is running, verify that it stays upright and level, and that the drain hose stays attached.

• If your pump is unresponsive or quits working, have it repaired or replace it immediately.

To learn more about sump pump maintenance and how it can help protect your Broken Arrow home, contact us at 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). For more information about sump pumps and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Westfrisco/Pixabay”

Should Copper Pipes Sway Your Home Buying Decision?

When evaluating a home purchase, finding out whether the household plumbing incorporates copper pipes can be very relevant information. Many older houses still on the market today were built with galvanized steel plumbing. As decades passed, steel pipes proved to be vulnerable to internal corrosion and rusting. Steel has a high incidence of pipe ruptures that can cause very expensive water damage to the structure of the house and its contents.

As a result, real estate and home inspection experts typically advise prospective buyers to figure the cost of re-piping into the total price of any house that incorporates galvanized steel plumbing. Overwhelmingly, the recommended replacement is copper pipes.

The presence of copper piping in a house you’re considering means you’ll be spared the expense of having new pipes installed later, as well as the disruption to your normal household routine. Here are some of the other benefits of copper:

• Unlike galvanized steel, copper has a proven long-term track record of durability after many decades of installation in residences.It is the only pipe material with a 50-year guarantee. Newer synthetic pipe alternatives haven’t been in wide usage long enough to establish an estimated service life expectancy.

• Today, over 80 percent of new homes are constructed with copper piping, making it the industry standard for residential plumbing.

• Capable of withstanding 1,000 pounds of pressure per square inch, copper is resistant to internal deterioration including rusting and corrosion that trigger leaks and pipe ruptures.

• Installation of copper plumbing is expedited by the fact that the pipes are rigid yet also very light. Long spans of copper pipes require fewer support brackets and attachment points and are easily assembled with safe, lead-free solder. This lowers labor and installation costs.

• Copper doesn’t contain toxins that could slowly leach into drinking water and cause health concerns.

• Copper piping is a definite plus for your home’s market value if/when you decide to sell the house.

• Copper plumbing can be recycled when the house is torn down in the future.

For more information about the benefits of copper pipes, in Broken Arrow 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). For more information about copper pipes and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Jhonatan_Perez/Pixabay”

Garbage Disposal Do's and Don't's

Garbage disposals offer a convenient way to dispose of some kitchen waste. If you treat your disposal poorly, you could be in for some plumbing headaches, however. Follow these tips to keep your disposal running smoothly and your kitchen drains healthy:

Approved Items for a Garbage Disposal

• Ice cubes – When ground in the disposal, these scour away sticky substances from the disposal walls.

• Meat and vegetable scraps – Just keep in mind, you should allow only a little into the disposal at a time. Too much all at once can cause clogs

• Fruits – Small pieces of fruit and small pits or peels are usually fine. Exceptions include banana peels and large fruit pits which can jam the disposal or clog pipes. A little leftover lemon rind or orange peel, however, won’t hurt the disposal and can remove odors

Items to Keep Out of the Disposal

• Non-biodegradable products – This includes plastic wrap, aluminum foil, and similar items. These might be chopped up but they will never disintegrate and can cause pipe clogs later.

• Stringy, fibrous vegetable and fruit matter – These can wrap around moving mechanical parts and hurt the motor. In addition, these products don’t break down quickly and can contribute to drains clogging. This list includes celery stalks, vegetable husks and potato peels.

• Thick rinds – Watermelon and cantaloupe rinds, for example, have no place in your garbage disposal.

• Large bones, such as steak bones, pork chop bones and ham bones.

• Grease – Animal fats become liquid at high heat but quickly congeal when cooled. This spells bad news for your garbage disposal and your plumbing if you pour grease down the drain. It probably won’t cause a clog right away, but you can be assured it can lead to problems later.

• Caustic products – This includes chemical drain cleaners. These can harm the disposal and plumbing pipes.

• Uncooked rice, potato flakes or pasta – These expand on contact with water and clog drains.

For more tips about caring for your garbage disposal and your home’s plumbing, please contact us at 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). For more information about garbage disposals and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Name”

Drain Safety: Make Sure These Things Never Go Down a Drain

The drains in your home are an essential part of providing quality home comfort for you and your loved ones. If you want your plumbing problems to remain at a minimum, then drain safety is an absolute must. A big part of that is ensuring that none of these things ever go down one of them:

Paper Towels and Similar Products

Many people seem to think that paper towels are no different from tissue paper and other flushable products. This is absolutely not true. If you want to clog up your toilet, flushing paper towels, cotton balls, baby wipes, and similar items is definitely the way to do it.

Feminine Products

This is similar to the list above, but it is so common for these things to be flushed, it deserves its own point. Please do not flush feminine products down the toilet. These should be placed in the trash every single time.

Kitty Litter

Despite popular belief, kitty litter does not belong in the drain. What happens is that a bit of this sand-like product often stays behind and settles in the drain. It won't take long before it's fully clogged, which means you'll be making a call to your local plumber before you know it.

Drain Cleaners

It's almost second nature these days to reach for a drain cleaner at the store for a quick DIY job. The problem is that these cleaners are corrosive and cause damage to your pipes. A HVAC professional can clear your pipes without hurting them.

Grease and Oil

Sorry, bacon lovers! Pouring grease down the drain is a great way to plug it up. Instead, collect the grease in a container, and once it's full, throw it away in the garbage.

Pasta

You know how pasta expands in size when you cook it in water? The same thing happens when you shove it down your drain, which can cause a clog quite quickly.

For more expert advice on drain safety or other home comfort issues, please contact the experts at Air Assurance. We've been serving the needs of Broken Arrow 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). For more information about drain safety and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Brett_Hondow/Pixabay”