Want Clean Pipes in Your Home? Learn When to Clean Them.

Clean pipes allow for the smooth flow of water and prevent costly disasters. Some signs will help you tell when you need to have your pipes cleaned. Ignoring these warning signs could lead to extensive water damage. Hire a plumber to ensure clean pipes when you notice the following symptoms:

• Unpleasant odors. The smell of sewage, a musty smell, or any other strong odors coming up from your drains could be due to a clog. Waste buildup resulting from clogs produces sewer gases over time.

• Water backups. Water backing up into your tub, sink, or toilet is a sign that your pipes need attention. A common example of this problem is water coming up into the tub or shower whenever you flush the toilet.

• Bubbling and gurgling noises. A partial clog that needs to be cleaned out may make your toilet bubble up or produce weird gurgling noises as water moves through your drains. If you don't address the issue, the partial obstruction will likely cause a fully clogged drain.

• Slow drains. A slow-draining line indicates a partial clog that could become bigger if left uncleaned. Multiple slow drains throughout your house could be caused by a clog in your main drain line.

You can avoid these problems through preventive cleaning of your pipes. You can maintain drain and pipe health by pouring several tablespoons of dish soap down the drains with hot water at least once a month. Running a few ice cubes and cold water through your garbage disposal will help clean it and prolong its life.

DIY remedies won't eliminate resilient clogs. Consider scheduling a professional annual cleaning for your pipes. Experts recommend that you shouldn't go more than 18 to 22 months without arranging for clean pipes. This preventive care will allow a professional to assess the condition of your pipes and keep them in tip-top shape.

Clean pipes help you stay ahead of plumbing disasters. If you need drain-cleaning services, sewer installations, testing, and repairs, or any other plumbing service in the Broken Arrow area, don't hesitate to contact the certified plumbers at Air Assurance for assistance.

How You Can Upgrade Your Pipes for Your Home's Health

Your pipes will develop problems over time. Even if you don't notice these problems, there are likely to be hidden issues like gradual corrosion, rust, and decay that will eventually cause leaks and water damage unless you upgrade your pipes. Making plumbing upgrades ensures you have highly efficient fixtures and helps you lower your utility bills. But how do you go about upgrading your old plumbing? Here are some useful tips.

Watch Out for the Warning Signs

If you live in an old house, you should inspect your exposed pipes every year. Look for dimpling, pimples, flaking, discoloration, and stains. These are signs of corrosion. There may also be rust or decay inside your pipes if the water in your bathtub looks yellow or brown. Leaks may also indicate that you need to upgrade your pipes.

Remove Outdated Pipes

Some pipes found in old homes pose a significant risk to your health and property. Lead pipes were popular in the 1900s. Unfortunately, they can leach lead, which is a toxic metal, into your water. In the 1930s, galvanized steel pipes replaced lead pipes. These pipes tend to corrode internally. The materials that break off of them can affect your water quality.

Polybutylene pipes were commonly used from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. They usually deteriorate from the inside out. As a result, they tend to break and cause horrible water damage.

If your home has old pipes made of lead, polybutylene, or galvanized steel, you should strongly consider replacing them with better and more modern materials, such as copper. Copper pipes are safe and add to your home value.

Insulate Your Pipes

When upgrading your plumbing, it's a good idea to insulate your pipes. Insulation is a cost-effective way to protect your plumbing system from freezing during harsh winters. You can easily get pipe sleeves or wraps that fit over your exposed pipes from hardware stores.

Reducing Upgrade Costs

There are several ways of reducing pipe-replacement costs. You could start by replacing the exposed pipes. If you upgrade your pipes when remodeling, you will save on costs. You can limit wall demolition by opting for PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) pipes, which can be weaved into your walls.

A plumbing professional can inspect your plumbing and tell you if it's time to upgrade your pipes. Contact us at Air Assurance for all your plumbing needs in the Broken Arrow area.

What Is the Best Pipe Material to Use in Your Home?

With the many kinds of pipe material available these days and the myths surrounding them, selecting the best one for your home can be an overwhelming situation. The material you choose will be important in terms of durability, water quality, environmental impact, and costs. Let's help you by taking a closer look at the best materials currently available.

Copper Pipe Material

Copper is the premium option for water-supply lines because of its durability, its resistance to heat and corrosion, and its natural antimicrobial properties. Copper pipes don't leach chemicals into the water as other materials, such as plastic, are believed to do potentially. You can recycle old copper pipes. However, copper is fairly costly. It's more expensive than plastic pipes. Its price has risen drastically in recent years.

Polypropylene

Polypropylene pipes (PP) are rigid plastic pipes renowned for safety and durability. They're not joined using chemicals, and they carry no health concerns about them leaching chemicals into your water. You need specialty tools to install them. As a result, polypropylene may be too costly for a small DIY project. However, installing it isn't as taxing to plumbing professionals because they use these tools over and over.

PEX

PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) is a type of plastic that's highly flexible and used to carry both hot and cold water. It can curve easily around obstructions and corners, making it an excellent option for retrofitting and repiping. There have been concerns about PEX pipes having the potential to contaminate the water running through them. However, today's PEX is considered safer than the version used decades ago.

CPVC

CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) is closely related to white PVC that's long been used for waste pipes. However, CPVC has additional chlorine that makes it safe for carrying drinking water. Ease of installation makes it a good option for DIY projects. CPVC isn't recyclable, and joining pipe sections requires the use of volatile solvents. However, it doesn't affect water quality after installation.

Your existing pipes, needs, preferences, and local codes will determine the best pipe material for your home. A local plumbing professional will help you choose suitable pipe material and fixtures for your project. If you need plumbing repairs or replacements in the Broken Arrow area, contact us at Air Assurance.

Which Home Pipe Material Is Best in Winter?

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Frozen pipes can cause devastating water damage when they burst. You can minimize or avoid this damage by using the best pipe material for winter. Let's explore the susceptibility of the common pipe materials to freezing and bursting to establish the one that holds up the best in cold weather.

Copper

Copper pipes are widely used because of their strength, resistance to corrosion, and longevity. A major disadvantage of these pipes is that they lose heat quickly and have a thin wall that's not flexible. These factors make them the most susceptible to bursting in frigid temperatures.

Copper pipes don't expand when the water inside them freezes. The swelling of frozen water places excess pressure on the thin walls, causing them to split open or burst eventually.

PVC and CPVC

CPVC pipe material is less rigid, have thicker walls, and lose heat more slowly than copper pipes. The pipes expand a little to minimize the pressure of frozen water on their walls, making them not burst as quickly as copper. Nevertheless, PVC and CPVC pipes are brittle. They crack when forced to endure freezing conditions for too long.

PEX

PEX is a very flexible plastic material that can stretch enough to accommodate water that's freezing and expanding inside of it. It withstands freezing conditions longer than PVC/CPVC and copper pipes.

Even PEX has its limits. It can still burst when there's considerable swelling and pressure from the frozen water. However, when PEX bursts, the fittings usually blow off first. Therefore, it's essential to connect PEX using fittings that can withstand freezing temperatures. You can make PEX and other types of pipes more resistant to freezing and bursting by disconnecting or securing outdoor faucets and wrapping insulation around the pipes in your attic, basement, and near outside walls.

Although PEX holds up the best in cold temperatures, you can't use it in every application. Your home needs different pipe materials, so it's best to contact a professional plumber when you're unsure of the best type of pipe for your specific project. Contact Air Assurance for all your plumbing needs in the Broken Arrow area.

Main Drain Cleaning Services in Tulsa

Main Drain Cleaning Services in Tulsa

Mud, soil, leaves, branches, and burrowing nests are some of the things that can block your outside drain. Putting the wrong things down your kitchen sink, drains and toilets can also leave the outside drain clogged. Here's what you can do to deal with a blocked outdoor drain.

How to Handle It When You Find Your Outside Drain Clogged

You can clear a clogged outside drain by hand. However, you'll need to wear rubber gloves because the drains tend to be smelly and dirty. To unclog the drain:

1. Remove the drain covers.

2. Reach in and remove as much gunk as you can at the entrance and exit.

3. Insert your garden hose as far as possible into the entrance point, turn it on, and flush out the debris until the water frees up the line and runs clear.

If there's standing water, you may want to get rid of as much of it as possible before removing the clog with your hands. Nevertheless, your garden hose will work through the standing water.

An outside drain clogged may require some specialty tools, such as:

• Sewer-cleaning machine. To use the machine, you feed a cable attached to it into your outdoor drain pipe. The cable spins through the pipe to break up the blockage. You can't use the machine if your pipe is perforated or corrugated, because the sharp blade on the cable's tip can tear it apart.

• Hydro jetting. With a perforated or corrugated pipe and PVC, you can try using a hydro jetter. This machine flushes out the blockage using high-pressure water.

You can rent hydro jetters or sewer-cleaning machines from a local hardware store. Keep in mind that these machines can hurt you and your pipes if you're not experienced with them.

If you find your outside drain clogged despite your efforts or are having trouble clearing it, you should call in professionals. For all your plumbing problems in the Broken Arrow area, contact Air Assurance. We offer a variety of plumbing services, including hydro jetting drain cleaning and sewer repairs and installations.

What Can Cause Cloudy Water in Your Pipes?

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Once in a while, the water coming out of your faucet may be milky or cloudy. Let's explore the potential causes of the cloudy water, along with what you can do about them.

Trapped Air

If the water coming from all your taps is cloudy, it's likely due to trapped air in the water flowing through your pipes. If you fill a glass with water, the cloudiness will clear naturally from the bottom to the top as the pressurized air is released.

The high amount of air in your water is likely due to an issue with the municipal water supply. You can check with your neighbors to see if they're experiencing the same issue. If the issue is only in your house, consider calling a plumber to find out if your home's pipework has a problem.

Dirty Aerator

Getting cloudy or milky water from just one faucet could be a sign of an issue with the faucet or aerator. Removing the aerator and cleaning it with a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar should solve the problem.

Water Heater Problems

If you only experience cloudy water from your hot-water taps and you can see particles settling at the bottom of your glass, your water heater is likely to blame. You'll need to contact a plumber to determine whether you have a defective dip tube that needs replacement or you need to have the water heater flushed to remove sediment buildup.

A failing dip tube tends to disintegrate into your hot water supply, leaving white flecks of plastic in your water. Sediment accumulation can cause cloudy water and make your water heater work harder, increasing your utility bills.

Hard Water

Hard water may cause the buildup of limescale in your pipes, which may make your water appear milky. Limescale buildup can make your water heater work harder. Hard water can also lead to poor water flow. You can remove the minerals that cause water hardness using a water softener.

The different causes of cloudy water have different solutions. If the issue has persisted for a while or you're unsure about the cause or solution for the cloudiness, be sure to contact a plumber. If you live in the Broken Arrow area, don't hesitate to contact us at Air Assurance for all your plumbing needs.

How to Tell If You Have Quality Pipes in Your Home

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Low-quality pipes can cause leaks that could significantly damage your property. What's more, they may also be a health hazard if they expose you to lead. To learn how to find out if you have quality pipes running through your house, read on.

Material for Quality Pipes

You can learn the quality of your plumbing system from the materials used for your pipes. The best quality pipes for your plumbing system are copper and PEX. PVC pipes are less favored, and galvanized pipes are considered a low-quality type.

Copper pipes are heat-tolerant, durable, and not vulnerable to leaks. Copper has a life expectancy of 70 to 80 years. PEX piping is also popular because it's flexible, isn't corroded by moisture or minerals, and lasts 50 years.

PVC is low cost and low maintenance, but it has to be installed carefully and bedded to prevent cracking. It tends to warp at temperatures of 140 degrees or higher. Galvanized pipes are prone to rusting from the inside out and can leach lead into your water supply.

You can know the type of pipes in your home by taking a quick look at them. PEX pipes are usually red or blue and seem to be made up of hard plastic because they're nonmetallic. Copper pipes are metallic and have a shiny color that looks like that of a penny. They turn greenish over time.

PVC pipes resemble hard, white plastic and have markings that identify their diameter down their body. Galvanized pipes appear metallic and have a silver or gray color.

Condition of Pipes

Check your exposed pipes for bumps, dimpling, flaking, or discoloration. Water discoloration could also indicate corrosion inside your pipes. If you also spot significant leakage or signs of accumulation of moisture, then the quality of your pipes may have deteriorated, warranting replacement.

To be completely sure that your home has quality pipes, contact a plumber to inspect your plumbing system. Contact the certified plumbers at Air Assurance for the best plumbing services in the Broken Arrow area.

Want Cost-Efficient Plumbing in Your Home? Here's How to Get It.

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Is your plumbing system old and outdated? It could be wasting energy and water, and it could end up costing thousands of dollars. So how can you make your plumbing use less power and water, resulting in lower bills? Here are the cost-efficient plumbing options you should consider.

Low-Flow Fixtures

Newer, high-efficiency toilets can use just one gallon per flush. The older toilets used in more than 40% of households in the United States use 3.5 or more gallons of water per flush. Most water-efficient toilets also offer a low-power flush option for liquid waste. Considering that 70% of daily flushes are for liquid waste on average, that could add up to significant savings.

Besides water-efficient toilets, other low-flow fixtures that can help you save significantly on your water bills include low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators. These fixtures provide the same utility as their non-low-flow counterparts.

Tankless Water Heater

Unlike traditional water heaters, tankless water heaters don't use energy continuously to keep water hot; they only provide hot water when it's needed. Tankless water heaters last 20 to 25 years compared to their traditional counterparts, which can last as little as five to seven years. The energy-saving capabilities of tankless water heaters outweigh the higher upfront cost.

Regular Maintenance

Proper plumbing maintenance is crucial to preventing your fixtures from wasting energy and money. An excellent way to ensure proper maintenance is by scheduling plumbing maintenance visits. During a maintenance visit, a professional will ensure that the components of your plumbing system are working correctly and help you detect potential issues before they grow into expensive problems.

Insulate Pipes

Pipe insulation reduces the heat lost as your pipes carry water to plumbing fixtures. As a result, you can reduce the temperature of your water heater to 120 degrees or lower to save money. You can consider insulating your pipes during a major remodel or new construction.

The cost-efficient plumbing options above will be great for the environment and your wallet. If you need any plumbing services in the Broken Arrow area, don't hesitate to contact the master plumbers at Air Assurance, who have more than 50 years of experience.

Can a Water Recirculator Help Your Home's Plumbing System?

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Waiting for hot water can be a real nuisance, especially during Broken Arrow's chilly winters. A water recirculator gets hot water to your faucet fast, saving you time and water.

How a Water Recirculator Works

When you turn on a faucet far from your water heater, you could wait more than a minute for hot water to reach you. That's inconvenient and a waste of water. A hot-water recirculating pump can solve this problem. A small device that fits under the sink farthest from your water heater, a recirculator continuously pumps hot water back and forth between the water heater and the faucet. Cold water sitting in your pipes moves back to the water heater for rewarming and hot water moves toward the faucet so it's ready whenever you need it. Two types of recirculators are commonly available.

Full recirculating pump. This system requires that an additional hot-water line be installed in your plumbing system. A separate line prevents the unwanted mixing of hot and cold water.

Comfort-pump system. This system uses your existing cold-water pipe to move unused cold water back to the water heater. It costs less, and it's easier to install.

Weighing the Pros and Cons of a Water Recirculator

In addition to enjoying greater convenience, you'll also be saving water. That's a big plus during droughts, and it keeps your water bill low year-round. While these pumps use electricity, many include programmable timers and sensors that let you run them only when you most need them. They can be turned off at night and while you're at work. If you don't have an outlet under your sink, though, you'll need to install one.

The purchase cost and installation requirements of a full recirculating pump mean comfort-pump systems are more practical for most homeowners. The downside of these systems is that you'll have hot water in your cold-water line, so you might need to run the faucet a bit to get cold water.

Thinking about adding a water recirculator to your home? Contact us at Air Assurance from anywhere around Broken Arrow.