Most of us take the readily available water in our homes for granted, whether it is for drinking, cooking, cleaning, or personal hygiene. You can access hot and cold water by simply turning on a tap. However, throughout history, how we receive water has often presented health risks, and continues to do so in many parts of the world. With this in mind, here is a look at the surprising ways plumbing contributes to your health every day.
The first plumbing systems seemed to emerge as far back as 6000 BC. The Roman Empire was known for its ingenuity in developing what even by today’s standards would be considered an advanced plumbing system. Consisting of aqueducts and underground sewage, the Romans used lead pipes to transport water, greatly improving sanitary conditions and in turn public health. You can still see the remains of the Roman’s original aqueducts showing how sturdy the construction was and why they continue to inspire modern plumbing systems today.
Unfortunately, most ancient civilizations were not so lucky. As a result, many societies suffered at the hands of water-borne diseases including the plague. Illness spreads quickly in larger populations where people accessed poor quality water. This was made worse due to a lack of proper waste disposal. Poor sanitation made cities dangerous where improper waste disposal contributed to diseases such as cholera, and typhoid fever well into the early 1900s. This was a major contributor to shorter life expectancies.
British doctor John Snow was the first to notice the tie between water supply and cholera outbreaks back in 1849. However, it wasn’t until 1854, when a cholera epidemic killed 616 people that he finally got people to listen to his theories. Dr. Snow lived in the Soho area where he discovered that within 250 yards of the spot where Cambridge Street joins Broad Street there were upwards of 500 fatal attacks of cholera in 10 days.
He immediately suspected water contamination at the area’s street-pump. After much investigation and facing doubt from city officials, he finally tied the cholera outbreak to contamination at the water source by dirty diapers. Snow is considered the pioneer of public health research. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control still uses his approach when finding the causes of many diseases.
Throughout the 1800s and 1900s, there were many advancements in regulations to help improve sanitation. In 1848, the National Public Health Act was passed which positively impacted plumbing standards. The Act created a sanitation revolution that spread worldwide improving the health of the general population. These advances in the early twentieth century doubled the average lifespan of Americans by stopping the rapid spread of water-borne diseases.
As more advancements expanded the water conundrum, closed sewer systems and the invention of the modern toilet made major improvements to the health of citizens in developed countries. More and more cities embraced the ideas of people like Dr. Snow and determined they could stop the spread of many common diseases through improved sanitation. At the same time, hazardous waste was being safely moved away from homes and streets, the installation of more toilets helped people dispose of waste safely.
On July 28, 2010, the United Nations General Assembly acknowledged access to clean drinking water and proper sanitation as a human right. Resolution 64/292 calls upon states and international organizations to help provide financing to help improve capacity-building and technology for countries in need of safe, clean, accessible, and affordable drinking water and sanitation. Water for personal or domestic use must be micro-organism, chemical and radiological hazard-free to reduce threats to a person's health. Guidelines are provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) to help set national standards that ensure the safety of drinking water.
Americans are not out of the woods yet with up to ten million homes still receiving water through lead pipes. When lead service lines are corroded the lead leaches into the water. Although utilities add chemicals to reduce lead, the best solution is a complete replacement. However, lead pipe replacement is an expensive process that can be too much for many homeowners to bear. Through a collaborated effort of water utilities, public health, environmental, and consumer organizations, national organizations exist to try to help provide funding to assist in lead service line replacement.
If you would like more information about keeping your home water safe in Novato, contact us at Bragg Home Services Heating & Cooling today.
The risk of burns at home is higher than you might think. Most people have suffered a heat-related accident at home, often as a result of scalding hot water. Burns can be mild, or severe injuring more than one layer of skin. The painful site will either simply turn red, or can blister and become very raw. Burns are painful because the skin is highly sensitive. However, burns that go deeper become more painful as they can reach the nerves. Whether you live alone, have kids or care for elderly loved ones, these tips will help you avoid the dangers of scalding water and prevent burns.
Scalds are most commonly caused at home via either hot water or steam. Common causes include:
Scald burns take only seconds to cause painful injury.
You can avoid scald related accidents by taking these steps:
These tips will help reduce the risk for burns from scalding hot water in your household.
If you would like to ensure your hot water heater in Novato is safe, speak to the experts at Bragg Home Services Heating & Cooling today.
You know the scenario. You wake up in the morning, turn on the shower and your water is frigid cold. You stand there shivering waiting for it to heat up and it seems to take forever. Or maybe it’s just you. Maybe you’re last in line and the rest of your family has enjoyed a nice hot shower, but when you turn on the hot water tap the water is freezing. Neither of these situations is normal. If your hot water heater is working efficiently and holds enough water for everyone, you should have nice warm water as soon as you turn on and adjust your hot water tap.
So why does your hot water run out so quickly?
This is an obvious issue. However, it might not just be your family has a few new additions, but also that your family has matured. Whether there are more people using hot water, or more people are taking longer showers or baths, this is draining your water tank more quickly. As a result, it might just be you need a larger tank.
Another common problem is putting too much demand on the hot water at once. This could mean anything from running a dishwasher or laundry load while someone is in the shower, to two people trying to take a shower in separate showers at the same time. Also, you might find the reverse issue. You’re in the shower and suddenly you get scalded.
This can happen when someone runs the cold water when you are in the shower, or if someone flushes the toilet. The easy solution is to simply avoid putting too much demand on your hot water all at once. Although this can be a challenge in a full house, it can be coordinated to work out. Otherwise, it’s shower taker beware! Be prepared to be chilled!
It could be that your water heater is simply at the wrong setting. Ideally, you should have your temperature set to between 120 to 140 degrees. If it is below 120, simply turn up the heat. Just be careful not to set it too high as you can seriously scald someone. If you have small children, reduce the risk of burns by choosing a comfy 125.
If temperature issues are more recent, it might be because a dip tube broke. To see if this is the case, you can look for small bits of plastic that might be found in your shower head, drain strainers, or appliance filter screens. If you do find plastic bits, your water heater’s dip tube is probably damaged. It is used to send cold water to the bottom of the tank to get heated up. When it breaks cold water stays at the top and so it comes out the hot water side instead. As well, because it isn’t below to get heated, it stays cold. If this is the case, call a professional to confirm the issue and replace the dip tube.
Another issue that can interfere with hot water is sediment build up in the water tank. This happens over time as your water heater ages. If you haven’t maintained your water heater with annual system flushes, this could be the problem. Sediment is formed from loose minerals that are found naturally in water. When they settle at the bottom of the tank, it causes your tank to run out of hot water quickly.
Sediment can be things such as sand, silt, or rust that take up space in your water tank. As a result, your hot water supply dwindles. However, another issue with sediment is that your heating elements heat the sediment instead of the water, so it is slower to heat. The only way to remedy this issue is to flush out the system. While you can try doing this yourself, it might be best left to a professional from Bragg Home Services and Heating who knows how to drain the water heater without the risk of flooding your basement!
A good rule of thumb is to arrange for annual water heater maintenance. This helps you avoid issues such as sediment build up and also provides a check-up to spot issues like broken dip tubes.
This is where we come in. As your Novato water heater specialists, we can provide water heater maintenance, repairs, and replacement so you never worry about cold showers again. Give us a call today!
Nothing is worse than having someone use the toilet and within minutes of them flushing it’s clear that annoying running sound isn’t going to stop. This is a constant source of frustration as it’s a sound that’s hard to ignore. That means someone has to get up and “jiggle the handle” to hopefully get the running to stop.
This common annoyance occurs because there is an internal water leak in the toilet. Although it doesn’t seem to be causing any harm, it is actually wasting hundreds of gallons of water which you have probably noticed on your water bill.
So why is your toilet running all the time and what can you do about it?
The toilet flapper is a common culprit for running toilets. These flaps are a seal for your toilet’s water tank. As they age, they can decay and crack. When this happens, the toilet flapper that is supposed to raise the lift arm in the tank, by pulling on a chain attached to the toilet flapper, has a hard time raising so water can fill the toilet bowl. However, where the issue occurs is when the flapper fails to drop back into position to seal the tank.
The cracks or damage allow water to continue to leak into the toilet bowl, so you hear that constant running water. If you look at the toilet flapper and it is clearly a little worse for wear, you can try replacing it yourself. They are available at your local hardware store. You have to turn off the water supply on the valves beneath the toilet, flush and then remove leftover water in the bowl. You can then unhook the flapper and attach the new one.
If the flapper seems fine, it could be the chain attached to the flapper causing the issue. In some cases, the chain length can make it hard for the flapper to connect fully to seal the tank. When it’s too long, it gets caught beneath the flapper, so you just have to unhook the chain and rehook it so it’s shorter. You’ll have to do a test flush to make sure you get it in the ideal spot because if you miss the mark, the seal won’t work at all if the chain is too short.
These parts are pretty obvious based on their name. When you lift the lid from the toilet tank the plastic ball is the first thing you’ll see. It is attached to an arm and together they rise and fall as water empties and refills in the tank. Their purpose is to help monitor water levels and when the ball reaches a certain level, the water stops running. To see if it’s working properly, you need to lift the float arm and see if that stops the running water.
If the ball isn’t high enough to stop the running water, it might be hitting the tank because the arm is off-kilter. You can bend it away from the tank wall and see if this helps. If it appears the ball and arm are aligned, then the ball might be cracked which will cause it to fill with water and sink to the bottom of the tank. When this happens, the water keeps running because the ball isn’t reaching its proper position to stop it. All that water feeds into an overflow tube and just keeps running. This is a simple fix as you can just replace the float ball.
If you’ve checked the toilet flapper and replaced it, and adjusted the float arm or replaced the float ball and you still have that annoying running water sound, things are a little worse. Your last hope is that the entire ballcock assembly has to be replaced. You can head to the hardware store to find a ballcock assembly kit, which usually provides instructions to help the DIYer do the installation themselves. However, this gets a little more complicated and might be best left to the professionals at Bragg Home Services Heating & Cooling. Also, should you do all of these steps including a complete replacement of the ballcock assembly and the toilet still runs, you might need a new toilet.
This is where we come in. As your Novato plumber, we can quickly rid you of that annoying running water sound and save you money on water wastage. Give us a call today!
We've all been there. You're doing your business, and you realize there's no toilet paper. You start to panic, frantically searching your bathroom cabinets hoping to find even half a roll.
With a national TP shortage, this is a reality we'll likely be dealing with for quite some time. But whether you're thinking of stocking up with hundreds of rolls or rationing your sheets, there might be another solution.
Bidets direct water from a nozzle to your umm, "area" after you use the toilet. They're popular in other parts of the world, like across Asia and Europe. But in the States, we're only used to seeing them in fancy-schmancy hotel bathrooms or as an ironic joke in our favorite movies. Not anymore! Bidets are slowly gaining popularity throughout the U.S.
Bidets come in different configurations: permanent plumbing fixtures, built-in to the toilet, attached by a special toilet seat, and handheld sprayers. The attachable toilet seats and handheld sprayers are particularly popular, as they're typically less expensive and they're easier to install.
No, we're not going to give you a full demonstration. (Had you a little worried, though, right?)
To make the most of your bidet, you'll first need to:
The most important thing to remember is to read the directions and be patient with your new friend.
We have to be honest: That is a headline we never anticipated writing. But as it turns out, bidets offer multiple benefits:
We love questions! We've been serving Novato plumbing customers for years. We'd love to help you determine if a bidet is right for your home. Give us a call today!
Let's be honest: A clogged garbage disposal is just ewwww. First, there's the mystery smell. Then there's the inconvenience of a slow-draining sink, complete with bits and pieces of yesterday's breakfast floating around in there. Gross.
Garbage disposals back up for plenty of reasons-including these top three.
File this problem under “things they should have taught us before we became adults but didn’t because, instead, they wanted to see how fast we could run a mile.”
Way too many homeowners use their garbage disposals as a replacement for their trash cans, putting everything and anything down that poor drain. But there are definitely some things you should never, ever expect your disposal to deal with:
The problem isn't necessarily that these things will hurt your disposal. The problem is how these food items react to water after they're ground up. If poorly ground-up or sludgy food waste is left over time, it will eventually clog up your disposal completely.
Another way you might be misusing your disposal is not using enough water. Without sufficient water to flush the ground-up food through your pipes, the waste will build up and cause a blockage. Keep a decent flow of cold water running for a few seconds before and after putting your food scraps down the drain.
And this should go without saying, but we'll say it anyway: Don't put non-food items down your disposal. Ever.
If you put the wrong things down your drain or don't keep up with regular maintenance, your disposal blades might just be too dull to do the trick. Once a month, grind up a handful of ice cubes. This can help keep them in tip-top shape.
For those who are curious, we put blades in quotation marks, because garbage disposals don't really have blades; they have impellers. The impellers aren't particularly sharp until they spin really fast. (Here's another it goes without saying: Never put your hands inside a disposal when it's turned on. In fact, it's best to keep your appendages out of it altogether running or not.)
Garbage disposals aren't invincible to typical wear and tear. Eventually, the impellers will wear down too far or the motor will burn out. In general, you should expect your disposal to last anywhere from eight to 15 years. But you may be looking at a replacement in three to five years if your disposal isn't properly used and maintained.
If your garbage disposal won't turn on at all, make sure it's plugged in first. If it is, press the reset button on the bottom of the unit under your sink. Sometimes, a circuit trips and a quick press of a button can solve the problem.
Finally, if your garbage disposal seems to be working just fine, but your sink is slow-draining or you're constantly running for the plunger, your problem might have nothing to do with the disposal. We're happy to help you figure out what's up.
It's time to call a plumber. We don't recommend tearing apart your disposal because we don't want you to do permanent and expensive damage. We're Novato's most-trusted plumbers, and we can handle whatever your disposal wants to throw at us. (Hopefully not literally.) Give us a call!
There's no delicate way to talk about sewage. Sewage problems are just gross. Ever smelled backed-up sewer pipes? Ugh. Worse yet: Ever had sewer water actually back up into your shower or spill out onto the floor. Barf.
Without a proper waste disposal system, you can experience a whole host of issues: spreading diseases, mold outbreaks, and breathing problems. As your Novato plumbers, we're just as serious about helping your family stay healthy as we are about plumbing.
We'll come investigate any problem you might be having, but there are some issues we tend to hear about more often than others. Here are four top causes of sewer damage.
Tree roots are one of the top external causes of problems with your sewer lines. Tree roots are attracted to the ummm, fertilizer... in the wastewater. As roots grow around your pipes trying to get at these nutrients, they create cracks big and small. Tree roots have been known to crush or completely fill whole sewer lines! Even if you don't have trees in your own yard, a neighbor's tree could easily become your plumbing nightmare.
Clogs are one of the top internal causes of sewer damage. So repeat after us: Your toilet is not a trash can. We've pulled all sorts of things out of sewer pipes: garbage, toys, diapers, cooking grease, paper towels, menstrual products, even too much toilet paper at one time. All of these can lead to blockages or clogs in your sewer pipes. And even if you take care of your pipes, dirt, debris, and hair can create obstructions in your sewer lines over time.
We wish sewer rats were more like Remy from Ratatouille than Ratigan from The Great Mouse Detective. (Unlocked some deep childhood memories there, huh?) Unfortunately, burrowing rodents are an archenemy of sewer lines. They loosen joints, turn small cracks into big cracks, and use pipes to nest and multiply. It's never a good sign when rodents are involved.
Time isn't kind to your pipes. General corrosion and sediment build-up can create leaks and blockages. Natural soil movement over time causes sagging sewer lines, which can become a problem when the low spots create repeat blockages, ruptures, or leaks. Regular monitoring and maintenance can help, but ultimately sewer pipes have a shorter lifespan than your sewage needs.
Here are seven obvious signs that point to possible sewer damage:
Very few people in the world would attempt a DIY fix for their sewer damage. Even if you're one of those folks, please give us a call first! We want to help keep our Novato plumbing customers safe and healthy in their homes.
Clogged drains can get the best of all of us. Mystery odors, backed-up sinks, and non-functioning disposals are definitely near the top of the Worst Things about Homeownership list.
Whether it's a sink or a toilet, we're always looking for a quick and inexpensive DIY fix. Today, our DIY might involve one of our favorite beverages. No, not that one; we're talking about cola.
There are so many rumors about the DIY uses for cola. From cleaning pavement to removing corrosion from car batteries, cola seems like an easy and affordable tool for everyday maintenance. But what about your clogged drain?
Cola uses phosphoric acid to give the tangy, semi-addicting flavor we all love. Phosphoric acid in large concentrations can be used to clean rust off metal parts, remove tough limescale, and clean the nastiest of toilet scum. But in your soda, the small concentrations have only a mild we're talking a very, very tiny amount of corrosive ability.
Because the amount of phosphoric acid is so small, your cola probably isn't the best choice of drain un-clogger. (Sorry to rain on the DIY cola myth parade.)
Your drain is really, really clogged. Cola needs a long time to work, so the cola has to be able to penetrate the clog for long periods of time. If your drain is only partially clogged, the soda will just pass through the pipe without any effect.
You don't have standing water. Standing water in your sink means the cola will be diluted. The already small amounts of acid in the soda will be even less effective with added water.
You can wait a long time. Ideally, you would be able to leave the cola overnight. If you really want to try this hack for yourself, bring a 2-liter of cola to room temperature. Pour the entire bottle down the drain and wait for at least two hours, and preferably overnight. Then pour boiling water down the drain to see if it worked.
First, a note on commercial drain cleaners. Traditional drain cleaners use sodium hydroxide or sulfuric acid to clear backed-up pipes.These are heavy-duty, highly corrosive chemicals. They cause more damage to your pipes down the road. So, if nothing else, avoid the drain cleaner aisle at the grocery store.
Don't use your disposal as a trash can. Most of us put anything and everything food-related down the drain. But there are some things that shouldn't go down there:
Use enough water. Without flushing water, food waste builds up and causes those pesky clogs. Keep a good flow of cold water running before and after putting your food scraps down the disposal.
Keep those blades sharp. Try putting a handful of ice cubes down your drain once a month. Running the disposal with ice can keep the blades (technically, impellers) in shape.
Don't expect a lifetime commitment. Disposals and pipes aren't immune to wear and tear. If you're noticing consistent problems, it's time to call in the pros to discuss repairs or replacements.
We love hearing our customer's DIY success stories. But if things don't go quite according to plan, we've got you covered. We're your Novato plumbers and can handle clogs (or other problems) of any size. Give us a call!
Know the fastest way to go from peaceful snowy winter morning to what in the bleepity bleep bleep is happening? Discover a burst pipe.
You have to:
It can take so much time, energy, and money to repair a frozen or burst pipe. So here's the best thing to do: Avoid it in the first place.
Pipes typically freeze when the temperature around the pipe is below 20 degrees. When water gets that cold, it freezes and expands, which increases the pressure in your pipes, causing them to burst. This means unheated spaces are more vulnerable think basements, attics, and garages. But even pipes under your cabinets can freeze and burst, especially if they're on an exterior wall!
There's good news, though: Your pipes might already be prepared to face the cold temps. It all depends on just how extreme the weather is, the age of your home, the age of your pipes, and any upgrades you've made. No matter what your situation, we want to help.
Check out these top 8 tips to prevent burst pipes:
As you're getting your home ready for winter, take an extra couple of minutes to fully drain and disconnect all exterior hoses. Any leftover water in the hose can freeze and expand, which can cause a burst at the point of connection between your hose and the pipes leading into your home.
Products like pipe insulation or heat tape can warm your pipes throughout the coldest winter nights. Your local hardware store will carry foam insulation you can easily cut with a utility knife and wrap around your pipes. If you want to go a little more high-tech, heat tape may be your solution. But that stuff can be tricky, so call us first.
Keeping your garage doors closed is especially important if you have supply lines in there.
When it's reaaaaaally cold outside, you should always keep one or two faucets dripping with cold water. The water moving through your pipes will prevent the lines from freezing and bursting. Sure, that'll raise your water bill a tiny bit. But it's cheaper than a burst pipe!
Since cold temperatures are the primary cause of burst pipes, you might be tempted to think your indoor, under-the-cabinet lines are safe. But not as much warm air reaches them as you might think! Open your cabinet doors to direct more warm air toward your pipes. And don't forget to remove any hazardous cleaning supplies from under the sinks. An ER visit is definitely not the holiday activity your family needs!
Take a look at your pipes to identify any problem areas. Look for loose connections, leaks, cracks anything that makes the line vulnerable. This is also the perfect time to seal any leaks that bring cold air into your home. Take a look at your electrical wiring, dryer vents, pipes, and around doors and windows. Even a teeny-tiny opening can let in enough cold air to burst your pipes.
A small rise in your heating costs isn't as expensive as a burst pipe. Always keep the thermostat set higher than 55 degrees, even when you're not home. Your pipes will thank you.
If you're going away for the holidays, shut off the water to your home at the main valve. Without a water supply, your pipes are much less likely to freeze and burst!
We're your [city identifier] plumbing pros. We can help identify, prevent, and fix any potential disasters before they happen. Give us a call today!
