plugged toilet
By Bob Baker Plumbing • • 0 Comments

Plumbing Mashed Potatoes

What do plumbing and mashed potatoes have in common?

Baker cleans impossible drains

This residential drain was so packed and plugged with every imaginable paper product it resembled mashed potatoes. With the use of the flex shaft we beat this mess into a puree and opened the drain line. In the video above you can first hand with our high powered camera. What we see here is 35′ of backed up piping and some poorly graded plumbing. These combine to make a difficult situation a bit more difficult but nothing that Baker Plumbing can’t handle.

Tools of the trade

I remember using flat steel push cables and other such ancient devices. Today’s plumbing are far more capable, effective and yes more expensive. In this particular job we used our compressed Airgun, AirGun link my personal favorite for clearing toilets, then we switched to our reliable Super Vee cable snake Drain snake link . Both of these proved ineffective due to the amount of debris in the drain line.

Bring in the Heavy Artillery

The next move was to bring in the big guns. Today we choose the Ridgid Flexshaft Ridgid Flexshaft link and the Ridgid mini-camera Best cameras made This combination proved to be the deciding factor. Using them as a team we worked our way through the debris ensuring our effective disruption of the blockage, as we went. This proved the undoing of the blockage and the return to service that this family desperately needed.

The Finale

While it took some doing we were successful in clearly the line of all the debris. With the use of the latest in plumbing tools and technology we are able to prove to the client and ourselves that the work was not only complete but lasting. Isn’t that the most important thing? Lasting work done by your local Calgary Plumber, Baker Plumbing.

Episode 1 Drain Gate

Episode 2

Episode 3

scoping commercial drains in Calgary
By Bob Baker Drain Cleaning • • • 0 Comments

Drain Cameras in Calgary

Calgary Drain Cameras

Baker In Action

Baker Plumbing takes its responsibility of cleaning and maintaining your plumbing and drainage systems so seriously that we only use the very best in tools.

Drain cameras have become an essential tool in providing both us and our clients the most accurate in information and assessments.

Truly its impossible to successfully diagnosis what might be happening to your drains without the drain camera being used.

These miracles of technology have come a long way over the last several years in resolution and in data transfer. We can now send video of your unique plumbing system with these amazing drain cameras almost instantly and provide equally fast solutions to any issues that we find during our examinations.

Amazing!!

According to Simon Blake

Drain inspection cameras that are affordable for the average contractor have been around for about 25 years. They have become sophisticated electronic devices and, like anything to do with electronics, the pace of change is rapid.

“The technology in cameras is advancing rapidly, probably more so than any of our other product lines,” noted Marty Silverman, vice president, marketing, for General Pipe Cleaners, McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania.

In that short period of time, they have evolved from 50 lb. machines that recorded on VHS tape – if they recorded at all – to today’s compact three-pound machines that record via Wi-Fi to a smartphone or tablet.

A better picture

The primary purpose of a drain camera is to see what is blocking the drain. That sounds obvious, but manufacturers have gone to considerable lengths to improve the picture of not only what is ahead of the camera, but on some camera models improved peripheral vision helps the technician do a detailed inspection of the pipe walls and see clearly the type of pipe connections they are dealing with.

Pan and tilt – in which the camera lens rotates and tilts so the operator can inspect the walls of the pipe – is now available in smaller cameras, noted Frank D’Andrea, president of Ratech Electronics, Toronto. The company’s Pan n’ Tilt Push model is designed to inspect four to 12-inch lines, making it practical for residential and small commercial sewer inspection. “It allows you to see a lot closer and in a lot more detail.”

Ridgid, Elyria, Ohio, recently introduced its TruSense technology on standard and mini reels. It includes High Dynamic Range (HDR) and TiltSense technology. “The HDR balances out the light and the image in the pipe so you get a clearer overall image as well as being able to see much further down the line,” explained Amy Moneypenny, global product manager for underground technology, inspection and locating.

HDR balances the light and dark areas on the colour picture to avoid overly bright or dark areas. “You can see all the walls of the pipe in greater detail with HDR.” It can also be turned off for greater contrast. “On the monitor, they can toggle the HDR on and off depending on the job and situation,” she added.

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Ridgid’s TiltSense technology is an onboard inclinometer that measures and displays the pitch of the camera, allowing the plumber to immediately see the slope of the pipe, plus or minus in degrees. “When you are in muck and water and you can’t see much of anything, you can quickly find bellies in the pipe that you would not normally be able to see,” said Jeff Albertini, Ridgid global product manager, underground technologies, hand-held tools.

For more information See The Ridgid Website

Calgary winter
By Bob Baker Boiler • Plumbing • • • 0 Comments

Calgary’s Winter Plumber

Baker White Winter Plumber

Winter Prep in Calgary

Calgary’s Best Winter Plumber is prepping for a busy season of frigid. Winter is here and the only thing more important than good snow tires is a good plumber. In Calgary and surrounding area the best winter plumber there is, is Baker Plumbing. With 60+ years of experience under the belt, we have experienced all the intensity winters in Calgary can bring.

When the heat goes out, the lines freeze, or something just doesn’t sound right then Baker is Calgary’s Best Plumber which also means we’re your best plumber during winter or any other season for that matter. We seen the worse Calgary’s winter can bring, ice storms, deep snows, slicing gusts of wind, bone chilling cold that finds its way into recesses rarely thought of.

What makes Baker Plumbing the best winter plumber? Frankly, the same thing that makes us the best summer plumber! Our knowledge, experience, skills and tools means we can diagnosis quickly whatever is going wrong or may go wrong. Getting your home, business or whatever is necessary to make things right and maybe more importantly warm!

Our trucks come stocked with pipe, fittings, valves, controls and devices needed to ensure success and success quickly. We are commited to get your home or business back online safely and as efficiently as possible. Our plumbers come highly trained with access to the best online support if necessary to ensure accuracy in providing lasting solutions.

A Baker for all Seasons

What does all this mean? It means Baker Plumbing is one of the best suited professional plumbing companies to service most any heating equipment that may be causing issues.

Baker Plumbing is ready and willing to provide solutions and success to whatever problems you may be facing. It doesn’t matter what season it is, we at Baker Plumbing have the answer to the issues you’re experiencing. Call us today.

Winter in Calgary
By Bob Baker Boiler • Furnaces • • • 0 Comments

Winter is Coming to Calgary

Baker Plumbing logo

Garage Heater Install

Winter officially begins on December 21, yet if you live in Calgary you know that winter starts far sooner that than. In fact winter in Calgary is about to start this weekend with the mercury dipping below -20C. With temperatures like that it won’t take long to find out if your furnace, boiler and fireplace is working properly.

If by some chance you find out that one of your heating appliamces is not up to snuff. Baker Plumbing is ready with the knowledge, experience, tools and skills to get things warmed up fast!

Here’s a little more information on our favorite season, winter!

Winter is Coming

Winter, coldest season of the year, between autumn and spring; the name comes from an old Germanic word that means “time of water” and refers to the rain and snow of winter in middle and high latitudes. In the Northern Hemisphere it is commonly regarded as extending from the winter solstice (year’s shortest day), December 21 or 22, to the vernal equinox (day and night equal in length), March 20 or 21, and in the Southern Hemisphere from June 21 or 22 to September 22 or 23. The low temperatures associated with winter occur only in middle and high latitudes; in equatorial regions, temperatures are almost uniformly high throughout the year.

Definition of Winter

Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate zones (winter does not occur in most of the tropical zone). It occurs after autumn and before spring in each year. Winter is caused by the axis of the Earth in that hemisphere being oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures define different dates as the start of winter, and some use a definition based on weather. When it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere, and vice versa. In many regions, winter is associated with snow and freezing temperatures. The moment of winter solstice is when the Sun’s elevation with respect to the North or South Pole is at its most negative value (that is, the Sun is at its farthest below the horizon as measured from the pole). The day on which this occurs has the shortest day and the longest night, with day length increasing and night length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice. The earliest sunset and latest sunrise dates outside the polar regions differ from the date of the winter solstice, however, and these depend on latitude, due to the variation in the solar day throughout the year caused by the Earth’s elliptical orbit (see earliest and latest sunrise and sunset).

By Bob Baker Boiler • • • 0 Comments

Boiler Repair By Baker

Calgary’s Best Boiler Repair Techs, Bar none!

WINTER IS COMING

Proof positive, Baker knows its stuff

In Calgary they are few more qualified for Boiler repairs than Baker Plumbing! Since 1956 we have been among the best boiler repair professionals in Calgary.

With winter fast approaching the time is now to address any of those nagging or troublesome features about your boiler. In Calgary and area, Baker Plumbing has been servicing, repairing and replacing boilers since 1956. We know a thing or two about the severity that winter can bring us. That understanding of just how vital your boiler is during the harshest of all seasons is one of the best reasons to hire Baker.

The increase in technology and invention has brought a multitude of components to market. These marvels of tech allow for increased efficiency and function never before seen. That’s the upside, the downside is that each one of these wonders of engineering must be inspected, serviced, and calibrated. Failure to that can result in their failure to actually do their jobs and doing them well.

The time is now, don’t delay any longer. Call Baker Plumbing and ensure you and your family in Calgary remain toasty and warm with a boiler repair, service or replacement.

calgary boiler repair
Burners, burnt beyond repair

What is a boiler?

A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications,[1][2] including water heating, central heating, boiler-based power generation, cooking, and sanitation.

Is a boiler safe?

To define and secure boilers safely, some professional specialized organizations such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) develop standards and regulation codes. For instance, the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code is a standard providing a wide range of rules and directives to ensure compliance of the boilers and other pressure vessels with safety, security and design standards.[8]

By Bob Baker Drain Cleaning • • • 0 Comments

iPhones vs. Toilets Great Blunders

iphone

Saving iPhones

No one would ever think that the iPhone versus the toilet could actually be an issue, yet here we are! As a service plumber serving Calgary and area, we at Baker Plumber get to see alot of crazy and interesting stuff. Few circumstances are more intense than when a young woman loses her iPhone down the john.

Thankfully, Baker Plumbing has the tools and knowledge necessary to save those precious communication devices. In fact, with 6 phones saved so far this year, we have returned 5 of them in working order which is an 83% success rate. Not bad if we say so ourselves.

From iPhones to boilers, from Android to cross connections, at Baker Plumbing we’re ready and waiting!

Contact us today!

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