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By Baker Plumbing and Heating | Calgary Plumbing • • • • 0 Comments

A Word on Water Softeners in Alberta

We have in the last month installed a dozen softeners! They seem to come in bunches so I thought it would be prudent to include a blog on softeners. So without further adieu.

Water softening systems can reduce the calcium and magnesium content in your household plumbing. These and other elements cause water to become hard. Hardness can lead to various problems when limescale build up in your pipes and plumbing fixtures. Hard ions also does not interact well with soap in your washer, dishwasher and when you shower.

Typical home water softening appliances depend on an ion exchange resin wherein hard ions are replaced with sodium ions which soften liquid. Hard water causes a lot of problems with your plumbing and home appliances but can also be beneficial to your health by providing your body with magnesium and calcium and by reducing the solubility of toxic metals such as copper and lead.

Water softening methods usually rely on removing calcium and magnesium with the use of a solution or by replacing hard ions with sodium. By removing the hard ions, the liquid that runs through your household plumbing are unable to form limescale deposits that block your pipes and build up in your coffee makers and shower heaters.

You can also remove hard ions by distilling your water, but this proves to be way too expensive for household use. Softening systems can do this for you the cheap way. Sodium, the main and most common softening ingredient is readily available everywhere. You can find sodium resin and beads at a hardware store or at the supermarket.

Once your water is softened, your soap and detergent will dissolve easily in your dishwasher or laundry washer. You will get cleaner glassware and clothing. Even your bath soap and shampoo will lather better and you can feel cleaner after each bath. Home appliances that use water like a coffee maker of shower heater will last longer and work efficiently.

Water is softened in a water softening system by letting it pass through a bed of resin beads made from sodium or salt. Negative charged resins absorb metal ions which are replaced with soft ions that are released into the water. The positive ions found in sodium beads are also found in other elements like hydrogen and potassium.

Potassium should be used in households where people are on a salt restricted diet. There are also other resins that can be used with your water softening system that also absorb carbonate, sulphate and bi-carbonate ions. These kinds of resins release hydroxyl ions. These resin beads can be used in conjunction with sodium softening beads.

Before purchasing a water softener for your home, find out what you need from your machine. If you have people at home who have heart or kidney problems, then you should stick to potassium softeners and avoid using sodium. If you have metals in your water, then add other resins that can also get rid of these harmful metals.

For any further questions on softeners give us a call at 403-279-7554 or book online.

By Baker Plumbing and Heating | Calgary Plumbing • • • • 0 Comments

Bragg Creek Water Conservation Tips

You have probably heard that it is good to conserve water all the time and not just in times of drought. Are you doing enough around the home? Read and follow these water conservation tips for the home to be sure.

Collect Water to Reuse
There are many times throughout the day that we are wasting and not aware of it. For example, when taking a shower we let the water run until it heats up. Did you know that you can collect this water and use it to feed outside plants or flush your toilet? Also, in the kitchen when you are washing fruits and vegetables you can use a tub to collect the overflow and also use it to nourish plants. If you have a pet you can use their old water to give to plants as well. Also, if you have an ice cold drink, don’t just throw the ice away, dump it on a plant instead. These techniques combined, could save you 200 to 300 gallons a month!

Stop Running Water When Not Necessary
Turning off the water while brushing your teeth, washing your hands, washing your hair, or shaving can save up to three gallons a day. Using the garbage disposal less can also save, use the garbage or compost instead. Defrost food in the refrigerator instead of with the faucet. Soaking pots and pans instead of letting the faucet run while scrubbing them clean. Also, instead of running water while washing the dishes fill up two tubs instead, one with soapy water and one with fresh clean water. Using a small amount of soap will reduce the amount you need to rinse. This simple technique can save 200-500 gallons a month!

Make Sure You Use Water Saving Fixtures, Faucets, and Toilets
Faucet aerators break water flow into fine droplets while using less and they can also reduce splashing while washing hands and dishes. Low flow shower heads also sometimes called energy-efficient shower heads or water saving shower heads use less energy and water. A typical showerhead uses about 5 to 8 gallons per minute, but most low flow showerheads can reduce this amount to around 2.5 gallons per minute cutting your usage by about 30%. Low-flush toilets also known as low-flow toilets, water-saving toilets, or water efficient toilets only use, on average, about 1.6 gallons per flush instead of the traditional 5 gallons a flush. Switching to a low flush toilet can cut your water usage by 70% per year!

If you need a plumber, give us a call at 403-279-7554 or book online.

By Baker Plumbing and Heating | Calgary Plumbing • Tips and Tricks • • • • 0 Comments

The Ten Suggestions of Plumbing

Forewarned is forearmed, notably in terms of plumbing. Repairs may be fairly pricey so it will be significant for you and everyone in your house to know a couple of plumbing fundamentals which can save you money and time down the road. Even children as young as five can study a couple of plumbing ideas! Here are the highest ten plumbing checks each house owner needs to know:

1. Plumbing emergencies could require fast pondering and movement on your part or that of a household member. Everybody in your home should know where the principle cutoff for the water is, just in case.

2. Discover ways to learn your water meter. When no one else is home and you already know there isn’t a water operating, verify your meter to make sure not one of the dials are moving. If they are, then you might probably have a water leak somewhere. Toilets and faucets are the most probably culprits and may add a number of a whole lot dollars a year to your water bill.

3. Examine for toilet leaks by inserting just a few drops of food colouring within the tank. About 20 minutes later, test the toilet bowl for any presence of colour. In case you do see one thing, there may be seepage around the flapper valve. It’s a simple fix so long as you know there is a problem.

4. Try to drain a number of gallons of water from your scorching water heater tank twice a year. This ensures the valve works and likewise allows sediment accumulating on the backside of the tank to filter, maximizing heating efficiency. Higher yet, if in case you have the funds invest in a tankless water heater and watch your utility bills decrease because no power is spent protecting gallons and gallons of water hot in a storage tank. A tankless water heater heats water on demand, while you need it. Certain conditions apply.

5 Once you rest room looks like it would possibly overflow, remove the tank lid and press down on the flush valve, effectively plugging the opening at the backside of the tank. This prevents the bathroom from overflowing whilst you decide the source of the clog causing the problem.

6. Check all water and drain valves operational by opening and shutting them a minimum of twice a year. If you don’t do that, a valve could freeze up over time. So if you’re caught in a plumbing dilemma and can’t flip the valve off, you would be dealing with critical problems and expense.

7. Find the place the stop valves are for the taps and bathrooms in your home. This allows you to turn off water on the problem supply fairly than inconvenience an entire household by turning off the primary valve to the house.

8. Preserve a plunger around for clogged sinks and bathrooms as they are efficient tools for plumbing issues.

9. Put money into just a few substitute parts equivalent to a ball cock and some washers and o-rings for those simple plumbing fixes around the home.

10. Avoid chemical drain cleaners for eradicating clogs. Instead use a plunger or invest in a roto-rooter device referred to as an auger, nickname “snake,” for these powerful obstructions in plumbing pipes.

For all your plumbing needs, give us a call at 403-279-7554 or book online.

By Baker Plumbing and Heating | Calgary Plumbing • Tips and Tricks • • • • 0 Comments

Tips on Leaks!

Leaks inside the house, no matter from which area, brings nothing but huge problems for members of the family. That is why you are rushing to get the necessary plumbing repair service in your area in order to put a stop to these leaks as soon as possible. Help your plumbers work on these concerns faster by identifying these safety tips to protect you and your family in the course of the repair:

Note Specific Areas Where Leaks Come From
You might want to list these areas out if there are too many leaks in the different parts of the house. Or go ahead and place a tape for small pipes of tie a towel around to prevent the water from dripping while waiting for the plumbers to come.

Test Your Other Faucets For Possible Signs Of Leaks
Go around the house and check every faucet. You can even ask the rest of the family members to help you especially if you own a big house and that doing this all by yourself will definitely take much of your time. Provide instructions on what to do with those leaks as a temporary solution to help the plumbers repair additional pipes that leak in other parts of your house.

Disconnect Outside Water Hoses
This may be applicable more on residential projects rather than in those commercial plumbing services. If left connected, there will be more water to put to waste, something that mother nature does not wants us to do isn’t it? If you have shut-off valves inside the house, then you can just turn these off to prevent additional volume of water from dripping.

Clear Your Kitchen Sink Of Waste That Causes Clogging
This is the usual concerns of those who are calling for plumbing repair service at home. Do not ever put fibrous waste down the drain. Examples of these are plant fibers from fruits and vegetables like carrots, celery and banana peels.

Do Not Pour Fat Or Cooking Oils Down The Drain
You might think that it is convenient for you to do, but this might be the cause of trouble inside your home. If you already did this, you can pour hot water down the drain to minimize the grease that block these pipes. You can also pour cups of vinegar to help do the same thing and flush the waste on the pipes.

Remove Hair, Soap Bits And Other Debris Near The Sink
The plumbers will help us unclog the drains in these pipeline, however, you also need to do your part. Please clean your sinks with these hair strands, soap bits near your shower sink and dispose these properly. Make their work place as comfortable for them as possible even if their job is considered as a messy one.

Provide Cleaning Supplies Near The Area For Faster Cleanup
This is something that you need to do as soon as they are done with finishing touches on covering those leaks. Ask for any recommended way to clean the area when they are done with their work. This is to make sure that you will not hit parts of the repaired pipes that might cause bigger trouble. If they advised that you let the area untouched for a few days, follow their lead, if that means being a leak free house after a few days then cleaning is worth the wait.

These are just simple, but effective ways to help these experts to come up with a safer plumbing repair service activity as soon as possible. Remember that their job is to look after and repair these problem leaks, so make it possible to let them work safely and comfortably in your place as much as you can.