Burst Pipes

Don’t know a Schedule 40 PVC pipe from a Schedule 80 PVC pipe? Or maybe you need to brush up on the different uses for flexible copper pipes as opposed to rigid copper piping. If wall thickness, inside diameter and outside diameter and the plethora of abbreviations used in the industry are all confusing to you, well, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you are researching for a home improvement or expansion project, or you need to conduct repairs for drain lines or other broken pipes, here is a glossary of various types of piping as a handy guide. Piping Terms to Know Copper Pipe: Used for water supply systems, this is more durable than plastic piping, and it even fights corrosion. Copper pipes are either flexible or rigid. Flange: a ring, rib, rim or edge that is a projection. There are many types of flanges, such as blind

Are you planning to move to a new place? Before you make that huge purchase or sign off on that lease, you need to know what to watch out for when it comes to the plumbing. Otherwise, you could be met with a nasty surprise not that far down the road. Did you know that in the first year of getting a new home, almost half of all homebuyers have to call in a plumber? Avoid getting a plumbing disaster as a housewarming gift. Here are some things you can inspect for as you look through a place you hope to call your own. When you are inspecting the bathroom: Look for water damage on the floor that’s around the toilet. This could mean black or white stains or crinkled, peeling laminate that has resulted from a leak. Step back and forth on either side of the toilet: if the

Homeowners who want to keep their crawlspace or basement dry, or prevent a flooded basement or crawlspace, know their sump pump needs to be in good working order at a moment’s notice, even after months of lying in disuse.  There are many reasons for a homeowner to have a sump pump. The water damage that homeowners can face when there is groundwater backup can be incredible. Sump pump failures and common issues, such as a clog or obstruction in the sump pit discharge pipe or the sump pump float switch failing to engage the impeller to get rid of excess water, can make a rainy day into a disastrous day.  How Many Types Of Sump Pumps Are There? In general, there are two essential types of sump pumps: a pedestal sump pump and a submersible sump pump. Pedestal types of sump pumps – this variety of pump systems have the

There are some plumbing pieces and tools available from most hardware stores that Kansas City homeowners should consider always having on hand, as the cost is not high but when a plumbing emergency happens you’ll be glad you have them. Tools and items such as a pipe cutter, PVC, new section of pipe, screwdriver, solder, and other basic plumbing repair tools and materials. This is definitely true when it comes to being prepared for a burst pipe. If you are ready for such an emergency, this could prevent thousands of dollars of repairs and water damage from occurring.  Now sometimes, duct tape is all it takes to save the day with some water leaks or provide a temporary fix. If you see a pinhole leak in a section of pipe, you can try wrapping the tape around the leaking pipe, depending on the water pressure. Oftentimes, this is all the