Do You Know What Lives Behind Your Walls?

By Billy Aldridge

Unless there is a water stain on the sheet rock most people do not even consider what lurks behind their walls.  That’s a shame, since if your house is more than twenty years old there can be any number of nasty 

Cast Iron and copper DWV (Drain, Waste and Vent) Piping in a Timber Residential Building in Mission, British Columbia, Canada in the 1980s. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

things that can happen with old pipes that can cost you way more than a simple repair if they should either leak or burst.  While a burst pipe can get your attention fast, slow leaks can cause as much or more damage if left unchecked, since these can cause mold. Of course, just because your house was built before 1960 doesn’t mean that the pipes are the ones originally installed when the house was built.  To find out what’s living behind your walls you need to remove an access panel or two in order to do a little detective work.

Sherlock Homes to the Rescue

Homes built during the twenties and thirties were fitted out with galvanized pipes, which are easy to detect since they are battleship gray and have knobby joints.  If you detect these lines in your walls, you need to look for corrosion, since steel rusts.  You also need to test for flow since galvanized pipes tend to rust from the inside out.  To do this, turn on the taps one at a time, since the hot water side tends to rust faster than the cold water side.  If the flow for one side seems slower than the other, this is a sure sign of internal corrosion slowly but surely  clogging the pipe.

If your house was built in the 1950’s then your pipes could very well be copper.  This is good and bad.  It’s good because copper pipes practically last forever, since they are highly resistant to corrosion.  It’s bad, because copper is very expensive to repair.  In fact it’s so expensive that it isn’t unusual for houses with copper piping to have the pipes stolen if left vacant for any length of time.

Newer homes on the other hand have plastic pipes that never rust, are easy to install and repair and are even color coordinated (red for hot water and blue for cold).  It’s still a good idea to eyeball these at least once per year since they tend to leak at the joints and connections when they do leak.   

Speaking of connections, the larger pipes that carry the water from your drains, sinks, tubs, dishwasher and 

English: Under Slab Leak Repair (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

washing machine also bear scrutiny.  These are known in the industry as waste pipes, and they live beneath your home.  Homes built before 1970 typically have cast iron pipes which people back then thought would last forever.  Since iron like steel rusts, these waste pipes tend to get rough with age which can start to restrict the flow.  They also tend to get what are known as pit holes that can slowly but surely bore completely through the pipe until they begin to leak.  Repairing these pipes can be expensive, since cast iron waste pipes are heavy and difficult to work with.

If your home was built in the 70’s, then PVC waste pipes came into vogue.  Since these plastic pipes are much lighter than cast iron, they are much easier to repair.  Since plastic never rusts, they are also much more reliable and less likely to clog.  The only downside is that roots can find egress into these pipes through even the tiniest of crack which is why you need to contact a plumbing professional if water seems slow to drain or starts to back up.  Particularly here in Florida where afternoon gulley washers are the norm, the last thing you want to do is let your waste pipes clog before a major storm comes to call.  Then you’ll really find out what lives behind your walls, since flooding almost always requires the removal of water damaged sheetrock. 

Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctors of Plumbology with Aldridge and Sons Plumbing.  For mor helpful tips and how-to videos visit http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com

The Ghost of Business Past

By Billy Aldridge

As the old saying goes, “One man’s problem is another man’s opportunity.”  That adage has never been truer than it is today, when one considers the glut of office and retail space that has become available due to businesses shutting their doors. While a weak economy can sound the death knell to a number of ventures, there are those who look to capitalize on another’s misfortune by scooping up office and retail space on the cheap.

Ask any commercial realtor or property owner and they will tell you that tenancy for the past few years has been at a historic low.  So too are rents.  Where once office buildings and strip malls were filled nearly to capacity, any drive around town will show you numerous “ For Sale,” “For Rent” and “Space to Lease” signs.  While you may be looking to start a new venture or expand an existing one, realize that while you might be able to rent space on the cheap, there are a few things you need to check out before you sign on the dotted line.

In the first place, while you may inherit a prime location to run your operation due to a vacancy, you may also wind up inheriting your fair share of electrical and plumbing problems that were either ignored or jury rigged by the previous tenant or landlord.  A quick inspection can tell you whether systems are up to snuff, or if you are about to buy into someone else’s nightmare.

Areas to check include:

A picture of antiquated Water Heaters (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

     1.      Are there any signs of leaks in the roof or walls? Wet spots, discoloration and any indication of mold could be signs that water has or is finding its way into the structure.

     2.      When you turn on the hot water, how long does it take for the water to get hot and how hot is the water coming out of taps.  If the water seems to take an inordinate amount of time to heat up or comes out lukewarm at best, this indicates a compromised water heater.

     3.      Do sinks, drains and toilets empty quickly and completely?  Or does the water stand there awhile before it drains?  While this sounds like a simple enough problem to overcome, the last thing you want to do is have your sink back up during your grand opening.

     4.      When you turn on the tap, is the water pressure outstanding, average, or inadequate? Older buildings have older pipes which over time tend to clog with mineral accretions that reduce the effective flow of water.  The only solution in many cases is to re-pipe.

      5.      Are toilets low or high efficiency models?  In structures built before 1990, the toilet can use twice the amount of water every time it is flushed.  If you have a lot of foot traffic, this could add up to real money.

      6.      Other than plumbing, you also need to test every electrical fixture, socket and circuit to make sure that there are no electrical issues that need to be addressed. 

The bottom line is that by taking an hour or so to thoroughly inspect a property that you are considering can save you weeks of problems once you have taken possession.  After all, there are reasons other than financial that cause a business to close or relocate.  Just make sure that the ghost of business past doesn’t come to haunt you in your latest venture.

Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctors of Plumbology with Aldridge and Sons Plumbing.  To find even more helpful hints and how-to videos, visit their site at http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com

Are You Ready for Hurricane Season?

By Billy Aldridge

While we may have dodged a bullet when it came to Tropical Storm Andrea, this may only be a taste of 

Tropical Cyclone Bingiza (Photo credit: NASA Goddard Photo and Video)

what’s to come as we Floridians slog through yet another hurricane season.  Since it’s always a good policy to hope for the best and prepare for the worst, I thought I’d take some time to talk about how to prepare your home’s plumbing for nature’s wrath.  While most people are more concerned with stocking the shelves and making sure that they have enough batteries and candles should the lights go out, there are a number of plumbing-related issues that you need to cross off your hurricane checklist before the next big blow.

     1.      Nobody is concerned with potable water until there is none to be had.  When hurricane conditions are imminent, you should fill your bathtub and a number of pots and pitchers with water, since the flooding that accompanies a hurricane brings with it a host of bacteria.  While you can always boil water in order to kill pathogens, if you have an electric stove and the power goes out, this might not be feasible.  So stocking up on water to drink and bathe in before the storm hits is always a good idea.

      2.      Once the water starts to rise, the last thing you want to do is flush the toilet.  This is a sure way to flood the bathroom.  As distasteful as this might sound, you need to have a bucket, plastic bags and baby wipes handy for just such a contingency.  Better safe than sorry.

      3.      Make sure all your drains and sewers are free of leaves and debris.  The last thing you want to do is have water back up into your home when the lightning is flashing and the rain is coming down in sheets.   If your drains have been slow to remove water after an afternoon shower, now is the time to have your local plumber inspect them for root intrusion.  I have actually seen water geyser up from blocked drains during major storms.  While most people worry about wind damage, flood damage is far more prevalent and costly to repair. 

      4.      Other nasty things that can accompany storm waters are snakes, rodents, bugs and mold, all of which would much prefer to spend their time inside your home during and after the storm.  This means you need to check for holes in screens, missing or damaged weather stripping and cracks in walls and broken seals around pipes, all of which can admit creepy crawlies.

5.      Locate and test all the water shut off valves in your home.  Should a pipe burst or water start to backflow into your home, you need to know how to shut off the water to part or all of your home.  (See video above to learn how to locate and shut off your water main.)  As bad as conditions are outside, the last time to start looking for the shutoff is when crud starts infiltrating your home via the plumbing.  You also need to locate and test the shutoff valves on your toilets, sinks, water heater and washing machine to make sure they shut completely.  If you haven’t exercised these valves in years they may have frozen shut and need to be either lubricated or replaced

     Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctors of Plumbology at Aldridge & Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida.  To see more helpful how-to videos go to http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com

Stupid Pet Plumbing Tricks

By Bill Aldridge

You know in my line of work I have experienced a number of “I can’t believe you did that” moments such as when children flush toys and such down the commode.  But lately I have begun hearing tales of stupid pet tricks that revolve around plumbing.  In this week’s blog I will share a couple of these.  I will also request that you share yours with me by emailing any plumbing related pet stories to billy@aldridgesonsplumbing.com.  We will share them with the crowd on Facebook.

Cable TV for Cats

As everybody knows, cats are some of the most curious, intelligent and sometimes downright infuriating creatures that exist on the planet.  I have known felines who could seemingly defy gravity, or otherwise would perform gymnastic feats that no human could hope to match. 

Recently I was told a couple of detective a stories by friends that revolved around their cat.  The first story began oddly enough when his water bill arrived in the mail.  Most people know approximately how much water they use on a monthly basis.  When the bill suddenly skyrockets, as did my friends, the hunt is on for a hidden leak.  The problem was that after two months had passed with an inordinately high water bill, they still had not discovered the leak.

One day the owner returned early from work to retrieve something he had left behind.  This meant that no one other than the cat remained in the house.  Imagine my friend’s surprise upon opening the door to hear the toilet flushing in the guest bathroom.  Nervously creeping down the hallway, my friend was hoping that he wasn’t about to startle an intruder.  However, upon peering cautiously around the door jamb what did he see?  None other than his cat standing atop the toilet tank watching the water swirl round and round in the bowl.  Apparently the cat had been spending the day by reaching down and flushing the toilet in order to entertain himself.   I guess it beats watching cable TV.  Mystery solved.

Cat in a Hot Tan Wall

Another friend’s brother was busy doing some plumbing DIY one afternoon last summer.  He had removed the access panel in the bathroom in order to get at a pipe that was located behind the wall.  (He had promised his wife that he was going to fix a slow leak while she was at her sisters for the weekend.) No sooner did he take off the panel when he realized that he had left his tools in the garage.  So he scampered down to the garage leaving the panel on the floor. 

Coming back to the bathroom he began working on the pipe.  Once or twice during the procedure he heard his wife’s cat meowing from somewhere in the house.  Figuring the cat must be crying for his supper, he quickly finished the repair, closed the panel and went down to feed the cat.  It wasn’t until an hour after filling the cat’s bowl that he realized he had a problem.

You see, while the cat’s food remained untouched, it continued to keep meowing.  Searching high and low, 

Cat (Photo credit: @Doug88888)

the brother couldn’t seem to locate the cat.  It wasn’t until he managed to localize the sound from behind the wall in the bedroom that he realized he had a problem.  Apparently while he had been getting his tools from the garage, the cat had wandered into the bathroom and decided to explore the interesting space behind the wall. 

Running back to the bathroom, he quickly removed the panel and called to the cat.  The cat answered back from some distance away, which meant that he had wormed his way who knew how far inside the wall.  The way he explained it he spent the better part of an hour trying to coax the cat out.  While the cat would respond, he didn’t seem to be in any hurry to return.  Returning to the bedroom, he listened for the cat again only to discover that it had moved even further away from the bathroom.  Now in a panic, he knew he was in deep trouble if his wife came home and found her cat trapped behind the wall.  He was starting to consider knocking a hole in the drywall in order to extricate the cat when he remembered that his neighbor was a veterinarian. 

Running next door, he found the neighbor watching a ball game and drinking a beer.  After explaining his situation and waiting for the vet to stop laughing, the neighbor gave him some advice that precluded his having to start knocking holes in the wall.  He told him to simply leave some cat food outside the opening in the bathroom.  When the cat got hungry enough it would follow the scent to the food and come back out of the wall.  Anxious to find any solution that would not give his wife an excuse to remind him that he was anything but a handyman, he did as he was told and about an hour later, the cat magically reappeared. Needless to say, this is one brother who will never again leave any access panel open anywhere in the house.

Bill Aldridge is one of the Doctors of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida.  Visit his website at http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com

Is Your Toilet Getting You In Hot Water?

Four-inch cast-iron plumbing pipes (and at lower left center the three-inch down-pipe from a toilet) in the basement ceiling of a Seattle home. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Billy Aldridge

A number of years ago I lived in a house built in the 1950’s.  While there is a certain amount of charm to 

older structures, the one thing that was less than charming was the plumbing, which had not been upgraded since it was originally installed back in 1954.  So there were a number of things that needed to be dealt with in order to bring the plumbing in the house up to snuff.  The first thing was the toilet, which wasted water with every flush.  Back in the 50’s it was common for toilets to use as much as 7 gallons per flush.  By 2001 when I bought the house, the norm on water usage had been halved.  So the first thing I did was replace the toilet.

However, the toilet in this particular house did something else that quickly got on our nerves.  Every time someone was in the shower, a toilet flush was usually accompanied by a scream as the water temperature in the shower rocketed upward along with the shower’s occupant as the cold water was usurped by the commode.   While newer homes come equipped with a thermostatic mixing valve that prevents this from happening, many older homes can still deliver a jolt to anyone taking a shower whenever a toilet is flushed.

The reason for this is due to the fact that household plumbing is based on the trunk and branch system where a large bore pipe runs the length of the home and smaller pipes branch off to the various rooms, such as the bathrooms, kitchen, laundry room and garage.  Since the system relies on supply and demand, whenever a tap is opened, a toilet is flushed, the dishwasher or the washing machine is running, this effects the amount of water available to the remainder of the system.  

If the water coming out of the shower and taps fluctuates wildly whenever the toilet is flushed, the solution is to either:

      1.      Installa Thermostatic Mixing Valve – If you are a capable DIYer who has experience at soldering and is not averse to complying with local building codes, the steps necessary to install one can be gleaned by going to eHow.com .  Thermostatic Mixing Valves attach to both the cold and hot water lines in order to keep water temperature coming out of the tap at safe levels.   Since water temperatures of 120 degrees or more can cause scalding, these valves are one way to maintain safe temperatures at the tap.  

Toilet water shutoff valve, used to cut off the flow of water into the tank when repairs/maintenance need to be conducted. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

      2.      If the toilet is the chief culprit, the other way to deal with the problem is to simply close the supply valve 

      partially.  This will mean that the toilet fills more slowly, but it could also keep anyone in the shower from getting scalded when the toilet is flushed.  To tighten the valve, you will need to support the supply line that comes out of the wall with one hand while tightening the shutoff valve ever so carefully with the other.  The last thing you want to do is break off the shutoff valve and cause a flood.  Warning: If your home is more than 20 years old, it is quite possible that the shutoff valves will be locked tight.  If this is the case, you can attempt to replace the valve yourself as demonstrated at FamilyHandyman.com.  

   

      The other option is to call a licensed and bonded plumbing professional.  While it will cost you a few dollars to hire a pro, you can rest assured that the job will get done right the first time, which will not only save you money on your utility bill, but it will most definitely keep you out of hot water.

Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctors of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida.  For more helpful hints and how-to videos, visit their site at http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com

Which DIY Do You Do?

Which DIY Do You Do?

By Billy Aldridge

When it comes to saving money on home repair and maintenance, Do-It-Yourself is all the rage, if the sheer volume of HGTV shows is any indicator.  That being said, what the DIY divas of the airwaves don’t tell you is the fact that not all projects are homeowner friendly. Many involve the use of dangerous power tools, such as table saws, nail guns and the like that are best left in the hands of professionals.  The other thing that the hosts of DIY shows won’t tell you is that a botched do-it-yourself job can wind up costing you BIG bucks all in the pursuit of saving a little money.

Besides, most people don’t factor in the sweat equity involved in tackling a home repair or upgrade.  Let’s say you were considering upgrading your bathroom.  While you could go to the local big box store to purchase the tub, toilet, cabinets and lighting needed, you also need to factor in the cost of hauling these materials home.  Next comes the demolition of the existing bathroom, as well as hauling this material away.  Last but not least you need to install the plumbing, the cabinetry, paint or wallpaper the bathroom and lay tile.  And you need to do all of the above in your “spare time,” which could mean that instead of having the job done in a few days, your bathroom could be out of commission for weeks or even months.  If the job requires knocking down a wall, do you know if it covers plumbing or wiring?  To guess wrong could result in disaster.

High Risk Venture?

While most people would not think of engaging in such hazardous activities as base jumping or underwater cave diving, a fair number would not blink at tinkering around with their home’s electrical system, plumbing or gas lines.  HowStuffWorks.com lists the 5 Home RepairsYou Should Never Do Yourself:

One thing can be said about water -- if there's a way out, water will find it. The very smallest leak can lead to thousands of dollars worth of damage if it's not caught in time. If you're a capable do-it-yourselfer and there's existing plumbing in place, you can probably manage some minor repairs like changing a shower head or replacing a faucet. Even installing a new toilet is within the realm of a capable DIY-er (just make sure you have a tight seal). Where you can get into trouble is if you try to modify your plumbing system -- extending hot water lines or re-routing your sewer pipes. Working with hot water means copper pipes, and that requires a blow torch. Unless you have some serious welding experience, it's best to leave the torch jobs to the professionals. While this isn't as dangerous as electric work, plumbing problems can get out of hand fast and lead to an expensive and wet future.

The article also goes onto caution DIYers about the inherent hazards of electrical systems, asbestos, roofing repairs and gas appliances.  One of the other warning signs it points out is the fact that if a project requires a permit, then it is probably over your head.  Since the birth of the do-it-yourself craze there have also been a shocking increase in the number of people injured and property damaged or destroyed all in the attempt to save a buck, including those listed below:

Man slices arms with saws at California Home Depotin graphic DIY gone wrong.  

Builder’s leg was almost ripped off in a horrific DIY accident.

In the past year there have also been stories concerning a house fire caused when a father and son replaced a gas fired water heater and leading to a gas explosion.  There have also been several stories involving either fire or electrocution caused by homeowners who tried to do their own electrical repairs. Another hidden threat to your property and your person is the real possibility that whoever owned your home prior to you considered him or herself a DIY expert.  I can’t tell you the number of times in the course of doing my job that I have come upon bizarre and dangerous jury rigged plumbing and/or electrical fixtures that left me shaking my head and wondering what the person who concocted the monstrosity was thinking about. 

What you need to consider before you attempt to repair, replace or augment any part of your home are your skills and your limitations.  All I can say is that no amount of money saved is worth a trip to the ER or the potential that someday your house could wind up in the headlines due to a DIY disaster.

Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctors of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida.  For more helpful hints and how-to videos, visit their website at http://plumbers-jacksonvilld-fl.com

Springtime Means Time for Spring Cleaning

By Billy Aldridge

They say that April showers bring May flowers.  But what they don’t tell you is that they also bring with them clogged drains, corroded hose bibs and backed up toilets that if left unchecked can cause a lot of damage to your home.  So springtime is a good time to do some preventive maintenance on your plumbing, before the summer heat takes its toll.  Below are five items that you should attend to in May.

   1.      Is Your Toilet a Water Hog? – Utility bills being what they are, the last thing you want to do is pay for wasted water.  The toilet uses a significant amount of water when it is working properly.  When it leaks it can be a real water hog.  There are two ways to check for leaks in the toiled: by sight and sound.  The first is to add six drops of food coloring to the tank.  Don’t flush, just walk away for five or ten minutes and then return to see if the water in the bowl is clear or colored.  If it is tinted, then you have a leak.  The other way is to flush the toilet, let it fill and then listen for a minute or two to hear if the water continues to run intermittently, which happens if the flapper valve is not working properly. (Check out the video below to see how to correct this issue.)

   2.     The Heat is On – Due to minerals in the water, the water heater has a tendency to lose efficiency over time.  To help alleviate this problem, it’s a good idea to drain your water heater once a year.  To do this all you need is to connect your garden hose to the drain knob (which acts like a spigot).  Next, turn the power to the heater off.  (If you have a gas heater you may need to seek professional assistance, unless you are completely comfortable reigniting the pilot light.) Once you have led the opposite end of the hose outside, turn off the water inlet to the tank so that it won’t fill and then open the knob that drains the tank. (If the water refuses to drain, turn the water back on in order to blow the sediment out.) Once the tank drains completely, turn the water back on for thirty seconds or so to allow the flow of water the opportunity to knock off some of the deposits that have built up inside the tank.  Then close the drain, disconnect the hose and turn the water on to let the tank fill back up. (Note: if an air lock should occur during the process, simply open the hot side of the faucet to allow the system to breath.)

   3.      Don’t Get Hosed  – Even though we don’t have much in the way of winter frost in North Florida, that   

IMG_2525 (Photo credit: UGA College of Ag)

doesn’t mean that your outdoor spigots don’t take a beating from the elements.  Before you waste any water during the long hot summer, you need to check the hose bibs for cracks, corrosion and leaks.  If you find that the tap is difficult to turn or that you detect a leak at the hose bib when you attach a hose, this is the time to perform maintenance, as opposed to  the middle of July when the thermometer hovers at ninety five degrees.

   4.      Down the Drain – Springtime is also quick time for root growth.  Roots have a tendency to make a beeline for water and as a result can clog drains and sewer lines.  Any crack or crevice that provides ingress will allow roots to grow inside your sewer lines.  This will slow and can eventually stop the flow of water to the sewer.  If you notice standing water near sewer drains, call your local plumber to inspect the line before the flow stops and water manages to backup into your home.

   5.      Keep Your Mind Out of the Gutter – Gutters and downspouts also need to be checked and if necessary flushed out to prevent water from backing up.  This can result in everything from ceiling leaks to mold. 

By performing periodic preventative maintenance on your plumbing system you will mitigate more serious problems, prevent damage to your home and save yourself time and money.  Ignore these items and the first gulley washer of the summer might leave you hot and bothered as you reach for the phone to call your local plumber. 

Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctors of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida.  For more helpful hints and how-to videos, visit their website at http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com