Water jetting sewer and drain lines
One of our first introductions to water-jetting sewer drain-line cleaning machines took place while a commercial high-pressure jetter was on site cleaning the downstream side of a parking lot grease trap. The building’s food court PVC drain line left the building to enter a large 1,500-gallon grease trap and returned to rejoin the building’s......
The Long Journey to Conservation
High efficiency furnaces and boilers that can hit 96% or better, inverter heat pumps and A/C units with 11-HSPF and 21- SEER, ground source heat pumps peaking at 31-EER and gas-fired water heaters achieving 99% efficiency! All of which exceed the requirements for an Energy Star rating. The industry and we have done very well in promoting responsible conservation of our finite resources – or have we?...
Salt air and plumbing at the sea shore
Lois and I recently visited friends who own a condo in Ocean City, Md. The days melted away in relaxed banter. Following a great dinner at Dr. Unks Bar...
When bad things happen to good drains
I'VE BEEN CLEANING drains for 36 years; you'd think by now I'd have a pretty good idea of what causes drain lines to clog. In all those years, I've worked...
Dealing with clogs in small-diameter drains
WHEN I WAS a young lad first entering the trades, we had no power tools for cleaning small-diameter drain lines. We used hand-tops, which could give a...
Hector the Inspector
AFTER COMPLETING the permit application, I waited for the lady in charge to finish her phone call so we could complete my paperwork. In my neck of the...
Parisian sewage and potable water, part two
Touring Paris was a fantastic journey filled with museums and major points of interest. I'd read about the sewers of Paris and felt obligated to visit...
Brief history of condensing boilers and potable water
IN APRIL 2002, Lois and I had an opportunity to travel to France for a visit with Geminox Chaudieres, the manufacturer of Monitor MZ boilers. Upon arrival...
Make my (Christmas) Day
DO YOU FEEL lucky? Well, do ya, punk? And, of course, as you know, the bank robber wasn't lucky. What in the world does Dirty Harry have to do with this...
Christmas gifts wrapped in work clothes
December 22nd already I can't wait till noon when we get off work!" The long weekend leading to Christmas was an exciting time for Mike. Life had been...
Murder in the boiler room
Murder in the boiler room BY DAVE YATES PLUMBING CONTRACTOR IT'S BEEN SAID that Dead Men tell no tales, but the gang of murderers I was investigating...
Hot water recirculation saves money, energy
PLUMBING CONTRACTOR SAVING MONEY AND conserving energy aren't always the first things on our customers' minds when asking about retrofitting or adding...
Flooded basements and sump pump safety
Second in a series. CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS are a funny thing sometimes. A recent submersible sump pump installation triggered a series of angry phone calls....
Wholesaler values revealed
I RECENTLY WAS invited to spend a week with wholesalers and manufacturers representatives who were attending training at Watts Radiant in Springfield,...
Low water pressure spells restroom trouble
I WAS ASKED if I would be willing to visit a commercial site where new public restrooms had been installed. The plumber said he hadn't done anything wrong...
Spring means it's pool heater mania time
BY DAVE YATES PLUMBING CONTRACTOR EACH SPRING WE get referrals from several local pool companies to install underground gas lines to pool boilers they've...
The lost art of blind soldering
DANN WYMAN WROTE: "I just read your page on 'The lost art of making lead joints' on www.contractormag.com. I was actually searching the Web trying to...
Good sportsmanship applies to contracting too
AS OUR BOYS grew up, they were active in Little League Baseball programs. We participated as parents often do: as spectators, assistant coaches, scorekeepers...
Preaching to the choir or the congregation?
UNLESS YOU'RE LIVING on a deserted island by yourself you've been hearing about carbon monoxide and combustion testing. If you want to enhance your bottom...
Danger lurks when thawing frozen water lines
BOOM! THE 1/2-in. copper cap grazed my ear as a deafening roar announced its rocketlike ejection from inside the kitchen sink cabinet. Scalding steam...
Many heat tapes can pose a fire hazard
MY AUGUST column about winterizing plumbing systems (pg. 44) generated a number of e-mails. Several questions were asked on using electric heat tapes....
Yes, I believe in Santa
I'M NOT ASHAMED to admit it I believe in Santa Claus the rotund one a jolly old elf. I held that belief firmly for many years until one Christmas season...
Want liquid gold? Turn on your tap
WE STOPPED AT a Starbucks for a $4 cup of Mocha-something on the way to our son's first day at college. The emotional inner turmoil brought on by our...
The Lazy-T-Barred Ranch
WE RECENTLY returned from a dude ranch in Colorado (www.wrranch.com) that backed right up to Rocky Mountain National Park. The Colorado River begins its...
Winterizing plumbing in vacation homes
A READER WROTE: I will be winterizing homes this next season and was wondering if you could point out some areas to watch for in regards to refrigerators...
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