Boston Plumbing and Heating Blog

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions from homeowners regarding frozen water lines and related issues.

Why are water service lines freezing this winter? 

Due to the prolonged extreme temperatures experienced this winter, the frost in the ground is deeper than normal. It is important to understand that even when air temperatures begin to increase, the frost in the ground will continue to advance deeper. This will continue as long as temperatures remain cold, and for several weeks beyond, even as permanent warm spring time temperatures arrive.

Whose responsibility is it to re-establish a frozen water service line?

It is the responsibility of property owners to maintain their service line. The service line extends from the city water main to the water meter. In most cases, the problem with freezing occurs in the private service line. However, if the city water main freezes, it is the responsibility of the city to restore water service in the main.

What can I do to prevent my pipes from freezing as well as my service line?

The standard recommendation is to run the water at a stream of approximately a pencil diameter to keep water flowing through the private service line.

At what water temperature should I begin to worry about my water service line freezing?

The normal temperature of water entering a building should be between 47 and 58 degrees. If the measured temperature is in the mid- to upper 30-degree-range it is strongly recommended that a steady stream of water through a cold water faucet be left running.

Let the cold water run for a minute or two to ensure that water from the service line is being measured, because water left standing in the building plumbing system will have a higher temperature.

What will it cost to keep a stream of water flowing through my service line?

Running a constant stream of water the approximate size of a pencil will cost you about $2.50 per day.

What should I do if I suspect my water service line is frozen?

The responsibility of maintaining the service line is with the property owner. One option an owner has, and is typically the first step, is to contact a plumber who has the appropriate equipment to thaw a service line. In some cases, special equipment can be used within the building to thaw the ice in the water service line.

What do I do if I see water bubbling from the ground or cracks in the street?

If water is flowing from the ground or cracks in the street, it is most likely a water leak, either on the water main or on a private service line. Contact your city or town engineering department.

For more information on plumbing and water line issues, contact Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating.

globegazette.com

Is it time for you to start your bathroom remodeling project? To get the best results it is important to consult with a professional plumber before you start your bathroom remodel. Here are the main reasons.

Save Time

A bathroom remodeling project is a complex procedure that takes a considerable amount of time, money and effort. By consulting with a professional plumber, you can help to save time. With the knowledge and expertise of a professional plumber, you can easily transform your bathroom into the space you are looking for.

Save Money

When you consult with a professional plumber for a bathroom remodel, you can help to save money on your project in the long run. A plumbing professional will have the knowledge and skills needed to properly install all of your fixtures. By hiring a professional to perform your installation, you will eliminate the need for costly repairs and adjustments down the road.

More Options and Ideas

A professional plumber can provide you with access to a wide variety of plumbing fixtures and faucets. When you consult with a professional plumbing service, you will have the ability to select between many styles and products.

For assistance with your next bathroom remodeling project, contact Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating.

highlandpark.suntimes.com

Extremely low temperatures have become the norm creating a long busy winter season for plumbing companies because of frozen pipes and malfunctioning furnaces.

More and more homeowners are experiencing problems with flooding, frozen pipes and even frozen drain lines that started just before Christmas. More and more homeowners are contending with malfunctioning furnaces and frozen pipes in this latest round of below-normal temperatures.

To prevent frozen pipes, homeowners should be aware of the obvious causes like cracks in the walls or broken windows. Another cause of frozen pipes that most homeowners don’t think about is the cold air coming in through the dryer vents.

If you don't have a damper on your dryer vent, the wind will blow right in there. A lot of time you see dryer vents that are right near water pipes. The cold air will follow the vent right in and freeze the pipe.

Some homeowners attempt to address problems with frozen pipes themselves. Oftentimes this can be a recipe for disaster, since the average person does not have the proper equipment or training to deal with these plumbing issues.

Here are a few important suggestions for homeowners while they are waiting for professional plumbers to arrive. Locate your main water shutoff and turn it off after the pipe has frozen and before a pipe bursts in order to prevent flooding. Additionally, rather than using an open flame, which can lead to insulation igniting, Apply heat from an electric hair dryer or a hot rag on the frozen pipes.

Preventive measures are also good to keep in mind. The ideal temperature to keep the thermostat varies depending on the age of the home. If you have an older home you'll want to keep it a little warmer, newer homes are better insulated and don't seem to have as many problems. If you have a crawl space in your house you probably want to keep it at least 65 or 70 degrees.

Before the next winter season, wrap heat tape around your piping system to keep the heat around the pipes before they freeze or using foam pipe or regular pipe insulation. Another simple fix is to leave a faucet running a bit to keep water moving through your piping system since generally moving water does not freeze.

If you pipes have frozen, contact Greater Boston Heating and Plumbing.

WGRZ

We have been having some very cold winter temperatures. As a result, we have seen too many homes with frozen pipes. Too often this winter, we have heard, “What should you do if my pipes freeze?”

If you turn on a faucet and get no water, your pipes may be frozen. If your pipes freeze, there are some procedures that you can follow to thaw them. The sooner the problem is recognized, the better chance that damage will be minimized.

Some techniques for thawing frozen pipes include:

• If possible, expose a boxed-in area to the inside heat. An example includes opening some ceiling tiles if your home has a drop ceiling.
• Use a heat gun. However, be extremely careful as the heat from the heat gun will ignite any wood or paper it contacts.
• DO NOT use torches to thaw pipes!
• Rubbing the pipes with warm, damp rags may slowly thaw the line.
• If you do not have water for an extended period of time, special attention should be given to hot water heaters and boilers.

What should I do if a pipe breaks?

Shut off your water immediately, using your home's shutoff valve. Then contact a plumber if water pipes freeze.

Where are my shutoff valves?

There are actually two major shutoff valves in line with your service. The first valve is generally located near the property line and is normally housed by a cylinder with a cap on it called the curb box. The other major valve is located in the home next to the water meter. Other valves may be near plumbing appliances such as sinks and toilets.

Keeping your main valve in good working condition will assure you that you will be able to turn your water off in the event of an emergency, in case one of your water pipes breaks, for example.

What if my main valve does not work in an emergency?

Call your local Public Works Department so that they can shut off your water immediately. If you have determined that your water pipes have frozen, contact Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating.

Weather.com

Last week we discussed low-flow toilets, and how your home’s plumbing may not be able to accommodate them. However, if you can replace a toilet with a low-flow toilet in your home, you can shave as much as $90 off your annual utility bill and send thousands fewer gallons of water down the drain.

In 1994 low-flow toilets became popular. While they saved water, they weren’t great at actually flushing. Today’s low-flow toilets work better. Many are better performers and some also use even less water than the federal standard. If you’re in the market for a new toilet, it pays to consider high-efficiency toilets (HET). You’ll save a lot of money (and water).

Look for high performing toilets

The EPA’s WaterSense label identifies HETs that have been certified by independent laboratories. They’re rated according to Maximum Performance (MaP) testing protocols, which measure the toilets’ ability to remove waste. MaP scores range from 250 to 1,000.  The EPA has adopted 350 grams as its minimum performance threshold, and anything over 500 is very good.

Choose how to flush

Like standard low-flow toilets, HETs come with different flush options. The one you choose depends on how “green” you want to be, how much you’re willing to spend, and your tolerance for noise. Most residential toilets in the U.S. are gravity-flush, which relies on the weight of water flowing into the bowl to help remove waste. Pressure-assist toilets compress air at the top of the tank to increase flush velocity, so they can do the job with as little as 0.8 gallons of water. While this makes for a powerful flush, they are loud.

Some low-flow designs like the Kohler Hatbox is so streamlined that it doesn’t even have a tank and flushes with the aid of an electric pump. While it is efficient with less noise, it is a more complicated installation and costlier maintenance.

Your savings

Toilets account for about 27% of a household’s indoor water usage, so trading up to a high-efficiency toilet can yield big savings. According to the EPA, a family of four that replaces its home’s older toilets with WaterSense-labeled models will, on average, save more than $90 per year in reduced water bills and $2,000 over the lifetime of the toilets. And, of course, you’ll be saving a lot of water. Pre-1994 toilets send between 3.5 and 7 gallons down the drain with every flush. For a family of four, that adds up to about 76 gallons a day.

For more information on replacing toilets in your home, contact Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating.

houselogic.com

Many homes around Boston and Worcester are older homes. Today, more and more homeowners are interested in saving money and resources, which has people investigating low-flow toilets. Older homes were built assuming that toilets would use more than 3 gallons of water for flushing. Today’s low-flow toilets use 1.6 gallons.

If you are considering changing to a more efficient toilet, keep in mind that there is a chance the plumbing in your older home may not be sufficient.

The pipes that take waste away from your toilet and your home need to slope between 1/8-in. and 1/4-in. per foot for the water to carry solid waste to the sewer. If the pipes are too steep or too level, the flow of water allows waste to collect in the pipe and that means you could get clogged toilets. Some old homes may even have a “negative slope” where water stands in the pipe. With a negative slope the waste is carried away only by the force of gallons of water flowing through the pipes because you have an older toilet that uses several gallons of water.

Here are a couple signs that your plumbing may not work for low-flow toilets:

• The original toilet occasionally clogs, even when not flushing solids. This could be the toilet or a clogged waste pipe.
• After lifting the toilet off the floor you see standing water in the waste line. That is a sign that your pipes have a negative slope.

In both scenarios a professional plumber can fix the problem. If your plumber says your plumbing may not work for a low-flow toilet, consider having a fixture with a pressure-assisted flush installed. When the toilet is flushed compressed air is released that forces the water out of the bowl and forcing it down the drain.

For  more information on if your home can handle a low flow toilet, contact Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating.

Frozen pipes occur most frequently when they are exposed to severe cold, like those in unheated interior areas like basements and crawl spaces, attics, garages or kitchen cabinets.

With the cold arctic air and wind chills that have been hanging around Worcester and Boston we have been experiencing some of the coldest weather in years. With single digit temperatures, frozen water pipes in unheated basements and crawl spaces are a concern for homeowners.

The American Red Cross suggests tips on how to prevent pipes from freezing and what to do if water pipes freeze.

Why Pipe Freezing is a Problem

Water expands as it freezes. This expansion puts tremendous pressure on metal or plastic pipes. No matter how strong, expanding water can cause pipes to break. Pipes that freeze most frequently are those that are exposed to severe cold, like outdoor hose bibs, swimming pool supply lines, water sprinkler lines, and water supply pipes in unheated interior areas like basements and crawl spaces, attics, garages, or kitchen cabinets. Pipes that run against exterior walls that have little or no insulation are also subject to freezing.

Preventing Frozen Pipes

Before the onset of cold weather, prevent freezing of water supply lines and pipes by following these recommendations:

• Drain water from swimming pool and water sprinkler supply lines following manufacturer's or installer's directions. Do not put antifreeze in these lines unless directed.  
• Remove, drain, and store hoses used outdoors. Close inside valves supplying outdoor hose bibs. Open the outside hose bibs to allow water to drain. Keep the outside valve open so that any water remaining in the pipe can expand without causing the pipe to break.
• Check around the home for other areas where water supply lines are located in unheated areas. Look in the basement, crawl space, attic, garage, and under kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Both hot and cold water pipes in these areas should be insulated.
• Consider installing specific products made to insulate water pipes like a "pipe sleeve" or installing UL-listed "heat tape," "heat cable," or similar materials on exposed water pipes. Newspaper can provide some degree of insulation and protection to exposed pipes.

During Cold Weather:

• Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.
• When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe - even at a trickle - helps prevent pipes from freezing.
• Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
• If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55° F.
• Do not pour antifreeze in your pipes to prevent freezing. It is the pipes that bring water to your home that you want to prevent from freezing. Additionally, antifreeze is a poisonous, hazardous substance, you don’t want this in your sewage system or leaking  into your soil.

To Thaw Frozen Pipes

• If you turn on a faucet and only a trickle comes out, suspect a frozen pipe.
• Keep the faucet open. As you treat the frozen pipe and the frozen area begins to melt, water will begin to flow through the frozen area. Running water through the pipe will help melt ice in the pipe.
• Apply heat to the section of pipe using an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, an electric hair dryer, a portable space heater, or by wrapping pipes with towels soaked in hot water.
• Apply heat until full water pressure is restored. If you are unable to locate the frozen area, if the frozen area is not accessible, or if you cannot thaw the pipe, call a licensed plumber in Boston.
• Check all other faucets in your home to find out if you have additional frozen pipes. If one pipe freezes, others may freeze, too.

Future Protection

• Consider relocating exposed pipes to provide increased protection from freezing.
• Pipes can be relocated by a professional plumber if the home is remodeled.
• Add insulation to attics, basements and crawl spaces. Insulation will maintain higher temperatures in these areas.

For more information, please contact a licensed plumber like Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating.

Temperatures are falling into the teens and below, and a big Nor'easter has arrived. Both have plumbers preparing for overtime. Protecting water pipes is your first line of defense.

Plumbers will tell you that there's no substitute for insulating water pipes from the cold. Plumbers keep boxes of pipe insulation for water lines that could be exposed to freezing temperatures. They say water lines buried at least 18-inches in the ground rarely freeze in our area. But if they're exposed to a cold foundation wall or in a draft from outside air, there's a possibility of cracked pipes and big leaks. The pipes freeze, the water freezes, and the water pipes crack. Once the water defrosts, you will see the pipes leaking, you don’t know you have a problem until you have big-time water problems.

Older homes are more vulnerable to frozen pipes because of the plumbing that may not be insulated between the floor and the ground. Homeowners are also warned to remove hoses from foundation faucets that can cause split pipes during freezing temperatures.

Pipe insulation is easy to install is usually available at home improvement stores. If you have problems with frozen or cracked pipes this winter, contact Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating.

Happy New Year from Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating! We would like to thank our customers and vendors for allowing our business to be part of your lives. We wish you a wonderful and prosperous 2014!

If we have had the pleasure of helping you with your plumbing needs, we hope that we solved all of your plumbing problems with the highest level of customer service available. If you are thinking of building a new home, remodeling a kitchen or bath or have any other plumbing need in 2014, we hope that you consider Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating.

It is our sincere wish that in the New Year you are surrounded by warmth, family, and friendship. From all of us here at Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating, have a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.

Sincere best regards to you all.

Do you hear that loud banging sound in the pipes? It sound  like it is coming from inside the wall or the depths of your basement whenever your washing machine stops filling? That’s called ‘water hammer’. It’s caused by valves that close quickly, such as solenoid-type valves in washing machines and dishwashers, but it can also be a valve in your toilets, faucets and other fixtures. When the valve closes suddenly, all that flowing water in the pipe stops abruptly and backs up into itself, creating a lot of pressure. In fact, it is more pressure than your system is designed to handle. It also creates kinetic energy that causes the pipe jump to bang against the framing or other neighboring structures.

In many cases, the problem of water hammer is compounded by loosely secured pipes, which move more than they should, allowing them to get a nice, full “swing” before striking against the framing, and other stuff in your walls. This movement and hammering is not only annoying to you, it’s also bad for your pipes. It stresses the pipe joints and can ultimately lead to pipe leaks and other failures.

Effectively reducing or eliminating  water hammer usually involves two solutions: securing the pipes and installing one or more water hammer arrestors. A water hammer arrestor is a capsule-shaped device that installs into a water supply pipe. The capsule contains an air- or gas-filled sealed chamber that acts as a shock absorber to suppress the pressure surge inside the water line. Often installing a water hammer arrestor require soldering pipe, which is a job for a plumber unless you really know what you’re doing.

For help with banging pipes contact Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating.

networx.com