Tag: Mont Alto

Gettysburg Plumber’s Guide: Environmental Benefits of Trenchless Repair

Posted on by Larry & Sons

Pipe replacement is a messy business. For decades, the only real way to do it was to rumble in with a big machine (or men with plenty of shovels) and dig up your Gettysburg property to access the leaking, cracked pipe. However, with modern technology, trenchless pipe repair and replacement is now possible and while the biggest benefits are to your wallet and your lawn, you might also be interested to know how environmentally friendly the process is.

Less Resources Needed

Have you ever seen someone digging up a pipeline? The equipment needed is impressive. Backhoes, trucks and multiple workers to get the old pipe out of the ground and a new one in. And once the process is completed, the concrete and lawn destroyed by the digging need to be replaced. It’s a very invasive procedure.

With trenchless technology, most of those resources are not needed. This means less fuel used to power large machines, less destruction of your property and no impact on the roadway or sidewalks that would require paving once completed.

Existing Pipe Pathways

Have you ever considered the impact a pipe line being laid has on the ecosystem beneath your property? Digging up all that space and displacing plants, animals and insects alike can have a tremendously negative impact on the micro-ecology on your property.

Trenchless replacement allows a plumber to use the existing pipe pathway beneath your property, which avoids displacing anything with fresh digging. It also doesn’t impact the plants or trees growing on your property. You gain a new pipe line without any damage to the carefully manicured landscaping you’ve done on your property.

Minimal Subsoil Impact

Even when laying new pipes, trenchless technology only affects the space underground where the pipe will be laid. This tears up far less of the subsoil which has a less extensive environmental impact on the water shed around your home.

There really is no reason to use a traditional exhume and pull pipe replacement method when trenchless technology makes it possible to just as easily replace the pipes for the same or less money and minimal environmental impact. Depending on your circumstances and the scope of the work that needs to be done, your pipe repair or replacement may be significantly better served with trenchless technologies.

If you have any questions about trenchless or no-dig technologies, give Larry & Sons Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning a call today!

Waynecastle Plumber’s Guide: Emergency Plumbing Tips

Posted on by Larry & Sons

When you have a plumbing emergency in your Waynecastle home, the last thing you want to do is make the problem worse, but if you don’t act fast, that’s exactly what might happen. To help you take the right actions and avoid the wrong ones, here are some quick tips for how to handle a plumbing emergency.

  • Shutting Off the Water – If a pipe bursts or you have standing water somewhere, the very first step you take is to shut off the water. Cleanup is pointless if more water pours in. So, we need to stop the flow. Usually, this water valve is located outside, but it can be found under an access panel or in the basement in some cases.
  • Flooding Toilet – Watching the water slowly rise in a toilet, dangerously close to the rim, can be scary. But, there are tricks to slow or stop the flow until the plumber arrives. The first is to turn on your sink faucet to slow down the water flow to the toilet. If you can reach it, turn off the cold water supply to your toilet as well. As soon as the tank is empty, no new water will enter.
  • Turning Off an Appliance – Sometimes the problem isn’t a house-wide problem but a specific appliance overflowing. If your washing machine or dishwasher is about to overflow, turn off the supply valve immediately. It could be several gallons of water per minute if you don’t.
  • When Electricity is Involved – If your basement floods, don’t go down there until you can be sure there is no electricity flowing into the water. That much water with live electricity is incredibly dangerous. If you can’t be sure, get a plumber out there fast.
  • Gas Leaks – Sometimes, a plumbing problem is really a gas problem. If this is the case, don’t try to fix it yourself. Get everyone out of the house and call the gas company immediately.
  • Hot Water Leakage – If you notice that hot water is leaking somewhere in your home, turn off the main water supply and then turn off the hot water heater’s energy source. There should be an emergency shutoff valve on the hot water heater for gas and a switch on the device if it is electric.

In each of these cases, the very next step you take should be to call a Waynecastle professional, but if you act fast you can hopefully mitigate the damage.

Why It’s Important to Think about Plumbing in Waynesboro

Posted on by Larry & Sons

If you’re like most people in Waynesboro, your plumbing is usually the last thing on your mind. Until something goes wrong, that is. And it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ll have a clogged drain or leaky pipe in your home sooner or later. But while some plumbing problems are certainly unavoidable, there are quite a few things you can do to help keep them to a minimum and avoid larger plumbing emergencies later on.

Professional Checkups

For one thing, it’s a good idea to have your plumbing system checked by a professional every year or two. They can make sure that no roots interfere with the pipes in your yard and that things are generally flowing smoothly throughout the system. A professional inspection will also uncover any leaks, cracks or partial blockages that you may not have realized were there but that could cause significant damage later on if not dealt with promptly.

Do It Yourself Maintenance

In addition to professional inspections, though, there are some things you can do on your own. For instance, every season brings new challenges for your home plumbing. Many people know that there are dangers associated with freezing pipes in the winter, but did you know that there are things you can do all year round to help your plumbing work better?

Fall is the best time of year to start disconnecting outdoor faucets and checking them for leaks. If you take these steps before the really cold weather sets in, you’ll be able to get necessary repairs done well before freezing outdoor temperatures become a problem.

This is also a good time of year to check for proper insulation around pipes and to make sure your water heater is tuned up and ready to go for the winter. Sure, you use it all year round, but the colder it is outside, the harder your water heater has to work all winter.

Once spring rolls around again, there are plenty of other tasks you can take on to ensure the continued healthy functioning of your plumbing. For instance, you should check all of your outdoor drains and gutters to see that they’re clear of debris that could have built up during the winter. You can also flush out your water heater again to clear whatever’s accumulated over the winter and check any pipes and faucets for problems that may have developed during the cold months.

A Hanover Plumber Guide: Plumbing Noises

Posted on by Larry & Sons

Under ideal conditions, you would hear nothing from your Hanover plumbing system except the sound of running water when you turn on the tap. Unfortunately, that is not always what actually happens. In fact, your plumbing can make all types of funny and sometimes alarming noises for no reason that you can easily discern.

For instance, one common plumbing noise sounds like a hard knock or hammer blow. This usually occurs when you turn off a tap and can be rather alarming. Sometimes you can even feel the reverberation of the impact that caused the sound. But why is this happening? Usually, this “water hammer” noise is the result of the dramatic shift in pressure in the system when you suddenly stop the flow of water from a faucet.

This sudden stop creates a kind of shock wave, which then travels back through the pipes and causes the loud knocking sound that you hear. This is easily fixed with a device that is known as a water hammer arrester. These devices help to dissipate the force of the pressure shift and can keep the noise from occurring at all.

There are also all kinds of whistling, squealing and squeaking noises that your plumbing can make under certain circumstances. These types of sounds are often caused by a worn out washer somewhere along the line that is having trouble regulating the flow of water. It can be a little difficult to pin down the source of these noises sometimes, especially if they occur no matter which faucet is turned on. But with a little hunting and trial and error you can usually track down the source.

Rattling sounds are also common and generally occur when your water pipes are not well secured to a rigid surface. If this is the case, the force of the water running through the pipes can cause the pipe to vibrate, creating the sound you hear as it bangs against whatever solid surface is nearby. For problems like this, simply securing the pipes in place better can put an end to all of your rattling issues.