Residential Plumbers, Mechanical Partners, Inc of Dallas

07/10/09

Tree-roots in the drain-line

by wendyyork at Citysearch

Tree-roots in the drain-line

When the whole house backs up, 9 out of 10 times it is the result of tree roots entering the drainage system. This is more prevalent on older homes where the presence of service-weight cast-iron drainage pipe is most common. Trees require water to survive. In Texas heat, we frequently have long dry periods where roots seek water. Small “feeder-roots” commonly find their way into drainage systems through c r a c k s in aged pipe & c r a c k s caused by the ground-shift of Texas soils, other inherent factors could result from the house settling; over saturation and swelling of soils due to heavy rains, immense drying of soils causing c racks in the ground & stressing under-ground pipe, or root growth under the pipe causing gradual pressure- over time in lifting the pipe & eventually causing it to cracks. The infiltration of tree roots can and do, over time fill large sections of pipe obstructing drainage flow, thereby causing blockages. Plumbers often use cabled sewer machines (Roto-Rooter) to cut roots from within the piping & clear blockages in exit mains, often retrieving tree roots on the end of the cable. When Mechanical Partners, Inc. retrieves tree roots we believe in following with a drain camera to perform a video inspection of the afflicted main. With this camera service MPI can pin-point the section in need of repair, thereby saving our customer costly time and landscape damage vs. less conventional means of locating and repairing a break, eliminating the annual or semi-annual call for service.

• Pros: Catch them early
• Cons: none

07/10/09

Fantastic info from them on saving money!

by Bettieo at Citysearch

Water Conservation = Cost Savings!

Q: Did You know that approximately 50% of all households have some kind of plumbing leak?

A: Most Plumbing leaks are due to worn washers; failed toilet flappers, or faulty ball-cocks (toilet tank fill valves), which can result in thousands of gallons wasted needlessly. Not only is this a waste of our natural resources, but it also registers through your water meter, which has a direct impact on your water bill! Most North-Texas Cities also bill for sewage treatment, based on the accrued cost of your water bill. This Means you may, in-fact be being charged twice for that drippy faucet.

Q: What is the most common/ costly water leak?

A: The Leaky toilet. Toilets represent the greatest water usage in the home. A leaky toilet can waste over 200 gallons of water per day! Left unfixed, it can waste over 73,000 gallons of water per year! Flapper-balls “leaking by” and faulty Ball-cocks are the usual culprits. They can leak for months without your knowledge, causing your money to progressively be leaked down the drain, in the form of inflated water & sewer charges to your monthly bill.

Q: What about the “dripping faucet”?

A: Another common source for leaks is the faucet. Weather in the bathtub; kitchen, shower, or hose-bib a leaky faucet can waste more than 20 gallons of water per day! Leaky faucets are usually caused by worn washers or o-rings. Water lost because of a delay in leaky faucet repair can be more costly than the cost of replacement parts!

Based on a common supply pressure of 60-PSI, with a “slow-drip” faucet, we know:

1/32” leak can waste 73,992 gallons per year (this is the diameter of a small paper-clip)

1/16” leak can waste 295,992 gallons per year (this is the diameter of a #2 pencil lead)

1/8” leak can waste 1,183,992 gallons per year (this is ½ the diameter of a #2 pencil)

1/4” leak can waste 4,725,996 gallons per year (this is the diameter of a #2 pencil)

Additionally, updating fixtures such as shower heads; toilets, and faucets can have a dramatic effect on cost savings for water usage vs. older fixtures, dated/installed prior to 1996.

Thank You,

Darrell Cole,

Q.C. Manager

• Pros: Best plumbers in town!
• Cons: none