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Before electricity, the power of water was the best way to get work done in many situations. Most people are familiar with mills that process grain using power from a flowing river, but what about antique home elevators powered by water pressure? These often ornate home lifts were a thing more than a century ago, and in the spirit of electrical power conservation, modern water-powered elevators are actually being sold. At bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of Northeast Dallas, our plumbers know what water can do, and we have the skills, knowledge, and experience to make sure it’s done right. After all, the pressure and flow of water follow the principles of physics. There are other interesting ways to use water, for example, backup sump pumps are available that use water pressure instead of electricity, to help pump out the basement when the power goes out. An early Russian computer called the “Water Integrator” used plumbing to perform its calculations instead of wires. Now, even home computers are using water for cooling, since they consume so much electrical power and generate so much heat. If you’ve ever been inside an industrial plant or seen an oil refinery, you’ve seen the amazing designs and purposes that plumbers have the skills to provide.
Backflow, an Important Principle in Your Home’s Plumbing
One of the problems with older water-powered elevators was avoiding backflow when water pressure from the elevator pushes contaminated water from the hydraulic system back into your freshwater supply. Most of your home’s plumbing is designed with little risk of backflow, so you’re more likely to see concerns when your water supply from the city drops in pressure and risks contamination. That can happen if there’s a water main break, periodic pipe flushing, or fire hydrant use that draws lots of water from the lines. You’ll often see a “boil notice” that recommends homes boil tap water for use due to the risk of contamination. There are situations in your home where contamination is a risk but avoided with professional plumbing service. One is the adjacent toilet bowl and freshwater flushing supply, where it’s essential that there not be crossover contamination.
When Water Flows Out, Air Flows In
When you immerse a straw in your drink, put your finger over the top of the straw, and pull the straw out, what happens? If your finger is tightly sealing the top of the straw, nothing happens. Remove your finger, and the liquid flows out. The plumbing vents on your house employ a similar principle, allowing air into your drain system to keep wastewater flow from being hung up. At the same time, these vents also allow gases out that form from bacteria acting on the material in the drains. If you smell foul odors, especially in your upper-level bathrooms, it might be time to have our plumber check your vents. Because of this effect, you may also get false drain clogs, where it seems like a plunger might be the right tool for the job, but the problem is really up on the roof where our professionals can fix it. Our team can diagnose complex issues like these, especially if you have repeated drain clog problems and no clear resolution.
Wastewater Is Actually Waste Plus Water
Your plumbing is designed to carry waste along with contaminated water down your pipes and into your sewer. There are areas where the pipes travel horizontally, and gravity that pulls the wastewater down the vertical pipes actually tends to separate the waste from the water in these horizontal runs, as the water flows more easily and has less weight. Properly installed horizontal drain pipes have a slight tilt to them, just enough to make sure wastewater keeps flowing, and not enough to give the water a head start over the solid waste and lead to deposits and clog formation over time. Our plumber can check for clogs in unique situations like these, and when you have an annual drain cleaning service performed for your home, you are having our plumbers remove all sorts of distant clogs and accumulations of material often distant from where your sink is backing up or your toilet overflowing, but playing an important part in these events. It can make any remaining emergency plumbing visits over the year much easier to resolve.
The Power of Water Can Cut Through Steel
Industrial cutting companies don’t just use lasers for precision cuts, they use water jets as well. In fact, up to four inches of steel can be cut with precision, which is amazing even without the precise cut. Our plumbers use the power of water to clear your drains, using much less pressure than is used to cut steel of course, but at a pressure that is very effective in clearing your drain pipes during a drain cleaning service. We also use video inspection of your drain pipes to make sure the clogs are clear and to ensure that we don’t use this amazing tool on older pipes that have weakened due to corrosion or other long-term effects. Only a skilled plumber can use some of the tools we have to make your life easier and your plumbing more reliable and choose the strategy that’s right for your home’s unique plumbing. This tool is called hydro jetting, and it is also very useful for clearing blockages of material such as diapers or wipes, or fatty materials that gather and block sewer flow.
Our Expert Plumbers Are Ready to Serve You in Rockwall, TX
Knowing not just the correct ways to perform plumbing jobs but the principles behind them makes our plumbers skilled craftspeople at repairing and upgrading your home’s plumbing. At bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of Northeast Dallas, serving Rockwall, TX, we know the secrets behind joining different types of plumbing material, locating leaks behind walls without cutting through, and preventing “water hammer” damage. Call us for expert plumbing help.
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