Home Improvement Empire » Plumbing

How To Train As A Plumber

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:15:10 +0000

There are many sources of plumbing training, not all of which is classroom. Standard residential or commercial plumbers, pipe layers, steam fitters and pipe fitters all vary their training in one or many of a variety of methods. Most residential and commercial / industrial plumbing training is offered in technical schools or community colleges. This classroom plumbing training is almost always supplemented by on-the-job training. Steam fitters, pipe layers, pipe fitters and plumbers that work primarily in commercial settings usually get their training through very formalized apprenticeship programs.

Apprenticeships are generally the best plumbing training in terms of a comprehensive look at what the job constitutes. These apprenticeship training programs for plumbers and other pipe specialists are administered by local labor unions and the companies with which they are affiliated or by organizations that represent non-union contractors. Examples of organizations through which one can get plumbing apprenticeship training include the Mechanical Contractors Association of America, the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices – part of the Plumbing and Pipe fitting Industry of the U.S. and Canada; The National Fire Sprinkler Association; the National Association of Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Contractors; and the Home Builders Institute. The latter is a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders.

Apprenticeship plumbing training lasts four to five years whether its union or not. Primarily on the job training it also includes a minimum of 144 annual hours in the classroom. The subjects for which the apprentice plumbers receive classroom training include blue print reading, drafting basics, applied chemistry and physics, math, local plumbing codes, plumbing and contracting safety, and legislated contracting and plumbing regulations.

The on-the-job part of the plumbing training includes basic plumbing skills such as learning to recognize the various types and grades of pipe, using the essential plumbing tools, and unloading plumbing materials safely. As the apprenticeship continues and the apprentice progresses in her or his experience, she can learn how to work with and install the various pipes, plumbing fixtures and piping systems.

Those who want to apply for apprenticeship plumbing training have to be a minimum of 18 years old and must be in good health. An applicant may have to have a GED or high school education. Someone who has military plumbing training is considered a great apprenticeship applicant. In fact, they may be credited for the experience. Other suggested training that can grease the plumbing apprenticeship application wheels is drafting, general math, reading blueprints, computer skills and physics.

While there is no uniform standard plumbing license, most municipal and state governments in the United States require that plumbers acquire a license. Passing an examination that tests how well they absorbed their plumbing training and how well they can carry out their plumbing tasks is common in many areas. With additional training beyond the basic plumbing courses, plumbers can go on to become supervisors of other construction and plumbing employees, can go into business for themselves or find work as a building inspector.

Plumbing – Problems and Solutions

admin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 02:16:14 +0000

Plumbing system is to a building, what circulatory system is to the human body. Any fault in the system is sure to throw your life helter-skelter and make your life awful. While putting in place a good well-conceived and well-done plumbing system is important, maintenance and preventive measures taken to keep the system in good shape is even more important.

This article is intended to keep you informed of the possible problems you may face with your plumbing system and the preventive measures to be taken to keep such problems at bay.

Clogged Drains:

Case I:

Your sinks / tubs connected to particular branch line drains slowly than normal.

Reasons:

Dumping food/ solid materials into your kitchen / Bathroom drains.

Pouring greasy / Sticky materials into your kitchen sink.

Pouring chemicals /paints into the drains.

Improper / Inadequate venting.

Solution:

Use a plunger to de-clog your drain. This will work for clogs of smaller size. If it still persists, call an expert. Home made solutions do not work for bigger clogs.

Clogs can be removed using various techniques. While a cable can be used to remove solid clogs and break through roots, High pressure water jetting is more effective for clogs due to sticky / greasy materials.

Before using water jetting as option, It is important to determine the quality of the plumbing materials used, for, the high pressure used in the process will rip your pipes apart if they are of a inferior quality.

Check the vents provided for any visible blocks. Find out whether the venting is adequate for the fixture(s) it serves. An expert could help you out in this area. If the venting is absent or inadequate, provide / upgrade to surmount the problem.

Preventive Measures:

Respect your toilet and kitchen sinks. Use them only for the purpose intended. Avoid unmindful dumping of solid wastes, Food materials, Greasy substances and paints / chemicals into the sinks.

Use filters over the drains in your toilet and kitchen to trap hair and solid objects.

Ensure that air vents are provided in adequate numbers and sizes for all fixtures.

Case II:

All the drainage lines of the building drain slowly and there is a backing of the drain water from the main drainage line.

Reasons:

A block in the main drainage line. or

A block in the inlet / outlet of the septic tank. or

A block in the distribution box. or

A block in the percolation pipes. or

The septic tank has frozen due to an abnormal low weather.

Solution:

Use a snake or water jetting to de-clog the main drain line. This is the work of an expert. He could, through his expertise, say whether the clog is due to solid waste or greasy substances or roots and use a suitable technique to de-clog the same.

Check the inlet and the outlet of the septic tank for any blockage due to solid wastes, scum and so on. Remove the block and check for easy flow.

Check the distribution box located between the septic tank and the percolators. Remove blocks, if any.

Check the area around the percolators. See whether it is moist, swampy and stinky. It means that the percolation is not proper. In other works the soil is not absorbing the drain water at the rate of discharge. It could be either because you usage of water has increased of late due to more guests or the soil has become saturated due to moisture from other sources such as rainfall (more than normal) etc. Immediately enlist an expert, the problem requires instant care.

If the septic tank has frozen due to bad weather seek the help of an expert immediately. If an expert and the equipment needed are hard to find, use the septic tank as a storage tank till such time the tank haws by itself. Judicious use of water will help you hold on for some time. To avoid freezing of the septic tank in the future, winterize before the next winter.

Preventive Measures:

Respect your Septic tank. It is designed for the disposal of organic wastes only. Avoid dumping inorganic and non bio-degradable wastes. They are sure to block the normal functioning of the septic tank and spoil it beyond redemption.

Use filters over the drains in your toilet and kitchen to trap hair and solid objects.

Winterize the septic tank to prevent it from freezing in winter. Do the following:

o Insulate the Septic tank, distribution tank, percolators and all out door lines by spreading a layer of hay, grass, dry leaves etc.

o During winter, resort to more-than-normal usage of water. Warmer the water, the better.

o Empty the tank, if you are planning for a long outing.

o Get expert help. Winterization is location, weather specific. A small investment here will save you from all hardships during the winter.

Leaks

Symptoms:

Leaks in your plumbing system are not just unsanitary but is a tremendous loss of a scarce resource. More often than not leaks are detected much later than they had started and after much damage had already been done.

Try this test out to determine whether there is a leak in your plumbing system. Before you go to bed in the night, close the Main valve at the primary inlet of your plumbing system. Note the water meter reading. In the dawn, before you start using water, note the reading. If the reading has changed then, there is a leak in the system.

To locate the leak, repeat the procedure by keeping the main valve open and all but one of your ancillary line valves closed. If the reading shows a change, then the leak is in that particular branch line. Inspect the faucets for visible leaks and path of the lines for subtle hints of invisible leaks behind the plastered walls. If you still can’t detect the leak. Contact us for expert care.

Reasons:

While visible are due to faulty faucets / fixtures, Invisible leaks can be due to cracks in your plumbing lines. The cracks happen due to (a) Ageing lines giving off or (b) Faulty winterization of you plumbing system.

Solution:

Replace the faulty fixtures / faucets.

If the leak is due to faulty line, replace the line. If your plumbing system is considerably old, you can think of replacing the lines in stages without waiting for the system to call for your attention and doing much damage to your cherished home.

Preventive Measures:

Make proper use and take proper care of your faucets and other movable water outlets. Install only good quality faucets that’ll stand the wear and tear. Don’t compromise on quality for price. Remember, a compromise on quality is a compromise on peace of mind.

Properly winterize your plumbing system.

Winterization

What?

Acclimatizing your plumbing system to withstand the test of hard winter is winterization.

Why?

Plumbing systems are primarily intended to transport water to the locations of need from a centralized water storage facility. In the winter, as the temperature dips to appreciable lows, water freezes. The density of ice is more than that of water. Hence to accommodate water turned into ice, your plumbing system expands. When this expansion is beyond its elastic limit, it cracks wreaking havoc on your entire plumbing system.

Solution

Prepare for the winter ahead by properly acclimatizing your plumbing system. Do the following.

Insulate the drains outside your home.

Open the cabinets under sinks to facilitate circulation of warm air to avoid freezing.

In the temperature is harsh, allow water to flow through the lines in a trickle, when not in use, to avoid freezing.

If you are going out and if the plumbing system will not be in use for a long time close the main valve and drain all water form the system, to ensure that there is no water to be frozen.

Remember, winter is a testing time for your plumbing system. Take preventive measures or you may have to spend a fortune to restore the system back to normalcy. If you need more information, feel free to avail our expert care.

Plumbing is a science, but proper use and maintenance of it is an art. A good plumbing system will give you peace of mind. A bad one is sure to derail your day and make a hell out of it. The problems and the solutions suggested here are generic and not case specific or location specific. It is intended to equip you with the knowledge of the intricacies in plumbing so that you could understand and appreciate the workmanship better. Remember a few procedures are health hazardous and needs to be handled by an expert. Do not try them your self. IF you need experts, think of eServicePlace (ESP), where hand picked professionals are ever ready to address your problems in the shortest possible time and in the best possible manner. Think expert care, think ESP. http://www.eserviceplace.com

How Do Septic Tanks Work?

admin — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:12:03 +0000

You already know that when you flush the toilet, pour water in your sink or empty the tub the water goes somewhere. But have you ever stopped to think about where it goes or what happens to it? Large cities have equally large and complicated sewage or water treatment systems designed to salvage as much of the useable water from the waste as possible. If, however, you are like 25% of Canadians and you live in a smaller or rural community, you are more likely to have a septic system on your property than you are to share a sewer with neighbors.

What is a Septic System?

A private onsite septic system is designed to be functional and sanitary. It basically receives all the water waste that is expelled through your home’s plumbing and treats it to extract the useable water waste that can be absorbed by the soil on the property. In a nutshell, a septic tank separates solid waste from liquids. The solid waste is stored in the septic tank. Solid waste exists in two forms – a top layer of grease referred to as scum, and a bottom layer of solids more commonly known as sludge. In a septic tank, the liquids that are separated from solid waste are called effluent and they are dispersed throughout the soil on the property by a mechanism called a leaching system. The leaching system is a part of the septic system, which is often buried just a few feet away from the septic tank. The leaching system helps the effluent flow from the septic tank into the soil.

In a Nutshell?

A septic tank receives the wastewater that comes from regular use of household plumbing and treats it until it is at a safe environmental level. Then the septic ank returns the serviceable portion – known as the waste effluent to the soil surrounding the property.

An Outline of the Septic System

Below is a general outline of the main components of any septic system:

- Sewer line – this is the main waste line leading from your home’s plumbing to the septic tank

- Septic tank – this is the underground tank that receives and treats your home’s waterwaste

- Leaching system – this is the drainage system that allows for waste effluent to be dispersed into the soil

Now that you have a basic understanding of how a septic tank works, you should note that if you are considering buying a home with a septic tank, you should inspect the tank before investing in the home.

Beware of Old Septic Tanks

Because buying a home is a huge investment, you have a home inspector inspect the property before you close the deal. Similarly, septic systems are very expensive, and thus, you should make sure to inspect the system properly or have it inspected so that you know what you are getting into. If your home is older, it may have a septic tank made out of steel or wood. If that’s the case, you will definitely be looking at replacing that septic tank.

Tanks made out of steel inevitably rust and end up needing to be replaced. Similarly, septic tanks made out of wood will end up rotting and also needing to be replaced. These days, septic tanks are manufactured out of concrete, fiberglass or polyethylene. These materials have proven to be more durable and efficient. If the home you are considering buying has an older septic tank made of wood or steel, you can decide to use it as a negotiating point or move on to a different house to save yourself the headache.