Plumbing

How Would You Choose The Best Plumber Services?

Experience:

Hiring any person or a company can be easy when you are aware about their experience. Different fields of expertise are required based on which the company assigns the tasks. Along with it the number of years the company is providing services to their customers or clients should be considered.

Altogether if you are hiring a company or an individual, it is always suggested to know about the experiences in the plumbing work. You can check their experiences from their website and you can read their reviews in this regard. You must choose a plumbing service that has at least five years of experience.

Working Strength:

A company should be confident to provide best plumber services with the complete working strength. It can be major issues in plumbing lines or it may be a minor leakage in the basin pipe, in both cases they should be able to allot the appropriate ones as the respective field of requirement. External pipelines fixing will not be possible without proper equipments like ladders, scaffolds and working tools. While the internal fixing of the broken faucets, bath tub lines are entirely different from the external requirements.

So, the company should be able to provide the eligible working strength related to skilled labors and tools. They must have some skilled labours and proper equipments to solve such plumbing issue.

Technical Qualification:

While checking for the categories in the plumbing services, do not forget to look for the technical qualifications of the skilled workers. As plumbing work requires a good knowledge about the entire system of the pipelines and the other important factors related to the plumbing work. When you hire from best plumber services, you must check the technical qualifications of the workers. Apart from solving the issues, they can also guide you to maintain your plumbing system in future.

Customer Service:

The best plumber services are actively committed to their customers, so that whenever there is any kind of emergency then they can attend to the earliest. They should be able to send their executives to the earliest for the work to complete. They must have a responsive customer care cell, and they should provide limited warranty on their services.

Affordable:

The services provided by the company has the intention to ensure the top services but at affordable prices. They should be aware of the market prices, and based on it the plumber should charge their wages. You can ask for the quote from different plumbing services and compare their prices to choose an affordable one.

Altogether the best plumbing services have to be hired based on few important features to complete the work without much difficulty. Problems in pipelines will create a lot of hassle in the kitchens and toilets that should be removed to the earliest. You can search such plumbing services online to choose the best one. Make sure, you must check their license, experience level, reviews and insurance before you hire.

by VanMech

Why Should You Hire Professionals for Commercial Plumbing Services?

If you have a physical office for your business, then addressing and maintaining its plumbing is paramount. But the question arises, should I hire the services of professional commercial plumbing services? Or can I manage with local plumbers on the job basis? Though we would like to save as much finances as possible the bitter truth is that local plumbers do not have the skill set, experience and knowledge to handle the plumbing of a business establishment. A reputable commercial plumbing service provider has exactly what you need and hiring one can come with a lot of benefits that is worth the expense.

A professional commercial plumbing service can assure you high quality work and can help you carry out routine plumbing of your office and resolve any issues quickly. They are experienced to work with drain and sewer lines, and can also help with installations and upgrades. These and many other services are further discussed below which will help you to see the benefits of hiring a professional commercial plumbing service provider.

Commercial Drain and Sewer Line Services

Since offices have many employees and multiple users of sanitary and plumbing, the chances of plumbing issues increase. Drains and sewers can get clogged with soap, grease and other items. Commercial plumbers are well-equipped with tools to remove these clogs and clean the drain thoroughly. Under these services commercial plumbers offer cleaning and repairing of drains and sewers, preventive care to avoid future problems and remove blockage.

Commercial Water Heater Services

To handle the complex commercial water heaters which are expensive and fragile you need professionals who can handle them. Commercial plumbers can help you clear deposits in the pipes and tanks. It also includes maintaining the heating elements, checking for leaks and replacing any part that is out of order.

Plumbing Installation Services

In addition to preventive and maintenance measures, commercial plumbers can also help you with new plumbing installations. They can assist with faucets, sinks, toilets, garbage disposals and new water meters. They also have hands on experience with water heaters, water filters and automatic shut off valves for various needs.

Plumbing Pipe Upgrade Services

If your office plumbing doesn’t meet the high standards of plumbing, then a commercial plumber can assist you in upgrading the whole plumbing of your office to the latest standard in the smoothest way possible. In case you have old pipes, plumbing can be very risky and is susceptible to leakages. Further, there is always risk of drinking water getting contaminated. Commercial plumbers can help you install and maintain new pipes even in areas that are not easily accessible. Additionally, they can help with gas lines and gas leaks too.

So, if you have an office space or commercial setup, then do not delay in using the services of a commercial plumber. You may think that I can hire one when the need arises. But this could be harmful and cost you lot more as compared to what you plan to save. Do not wait until an emergency arises and hire a commercial plumber to make sure your office’s plumbing is in perfect condition and can work for long. By doing this you can save a lot of future expenditure.

Do not rely on local unprofessional plumbers! Rather explore professional commercial plumbers available in the market and get a good deal for your plumbing solutions. They can help you with quality work and even to be at par to the standards set by the government for commercial setups.

by VanMech

The Science Behind Water Softening

You might not have paid much attention in your high school chemistry class, but we’d like you to pay attention now. If you’re looking into options for water softening in your home, and you’re sick and tired of dealing with hard water, then this is the blog post for you. Wouldn’t it be nice for someone to tell you exactly how water softening actually works? Not just some layman’s terms description, but a really accurate scientific description?

Well, it’s time to dive into the science of water softening. We’re going to talk about how water softeners work, the chemical process that takes place, and why it’s such an effective method at cleaning your water and leaving you with a grateful plumbing system.

If you’re interested in this type of technology, be sure to call us to install a water softener in your home.

How It Works

Water softeners function via two tanks. One of them is the “brine tank” while the other one is the “resin tank” or “water softener.” We need to approach these tanks one at a time to understand the fundamental process of water softening. We promise, once you understand how this system works, you’ll realize how effective the technology is at stopping the problem of hard water in its tracks and keeping you happy.

The Water Softening Tank

Your water is filtered through a water softening tank filled with plastic beads that are called “resin.” The resin is ionized to attract the minerals and hard molecules in your water so that they bond together. Think of them like magnets that are prone to picking up all of the things in your water that cause it to be uncomfortably hard.

As your water gets filtered to the bottom of the resin tank, these beads pick up most of the minerals that would normally make your water hard. This is great, because then it can just be filtered out and pumped to the rest of your home as soft water. It’s really as simple as that!

The Brine Tank

When the beads become bound to too many minerals, they need to be recharged so that they can effectively remove more minerals from your incoming water. That’s where the brine tank comes in. It’s basically just a tank full of saltwater!

This saltwater is pumped into the resin tank, or water softening tank, which then loosens the minerals bonded to the plastic beads. As all of the saltwater absorbs the minerals that have been collected by the resin tank, it then gets flushed out of the system so your regular hard water can be pumped in it again and the whole cycle is refreshed. Eventually, the brine tank will need recharging, but this usually takes a long time and will keep you happy for years.

By using chemistry and a little bit of water pumping, the minerals in your water that cause you so much trouble can be removed with incredible efficiency. If that’s not a great technological solution to your problem, then we don’t know what is!

by VanMech

What Does Plumbing Excavation Entail?

Wow, there’s a lot of information out there on the world wide web. You’ve probably been searching all night for what encompasses plumbing excavation, but you’re at a loss. With the rise of the internet comes the difficulty of choosing the right team for the job, especially if you’re unsure as to what the job entails!

Relax and take a deep breath. You don’t need to know all about this kind of work to choose the right team.

So, what would our plumbing excavation look like, and why would you choose us? Those are excellent questions that we seek to answer if you just keep reading!

The Process

Plumbing systems are mostly located underground. This isn’t by accident, it’s so that your pipes don’t have to endure the harsh weather conditions that the rest of our property does. Underground, things are relatively consistent, dry, and there are fewer animals and people that can do harm to it. So, we have to dig in order to set up your home’s plumbing system, and that requires some serious excavation.

This takes a lot of time, machinery, and expertise to the point where you never want to have your property excavated twice. It’s imperative that your plumbing excavation services are performed by pros so the job is done perfectly the first time. Otherwise, you’ll see a lot more of your lawn dug up than you’d like.

Complications

It doesn’t stop there! Where we dig is a critical aspect of plumbing excavation. For instance, if you’ve got a lot of forestation and trees on your property, then we’re going to have to curb our services around that. Tree roots can become an insidious problem for your plumbing system since they often infiltrate pipes and cause water pressure to drop or sewage to leak. This type of problem can usually be avoided during excavation as long as it’s performed by a trained professional.

So how does our team deal with these complicated excavation problems differently from our competitors?

For starters, we use some of the most high-tech equipment around in order to understand the chemical makeup of the soil on your property, where trees and rocks are located, and the easiest path your plumbing can take. By using high-tech equipment, our plumbing excavation services tend to require less time than our competitors, and they usually go off without a hitch, which is a huge boon!

We’re also extremely communicative about our work. We’ve got experience in this field, which means we know what we’re doing and how to properly excavate your soil and set up a plumbing system. We’re going to ask you all of the relevant questions necessary to gather the right information for this work. We’re sorry if this seems intimidating, but wouldn’t you rather have a team on the job that’s as thorough as we are?

by VanMech

The Different Ways Pipeline Inspection can be Conducted

One of the biggest frustrations with keeping plumbing pipes in good condition is the difficulty inherent in diagnosing them. When a problem develops in one of your pipes, you’re probably not going to be able to tell just by looking at it. That is, unless you have a lot of exposed piping on your property, or you like to dig them up on a regular basis. Most homeowners don’t realize that their pipes are even having issues until the damage is already done, and has begun to spread to the surrounding areas. For that reason, it’s a good idea to schedule pipeline inspection at least once a year. There are a number of different pipeline inspection techniques that can be used to isolate problems with the plumbing.

Pushcam

The simplest method of conducting video pipe inspections. A pushcam is a camera on the end of a long cord, which is pushed into the pipe manually by the operator. The camera records a live feed of the pipe, and transmits it back to the plumber conducting the inspection. When the inspection is complete, the pushcam is manually retrieved. Pushcam inspections are a quick and easy way to scope out a mainline like your water or sewer line. However, it has almost no maneuverability. That can be a problem in certain parts of the system.

Lateral Launch Cam

If the plumber needs to inspect an area besides a main line, a lateral launch camera may be used. This is a robot with a secondary camera on it. The robot moves down the mainline until it reaches the branch line that needs to be inspected. At that point, the unit launches a secondary camera to inspect the offshoot. Lateral launch cameras are a great way to get a much more comprehensive look at the pipes that serve your home, and to make sure that no problems go unnoticed.

Solo Cam

While pushcams and lateral launch cams are attached to long cords, solo cams are completely independent. These remote-controlled units are free to move back and forth through the pipe system. While they are not as far-reaching as lateral launch cameras, they are much more nimble than pushcams. These are growing increasingly popular, as plumbers are beginning to realize the benefits of a more autonomous camera system.

Sonde Location

A sonde locator is a little battery-powered pod, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, attached to a cord. The sonde is inserted into the pipe system, and gives off an electromagnetic field while it’s operating. That field is measured by a separate device aboveground, which is used to trace the path of the pipe. This is useful for determining the exact location of problems like clogs and leaks, so that they can be fixed.

by VanMech

Trust a local company to handle your commercial plumbing and drain needs

You’re certainly not going to try to make major repairs to a commercial plumbing system on your own, and it’s not something we would recommend for a maintenance crew with only general handyman experience. It’s a good idea to have the number of a commercial plumbing company you trust on hand so that you can make repairs as needed and ensure that they are done right.

Things to Look for in a Plumbing Company

• Choose a company that offers all of the commercial services you’ll need. When searching around for the right plumber for your business, you want to look for a company that specializes in commercial properties, not one that only has experience in residential plumbing. You don’t want to find out, for example, that the plumbing company you hired to fix your leaky sinks cannot offer the grease trap service you need next week. Do your research, and see that the company offers the services you’ll need later on.
• Find a company big enough to provide service when you need it. There are plenty of local companies out there that are small enough to have friendly, reliable technicians and staff, but big enough to provide service when you need it. Many companies offer 24-hour emergency plumbing services, and a quality company should have convenient and reasonable scheduling times that make sense for your business.
• Work with a team you can trust. When you call a commercial plumbing company to handle your needs, you want it to have someone there who you’ll want to come back and provide service the next time something goes wrong. Calling a new company each time you need service—contractors who are not familiar with the layout of your plumbing, your past services, or the nature of your business—may not be able to provide the level of service you want. Find someone trustworthy, with positive reviews and a history in the area, so that you can feel confident you’ll have a plumber you want to call back time and time again.

by VanMech

How Important Commercial Water Heater Maintenance is?

We might have spoken plenty of times about residential water heaters, but we need to get the word out about commercial water heater maintenance as well! If you thought hot water was important for your home, it’s much more important for your business.

That’s because businesses, by law, have to provide hot water in their restrooms for safety purposes. If you’ve got an office building or a building that you lease to tenants, hot water is incredibly necessary for safety and comfort purposes. Without a functioning commercial water heater, you could see a legal issue soon. Not only that, but restaurants in our area also require hot water especially where it relates to hand washing and food preparation.

That’s why we advise that no business or building owner in our area take their chances with commercial water heaters. It’s always a good idea to have a professional team provide commercial water heater maintenance yearly to ensure you’ve got functioning hot water.

Increase the System’s Efficiency

Commercial water heaters use up a lot of the energy that you pay for when it comes to your business or building. The longer a water heater goes without maintenance, the more inefficient it’s going to run. An inefficient commercial water heater is going to raise your energy or fuel bill and cause you additional headaches since there’s nothing you can do about it if you’re not a trained and certified water heater specialist.

Make sure that your water heater is functioning as efficiently as possible. It will save you money and the maintenance appointment could pay for itself!

Increase the Lifespan

Commercial water heater replacement can be a real hassle. Especially if you’re on a tight budget, these systems can cost an arm and a leg just to be sized correctly and installed. However, if you’re noticing that your old water heater being replaced is only four or five years old, you’ve got a much bigger problem on your hands.

Commercial water heaters are built to last 15-20 years when they’re properly installed, and receiving professional maintenance is the first step to extending the lifespan of your system! Schedule yearly maintenance with our team so that your commercial water heater can enjoy the longest lifespan possible.

Volume Issues

As sediment builds up in your commercial water heater, the volume of hot water in your water heater will begin to reduce. This can be an issue for your customers, employees, or building tenants because they receive perpetually less water than they need.

Sign up for commercial water heater maintenance today so you can maximize the amount of hot water that comes from your system. Don’t deal with the complaints from the people in your business or building, have this issue nipped in the bud.

Minor Repairs

The last and perhaps most important benefit that comes from commercial water heater maintenance is the fact that a specialist will perform minor repairs that keep your system running well. What we’re trying to say, is that commercial water heater maintenance is absolutely worth the money.

by VanMech

HVAC Troubleshooting Tips

Sometimes, it's necessary to contact an HVAC professional. Other times, you can take simple actions to fix problems on your own with your HVAC system. Here are a few DIY tips to help you troubleshoot common HVAC issues.

Check for Suspicious Odors

There shouldn't be any odd smells coming from your HVAC system. If you notice strange odors in your home, take a closer look at your system. Unusual odors include metal, burning dust, mold, rotten eggs, and burning fuel. Problems that cause these odors can be solved by a service visit from a technician at VanMech Plumbing & Heating.

Inspect the Return and Supply Vents

Return and supply vents are important parts of your HVAC system. When they're blocked, it can affect the airflow in your home. Dirt and debris can accumulate in these areas. Check your return and supply vents for obstructions. Remove anything that may be obstructing the airflow.

Change the Batteries in the Thermostat

If your thermostat is powered by batteries, it may be time to change them. When batteries get low, it can affect your thermostat's performance. Be sure to place the batteries in the right direction.

Change Dirty Air Filters

When was the last time you changed the filters in your HVAC system? If it has been over three months, they're probably dirty. Old air filters can reduce your system's efficiency. Mark your calendar to inspect the condition of your air filters every month. Keep extra filters in storage in case you need to change them. One of our technicians can also perform this task at your Vancouver property.

Check the Circuit Breaker

The electrical system in your house provides energy for different appliances. When your system gets overloaded, the circuit breaker can trip. If the switch to your HVAC system has tripped, flip it back on.

by VanMech