Plumbing is a professional trade and it is vital that your Oklahoma City plumber has the correct tools of the plumbing trade to be able to do a variety of different jobs, from plumbing installations to maintenance work. Ideally they should use tools that are manufactured specifically for the trade. When assembling a plumbing tool kit, plumbers will consider all their needs from spades and shovels for digging trenches, leveling tools including spirit levels and dumpy levels, to specialized video inspection equipment for checking drains. Here we are going to look at some of the more common, but specific plumbing tools.
Tools for clamping and tightening
Plumbers need a selection of metal spanners and wrenches that they can use to clamp pipe work and tighten and undo nuts and bolts. There are various types including open-ended spanners, ring spanners, socket spanners, box spanners (or basin spanners) and invaluable shifting spanners that are adjustable. They also use various pliers and vices, including a vice-grip, which is a particularly useful multi-purpose tool that has an adjustable jaw. Pipe wrenches, which are manufactured in different sizes, are often called monkey wrenches (or a bobbejaan spanner) in South Africa, because its side view looks a bit like a monkey or baboon. Metal clamps of various sorts are also commonly included in a professional Oklahoma City plumber’s toolkit.
Tools for bending
Plumbers need special tools and machines to be able to bend mild steel and copper pipe. Copper may be bent using a bending spring, with hand or scissor-type benders, or with stand-type benders manufactured specifically for bending hollow copper pipe, which is a relatively soft metal. Small diameter mild steel pipes may also be bent with stand-type benders that are attached to a workbench. Large mild steel pipe will have to be bent using a more powerful hydraulic bending machine.
Tools for cutting
There are many different cutting tools that can be used to cut pipes and other plumbing materials. However it is essential for your Oklahoma City plumber to use the correct tools for the job at hand. For example, hand-held pipe cutters are intended for cutting copper pipe and for deburring the inside of the pipe after cutting. Hacksaws are commonly used for cutting plastic pipe and thin mild steel or even copper pipe. However, more sturdy cut-off machines (which look like circular wood saws) are normally used for thicker pipe and other metal. Many plumbers also use old fashioned tin snips to cut thin sheet metal.
Tools for making thread in pipes
While some pipes are welded or soldered together, other types are joined with special connectors. When plumbers work with galvanized mild steel pipes, they normally cut a thread into the pipe so they can screw two pieces of pipe together. They use hand thread taps as well as special machines to do this.
Tools for clearing and cleaning drains
There are various specialized plumbing tools that plumbers use to both clear and clean drains. The most common are powerful jetting machines that come with various nozzles and heads. They can be used to get rid of sand, grease and even the roots of trees growing inside drains. They also use jetting machines to descale pipes and to clean sewers, which are on municipal or public Oklahoma City property.
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If you are looking for a professional Oklahoma City sewer line contractor, then please call us today at 405-802-7769 or complete our online request form.
When you hear the title “plumber” you normally think about that guy plunging your toilet and clanking around under your sink with the low pants right? Well your Oklahoma City plumber is actually much more than that. Plumbing is a hard respectable job that can do wonders for your house in the big picture of tasks and functions you didn’t even realize were there.
A plumber first of all, does not wear the low rise pants. They arrive at your Oklahoma City home in professional attire with all of their special tools to get the job done right. They are very clean and appropriate to come into your home leaving it in perfect condition.
They are trained, experienced and skilled professional people that make house calls on repairing, maintaining and constructing things having to do with your water line. More than just someone that comes and unclogs the toilet, shower and sink and repairs leaky faucets, they can work with your water, gas and sewage pipes that run into your Oklahoma City home. They specialize in the installation and repair of pipes that go in and out of your house. The pipes are all referred to as “plumbing.”
Plumbers start out usually as apprentices with senior qualified plumbers before going out on their own jobs. Sometimes plumbers will have to take licensing exams depending on the area before starting their own business. This allows you to relax knowing that they are familiar and confident with health and safety codes since poorly installed plumbing can have serious consequences for everyone involved.
The word is actually derived from the Latin word “plumbum” which means “lead.” All pipes and joints were originally made from lead and plumbers were literally lead workers in addition to pipe-layers. Lead piping of course has been banned most everywhere in the world now because of health issues related to lead. The plumbing profession still keeps the same name though of course.
A plumber is part of the construction crew when building any new Oklahoma City structure. He determines where the pipes should be laid and actually installs them too. He can connect the internal plumbing to external fixtures like sinks, showers, washing machines and toilets. A plumber can also handle gas lines used for heating and cooking too. Some Oklahoma City plumbers also have certification in heating and cooling systems too. It saves you time and brings them more business.
Plumbers reputations have improved over the years and are gaining more respect as time goes on and their companies grow expand and improve. Without plumbing and
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If you are looking for a professional Oklahoma City Natural Gas Line contractor, then please call us today at 405-802-7769 or complete our online request form.
Plumbing system odors are annoying to say the least, but the worst part is that these are usually a sign of a bigger problem lurking within your plumbing system. If you have any strange odors in your Oklahoma City home emanating for your plumbing fixtures or if you just think that they are, call your Oklahoma City plumber right away to come to your home and diagnose your problem. There are actually several causes of odors that result from your plumbing system, so let us look at some of the most common and what the root problem might be in each case.
First, would be a buildup of food in your disposal. If your smells are coming from your kitchen sink, this might require cleaning. In addition to the accumulation of food itself, the process of chopping your food into tiny little bits could leave behind bacteria that can accumulate and cause a foul smell. You can try to run hot water and fragrant dishwashing liquid down the disposal to see if you can get rid of the small by yourself. Should this fail, you may need an Oklahoma City plumber to help clean the unit.
A crack in the drainpipe of your Oklahoma City home is one of the most serious causes of home odors. The sewer gasses that escape into your home through the crack can smell like rotten eggs. This is a very unpleasant smell and a problem that should be repaired swiftly. Do not delay, call a plumber immediately. If the smell if persistent and does not abate from time to time and return, the problem is more than likely to be inside your home. If the smell is occasional, meaning that it will abate and then come back from time to time, then the crack is probably below the ground level. It will probably take a camera inspection to locate the exact spot where the crack exists in such a scenario.
Another possible cause of home plumbing odors is a blockage to your vent pipe. This is the pipe that extends through your roof and allows plumbing system gasses to escape into the air. Should this become blocked, via leaves or even something as unusual as a bird basing his next on your pipe, the impediment to the proper air flow through your plumbing system could result in causing the trap seals to some plumbing fixtures to function improperly. This in turn would cause gasses to escape through the improperly sealed fixtures and into your Oklahoma City home.
So there you have a few of the common reasons for odors that come from your plumbing system. There are others, and your Oklahoma City plumber can help you to understand them upon inspecting your home. It is not recommended that you attempt to pinpoint and repair these types of problems yourself. While there are many types of plumbing repairs that a person skilled with a few basic tools can undertake successfully, these types of repairs can be complex and you might need the assistance of a professional licensed Oklahoma City plumbing contractor.
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If you are looking for a professional Oklahoma City plumbing repair contractor, then please call us today at 405-802-7769 or complete our online request form.
To diagnose noisy plumbing in your Oklahoma City home, it is important to determine first whether the unwanted sounds occur on the system’s inlet side-in other words, when water is turned on-or on the drain side. Noises on the inlet side of plumbing have varied causes: excessive water pressure, worn valve and faucet parts, improperly connected pumps or other appliances, incorrectly placed pipe fasteners, and plumbing runs containing too many tight bends or other restrictions. Noises on the drain side usually stem from poor location or, as with some inlet side noise, a layout containing tight bends.
Hissing
Hissing noise that occurs when a faucet is opened slightly generally signals excessive water pressure. Consult your Oklahoma City water company if you suspect this problem; they will be able to tell you the water pressure in your area and they can install a pressure reducing valve on the incoming water supply pipe if necessary.
Thudding
Thudding noises, often accompanied by shuddering pipes, when a faucet or appliance valve is turned off is a condition called water hammer. The noise and vibration are caused by the reverberating wave of pressure in the water, which suddenly has no place to go. Sometimes opening a valve that discharges water quickly into a section of piping containing a restriction, elbow, or tee fitting can produce the same condition.
Water hammer can usually be cured by installing fittings called air chambers or shock absorbers in the plumbing to which the problem valves or faucets are connected. These devices allow the shock wave created by the halted flow of water to dissipate in the air they contain, which (unlike water) is compressible.
Older Oklahoma City plumbing systems may have short vertical sections of capped pipe behind walls on faucet runs for the same purpose; these can eventually fill with water, reducing or destroying their effectiveness. The cure is to drain the water system completely by shutting off the main water supply valve and opening all faucets. Then open the main supply valve and close the faucets one at a time, starting with the faucet nearest the valve and ending with the one farthest away.
Chattering or Screeching
Intense chattering or screeching that occurs when a valve or faucet is turned on, and that usually disappears when the fitting is opened fully, signals loose or defective internal parts. The solution is to replace the valve or faucet with a new one.
Pumps and appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers can transfer motor noise to pipes if they are improperly connected. Link such items to plumbing with plastic or rubber hoses (never rigid pipe-to isolate them.)
Other Inlet Side Noises
Creaking, squeaking, scratching, snapping, and tapping usually are caused by the expansion or contraction of pipes, generally copper ones supplying hot water. The sounds occur as the pipes slide against loose fasteners or strike the nearby framing of your Oklahoma City home. You can often pinpoint the location of the problem if the pipes are exposed; just follow the sound when the pipes are making noise. Most likely you will discover a loose pipe hanger or an area where pipes lie so close to floor joists or other framing pieces that they clatter against them. Attaching foam pipe insulation around the pipes at the point of contact should remedy the problem. Be sure straps and hangers are secure and provide adequate support.
Where possible, pipe fasteners should be attached to massive structural elements such as foundation walls instead of to framing; doing so lessens the transmission of vibrations from plumbing to surfaces that can amplify and transfer them. If attaching fasteners to framing is unavoidable, wrap pipes with insulation or other resilient material where they contact fasteners, and sandwich the ends of new fasteners between rubber washers when installing them.
Correcting plumbing runs that suffer from flow-restricting tight or numerous bends is a last resort that should be undertaken only after consulting a skilled Oklahoma City plumbing contractor. Unfortunately, this situation is fairly common in older Oklahoma City homes that may not have been built with indoor plumbing or that have seen several remodels, especially by amateurs.
Drainpipe Noise
On the drain side of plumbing, the chief goals are to eliminate surfaces that can be struck by falling or rushing water and to insulate pipes to contain unavoidable sounds.
In new construction, bathtubs, shower stalls, toilets, and wall-mounted sinks and basins should be set on or against resilient underlayments to reduce the transmission of sound through them. Water-saving toilets and faucets are less noisy than conventional models; install them instead of older types even if Oklahoma City codes still permit using older fixtures.
Drainpipes that do not run vertically to the basement or that branch into horizontal pipe runs supported at floor joists or other framing present particularly troublesome noise problems. Such pipes are large enough to radiate considerable vibration; they also carry significant amounts of water, which makes the situation worse. In new construction, specify cast-iron soil pipes (the large pipes that drain toilets) if you can afford them. Their massiveness contains much of the noise made by water passing through them.
Also, avoid routing drainpipes in walls shared with bedrooms and rooms where people gather. Walls containing drainpipes should be soundproofed as was described earlier, using double panels of sound-insulating fiberboard and wallboard. Pipes themselves can be wrapped with special fiberglass insulation made for the purpose; such pipes have an impervious vinyl skin (sometimes containing lead). Results are not always satisfactory.
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If you are looking for a professional Oklahoma City plumbing company, then please call us today at 405-802-7769 or complete our online request form.
