As summer progresses, there is an increasing accumulation of heat in the roof, beams, attic, walls and furnishings of the home. While it is true that some lowering of temperature of the home occurs during the night, summer nights are too short to allow for anything like an equalization of temperature.

Attics can reach temperatures of 150 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit during a summer day, although outside air temperatures are only 95 to 97 degrees Fahrenheit. aThe cooling load for a home air conditioner depends on the difference in temperature between the inside and outside air, and reduction of attic temperatures from 155 degrees to 105 degrees Fahrenheit will result in a significant reduction in cooling load. aIn a home with poor ceiling insulation, heat movement through ceilings may account for 30 percent or more of the total cooling cost. aWith a well-insulated ceiling, this source of heat may account for only 12 to 15 percent of the total cooling cost. aThus, high attic ventilation rates are most important for poorly insulated ceilings.

Therefore, an attic fan can not only dispel this heat, ait can draw gentle breezes throughout the house whenever and wherever the home owner wants them. aBy the simple touch of a button, cooling breezes are wafted in through the soffit vents, sweeping the heat and stagnant air up through the attic fan and out of the house.

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Water Quality, Water Pressure, and Plumbing Emergencies

Excerpt: Did you know that the quality of your water and even your water pressure can lead to serious plumbing problems? This article takes a brief look at how these factors affect your plumbing and why they might lead to a plumbing emergency.

In many cases, plumbing problems and emergencies are due to issues that include lack of maintenance, overuse of your plumbing system, or aging fixtures and appliances. However, there are several other factors that can cause severe plumbing issues as well, including the quality of your home?s water and even your water pressure. Understanding how these characteristics can lead to emergency plumbing situations is the first step toward avoiding a major plumbing problem that takes you by surprise.

Water Quality

All water contains some percentage of dissolved minerals. When the concentration of dissolved minerals such as magnesium and calcium is high (a condition often referred to as hard water), your plumbing is more likely to develop mineral deposits with extended use over time. These mineral deposits can lead to several problems, including clogs, corrosion, and leaks that can appear without prior warning and require emergency plumbing assistance to repair. Hard water can also cause mineral buildup inside your water heater, affecting its heating elements and leading to breakdowns that leave you without the hot water you need. Your anode rod is a key component of your water heater and is designed to combat this mineral buildup, which is why we recommend annual inspections. Additionally, some water treatment plants use certain chemicals to treat drinking water that can have a negative effect on copper water pipes, leading to rapid degeneration and widespread leaks that may cause water damage to your home.

While you can?t change the quality of your water before it reaches your home, a great way to avoid an emergency plumbing situation due to hard water is to discuss installing a water softening system with your plumber. A water softener will remove corrosive minerals from your water before it enters your home?s plumbing and reaches your fixtures and appliances; this will protect your plumbing from clogging and deterioration that could lead to a plumbing emergency when you least expect it.

Water Pressure

Your water pressure can also affect the health of your home?s plumbing. While high water pressure is often desirable, water pressure that is too high can put your plumbing at risk for leaks and other problems. When the water pressure is too high, your pipes are put under strain every time you use your water. This can loosen connections and cause deterioration of pipe and drain walls over time, which may lead to sudden leaks that cause significant water damage and water waste. High water pressure also puts excess strain on your plumbing fixtures and appliances, which may cause a higher incidence of leaky faucets and burst washing machine pipes, which are some of the most common plumbing problems your emergency plumber is called to address. If you aren?t sure whether your home?s water pressure is too high, your plumber can easily evaluate the incoming pressure to determine whether high water pressure could lead to a plumbing emergency. Water pressure that is too high can be reduced using a water pressure reducing valve to ensure your water pressure remains within optimal limits for your plumbing.

When you experience a major plumbing issue that can?t wait, we can provide fast and professional 24/7 emergency plumbing in Portland. Our services include solutions for leaks, clogs, backups, and more to quickly address any issue and help you take preventative measures. You can find out more about emergency plumbing situations and how to prevent them on our blog, or click through our website to explore our full range of plumbing services.

Vessel Sink

Bold and beautiful, the vessel sink makes for a unique addition to any bathroom. Whether you prefer glass, porcelain, stainless steel, bronze, or other materials, a vessel sink is sure to add style and substance to your bathroom dΘcor.

Vessel sinks may be the trendy fixture of the moment, but they are here to stay. Why? Because these lavatories complement various styles of bathroom styles, from classic porcelain washbasins to contemporary stone bowls.

When you walk into a bath showroom, chances are that you?ll find yourself admiring one or more vessel bathroom sinks. You may tell yourself, ?Gosh, this vessel sink is beautiful, but is it right for my household?s needs?? For those of you deciding on which lavatory style is best for your bathroom, here?s a down-and-dirty guide to vessel sink pros and cons.

Vessel Sink Pros

Beauty

Previously, the bathroom lavatory was often considered a necessary means to serve a functional purpose. Enter the vessel sink, the perfect blend of art and science. A conversation piece for guests. A sculptural element that adds elegance to a minimalist bathroom, Old-World comfort to a traditional bathroom, and organic style to a contemporary bathroom.

Variety

The vessel sink comes in a variety of designs. From porcelain washbasins to metallic bowls, your options are endless. Vessel sinks are available in a wide assortment of bowl depths, heights, materials, and shapes. If you have children or special-needs household members, your vessel sink can easily be adjusted to suit a variety of heights and functional needs.

Do you have a favorite piece of furniture you?ve been dying to repurpose? The vessel sink can easily be installed into repurposed furniture and countertops. This provides you with nearly limitless choices to achieve the perfect aesthetic!

Comfortable Height

Vessel sinks come in multiple heights, which make it easy to pick out a sink that accommodates household members of varying heights. With an undermount sink, the height is limited to that of the counter height?but a vessel sink?s height can range between two to six inches. A trade professional can advise you on the best vessel sink height for optimal comfort level.

Easy Installation

Vessel sinks are the easiest type to sink to install, as they don?t need specific countertop cut-out dimensions. Rather, vessel sink installation requires only a small hole to be drilled in order to install the vessel sink drain. This makes vessel sinks easily changeable, cutting costs on future remodeling.

More Counter Space

As vessel sinks don?t require a large amount of countertop space for installation, you?ll have more room for toiletries, decorations, and other bathroom items. Vessel sinks also add an airy appearance to your bathroom counter.

Vessel Sink Cons

Splash Zone

If your vessel sink?s faucet isn?t matched properly to its height, there may be a risk of splashing. However, with professional installation, your trade professional will be able to assist you with the proper height and placement of the faucet.

Cleanability

A vessel sink may require frequent cleaning due to its two-sided appearance. Glass sinks, especially, are prone to water spots. It is suggested that you keep a cleaning rag and wedge it between the countertop and the sink base in order to access the hard-to-reach places on the sink.

Stability

Parents should take note that children might lean on the vessel sink, which could pose stability issues if the sink is improperly installed. That is why it is important to make sure that your vessel sink is installed by a licensed trade professional, who will ensure that the sink is properly installed.

Vessel sinks can be a beautiful, unique addition to your bathroom. To pick out a stunning vessel sink for your bathroom, visit a Crawford Supply Group website foraIllinois,aMichigan, oraPennsylvaniaaand fill out a Contact Form. Our knowledgeable showroom consultants would be happy to connect you with the right bathroom sink for your needs!

Because of recent events in the news, people are more aware of the possible dangers for their health in water that comes to their houses from the municipal system. Homeowners want to know if they should have some type of water treatment system installed, such as a reverse osmosis filter, whole-house filter, or water softener.

The truth is that it?s difficult to say for certain if a home requires water treatment?and specifically what kind of treatment. There is no ?on-size-fits-all? solution when it comes to water purification: you need to target the impurities present in your water, which can come from a variety of sources.

Signs in the home

Although some issues with your water will not leave noticeable warnings signs, many others can. Look at the turbidity (cloudiness) of the water, as well as unusual metallic tastes or sulfurous smells. Another important sign of issues with the water are stains and films left behind on fixtures and surfaces, and difficulty working up a good lather of soap when showering or cleaning the dishes. This often indicates hard water, which is common in city water systems.

Water testing

The way to know for sure if you should have a water treatment system installation, and the type to have installed, is to schedule water testing with professionals. The water testers will take samples of the water from different fixtures around your home and then run it through a barrage of laboratory tests to see about alkalinity, pH levels, minerals, heavy metals, and other impurities. You?ll receive a complete rundown on what?s in your water and suggestions for how to counteract it.

Even if you don?t notice any problems with your home?s water, we advise you to have water testing scheduled every few years. This will help to uncover any hidden issues.

The Importance of Having Professional Plumbers on Speed Dial

Posted by Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Cleaning on September 05/2014 | 0 Comments

The Need For Professional Plumbers

Professional plumbers will address any kind of plumbing issue at any hour of the day. Plumbing problems can happen to anyone, at any time of the day, in any kind of house or apartment. In many situations, they can seem to come out of nowhere ? one day, you?re using your sink, shower, toilet or laundry with no real problems, and the next, your whole home is in chaos ? but the truth is that most plumbing issues are so small that people tend to ignore them until they become massive and require large-scale repairs.

You may have grown used to overlooking or ignoring seemingly small issues with your plumbing, but once you?ve experienced the financial pain and general hassle of a large repair, you understand the crucial importance of catching even the smallest leaks or plumbing mishaps before they grow larger. Regular maintenance can always help to ensure that small problems are sorted out as they occur and future expenses can be avoided. But if you?re looking to do this, it?s important to choose professional plumbers and plumbing service that you feel you can rely on ? 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no matter how big or small your problem is.

Why Choose HY-PRO?

That?s why, at HY-PRO Plumbing and Drain Cleaning, we?re so committed to offering reliable and round-the-clock plumbing services to our clients ? to us, it?s not just a gimmick, it?s the best way to help make sure your needs are always taken care of. Some of the most common plumbing-related issues our clients call us with include backed-up toilets, cracked or busted pipes (or frozen ones in the colder months), cracked water heaters and fissures in a house?s foundation, which can let in moisture and cause structural damage.

The reason why we want to be there to help our customers no matter when these issues arise is that they are serious, and if a well-meaning handyman or woman tries to apply DIY techniques instead of calling in the experts, the results can be disastrous. They can make the work of professional difficult and a job which could have been solved by simple repair would need replacement because of unnecessary DIY tricks. We make our services as readily available as possible because, above all, want to save you and your home from the trouble that these kinds of situations can cause.

So why should you trust us? Well, we?re not just available on call when you need us. Our professional plumbers are highly qualified and experienced. As Canadians, we understand exactly how harsh winters can be difficult on your home, and our professional plumbers are prepared for all eventualities.aWe live where you live, and there?s a good chance that we?ll already have all the parts you need for your repair on hand when we show up at your house.

Not to mention the fact that we?re always doing our best to stay up-to-date with the latest equipment like drain cameras and other useful tools, so we can be on the cutting edge of the plumbing game. The next time you need a licensed, insured and reliable plumber to take care of your problem before (or after!) it gets big, get in touch and we will be at your service. Don?t hesitate ? call a HY-PRO Plumbing and Drain Cleaning plumber today!