Can A Mechanical Valve Replace A P-Trap?

A P-trap is a small piece of drain plumbing that fits under your sink. It has a unique curved shape to it, and it is designed to prevent sewer gases from escaping into your living space. (That’s good because aside from the obvious “fresh-air” benefit, sewer gases can build up and explode.) Traps also prevent harmful bacteria from being introduced into the living space and serve to catch little items (like rings, earrings, Lego blocks) that accidentally make their way down the drain.

Over time, nasty debris – like biofilms, decayed material, hair, and soap films – also build up in the trap. Generally, traps are easy to remove and can be cleaned out mechanically without too much effort and without the need for special tools.

Traps work because after each use, the trap fills with water. The water in the trap acts like a plug and prevents the gases from escaping out of a drain hole. All plumbing fixtures – toilets, basins, tubs, etc., – must have a trap of some sort that prevents sewer gases from getting back up the drainpipe.

Traps have been in use almost since plumbing moved indoors. Newer plumbing codes restrict or prohibit the use of certain types of traps (S-traps, specifically) but P-traps are the gold standard of traps. They’re simple and they work better than anything else on the market.

Enter the mechanical P-trap. The mechanical P-trap is a straight piece of pipe that includes a membrane that is supposed to perform the same function as the “water plug” I discussed earlier. The biggest potential problem I see with a mechanical P-trap is malfunction.

When a traditional P-trap gets clogged with debris, biological buildup or a mechanical object, it still performs its basic function – blocking the movement of sewer gases back up the drainpipe. It can’t’ fail at this job because as long as there’s water (or sludge, debris, biofilm, etc) occluding the trap, the sewer gas isn’t going anywhere.

When you interfere with the open-and-close mechanics of a mechanical valve, the valve can potentially be held open. The design of a straight pipe – by its nature- will allow the offending gas to escape the pipe. In other words, when the valve fails, you can’t be sure that you’re protected from the dangers that unchecked sewer gases and bacteria present.

The traditional P-trap works even when it clogs because the design of the pipe itself provides the protection you really need. There are no moving parts to worry about so mechanical failure is impossible. P-traps can dry out – the water that forms the seal can evaporate over time if the fixture isn’t used, and deterioration of the pipe or the joints can force replacement of the trap. But under most circumstances, it’s hard to conceive of an improvement to the P-trap that’s worth taking a chance on.

If you have questions about your plumbing, or smell sewer gases when you use your plumbing fixtures, contact Boston Standard Plumbing & Heating at (617) 288-2911 for an inspection. We’ll find the source of the odor and recommend a solution!

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Does Changing Your Furnace Filter Really Matter?

But what’s the harm in not changing your filter? Aside from the fact that the filter will become clogged with dust and debris, your furnace will also have to work harder to get air through the clogged filter. Your hard-working, high-efficiency furnace will become less efficient (which costs you more money) and over time, you can actually reduce the lifespan of important furnace components.

Furnace filters are sized to fit the furnace you use, so the first rule of thumb is to use the correct size filter for your furnace. You can usually purchase disposable furnace filters at your local home improvement store. Check your owner’s manual to determine the correct filter size for your unit, and buy enough filters each fall to get you through the heating season.

Changing the furnace filter (usually once per month) isn’t hard, but it is possible to install the filter backwards. Normally, filters are marked to indicate which side of the filter should face up/out, so be sure you know which direction you’re supposed to install the filter.

Don’t attempt to clean or re-use disposable filters. They aren’t meant to be cleaned, and there’s really no good way to get the accumulated dust and debris out of the filter. In addition, trying to dislodge the dust and debris mechanically can actually deposit the particles right back into the air. When you’re done with a filter, carefully place the used filter in a trash bag and send it on its way.

At the end of the heating season, place a new filter into your furnace. That way, when heating season starts up in the fall, your filter will be good to go. The same trick applies to your air conditioner. Change the filter at the end of the season so a dirty filter isn’t waiting for you the next time you want to use the unit.

If you just can’t remember to change your filter, write it on your calendar or send yourself a monthly email reminder. Google Calendar is a great (and free) way to remind yourself of this simple-yet-important task!

If you have any questions about your heating and cooling systems, or need help finding or changing your filter, contact Boston Standard Plumbing & Heating at (617) 288-2911 anytime. We can schedule an inspection right away and help you get your heating (and cooling) filter maintenance routine set up.
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Signs Of Plumbing Trouble You Shouldn't Ignore

Outside of having a pipe burst, some homeowners don’t recognize the signs of damage or wear in their plumbing systems. Regular inspection of your plumbing system can help spot wear and deterioration before it leaves a very nasty mark on your home.

Here are some signs of plumbing trouble that you shouldn’t ignore.
Smell: If you notice a consistent odor when you open a tap, you should have your plumbing checked for leaks, corrosion or deterioration. Damaged pipes and aging hot water tanks can be a source of unpleasant odors associated with your water system.

Debris: If you notice debris coming out of your tap – the bathtub is a great place to spot these problems – your plumbing may be deteriorating. The debris is deteriorated piping material that your pipes are shedding. The debris may be brittle or rust-colored – especially if you have galvanized pipes carrying your fresh water to your fixtures. Also check the aerators on your taps for signs of mineralization and small bits of trapped debris. If you notice debris in only one location, you may simply have a deteriorating fixture.

Staining: Galvanized plumbing is notorious for creating rust-colored staining in your sink, tub and toilet fixtures. The staining doesn’t affect the performance of the fixture but it looks bad. It’s also a sign that your fresh water is being contaminated by a deteriorating pipe.

Sometimes, an electrical problem can cause staining and deterioration in your plumbing system! Electrolysis, which is a special kind of interaction between your electrical system and your plumbing, can cause unusual deterioration, wear and seemingly random damage to your plumbing fixtures. Corrosion and decay can occur at joints in your plumbing system where dissimilar metals may be in use. Electrolysis can also cause pipes to become pitted or even develop holes. Electrolysis occurs when the electrical system is improperly grounded to the home’s plumbing.

Leaks: Never ignore a leak in your plumbing, whether it’s a fresh water leak or a drain leak. Leaking water can promote the growth of bacteria and mold, cause significant water damage and can even cause structural damage if left unaddressed.

If you have questions about your plumbing, or notice strange odors, noises or leaks, contact us at Boston Standard Plumbing & Heating at (617) 288-2911 anytime. We’re happy to inspect your home’s plumbing system and can correct serious potential problems.

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World Plumbing Day: A Time To Think

More than 3 million people each year die as the result of preventable diseases and conditions related to inferior water quality and poor sanitation. The majority of deaths occur in children under five years of age. By itself, that’s a lot to think about – especially when you consider that you can go to just about any tap that’s connected to a municipal water supply, and get safe, clean, drinkable water from it 24/7/365, year after year in this country.

Despite our access to clean water and sanitation, water-borne illnesses can still affect us. Relatively recent outbreaks of the SARS virus and Legionnaires’ Disease come to mind as proof that improper plumbing and air-handling can serve as a breeding ground for major threats to public health.

Aside from thinking about the role of clean water and sanitation, it’s also good to think about the role that plumbers play in modern society. Plumbing may not seem like a glamorous job, and it’s not. But according to the World Health Organization, competent plumbers are responsible for a lot:

Plumbing is a trade, but it’s one that evolves over time. In some cases, modern plumbing codes are responses to changes in the way people live, the applications of new technologies and materials, and our impact on the areas in which we live. In other cases, plumbing codes are the products of the knowledge and experience plumbers gain when they handle both clean and dirty water. In still other cases, our plumbing reflects what we’ve learned about diseases, and how they spread in urban areas.

So, as World Plumbing Day approaches, spend some time thinking about the role of clean water and sanitation, and how much of a difference it makes in the lives of the 7 billion people we share our planet with.

If you have any questions or concerns about your plumbing, heating or cooling systems, contact us at Boston Standard Plumbing & Heating at (617) 288-2911 anytime. We’re always available to help! Friend Boston Standard Plumbing on Facebook and don’t forget to celebrate World Plumbing Day on March 11.

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Selling Your House? Invest In Your HVAC

How can you improve the chances of selling your home? Take a good look at your heating and cooling equipment. If your home currently has an oil-fired heating plant, consider converting it to natural gas. The lower cost of operating natural gas furnaces and boilers is overwhelmingly attractive right now. But buyers are looking at more than out-of-pocket costs to operate the equipment.

Natural gas and heating oil are about equal from an operational perspective, but oil-fired heating equipment carries an inherent risk of spilling. The seemingly ever-increasing cost of heating oil, onsite storage and the cost of extra insurance for oil-spill related accidents could be a showstopper for potential buyers. If you have the cash available, convert. You’ll also get extra points for being able to say your home has a brand new furnace or boiler.

Old air conditioning or no air conditioning provide two more reasons for buyers to look past your home. New, high-efficiency air conditioners can be very economical to operate and can also be more environmentally friendly than older models. Older model air conditioners use older refrigerants, which – depending upon what you need – could be in short supply. Buyers who are looking ahead may see high replacement costs in their future.

One economical alternative for old systems or homes that have no air conditioning may be a mini-split AC system. These systems are highly cost-effective, provide zone cooling and install quickly. They can also solve other problems like those posed by ductwork – or lack of it! Some homes – especially those with hot-water or steam heat – may not have ductwork to begin with. Other homes may have ductwork that’s been compromised by asbestos or other hazards. The mini-split alternative provides excellent cooling with none of the retrofit hassle of a whole-house air conditioning system.

If you’re thinking about selling your home and you’d like an assessment of your home’s heating and cooling equipment, please give us a call at Boston Standard Plumbing & Heating at (617) 288-2911. We’ll be happy to evaluate your current heating and cooling equipment or consult with you on an oil-to-gas conversion.

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Heating Season Can Bring Added Hazards

CO is a colorless, odorless gas. It can be a natural by-product of combustion and it will kill you, your family or anyone else it comes in contact with. CO is usually vented out of homes through the chimney or other direct-vent system. You’ll encounter it wherever you burn natural gas or other fuels (like wood, charcoal, kerosene or oil) for heat.

In the winter, some people attempt to use their gas stoves as an alternative, supplemental or even a primary heat source, especially during power outages. They rationalize that it should be safe, since the gas that flows from the burner is “completely” consumed, doesn’t require additional venting and shouldn’t pose a hazard to humans.

Nothing is farther from the truth. Gas stoves used as heat sources can certainly cause carbon monoxide build-ups in the home and should never be used for anything other than cooking. Your kitchen should also be equipped with ventilation equipment to prevent CO buildup from cooking. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has determined that CO in concentrations as little as 100 parts per million is hazardous to human health. In other words, it doesn’t take much CO to put you and your family at risk.

New building codes now require CO sensors to operate in close proximity to unvented gas-burning appliances (like stoves), but these rules don’t apply to existing structures and existing gas-burning equipment.

A common misconception about CO poisoning is that it happens over a long period of time. Actually, CO poisoning can happen in a matter of minutes. Long-term exposure to CO can cause permanent heart and neurological problems. The very young and very old are also at increased risk of experiencing permanent physical damage from CO exposure.

You should recognize the symptoms of CO poisoning and make sure your home has working CO detectors at all times. The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are dizziness and nausea, shortness of breath, mild headaches, light-headedness, chest pain, confusion, agitation, visual changes, hallucinations and impaired judgment.

If you begin to experience any of these symptoms, or encounter someone else who is, it’s important to get that person outside immediately. If the symptoms improve with exposure to fresh air, do not return to the building. Instead, call 911 for medical assistance and have the affected person(s) medically evaluated at a hospital. Your local fire department will vent the affected space and attempt to locate the source of the CO leak.

If you have experienced a CO leak, have all of your fuel-burning appliances checked by a heating and cooling professional before returning them to service.

CO leaks in appliances can happen without warning, or they can be the result of deferred maintenance over a long period of time. The heating and cooling professionals at Boston Standard Plumbing & Heating can help you maintain your heating and cooling equipment and avoid CO mishaps. Contact us at (617) 288-2911 to schedule an inspection of your heating and cooling equipment today.

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Boston Standard Plumbing Certified Nest Installer

Nest thermostats work on just about all types of residential heating and cooling equipment, so most homeowners can take advantage of the benefits the Nest thermostat has to offer. Once installed, the Nest begins to learn about your “home and away” habits. After about a week, the Nest will have learned your basic routine. You can still make temporary changes to the Nest without throwing the programming off.

Better still, the Nest can help you save money. Using a smartphone or even your home network, you can contact the Nest to make changes to your thermostat settings, either while you’re at home or away. According to the maker, the Nest can help you reduce your home heating and cooling bills by an average of $175 per year.

The programmable thermostat differs from most typical thermostats because you can get very precise control over your utility usage. While most programmable thermostats allow you to control a couple of large time blocks on weekdays and weekends, the Nest allows you to make as many changes as needed during each day of the week.

The manufacturer has not yet started releasing this product directly to residential customers, but initial demand for the Nest has been high. As a certified installer, Boston Standard Plumbing & Heating can acquire and install a Nest thermostat in your home. If you’re interested in having a Nest thermostat installed, or would like more information about the Nest or other programmable thermostat options for your home, contact us at Boston Standard Plumbing & Heating at (617) 288-2911 to set up an appointment.

Photo Credit: Nest

Best Way To Clean Your Toilet? Read This!

Most toilets use a flapper mechanism to flush material into the waste pipe. Tank based toilet cleaners, which include very harsh chemicals, tend to deteriorate the flapper valve of a toilet, reducing its life expectancy by as much as 75%. A leaking flapper valve will increase the amount of water being consumed by the fixture and will reduce or eliminate any water-saving the toilet design might otherwise offer.

Toilet flapper valves are made of rubber, which cannot withstand the chemicals used in in-tank cleaning products. If you don’t mind replacing the flapper valve every few years, these products may save you a few minutes, but without regular maintenance on the flapper valve, you’ll increase your water consumption and end up spending more on water over the life of the fixture. If you’ve paid more for a water-saving toilet design, you’ll also increase the amount of time it takes to recover the cost of your investment.

The biggest offenders among tank-based cleaners are the slow-release, drop-in tablets that have become so popular. Chemical-related flapper valve failure is not a recent discovery. Toilet manufacturers have known for at least 20 years that cleaning chemicals that are dispensed from the tank will significantly reduce the life expectancy of a flapper valve.

Valve manufacturers responded by making flapper valves that are more durable and better able to resist the damage caused by tank-based cleaning chemicals. That would be good news for consumers, if the companies that make tank-based cleaning products hadn’t also improved their products! Even with improved flapper valve materials, testing revealed that none of the newer materials could withstand a particular type of tank-based toilet bowl cleaning tablet (Vanish).

Consumers also may contribute to increased water usage when they attempt to correct a leaking flapper valve. Replacement flapper valves don’t always come from the manufacturer, which means that the replacement parts may not provide the same water-saving performance that OEM parts do. The results of using an incorrect replacement flapper valve may be somewhat surprising. Using the wrong valve may correct the leaking problem, but it may also double or in some cases nearly triple the water consumption per flush of a low-flow fixture!

The lessons here are two-fold. If you have a water-saving toilet (one that uses 1.6 gallons per flush or less), and it has a flapper valve, consider the use of tank dispensed toilet bowl cleaners carefully, as they have been shown in some cases, to degrade the durability of the flapper valve significantly. Second, if you have a low-flow toilet and you want to replace the flapper valve, choose your replacement carefully! If you can, purchase an OEM flapper valve that’s made specifically for your toilet model. Doing so will help preserve the water-saving quality of the toilet – which may have been the reason you chose your particular toilet in the first place!

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Best Toilet Brand? Consider This!

At Boston Standard Plumbing & Heating, we recommend the Toto brand toilets above other manufacturers, in part because Toto is the largest manufacturer of toilet fixtures in world today. Toto offers operational innovations that distinguish their fixtures from standard toilets and use less water per flush. Toto also offers a wide range of artistic fixture designs and colors that will enhance the visual appeal of a bathroom.

Toto offers a series of toilet fixtures that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). An ADA-compliant fixture can allow older persons to stay in their homes more comfortably and safely for a longer period of time. The design of the fixture can assist people with sitting down and standing back up, two activities that can be notoriously difficult for the elderly and disabled.

One excellent reason consumers should be considering Toto brand is the issue of replacement parts. Toto fixtures in the GMax series use common replacement parts, while fixtures from other manufacturers like Kohler and American Standard use parts that are unique to each model of toilet. The use of common parts ensures that replacement parts are easily acquired and will be available for a long time, even if the particular model a consumer has installed is no longer manufactured.

Toto fixtures are priced comparably to toilets from other manufacturers, so you won’t spend a lot of extra cash to get a high-performance fixture that meets your needs, works well in your bathroom and is easily maintainable over time. Toto toilets also score well on Maximum Performance (MaP) testing. MaP performance testing was developed in 2003 to gauge the actual water efficiency of toilet fixtures using realistic testing media. MaP testing information is available for nearly 2,000 models of toilets and provides standard performance comparison measures. The results demonstrate how well a particular toilet design clears the bowl using a given amount of water and test flush material – an important consideration when toilet shopping!

If you’d like more information about Toto toilets, toilet selection or toilet installation, contact us at Boston Standard Plumbing & Heating at (617) 288-2911 anytime. We recommend Toto fixtures and can help you select the toilet that will work best for you.

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Boston Standard Plumbing Seals Up 2011 Angie's List Super Service Award!

Making Angie’s List is special because the service ratings are all customer-driven and completely unsolicited. Angie’s List is a member-driven organization whose mission is to provide unbiased rating information to homeowners and business owners nationwide. Unlike other ratings services, the reviews are not anonymous to the reader, so you can rely on the information you receive.

We work hard at Boston Standard Plumbing & Heating to ensure that our customers get prompt, fast and accurate service, and that we meet their plumbing, heating and cooling needs. We’re delighted to have been selected by our customers as being one of the most value- and service-oriented plumbing, heating and cooling firms in the Boston area, and we’re motivated to deliver the superior service we’ve become known for in the Boston area in 2012!

We offer a wide range of services to help keep the plumbing, heating and cooling systems in Boston homes in good working order. We realize that many plumbing, heating and cooling jobs are unplanned, and are the result of an unexpected event. That’s why we offer true 24-hour on-call service for our customers.

In a plumbing or heating emergency, most local firms will route your call to an answering service. As licensed plumbing, heating and cooling professionals, we realize that time is often of the essence. That’s why you speak with a member of the Boston Standard Plumbing & Heating staff when you call us after hours for help. We keep our trucks stocked with a wide range of common (and uncommon) parts so we can usually respond to the problem immediately.

Offering genuine 24-hour emergency response services is just one of the many reasons our customers recommend us. Whether you need assistance with regular heating, cooling and plumbing maintenance, or you need a professional emergency response, you can rely on Boston Standard Plumbing & Heating. Call us anytime at (617) 288-2911 and let us show you why we’re one among the best in Boston.

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