Minnesotans are reported to use approximately 52 gallons of water per person, per day. Nearly 80% of this water comes from public utilities, while others use private wells. It is also reported that the North Central US has some of the hardest water in all of the country, with Minneapolis ranking 3rd in the US for having the hardest water. So, what is hard water, and what can you do about it? Read on to find out…
Think of the plumbing pipes running through your home as blood vessels and arteries. Just as the body requires the proper flow of blood throughout, to function properly, so your home needs proper inflow and outflow of water sources to function properly. There are few things that the average person can do in a home where plumbing is not involved. As the body can present hidden damages, so can your home. Pipes may be partially clogged in places that could restrict the flow of water into or out of the home. Without proper inspections, these could become larger problems.
A properly maintained residential septic tank should never smell. That means a bad odor inside the home or near the leach field is not a good sign. Smelly septic tanks are a result of the presence of gasses in the system, including hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide and methane. The pH levels in these gasses are too acidic for the microorganisms in the tank to digest the organic matter, causing the tank to smell. Not only are these odors unpleasant, but a high concentration of a combination of these gasses can be explosive or even toxic. Luckily, septic tank odors may be remedied relatively easily using a few common household products.
Backflow is the unintended flow of untreated, polluted, or contaminated water in a reverse direction. There are two types of backflows: back-siphonage and back-pressure. Back-siphonage occurs when a drop in pressure happens on the upstream side of a cross-connection. Back-pressure is when the pressure downstream, towards the end user, of the service connection becomes greater than that supplied. Backflow Preventers are a special type of control valve that, when installed and maintained properly, will prevent
We use the plumbing system in our homes multiple times a day, especially in our kitchen and bathrooms. Every time we wash our hands, flush a toilet, cook and clean we use water. This water must travel through the pipes in our home. When our plumbing system is working well, we do not need to give it much thought, but when there is a problem, that is another story. A sudden plumbing problem can mean a leak that causes water damage to your ceiling/flooring, a flooded toilet or tub in the bathroom
You can probably point out the HVAC vents in your home, but could you do the same with your plumbing vents? It’s okay if you can’t; they’re likely hidden in the walls, and the main stack sits on your roof. Plumbing vents ensure that you and your family don’t have to worry about toxic gas and odors backing up into your house. Most homeowners don’t even know their homes have plumbing vents, let alone how to tell when something has gone wrong with them.
