PLUMBING - EXPERIENCE & SOLUTION FROM AFRICA

Emergency Plumber - How to Find a Great Plumbing Service

2011-05-30T06:08:00.000-07:00

One of the great unsung heroes of the modern world is surely the emergency plumber. If you have ever really needed one, you know this to be true. These workers will come to your home or business in your hour of deepest need and fix the things you are lost without. So what makes a good emergency plumber then?
The first thing to know is that these folks can be very hard to find. A good service person is like a needle in the haystack, or so it sometimes seem. Average plumbers, those who install fixtures, are much more common. But the ones who come to fix up the horrifying messes that can be caused by faulty plumbing are
almost heroic.

These people are heroes, believe it. They will clean up that mess in your bathroom and put things back in working order, and do it at all hours, as emergencies have no clocks. So here is the first trait to look for in your hired help. When are they available? If they are a twenty four hour operation, that is splendid. Remember, pipes freeze late at night when it gets really cold.

This around the clock availability leads to the second thing to look for in your rescue personnel. Are they available at all hours? Saying you are and actually picking up the telephone are two different matters. Do they offer at least two numbers, one for regular business hours and one for after hours? That is what you are looking for. And if they advertise dispatch vans, all the better for speedy replies.
Now, if you get a live person on the phone, and they are actually coming over to the house, try and get a good look at the truck as it pulls in. Is it clean and orderly? These are signs of a person who takes pride in their business. It is overflowing with tools and fixtures? There are no store runs for a washer at two-o-clock on a Sunday morning, so your help needs to be prepared. Go with the people in the nicest trucks, sounds crazy, but trust me!

Then, when they show up, the most important aspect comes in to play. Are they friendly and professional? Are they smiling even though it is so late and messy? Will they give you straight answers and straight quotes right away, and be willing to put it in writing for you? Honesty is truly the best policy, and a good contractor will always talk to you in a friendly and straightforward manner. If they do not, beware.
Mind you, they may be smiling because of what they are going to charge you for their services. The caveat here is that these folks will be expensive, and that could mean very expensive. Coming to your house or office at all hours to deal with overflowing toilets is not the best idea for a good time. You will be charged accordingly. Still, it will be worth it in the end, if they are good.

So what you are looking for is rather simple. You want a person who is available, and will actually show up ready to fix the problem at hand. They will charge you fairly and talk to you honestly. The cost of a good emergency plumber may be high, but for the good ones it is money well spent.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4636668

How Do You Install Your Own Plumbing And Drainage System?

2011-05-30T05:19:00.000-07:00

The first thing that you will need to consider when undertaking any DIY plumbing and drainage are the regulations issued by your Local Authority or State Department covering these.

If you are altering your existing drainage, or installing a new drainage system you must always inform the local Building Control Department at your local council offices. You will almost certainly need to present detailed plans of the work that you intend to undertake and it will need to be inspected as the work progresses making sure that it complies with local building regulations. If you are simply replacing damaged sections, in most circumstances they do not need to be informed. However, if in any doubt -
check it out. A simply phone call should suffice.

To begin with we will take a look at drainage systems.
These can be described as Foul Water systems and Surface Water systems. Foul water is anything that comes from bathrooms, kitchens, utility rooms, car washing areas etc. Waste from these sources must always go to your foul water drain system.

Surface water is basically rainwater. This can discharged into a soakaway, watercourse, surface water sewer or, particularly in older properties, into the foul water drainage system. In a combined system, the rainwater pipes are discharged into the foul water drains via gully traps which stop foul air escaping from the drains. However, modern systems are designed to keep the foul water and the surface water apart. It is extremely important to ensure that you do not connect foul water to a surface water drainage system. If you are unsure about the drainage system around your house get advice from the Building Control Department before you start any work.

Remember - If in doubt - check it out!

Planning
Before you begin, you will need to plan the route of the waste pipes. The main things to consider when planning the route of a waste or soil pipe are to keep the route as straight and short as you can. You must avoid making your pipe runs too steep. A soil pipe is normally laid to a fall of 1:40. This won't seem very much but it is plenty. The rule of thumb for pipe laying is 'a touch on the bubble'. This means that the bubble on the spirit level has moved to the higher end, but part of the bubble is still contained between the level lines on the spirit level. Remember - this is only a 'rule of thumb guide. You can calculate the fall of a drain over a distance using a surveyor's site level. If you do not have one of these available, establish a datum point and use a hosepipe filled with water to establish levels and calculate the fall from the datum this way. (If a hosepipe is filled with water, the level of the water will equal out at each end, measure to the trench floor from the end away from the datum to enable your calculations.)
Your local authority will be able to give you the recommended falls for pipework.

Putting in drainage:
Preparing the trench:
When installing your drain trench, you will need to make sure that you do not impair the stability of the building. If you are laying a drain run parallel to the building, you must ensure that any foundations are not undermined.
Do not dig the trench too long before laying the pipe when installing a new drainage system. Make sure that you get the pipes laid as quickly as possible and then backfill the trench as soon as the system has been inspected and tested.
The trench may need to be supported depending on the depth and soil conditions. Do not take any risks. If in doubt - add support to the trench to prevent it from collapsing. Keep the trench as narrow as possible, but allow room to work in the trench - say the width of the pipe plus 150mm (6") on each side. The base of the trench should be clean and even and free from protruding stones or bricks etc. You may need to import a suitable material for the base of the trench if the existing material is unsuitable. Your local inspector will advise you.

Never use bricks and/or other hard materials to support the pipe in the trench. This will damage the pipe and must never be used as temporary or permanent support. The bedding should be properly compacted with hollows made to accommodate the joints in the pipes. You will need to provide a continuous and uniform support for the complete length of the pipe. Once the laid pipes have been inspected, granular material should be evenly backfilled and compacted to a depth of at least 100mm above the pipe. 10 mm shingle has often been used as a backfill material as, not only is it a uniform medium but is also a visual warning to anyone excavating in the area of the drains that there are drainage pipes immediately below. Above the granular backfill material, the original dug material can be used to completely backfill the trench. This should be compacted in 300mm layers. Be sure not use heavy compactors until there is at least 300mm of cover. Light vibratory tampers could be used sensibly to help with the compaction.

You will need to protect any part of the drain system that is less than 600mm below a garden. This is because of potential damage from garden activities and gardening tools. A 50mm layer of lean concrete laid 100mm above the pipe will be adequate to do this. However you could use preformed concrete slabs as an alternative.

It is important that all parts of your drainage system are designed so that all parts of the pipework are accessible to a set of drain rods. Therefore, a run of drains should be as straight as possible between two points. As a general rule, any change in direction of the pipework should be provided with an inspection chamber to allow rodding access. This will also apply to changes in gradient, all drain junctions that are inaccessible to a set of drain rods, changes in pipe diameter and at the head of each run of drain. Where a junction between two drains does not have a manhole, access should be sited on the branch drain within 12 metres of the junction.

DIY plumbing and drainage is certainly within the bounds of most DIY enthusiasts. However, you must remember that it is important to follow local building control regulations and, as always, it is 'hard graft'!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/442142

Plumbing As A Good Career

2011-05-30T04:02:00.000-07:00

When considering career choices it would be advisable to choose a career that provides a service that is essential to the public. One such occupation is plumbing. At some time or other, whether they are homeowners or tenants, most people find themselves in need of a plumber. So in terms of job security it is a great choice.

The plumbing business has unfortunately been plagued by the existence of rogue plumbers
who do not abide by approved regulatory standards. These plumbers tend to generate more problems than they fix, ripping off the public at the same time. Regulations are in place so that plumbing engineers can do their jobs safely and correctly, however there will always be scam plumbers who will take short cuts and may endanger their clients with their shoddy work.

Plumbing is a skilled trade and an important one as plumbers work with drinking water systems, heating pipes and drainage of waste pipes not to mention carrying out mundane tasks such as unblocking sinks. In these days of hi-tech occupations you may scoff at the idea of becoming a plumber. Did you know that Albert Einstein once remarked "If I had my life to live over again, I would be a plumber"? I'm not sure in what context the great man made this comment, but the fact remains that plumbing as a vocation is much sought after today.

In an increasingly competitive and frustrating job market, it seems that many young people have forgotten about the service and repair industries and the sidelined role of an apprentice. It is assumed that getting a degree is the be all and end all and if you don't have one you will be stuck in a dead end job with no prospects and little pay. What many of today's younger generation fail to realise is that the service industry is alive and well, full of excellent opportunities to find jobs that are interesting, challenging, and well-paid. A plumbing service is usually run by a certified plumber or a master plumber. Quite often it appears that plumbing work is boring and monotonous, however, a plumbing engineer is a highly skilled and trained individual with an extensive knowledge of pipes, fixtures, heating systems and building foundations.

One thing to consider is what type of plumber do you want to be? There are many plumbing opportunities available in a wide variety of business areas. Also this is not just a male preserve as many women are taking up the trade. For instance, plumbers can be found working within large construction companies, on new builds, as government contractors and in national plumbing companies.

A career in plumbing will not only be challenging but also rewarding, both financially and in terms of job satisfaction and one thing you can be sure of is that you will always be in demand. If you decide to follow this path you will realise that a career in plumbing is a skilled and ultimately rewarding vocation and I am sure you will not regret your choice.

PLUMBING DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES.

2010-07-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

A plumbing designer is an engineer that is charge of planning the picture of plumbing in building, reservoirs and other situations dealing with water. In the process they will work with architects, engineers, plumbers, and other designers. Their charge being to design the most efficient and effective plumbing systems in the new structures. The materials they choose on include pipes, tanks, valves, pumps and other means of channelling water as needed.
Plumbing Design requires building extremely strong plumbing systems with failover. The plumbing designer must never cut corners even if encouraged to, as the end systems may cause major disaster should they fail. When it comes to this, redundancy and backup systems are a large part of the planning. Failures in plumbing design could cause many displaced persons, and maybe even fatalities.

Education Required For Plumbing DesignThe most complete education for Plumbing Design is through a university. You won't find a 4 year program called “plumbing design” rather you would focus on studies related to building construction, civil engineering, or mechanical engineering. This choice of study will bring you the widest spectrum of knowledge, and other opportunities should you decide that being a plumbing designer isn't for you. These programs will likely find you a vast resource in contacts, and some excellent internship opportunities that can give your career an extra boost from the start.

Prevention of Plumbing Emergencies - Use of Quality Flexible Connectors

2009-11-22T11:40:00.000-08:00

There are easier to fix plumbing fittings and accessories being sold in the plumbing market today than some year's ago.
Before now Baths, Basins, Sinks, Heaters, Toilets were usually connected with union connectors made of galvanized or steel materials. But today I congratulate people of all trades especially those who are concerned with improvement of plumbing installation.
The inventions of plastic, copper and stainless flexible connectors have added more value to do it yourself plumbing. At the same time care must be taken when selecting or purchasing any of these products because of mixtures of some fake ones among the high quality types. Fake flexible connectors have caused more harm than good in recent times.
Over seven home flooding within July to November which I attended were caused by broken flexible connectors especially at night when people are asleep, or at daytime when people are away at their places of work, with no person at home.
Imagine waking up at night to do something important, only to find your two feet into ten centimeter flood. Or assuming you get back from work just to find your apartment completely flooded. I suggest that a quality control body should be formed to supervise goods related to plumbing material manufacturing, especially those that cause home emergencies.
All flexible connectors either for water, gas and air connection must be made of superior materials and corrosion resistance.
Such materials as well must be made to be used both indoors and outdoors works and must resist the harsh effects of UV rays, weather and salt. If these precaution measures are taken as I mention, we will go a long way preventing some plumbing emergencies in homes, offices, hotels, hospitals, churches, and schools.

Life Snakes in the Bathroom, Causes, reactions and prevention

2009-11-08T12:19:00.000-08:00

I am not trying to sound strange or frighten people to unnecessary fear and anxiety but to let everyone to be aware of this useful emergency in bathrooms which is caused by careless or neglected plumbing installations.
As I mentioned in my first article, that incident of recorded life snake in bathroom is real, then I will like to look beyond the two causes I put down in my first writing on plumbing emergencies life snakes Issue.
Since the toilet in use is sealed with little water between the inside and the outlet, water reptiles can easily swim through it into bathrooms. This may create serious emergency when one sees, snake, frog, rat or warms in his or her bathroom.
In one of published news Taipei Times said “snake bites man sitting on Toilet and continued.” The man now suffers from a phobia of Toilets.”
Indeed there are many repeated cases of emergencies in bathroom relating to snake bites or even snake presence. I hereby challenge Toilet bowel manufacturers to reseac-h and come up with a befitting seal soonest as to avoid this menace of bathroom emergencies.
Solutions and Suggestions:
a. Every WC toilet outlet especially those fixed on ground floors must be fitted with flexible rubber tube tied with copper wire. This will allow the motorcar type of tube cut & fixed to 100mm pvc outlet from the WC bowel to open and close when flushed.
b. Make sure that all holes on the wall, holes beside or within manholes or chambers are properly covered as prevention to bathroom emergencies.
c. Your septic Tank and soak way pits must be properly covered and vent covers placed on all vents with PVC cement or tangit.
d. Apply snake repellant around your homes, snakes have sensitive taste and scent organs, it smells the air around itself, the strong odour of some snake repellant sends away snakes far from your abode. This too serves on measure to safe guide your home from avoidable experience of life snake which is one of recent bathroom emergencies. More informations on what to do incase of ugly confrontation with life snake in the bathroom.

Plumbing Emergencies: Life Snake in the Bathrooms: Causes and Solutions

2009-11-08T12:07:00.000-08:00

There have been several serious reports of life snakes bites in the bathrooms. The causes may be: (A) Bad building plan (B) Bad Plumbing installation. Builders should make sure that block walls are properly plastered with well mixed cement up to the ceiling level. And outer ceiling must be made of strong lasting materials that will not rotten with time to create chance for reptiles to climb into the roof. On the other hand careless plumbing installations in the house, has created loopholes for rats, lizards, frogs, toads, and even snakes to gain entrance into living apartments through the bathroom waste pipelines. My concern of such happenings adds more, but most often when people are bitten by snakes right in their rooms, and at times such bites results to serious illness and even death.
As a professional plumber, I have gone to many homes for emergencies but many a times I come across plumbing waste pipe laid into big street drainage without any wire mesh or drain trap to cover them at all.
Recently, a house wife called me for repairs which involved big rats getting into her bathroom through waste water pipeline.
Also, another white housewife, a Russian told me how a rat ran into a toilet seat and got away through the retained water in the WC trap. Some reptiles in the search of water or cool places during hot climate, always trace water from big gutters and drain pipes into bathroom especially where we have bushes, forest and swarms.
Solution:
I recommend that only qualified plumbers with years of experience should handle plumbing installations located at places mention above, materials for such jobs must be of good standard with good water seals, example are, water closets, floor drains.
All vents must be covered with stainless or plastic vent cover with tiny holes to let out air. All the baths, sinks, wash hand basin should be fixed with good resealing traps.
Never enter any dark toilet without light. Use torches where there is no electricity, where there is electricity; switch for bathroom light must be fixed before the bathroom door to enable users to light the room before entry.
Cases of snakes in homes and bathroom phase two will be continued.

OPPORTUNITIES IN PLUMBING DESIGN.

2009-06-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

A plumbing designer is an engineer that is charge of planning the big picture of plumbing in building, reservoirs and other situations dealing with water. In the process they will work with architects, engineers, plumbers, and other designers. Their charge being to design the most efficient and effective plumbing systems in the new structures. The materials they choose on include pipes, tanks, valves, pumps and other means of channelling water as needed.

Plumbing Design requires building extremely strong plumbing systems with failover. The plumbing designer must never cut corners even if encouraged to, as the end systems may cause major disaster should they fail. When it comes to this, redundancy and backup systems are a large part of the planning. Failures in plumbing design could cause many displaced persons, and maybe even fatalities.

Education Required For Plumbing DesignThe most complete education for Plumbing Design is through a university. You won't find a 4 year program called “plumbing design” rather you would focus on studies related to building construction, civil engineering, or mechanical engineering. This choice of study will bring you the widest spectrum of knowledge, and other opportunities should you decide that being a plumbing designer isn't for you. These programs will likely find you a vast resource in contacts, and some excellent internship opportunities that can give your career an extra boost from the start.

You will often find a more specific 2-year program in “plumbing design” at a number of colleges. This shorter degree program will definitely get you what you need. Still you will want to gain experience in your field prior to graduation to give you better chances once you are ready to start your career.

Some plumbing designers come from the many master plumbers out there. With years of experience they have become experts at the big picture of plumbing. With this come many certifications from various professional plumbing organizations that specifically confirm their qualifications. Often their career path was aimed towards the engineering side of commercial plumbing where the systems are much larger than those in residential installations and repairs.

Certifications and Continued EducationPlumbing design requires continued training on the skills needed to cover changes in plumbing, technological improvements in related fields, and changes in local codes that need to be followed in new civil engineering. Some plumbing engineers may even be involved in the development of these local laws.

Often plumbing engineers are “certified in plumbing design”. This is the result of passing tests proving they have strong knowledge in plumbing design. They also have to retest and train additionally to maintain their status. This not only keeps them at the top of their field, it also brings improvements in their designs.

The American Society of Plumbing Engineers is a professional trade organization that publishes magazines, and newsletters keeping their members up on the latest advances as well as other resources to help their membership keep up on the latest in their industry. If you are looking towards engineering related to plumbing you may want to become a member at the earliest possible time.

Article Source: http://www.ezinearticles.com/

PLUMBING PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS I.

2009-06-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

Plumbing system is to a building, what heart is to the human body. Any defect in the system is sure to persons life in danger and make your life horrible. While putting in place a good well-conceived and well-designed and executed plumbing system is important, maintenance and preventive measures taken to keep the system in good shape is equally more important.

1. Clogged Drains

Your sinks tubs connected to particular branch line drains slowly than normal.

CauseDumping food solid materials into your kitchen Bathroom drains, Pouring greasy Sticky materials into your kitchen sink, Pouring chemicals paints into the drains and Improper Inadequate venting.

What to do…Use a plunger to de clog your drain. This will work for clogs of smaller size. If it still persists, call an expert. Home made solutions do not work for bigger clogs.

Clogs can be removed using various techniques. While a cable can be used to remove solid clogs and break through roots, High pressure water jetting is more effective for clogs due to sticky greasy materials.

Before using water jetting as option, It is important to determine the quality of the plumbing materials used, for, the high pressure used in the process will rip your pipes apart if they are of a inferior quality.

Check the vents provided for any visible blocks. Find out whether the venting is adequate for the fixture it serves. An expert could help you out in this area. If the venting is absent or inadequate, provide upgrade to surmount the problem.

Preventive MeasuresRespect your toilet and kitchen sinks. Use them only for the purpose intended. Avoid unmindful dumping of solid wastes, Food materials, Greasy substances and paints chemicals into the sinks.Use filters over the drains in your toilet and kitchen to trap hair and solid objects.Ensure that air vents are provided in adequate numbers and sizes for all fixtures.

2. All the drainage lines of the building drain slowly and there is a backing of the drain water from the main drainage line.

CauseA block in the main drainage line, inlet outlet of the septic tank, distribution box or percolation pipes or in the septic tank has frozen due to an abnormal low weather.

What to do…Use a snake or water jetting to de clog the main drain line. This is the work of an expert. He could, through his expertise, say whether the clog is due to solid waste or greasy substances or roots and use a suitable technique to de clog the same.

Check the inlet and the outlet of the septic tank for any blockage due to solid wastes, scum and so on. Remove the block and check for easy flow.Check the distribution box located between the septic tank and the percolators. Remove blocks, if any.

Check the area around the percolators. See whether it is moist, swampy and stinky. It means that the percolation is not proper. In other works the soil is not absorbing the drain water at the rate of discharge. It could be either because you usage of water has increased of late due to more guests or the soil has become saturated due to moisture from other sources such as rainfall more than normal etc. Immediately enlist an expert, the problem requires instant care.

If the septic tank has frozen due to bad weather seek the help of an expert immediately. If an expert and the equipment needed are hard to find, use the septic tank as a storage tank till such time the tank haws by itself. Judicious use of water will help you hold on for some time. To avoid freezing of the septic tank in the future, winterize before the next winter.

MeasuresRespect your Septic tank. It is designed for the disposal of organic wastes only. Avoid dumping inorganic and non bio degradable wastes. They are sure to block the normal functioning of the septic tank and spoil it beyond redemption.

Use filters over the drains in your toilet and kitchen to trap hair and solid objects.Winterize the septic tank to prevent it from freezing in winter. Do the followingInsulate the Septic tank, distribution tank, percolators and all out door lines by spreading a layer f hay, grass, dry leaves etc.

During winter, resort to more than normal usage of water. Warmer the water, the better.

Empty the tank, if you are planning for a long outing.Get expert help. Winterization is location, weather specific. A small investment here will save you from all hardships during the winter.

Construction of Modern Septic Tank and Soak away.

2009-06-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

Construction of good lasting septic tank and Soak away pit, Anyone who intends to build a living house, Hotel, Factory, Stores, Market, Church or any type of building must have something in mind, where insider and visitors will ease themselves.

A house or building without toilets, urinary or bathrooms is not complete because human being needs these facilities for their comfort and where this is not found, life becomes what you can imagine it to be.

A complete building in the city, village, and school or at airport, sea port must have toilets/washing hand basin and when providing these important needs as provided by the architect right in the drawing is a sport designed to direct all the wastes from the toilets and waste water from the basins.

In developed countries they use the central sewage system, whereby all the waste water are channeled into a central pipeline which takes everything to the sewage treatment plant where the waste water is treated and disposed.But where there is no central or private sewage treatment plant, the use of septic tank and soak away pits are required. Before the location of septic tank and soak away, special care must be taken that it must be located at least 50metre from point of Borehole or any underground water tank measuring the same depth or more.

After the location of the point, work will commence by digging to your desired level. I must emphasize here that the depth of your septic tank/soak away determines how often you evacuate it. The deeper you make your pits, the longer it takes to evacuate the content.

As the name goes the septic tank and soak away. The septic tank retains the whole human waste with its waters and when its gets to the middle as the connection is made transfers excess water to the soak away pit which absolves the excess water and allows in more waste water to get into soak away pit instead of getting into open gutters, such soak away pits must be wide and deep and at times be filled with broken blocks. The broken block helps to soak up the waste water making room for more intakes.

Stop the Drip

2009-05-26T05:57:00.000-07:00

Plumbing maintenance has to be carried out from time to time especially on systems that consist moving parts such as taps and the mechanism of cisterns. It is important to inspect these moving parts periodically to ensure that they are operating smoothly. Taps and Stopcocks Plumbing equipment in the home is rarely noticed or appreciated until some thing goes wrong. Regular routine maintenance is required where there are moving parts such as taps, stopcocks, flushing/flouting and cut-off valves. The dripping tap and the faulty overflow are two common problems always experienced in the homes; repair is normally straight forward without major domestic disruption. The most common and irritating fault is that of the dripping tap. Because of the constant use of tap, one must choose highly efficient tap because of its frequent use. There are two type of tap- the bib tap which has horizontal water in-let and the pillar tap with a vertical inlet. Both work on the sane principle, a resilient washer is press down over the valve seat when the tap is tuned down, preventing water flow from inlet to outlet This washer seat loosely at the base of the spindle, the handle attaches to the spindle, when the handle is turned the spindle rises allowing the water pressure to lift the jumper and water to flow. There is another type of jumper that does jump, this is attach to a spindle by a press fit, this is used in situations where water is at low- pressure, and would not raise conventional jumper. This washer is the weak part of the system. It may become worn or the valve seat becomes partially obstructed as a result of foreign particles preventing the washer from correctly seating, leading to the familiar dripping. Before you dismantle dripping tap, first turn on fully, as a sudden force of water may dislodge an obstruction. If t fails you have to turn off the water mains and dismantle the tap for repairs. Before starting, assemble all the tools and materials you may require so as to minimize domestic dislocation. If kitchen tap is involved or concerned you should turn off the main stopcock. This stop cock should be inspected occasionally. Never leave it fully open or it may jam. Grease the stem periodically to ensure that it can operate quickly and smoothly in the case of emergency.

Plastic Water Storage Tank in Tropical Region: Advantages and Disadvantages.

2009-05-26T05:51:00.000-07:00

Production of local plastic water Tank came into existence in African Region in Late 1980’s. Before this period the commonly used storage vessels were the welded steel water tank and the Galvanized tank. The steel or the galvanized usually used were of the thickness of 16 gauge which could serve up to six to ten years or more if care was taken to wash the inner tank and paint once a year. The cleaning, washing, drying and painting of steel, galvanized tanks prolong the life span, and that of any materials made of each, either for the sheets used for gates, fences or other domestic and industrial use.In some cases some people give much greater care to wire brush, scrap and paint these steel or galvanized wares up to two times per year; these special cares prolong the life time because the scrapping off of rust and renewed painting makes them to glitter and shine.The introduction of plastic Water tanks brought a great relief to the modern plumber especially those in Africa. The introduction removed the hard work associated with lifting up of steel tank manually to a height of twelve meter with ordinary rope, the weight of the plastic water of 1000litres weighs almost a quarter of the nearly phased out steel or galvanized water tank. The price of plastic water tank is cheaper as well as the installation cost.Therefore the conveyance of 1000litres of galvanized or steel tank which takes four men to lift to required height now takes two persons lift to the required position.Plastic DurabilityThe fact that plastic tank lasts longer years is true. Washing it twice a year to remove impurities from water, keeps the water tank free and clean.To have firm base for the over head water tank, considerable scaffolding structure should be erected, with the tank base having five or six iron crossing and flat sheet of 1.5mx1.5m on top for the water tank to stay upon. This will afford a nice base which can last 20 to 30 years or beyond.

Problems Associated With Plastic Water Tank in Africa

2009-05-26T05:48:00.000-07:00

Due to our hot climate in so many African countries, the plastic tank when beaten by the sun causes the water inside to become warm. Not only that, plastic water tank made of white, yellow, Red, blue, causes a lot of problems when used. When the sun beats the plastic tank with water inside, made of the above mentioned colors it forms greenish substances called “algae”. The most badly affected are yellow, white, and Red colored tanks. This substance after growing on the inside walls of the tank peels and falls to the bottom of the plastic tanks and with help of the water volume in the tank it goes into the distribution pipe-line which many a time causes water blockages. At some places you will see green particles coming out from the tap whenever the tap is turned on. This irritating particle causes people to ask what has gone wrong. Solution for Algae growth inside the water tank: 1. Constant washing of such colored plastic tanks will reduce the growth and minimized it. 2. Painting the outer body of such colored tanks with black bituminous paint and repeating when the paint wears out. 3. Complete replacement of such colored water tanks. Arrangement is been made to inform manufacturers of such water tanks to stick to production of black colored tank only, which is not affected by algae even if ,left unwashed for two years. But I recommend that black plastic tanks should be washed at least twice a year for hygienic purposes.

Do it Yourself Repairs For Your Plumbing System -Clogged Pipes and Sewage Blockage.

2009-05-11T05:57:00.000-07:00

Sewage blockage can be extremely dangerous to your health. If you are experiencing sewage backing up into your toilets, bath tubs, and showers, it is time to call your plumber. Sewage contains germs such as E. coli (causative organism for thyphoid fever), Cryptosporidium, Hepatitis A, and Shigella, so it must be cleaned up and the plumbing system repaired immediately.
Before the arrival of the Plumbers, begin to clean up the area with a solution of one cup bleach to every five gallons of water. Keep children, the elderly, and pets away from the area, and wear long pants, eyewear, gloves and boots. Wash your hands afterwards with soap and clean warm water. You can help keep sewage from backing up i.e. coming in, into your home by limiting the amount of water going down the drain.

Some of the reasons for the blockage might be: women’s pad, children’s pants, rags, toys (thrown in by children), rabbits digging hole into the chambers, etc.

It may be a clog between the shower and toilet, or the waste line may be plugged. Whatever the cause, protecting you and your family from harmful waste needs to be your first concern.

Symptoms from being exposed to sewage may include diarrhea, stomach pain, fever, chills, and vomiting. Seek medical attention right away if you experience any of these symptoms.

You must also clean all items and surfaces that were touched by the sewage, including children's toys, by using use one cup of unscented household bleach to every five gallons of water. Throw away items that cannot be washed and cleaned (such as mattresses, stuffed animals, baby toys, and wood cutting boards) and food that may have come in contact with sewage water.

If the sewage blocks the shower area, try using a k-rod. A one quarter inch k-rod that is 25 feet is the best bet. It will move more easily through the line. You may find that the shower trap gets backed up, while the toilet in the same bathroom does not. This is due to the fact that the toilet trap is typically about six inches above the floor level, whereas the typical shower drain is installed level with the floor.

Sometimes, you may be unable to clear this blockage yourself, and then call in a professional plumber. They will be able to clean up the leaked sewage thoroughly, as well as find out exactly where the clog is located. Unless you know what you are doing when you try to do your own plumbing repairs, it is generally wise to let the professionals handle it, to begin with and then you may copy their cleaning method if such re-occurs.

How To Fix Home Plumbing Problems With Ease.

2009-05-02T04:52:00.000-07:00

From time to time, leaking faucets, clogged drains and faulty pipes - is there any hope of getting some respite from the minefield of home plumbing problems? That's the kind of plaintive wail that resonates across homes all over the world. Is there any hope, homeowners search relentlessly for some sort of respite from these problems?

These problems can be countered without falling prey to the guiles of plumbing professionals and their horrendous costs. A few plumbing tools and some patience ensure the blueprint for sparkling success.

Five Rules For Success
Routine plumbing problems around the house do not signify the beginning of woe. Here's how you can go about conducting minor repairs yourself without incurring huge cost of materials and manpower:

Before you embark on any kind of repair work, make sure you are armed with proper plumbing tools. Make a beeline to the nearest plumbing supplies store and pick basic tools like an auger, a plunger, a Philips screwdriver, an adjustable wrench, pipe wrenches, slip-joint and needle nose pliers, compression nuts and rings and faucet seats.

Familiarize yourself with the location and functioning of the shut-off valve of every fixture, as well as the main shut-off valve in the house. You will need to turn off the water supply during all repair projects.

If the problem occurs in a particular fixture, you'll need to close the valve of that fixture only, generally located beneath the fixture, by turning it clockwise. What if that fixture does not have a valve of its own? Simple, then all you do is close the main shut-off valve in the house.

To get to the root of a leaky faucet, you'll have to take off the faucet handle with a screwdriver, followed by the screw cap that secures the stem with an adjustable wrench. All this with a great deal of patience and limited force, so that you don't damage the faucet.

In some faucets, the washers may have to be replaced to stop the leak, while in washerless faucets, the 'O' rings may be the cause of your anxiety.

This tips is enough to kick start your mini repairs at home easily without incurring cost and it will even become a vocational exercise of some sort that brings fun alongside with it.

AFRI-PLUMBING EXPO.

2009-05-02T03:51:00.000-07:00

My name is Chris Marizu,a member of COREN(the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria), a down-to-earth Plumbing & Water Engineer from Nigeria. I want to share with you my experience as an Engineer from African background,new developments in this noble industry as well as proffer solution to the plumbing challenges you are having with a sound consultancy service.

You are welcome to this online journal and please,make a comment before you leave this site.

Regards,
CHRIS.