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Why is sump pump maintenance so important

Installing a sump pump is a smart move if you want to keep your property safe from flooding or burst pipes. Sump pump maintenance is important if you want your pump to work when you need it most.

Whether you have never had to use your sump pump or you have had to use it more often than you’d like, you want to keep this vital piece of safety equipment in full working order.

Luckily, maintaining your sump pump is nice and simple. Here’s everything you need to know:

When should I maintain my sump pump?

The best sump pump spends its time sitting quietly in your basement, waiting to act. This is great for you, as you rarely have to think about it.

Unfortunately, this also means you may not notice immediately if something goes wrong. You should put full sump pump maintenance in your calendar every year and aim to do some quick basic maintenance every quarter too.

Why is sump pump maintenance so important?

Safety – your sump pump might not need to act very often, but when it does you want to be sure it’s going to work.
Pumping efficiency – when you do need your sump pump to start working, you’ll want it to work as fast as possible to keep your home free from water. A poorly maintained pump may not do the job fast enough.
Service life – if you don’t want to have to replace your pump, keeping it in good working order is the best strategy. Ignored pumps are much more likely to break down.

How to maintain a sump pump

1) Do some quick quarterly maintenance

Every season, it’s best to check in with your pump and do a few simple bits of maintenance:

Disconnect the power supply.
Check for any obvious damage or problems.
Remove and clean the pump inlet screen or opening.
Reconnect the power supply.
Test that the sump pump is working by pouring 20 litres of water into the sump pit, ensuring the pump activates to pump out the water.

2) Carry out proper maintenance every spring

Once per year, expand that quick check to full maintenance. You can do this at any time of year, but the start of spring tends to be best because that’s when your sump pump will see its heaviest use.

Disconnect the power supply.
Extract your sump pump from its pit.
Clear the pit and the grate and clean the pump itself.
Grease any bearings if your manufacturer’s instructions say they need it.
Check the power cord and power source for damage.
Check that the drainage pipes that take the water away from your home are sealed and that the final discharge pipe is clear and empties out far enough away.
Place your sump pump back in its pit. Make sure it’s correctly positioned and level.
Reconnect the power supply.
Test that the sump pump is working by pouring 20 litres of water into the sump pit, ensuring the pump activates to pump out the water.

Common sump pump problems

If you’re investigating sump pump maintenance because you’re experiencing a problem and regular maintenance procedures haven’t fixed it, there are a few things you can check for:

Sump pit water level – It is common to find a few inches of water in the bottom of your sump pit and the pump only turns on when water reaches the float switch.
Power problems – most sump pumps are electrically powered. Check obvious problems like the wall plug coming out of the socket or damaged wires.
Jammed float – sometimes your pump’s float will get stuck. This is one of the most common sump pump problems and can usually be easily rectified.
Your sump pump won’t turn off – many things may lead to your sump pump being in constant use. Both sump pit water level and jammed floats can cause this. A constantly running sump pump or a full pit could mean parts of your sump pump are working improperly.

For some problems, calling in a professional is the only solution. When you do, be sure to call on a reputable local company with the experience needed to handle your sump pump maintenance and repair.

Got a sump pump problem that maintenance isn’t fixing?

Contact us! Son-Rise Plumbing has been giving Calgary residents a safe, dependable way to deal with its plumbing problems since 1983.

Get in touch today. Let us know about your sump pump problems or anything else our experienced professional plumbers can help you with

Why You Need A Bathroom Exhaust Fan

Bathroom exhaust fans play a critical role in protecting your health and maintaining the indoor air quality of the bathroom space and the whole home.

Why do I need a bathroom fan? The primary purpose of a bathroom exhaust fan is to remove excess moisture out of the bathroom. During a bath or shower humidity levels rise significantly. Excessive moisture can create the perfect breeding ground for mold, mildew and bacterium that can negatively impact health. These spores can grow rapidly and can be hard to eliminate. Long-term excess moisture and humidity can crack and peel paint, breakdown cabinet finishes, rusting of hardware and fixtures, and acute damage to tile, grout and flooring. Without control, it can even cause deterioration of joists and framing of the bathroom.

Not just an odor eliminator

One of the most appreciated benefits of a bathroom exhaust fan is for odor control. If an unpleasant odor occurs, it can easily be vented outdoors with a bathroom fan. Leaving a pleasing atmosphere for the next person who enters the bathroom. Bathrooms are commonly cleaned with heavy-duty chemicals which have strong fumes and can cause a variety of health issues when inhaled. Especially for small children, the elderly, or those with respiratory conditions. A bathroom fan helps to exhaust these chemical fumes to the outdoors.

Additionally, if a bathroom is experiencing mold problem, the fan will help to remove buildup of spores in the air. This in turn helps slow down the growth rate of the mold.

If your bathroom doesn’t have a fan and smells musty, it’s likely you need to install a bathroom exhaust fan. How does a Bathroom Fan Work? The moisture laden air and odors are suctioned from the bathroom by the fan. Then expelled through the housing and ductwork safely outdoors, improving comfort and air quality. A fan should not be exhausted into the attic space. This is simply shifting the moisture from one room to another. Bathroom fans will vary by power, are rated in CFM (cubic feet per minute) which is a measurement of how much air the fan can draw from the room over a period of time. Generally speaking, the bigger the bathroom, the higher the CFM you’ll want. Ventilation is key If you are not using your bathroom fan because

It’s too loud
You are not sure your bathroom fan is working
You don’t have a bathroom fan

Let the professional plumbers at Son-Rise Plumbing help you solve your bathroom fan problems! Call Today! 403-274-1166

For a safe, healthy bathroom, ventilate!

Repairing Your Water Softener – What You Need to Know

What is it? What is “Hard” Water?

Hard water is water that contains high levels of dissolved calcium and magnesium.

These minerals come from soil and rock such as limestone that dissolves in our river systems. Our water sources are the Bow and Elbow rivers which travel through the Canadian Rockies before reaching Calgary.

Hard water is not a health risk, but it is troublesome because hard water causes mineral buildup on all fixtures, poor soap and or detergent performance, and can cause skin irritation.

Hard water interferes with almost every daily cleaning task from personal grooming, bathing, dishwashing, laundry, and general cleaning.

The amount of hardness in the water affects the amount of soap or shampoo used in bathing and can cause skin irritation. Doing laundry in hard water can make fabrics stiff and rough. Can result in incomplete stain removal, graying, and dulling of colors. In addition, soap curds and hard water deposits can be deposited on dishes, bathtubs, showers, and all water fixtures.

Why it Matters

Hard water is brutal on appliances. Not only appliances but plumbing piping in your home as well. Heated hard water forms a scale of calcium and magnesium minerals that can contribute to the inefficient operation or failure of all water-using appliances and piping.

According to Natural Resources Canada, your hot water heater is the second-highest user of energy in your home. Hard water mineral build-up in your hot water heater takes more energy, making your water heater work harder and wear out faster.

Managing Hard Water

Water hardness can be managed in two ways: by packaged water softener such as baking or washing soda or borax. Or mechanical water softening units.

How to remove hard water:

Start by mixing half water and half Vinegar in a spray bottle
Spray the mixture in your tub and shower or on other water spots and wait a few minutes before wiping clean.
Dry the surface to prevent further spotting

Make a paste of baking soda and vinegar
Smear the paste over the surface of the stain and let sit 15 minutes.
After waiting 15 minutes, scrub clean and rinse with water.
Remember to dry the surface to prevent further spotting

Finally, you can try removing hard water using lemon juice
Spray lemon juice on hard water spots and let sit 10 minutes
Rinse after 10 minutes
Again, make sure to dry the clean surface.

Packaged water softeners only take care of the areas that are accessible.

Mechanical water softening units: Water softeners work on an ion exchange process. The calcium and magnesium ions are replaced with sodium ions as it passes through a mechanical water softening unit.

Having a mechanical water softener permanently installed into your home’s plumbing system to continuously remove the calcium and magnesium takes care of your water heater, pipes, and plumbing fixtures.

Call today 403-873-2597 to have a professional plumber from Son-Rise Plumbing install your water softener!

Simple Tips To Help You Deal With Plumbing Issues

If you are completely new to the world of plumbing, then you are probably thinking that some tips on plumbing will help you immensely so that you can begin maintaining your own at home. Listed below are some tips to get you started with your home plumbing maintenance and repair.

Make sure you know where your home’s water shutoff is located. You never know when there might be an emergency involving a broken pipe or damaged connection that requires you to turn off the water right away. In addition, knowing where the shutoff is located is vital before you start any plumbing project, in case anything goes wrong.

Do not put cooking oils, fat, or grease, down your drain. These fats cause clogs by solidifying in pipes. To properly dispose of fats, put them in a bowl with a lid that you can dispose of. Once it gets hard, throw it in the trash or compost bin.

Group all of your plumbing repairs before scheduling a plumber to come out.

Check all of your fixtures and faucets. If anything is dripping, running or clogged, make a list for the plumber. That way, when the plumber comes, they can do all of the jobs in one visit. This will cut down on charges.

Use strainers in all drains to catch hair and other objects. This will prevent all the material from going down the drain and causing a clog, which can cause a bigger problem down the line. Clean out the strainers daily so that you don’t start getting backup of water in your sink or tub.

If your water is coming out black, then most likely you have an iron and magnesium issue to your water. You need to contact a water softener company, and get them to come out and assess your water. They will be able to fix the problem by installing a water softener.

Install screen traps or drain covers on all of your sinks and tub drains. Most home plumbing calls are about clogged pipes. These can be caused by debris, especially hair, washing down the drains. Putting in a trap means that you can clean this debris off before it ends up in the pipes.

You can pour baking soda down a drain followed by some vinegar if you want to keep drains clear.

This should be done once a month, and a cup each of baking soda and vinegar should be used. Plug up the drain and allow the chemical reaction to occur. After a few minutes, just flush the drain out with water that has reached a boiling point. Doing this periodically should keep your pipes free of hair and soap scum.

Drain the sediment from the bottom of your hot water heater twice a year to keep the hot water heater working at its optimal levels. Simply open the drain valve and allow the water to run out into a bucket until the water runs clear. Then close the drain valve.

If you are using PEX tubing for the supply lines in your home, make sure you get the right tools for the job. PEX tubing requires a completely different tool type than regular lines. PEX has a lot of benefits though, so don’t let the different requirements throw you off.

Do not be surprised if a plumber charges you more than you expected. Many customers think that fixing a toilet or other drainage problem should be easy, therefore the price should be low. You must remember that not only does a plumber have to charge for labor, but they have to charge for parts that you need.

Do not forget to check the temperature of the water heater in your Calgary house, especially if you are planning to leave for an extended period of time.

You should keep the temperature no higher than 120 degrees, which will help to reduce energy use and prevent your system from burning out.

If you have a foul odor coming from your garbage disposal, this is due to food debris buildup.
You need to put ice cubes, orange peels, and lemon peels into the disposal and run for about 30 seconds. Next, run some liquid dish soap through the disposal. This should take care of the problem if there is not a substantial blocking buildup.

Plumbing is one of those jobs that you should not do yourself. If it is something easy like a toilet repair or changing out a faucet, go ahead and give it a try. If it is a major repair, then you are better off hiring a contractor and it may be required to have a licensed plumbing contractor do the work for you.