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1
Northern Kentucky - Greater Cincinnati News and Events / "Tom and Chee" swim out of Shark Tank Netting 600 Grand
« on: May 18, 2013, 08:49:46 PM »
http://cincinnati.com/blogs/dining/2013/05/17/tom-and-chee-swim-with-the-shark-tank-and-get-a-deal/


A great success story of two guys that got tired of working for the big man, started with a 10' by 10' tent and made a go at it selling grilled cheese sandwiches in a variety of many styles and choices.


The idea has worked so well that the makers of "Shark Tank" have committed to 600 grand towards the success and growth of the business.


With that investment, hard math divulges what the cost of that opportunity truly is.


The owners of Tom and Chee wanted the luxury of 5% ownership for $600,000.00 and the reality became the counter offer of 30% of ownership to obtain access to that 600 grand.

That is a sizeable amount of ownership, considering they just made a deal with the devil for that promise of growth in opening multiple locations. Add in taxes, there's almost 70% going somewhere other than your back and a lot of people are making money by your efforts to pull off the success story.

Sometimes business ownership can be touch and go, and sometimes defeating. We all understand that in business, there is sacrifice, always. This sacrifice means spending a lot of money, a lot of work, and a lot of patience waiting for the gift of success with others following the design to make you money. Not always does it work, but I give anyone credit for trying very hard to grow and become bigger.

Sometimes though, getting "bigger" is not always the prudent answer. There's the implied rush when in business when it comes to money. The more you make, the better you feel the more secure you think your next decision can be. What can become of that feeling can lead into a dangerous spot, especially when spending changes of those you rely on to pay the bills.

I wish the best of Tom and Chee in their endeavors. Their company name is catchy, I've never heard of a grilled cheese food restaurant before and like always, success costs money to happen. Hopefully this thread can be revisited years from now and they have a national reach with many lining up out the door to sample their good food. :sign0098:

2
National - International - Global News Around the World / No Bacon for San Fran
« on: May 18, 2013, 08:32:07 PM »
http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/development/2013/05/bacon-bacon-aroma-set-end
This is a situation whereby the smell of good business is forcing its closing.

"Bacon Bacon" is the name of this business in San Francisco. Haight Ashbury Improvement Association has stated that they don't mind the business operating but the numerous code violations and repairs, along with a correction of bacon grease being directly deposited into the sewage system must be dealt with.


From an outward view of this situation,


This fellow gets more recognition by "not" playing by the rules, as this news story has done well in reaching all parts of the united states and probably further than that.

Also, it would be expected that these lodged complaints might of arised from neighbors of the business that were muslim, considering that their religion is against anything related to pork products.

 :sign0099:  Seems that someone has it out for this business of meat candy. Maybe a call for cooperation, not opposition is the best suggestion for this company to go forward and make it right with the city. Otherwise this story leaves the world and so does the business that smelled of success, too much so that forced all the flying pigs to fly away...
 

3
Faucets: Kitchen | Bath | Laundry | Outdoor / Woodford Outside Hose Faucet Replacement - Harris Pike Independence Kentucky
« on: May 18, 2013, 03:43:04 PM »
A repeat customer of Dunbar Plumbing that recently moved from the Glenhurst subdivision to Harris Pike in Independence Kentucky contacted us for an outside hose faucet that the handle was stripped and/or spinning freely.

Upon arrival of the residence we asked to have the water shut off, proceeded to dismantle the Woodford outdoor hose faucet. This revealed that the handle was not stripped. Upon removal of the faucet's stem, it appeared that the operating end of the faucet was stripped where the device is made to catch and turn, screw inwards to seal off the water connection into the faucet.

It was an 8" Woodford Frost Free Hose Faucet, and the faucet we brought matched both the size and model brand of what the property owner had.

Sold the customer the complete assembly of the faucet brought to the residence as the potential always remains for future possibilities of an outside faucet left on accidentally that can freeze and burst the faucet. The price for 'stem only' assembly is nearly 2/3rds the cost of the faucet in total, so it was feasible to sell the faucet as a whole.

Customer was able to restore the use of this faucet without any necessary work inside the home where this faucet connected to the water lines under the kitchen sink. As always, we enjoy being a reliable service provider to those who over time move from to home and request our services. A small discount was given for the short time we had at the property resolving the issue.


4
The Plumber's Musings / Re: How was your Work Day, Details of your Work
« on: June 04, 2012, 08:43:13 PM »
Many emails, phone calls, loose ends. First job was to scope out work to get a material list gathered, determine if a shower pan or a tub is going in a bathroom that is in a basement getting done.
 
Next call was a lavatory sink drain that was clogged, our use of the small drain machine (Spartan 81) took care of the issue. Cable came back black and with hair on the end. Also had to rework the trap underneath as the old one continued to leak after reinstallation. Weather is very nice outside, not too hot. That warm weather is on its way.

5
Sewage Disposal: Private System | Public System / Sewage Ejector Pump Replacement - Kimberly Drive Union Kentucky
« on: May 01, 2012, 10:15:19 PM »
Dunbar Plumbing replaced a defective Sewage Ejector Pump on Kimberly Drive in Union Kentucky. Kimberly drive is off of Kilarney Drive off of Frogtown Road. The entrance onto Kilarney is directly across from the Union Post Office. Kimberly Drive is also paralell with War Admiral Drive in the Triple Crown Subdivision.
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Customer is a former acquaintance and recent facebook fan. Our Facebook Fan Page: http://Facebook.com/NorthernKentuckyPlumbers/ 
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This job replacing a defective sewage ejector pump is never a clean job and rather disgusting.  :sign0137: :sign0137: 
 
 :iagree:  When we arrived on site to address the issue the customer had already removed the sewage ejector out of the pit. The unit was still wired in to the outdoor switch that served the pump inside the tank. The job started with the removal of the wiring from the switch so the new pump system could be installed. Here is an image of the sewage ejector pump installed. The product name is Liberty Pumps. 

LE41A 4/10 horsepower all cast iron housing http://www.libertypumps.com/Data/SalesLiterature/LE40web.pdf
This unit has a 2" discharge port as most sewage ejector pumps have.
 
 

6
Drain Piping: Copper | PVC | SDR | Cast-Iron | Galvanized | ABS | Vitrified Clay | Concrete | Orangeberg | Lead | Brass / Re: Clogged 2nd Floor Bathroom - Main Street Walton Kentucky
« on: April 30, 2012, 10:01:46 PM »
We were called back out to this location in regards to "leak coming from second floor ceiling underneath toilet."
 :wtf:
When talking to the customer we asked if the wax rings supplied by us for the reset of the toilet were used. They in fact were used, but apparently this toilet was reset two times since we cleared the obstruction. The customer bought a horned wax ring not understanding why we were against the use of such product. Horned wax rings are not recommended by Dunbar Plumbing as the application serves absolutely no function or purpose on a perfectly good leak free toilet closet flange. It is also an item that the closet flange itself can readjust the horn to bottom out to the flange or the bottom of the toilet in the process, not allowing any wax to provide the positive seal between the plumbing piping system and the toilet fixture.
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The customer made the decision to replace the toilet, have us come and install the new toilet to end the issue of leaking under the toilet. The customer chose to install an American Standard Cadet 3 toilet. This is an all-in-one toilet found at Home Depot that offers a good quality flush for under $150.00. This comes with a no tools necessary design, a slow closing toilet seat. We were also supplied with a new toilet supply line and two wax rings to make this replacement complete.
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The installation of the American Standard Cadet 3 went smoothly and before the toilet was set, we removed the old horned wax ring, used 2 wax rings before setting the toilet. One of those wax rings was used to "butter" the flange to prevent any water seepage from entering the wood structure below to prevent damage in the case of a leak or a blown wax ring from plunging.
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Once the flange was ready for the installation of the toilet bowl, we installed new brass toilet bowl bolts and proceeded to install the toilet. The American Standard Cadet 3 comes with all the necessary components to install this toilet quite easily. It's a very good operating toilet for it's cost with minimal issues regarding performance. Dunbar Plumbing installs a great deal of American Standard toilets in the past few years due to public product choice. We are comfortable with this product choice as the complaints/defects on these are minimal. Customers are satisfied with the results of flushing as well.
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We were happy to solve this customer's problem, not knowing that any problems existed as the customer stated they would reset the toilet themselves. All in all the new toilet will serve its function well and the expense to upgrade to a newer toilet was warranted. It was an older toilet that had been modified by the changing of a flush valve that most likely was to blame for our initial arrival, a clogged drain line from the toilet.
 

7
Plumbing Blogs / Dunbar Plumbing on Thumbtack.com
« on: April 30, 2012, 09:44:31 PM »
http://thumb.tk/2hmu http://www.thumbtack.com/ky/independence/plumbing/24-hour-plumbing-services
 
 
 

8
Off Topic - Discussions / Re: Famous Mottos
« on: April 30, 2012, 09:34:23 PM »
"I can bring you to your knees to understand that your empire of dirt has found a new low."
 
 
"Your faith has the strength of your vision and dreams that are the reality you live on earth."
 
 
"I found you in happiness, basked in the joy of marriage. I was uplifted by the years together, now I live the lie that you was forever. We've come to an impasse, a bridge we won't cross, a world we won't enjoy, together.
 
Our worries become individual, our dreams separate, our lives split apart, alone. Our meant to be was so strong, but we changed. For the better? For the worse? Stains of time that now become are footprints of history. Our love changed with a new blade, the dull escaped the demise of what was once sharp. A clean cut heals faster than a wide open, gaping wound. Our disconnect faced the tearing open without scissors, damage everywhere.

How could so good go so wrong...the riddle never answers itself." - Steve Nienaber
 
 

9
Off Topic - Discussions / Re: Famous Mottos
« on: April 30, 2012, 09:23:38 PM »
"The more I live, the more I believe, the belief that I haven't lived... therefore I live to believe."

10
Fittings | Valves | Specialty Fittings and Valves / Water Hammer - High Water Pressure - Bramble Ave Highland Heights Kentucky
« on: April 28, 2012, 11:12:17 AM »
http://g.co/maps/7tmdh
 
A service call regarding water hammer isolated to a toilet on the first floor of the structure.


Inspected the toilet, age of fill valve was original to the toilet (1993) and replacement of the fill valve along with the toilet supply line was necessary. Along with solving the issue of the old fill valve the pressure was gauged at 80+ pounds. The time of the day (around 4-5pm) indicated that the majority of property owners were arriving home at that time, doing laundry, cooking meals, doing dishes and a vast array of uses involving water demand.

Water pressure if unregulated will fluctuate throughout the day determined by peak/non-peak demand. The very best time to check your water pressure for its maximum or highest point is in the middle of the night, around 1-3am in the morning.
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This is the best time to test as the majority of people are sleeping across the nation, and more volume is present in the water piping system in the ground. More volume equals a higher static line pressure in a standstill position.

Water Pressure cannot be measured solely by water flow emitting from your spout. It takes a pressure gauge that measure the water pressure. Here is a pictures of a Water Pressure Gauge:
All plumbing components (faucets-fixtures-valves) are engineered with the pressure of 60 pounds as the governing rule for operation without premature wear or tear.

Operating your plumbing with an elevated/raised pressure has the same results as the following:
Overinflating your tires
Ignoring high blood pressure
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With high water pressure, there are no winners. It is the slow breakdown of O-rings, gaskets, seals, seat washers and many other items in your plumbing system that is subjected to the same dynamic as overuse.

On the front page of our website is a link that offers a better representation of high water pressure and its cause and effect.

11
Toilets | Tubs | Lavatory Sinks | Showers | Bidets | Bidet Toilet Seats | Urinals | Showerheads / Re: Clogged Toilet - Bluegrass Place - Independence Kentucky
« on: April 25, 2012, 11:48:55 PM »
After performing this test it revealed that the operation/draining of the two fixtures in the bathroom did not cause a disturbance in the toilet trapway of residual wastewater. This test proved that the clog was isolated and only affecting the toilet itself.
 
This resulted in our use of a Closet Auger that was more durable than the economical one bought/used by the property owner. We always give the customer top notch approval for trying to attempt to clear an obstruction themselves whenever possible. The reward is solving the problem without the expense of a plumber.
 
Using the Closet Auger in its design is made to be a handheld, hand crank type drain cable that has a slight hook end with protective covering to protect the trapway of the toilet from porcelain scratching/damage. The goal is to push and turn the closet auger's hand crank as you're using the device, allowing the device to remove/retract the foreign object or obstruction inside the toilet's trapway.

Not always will you retrieve what is blocking the toilet. In cases where soft stoppages exist, it might be excessive toilet paper that is to blame. Others can be the situation of hard or large stools that did not break up through the passage of the trapway. Recent usage of medications or the changing of one's medicine intake can cause an interruption of one's bowel movements resulting in issues such as these that can lead to stoppages or clogged toilets.
The use of the Closet Auger proved successful and the repeated flushing of the toilet to ensure that the trapway was clear offered the guarantee that the stoppage was removed. It is imperative that once a toilet is free from obstruction that multiple flushings take place in order to remove or send the foreign object or matter down the drain line if the Closet Auger does not grab on or retrieve the item causing the blockage.
 
However, (EXCLUSION TO THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH)
 
If you are aware that an object or item is something that might end up causing a clog in the drain piping due to its size or shape, then it's important that the toilet is removed from the closet flange mounted to the floor and attempt to remove the obstruction by retrieval. This will provide the guarantee that the item will not cause future backups in the piping system.

12
Toilets | Tubs | Lavatory Sinks | Showers | Bidets | Bidet Toilet Seats | Urinals | Showerheads / Re: Clogged Toilet - Bluegrass Place - Independence Kentucky
« on: April 25, 2012, 11:31:12 PM »
 
The property owner attempted to clear the obstruction by repeated use of the plunger and the use of an economy closet auger. This did not resolve the issue given the size of the obstruction in the toilet trapway.
When we arrived to perform the task of the clogged toilet we performed a short diagnostic test of the following:
Ran water down the drain of the adjacent tub

Ran water down the drain of the adjacent lavatory

If either of those two fixtures would of created a disturbance of the water in the trapway of the toilet, that would of led to the obstruction of the drain line, not the toilet in question.

Lateral branches tie into the larger piping that serves the toilet in the bath group it serves. When more than one fixture is affected in a clogged/backed up scenario, this implies that the location of the clog is beyond the toilet, requiring a longer "reach" to break loose the obstruction.
 
 

13
Toilets | Tubs | Lavatory Sinks | Showers | Bidets | Bidet Toilet Seats | Urinals | Showerheads / Clogged Toilet - Bluegrass Place - Independence Kentucky
« on: April 25, 2012, 11:23:45 PM »
A new plumbing customer to Dunbar Plumbing contacted us regarding a clogged toilet at the home. It was mentioned that plunging and the recent purchase of a closet auger did not rectify the situation. Below is an image of a closet auger and its use.

Picture of a Closet Auger

 
 
 

14
Water Heaters | Tank Water Heaters | Tankless Water Heaters / 50 Gallon Gas Water Heater Replacement Jonathon Way Independence Kentucky
« on: January 30, 2012, 12:29:44 AM »
Dunbar Plumbing was called out to a repeat customer to replace a 50 gallon gas water heater in the residence. Jonathon Way is located in Independence Kentucky off of Pelly Road. Liberty Orchard Subdivision. The customer supplied us with a new 50 gallon GE Rheem gas water heater from Home Depot.

GE Rheem water heaters are a common product sold at Home Depot for water heaters. When we arrived at the residence, here is the situation we were presented with...



As you can see from the picture above, the flue venting for the furnace along with the water heater are incorrectly installed. This was done by the new construction plumber and HVAC contractor when the house was built. The double wall B-vent that's extending down into the basement. This forced the situation given the dimension of the piping and the fittings to make the connections to the furnace and water heater.

If you look closely, you'll see that the draft diverter hood is altered/smashed down in order for the installation to take place. Here is another picture of the situation once the water heater was cut loose.

15
Drain Piping: Copper | PVC | SDR | Cast-Iron | Galvanized | ABS | Vitrified Clay | Concrete | Orangeberg | Lead | Brass / Re: Copper 2" Drain Line Replacement - Sylvan Drive - Independence Kentucky
« on: January 03, 2012, 02:58:11 AM »
It's always best to dry fit your assembly of pvc pipe and fittings to make sure that your installation goes smoothly and without error, preventing any issues that affects the fall or "tilt" of your drain piping. It is very important that your drain piping between your two fixed positions are kept in the equation of determining your amount of fall. Fall or "Pitch" is based on a basic rule of 1/8" per foot fall. 1/4" per foot fall can be used as well if the situation warrants. Having "fall" on the piping is necessary to remove the waste water waste matter from the fixture to the drain line leading to the point of disposal. Sewage disposal can be of a septic system or city sewer. Installing drain piping without proper fall or backpitched, piping that is falling the wrong direction can cause buildup in the newly installed drain piping resulting in a smaller area of the pipe's interior area. This also allows for the new drain to collect waste matter which further worsens the chance for a clogged piping system.
 
Once you measure your pipe to fit into your turns of direction, your pvc fittings, it is then safe to clean and glue your pvc pipe together to complete the task of the drain repair. Remember that it is wise to mark your pipe against the fittings by the hubs making sure your pipe fully enters the hub of your fittings. If this isn't done properly what happens is your measurements of pipe will be incorrect causing the distance between fittings to change, resulting in mistakes. Pencil a line on your pipe in a dry fit equation to make sure that when gauging your pipe before installing that the pipe has travelled fully into the hub of your fittings. It is then safe to glue the pipe to the fittings after this is accomplished.
 
Once your piping is installed by the use of glue and mechanical couplings, make sure that the new piping you erected is properly supported by the use of bracing or strapping in the necessary intervals required for the size of pipe installed. Failure to do this can result in sagging of the pvc pipe. PVC pipe has vulnerabilities when it comes to temperature variances. Extreme heating of the pipe caused by the discharge of heated water, for example a dishwasher utilizing 120F temperature. If the piping is not supported within the necessary distances this plastic piping can begin to sag between fixed positions and cause problems with buildup, creating a 'belly' or low spot that can collect waste matter sealing off the path of flow.
 
Once the piping is strapped, make sure that your mechanical couplings are tightened at the clamps by use of a torque wrench to 60 foot pounds of torque. This is the proper measurement that ensures that the coupling is indeed tight to both sides of the dissimilar materials without leakage. Once this is accomplished then you can operate the plumbing fixtures associated with this drain to test for leaks, making sure that the installation of your new piping is done correctly and without error.  Dunbar Plumbing offers partial or complete drain piping replacement in your home. Please contact us at 859-359-4833 to schedule your replacement by our company to get the job done right.
 
 


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