NORTHERN KENTUCKY PLUMBERS
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on: January 04, 2012, 03:05:09 AM
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Started by DUNBAR PLUMBING - Last post by DUNBAR PLUMBING | ||
Dunbar Plumbing Business Magnets that we give to our customers throughout the northern kentucky area. |
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SPECIFIC PLUMBING TOPICS AND QUESTIONS / Water Heaters / Re: electric water heater replacement Prospect Point Villa Hills Kentucky
on: May 10, 2011, 09:54:34 AM
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Started by DUNBAR PLUMBING - Last post by DUNBAR PLUMBING | ||
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SPECIFIC PLUMBING TOPICS AND QUESTIONS / Water Heaters / Electric Water Heater Replacement Prospect Point Villa Hills Kentucky
on: May 10, 2011, 09:41:28 AM
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Started by DUNBAR PLUMBING - Last post by DUNBAR PLUMBING | ||
Dunbar Plumbing - Northern Kentucky Plumbers was called out to replace a 40 gallon electric water heater that malfunctioned in a condo. This happened on Paddock Lane in Prospect Point, Villa Hills Kentucky. The electric water heater was manufactured in 1996, quite an old water heater that went a long time before it went into failure mode.
The water heater malfunctioned by the upper thermostat sticking, heating the water up to extreme temperatures that resulted in the Temperature and Pressure Relief Valve to open up, allowing the extreme high temperatured water out of the tank to prevent an explosion, along with giving notice that something is truly wrong with the water heater. The hot water that was releasing from the water heater was coming out at such a large amount that the area drain could not handle the volume of water it was trying to collect. What happened as a result is this high temperatured water ended up in two bedrooms along with a hallway that destroyed both carpeted floors and a wood floor. The good thing is nobody woke up in the middle of the night and burned their bare feet (likely scenario) going to the bathroom. The customer had an existing 40 gallon Sears Kenmore Water Heater installed that as mentioned, lasted over 15 years without any draining, any maintenance, up to this one episode. Given that reliability the customer was inclined to purchase another Sears Kenmore product along with increasing the gallon size to 55 gallons. The current household at any given time has 1 to 2 adults and 4 children, and between bathing and laundry, the upgrade to a larger water heater was deemed necessary. The 55 gallon water heater actually came with better pricing since it is sold primarily on the most common application involved for homes based on size and needs. Here are some pictures of the water heater before and after. We actually already had the old one partially taken apart on the first picture but the final pictures show the finished product. |
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SPECIFIC PLUMBING TOPICS AND QUESTIONS / Valves and Fixtures / Bromley Crescent Springs Kentucky - Bury Hydrant Plunger Replacement
on: April 28, 2011, 11:45:13 PM
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Started by DUNBAR PLUMBING - Last post by DUNBAR PLUMBING | ||
Dunbar Plumbing was called out for plumbing services Northern Kentucky Plumbers in Crescent Springs for an Animal Petting Farm. This petting farm located in Crescent Springs Kentucky is located within one mile the Crescent Springs Home Depot off of Buttermilk Pike. A local veterinarian owns this petting farm and we've been doing work at this location for numerous years.
The work being performed at this location was servicing a Bury Hydrant near the barn structure. Here are some numerous images of bury hydrants that are commonly used for outdoor water sources year round. Bury Hydrants provide the resource of year round water availability by its unique design that protects the fixture from freezing during use. A bury hydrant is designed with the actual shutoff of the water attached to a plunger at the end of a long rod. This rod connects to linkage up above which incorporates a handle for easy lifting and use. When the handle is lifted on a Bury Hydrant, the long rod that reaches to the length of the end of the galvanized tube that leads into the ground is raised, allowing water to pass through the connection. This connection creates positive flow which sends the water upwards and out of the spout. When the water is turned off, this same rod connected to the handle is pushed down, allowing the plunger at the end of rod assembly to seal off the water. The Bury Hydrant Plunger is the small rubber head that screws onto the end of the rod that goes the distance of determined length of the Bury Hydrant that provides the positive seal to prevent water from passing by or leaking when the Bury Hydrant is not in use. Here are some pictures of Bury Hydrant Plungers. These plungers look like large rubber bullets in design, made to seal off the water. Bury Hydrants are well known for reliability and the only issues with them are the plungers going bad from years of use or excessive usage. Dunbar Plumbing makes a point to not disconnect the linkage when replacing the defective plungers. Our method of repair is removing the entire hydrant assembly from the galvanized pipe so that removal of the pins, screws or simple adjustments are not affected, causing the bury hydrant to leak in the on or off position. Bury Hydrants as they age have a tendency to rust, and when they rust it is very difficult to determine the manufacture name. It is crucial that the name of the manufacture is known to replace the Bury Hydrant's Plunger along with other numerous moving mechanical parts. Bury Hydrants - What makes them Freeze Proof? Bury Hydrants become durable by design with their function to provide water during freezing temperatures without the risk of damage. When the Bury Hydrant is in the off position, a weep hole is built into the brass connection at the bottom of the Bury Hydrant. During the initial installation of this Bury Hydrant, manufacture and plumbing code requirements enable the vertical length of the Bury Hydrant to drain back into the ground at a connection that is below frost line. Frost lines are determined by local plumbing codes as a measure in the depth of the ground that determines a safe distance into the earth that ensures any water line will be deemed not to freeze. In the state of Kentucky I believe the code of depth is nearly 42" without quick reference to a codebook. This measure equates to three and a half feet. In states like Florida, Frost line depth might only be 12"-22" at most. Check with your local authority or plumbing division to find out what your "safe" depth for water line installation is required. This depth dictates the length of Bury Hydrant for your application, giving the normal distance into the ground as well as the amount of height the bury hydrant sits at above the ground's surface. When a Bury Hydrant is installed, grillage or pea gravel is recommended for an area reaching 18" in diameter in the area of the connection where the Bury Hydrant connects to the water supply. The weep hole in the brass connection at the base of the Bury Hydrant allows for the water that is delivered from the hydrant to release and remove from the galvanized pipe so that the water will drop back down out of the pipe into the pea gravel. The galvanized pipe is now empty, providing the inability to freeze in the winter and readies the faucet for its next use. A common mistake made in the use of Bury Hydrants is leaving hoses connected to the Bury Hydrants or capping off a small leak caused by a defective plunger. A leaking Bury Hydrant will cause the water to either 1. leak underground without detection, thinking there is a broken water line or 2. leak to a point that the underground pea gravel is diluted, not allowing water to leave the near area of the hydrant. Bury Hydrants that are installed without proper drainage around the base of the Bury Hydrant will cause the hydrant to freeze and break, not allowing the water to drain back underground. When Bury Hydrants break, given the age of the Bury Hydrant determines if the job entails a repair or complete replacement. A complete replacement involves digging up the ground to the depth of the water line connection, along with the cost of a new Bury Hydrant and efforts involved. Proper installation is crucial with these faucets, giving long lasting life and reliability. Northern Kentucky Plumbers offers Bury Hydrant repairs and replacements in the Northern Kentucky area. Call Dunbar Plumbing at 859-359-4833 to have your Plumbing Problems Solved. |
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SPECIFIC PLUMBING TOPICS AND QUESTIONS / Drains and Drainage / Northern Kentucky Plumbers - Clogged Drain on Highland Avenue Fort Mitchell Ky
on: April 27, 2011, 10:16:29 PM
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Started by DUNBAR PLUMBING - Last post by DUNBAR PLUMBING | ||
Dunbar Plumbing was contacted in regards to clearing a floor drain that was backing up onto the floor whenever the washing machine was ran in the home. The job was located on Highland Avenue on Fort Mitchell Kentucky. Highland Avenue is a well known, well travelled street that the Fort Mitchell Fire Department is located at. Fort Mitchell Kentucky is also well known for Beechwood Independent Schools when it comes to their educational programs and sports associations. This in turn greatly increases the property values in the Fort Mitchell area.
Northern Kentucky Plumbers such as Dunbar Plumbing was called through a lookup on the internet for someone to remove the obstruction and clear the drain. Dunbar Plumbing provides drain cleaning for residential homes with our top of the line drain cleaning equipment made by Spartan Tools. When we arrived to clear the drain, the property owner showed us the situation and the floor drain that was backing up. There was visible toilet paper on the floor around this floor drain. A newer PVC drain system was installed in an adjacent room that we were led to clear the drain. The opening of the floor drain was too small for our cable and would not allow us access to the clear the drain properly. As always, we ask the customer upon arrival to run water into the drainage system to give us indication or a sight gauge to see how far the drain clog is away by seeing how fast the water backs up. If the water takes awhile to back up, there is good chance that the clog is further away. When the water was ran the floor drain closest to the exterior back wall started to make bubbling noises that would lead to the presence of a clog outside in the drain piping, not inside the home. Visual inspection of that floor drain showed where raw fecal matter had been slowly 'burping' back up onto the floor for a considerable amount of time. We installed our drain cable into the drain at the exact opposite side of the house, ensuring that for the cost of services that the entire drain piping system underground would be extensively cleaned, given the cable is travelling through the pipes, scouring the walls inside. Around 32 feet into the drain we approached an area about four feet long that the machine turned with resistance and some struggle, like it was chopping through buildup. This is where a good drain cleaning operator will allow the machine to sit and turn in a stationary position and slowly clean the affected area where buildup has occured. Most likely this is a belly in the pipe or a misaligned pipe that is creating an abrupt low spot in the piping, allowing for buildup that led to the problems with the drains operating efficiently without backing up onto the floor. Even before we started operating our drain equipment, the customer was instructed to turn on all fixtures so that water was running into the drain system. This in combination with the cable inside the piping instantly opened the drain, stopping the sounds that were emitting from the floor drain that was closest to the outside drain line. Constant flushing of the toilet along with the washing machine being filled up for operation and then sent to rinse, dumping the large amounts of water into the drainage system did not back up onto the floor. Our efforts for this customer proved fruitful and we believe that we gained a new customer in this situation. Customer told us they owned a bar/restaurant close by and that from time to time they might need plumbing services on occaision. Customer was very pleased with the results and we hope that a good working relationship becomes of our meeting. As far as the plumbing system we worked on? The drain system is reaching almost 90 years old, truly well beyond the life expectancy of the product when first installed. Many situations, deterioration and most likely settlement of the ground are to blame for clogging issues. Given that the piping back in that age was not water tight, a new drain system in the future is the property owner's best interest. Call Northern Kentucky Plumbers - Dunbar Plumbing at 859-359-4833 for Drain Cleaning or other Plumbing needs in your home. |
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SPECIFIC PLUMBING TOPICS AND QUESTIONS / Valves and Fixtures / Malfunctioning Toilet - West Crittenden Avenue Fort Wright Kentucky
on: April 05, 2011, 11:35:51 PM
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Started by DUNBAR PLUMBING - Last post by DUNBAR PLUMBING | ||
A repeat customer of Dunbar Plumbing contacted us in regards to a malfunctioning toilet that was not flushing properly at the property. Over the phone, the customer told us the toilet was over 50 years old and that the brand name was Crane. Crane is a well known brand name in the plumbing business, a product name that offers tub faucets, kitchen faucets and lavatory faucets. This home, located in Fort Wright Kentucky is near the Fort Wright Civic Club, the Fort Wright Fire Department. Highland Avenue runs perpendicular to west Crittenden Avenue.
When we arrived at the property, the fill valve (Fluidmaster 400A) was not properly refilling the tank, the overflow fill tube was not properly sending water into the overflow to replenish water back into the trapway for the next flush, and the triple seal float ball was leaking due to age, allowing water to escape between flushes. The first steps we took was draining the tank of water by shutting off the supply valve leading to the toilet. In flushing the toilet we removed the majority of the water and placed a small bucket where the flexible stainless steel supply line connects to the shank of the fill valve. Once we removed the fill valve supply line, we noticed the fill valve was relatively loose in the tank, surprising that it never leaked during this time. Once we removed the fill valve, the remainder of the water escaped through the hole in the tank and prepared the new fill valve that was going in. Dunbar Plumbing prefers to use Fluidmaster products, and the Fluidmaster 400A is our first choice for brand name fill valves for toilets. The Fluidmaster has proven to be the best one on the market, most universal to nearly 100's of toilets with the adjustable height design and float cup that is adjustable to set water levels inside the tank. When the fill valve was installed, a new stainless steel flexible toilet supply line was installed feeding the water to the fill valve. Flexible stainless steel supply lines offer a great universal flexibility to connect two fixed positions together through method of flexibility of the supply line. Given the length of the supply line dictates how easily the connection is without any hard bending or kinking. The float ball design on older toilets were a common design, utilizing lift wires that connect to the flush valve assembly and trip lever. We installed a new triple seal float ball to correct the chronic leaking between flushes. When flush valve float balls go bad, the water inside the tank will slowly leak into the bowl of the toilet, causing the fill valve to replenish the water back inside the tank. This proves costly over time and will continue to get worse as time moves on. Chlorine over time has a tendency to destroy rubber components inside of tanks over time, which requires the replacement of these products. Once everything was replaced inside the toilet, the water was turned back on and the toilet was tested for operation, making sure that any adjustments that needed to be made were performed before we left the property. We have done numerous jobs for this particular customer stretching over 3 different properties. Glad to be of service to this customer and look forward to servicing this customer in the future. Contact Dunbar Plumbing to schedule your next plumbing service call at 859-359-4833 |
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OFF TOPIC DISCUSSIONS / Northern Kentucky - Greater Cincinnati News and Events / Independence Kentucky Fireworks Celebration Parade
on: April 05, 2011, 12:15:58 AM
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Started by DUNBAR PLUMBING - Last post by DUNBAR PLUMBING | ||
Every year the city of Independence Kentucky has their annual parade that stretches through Independence Kentucky, starting at Summit View Middle School and carries all the way past the Independence Post office, Independence Court House, Independence City Building and the Independence Fire House.
Here is a short video of some footage from the 2010 Fireworks Celebration in Independence Kentucky. Visit the Independence Kentucky Fireworks Celebration website for more information. IndependenceKyCelebration.com Independence Fireworks Forum |
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OFF TOPIC DISCUSSIONS / Northern Kentucky - Greater Cincinnati News and Events / KoldBreeze.com - Northern Kentucky - Greater Cincinnati Misting Fans
on: April 05, 2011, 12:03:13 AM
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Started by DUNBAR PLUMBING - Last post by DUNBAR PLUMBING | ||
KoldBreeze.com is located in the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati area that provides misting/misting fans/misting fan equipment for the entire tristate area. KoldBreeze.com Forum also provides an area for many to see the products up close and see what events we have done over the past few years. KoldBreeze.com 859-462-MIST(6478) |
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SPECIFIC PLUMBING TOPICS AND QUESTIONS / Drains and Drainage / Clogged Toilet Drain - Vista View Drive Covington Kentucky
on: April 04, 2011, 01:39:06 AM
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Started by DUNBAR PLUMBING - Last post by DUNBAR PLUMBING | ||
A customer of Dunbar Plumbing from over 6 years ago referred us to a daughter of the mother we worked for in Taylor Mill for an emergency drain backup that occurred on Vista View Drive in Covington Kentucky. Vista View Drive is located in the Crystal Lake Subdivision off of Hand Pike, a road that indirectly connects SR17 Madison Pike/3L highway to SR16 Taylor Mill road. Crystal Lake Subdivision is a suburban housing area where the homes range from less than 2 years old up to almost 30 years old in some of the oldest parts of the subdivision.
The home we performed the drain cleaning at was an older home on Vista View Drive, nearing the 20 to 30 year old range. This is easily identified by the use of cast iron drain piping in the groundwork of this home. The customer had already removed the toilet from the floor when they callled, given this property was a reposession and was being fixed up/remodeled. When water was poured into the closet flange serving this toilet, water would back up and gurgling would occur, signifying an obstruction in the line. We took our Spartan Drain Cleaning Machine, drum machine and cleared the obstruction without the retrieval of any roots. A small amount of fabric, possibly a fabric softener sheet was removed from the end of the cable. We had the customer run extensive amounts of water through the drain system as soon as the obstruction was cleared, taking the drain cable out the full distance while moving inside the drain while water was running through the piping. Drain system was running very well once completed. While there, we identified high water pressure that was made known to the property owners and also the condition of the aging water heater. We recommended replacement of the water heater while the home is vacant. We certainly appreciated this customer who referred us to a family member over 6 years later and we hope to repay the favor with a discount in the future. Customers were satisfied with our work and I'm sure the helpful advice will go a long ways. Contact Dunbar Plumbing for more information and schedule today for your next drain cleaning service! 859-359-4833 or visit DunbarPlumbing.com. |