Author: Clarke & Rush

Boths trees and their root systems grow slowly, but they are living things that are perpetually seeking nourishment to continue growing. Any plant will grow toward a source of nourishment, rather than away from it. If a nearby tree’s roots detect a water supply coming from a small leak in your pipes, then chances are those roots will grow toward that water supply. Roots can eventually enter a pipe through the tiniest crack, and continue growing with a steady amount of pressure and strength. As the root grows and becomes larger, so does the crack in your pipe, and as the invasive root becomes larger, it becomes increasingly difficult to remove. Sometimes roots can even shatter pipes entirely if the problem continues over a length of time. Water main supply lines, sewer lines, and drain pipes are all susceptible to tree root damage.

Preventing Pipe Damage from Tree Roots

The matter of preventing or reducing pipe damage from growing tree roots involves keeping trees that could cause damage away from underground drains and pipes.

• Find out where your plumbing and sewer lines are located: A quick call to your local utility company will inform you as to where all of the underground lines are before you plant any trees. Most utility companies offer 1-800 numbers for this specific purpose. Do your best to ensure any trees are planted well away from existing sewer lines and pipes.
• Choose plants that won’t cause damage for landscaping: Once you have discovered where are your plumbing lines are, you can landscape with plants that are less likely to harm plumbing systems. Slow-growing trees or shrubs with small root systems, for example, may be a good choice.
  Protect pipes, drain and sewer lines: Installing wood or metal barriers designed to prevent roots from getting to sewer lines and pipes can be a good safeguard as well.
• Call for inspection: If frequent clogs are an issue, or if you observe puddles or wet areas where there shouldn’t be, contact the trusted plumbers at Clarke & Rush for an evaluation. We use state-of-the-art video equipment to thoroughly inspect your pipes, and determine if tree roots are the problem, and what steps to take to resolve it.

Clarke & Rush is the top choice for heating, cooling, and plumbing in the Sacramento area. We have been proudly taking care of customers for over 50 years. Contact us today for more information on preventing pipe damage from tree roots and for expert prevention and repair services when needed.

Before the technology of video inspection was implemented, determining the sources of plumbing problems was more challenging, and incorporated a combination of tactics such as tearing into walls, ceiling, and floors, excavation around pipes and sewer lines, or even excavating a home’s foundation. Modern-day plumbers have access to state-of-the-art technology that allows them to definitively locate and diagnose plumbing problems. Not only can your plumber view these issues directly, he or she can show them to you as well, so there is no doubt about what the specific issue is.

Performing a video inspects of your home’s plumbing might actually be the most reliable and efficient method of determining a variety of residential plumbing problems.

A video inspection system has several components, but the most important one is a fiber optic cable that can be threaded through the length of the pipes that make up your plumbing system. Attached to the cable is a waterproof video camera, and there is also an infrared light at the end of the cable to illuminate the inside of the pipes. This cable transmits video images of the interior of pipes to a monitor so that the plumber can view the pipes in real time. These cameras also have the ability to record images for a permanent record of what is occurring inside your home’s pipes.

Video technology is useful for these common plumbing problems:

• Stoppages resulting from grease, hair, or food
• A build up of sludge that may cause future clogs
• Damaged or broken pipes
• Infiltration by tree roots or other vegetation
• Disconnected or leaking pipe joints
• Rusted or corroded pipes may fail
• Sewer pipe sections that have shifted out of alignment due to ground movement
• Pipes that have sunk or settled into the soil, creating low points
• Unapproved or substandard plumbing buried underground or installed out of sight

To detect leaky pipes and other plumbing problems with advanced video inspection technology in the Sacramento area, contact us at Clarke & Rush. We have been proudly solving plumbing problems in Northern California for over 50 years.

Plumbing Contractor in Sacramento Explains the Benefits of Whole-House Water Filtration System

Having clean water coming out of the sink is a benefit many Americans take for granted. Not all US citizens have this basic access to clean water. For example, the government in Flint, Michigan has neglected to provide drinkable water to its residents for years. In order to decreases costs, Flint officials switched the water source to the contaminated river nearby, exposing residents to fecal matter, E. coli, and lead levels twice the amount required to categorize water as “hazardous waste” according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) standards. Children exposed to this water developed rashes and mysterious illnesses. It is important to ensure your water is safe as the government can not always be trusted to provide clean water so make sure to speak to a plumbing contractor in Sacramento about your plumbing needs.

According to the EPA, most water pitcher and faucet-mounted filters use granular-activated carbon and resin filters. Unfortunately, these filters are only capable of removing pollutants that affect the taste of water and are not designed to remove any disease-causing particles. Only reverse-osmosis 4-stage filters are able to remove more harmful impurities, such as lead and arsenic. This is the filtration most bottled water companies use.

What’s in My Water?

Whole-house water filtration systems, which a plumbing contractor in Sacramento can help install, are a very powerful and simple way to provide your entire home with healthy water. Below are some contaminants that can be found in household water:

• Hard water – leading to stubborn soap scum in the bath or kitchen appliances and has a bitter taste
• Chlorine – not dangerous to health for most people, but can make water and food taste bad and have an unpleasant odor. It may cause reactions in people with allergies, asthma, or sensitivities.
• Chemicals such as– metals and metalloids ranging in toxicity such as lead, iron, arsenic, mercury, nickel, copper, hexavalent chromium (chromium-6), radium, and others; Hydrogen sulfide, a gas that smells of rotten eggs that is very poisonous, corrosive, and flammable.
• Natural sediments – dirt, silt, clay and other materials
• Microorganisms – cryptosporidium: a parasitic microorganism that causes diarrhea. It can live outside the body for long periods of time and is chlorine-tolerant, making it hard to kill. It is the leading cause of waterborne illness among people in the United States. Giardia: a microorganism that can be found in soil, food, and water that has been contaminated by feces. It has a protective outer shell that allows it to live outside the body for long periods of time and is tolerant to chlorine. It results in diarrhea.
• Drugs – Puget Sound salmon were made somewhat infamous recently when samples of the fish and nearby water revealed over 70 pollutants found in prescription drugs, such as antidepressants and cocaine.

Benefits of Whole-House Water Filtration

Whole-house filtration is the only way to be sure all the water provided to your home is safe. Call a plumbing contractor in Sacramento to make sure your water is safe. Water is filtered at a low temperature, which is more optimized for removal of dangerous chemicals. This filtration system can remove as much as 96% of impurities. Whole-house water filtration provides the below benefits and more:

• Clean, filtered water emerges from every water source – kitchen sinks for cooking, bathroom sinks for brushing teeth and drinking, faucets in the bath and shower, outdoor faucets for your lawn
• Safer water – filtration prevents carcinogenic chlorine vapors from being released into the air, which may irritate asthma and allergies.Dangerous chemicals will be removed at the source, providing clean, purer water for drinking (from anywhere) and cooking (for better-tasting food).
• Reduces soap scum on dishes
• Improves clothing care – chemicals, such as chlorine, can affect the coloration and texture of clothing and may even leave stains. Filtered water allows washing machines to work my efficiently, lowing the need for detergent.
• Improves skin and hair – the chemicals in water that make it “hard” are damaging to the skin and hair. Filtered water is shown to result in softer hair and skin since these chemicals are removed.
• No need for bottled water
• Longer-lasting appliances – impurities and metals in the water in your home can build up in appliances such as the dishwasher and washing machine. These sediments are not good for the machines and can decrease their lifespan. Only whole-house water filtration provides clean water to these appliances.
• Independence – even if there is a problem with the local source of water, you are more likely to have safe drinking water with a whole-house filtration system. Always listen to government warnings, but whole-house filtration may alleviate contaminants in an emergency such as the case in Flint.

Call a Plumbing Contractor in Sacramento To Ensure Your Water is Safe

Clarke & Rush is family owned and has been part of the Sacramento community for over 50 years. We take pride in delivering excellent customer service and designing, engineering and installing complete systems for your home or business. Give us a call at (916) 609-2669 to speak to a plumbing contractor in Sacramento.

This guide to residential garbage disposals may end up being priceless to you, because it will enable you to keep yours in proper working order. A broken or clogged disposal turns into a major headache; here are some things you can do to increase its lifespan through proper usage and maintenance.

Proper usage guide

Most garbage disposals won’t grind every kind of food. Things like potato skins, egg shells, coffee grounds, or corn husks will not be adequately broken down and washed away by the average residential garbage disposal. Potato skins and egg shells can stick to pipe walls, and corn husks may tangle in the blades. Even foods that seem benign like rice or pasta can cause stubborn, sticky clogs.

Always run the cold water before turning the disposal on, and let it run for 20-30 seconds after you switch it off, to make sure all particulate remaining gets washed away. We recommend not leaving sponges, dish cloths, scrubbers, utensils or silverware in the sink basin on the disposal side, because it is easy for them to fall down the disposal and cause damage.

Maintenance guide to garbage disposals

Every month, you can clean and refresh the disposal by pouring a few tablespoons of baking soda down the disposal, followed by white or cider vinegar, then let the mixture sit for an hour. After the time is up, run the hot water into the other side of the sink for a few minutes then switch it to the disposal side, and let the hot water flush the baking soda and vinegar mixture down through the pipes. The chemical reaction between the two will effectively clean, clear and deodorize your kitchen plumbing and disposal. The foaming action will break up any remaining food or fat deposits in your pipes.

Yearly, you should throw a large or even double handful of ice cubes down the disposal and run it with cold water. The ices cubes sharpen the blades of the disposal as they are ground up, which makes your disposal more efficient.

We also suggest checking under your sink periodically for leaks, or moisture and dampness that indicate them. Sometimes leaks occur between the kitchen plumbing, dishwasher and garbage disposal, and these leaks can damage walls, floors and cabinets if not detected and repaired. They can also cause mold and mildew growth.

If you would like more information as a guide to your garbage disposal, please contact us at Clarke & Rush. We’ve provided quality Plumbing services for Sacramento and the surrounding areas for over 50 years.