To Our Customers: Thank You

On behalf of Beacon Plumbing, I want to apologize to any of our loyal customers if we were late to our appointment with you during this past Thanksgiving week.

Last Monday in the Greater Seattle area we experienced unusually harsh weather which lasted through Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. Many of the people caught off guard by the snowstorm battled traffic jams for hours and hours on end on Monday only to go home to a cold house. By Thanksgiving Day many people suffered from broken pipes that had frozen during the 3 day cold snap when those same pipes began to thaw sprouting gushing leaks and forcing these people to shut off the water to their homes. Imagine facing a large group coming over to celebrate Thanksgiving at your home with no running water, or heat, or both. We understood the gravity of the situation for everyone who called in and desperately requested service.

We did the best we could, under the circumstances, to get out to as many of our customers as we could. It’s not as simple a matter to dispatch our technicians by assigning them to customers on a “first come, first serve” basis. We have to take into account the abilities of each technician, the distance they will have to travel, and we managed to dispatch as efficiently as we could reaching hundreds upon hundreds of people in the last week. Unfortunately, at times we could not get our technician to you in as timely a manner as we normally do. We take great pride in providing same day emergency services but sometimes circumstances and events are beyond our control.

We started early every morning and worked late every night. Yet, no one from the business office, to the shop, to the dispatchers, and especially our dedicated technicians, complained about the long hours. Some of our office staff stayed in a hotel near the office on the Monday it snowed because they knew the next day they would be needed in the office early in the morning.

We’re just now recovering from the sudden onslaught of so many people needing help. Our scheduling is beginning to return to some semblance of normalcy.

Please accept our apology for any inconvenience this may have caused you. If it’s any consolation, your patience, cooperation and understanding made it possible for many other people to enjoy the basics such as heat and hot water who otherwise would have been without during this Thanksgiving holiday.

Thank you.

William K. Cahill, President
Beacon Plumbing & Mechanical, Inc.

My Heat Exchange Is Cracked

The weather is starting to cool off and its time to start using your furnace again. If you have a gas furnace, you may want to have your furnace inspected and tuned up. If you do, and the technician tells you your heat exchanger may be cracked and you need a new furnace, you should read further . . .

The basic role the heat exchanger plays in your gas furnace is to confine the combustion from your gas furnace in a metal enclosure (the exchanger). The combustion heats up the exchanger and the heat is then blown throughout your house.

If the exchanger is cracked, then it means you’ll likely have to replace the furnace because it can pose a health hazard. One of the gases produced by the combustion is carbon monoxide, an odorless gas that is highly toxic. Replacing a heat exchanger is frequently not economically feasible and buying a new, replacement furnace is more economical in the long run.

That’s why it’s prudent to have your gas furnace inspected annually by a qualified heating technician from Beacon Plumbing. We’ll inspect the heat exchanger and other critical components in your furnace to give you peace of mind that your furnace will operate at peak efficiency when you need heat.

Contact us about one of our high efficiency gas furnaces that carry a lifetime warranty on the heat exchanger, and don’t forget, the tax credit for these furnaces expires at the end of 2010! For a very limited time a 10year extended warranty on parts and labor are being offered by some manufacturers.


Where is the crack?



1.Don’t let a dishonest heating technician try and sell you a new furnace by telling you
your heat exchanger is cracked. Ask that person some basic questions such as:


2.How big is the crack?


3.How much air is leaking from the crack?


4.Is the crack actually in the combustion area or in the sheet metal of the frame?


5.How will this crack affect the operation of the furnace?


6.Can you see light (blower removed) from the air side of the furnace?


7.How does the crack compare to the burner openings and the flue opening on each end of the heat
exchanger?

Know How Your Run-Off Drainage System Works

It’s Fall and the rainy season is just around the corner.

A wet basement or crawl space is a common problem if you live in the Northwest because we live in an area that gets rainfall for most of the year. Add in the geography of our area which is hilly to mountainous, it’s understandable why the ground can stay wet for so long after we’ve had some rain. While water coming into your basement is an obvious problem to fix, why the big deal about water in the crawl space? Most homes with crawl spaces have structural elements made out of wood. Wood is susceptible to “dry rot” if it becomes saturated, then allowed to dry out, only to become saturated again. So standing water beneath your home can pose a dry rot threat because of the constant moisture. That’s why a moisture barrier (thicker black “visquine plastic” is often used) is put over the bare dirt in the crawl space to keep the moisture below from reaching your home, but even the moisture barrier may not be enough to protect your home.

Often the problems of damp or wet basements and wet crawl spaces are the result of poor drainage of the runoff from the roof and other impervious surfaces around your home. On a rainy day do you ever wonder where the runoff is going? Do your gutters drain onto bare ground, or are your gutters “tied in” to some other drainage system such as a foundation footing drain? Even if your gutters are tied into a foundation footing drain, where does the foundation footing drain empty? What kind of pipe is being used in the foundation footing drain system and is there sufficient grade in the footing drain system to carry the runoff away from the foundation?

All of these factors need to be taken into account, plus other considerations like the topography around the home. When you understand how your runoff drainage system really works, you can then take preventative measures to keep the drain lines open and able to carry off the water so your basement or crawl space can dry out. Sometimes a sump pump is necessary because there’s just too much underground water, sometimes a “french drain system” is necessary but your expert technician at Beacon Plumbing can help you solve the problem and protect your home!

Know Where Your Shut-Off Valve Is Located

If you have to stop a water leak in your home the fastest, easiest way is to stop the flow of water into your house. The “shut-off valve” will stop all of the flow of water from the outside water service line into your home.

Knowing WHERE the shut off valve is located in your house can save you from extensive, and expensive, water damage occurring. Often, the shut off valve is located in your garage where your water service line enters your home. The water service line runs from your water meter to your home. Once you locate the shut off valve, conspicuously mark it or paint it a bright color. Show your family members where the shut off valve is so if something happens when you’re not home, they can help prevent further damage. Our technicians will tag your shut off valve for free when they visit your home as part of our unmatched customer service.

Did you know that one of the most common causes of water damage occurs when people are out of the house and a hose to their washing machine bursts? Check the condition of the hoses. Changing to non-bursting hoses on the washer is relatively cheap and easy. There are many hose manufacturers with extensive warranties on their hoses that Beacon can provide and install for you. The incoming line to your washing machine is under constant pressure (if you leave the line turned on when not in use) so a hose that will burst is really just a matter of time. This especially true if you live in a home with high water pressure (PSI). There are many neighborhoods in the Puget Sound area that are well known for PSI in excess of 80 pounds/square/inch. If you live in such a neighborhood, call Beacon to find out what can be done, such as installing a pressure reducing valve (PRV). High PSI can also create problems for your water heater, so the next time Beacon is at your home, your technician will be happy to take the PSI for your home.

Also, when you go on vacation or leave the house unattended for a few days, if you don’t need to have the water to your house left on consider turning the water off a the shut off valve while you’re gone. Then if your instant hot-water device or in-sink water filter faucet springs a leak, you won’t come home to an expensive floor replacement which may or may not be covered by your home owner’s insurance or someone else’s liability insurance. Even if you have a family member or friend come over the house to water the plants inside or outside, show them where the shut valve is and how to turn it on and off.

Welcome To The Beacon Plumbing and Mechanical Blog!

Welcome to the Blog of Beacon Plumbing and Mechanical!

By starting this blog we hope to provide our readers with insightful information about the world of plumbing. We look forward to providing all of you with useful tips and proactive ways to maintain your current plumbing situation!

Stay tuned for more.