Archive for the ‘Plumbing’ Category

Vancouver drain cleaning experts at Ashton Service Group use hydro-jetting to clear tough clogs. Water jet drain cleaners are powerful plumbing tools that are specifically designed to unclog the toughest drain clogs. They feature relatively modern drain cleaning technology involving strong water pressure applied in pulses, which differs from traditional drain cleaners. A standard drain cleaning device uses a cable or pipe that simply bores holes through blockages. Cable drain cleaners have a few disadvantages:

1) Debris is simply broken apart and can re-clog the pipe further down the line.

2) Self-healing clogs such as grease re-form after being perforated if some material remains.

Water jet cleaners have the following advantages:

1) Completely flush out all material, preventing further clogs or self-healing.

2) Use pulse flow, which allows the hose to better maneuver inside pipes.

3) Clear sand, soap, grease, ice and mud from clogged pipes with ease.

If you have a tough, hard-packed drain clog, or a tenacious self-healing grease clog, the Ashton
Service Group water jetter will take care of it promptly. Best of all, the high pressure water jet
will ensure that you won’t have to worry about leftover material re-clogging your drain.

To see any of our other services, you can go to http://www.ashtonservicegroup.com/

Click here for a list of our different Plumbing and Heating specials – Please note that these
specials are subject to change at any time.

Question: Are there any plumbing items I should do to prepare for the spring?

Yes, there are several things you can do to make sure everything is operating efficiently.

First, you may want to check all your exposed pipes under your sinks and in the basement for leaks. Second, you can pour 4L (milk jug’s worth) of water into drains that you don’t frequently use to fill the trap and prevent odours from entering the house. Slow floor drains should be snaked to ensure they will carry water away in the event of a flood. If your home has a sump pump, make sure it is working properly by pouring a couple of buckets of water into the sump pit. The pump should quickly turn on, discharge the water and then shut off without any problems.

Lastly, you may want to install a backwater valve in the floor drain if you live in an area where sewers sometimes back up into the home. The backwater valve will prevent future backups and spare you the odour and clean up headaches.

Now if you do find any leaks in your pipes, the sump pump is not draining quickly or you would like to install a backwater valve, give your preferred plumber a call and they can help solve any or all those issues easily.

Do tub faucet leaks sound like a familiar issue in your Vancouver home? You turn on your shower, flip the switch to go from tub faucet to shower head and the tub faucet continues to leak. Not only is it rather irritating, but it draws from the water pressure in the shower head. Let’s take a look at why this happens and how to quickly fix it.

Why the Leak?

There is a valve in your tub’s faucet that diverts water from the tub to the shower head when the switch or lever is pulled to turn on your shower. Because the valve is not a perfect seal, the tub faucet will drip a small amount during a shower. However, if a large amount of water is coming out of the tub faucet and very little is coming from your shower head, it is likely a problem with that valve.

In some cases, the only way to know the root of this bathroom plumbing repair is to take apart the assembly and check all of the valve parts individually for damage. The specifics of the repair process will depend largely on the type of shower and diverter valve you have.

Fixing the Problem

To fix this problem, you can either replace part of or the entire shower diverter valve. Start by removing the faucet and pulling the screw that holds the shower diverter valve in place. Once the screw is removed, take out the rubber washer and replace it. Many times, this is enough to fix the problem.

If it is not, however, you may need to replace the entire shower diverter valve. There are some situations that make it hard to reach the shower diverter valve, such as when you have a shower handle instead of a faucet knob. If this is the case, you may need special tools or professional assistance in removing the knob to access the valve.

If you find that this does not fix the problem or that you are uncomfortable attempting this repair, contact Ashton Service Group who is experienced in removing and replacing shower diverter valves.

Today’s well informed home owners decide on a tankless water heater for 3 good reasons. First, they know that tankless water heaters are used throughout the World where energy costs are high. Canada’s energy costs are rising. Secondly, they recognize that a 92-97% thermal efficient gas tankless water heater compared to a 50 – 60% standard gas tank type water heater will save money and help reduce their carbon footprint. Thirdly, the tankless water heater doesn’t store hot water but produces it on demand.

Tankless water heaters are capable of providing an instant, endless supply of hot water. Because these systems function on an on-demand basis, they do not require a holding tank to store pre-warmed water. No storage or holding reserve means that tankless water heaters have a life span that is twice as long as traditional systems because of the risk of rust and corrosion is significantly lowered.

They are hung from the wall saving floor space. They can be installed almost anywhere. Most have warranties up to 15 years with all parts being replaceable and 100% recyclable. They do cost more initially but looking at all the benefits including the re-sale value of your home, they are well worth the expense.

Tankless heaters are not new to the market. They have a proven record dating back to 1950 in Canada. They come in many sizes to suit your needs. Experienced contractors can help you select the right unit.

A tankless hot water heater will save you money, save space and you will never run out of hot water again. Best of all your home and family will be environmentally friendly.

Electric tankless hot water heaters
Electric units heat the water as it passes over an electrical element. To run an electric tankless water heater, you will need to have it hardwired to your circuit breaker/electrical panel. Although, electric tankless water heaters are less expensive to purchase and operate, they typically have less capacity, which makes them less practical for large families or households that consume large amounts of hot water at one time.

Gas tankless hot water heaters
In a gas unit, a gas burner is utilized to heat the water. Gas-powered systems are fuelled by propane or natural gas. To operate one of these units, you will need a gas line running through your home to where the water heater will be installed. It can easily provide endless hot water for one major application at a time. This unit is a great replacement for the traditional 40-gallon storage tank water heater.

There are also provincial grants available under the LiveSmart BC Efficiency Incentive program for replacing your domestic hot water heater with a qualified instantaneous gas water heater which you may want check into as well. For an estimate and potential savings, please call Ashton Service Group at 604-283-2383 and ask for Bob, our residential heating manager.

2012-04-30 15:10:13

The two service personnel from Ashton came to install our new hot water heater and despite less than ideal location did so very expertly and efficiently. They were extremely friendly & professional even going so far as to “MacGyver” a special tool to shut the water off outside & then replacing that plug with a more user friendly one. Also when my husband was having a very bad asthma attack they stopped what they were doing to make sure he was okay. I would not hesitate to recommend Ashton Service Group to anyone who is looking for a good, professional and efficient plumbing company.

To check out the over 40 reviews follow the link:

http://www.n49.ca/biz/ashton-service-group/bc/richmond/140-4631-shell-road/reviews/id/43300/

A toilet is a relatively basic piece of bathroom plumbing equipment for a Langley resident to install, but that does not mean that installing it is easy. While the installation itself is not terribly complicated, it is quite important that you get it right, so make sure you have all of the necessary materials, equipment and tools before you begin.

The first thing to remember is that you need to install your toilet in an appropriate place relative to the rest of your bathroom plumbing. Especially if you are installing your toilet along a branch drain, make sure that the sink, shower and any other plumbing fixtures are upstream of the spot where you will be installing the toilet.

You will also need to make sure that you install the toilet an appropriate distance from the wall. You need to be able to get around the toilet, and you also want to leave space so that work can be performed on the unit later. Putting your toilet too close to the wall can cause all kinds of complications in the way the unit functions and there is also a possibility of condensation build-up. For all of these reasons, it is important to make sure you are allowing an adequate amount of space on all sides.

The procedure you will have to follow when installing a toilet will be slightly different depending on whether you are installing it in a new spot or simply replacing an existing unit. When replacing an old toilet, you need to remove everything involved in the previous installation. That means taking the old bolts out of the floor and scraping away any residue to ensure that you have a clean and even surface to begin your installation on.

You should also make sure that you are aware of all applicable local codes before you begin your work. Even if you technically install your toilet correctly, you could run into trouble later on if your installation is not actually up to code. It is also important to remember to level all of your fixtures before you complete the installation process and to make sure you use a dielectric or brass fitting when attaching galvanized steel and copper to each other.  

If you have any questions about this process please call Ashton Service Group at 604-283-2383  or schedule an appointment online and save $ 20.00 on the service call.