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plumbing

Home Of The Week | August 20, 2015

pzmija JJ McLellan , , , , , , , , ,

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From small repairs to custom new build or renovation plumbing and heating system design and installation.

Whether you require HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) or Plumbing Mechanical work look no further than the Mechanical HVAC Contractors at JJ McLellan and Son to provide whole home comfort for all your Plumbing and Heating needs big or small, new or repairs!

Did you know we also service and clean Septic Systems!
A Royal Flush Is Better Than A Full House!

We Are The Home Comfort People We Service What We Sell As Well As All Other Makes & Models!

Taking Care Of Your Home & Business Plumbing System | Happy World Plumbing Day 2015

pzmija plumbing, septic, Septic System , , , ,

“A Royal Flush Is Better Than A Full House!”

Did you know its World Plumbing Day!?

WPC mission statement is: “To promote the role of plumbing in improving public health and safeguarding the environment, by uniting the World Plumbing Industry, for the benefit of all.”

Join us in saying a great big THANK YOU to everyone (especially our hard working plumbers and technician’s) who work hard everyday to ensure we have clean, safe water and that our sewage continues to flow! It can be a tough and sometimes very tiring job!

As a part of World Plumbing Day and our appreciation for indoor plumbing, clean healthy water and safe sewage systems we must also remember the importance of water conservation in our daily use and taking care of our home and business plumbing systems.

A few things to remember to help conserve our water and plumbing systems!

  • Shut the water off when not in use.
  • Upgrade to a low water consumption use toilet.
  • Install a new shower head.
  • Ensure all plumbing leaks are promptly repaired.
  • Upgrade old water lines to ensure clean, proper and efficient water flow.
  • Only run your dishwasher when it is full.
  • Replace old appliances with new energy star appliances (dishwasher and washing machine).
  • Install a water softener which will clean your clothes better and rinse soap off your body, dishes and clothes easier.
  • If you notice your drains are slow or not draining properly, have this investigated before it causes a back up into your basement.
  • Space out your water usage rather than doing large amounts of laundry in one day (which can flood your septic system) space it out over the evenings of the week and only do a couple loads on the weekends.
  • Use a rain barrel to catch rain water for use in gardens.
  • Ensure you have a proper septic system – septic tank and weeping bed.
  • Know the location of your septic system and weeping bed. When your home was built there would have been a septic plan.
  • Ensure the septic tank lids are always accessible – this is especially important during the winter if you have a back up. There are risers and plastic lids that can be installed which are easier accessible at anytime of the year.
  • Check your septic tank yearly to ensure it is draining properly and pump when the sludge build up is lessening the capacity of your tank. (Approx 3-5 yrs) When in doubt always call a professional.
  • If you have a garborator in your home ensure your septic tank is pumped yearly – or if you are on a septic put your food scraps in a composter.
  • Never put any kind of grease down your drains or into your septic system.
  • If you have a septic system be careful what cleaners you use in the toilet – heavy bleach cleaners can kill micro-organisms important in breaking down and treating waste water.
  • Do not flush paper towels, baby wipes, feminine products, kitty litter, condoms or anything other than toilet paper down the toilet.
  • Do not pour any chemicals into the septic tank – the system is designed to work with the natural biological’s which enter the tank to break down.
  • Never drive over, park on or build over top of your weeping bed. In the winter it is important to never plow the snow above your weeping bed, this will help insulate and prevent freezing in colder winters.

How does your Plumbing System Work???

Here are a few pictures to give you visual of the system!

This is a typical home septic system.
septic-diagram2

A colour coded diagram of a home’s basic plumbing system.

home-plumbing-system

A home’s plumbing system coming out to the main sewer.

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For those of you connected to town water and sewer,
InflowandInfiltrationDiagram

Why A Water Softener Is A Benefit To Your Home or Business | Plumbing System

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Are you considering installing a water softener in your home? You may be if you are finding your clothes are not washing properly or the soap does not lather in the shower, perhaps your skin is very dry as well.

There are different options when it comes to water treatment and we are equipped to handle all of them from simple water softening to iron or sulfur removal.

Having a qualified and licensed plumber install your water treatment system you can rest assured that it will be installed properly and any adjustments or plumbing re-routing can be done by the same plumber who can install your system – saving you from having to make a second call if there are any issues with your plumbing prior to the install.

Benefits to having a water softener:
• Your hair and skin will feel cleaner, soap will rinse away without leaving any residue.
• Your dishes will come cleaner with less residue or spots.
• Your soaps and shampoo will lather better.
• The fabric of your clothing will be softer without the use of fabric softener.
• Your appliances will benefit from soft water by not having the hard water build up, making them run more efficient and overall last longer.
• Your water heater will heat the water up faster and over the years there will not be as much build up inside when soft water is used, as there would be with hard water and lime build up.
• Your pipes and drains will run cleaner with less residue and build up, which over the years can result into major problems if they accumulate too much and eventually plug up which may cause a back up in your home.

We deal with Greenway Water Technologies for our Water Softeners. Below is information from their website. Click on the title to go to their website.

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Greenway Water Softeners
Greenway Water Technologies’ Water Softener systems are Engineered for Health and Designed for Life.

How does a Water Softener work?
Hard water is found in various regions globally. In North America, hard water is prevalent Calcium, magnesium and other ions are found in “hard” water. These hard water ions can interfere with your plumbing and potentially decrease the efficacy of water heaters and other water appliances because of the build-up of lime scale. Soap and cleaning products’ effectiveness are also affected and therefore are not as efficient.

Water Softeners usually work on the principle of replacing the hardness ions (calcium and magnesium) with sodium ions through the use of ion exchange resin. The hard water to be treated is passed through a bed of the resin. Negatively-charged resins absorb the hardness ions, which are positively charged (Ca++, Mg++). The ion exchange resins most commonly contain Sodium (but can be found in potassium and hydrogen form also). Calcium and magnesium ions in the hard water replace these sodium ions on the resin, therefore decreasing the calcium and magnesium in the water, making soft water with no formation of lime scale

When all of the resin is “full” of the calcium and magnesium hardness ions, the softener regenerates by allowing high concentrations of sodium chloride (salt) to be reintroduced onto the resin, taking the place of the calcium and magnesium ions and discarding them into the discharge drain water. The water softener is then ready to be used once again.

How are Greenway® Water Softeners different than other water softeners?
At Greenway Water Technologies, we take your water treatment seriously. We have collaborated, researched and designed water softening systems with our customers in mind.

There are four categories of Greenway® water softeners, each with its’ own unique features and characteristics based on your level of hard water and water flow requirements.

Our Greenway® Standard Series water softener line includes two options; either an easy to use Clack 3 over 2 valve with bypass, resin tank, and salt tank OR a metered Fleck Valve including bypass, resin tank and salt tank.
The Greenway® Advance series water softener line additionally includes our unique Greenway® valve head with bypass and added collar, resin tank and salt tank.
The Greenway® Pro Series water softeners are our NSF certified units come in a variety of sizes. These will be available later this year (2011).
Our Greenway® Cabinet water softeners are designed to be compact and are used when space is minimal. Some customers prefer this style of water softener as the resin tank and salt tank are built into one cabinet. Our customers can program in their own water hardness based on desired salt usage (low, medium or high salt settings) for effective results.

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Click the photo below to see all the products offered by Greenway which can be installed by our Plumbers.

Greenway GWT_Products_Banner2

Contact Us Online | We Are Experiencing Phone Issues Today

pzmija JJ McLellan , , , , , , 0 Comment

Unfortunately our phone provider is experiencing wide spread issues today and our phone services are extremely intermittent!

If you are in need of our Plumbing or Heating Services please contact us online on Facebook or our website www.jjmclellan.ca.

We apologize for any inconvenience and hope that our provider has the issues resolved asap!

Areas We Service for Plumbing and Heating: 
Wellington County including Wellington North, Mapleton and Minto.
Grey County including Southgate and West Grey.
Mount Forest, Clifford, Harriston, Palmerston, Arthur, Drayton,
Moorefield, Durham, Ayton, Holstein

The Plumbing and Heating Services
offered at JJ McLellan and Son in
Mount Forest and the Surrounding Area

Hiring – Licensed and Experienced HVAC Gas Technician | Mount Forest

pzmija JJ McLellan , , , , , , , , 0 Comment

We are hiring a licensed and experienced Gas Technician to join our team at JJ McLellan and Son.
Air Conditioning, Plumbing and/or Sheet Metal license and experience preferred but not necessary.

We are located in Mount Forest and serve the Mount Forest, Arthur, Durham, Drayton, Palmerston and Harriston areas for Plumbing and HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Services).

Regular business hours of 8am – 5pm Monday to Friday with some after hours and weekend hours as required.

The Applicant Must Possess The Following:

  • Possess a current Gas license (G1 or G2)
  • The ability to work as a team with others as well as independently.
  • Possess the ability to provide excellent customer service.
  • The applicant must have a clean driving record and ability to drive company vehicles.
  • The applicant must maintain and ensure their license is updated and renewed during the course of employment.
  • The ability to read and write english and fill out all required paper work with relation to service calls or installs.
  • Technicians must be able to work flexible hours as required (evenings and/or weekends).
  • Responsibilities will include service, maintenance, installation of various HVAC equipment including Furnaces, Boilers, Infloor Heating, Fireplaces, Water Heaters, Gas Stove, Gas lines.
  • Must be able to perform heavy lifting, bending and twisting as required with the related responsibilities.
  • Ability to read blue prints.

If you are interested please fill out the form below with your resume and licenses. Only those applicants which posses the above requirements and licenses will be contacted. Thank you!

[contact-form to=’service@jjmclellan.ca’ subject=’Reply to job posting on blog’][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Phone’ type=’text’/][contact-field label=’Resume’ type=’textarea’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Licenses’ type=’textarea’/][/contact-form]

www.jjmclellan.ca

Why JJ McLellan and Son?

  1. We’ve been in business since 1948. Over 65 Years and 4 Generations!

    2. Licensed and Trained Technicians (Plumbers, Gas Technicians and Operators) to handle Service, repair and installations for Heating, Plumbing, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Septic System, Septic Pumping, Confined Space.
  2. We Service What We Sell and More!  Service, Repair and Installation.  Renovation, Retrofit and New Build. You never have to worry about calling us if you have a problem, we install and service all of our equipment and any existing equipment you may have!

    We will be here for the long run and that includes after hours or weekend emergency service!

  3. Trust and Honesty – We are Home Owners. Between the ladies in the office, sales and our technicians we take pride in our job and care about our customers. As home owners ourselves we can all in some way relate with many, if not all problems our customers run into! We wouldn’t sell you anything or advise a repair we would not do in our own homes!
  4. We Offer True Home Comfort Service – Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning ( HVAC ), Plumbing. JJ McLellan and Son goes beyond the heating and air conditioning equipment to look at the whole house as a system.
  5. Our Heating Options  – Hydronic Radiant Heat – Boilers, In Floor Heating, Gas / Propane Forced Air Furnaces, Gas / Propane Fireplaces, Unit Heaters, Geothermal Heating.
  6. Our Air Conditioning Options – Central Air Conditioning, Mini Split, Geothermal Cooling.
  7. Our Plumbing Options – Repair, Fixtures, Water Treatment Systems, Pressure Systems, Water Pumps, Sump Pumps, Sewage Pumps, Back Flow Water Prevention, Water Well Services, Septic Systems.
  8. Our Specialty Options – Camera for Drains, Sewers and Wells, Flushing Equipment for Drains, Sewers and Wells, Confined Space Work Certification, Backhoe and Dump Truck, Septic Pumping, Vacuum Truck.
  9. Financing and Extended Warranty available.

We are the home comfort people for your Plumbing and Heating needs!  

Kitchen and Bathroom Updates | Wellington North Plumber & Gas Technician

pzmija JJ McLellan , , , , , 0 Comment

If you are thinking of updating your Kitchen and/or Bathroom the options and decisions can be extremely overwhelming!

Is bigger really better? Should you install tile or a shower unit? Do you need a bathtub or just a larger shower? Elongated or round toilet seats? Does a right height toilet really make a difference? Does it really matter? Should you install infloor heating into the bathroom floor?

First, start with a budget. You need to come up with a number that you are comfortable with and look within those price constraints.  Renovating your bathroom and/or kitchen is an investment into your home which will provide you many years of enjoyment and financial pay back should you decide to sell.

With the internet, many home owners are extremely knowledgeable prior to contacting their plumbing and heating contractor.  HGTV Remodels has inspiring ideas for your kitchen and bath to help get you started.

Tips From Our Pro’s

    • Do your research on products – don’t get sucked into flashy features you may never use.
    • Sit on a toilet with an elongated bowl, round bowl and one that is right height.
    • Doing a complete renovation on your kitchen and bathroom is not for a DIY’er – this is something that should be left to the professionals.
    • If you need to move any plumbing, ensure this is done before you install flooring or paint.
    • Measure twice – always!
    • Quality over quantity – if you are spending the money you want to get value products and services from brands and a business who will stand behind their product. Look for products with a great manufacturers warranty.
    • If you purchase your own products and have the plumber install them, if a problem ever arose it *may* not be as easy to fix – one stop shopping with ordering your fixtures and having them installed will ensure if there were any problems the records are all in one place.
    • Consider the age of the plumbing in your house – does it need to be upgraded in your mechanical room before you can upgrade your bathroom or kitchen?
    • If you are not design savvy work with a cabinet maker or hardware store to ensure your kitchen or bathroom is laid out properly to maximize efficiency and save on any costly mistakes.
    • If you are getting a solid surface counter top – you will need a minimum of 24 hours for it to set prior to your faucet and plumbing being reconnected.
    • It takes time – Plan accordingly.
    • Ask family and friends!
    • Most important – have fun with it!

Some of your options for your kitchen and bathroom.

Stainless steel kindred kitchen sink and faucet set in an upgraded laminate counter with a very stylish and modern tile back splash.

 

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4 foot walk in shower with glass doors.

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American standard basin lavatory sink with a simple faucet set.

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Undermount American Standard lavatory basin with a Moen single lever faucet.

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Corner Shower with glass sliding doors.

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Closeup of the corner glass sliding doors for the shower.

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Kitchen faucet and drinking water with an undermount stainless steel sink.

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4 foot shower with glass sliding doors slightly frosted

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Bathtub with glass sliding doors slightly frosted.

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Custom bathroom sink and faucet for a powder room.

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Undermount sink and faucet.

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Whirlpool tub installed ready for the tile or skirt.
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Pull out kitchen faucet with drinking water and upgraded undermount kitchen sink.

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Kitchen bar faucet and dual sink – one side is larger than the other – perfect for prep !

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Custom bathroom fixtures.

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Custom tiled shower with slide shower bar.

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Kitchen bar faucet.

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Pull out faucet showing the wand coming out of the faucet and the water on.
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Toilets are available in colours other than white.

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Bathroom sink faucet.

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Custom tiled shower complete with body jets, rain shower head and slide shower bar.

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Bathtub surround with shower bar and angled shower curtain rod.

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Farm house kitchen sink with a pull out kitchen faucet.

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Stainless steel sink and faucet set ready to be connected to the plumbing.
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Worried about your pipes freezing? |Winter Plumbing

pzmija JJ McLellan , , , , , , , 0 Comment

Worried about your water pipes freezing?

Thankfully the sun has been shining today and it is nice and warm. However the frost is still causing issues with water lines freezing.

1. Let your cold water tap run a slow continuous stream. This will ensure the lines stay open with flowing water and if you have a water pump, this will force the pump to come on more preventing any freezing.

Our plumbers have been extremely busy the first month and a half of the new year with frozen water lines and even some sewage lines.

2. If you are living in a home which has an unfinished basement, ensuring you have some heat in your basement is necessary for winters like this.
These two tips are especially important if you are planning to be away at any time during the winter. Arrange to have someone check on your home once or twice a day (when its really cold), run water, flush toilets.

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Perfect Weather To Clear Snow | The Calm After The Storm

pzmija JJ McLellan , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Comment

What a gorgeous winter morning to wake up to, at least in our part of Ontario! The temperature a cool yet refreshing -7 with light snow flakes falling.

Please take advantage of this “warmer” winter weather to get outside and ensure the snow is properly cleared around all your vents for your home. This includes dryer vents as well as your heating appliances (furnace, boiler, fireplace) and hot water heater.

The picture below is a photo of the intake and exhaust vents for a forced air furnace. The exhaust is straight out, intake points down. If your vents are blocked they can cause the equipment to not function properly or not work altogether.

Furnace Vents Cleared 20140107_124106_resized

Please also check your filters. A blocked filter will cause your furnace and HRV to work much harder than it is designed to do and possibly over heat. This can cause premature break down of the appliance and reduced life. It is recommended to have your system maintained and cleaned at least once every 2 years while changing your filters every 2-4 months, more often in the heating season.

Don’t forget your plumbing system! Is your basement currently heated? If you have forced air heating in your home having a duct run off the furnace and into your basement – even if its unfinished, will help your mechanical room stay warm and prevent pipes from freezing. Ensure all outside taps are shut off from the inside and the taps are open outside.

Remember to be safe while out driving on the roads! Ensure your windshield is cleared properly, you have a snow brush in your car, your gas tank is full or at least over half full and you are dressed for the weather! Also very helpful if you have a blanket – just in case and a cell phone (fully charged or with a charger in your vehicle).

Enjoy… a photo from yesterday morning!

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With this cold weather comes frozen pipes… Some tips to keep your water flowing!

pzmija JJ McLellan, plumbing , , , , , , , , , , 0 Comment
JJ McLellan

JJ McLellan – Broken Pipe – Froze and burst!

When water freezes it expands, this is why if your pipes freeze they can and will burst – such as in the photo!

Open your cupboard doors – If you are worried about your pipes freezing and the potential of bursting… If you have pipes/taps on outside walls, open your cupboard doors to allow heat from your home in.

Heat from a lamp – If that doesn’t help plug a lamp in and put it under the sink (safely… not near anything flammable!) the heat from the bulb will help.

Run water – If you are really concerned, turn on the tap and let it run, a small consistent stream will help prevent freezing.

Insulate – If your home is very old and does not have a lot of insulation in the walls you could add some foam board insulation to the back of your kitchen cabinet to help prevent freezing.

What if I dont have a basement? If you live in a mobile home or a home with a crawl space, ensure you have heat tape for your pipes and that the underneath of the home is properly insulated and sealed! If your home was built on a slab on grade most likely you will have in floor heating, ensure the heating system is kept at a consistent temperature and have your system maintained regularly.

Getting away from the cold – If you are going away ensure you have someone checking on your home at least once a day – twice in cold weather like this.

Consistency – When the weather turns cold it is very important to keep your thermostat at a consistent temperature even during the night. Set your thermostat at a comfortable level and leave it.

Its too late… what should you do?

If your pipes have froze you can try to thaw them yourself. First open your taps, second use a heat source such as a hair dryer or a small portable heater. Be very careful to ensure you remove anything flammable prior to applying heat – especially in the kitchen if there are cleaners in the cabinets.

If you are not able to get your pipes thawed its time to call the professionals. Our plumbers have dealt with many frozen pipes! Either way once you get your problem solved – ensure you will be ok for the next deep freeze with proper insulation such as wall insulation, floor insulation, pipe insulation and heat tape.

Do not wait until you have issues to take preventative action. Ensure you have proper wall insulation, ensure the underside of your home (this includes basements) is insulated properly. If you are already planning a renovation pipes can be re-routed to lessen the chance of freezing. Unless you are considering gutting an older home back to the studs to completely re-insulate the home, sometimes in an older home re-routing the plumbing is the best option to get the pipes off of an outside wall. The costs for preventative maintenance will be well worth the costs you could face if your pipes freeze and burst!

Unsure of what you should do? Feel free to give Mike our Comfort Advisor a call he would be happy to recommend some options for you to ensure your home is safe!

Stay Warm!!!

How to prevent water pipes from freezing and breaking!

pzmija JJ McLellan , , , 0 Comment

How to prevent water pipes from freezing and breaking!

-Ensure you have a source of heat in the location where pipes are located.

-If your pipes are located in a crawl space without heat ensure they are properly insulated.

-Have a small heater to use in an emergency if you need to thaw lines.

-Leave your cupboard doors open if your pipes are located on an outside wall.

-Check your pipes during very cold weather. If the pipes freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw they could cause a breakage such as the one in the photos where the pipe was literally broke apart.

-Ensure that you have water shut off valves (such as the one with the blue handle) so that IF you did have a leak or breakage you would not have to shut off all your water to your entire home.

-If you know you are going to be away for an extended period of time OR are without hydro/heat ensure you have some antifreeze on hand to winterize your pipes and prevent any breakage.