Jaytech Blog

Choosing a Water Heater 1

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Water heaters are essential pieces of equipment in our Canadian households especially after a long, cold day working outside in sub-freezing temperatures. If your water heater breaks, or it’s about to finish its useful life cycle, there are two options you can choose from when replacing it: a conventional water heater (which is probably what you are already housing) and a tankless water heater.   Conventional storage water heaters Conventional storage water heaters are the most common water heater you are going to find in residential homes. They come in sizes of 20 to 80 gallons for residential use and commercial sizes can range into the 100’s of gallons. Their fuel sources include: electricity, propane, natural gas, and fuel oil. In these tanks, water is constantly being heated. Energy is consumed even when you aren’t using hot water. This standby heat loss can be reduced by some, more heavily insulated, water heaters. Tankless […]

Replacing a Toilet 1

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Chances are if you are a DIYer you would rather replace the bathroom toilet yourself than pay someone to do it. However, if you decide to move the location of the toilet, hire a professional plumber. Rerouteing pipes is best left to professionals. Supplies: Rags Newspapers and/or old towels A container to scoop out water or shop vac Screwdriver Utility (exacto) knife Putty knife (or similar tool) New wax gasket Possibly a new flange and bolts Bathroom Caulk Plastic toilet shims (if needed) Plumber’s putty (if needed) Wrench Gloves (optional) mini hack-saw (if needed)     Removing the Old Toilet Step 1: Lay out newspapers/old towels This is where you will be placing the old toilet after removal. If you will be setting it down on a tile floor, set it down gently. The tile can be cracked by a toilet being set down too harshly. Step 2: Turn off […]

All about Hard Water

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What is ‘Hard Water’? Hard water is water that contains a high level of minerals. This is caused by water being filtered through underground deposits such as limestone and chalk. As the water travels through these deposits, it picks up minerals such as calcium and magnesium. These dissolved minerals are what make water ‘hard’.     Hard Water Effects Hard water has been known to cause issues in the home and some people wonder if it can cause health issues. Health Hard water is not currently known to cause any health issues. The World Health Organization (WHO) along with other research facilities have done tests to those regards. They have determined that not only is it safe to drink, but drinking hard water can contribute to your daily needs of calcium and magnesium. Water in general though, can contain other harmful things such as bacteria. Home Hard water may not affect […]

Water Softeners 1

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Water softeners are used to reduce the grains per gallon(gpg)  level in hard water. Having hard water does not mean you need one however it can be a good investment. Hard water not only can cause build-up in various appliances and pipes (such as your water heater) but the effects can be seen elsewhere in the home as well. To learn more about hard water and to determine what range your home falls under in the water hardness scale read this article on hard water. While you may want softer water for washing dishes, showering, and other uses it is not recommended for drinking, cooking, or watering plants. The minerals (calcium and magnesium) that make water ‘hard’ are beneficial to your health. Water is softened by the replacement of these elements. ‘Softened’ water contains higher salt content because of this and therefore is not great for cooking, drinking or plants. This […]

Broken Toilet Flange 5

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If you have a toilet that rocks back and forth or is a bit wobbly, then the first thing to check is if the bolts fastening it to the floor (or toilet flange) are tight. But the closet bolts are likely loose for a reason.  If your toilet isn’t sitting on a level or even floor, then even though the bolts were initially tight, the toilet can move and work things loose. The problem is that its not the bolts that will loosen, but the flange is bent or even broken

Backflows & Cross Connection Surveys

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If you acquired a business with a brick and mortar location you may have received a letter from your city requiring you to have a backflow test done on one or more devices at your location or perhaps it was for a cross-connection control (CCC) survey. Both CCC surveys and backflow tests were implemented by cities with the same goal in mind: to ensure safe drinking water for residents. Backflow devices are designed to keep unclean water from flowing backwards and mixing with your clean water. Unclean water includes anywhere there is potential for contaminants to enter the drinking water system as set out by the local governing body.   So what is a Cross-Connection Control Survey and what are backflow tests for? A CCC Survey is required by city by-laws every 5 years. The purpose of it is to identify where, if any, backflow devices are needed. Backflow device testing is required, […]

Low Water Pressure

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Many of us have been there, you step into the shower, turn on the tap and you feel like you would have better success at getting your hair wet by standing in the rain. Or perhaps you turn on your faucet to do the dishes and you can’t even get enough pressure to rinse a plate. Low water pressure can be frustrating, the good news is though it could be an easy fix! If you are experiencing low water pressure the first step is to determine where the issue lies. Is it localized (i.e. kitchen sink) or an issue in the entire home?   Entire House If it is the entire home there are a few things you can check: Find out if your home has a water pressure reducing valve. If it does have one then ask a plumber to adjust the valve so that it allows an increase in flow (pressure) to […]

Choosing a Kitchen Sink and Faucet

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Designing a new kitchen or even just re-designing your current kitchen can be overwhelming. Many choices have to be made from colours to counter-tops and included in this mix is the sink and faucet! Trying to choose a sink and faucet that will fit well within your kitchen and still have the functionality that you enjoy can be a time-consuming task. This headache can be simpler if you just take it in a few steps and remember that style, although still important, should come second to practicality. Also keep in mind how you use the sink and faucet during your day to day activities. 1. Choose your sink material. Sinks come in stainless steel (most common), composites, enamel covered cast iron, and solid surfaces. Stainless steel is most common due to the fact it is very durable and economical. Cast sinks are the most durable sink available. For more information […]

What is Wet Venting 149

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Wet venting is a plumbing term and is a method of protecting the trap on a drain pipe on multiple plumbing fixtures.  It is a useful method of venting and can save pipe and fittings, time and money. If you don’t know what venting is or why it’s needed, first read What is Venting?   Wet Vent Definition: A waste pipe that also serves as a vent pipe. Wet venting is most common in conjunction with toilets and sinks; the drain for the sink is also the vent for the toilet. It can also be used for a variety of other applications but due to the following rules this is the most convenient and common situation to run into. Wet Venting Rules: The Ontario code book is written probably by lawyers and is very confusing, so I’ll try to simplify it a bit and include just the most common and relevant parts. 1) A […]

The 5 Best Kitchen Taps/Faucets 6

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If you are building a new home, renovating your kitchen, or just replacing the faucet, you’ll need to think about what is the right faucet for you. Everyone’s situation is a little different, but most people have a budget, so here I have a breakdown of the best 5 kitchen taps as arranged by price range. 1. Best Less than $100 Kitchen Faucet. Mainline 131-WSCP: It’s very hard to find anything at this price, especially if you want any extra options like multi spray options or a pullout spray. The best one with a side sprayer is the Mainline 131-WSCP. This is a cheap faucet and does not have the quality that I would recommend for a standard house. You can also get this faucet without a side spray (131-CP). Where this would be recommended for use is in profit oriented projects such as income property. Many land and property owners […]

What is venting? 147

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  You have a plumbing project on the go, and someone asks you “Where’s the Vent?“, or tells you, “that fixture is S-trapped“. What does this mean? What is a vent and why do you need one? Everyone knows that every toilet, bathtub, sink, shower, etc. will have a drain to carry the water away to sewage treatment, or your septic. But not everyone knows that they ALL also need to be vented.

Basement Bathroom 4

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I often get asked whether or not you can put a bathroom in the basement where there is a concrete floor and the sewer drain is higher than that. The answer is yes, you can. There are a couple different ways of doing this