Ok so 3 more posts today that I’ve dug up – I’m an information JUNKIE on this stuff lately. Give em a browse and let me know what ya reckon. They’re just from a few different sites I’ve been surfing lately that are generally good for information like this…
CSB Approves Urgent Recommendations To OSHA, NFPA, Others To
The draft recommendations, which were approved without amendments at a public meeting in Portland, CT, aim to prevent deadly explosions and fires during … Read More…
TWILIGHT LEAGUE: Justin Collette hit a solo home run and a two-run triple as Patriot Insurance (3-8) downed Aero Heating & Ventilating 8-6 at Portland. … Read More…
200-Foot-High Living Wall Proposed for Portland Federal Building
The overall project calls for a new radiant heating and cooling system, a rainwater harvesting system, and energy-efficient interior lighting. … Read More…
That’s all the news for today guys, so until next time, thanks for stopping by.
Cold Weather and Frozen Pipes
by: Darin “Sid” Cameron
Cold weather is a big problem for home and property owners- especially if you’ve moved and your home is setting empty. Why? PLUMBING!
If your home gets too cold, the water in your pipes can freeze overnight and then burst in the day when it warms back up. This leaves the potential for extensive flooding and water damage to your home. The pipes you need to be most concerned about are those that have the most exposure to the cold — outdoor hose faucets, swimming pool supply lines, underground sprinkler systems, and plumbing in unheated basements, crawl spaces, attics and garages. Pipes that run against exterior walls are also at risk.
What to do…
When it’s cold outside, you should periodically check all the faucets in your home. If it doesn’t work or water is just a trickle you may have frozen water in your pipes. Attempt to locate the frozen area by looking in the area most likely to freeze- i.e. the coldest. Use a heat lamp, space heater, hair dryer or electrical heat pad to begin to thaw out the pipes. Remember to keep the faucet open as you work. That’s because running water will help melt the ice faster. Apply heat until full water pressure is restored, then consider going to your neighborhood hardware store to purchase insulation for the areas of the pipe that froze (to help prevent it from happening again).
DO NOT use any sort of blow torch or open flame to warm the pipes. I can not stress this enough, so let me say it again. DO NOT use an open flame. First off, an open flame is a fire hazard and if you are working in a confined area there is a threat of carbon monoxide poisoning. Every year there is a story in the news of some person burning down their home or suffocating themselves to death while working on frozen pipes.
The second reason not to use an open flame is if it gets too hot you can melt your pipes (especially PVC plastic pipes). Third, too much heat too quickly creates the potential for an explosion. That’s because water expands as it gets hot. A blow torch or other device will cause the water to boil, and boiling water trapped in the middle of a frozen pipe has no place to expand- so it explodes.
The last piece of advice is always the best… If you fail to unthaw the pipe, call a licensed plumber before the pipe breaks.
How to keep it from happening…
- Your home should have inside valves on your outdoor water supply lines. Close them, then open the outside faucet and let the water drain. Leave the outside faucet open all winter.
- Drain and store outside garden hoses.
- If you haven’t already done so, drain the water from your swimming pool and lawn sprinkler system. As mentioned above, insulate plumbing that’s most susceptible to freezing. You can find supplies at your local hardware store, Home Depot, or Lowes.
- During severe cold weather, let the faucets drip. Although it’s no guarantee, even a trickle of water can help prevent pipes from freezing and an open faucet gives the water someplace to run once it starts to warm up.
- Keep the home temperature set to no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit. I know it’s tempting to turn the thermostat down when you leave town for a few weeks or if you have an unsold home that is setting empty, but the higher heat bill is quickly offset by the cost of repairing a pipe and cleaning up water damage.
- Lastly, if you experience flooding or water damage from a broken pipe, be sure to watch the home for mold or mildew. Black mold can be a serious after effect to a flooded home that’s far worse to deal with than the actual water damage.
About The Author
Darin “Sid” Cameron currently works for the STLagent Team of Real Estate Consultants in St Louis, MO. He publishes The St Louis Real Estate Blog on his website at: http://www.stlagent.com.
Mr. Cameron also moderates the St Louis Community Forum Message Board at: http://www.stlagent.com/forum.
Foil Tape, Adhesive Tape, Aluminum Tape For Air Conditioning And Insulation
Adhesive tapes are used for various applications in many industries. They come in wide variety of different types and each of them is designed to serve specific tasks. For example, in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (so called HVAC industry) tapes are used to seal mechanical ventilation systems and insulation joints.
The kind of the tape that will be chosen for specific application depends on the
Surface
Application conditions
Service temperature and moisture conditions
Specific service requirements
For example, foil tapes or aluminum foil tapes are used to seal seams and joints of the sheet metal ducts and their connections to the flexible duct. Foil tapes are also often used in the air conditioning to seal joints of flexible ducts to the air grills. So to speak, foil tapes in the air conditioning and ventilation industries are used as often as a thread in the garment industry – whenever you need to join parts and seal the seam from leaks – aluminum foil tape is used.
As for the insulation industry, in now days, it is a common practice to use fiberglass insulation along with the vapour and radiant barrier (so called facing). Since vapour/radiant barrier is, typically, aluminum foil reinforced with Kraft paper and fiberglass yarn scrim, another kind of tapes is designed to seal joints of radiant and vapour barriers. Usually, adhesive FSK tapes are applied on the similar insulation facing. Thus FSK tapes are used for FSK faced duct wrap, FSK faced duct boards, or FSK faced insulation in many types of residential and commercial buildings. Simply speaking, for the normal performance of insulation facing or radiant barrier every joint has to be sealed with the adhesive FSK tape.
There are many other kinds of tapes used for the air-conditioning, heating, ventilation industry as well as for the insulation. Various types of adhesives provide broad range of application conditions from a very cold (-35 degrees F) temperatures up to very hot temperatures (250 degrees F). There are also flame retardant adhesives, high stick adhesives etc. There are also many more types of reinforcement, which are designed for different surfaces, applications, insulation facings an
1000
d radiant barriers.
For almost anything you do in insulation, air conditioning, or ventilation, the installer would need a roll or two of a good quality self adhesive tape, and a wide choice of these products is available.
By: alsteves
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
For more information on high quality competitively priced pressure sensitive aluminum foil tapes, FSK tapes, and other tapes for ventilation and insulation industries, go to www.calemtech.com .
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