Bellingham Water Pressure

Update to a post of a few days ago. I added a water pressure regulator to this building's incoming service. The new pressure is at 70 psi from 140 psi.

Any pressure above 80 psi has to be regulated. It's an international code to save water. With most of Bellingham on metered water now, the difference in your billed usage between 140 psi and 60 psi is considerable.

P-Traps in Bellingham

Or lack, thereof.

A p-trap prevents sewer gas from entering your house. It looks pretty simple, but it's engineered to work in conjunction with air (vent) and gravity (Sir Isaac Newton). Many DIYers scoff at the science of drainage, as the first picture shows a shower without a p-trap. The second picture is Ball Plumbing's contribution to the science of drains: Drainology.

Bellingham Plumber water pressure

Another holiday season in Bellingham, WA. with freaky weather and everything!

Plumbing problems don't care about the weather, though. This picture is from a house in the Happy Valley neighborhood of Bellingham. I've been trying to replace the water service (meter to house) for a week using the national weather forecasts. Good luck to them....

When I replace the service, the pressure regulator gets replaced. In this house built in the '70s, there hasn't been a regulator ever.

Bellingham plumber snowed in!

The tom cat was raising heck last night and I responded with the usual empty threat. Empty because it's already neutered.  Its whole complaint was about the 5 inches of snow, which is a very valid complaint.

It's going to be a rough winter. Prepare now by reading the last blog on 10/31/2017.

Hey Bellingham! Winter is Coming! Protect Your Plumbing!

Halloween is the bookmark in the calendar to winterize your buildings. 

1. Disconnect all garden hoses.

2. Turn off lawn sprinklers.

3. Close up crawlspace vents.

4. Set thermostat to a minimum of 60f.

During Freeze Warnings:

5. Monitor winter weather warnings.

6. At a bathroom faucet, turn on a cold water to the smallest stream possible. WARNING: Make sure the drain is working at the sink. Turn the water off at the end of freeze. I don't like this method, as it wastes water, but it's effective.

7. If your water heater is in the garage, try to keep garage door closed and the garage warm. Water heater blankets aren't recommended by most models.

Ball Plumbing's new helper

This young guy decided to show some initiative and jumped right in. He didn't work out, though, as I caught him sleeping on the job. The job was in Whatcom County near Bellingham, WA.'s city limits.

Bellingham Wa Plumbing Rooster

Warm water toilet

I found this mixing valve at a customer's new-to-her house in North Bellingham, WA. It mixes hot and cold water for the toilet. I've never seen this on a regular toilet and didn't find any reason for it.

It doesn't hurt the toilet, I guess, as bidets are built the same as a toilet? My customer elected to keep it for her own mysterious reasons. No, I didn't ask and don't want to know..lol.

Warm water toilet in N. Bellingham, WA