Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Washing machine stoppage

 Had a call out to one of those 70 year old houses on Sunset for a washing machine stoppage. My snake couldn't get past the "saxophone trap." The drains are original; Durham and galvanized steel.

I cut out the trap and found this hard rubber tubing stuck in the stand pipe along with decades of built up crud. I replaced the trap, standpipe, and the drain to the closest Durham fitting.

Washing machine stoppage


Wednesday, February 24, 2021

The Month of Kitchen Sinks!

Before Barkley Plumbing
 
After Barkley Plumbing


New disposer and sink drains with a healthy dose of plumbing experience got this otherwise nice kitchen functioning again.

Thursday, February 11, 2021

Dishwasher Air gaps

 It's Washington code to have an airgap installed on a dishwasher. It's purpose is to prevent dirty water from backflowing into the dishwasher. It must be installed a minimum 1" above flood level, which is the top of the sink. It's discharge has to be before the p-trap.

 Pretty basic stuff.

The residential airgap has been redundant for decades. 

Dishwashers come with a looped drain in the back of the unit, one. Two, the dishwasher pump--the one that forces the water out--has an internal check valve preventing water to go back into the machine. derp...

Now, why am I ranting? Lookie here:

Bellingham dishwasher air gap



This air gap is installed under the sink, then covered by insulation! The reason it was installed under the sink is the beautiful countertop only has one hole for the faucet.

That's the third one in two weeks! Guys, air gaps leak eventually and if you put them under the sink it will damage the cabinet, wall, and floor.

Insurance won't cover the damage because of glaring code violation.


By the way, the insulation was a first for me. The owner said it's a "Canadian thing" and shall remain. And so it does.

Saturday, January 9, 2021

New website

 The old one was a little out-of-date; quick and responsive, but tired.

The new one is very 2021. I'm adding and deleting stuff, too.

www.barkleyplumbing.net

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Bellingham's One Day of Winter

 

I was only stuck for a few minutes, just long enough for the working-at-home-desperately-needing-a-distraction crowd to gawk at me.

12/23/2020 Barkley Village

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Bellingham garbage disposer turns into a bigger job....

 This is a kitchen in a inherited-rental-soon-to-be-sold Bellingham house.

Yep, needs replacing pretty soon.

New disposer and drains..

and new sink, faucet, and air gap!


Saturday, December 5, 2020

Barkley Plumbing has joined the Chamber of Commerce!


I don't know what's going on with Chrome, but just select the link and go to the Chamber...

https://business.bellingham.com/list/member/barkley-plumbing-5095183

Bellingham Chamber