Northern Vancouver sits right on the Cascadia Subduction Zone, also referred to as the Cascadia Fault. The Juan de Fuca Plate and the North American Plate meet at this point just off the coast of Vancouver Island. Experts say that the city may be in danger of a mega-quake, notwithstanding its relatively safe history of major earthquakes happening only once every 500 years.

Water and gas pipes may be the first ones to get hit by the tremors, disrupting the flow of water in homes and causing fires. While it's anyone's guess when the next earthquake will be, Richmond plumbing firms suggest that you prepare for it. There's no telling whether or not the plates may decide to break the habit of one earthquake every 500 years.

Earthquake strapping

If you use a tank-type water heater, it's important that you secure the tank to keep it from falling and rupturing gas and water lines. A number of cities and towns have made it compulsory for homes and offices to secure their tanks with earthquake strapping. The straps are bolted to the walls to act as a restraint for the water heater.

The straps are attached at the front and rear of the water heater and usually go in pairs for maximum restraint capacity. The best place for your heater to be is in the corner and close to the wall for the straps to be easily placed. The straps are also called plumber's tape.

Earthquake shut-off valve

When gas lines rupture as a result of the tremor, it could set off an explosion that could destroy or damage multiple houses and buildings. In light of this, Vancouver plumbing services advise installing an earthquake shut-off valve for the gas lines. This will prevent the gas from leaking into the house and can consequently avert a catastrophe.

Like most shut-off valves, the earthquake shut-off valve can be operated manually to block the flow of gas during an earthquake. It should only be activated the moment you smell gas inside the house or hear the hissing of gas leaking out of a broken pipe. You may need a wrench for the shutoff procedure.

Seismic expansion joints

Most earthquake-proof buildings survive the tremor with little to no damage by moving with the tremor. Seismic expansion joints allow pipes to do the same thing to minimize the damage of the tremor to the pipes.

Spring cleaning often involves thoroughly tidying up one's house-from the basement to the attic-and fixing all sorts of things that need repair. This includes keeping Coquitlam plumbing systems in tip-top shape. Clearing clogged pipes and drain pumps is best done at this time. Here are some useful guidelines that allow homeowners to keep their pipes well-maintained throughout the seasons.

One can start by inspecting sump pumps to ascertain they are in working order. Checking them regularly makes sure they are ready for the expected increase in the volume of liquid flowing through a residential plumbing system as household members become more active with warmer weather setting in. Remember to replace the batteries in portable sump pumps with new ones. Even when left unused for extended periods, batteries are constantly being drained of power.

Aside from pumps, drainage systems should also be checked by homeowners after extended usage. Check the faucets in all bathrooms and the kitchen for any sign of potential leakage-especially the fixtures installed in backyards, as the winter months may expose faucet components to wear and tear.

Inspecting them could yield hints of small leaks or minor damage. Avoid major headaches by addressing the problem immediately or by replacing defective fixtures. Occasionally, twisting the valves under your sinks back and forth helps prevent them from sticking. Repeated temperature changes causing metal fixtures to expand and contract correspondingly could result in loose valves or in knobs freezing shut.

Pipes are not limited to kitchens and bathrooms. Overhead gutters and roofing systems use drainage pipes and PVC spouts where leaves and other solid debris could accumulate during winter, causing them to clog up. Spring is an ideal time for plumbers in Richmond, BC to unclog gutter systems and prime them for rainy weather that's sure to come in the late spring and summer.

As spring approaches, humidity fluctuates often; and wooden structures tend to suffer more from these changes. It is the perfect time to check if your wood installations enclosing water pipes are still safe for general use. If not, replace them immediately. Check out squidoo.com/spring-plumbing-tips2 for more tips on keeping pipes in top shape during spring.

A great deal of diseases can be transmitted through human waste, fluids, and even infected tissue paper. This is why hospitals, clinics, and other medical institutions are required by the government to adhere to standard protocols when it comes to disposing of their used needles, syringes, and other hazardous biological wastes.

Unlike refuse coming from residential or commercial properties, medical waste, also referred to as clinical waste, needs to be properly managed and eliminated to avoid the spread of diseases, pollutants, and toxins. Hence, health institutions that require assistance or advice regarding proper solid and liquid waste disposal often turn to experts from well-established companies, such as Milani, to make sure that their disposal methods are safe and effective.

Categories of Medical Waste

From surgical gloves to laboratory materials, medical waste can be classified into four categories. They could fall under radioactive, infectious, general, or hazardous waste, and are usually processed separately from ordinary trash (papers, plastic bottles, etc). Each type of clinical waste has specific management approaches and methods of containment.

Common Ways of Medical Waste Disposal

Establishments can choose to either hire a waste management company or set up an in-house waste processing unit. Waste management companies usually do solid and liquid waste removal services by picking up the packed trash and then transporting it to their facilities for treatment and incineration. On the other hand, smaller clinics or healthcare centers choose to invest in steam sterilizers or incinerators to manage their own clinical waste.

Alternative Medical Waste Management

Due to the rising threat of climate change and global warming, a number of environmental researchers are discovering and developing eco-friendly ways to dispose of medical waste. Because incinerators are known as producers of greenhouse gases, alternative devices and practices are currently preferred by some institutions. Green medical waste management technologies that are coupled with shredding include Steam Treatment, Microwave Exposure, Chemical Disinfection, and Hot Water/Chemical Sterilization.

Other than the usual sewer inspection, medical facilities are obliged to update themselves on the most recent practices of clinical waste management. And since the goals of such establishments are to cure and prevent the spread of disease, it's only right that they employ appropriate waste management techniques to support their main objective and purpose.

Water is life-no one can dispute that. The human body is mostly made up of water, plants need water to grow, and most of your household chores need water. It's no surprise that the first cities spawned close to the rivers; earlier civilizations realized how important water was to everyone's survival.

Today, Plumbers in Richmond BC continue to bring life into every home and office in BC, and will likely do so for as long as there's water to go around. Rivers and other sources of fresh water provided the first cities the means to grow their food, clean themselves, and quench their thirst. At first, there was hardly any plumbing. Back then, it was backbreaking work, i.e., fetching water from the river using buckets.

No more buckets

Around 4,000 to 3,000 B.C., the Indus civilization changed the way the world got its water. In 1922, a team of archaeologists stumbled upon ruins of two notable cities along the Indus River: Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. What surprised them was the fact that they found clay pipes in the bathrooms that led to underground sewers. At least they didn't have to go to and from the river.

From clay to copper

At least 500 years later, settling along the Nile River, the ancient Egyptians took a giant leap toward plumbing. They were among the first to enhance the delivery of water by using copper pipes, a trend that still persists today. Plumbers in Vancouver say copper pipes are used mainly due to the fact that they are resistant against corrosion. They also ward off harmful bacteria.

Systematic sewers

It's not enough that plumbing lets fresh water in, as it also has to let waste water out. Along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in the country we now know as Iraq, ancient Babylon developed the science of what is called “hydraulic engineering.” After all, it must've taken a complex system of canals and sewers to help grow the plants of the Hanging Gardens.

In general, the river civilizations knew a lot about water and plumbing. While modern cities don't use clay pipes anymore and have more advanced sewage systems, it wouldn't have been possible if the first cities hadn't introduced them. Vancouver plumbers still apply to this day the things we've learned from those ancient civilizations.