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Whether it’s small or big, we all know how damaging a leaking pipe can be. As Benjamin Franklin said “A small leak will sink a great ship.” That’s why, prevention to leakage is better than cure. But, preventing a possible pipe damage is not always easy, especially for people with no experience in this category. One of the best ways to save your home or working space is by knowing and understating common situations that cause this leaks to develop. Luckily, you don’t need to know everything there is, but it’s important to understand the basics, especially when it comes to leaks and you don’t have time to call a professional.

There are a number of factors that work together and cause leaks and damage to your pipes. Depending on the number and degree of these factors, most leaks occur due to one of the following causes listed below. Understanding and finding the cause of damage on time can help you know when to contact a professional, or even better, save more time and fix the problem by yourself.

1.  Advanced corrosion

As we all know, no pipe material can last forever. With the wrong circumstances, a pipe can show signs of corrosion very early. In short, pipe corrosion is a natural destruction of the pipe material and as any other naturally occurring hazard, it can be life threatening and very expensive to fix. When noticed, the worse thing you can do is ignore the problem. If you have an older plumbing system, the best thing is to replace the pipes with high risk of corrosion, or call a professional.

2. Excess water pressure

At first, this type of problem can even feel nice, for example when showering. But, the harder your water hits the pipes, the greater the risk of eventual leaks. If the plumbing is not done right, the pipes can crack or burst. The best way to prevent this is by installing a pressure regulator.

3. Clogs

This is a cause that we are all familiar with. Hair, grease or even food can lead to a clogged pipe, which is why this is one of the most common causes of pipe damage. Untreated clogs may seem like an inconvenience at worst as you’ll only notice in the beginning that the water drains slower. But, if left untreated, this can lead to big leakage and pipe damage which can be very expensive to fix. The best way to prevent this is by paying attention to the harmful substances and materials you flush down the pipes.

4. Temperature change

No one likes taking a cold shower. In all times, you need both hot and cold water running through your home or workplace. But, be careful. Sudden and unexpected temperature changes can force your pipes to expand and contract. This can then lead the pipes to burst or crack, leading to leakages.

5. Bad workmanship

Although not so common, incorrect pipe laying can also lead to a water leak or clogged pipe. That’s why, plumbing should always be done by a professional, or, if you do it yourself, you should be very well informed. Small mistakes that are not noticeable right away can cause massive amount of water leaks and damage the pipes. If you suspect some irregularities in your pipe laying, the best thing to do is call a professional and ask for help. It is always better to prevent the problem, than to fix the damage that can occur.

Every problem has a solution!

Lastly, remember, it’s natural to freak out when a water leak or damaging pipe occurs. The key is to take action right away, whether that be calling a professional or fixing the problem by yourself. If you choose the latter, we hope the information above will help you fix the damage.

Whether it’s a small or big business, your company needs to acquire new equipment constantly, in order to deliver the best services to the customers. Unfortunately, as we all know, buying new equipment frequently can cost a lot of money. That is why in the last few years equipment renting services became a popular option among many companies. Thanks to this rental services, companies can save a lot of money which can then be spent on other projects, and also improve the flexibility of the business.

As with every other service, renting has its own pros and cons, although out of the three options, buying, renting or leasing – renting tends to have the most pros and the least cons. That is why it is really important to thoroughly analyze your situation and financial status before making a decision, so that you can choose the best option for the future of your business.  Before making this decision, you may want to consider the most common benefits and drawbacks that come with renting:

5 benefits of renting your equipment:

• You only pay for it while you use it – When working on more short-term projects, the best option is to rent rather than pay for new equipment. This is also really convenient when the builds equire particular pieces of equipment which are more specific and you probably won’t use again after the job is done. Because of that, you can add the rental price to the job pricing.
• You don’t have to deal with maintenance and breakdowns – Renting a piece of equipment almost always includes In the event of a breakdown, the rental company will be able to send a professional to deal with the problem or simply replace it with a new one.
• “Test-drive” before purchasing – Sometimes it can be hard deciding what piece of equipment will work the best for your business. Buying the piece can be a waste of money, especially if you later find out it’s not quite what you need. This is where rental companies come really in handy. Through them, you can test different equipment and later decide which one works the best for your business.
• Staying up to date with technology – As we all know, new and easier-to-use technology is developed everyday. It’s no secret that using modern technology can make the job much easier. That is why spending a lot of money on buying a piece of equipment can be a big risk, when there are new and easier ways to get the job done invented constantly. By renting, you have the chance to be using the best of construction equipment technology.
• Reduction in paperwork – Depending on when and how frequently you rent, renting reduces this administrative duty because it makes budgeting far simpler. Plus, the rental can be deducted as a business expense. As another bonus, you don’t have to deal with other fleet management tasks like like inspections, transportation and storage of equipment.

When renting is not the best option:

• Long-term projects – As we already said, when working on short-term projects, renting is the best option. Naturally, opposite of this, renting equipment for long-term projects can be expensive. If you’re using a piece of equipment for a long time, it can be much cheaper to buy it. Decide the best option now, considering all factors, and save time and money later.
• The equipment might not be available – Although you have a lot of flexibility when renting, the equipment you need may not be available when you need it. This can be a big problem when you have short notice before starting the job. The good thing is that number of rental companies is increasing, but the bad side is that you can never be 100% sure that you won’t miss out the piece you need for a specific job.
• Can’t get your money back – One of the bigger problems when renting equipment is that you can’t get any part of the investment back. When you’re buying a piece of equipment, there is a big chance you can later re-sale it if you keep it in good shape. With renting, you don’t really have this option because you don’t own the equipment.

As we already said, renting tends to have a lot more benefits and a small amount of drawbacks. However, it is always best to consider all of them, in order to make the best decision for your business. Consider all the option and choose what will work best for you!

For starters, let’s define Filtration and Separation.

In short, filtration and separation can be any mechanical, physical or biological operation used to separate solids from liquids, by causing the latter to pass through the pores of some substance, called a filter. This filter can be paper, cotton-wool, sand or any other porous material.

This processes are used both in nature and in engineered systems. For example, one type of filtration that is useful for all of us is the filtration of the water we are drinking – it’s extremely important to confirm your water has been purified or treated before drinking. This type of separation is relatively easy and water purification can be done by boiling, filtration, distillation or chlorination. While filtration is an important separation technique in engineered systems, it’s also common in everyday life.

Besides filtrating the water we are drinking, there are many more everyday activities where this process can be used:

• Many aquariums use filters
• The kidneys are also an example of a biological filter
• Air conditioners and vacuum cleaners use filter to remove dust
• Brewing coffee involves passing hot water through the ground coffee and a filter

Typically, filtration is an imperfect and a not-so-easy process when it comes to mechanical or physical operations. For example, the two problems that usually occur are that part of the liquid can somehow stay stuck in the filter or some of the small solid parts can find their way through the filter. That’s why, there are different types of filtration. Which method will be used depends largely on whether the solid is a particulate (suspended) or dissolved in the fluid. The important thing is that they all aim to attain the separation of substances. The selection of the appropriate method or technique is usually determined by the nature of the situation. Usually, there are four methods commonly used for filtration and separation: General, Vacuum, Hot and Cold Filtration.

General Filtration

General Filtration, also known as Gravity Filtration , it is the most commonly used method to remove an insoluble solid material from a solution. It is the most basic form that uses gravity to filter a mixture. This mixture is poured from above onto a filter and gravity pulls the liquid down. It uses a polyethylene or glass funnel with a stem and filter paper. Most of the solid in the mixture should settle before filtering. The solid will stay in the filter, while the liquid will flow below it.

Vacuum Filtration

In this type of filtration, the solution that needs to be filtered is drawn through a filter paper by applying a vacuum to a filter flask with a side arm adaptor. It is usually very fast and efficient way of filtering. Related to this, there is a similar technique that uses a pump to form a pressure difference on both sides of the filter. Lastly, when applying vacuum filtration, it is very important that the correct size of filter paper is used.

Cold Filtration

This method uses an ice bath to rapidly cool down the solution instead of  leaving it out to slowly cool down in room temperature. In general, it is used to quickly cool a solution when the solid is initially dissolved, prompting the formation of small crystals instead of getting large crystals when cooling the solution down at room temperature.

Hot Filtration

Sometimes during a Gravity Filtration, crystals can grow in the filter and stop the process of separation. This is where Hot Filtration comes in handy. By using Hot Filtration, the solution, filter and funnel are heated to minimize the formation of crystals in the filter. It is best carried out using a fluted filter paper and a stemless filter funnel. Due to the absence of stem in the filter the re- crystallization of solid in the funnel is prevented. This is one of the most efficient and commonly used measures used to prevent the formation of crystals.

What are the alternatives to filtration?

As with every technique and method, there are many alternatives and separation methods other than filtration. Although filtration is a very efficient method for separation, it can be much more time consuming. For example, if very small amounts of solution are involved, the filter may soak up too much of the fluid and cause a problem. In other cases, the solid material can stay trapped in the filter. That’s why, two other processes that are usually used rather than filtration are decantation and centrifugation. In short, centrifugation involves spinning a sample, rather than filtering the mixture of solid and liquid particles. It can be extremely useful for solids which don’t filter well. In decantation, the layer closer to the top of the container which is less dense of the two liquids is poured off, leaving the other component or the more dense liquid of the mixture behind. It is also known as incomplete separation. Although there are many other alternatives, Filtration is still one of the most efficient and commonly used techniques.

If you’re confused by the terms “In-Situ”, “On-Site” or “In Place”, often used on our web-site, don’t worry, here is all that you need to know!

•  In situ is a Latin phrase that translates literally to “on site” or “in position”. It means “locally”, “on site”, “on the premises” or “in place” to describe an event where it takes place, and is used in many different contexts.

When a damaged machine is too big to be carried out, or it involves too much work to be deconstructed, In-Situ Machinery it’s the way to go.

“In-Situ” Machining describes a situation where the service it’s done without having to strip out and take the machinery to a repair facility. This kind of service it’s quite convenient when the equipment that needs to be repaired it’s big, because there is no need of stripping it down or rotating it. In situ techniques are often more labour-intensive, and take longer, but the materials are cheaper, and the work is versatile and adaptable. The good thing is that this process can be used and implemented in any areas and any industry at any time. This saves a lot of time and money in most cases.

Cracked parts can be repaired on the spot by dismantling only the required area. On large components with heavy engineering needs, where downtime is costly and dismantling the piece to be machined may be complicated, In-Situ Machining Techniques are life-savers.

In order to help our customers do their job faster, safer and without any unwanted interruptions, we bring the most cost-effective, innovative and high-quality solutions through in-situ machining.

Thanks to in-situ machining, there is no need to arrange a save transport of a damaged machine to a workshop. With only one call, you can fix your problem and continue with your daily activities. The workshop is taken to the client and not the other way around.

First things first, let’s start by explaining some basic definitions and terms

What is WasteWater?

In a nutshell, Wastewater (or waste water) is any water that has been affected by human use. Wastewater is “used water from any combination of domestic, industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, surface runoff or stormwater, and any sewer inflow or sewer infiltration”. In simple terms, it’s all the dirty water from municipal sources.

What is its negative impact?

Wastewater contains a lot of pollutants, like bacteria, chemicals and other toxins that have negative impact on both human health and the Earth in general. That’s why, the main purpose of WasteWater treatment is to reduce this contaminants to somewhat acceptable levels and make the water safe for discharge in the environment.

Sources of WasteWater

Mainly, there are 3 sources of WasteWater

1. Domestic Sewage – This is all the wastewater coming from home dwellings, public restrooms, hotels, restaurants, motels, resorts, schools, sports stadiums, hospitals and other health centers. They all produce high volumes of wastewater.
2. Non-sewage – As its name says, this is all the wastewater that comes from other parts, other than sewages: water from floods, rainwater running through cracks in the ground and into gutters, water from swimming pools, from car garages and cleaning centers.
3. Industrial wastewater– Originates from production, industrial and commercial activities, and has a different chemical composition to sewage water.

Explaining WasteWater Treatment

Let’s explain how the WasteWater Treatment actually works. As we said above, it’s a process of converting water that is no longer needed and it’s usually dirty, into clean water that can safely be discharged back into the environment. It is one of the most common forms of pollution control all over the world. Its great importance comes from the fact that most of the wastewater from different industries contains chemicals and other toxins that can largely harm the environment.

Why Treat Wastewater?

Treating WasteWater is a matter of caring for our environment and for our own health. If wastewater is not properly treated, then the environment and human health can be negatively impacted. Wastewater treatment has a number of benefits. For example, it ensures that both the environment and the water are kept clean. While the treated water can be used for many other activities, like cooling machines and preventing outbreak of many diseases, the most important benefit of the treatment is that it ensures useful water for many other purposes, like the growth of agricultural crops, maintaining landscapes, revegetating disturbed soils in dry areas, and so on. Treating WasteWater is a process that helps protect our planet and all the creatures living on it, including you!

How does WasteWater Treatment work?

Usually, there are three wastewater treatment plants, chemical, physical treatment plant or biological wastewater treatment plant. In order to not bore you with a lot of information, biological waste treatment plants use biological matter to get rid of the waste, while physical waste treatment plants use chemical reactions and physical processes to treat wastewater. Biological treatment systems are ideal for treating wastewater from households and business premises. The WasteWater Treatment process is divided in two sections: primary and secondary treatment. “Primary treatment” removes about 60 percent of suspended solids from wastewater. This treatment also involves aerating (stirring up) the wastewater, to put oxygen back in. Secondary treatment removes more than 90 percent of suspended solids.

WasteWater Treatment and the Environment

These days, we are becoming more and more aware of our environmental impact. Although the Earth has the incredible power to heal itself from most of the damage we make, it can only do so much. As rational individuals, we shouldn’t allow wastewater to be disposed in a way that is dangerous for both our own health and all other life forms on Earth. With that being said, Industrial water filtration and treatment systems are the most at fault for release of toxic waste from chemical treatments, which is why, there is a high demand for WasteWater Treatment materials.

Why choose SafeTechnical?

As we have said many times before, proper WasteWater treatment equipment is vitally important to a successful treatment process. With over 30 years of experience and with the help of our partners, we combine science and technology to provide innovations that help our customers efficiently treat wastewater while still being a budget-friendly option.

CHRIS-MARINE specialises in the design and development of maintenance machines for diesel engines for use on board ships, at power plants and in workshops. Chris-Marine machines are approved and recommended by major engine builders worldwide and are market leaders within their fields of application.

CHRIS-MARINE works closely with all major international engine builders in the development of grinding and cutting techniques and working methods for the maintenance for slow speed and medium speed engines.