How-To Plumbing

How-To Plumbing

Did you know when you bought your house that there was always going to be something that needed to be done to it? I remember when the first Home Depot opened in my area – I was a kid in south Florida, and I thought to myself, “Who would want to go there? They will never stay in business.” Such was the naiveté of a youngster who had no idea what it takes to keep a house well-maintained. From broken screens to leaky faucets to wood rot to tile installation to putting up storm windows, a house needs constant attention, and if you hire someone for every little thing, you can be paying a pretty hefty price tag. It really pays to learn what you can and become a DIY enthusiast.

Although many people are afraid to try their hand at it, there are lots of simple plumbing situations that most homeowners can take care of themselves, so if you don’t particularly relish the thought of paying a plumber sixty dollars an hour to come replace the washer on your bathroom faucet, how-to plumbing guides may be just what you need.

How-to plumbing guides can save you a fortune over the life of your home ownership years, and you would be amazed at the satisfaction you can get from fixing some of the household problems that arise yourself. As a woman with four brothers and a husband, I never had to do much fixing up around the house, and the idea of accidentally getting toilet water in my shower was pretty good at keeping me from learning about the pipes and stuff in the house. But now, my brothers live hours away and my husband is now my ex husband, so I braved up, found courage, and sought the advice of how-to plumbing guides when my kitchen sink sprang a leak. It took me longer than it would have taken a plumber, I’m sure, but the leak is gone and my confidence is up.

Five Things to Consider When Looking For a Good Plumber

Five Things to Consider When Looking For a Good Plumber

Plumbing problems can be pretty common, especially in older homes. They can come in as simple a task as a leaky faucet or clogged drain to something more complex like installing a slop sink or adding a laundry room. Some of the small jobs can easily be handled by a handy homeowner, while others are so complex that your average homeowner shouldn’t even begin to consider tackling them on their own.

If you have a major plumbing undertaking there are things you should certainly consider before hiring a plumbing contractor to do your work.

Price

Price is often a very big issue when considering home repair and the cost difference between one plumber’s services and another’s can be drastic. In a case like this it’s not always wise to choose based solely on the price. The lowest priced plumber may be so because that is the quality of work that he provides, you want to get the most qualified plumber for the best price rather than any plumber at the best price. When shopping for a plumber that will do your work, look for those that provide free estimates. If your situation isn’t one that’s an absolute emergency that requires immediate attention, than get several estimates from various plumbers to compare.

Experience

You don’t necessarily want to hire a plumber that’s only had his license for a very short period of time (or worse yet a plumber that doesn’t have a license at all). Experience is one of the most valuable tools that a plumber can possess, the more that a plumber is accustomed to doing a job the better prepared he will be to handle any problems or surprises that jump up in the middle of the project. Experience may cost you a higher hourly rate, but it will also likely get the job done much faster.

Guarantees

What kind of guarantee comes along with the plumber’s work that you are considering? Will he offer a written agreement that guarantees his work for one week? For thirty days? For ninety days? If you don’t get a guarantee in writing covering anything that goes wrong with the work, you may be responsible for paying for the repair again if something does go wrong.

References

This is a big one, maybe the most important. If you don’t personally know the plumber that will be doing your work, or know someone that he’s done work for than getting references are imperative. You want to hear from people that have actually had work done by the plumber how he is to work with, how fast he completes jobs, if he’s fair, honest etc. If a plumber you are considering doesn’t have at least a few references for you to contact regarding his work than you need to be considering someone else.

A License

A plumber needs to be licensed, bonded and insured to be doing any kind of work in your home. Large plumbing job’s require city or township permits and will sometimes require that the plumber you hire to perform the work be licensed. The license number should be prominently displayed on the plumber’s truck and in their advertisements so you know that they are a legitimate plumber.

If your plumber is licensed, bonded and insured you can be certain that you are protected in case anything should go wrong. If a problem occurs as a result of the plumber’s work to something non-related to the original problem, then the plumber’s insurance should protect you.

A reputable business is also more likely to stand by their work and to provide emergency plumber service in the event that a problem arises with something that they worked on.

You can choose to look for any other qualities that you wish in a plumbing contractor, you can shop for a plumber with a good personality, one that helps out in your community, or one that attends your church – but five of the most important considerations should be the ones listed above. Plumbing is an integral part of the operation of your home so you want the work done quickly and properly, by a highly qualified professional.

De-Clog Your Drain

How to Efficiently De-Clog Your Drain With Organic Cleaning Products

clogged drains is not just nasty, they can also give you headaches. Drains can be impacted by hairs (in your bathroom) and bits of food stuffs (in your kitchen sink). It is really necessary to clear out clogged rains as it is annoying to have a slow draining bathroom or sink.

Natural products such as vinegar, baking soda and a plunger will do all your problems with drains. But you may also use natural cleaning products with this as they are more efficient and safer.

So before you start with the cleaning, you have to prepare your own cleaning solution. Mix one part of vinegar (preferable white vinegar) and five parts of water in a spray bottle or any container.

You can also make use of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) or borax mixed with white vinegar. Do not forget to wear utility gloves with the next steps as these may get nasty. Remove the screw on your drain first to ensure access.

Pour your cleaning solution down the drain (kitchen sink or bathroom drain) and leave it for at least 20 minutes or you can use baking soda solution with this and you will notice that the foamy concentration will effectively clear your drains. After 20 minutes, pour hot water (preferably freshly boiled water) on your drain.

Use your long plunger to agitate the impacted material. You may also want to block sink overflow to build suction Again, flush your drain with hot water. Allow water to completely drain. Repeat the previous steps until there are no visible stuffs that clog up your drain.

Remember that this method works best if your drain is clogged up completely. After doing the steps and repeating them twice or thrice, you should see an improvement. If after how many times you still fail to see any progress, contact professional help.

Concentrated vinegar solution is very much available through your natural food grocery store. It works best at dissolving clogs. When choosing plungers, it is preferable to buy a small size sink plunger that is available at hardware stores.

A small amount of salt, when poured directly into the clogged drain may unfreeze drain pipes. This is most useful when the pipes are exposed to very low temperatures or during winter. De-freezing your clogged drain is necessary in order to effectively flush water during the winter season.

However it is unnecessary and at the same time dangerous to use the previously mentioned salt technique when you are using other chemicals. It is possible to encounter corroded or rusty drain pipes. You may want to use rust removal products when using this and you are sure that rusty drainpipes will be gone for good.

Just a few warnings, concentrated vinegar or acetic acid, being acidic, can cause skin, eyes, throat and nose irritations. So make sure that you avoid contact with your skin, clothing and especially your eyes. Never ever play “mad scientist” when formulating your solutions and cleaning your drains.

Do not experiment with cleaning products as most chemical products are caustic and hazardous to you. Consider using natural cleaning products as they are especially produced to eliminate the dangerous effects to your health and to your house.

Some products, particularly chemical products, are very virulent that it may even require protective barriers making it difficult for you to efficiently do your cleaning. These natural products, however, does not even require much scrubbing so you can clean with ease!

How to Perform Maintenance on a Sump Pump

How to Perform Maintenance on a Sump Pump

Locate sump pump pit in your basement floor. Usually this is in a corner and along an exterior wall. To help find it, look for a white plastic pipe extending out of a possibly covered pit (black lid) up and then through the floor joist line (box sill) of your house’s framing.

After locating the pit and then the pump, unplug the pump from the nearby outlet. Next, unscrew the flat screws located on the Check Valve installed in the white plastic pipe extending upward.

After loosening all screws, you should be able to twist the check valve loose and then remove it from the white plastic pipe. Do so now.

Now with your unit unplugged and separated from the pipe, lift the sump pump out of the pit in the floor. Be prepared for some water to drain out and it may be discolored so don’t let it land on a finished floor. Remove unit to the laundry tub sink or transport it outside near a hose.

Rinse the unit off with water using the scrub brush if necessary to remove the sticky discolored residue on the unit. This discoloration came from the minerals in the water or dirt particles draining into the pipe located around the perimeter of your house.

Turn the unit upside down and remove the screws holding the impeller guard. Remove all debris from this area and the hole leading our of the impeller area. Re-assemble the guard with screws.

Double check the float mechanism making sure it is free and clear of all build up. You may be able to hear it click if you manually push on the float.

Clean out sump pump pit the best you can removing any trash or build up. Place sump pump back in the pit, rotate unit to align with drain pipe.

Re-assemble the check valve over the ends of both pipes. Tighten screws.

Plug sump pump back into the outlet. Double check that that outlet has power. I like to tape my plug to the outlet so I know it doesn’t accidentally come unplugged.

Either wait for the pit to fill up part way with water or pour some in. Make certain the sump pump turns on AND turns off. Double check the float mechanism is not obstructed and moves (if applicable) freely.

You have just relieved undo “pressure” from your sump pump which will translate into a longer working life. Worth it? Of course it was.