If you have a garbage disposal in your Port Deposit home, as most people do these days, you probably consider it an indispensible part of your household plumbing. However, it is not uncommon for odor problems to develop with a garbage disposal. This is certainly an unpleasant situation, but luckily it can usually be quickly and effectively remedied.

The main reason that garbage disposals begin to smell is that they catch bits of food and other items that go down the drain. This is perfectly normal, and all you have to do to keep it from becoming a bigger problem for you is to clean your garbage disposal on a regular basis.

If you are up for a pretty intensive cleaning, you can turn your garbage disposal off and take off any removable parts for scrubbing with soap and warm water. It is vital that you make sure your garbage disposal is off and stays off as you do this. This is a great way to take care of a garbage disposal odor, but it will not keep it from coming back.

It is also not necessary to get in there and deep clean your garbage disposal on a regular basis. Instead, you can carry out a few less intensive procedures to help keep your garbage disposal odor free. No matter what cleaning method you use, it is also important to remember to keep your water running any time you turn your garbage disposal on and for about thirty seconds afterwards. This can go a long way towards ensuring that food and other sediment does not build up inside.

One of the reasons that garbage disposals seem difficult to clean is because you cannot use many of the more common household cleaning chemicals on them. Harsher chemicals can damage or erode parts of the garbage disposal, potentially causing larger problems for you later on. Fortunately, there are actually a lot of products that you probably have around your house already that can make cleaning your garbage disposal and getting rid of the unpleasant odor a quick and easy chore.

One good solution is to cut a lemon in half and put it down your garbage disposal along with some baking soda. Once they are down there, turn on the water and then turn on the garbage disposal. Leave it running until you are sure the lemon is gone and you can be confident that the smell will be gone also.

Low water pressure in your Kemblesville home can make just about everything from showering to cleaning more difficult. It is frustrating, but it often seems like there is very little you can do about it. In fact, you may be able to improve your water pressure in a variety of ways, but the appropriate technique will depend on the root cause of your problem.

There are several different possible causes for low water pressure. If the problem is limited to certain areas or fixtures in the house, it may very well be because the pipes feeding that area or fixture are too small. Smaller pipes will only allow a smaller amount of water to pass through at once, making it impossible for you to get the force you are after.

Fixing this, of course, means putting in larger pipes, and that may be easier said than done. However, if the problem is on a small scale, you should not have too much trouble or need to pay too much to have a professional complete the job. A problem in a particular fixture can also result from small clogs or backups in the fixture itself, and this is a relatively easy situation to remedy as well.

A low water pressure problem that affects your whole house can result if the main pipes feeding into your house are too small. This could be the case if your house has been added onto since it was built or if you have more people living there now and using more water.

Replacing those incoming pipes is a big job, but it is often the only way to increase your water pressure and make it possible for the system to satisfy the water needs of the house. This is definitely something you will want to have a professional work on, and while it can be costly, it will be well worth it in the end.

Another possible reason that you might have low house-wide water pressure is that you live at the end of the area water system or that you use an improperly located well. If your well is downhill from your home, for instance, you should consider installing a booster pump that can help move the water into your house more efficiently. The same remedy can work if you live on the outskirts of town and at the limit of your town’s water system.

Garbage disposals are becoming more and more prevalent in homes across the country, including Oxford, PA. So the chances are pretty high that you have one in your home. Garbage disposals definitely make getting rid of food waste easier. Instead of scraping all those plates and dishes into the garbage first, you can simply flush it all down the drain, run the garbage disposal and it magically disappears.

But do you really know what is happening when you turn on that wonderful garbage disposal and where all your food is really going? The truth is that a garbage disposal is not a particularly complicated piece of equipment. There are some variations, but in general your garbage disposal has a motor attached to rotating blades which are located in a chamber below your sink that is attached to your drain.

When you put food down the garbage disposal and turn it on, these blades shred the food into small enough pieces that it can pass safely through your drain pipes and out into the sewer system. The shredded food then runs with the water back into your main drainage system and passes out of your house.

This is a pretty simple operation, but there are some things you should be aware of if you use a garbage disposal in your home. First of all, it is important to never reach into the garbage disposal when it is running. If you need to reach in, make sure the unit is switched off. It is even a good idea to shut off the power to the garbage disposal entirely so that it cannot be turned on by accident while your hand is in there.

You may notice a foul odor coming from the garbage disposal after a period of time too. This is common and easy enough to fix, but you will have to get down into the garbage disposal to get rid of the smell. The smell simply comes from residue of the food you have put down the garbage disposal and that needs to be cleaned off so the smell will go away.

Again, make sure you have the garbage disposal turned off completely before you reach in to take parts out to clean them. You can also put baking soda, vinegar or half a lemon down the garbage disposal and run it in order to combat a persistent smell or to keep one from developing.

There are plenty of situations in which you will need the services of a professional plumber in Colora. And when you have a plumbing emergency, you really need it to be addressed as quickly as possible. But how do you know which plumber to call? It is likely that all of them can get the job done, but you want to make sure you do not have to pay too much and that the work is done right so that the same problem does not recur in the near future.

Since an emergency repair needs to be done quickly, it is a good idea to come up with a list of possible plumbers ahead of time. Of course, if you are hiring a plumber to work on a new construction installation or home remodeling project, you will have more time to research your options. But it is important to note that, while all plumbers can likely perform repairs, it is better to get someone who specializes in that type of work you need to have done.

When you are evaluating your plumber options, one of the first things to check is whether or not they have all necessary state certifications and licenses. Even if these licenses are not legally required for a plumber to work in your area, it is better to hire someone who has them because you can have greater confidence that they are aware of all of the local codes and restrictions.

If you are hiring a plumber for a home renovation or installation job, be sure to have them come out to examine your house and give you a detailed estimate for the materials and costs involved in the process. You may even want to get several estimates from different plumbers before you make your final decision.

And do not forget one of the greatest resources you have when searching for a plumber – your family and friends. Gathering recommendations from someone who has used a particular plumber before is an excellent way for you to narrow down the potential options and find a plumber you can have confidence in. Just make sure that you know what type of work the plumber did for your friends so that you know if it is comparable to the type of project you have in mind.

A toilet is a relatively basic piece of plumbing equipment, but that does not mean that installing it is easy. This is certainly a job that many people can do on their own, but you should be prepared to devoting the majority of your day to the project. While the installation itself is not terribly complicated, it is quite important that you get it right, so make sure you have all of the necessary materials, equipment and tools before you begin.

The first thing to remember is that you need to install your toilet in an appropriate place relative to the rest of your bathroom plumbing. Especially if you are installing your toilet along a branch drain, make sure that the sink, shower and any other plumbing fixtures are upstream of the spot where you will be installing the toilet.

You will also need to make sure that you install the toilet an appropriate distance from the wall. You need to be able to get around the toilet, and you also want to leave space so that work can be performed on the unit later. Putting your toilet too close to the wall can cause all kinds of complications in the way the unit functions and there is also a possibility of condensation build-up. For all of these reasons, it is important to make sure you are allowing an adequate amount of space on all sides.

The procedure you will have to follow when installing a toilet will be slightly different depending on whether you are installing it in a new spot or simply replacing an existing unit. When replacing an old toilet, you need to remove everything involved in the previous installation. That means taking the old bolts out of the floor and scraping away any residue to ensure that you have a clean and even surface to begin your installation on.

You should also make sure that you are aware of all applicable local codes before you begin your work. Even if you technically install your toilet correctly, you could run into trouble later on if your installation is not actually up to code. It is also important to remember to level all of your fixtures before you complete the installation process and to make sure you use a dielectric or brass fitting when attaching galvanized steel and copper to each other.

There are quite a few things to consider when you are choosing a type of shower installation. Whether you are simply redoing an older shower or are having a new one completely installed, you will have to decide whether you want to go with a prefabricated installation or a more traditional tile interior. Both of these types of installations have their own sets of advantages and disadvantages, so determining which one is right for you will have a good deal to do with the particulars of your situation.

Prefab installations are generally made out of fiberglass or acrylic, making them lighter and less expensive than the tile alternatives. This is always great if you are on a budget, and it can benefit you in other ways as well. For instance, if you are trying to install a shower in an area without substantial floor support, a prefab installation is ideal because the shower stall simply does not weigh that much.

But prefab shower installations also have their drawbacks. They are not as versatile, particularly the one-piece installations, and they are only available in a set number of sizes and styles. And while you can touch them up to a certain extent when cracks develop, the likelihood is higher that you will have to replace a prefab unit sooner than you would a tiled one.

Tiled shower installations are certainly more labor-intensive to design and install. And this, of course, means that they cost more overall. But they also offer you a much wider range of design and installation possibilities. They can be made to fit any space and are especially convenient when you are remodeling your home because the materials used can easily be carried through spaces large and small.

If you are looking for a do-it-yourself project, however, a tile shower installation may not be for you. While it is possible to complete this type of project on your own, there are a lot of factors you will have to take into account. Also, the work takes much longer than a prefab installation would. The end result may be much more pleasing, but you will definitely have to work for it.

And even if you have professionals install your tile shower, it will take more than the one day the prefab installations usually take. So before you set your shower installation choice in stone, take some time to carefully consider the pros and cons of each.

Quite simply, everyone needs to have a working toilet in their home. Of course, when we do, we tend to take it for granted. Most people really do not know much about how their toilets work and how much water they use, and acquiring that information can be beneficial to you for several reasons. Toilet tips can help you save money, catch problems early and generally get the most out of your toilet.

Water-saving devices are always useful on toilets. Even if you did not buy a water-saver toilet to begin with, you can convert your regular toilet into one by installing a toilet cycle diverter. These great gadgets actually direct some of the water from each flush back into the tank rather than allowing it to run into the toilet bowl itself.

What this does is allow the tank to fill up faster. Less water goes down with each flush and less water is needed to fill up the tank. These devices are relatively easy to install yourself and they can save you a ton in the long run. In fact, the average toilet cycle diverter can conserve up to a gallon of water per flush.

You will also benefit from learning about how your toilet works because it can enable you to catch problems early when they are easy to correct. You may or may not be able to do the corrective work yourself, but at least you can call out a plumber earlier rather than later.

Fixing toilet problems early hopefully means that you will not have to go without a toilet for very long, if at all. And the repairs that you need should be relatively minor and inexpensive. When toilet issues are allowed to persist, they can turn into a much bigger plumbing problem and cause a great deal of inconvenience to you and your family.

One of the most common toilet problems is leaks. A leaky toilet can have all kinds of symptoms, but the bottom line is that it is probably costing you money on your water bill each month. Also, leaks will only get bigger as time goes on, so you will be much better off if you fix them early. Phantom flushing and continuous running are both signs that your toilet is leaking, and the earlier you do something about it, the better off you will be.

Most of us realize that a drain can get clogged or that the pipes in our home might require extra repairs every now and then, but rarely do we realize that when the faucet is not providing a strong, steady flow of water, it is likely because of a clog in the actual faucet. If you are suffering from low flow in your faucets or worse, sputtering and clogging, here are some tips to help fix the problem.

Why it Happens

The reason that so many faucets now have problems related to clogging is that they have been changed and redesigned over the years to reduce water flow. Older faucets would pour ridiculous amounts of water through the drain – not at all good for the environment. Today, aerators and other technology advancements greatly reduce the amount of water used, but also tend to cause these types of clogs.

Checking Your Aerator

The easiest way to fix a slow flowing faucet is to check the aerator tip for unwanted sediment. Despite filtration of tap water, over time small bits of sand, dirt, and other sediment can and will build up in the aerator. That sediment should be cleaned out of the tip of the aerator at least once a month to keep it from slowing the flow of water.

If a water main breaks somewhere or a problem occurs in the water supply outside of your home, this type of sediment might start to build up more rapidly and cause immediate clogs in your faucet. Other things that might build up include pieces of pipe or flux from plumbing joints that break free and enter the water supply. None of it poses a health problem, but it can be frustrating when it gets into your faucets and blocks the water supply.

Valve Cartridge

If the aerator is not the problem it may be in the valve cartridge. To fix this, you will need to replace the part. Each faucet can be very different, so you should refer to your owner’s manual (many of which are online) for how to take this part out of the faucet assembly. When you go to the hardware store, be sure to take the valve cartridge with you so you can get the exact piece you need for replacement.

The easiest way to avoid a clog in your faucets is to be careful with any repairs you make. While a water main break is not something you can control, you can control how the water supply is affected when someone does repairs on your home’s plumbing. Leave faucets open outside, turn the main valve back on slowly and check your faucet immediately after the repair to ensure no sediment gets clogged in the assembly.

A leaky faucet is obnoxious for more than one reason. It is incessant, it represents a problem that will probably only grow worse, and it can cost you money on your water bill. Beyond all of that, it wastes a lot of water, putting undue stress on the environment. But, how much water does a leaky faucet actually waste? It may not seem like much, but when added up over a period of time, that leaky faucet’s impact can be fairly substantial.

Okay, so a single drip every couple seconds may not seem like a lot of water. But, think about it this way. If you let your faucet drip every day, twenty four hours a day, it is definitely going to add up. Imagine what would happen if every faucet in your home was dripping or every faucet in your neighbourhood. It would not seem like such a small amount of water anymore.

In terms of how much water is actually wasted, it is impossible to tell for certain. After all, every drop of water from a faucet is a different size and falls at a different rate. But, for the most part the water coming from a faucet (according to the US Geological Survey) is between 1/5 and 1/3 of one milliliter. Using those calculations and 1/4 of a milliliter as an average, the USGS estimates that roughly 15,140 drips from a faucet equals one gallon of water.

It may not seem like much. After all, fifteen thousand drops is a LOT of drops. But, if your faucet dripped once every second every day, all day, it would only take four and a half hours to reach one gallon. Every day you would waste 5 gallons of water or 2,082 gallons per year. That is 10% of the average water used by a standard 3.5 gpf toilet on a daily basis. Now, imagine what happens if you have more than one drippy faucet, or if your bathtub leaks which will drip more water at a time or if the leak is larger than the average size.

In short, the cost of a leaky faucet may not seem like much, but as time passes, it can really add up and if it is not taken care of, the cost will only grow as the leak gets bigger and potentially new leaks start in other faucets of your home. Do not let it drip forever – take action now and cut down on the environmental impact you have, as well as your bill.

Low flush toilets have been available since 1994 and are highly recommended both by the government and multiple green organizations to help reduce the water use in your home. But, the big question you probably have is whether these highly popular alternatives to regular toilets actually work.

The Numbers

To start with, low flush toilets use less than half as much water to flush as a normal toilet. The average standard toilet uses 3.5 gallons per flush, while a low flush toilet uses only 1.6 gallons per flush. Some new toilets even use less – with the new High Efficiency Toilet (HET) standards setting the maximum flush capacity at 1.3 gpf.

While those toilets did not always perform to optimal standards when they were first released 17 years ago, they have come a long way and now operate almost identically to standard toilets. In fact, most public and restaurant restrooms built in the last 15 years now use these types of toilets instead to save money.

Choosing a Model that Will Work

There are a number of ways to measure different toilets. Just like almost any fixture, the manufacturer, design, and construction of a low flush toilet will determine how well it works. So, while for the most part low flush toilets work like normal toilets, you should take some things into consideration.

To start with, you must choose between either a siphonic or wash-down style toilet. The siphonic toilet uses much more water in the bowl, but as a result has a lot higher chance of clogging. The wash down method uses far less water in the bowl and does not clog as much, but the result is a somewhat tougher to clean interior of the toilet.

Pricing

The lowest prices may not represent the best low flush toilets on the market, but neither do the highest prices. Look for mid-range prices from competitive manufacturers. For less than $300, you can often buy a solid low flush toilet that will not clog any more often than a standard toilet and will save a tremendous amount of water and energy each year by reducing the amount of water flushed.

Low flush toilets are effective, inexpensive and largely popular for a good reason – they work. So, if you are remodelling a bathroom or simply want to make a change to the toilet you currently have, consider installing a low flush toilet to take advantage of green energy technology that is freely available for your bathroom.