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Archive for the ‘Starting your plumbing and wiring’ Category

Hot Water Heater Blankets – Some Good Advice

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Would you like to know a good way to save energy, and at the same time, bring down your electricity bill? Well, by installing a hot water heater blanket. This plastic sheet, when wrapped around your water heater, insulates it properly and stops the heat from escaping – thus the water inside can stay hot for a long time even after the heater has been switched off. So now you can save precious energy, and also bring down your electricity bills.

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Hot water heater

Creative Commons License photo credit: Jean Pichot

A hot water heater blanket fits tanks up to 60 gallons in capacity, they are easy to install, and what’s more, they are very affordable as well! For a small investment of at least 20-25 dollars, you could save at least 30 dollars a month on your electricity bills! We suggest doing the installation with a plumber at hand, that way you know you won’t go wrong anywhere.

Fixed costs like groceries, wages, etc. are all very well – you can’t do anything about those. But why not save where you can? You can definitely save a lot on hot water costs – sometimes they contribute a significant amount to your electricity bills, and you can help to bring this down with the help of a hot water heater blanket. It is a great money-saving and also energy-saving opportunity that you simply cannot afford to pass up. Many people neglect the water heater thinking that it doesn’t use up much energy, but the truth is that it does – and you can do something about it, with the help of a hot water heater blanket, which comes to the rescue. From the moment it is installed, it acts as an insulator, and reduces your bills; therefore you get the opportunity to spend money where it is more required. So why wait! These products are readily available online or at your local home improvement store!

Basic Plumbing Tips from the Atlanta Plumbing Expert

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

You may think that every plumbing issue that you have in your home requires a professional plumber, but in all actuality, you may be able to take care of the problem yourself with very little expense. After working for an Atlanta plumbing company I can tell you that I have seen my fair share of basic problems that ended up costing a home-owner an arm and a leg. Professional plumbers can solve a variety of problems, but they also are not cheap. If you are having basic plumbing issues you can use a mixture of a little knowledge and elbow grease to correct the problem on your own.

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Plumbing Issues

Creative Commons License photo credit: Genista

If you have a clogged drain there are a lot of different remedies you can try before calling a plumber. There are a lot of drain cleaners on the market that can break down just about any clog that you may have in your drain. These drain cleaners are filled with chemicals that can be harmful or fatal if not used in the proper manner. If you would like to eliminate the use of chemicals you can also try to unclog your drain naturally. If you have standing water in your sink or tub, remove it as best as you can. Pour one cup of baking soda followed by one cup of vinegar down the drain. Quickly plug the drain, (if it is a double sink plug both drains). Allow the mixture to sit in the drain for at least 30 minutes. After 30 minutes has passed, run hot water through the drain.

If you find that your drain is clogged with something that can not be easily broken down, you may need to have it snaked. Home improvement stores sell drain snakes that have retractable coils in them. The purpose of the snake is to be able to push what ever is clogging the drain through or be able to pull it back out of the drain releasing the clog that way. Drain snakes can come in different lengths at different prices. Professional plumbers often use larger more powerful drain snakes.

These are just a few basic plumbing tips for clogged drains!

Installing Utility Sinks In The Basement

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

Making upgrades to the basement is something that thousands of families across the nation are currently doing.  The housing slump has all of us living in our homes a lot longer than we might like, so instead of wallowing in it, we’re getting out tools out and hands dirty upgrading our homes.  One of the most popular additions right now is adding a utility sink to the basement.  This post will take a look at some special considerations when adding a basement utility sink, so you can shop with confidence.

Basements have a variety of uses, so it’s hard to make a single recommendation for what should go into yours, but there are a few things that all basements have in common.  The first thing that they have in common is that since they are below ground they have increased water pressure due to gravity.  This means that a basement utility sink needs to be deeper than most sinks so that there is not a ton of water splashing out and making a mess.  Fortunately, most utility sinks are deep, just make sure that the one that you’re shopping for is as well.

Another common element of basements is dampness, which leads to mold and mildew.  The two common materials that utility sinks are made from are polypropylene (a hardened plastic resin) and stainless steel.  Both of these materials are non porous, so mold and mildew will not affect them.  To prevent it all together, give your sink a wipe down every month or so with a bleach based cleaner like Comet or Ajax.  Ceramic is a poor material for basement sinks since it is slightly porous and mildew can easily attach to its surface.

Kitchen sink

Utility Sink

Creative Commons License photo credit: 松林L

Adding a utility sink to a basement is an easy job, and when you factor in the things that are discussed above you’ll make a great choice when it’s time to install yours!