Posts Tagged ‘Home and Plumbing’
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
Basket strainer is a wonderful kitchen sink accessory. It works to filter debris in your sink and keep it from traveling farther down your pipes. The strainer holds water in the bowl and prevents food from flushing down the drain. A variety of finishes such as plastic, chrome or brass is available. The accessory resides between the hole of the sink and its drain pipe.
If there is a puddle of water building up under your sink, you may have a leaky basket strainer. Water under the sink will damage the cabinet and cause mildew to form. It’s important to determine where your sink is leaking. A quick test to see if it is your basket strainer will let you know if you need to replace it. If so, it’s better to do it before it causes further problems. Replacing the basket strainer won’t require you to be an expert plumber. All that is need is, some of the common household tools.
It neither needs a plumber nor requires too many tools. It can easily be replaced with the help of tools that are generally available in any household.
For replacing a sink basket strainer the basic tools we require are toilet paper, spud wrench or sprocket wrench, putty knife, plumber’s putty and replacement kitchen basket strainer.
Using a spud wrench, we unscrew the lock nut at the bottom of the sink and on the top of the sink basket strainer. If the lock nut is found to be rusted and is hard to open, we may give some hard taps on one side of the lock nut ridges with a screwdriver or a hammer. This will make the unscrewing easy.
Bring out the deteriorated basket strainer and reinstate the new one. Beforehand, apply plumber’s putty all around the edges of the new strainer. Now, gently put back the strainer into the sink hole where the previous one was located.
Put the lock nut back on, tightening it until it touches the rubber washer. Let the washer settle down into place then tighten it completely. Don’t make it so tight that the washer protrudes out the sides. This one may require a helper in case the basket strainer–both old and new–is spinning while you’re loosening or tightening. Have him hold the basket in place.
Reinstate any pipes you removed. Put back the slip nut using the spud wrench. Now fill the kitchen sink and run a piece of toilet paper all around the lock nut and slip nut edges. Dry paper indicates the successful completion of the project.
Scott Rodgers is a remarkable author who has been providing great guidance on plumbing works all over USA. His splendid talent has, in fact, sparked significant rise in revenue for talented plumbers across the nation, from Pacifica Plumbers to San Bruno Plumbers .
Tags: Business, Career, home, Home Accessories, home and garden, Home and Plumbing, home improvement, Home plumbing system, home repair, Others, Plumbers, Plumbing, Plumbing issues, plumbing solutions
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Monday, March 15th, 2010
Today is an age when homes are highly insulated and practically air tight. There seems no way for the bathroom odor to come out of it. Moreover, as the smell and the stale air remain inside the bathroom, carry a large number of contaminants and pathogens. This obviously will create certain health problems.
In order to maintain the bathroom and restrict the growth of such unwanted micro- organisms, use exhaust fans as ventilation for your oppressive home. This is a suitable appliance that keeps your home pure and unpolluted. But, more advantageously, while replacing their old exhaust fan, one should go for the bathroom heaters.
Here are some points that make this essential component, the part and parcel of one’s daily life. Keeping in view comfort, costs, safety and looks, experts have designed the bathroom heaters to make life much easier and comfortable.
The working is simple and very efficient which is obvious in its capability to maintain humidity level in the restroom. Its exclusive filter mechanism helps avoid the dust and pollen from polluting the lovely ambiance of the rest room. Bathroom heater fans also remove moisture from the air in your bathroom.
In the end, however, the primary reason to install a bathroom heater is personal comfort. The primary purpose of a heater in the home is to help keep you warm when temperatures are low. Most bathroom heater fans use some sort of infrared heat lamp that heats quickly and is ideal for heating small spaces such as bathrooms. Bathroom heater fans heat quickly but do not provide so much heat as to be uncomfortable or cause skin irritation.
Some people drop the idea of having bathroom heaters installed at their places when they think about their installation cost. In fact, the price difference between bathroom heater fans and standard bathroom exhaust fans is probably much less than you think.
Other than maintaining the bathroom temperature and the humidity and moisture level, these provide you dry surroundings. These help in keeping your bathroom fixtures like toilet and sink dry. This further prevents the mold growth and provides you a healthy bathroom.
There are no issues regarding the installation of the bathroom heaters. These are simple in their installation as anybody can hook them easily.
Scott Rodgers is an author with ample plumbing experience all over the country. His splendid learning has created business opportunities for a lot of Agoura Hills Plumbers and Simi Valley Plumbers .
Tags: Business, Career, home, Home Accessories, home and garden, Home and Plumbing, home improvement, Home plumbing system, home repair, Others, Plumbers, Plumbing, Plumbing issues, plumbing solutions
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Monday, March 15th, 2010
Have you ever experienced the fear of water suddenly stopping when you are taking the shower? With a shower pump installed, such fear is eliminated. A shower pump is a handy accessory for a comfortable shower. A shower pump is an electric pump that is used to maintain a steady flow and pressure of water in a shower. The pump works best on stored water as compared to water that comes directly from the mains.
Installation must be carried out in accordance with following instructions, and must be conducted by designated, qualified and competent personnel. Installing the shower pump would require certain necessary tools and materials like shower pump, 15-mm pipes, Essex or surrey flange, isolating valve, thermostat, 5 amp plug point, concrete paving slab.
Positioning the pump at right place is the most important job to do. The pump is more effective if you locate it near the cold and hot eater storage tanks.
Pump must be installed such that it is accessible for servicing or removal. Shower pumps may add a bit of noise to your showers, get them placed over a concrete paving slab. Make sure adequate free ventilation is provided to the pump.
The pump should be mounted horizontally on the concrete slab whereas the outlets for the pipes should be positioned vertically upwards.
Make sure that you are done mounting the pipes before you connect these to electricity. Connect the supply of hot water and cold water to the pipes. In turn connect the hot water pipe to the hot water cylinder through the Essex or Surrey flange.
With the Essex or Surrey flange installed, there would be no chance for the pump to suck air from the vent pipe. After wards, you need to install the pipes to the isolation valve. Connect the valve to the inlet of the shower. Insert the olive or the brass ring that comes with the valve between the nut and the pipe to make a water tight joint.
Connect the electric wiring of the pump to an electric switchboard in the bathroom. Usually plugs connected to shower pumps are 5 amps and make sure that a five amp plug point is available for the electricity connection. Make sure, you start with the electrical connections only when the piping is complete.
Scott Rodgers is a writer with ample plumbing experience all over the country. His marvellous writing of plumbing contents has immensely helped a lot many Chino Hills Plumbers (Need one?click here!) and March Air Reserve Base Plumbers (Need one?click here!).
Tags: Business, Career, home, Home Accessories, home and garden, Home and Plumbing, home improvement, Home plumbing system, home repair, Others, Plumbers, Plumbing, Plumbing issues, plumbing solutions
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Monday, March 15th, 2010
A shower pan is a mortar bed that slopes into a drain. Shower pans collect the water, and provide a firm base on which to stand. They are normally made of acrylic or fiberglass, and may be provided with non-slip surfaces.
A waterproof “pan” placed beneath the floor tiles or concrete base of a shower that prevents leaking. Here are some steps to install the shower pan in the correct manner.
Install the drain base. Under the tiled floor surface, lies about 2 inches of cement mortar. When using the shower, this mortar becomes saturated with water. Small “weep holes” at the base of the drain fixture allow the water to move down the drain pipe. Still, over time the water infiltration can cause damage to the grout, causing loose tiles and crumbling grout lines. Shower liners beneath the mortar are what protect the sub floor from deteriorating in the same way.
Spread a layer of latex- modified mortar to form the slope floor. Start by measuring from the center of the drain to each wall. The slope should be at least 1/4 inch for each foot.
Set a clamp ring drain at the sub floor and nail 3/4-inch float strips around the edge of the shower floor. Next, cover the sub floor with the roofing felt, followed by a layer of galvanized expanded wire lath held flat with staples.
Trowel out the latex-modified mortar. To shape the slope, ride over the float strips and the drain flange with a wood float and compact the mortar by tamping it with the float. Let the sloped mortar bed harden overnight before installing the shower pan membrane.
Install the shower pan liner. Use chlorinated polyethylene sheet membrane for shower pan liners. Install blocking between the studs around the entire perimeter of the pan area, making sure the blocking extends at least one inch above the upturned sides of the pan. Unroll the membrane and cut it to the right size, crease the corners, fold up the membrane and place it on the shower floor for a trial fit.
When you are sure the fit is right, remove the membrane, loosely screw the membrane clamping bolts into the lower half of the drain and run a bead of rubber sealant around the lower drain flange. Put the membrane over the shower floor and lower it into place. Where the upturned membrane meets the shower curb, install prefabricated dam corners, available from the membrane manufacturer. Test the shower pan. Plug the drain with an expansion-type stopper and fill the pan with water up to the top of the curb. Now drain the water and install the mortar floor.
Scott Rodgers is a writer with great plumbing experience all over the country. His splendid guidance has established business opportunities for a lot of North Highlands Plumbers (Need one?click here!) and Rio Linda Plumbers (Need one?click here!).
Tags: Business, Career, home, Home Accessories, home and garden, Home and Plumbing, home improvement, Home plumbing system, home repair, Others, Plumbers, Plumbing, Plumbing issues, plumbing solutions
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Monday, March 15th, 2010
A shower is the modern way to freshen up. It’s quicker, more hygienic and uses less electricity and water than a bath. Electric showers connect to the cold water mains in your house, so you can install one virtually anywhere.
An electric shower saves money by using only a fraction of the water that your typical shower or bath uses and only heating the water you need immediately.
Fitting the shower is relatively easy although it is recommended that you get a qualified electrician to wire it up to the electricity supply. Follow the steps to install an electric shower. Decide on the position for the shower unit and handset. Mark the position of the unit’s fixing holes on the wall. Check that the marks and drill the fixing holes.
Drill another 1/2 inch hole in the shower wall for the copper piping that will connect the unit to the water. Using the fittings with the copper pipe, you will attach the pipe to the water valve and to the shower unit. Mount the shower unit on the mounting bracket and the shower head to the end of the copper piping.
Fit the T-joint to the rising main, only hand-tightening the cap nuts. Measure and cut an extra piece of connecting pipe if necessary to connect the T-joint to the stopcock, joining the branch pipe to the main valve. Once fitted, tighten the cap nuts and other joints well. Mount the shower head to the end of the copper branch pipe, attaching the shower unit box to the wall.
Now to make electrical connections for the shower, make a hole in the ceiling between joists where you will mount the pull-switch. Attach the mounting board on which you will fasten the pull-switch back plate. Run a piece of circuit cable up to the ceiling, running it through the mounting board. Leave at least 6 inches of excess cable at the switch position.
Attach the pull-switch back plate and strip the excess cable at the switch position, revealing one black wire, one red wire and a group of bare wires. Twist the bare wires together attaching them to the “E” terminal, the red wire to the “L” terminal and the black wire to the “N” terminal of the pull switch.
Strip the cable connected to the shower unit. Connect the wires located on the shower unit to the “Mains” terminals of the pull-switch. The red wire should connect to the “L” terminal, the black wire should connect to the “N” terminal and bare wires should connect to the “E” terminal.
Scott Rodgers has been excelling with plumbing works for a long time now. His exemplary guidance has generated business opportunities for many Rancho Cucamonga Plumbers (Need one?click here!) and Redlands Plumbers (Need one?click here!).
Tags: Business, Career, home, Home Accessories, home and garden, Home and Plumbing, home improvement, Home plumbing system, home repair, Others, Plumbers, Plumbing, Plumbing issues, plumbing solutions
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Saturday, March 13th, 2010
In making your kitchen a dream kitchen, selection of right accessories is very essential. While choosing the proper furniture for your kitchen, you need of keep in mind certain factors such as size of your kitchen and the available space where you can fix the furniture. Homeowners also need to take into account the versatility of the pieces to be purchased, style and color. Cost of furniture is also an important deciding factor. Here we will study about all these factors in detail.
The size and number of kitchen furniture is decided by the available space in your kitchen because ultimately you need to store your furniture in the kitchen only. In market, you can get variety of kitchen furniture having different sizes and colors to choose for your kitchen.
Flexibility is also an important factor to consider when you purchase kitchen furniture. Most of the homeowners prefer those furniture pieces that include work table as well as storage space. Like this you can store your kitchen utensils in the shelves and can also use the space for performing different tasks.
While checking the flexibility, also think about the models that have wheels because these are very easy to move here and there. They can also be used if your kitchen has less space for storing them. You can keep them outside the kitchen when not in use and can easily move them inside whenever required.
In most of the kitchen furniture you will find a slide door or a pulling door. These doors can be made of different materials. If the material is not transparent like wood then you can hide unwanted things in the furniture but if the material used is transparent like glass then you should place special items in those furniture to increase the beauty of your kitchen and furniture.
The color of your kitchen furniture should be such that it increases the beauty of the kitchen. Kitchen furniture is available in neutral colors like white, black, wood color and many more to choose from.
Your budget is finally the deciding factor that helps you in short listing your choices. The price of furniture set keep on increasing with the increase in features offered by them.
Kitchen furniture is available in large range of prices, so you can easily find a piece that suits your requirement as well as your pocket capacity. It is important to find out the price range of kitchen furniture while beginning your search of the perfect piece for your kitchen.
Scott Rodgers is a noted writer who has been providing ample guidance on plumbing works all across the nation. His expensive knowledge has, in fact, sparked significant rise in revenue for talented plumbers across the nation, from Long Island City Plumbers (Need one?click here!) to East Meadow Plumbers (Need one?click here!).
Tags: Business, Career, home, home and garden, Home and Plumbing, home improvement, Home plumbing system, home repair, Others, Plumbers, Plumbing issues, plumbing solutions
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Saturday, March 13th, 2010
Drain is a part of kitchen and bathroom that is often ignored by most the homeowners. They are only noticed when some fault occurs in them. To solve this problem, homeowners call a plumbing company or a plumber. However, before calling a plumber, a homeowner can also try to solve the problem himself by following some simple tips. Always keep one thing in mind that if some precautions are taken, most of such problems can be easily ignored.
Pipes and drains require regular maintenance whether your house is old or newly constructed. You should make a habit of checking the pipes two times in a week. If you notice any leak or broken connection then immediately call a plumber to solve it before it becomes more serious.
To avoid any drain or pipe clogging, you should do some cleaning on alternate weeks. In case you will not clean your kitchen sink then grease and food will keep on building a layer in the drain and will ultimately cause a blockage.
For cleaning your drains, you just require some normal dish wash detergent and boiling water. First of all, pour two spoons of detergent in the drain to be cleaned and then after 10-15 minutes, pass boiling water through the drain. This is a simple process of doing the cleaning that can easily keep your drain smooth.
Those homeowner, who have old plumbing in their house are suggested to put a small bucket or tub under the pipes of their kitchen sink. It will prevent the floor damage in case of any leak in those pipes.
If you already have a blockage in any drain or pipe of your house then before calling a plumber try a simple solution yourself. Drop a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar into the drain. Leave it undisturbed for around 10-15 minutes and then pass boiling water through the same drain. This method is very helpful in clearing most of the blockages.
If the problem is out of your control then only a plumber or drain cleaner can handle it. In such situations you need to urgently call them. Therefore, keep the information about few good plumbers in advance.
Ask the plumbers to give their contact number to you so that you can easily call them in any urgent situation. Keep their number at an easily approachable place.
Scott Rodgers is a noted author who has been providing ample guidance on plumbing works all across the nation. His expensive knowledge has, in fact, sparked significant rise in revenue for talented plumbers across the nation, from Severna Park Plumbers (Need one?click here!) to Shady Side Plumbers (Need one?click here!).
Tags: Business, Career, home, home and garden, Home and Plumbing, home improvement, Home plumbing system, home repair, Others, Plumbers, Plumbing issues, plumbing solutions
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Friday, March 12th, 2010
Improper maintenance of home plumbing system results in inevitable plumbing problems and irregularities. No matter how busy you are, the regular inspection of the home architecture must be carried out at any cost. Ignored plumbing setups take no time in posing problems and irregularities. Hence, callous behavior towards the home plumbing setup should be avoided by the homeowners. If you notice something wrong with a particular plumbing segment then make way for immediate repair work.
Rather than feeling sorry for the lack of attention later, you should be proactive while tackling the common plumbing issues. Prevention is considered better than cure. Hence, take proper measures in advance to face the upcoming problems.
Among the other common plumbing issues, the problem of frozen pipes irritates the households of the hilly regions big time. Instead of taking certain preventive measures before the outcome of winters, the homeowners react only when the problem hampers the normal scheme of things. You can save on the costs of defrosting your plumbing pipes if you have rendered certain protective elements to your plumbing setup beforehand.
There are a number of commercially available products that could serve the required purpose for you. Such products work on maintaining the warmth of the plumbing pipes such that the water doesn’t freeze at all.
A plumbing heat tape is one such product that has caught the attention of the plumbers and the homeowners alike. The price of a roll of heat tape is far lesser as compared to the expenses of defrosting the concerned plumbing pipes. In addition, you may end up losing some length of plumbing pipe due to the problem of frosting.
Before commencing the application of heat tape, examine the physical condition of the concerned plumbing pipe. A leaky or cracked pipe would spoil the effects of the heat tape and would fail to serve the required purpose. Fix the repair and wipe off the surface of the pipe with a dry piece of cloth. Make sure that there is no moisture or water mark on the pipe.
Take out the heat tape roll form the kit and start unrolling it. Move from one end of the pipe to the other while wrapping the pipe. Render a single layer of heat tape wrapping to the setup. Furthermore, apply electrical tape over the first layer of heat tape. Such a setting would rigidify the setup. Insulate the layers of heat tape and electrical tape properly.
Finish off the task by plugging heat tape into a GFCI outlet.
Scott Rodgers is a fine author who has been authoring on plumbing contents for a long time now. His extraordinary guidance has given motivation to a number of workers, ranging from Citrus Heights Plumbers (Need one? click here!) to Granite Bay Plumbers (Need one? click here!).
Tags: Business, Career, home, home and garden, Home and Plumbing, home improvement, Home plumbing system, home repair, Others, Plumbers, Plumbing, Plumbing issues, plumbing solutions
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Friday, March 12th, 2010
Three main systems that solve the problem of low flow of hot water are traditional hot water circulating system, warm water circulating system and the demand hot water system. All of these systems are very efficient in saving water. Here you will get brief introduction about all of these.
Traditional hot water circulating pumps uses coiled plumbing through all the fixtures and a single return line on last fixture. A lot of energy is wasted in these water heaters as a constant water temperature is maintained in the pipes all the time. One drawback of these water heaters is that they can not be used with all tankless water heaters.
Warm water circulating systems have a small pump mounted under the bathroom sink that operates much like a temperature controlled traditional hot water circulating system, except the control temperature is set much lower. They provide instant warm water at the fixture. These systems also fill the cold water line with warm water so if you want cold water you must purge the warm water which of course wastes water.
Hot water demand pumps speed hot water from your water heater to your fixture without running any water down the drain. In a demand system, you can push a button to start the system when you want hot water and when hot water arrives at the pump, it shuts off.
No hot water gets into the cold water line and when you turn on the tap you nearly get instant hot water. With the help of the pump that is located under the sink, all the fixtures in the bathroom get hot water fast.
Demand pumps are very green products as they save thousands of gallons of water and also require very little energy to operate. Typically a demand pump will consume less than $2 per year in electricity. Hot water demand systems can be very economical as well. A good hot water demand system can be obtained for under $200.
Hot water demand systems can easily operate with tankless water heaters. If you are going to use a demand pump with a tankless water heater make sure it produces enough flow to turn on the water heater.
Therefore, with a hot water demand system, time, water and money can be saved. They also provide the convenience of instant hot water whenever the hot water faucet is turned on.
Scott Rodgers is a noted writer who has been providing great guidance on plumbing works all over the country. His expensive knowledge has, in fact, sparked significant rise in revenue for talented plumbers across the nation, from Erie Plumbers to Louisville Plumbers .
Tags: Business, Career, home, home and garden, Home and Plumbing, home improvement, Home plumbing system, home repair, Others, Plumbers, Plumbing issues, plumbing solutions
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Thursday, March 11th, 2010
Shower benches are unique devices that can be added to a shower or bath area, making it possible for people who are not able to stand to still enjoy the benefits of bathing. A shower bench may be a portable and thus temporary addition to the shower area or be permanently incorporated into the design of the shower place.
The construction of the shower bench is not at all complicated. Manufacturers nowadays provide you with the adjustable heights to ease bathing. A great shower bench not only enhances your lifestyle but increase the value of your home.
Numerous materials are available in the market to establish shower benches in the bath area. However, it becomes necessary to waterproof the arrangement which is not at all a tough job. The marble or granite seat simply lies in a thin bed of cement mortar on the vinyl membrane. If you choose to install ceramic tile on the seat, just cut a piece of cement board first and install it as you would the granite or marble.
Here are simple steps to install the shower bench easily. First step is to determine the size, shape, height and location for the bench. At the same time, determine what the height of the mortar bed will be at the location of the bench.
It is essential that the top of the bench must be a little sloppy. It should be about 1/2inch inclined for every 12 inches. This will prevent water to stand on the bench and will help it run off immediately. Take the thickness for the bench top after subtracting the plywood thickness that is 3/4 inch. Make sure to subtract nearly half inch for the tile back board.
Next step is to construct the plywood frame over the bench. Fasten the plywood using the galvanized screws. When done up with the plywood installation, lay down the pan liner along the shower bottom. This is done similar to normal shower pan installation.
Overlap the moisture proofing or the pan liner from apex to the bottom side. Make provisions for the water to properly drain out.
Always remember to install the backboard from the bottom up so all upper pieces will overlap the lower pieces of the bench.
Scott Rodgers has been excelling with plumbing works for a long time now. His exemplary guidance has generated business opportunities for many Burlingame Plumbers (Need one?click here!) and Daly City Plumbers (Need one?click here!).
Tags: Business, Career, home, Home Accessories, home and garden, Home and Plumbing, home improvement, Home plumbing system, home repair, Others, Plumbers, Plumbing, Plumbing issues, plumbing solutions
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