Dealing With a Smelly Garbage Disposal

May 9th, 2012 Posted in Garbage Disposals
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A garbage disposal is a useful kitchen appliance, but it can develop an unpleasant odor due to food particles remaining on the walls of the grinder.  Bacteria growing in the bits of food left behind create unpleasant odors in garbage disposals.  Here are few simple tips for dealing a smelly garbage disposal.

To get rid of garbage disposal smells you want to do more than just mask the odor.  You need to clean the leftover food particles from inside the unit.  Running a few ice cubes through the disposal will help knock loose stubborn food particles and scour the inside of the disposal and blades.  Making the ice cubes out of vinegar is even more effective.

Flush away the loosened particles by filling the sink with six inches of soapy water, then unplug the sink and run the disposal while the soapy water drains.  A common household plunger works well to stop up the drain to fill the sink with water.

Another method is to cut up a lemon or orange and run it through the disposal.  The citrus juices will help clean the disposal and leave fresh clean scent.

To help keep your garbage disposal clean, be sure to run plenty of water through the disposal when grinding up waste.  Also, be sure to allow the disposal to run long enough to dispose of all the waste.  Not running the disposal long enough is a primary cause of garbage disposal smells.

Finally, avoid pouring grease and oil down the drain.  Grease and oil will accumulate on the walls of the disposal and the drain pipes and cause odors.  If you must dispose of small amounts of grease or oil, run cold water to help prevent the grease and oil from adhering to the drain pipe and the disposal.

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Taking Care of Your Garbage Disposal

May 9th, 2012 Posted in Garbage Disposals
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A garbage disposal is great to have in the kitchen, but it will frequently jam or break down unless it is used and cared for properly. You can avoid expensive garbage disposal repairs by following a few simple guidelines.  If you take good care of your garbage disposal, it should give you years of trouble free service.

One of the biggest mistakes people make with garbage disposals is not grinding long enough and turning off the water too soon.  Both of these practices result in food particles remaining in the disposal that will soon decompose and cause unpleasant odors.

Always run plenty of cold water when grinding and let the grinder run until grinding is complete.  Turn off the garbage disposal off first and let the water run for an additional 15 seconds to thoroughly flush away the food particles.  Avoid disposing of grease and oil down the drain and use cold water rather than hot water.  Hot water liquefies fats and oils and allows them to adhere to the walls of the grinder and drain pipes. Cold water encourages fats and oils to coagulate so they can be flushed away.

Run some soapy water through the disposal daily and grind up a few ice cubes once or twice a week to help break up accumulations of food particles inside the disposal.  Grinding a lemon or orange once a week will also help keep the disposal clean and fresh smelling.

Never grind anything that is not a biodegradable food substance.  Garbage disposals are designed to grind food only and cigarette butts, bottle caps, and other materials can cause serious damage to your garbage disposal.  Never put your hand into a garbage disposal to clean it or to retrieve an item unless the power is turned off at the circuit breaker.

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Sump Pump Testing and Maintenance

May 9th, 2012 Posted in Sump Pumps and Ejector Pumps
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If your home is equipped with a sump pump, regular routine testing maintenance will help make sure it is ready to go and operating properly when it’s needed.  The worst time to discover that your sump pump has stopped working is when your basement starts filling up with water.  Spring is a great time for sump pump maintenance since this is the time of year when sump pumps are needed the most.

Your local plumber can take care of servicing and maintaining you sump pump if you are not comfortable doing it yourself, but the procedure is not difficult and can be handled by most homeowners.

First, make sure there is power to sump pump by checking the circuit breakers.  Reset the breaker if it has been tripped.  If the breaker trips frequently, stop and call your plumber to have the system checked out.

Next, open the lid to the sump pump well.  Use a flashlight to inspect the well and make sure it is clear of dirt, dust, and other debris that may have fallen into the well.  Any foreign material can clog the intake just when you need the pump to operate the most.

Fill a five gallon bucket with water and carefully pour the water into the sump well while watching the float switch.  When the water reaches the float switch, the sump pump should activate and drain the sump well.  If the pump does not activate, you will need to have the system inspected by a plumber.

Finally, once the pump empties the well and shuts off, watch to make sure that no water flows back into the sump well.  If it does, your check valve is stuck otherwise not operating properly.  If everything checks out, replace the lid on the sump well and you are done until next time.

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Why You Need A Backup Sump Pump

May 9th, 2012 Posted in Sump Pumps and Ejector Pumps
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If your home is protected against flooding by using a sump pump system,  most professionals recommend installing a backup sump pump especially if your home is located such that flooding from ground water or rain water is a frequent occurrence or if you are away from home for long periods of time.  The primary sump pump can become clogged or fail and unless you are there to handle the problem, your home will flood.

Even if you are present when the sump pump fails, you may not notice the failure until it’s too late or you might not be able to get the primary sump pump up and running in time to prevent damage from flooding.  Sump pumps don’t fail often, but when they do it invariably happens when you need them the most.  It’s no fun trying to troubleshoot a sump pump failure when the sump pump is under a foot of rising flood water.

In addition, if the sump pump failure is due to a power failure in your neighborhood, there is nothing you can do except watch the water rise.  And when is a power failure most likely to occur?  During periods of heavy rain and thunderstorms which is exactly when you need the sump pump to be operating.

A backup sump pump can take care of all these concerns.  There are two different types of backup sump pumps.  One uses water power and the other uses a battery backup.  A water powered backup sump pump is plumbed directly into your water system and uses water pressure for power to operate the pump.  A battery backup sump pump uses a standby battery to run the pump.  Your plumber can help you choose the right type of back up sump pump for your home.

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Backup Sump Pump Options

May 9th, 2012 Posted in Sump Pumps and Ejector Pumps
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If you depend on a sump pump to protect your home from flooding, experts recommend installing a backup sump pump that will kick on in the event that the primary sump pump fails due to a mechanical issue, a clog, or power outage.  Your primary sump pump will get the job done the vast majority of the time, but a backup sump pump is essential for the best, most reliable protection against flooding

When choosing a backup sump pump, you have the option of a battery powered backup pump or a water powered backup sump pump.  Each type has its advantages and disadvantages.  Your plumber can help you decide which type will work best for your situation.

A water powered backup sump pump uses the pressure from your municipal water supply to power the pump.  These pumps need no electricity and are not affected by power outages. They are also very simple and reliable pumps that can be depended on to operate properly when needed.  They are plumbed directly into your household plumbing and don’t have any batteries to keep topped off.

Water powered emergency sump pumps are not a good choice if your home is not connected to a reliable municipal water supply.  For example, they are not recommended for use with homes that use well water with an electric pump.  Also, in some homes running the water supply line can be a problem.  These pumps are usually installed in the basement ceiling and if you have a finished basement with limited access to the ceiling, a battery powered pump might be a better choice.

If a water powered pump will not work in your home, then choose a battery powered backup sump pump.  These pumps are designed to run on a standby battery and can operate during a power outage.  They are connected to an automatic battery charger to keep the battery full and require some battery maintenance.  However, they are easier to install than a water powered pump and are typically capable of pumping a larger volume of water.

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Fixing Water Leaks In Your Home

May 3rd, 2012 Posted in Faucet Repairs
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A small water leak in your home such as a dripping faucet may not seem like much, but over time several small household water leaks can add up to a lot of water and money down the drain.  According to the EPA, the average home wastes about 10,000 gallons of water per year due to water leaks.

By correcting water leaks in your home, you can conserve water and save big on your water bills.  Most water leaks can be easily repaired by a good plumber.  In some cases, you may be able to fix the leak yourself.

Common types of leaks include dripping faucets and leaky toilet flappers.  More serious leaks include a leaky water supply line or a leaky lawn irrigation sprinkler system.  Many small leaks can go unnoticed for years.  One way to check for leaks in your home is to make sure all water using appliances are turned off (don’t forget the icemaker) and read your water meter.

Check the water meter again after a couple hours.  If the reading has changed, you have a leak somewhere.  Faucet, tub and shower leaks are easy to spot.  Have your plumber repair the leaky faucet or replace it with a new low flow fixture for even more savings.

A few drops of food coloring in each toilet tank will tell you if your flapper valves are leaking.  If the water in the bowl changes color, then your flapper valve needs to be replaced.

If your water meter still indicates a leak after repairing all of the indoor leaks, then the problem may be in your lawn irrigation system or your water supply line.  Your plumber can isolate these systems, locate the leaks, and go over your leak repair options.

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Dealing With Leaky Faucets

May 3rd, 2012 Posted in Faucet Repairs
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Almost every homeowner will eventually be faced with a leaky faucet.  Leaky faucets are a common problem and are not only annoying, but can cost you a lot of money.  According to EPA estimates, a faucet that leaks at the rate of one drip per second wastes over 3,000 gallons of water per year.  If it’s hot water that’s dripping, the problem is even worse because your water heater has to work harder and use more energy to heat the water.

Fixing a leaky faucet can be a problem because there are so many different types and styles of faucets.  Identifying the source of the problem is the first step in faucet repair, and then finding the right parts to fix the leak is next.  There are four basic types of faucets, but within each type there are dozens of different sizes and styles of components.

The oldest style of faucet is a compression faucet.  These have been in use for decades and are very reliable but over time they will invariably start to leak.  Compression faucets have separate hot and cold knobs that use a rubber washer tightened against a valve seat to turn off the water.  When the rubber washer gets old and hard, the faucet will start to drip.

Ball type faucets usually have a single handle and are typically found in kitchen and bathroom sinks.  They have springs and seals that control the flow of water and can leak if the springs weaken or the seals wear out.

Disc faucets usually look like a ball type faucet, but they are a more recent design.  They have a single handle and use ceramic discs that slide against each other to control the water flow.  They don’t leak very often, but when they do it’s usually because a seal has worn out.

Cartridge faucets are a modern design that use a stem that moves up and down to control water flow and left to right to control temperature.  Repairing a leaky cartridge type faucet is a matter of simply replacing the cartridge.

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Call A Plumber To Clear Clogged Drains

May 3rd, 2012 Posted in Clearing Clogged Pipes
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It’s tempting to try to clear a clogged or slow moving drain yourself, but your best move is to call a professional plumber.  Clogged drains are sometimes little more than a build-up of hair, soap, and other debris, but they can be an indication of a much more serious problem.

Homeowners often make the mistake of trying to clear the clog themselves and end up doing more harm than good.  Their efforts are well intentioned, but they end up causing damage to the pipes or just pushing the clog further into the drain lines where it is harder to remove.

Using a chemical drain cleaner runs the risk of damaging the walls of the drain pipes and if it doesn’t work, then you have a drain line and sink full of dangerous chemicals to deal with in addition to the clogged drain.  A good plumber has the experience and equipment to assess the situation and determine the best method for clearing the clog.

For clogs deep in the drain lines they have high tech video cameras that can be inserted into the drain to inspect the inside of the pipe. Once the problem has been identified, they can choose the best method to clear the clog.  There are different methods for clearing clogs depending on where the clog is located, the size and type of pipe, and what caused the clog.

In some cases traditional rootering with a drain cleaning snake is the best solution.  In other cases, high pressure hydro jetting may be the right answer.  Only an experienced plumber can choose the best method to safely and effectively clear the clog.

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Tankless Water Heater Sizing

May 3rd, 2012 Posted in Tankless Hot Water
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If you are replacing your storage type water heater with a tankless water heater (also called a demand water heater), you will need to make sure that you choose a water heater large enough to meet your demands.  At the same time, you don’t want to choose one that is unnecessarily large which would waste money and energy.

Storage type water heaters are sized based on their capacity and first hour rating which is the amount of hot water they can deliver in an hour.  Demand water heaters don’t have a tank and are sized based on their flow rate and rise in water temperature.

To choose an appropriately sized demand water heater, you will have to determine the maximum flow rate for all of the appliances and fixtures that you will be using at the same time and how much of an increase in the water temperature you will need.

For example, if you will never have more than one shower going and can remember not to run the dishwasher or clothes washer while you are in the shower, you can choose a smaller unit.  On the other hand, if you have a larger household where two people might be taking showers at the same time, or if you run the dishwater, clothes washer, bathtub or shower at the same time, you will need a larger capacity water heater.

Your plumber can help you determine the flow rate of the various fixtures and appliances in your home.  With that information, you can take into consideration your lifestyle and hot water usage patterns to determine the proper size tankless hot water heater.  The maximum flow rate for a typical tankless water heater is around five gallons per minute.  If your needs are greater than that, consider installing two tankless water heaters to handle the load.

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Tankless Water Heater Considerations

May 2nd, 2012 Posted in Tankless Hot Water
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If you are building a new home or replacing your existing gas storage water heater, now is a great time to consider switching to a gas tankless water heater.  Unlike a standard storage type water heater that keeps a full tank of water hot 24 hours a day whether it is needed or not, tankless water heaters(also called demand water heaters) only heat water when there is a demand for hot water.

According to EPA estimates, gas tankless water heaters can cut energy usage for water heating by about 30%.  For a family of four, this can amount to about $100 per year.  This may not seem like a huge savings, but considering that tankless water heaters have a much longer life expectancy than storage water heaters, the savings can really add up.

Tankless water heaters can be expected to provide endless hot water for about 20 years.  That’s twice as long as a typical storage water heater.  In the long run, a tankless water heater can pay for itself in energy savings.

There are other advantages too.  Since tankless water heaters heat water as it is needed, you never have to worry about running out of hot water.  In addition, a tankless water heater takes up much less space than a storage type water heater which is a significant advantage when space is at a premium.  Also, with a tankless water heater you don’t have to worry about the tank corroding and flooding your home.

Talk to your plumber about installing an energy efficient  tankless water heater in your home.  The initial cost is higher than a storage water heater, but you can enjoy endless hot water while saving money on energy costs year after year.

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