Toilet Tips To Save Water And Money

July 17th, 2012 Posted in Toilets
Comments Off on Toilet Tips To Save Water And Money

The estimates vary, but the average daily indoor water use per person in the United States is somewhere between 70 and 100 gallons a day.  Many people are surprised to find out the single largest use of water in the home is for flushing the toilet. The toilet accounts for more than 25% of our average daily water usage.  If that’s not bad enough, toilet leaks can easily cause your water usage to double or more. According to EPA estimates, a leaky toilet can waste as much as 200 gallons a day!

Minimizing toilet water usage means installing modern low flow toilets and fixing any toilet leaks.  If you have an older pre-1995 toilet, you are flushing money down the sewer.  Older toilets use anywhere from 3.5 to 7 gallons of water per flush while modern WaterSense toilets use 1.3 gallons per flush without sacrificing performance.

You can save hundreds of dollars per year on your water bill by installing a water efficient toilet.  The savings on your water bill will pay for the cost of a toilet and professional toilet installation by a good plumber in just a few years.

If you already have low flow toilets, then your priority is to fix any toilet leaks.  You can check for leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank and seeing if the water in the bowl changes color.  If so you have a leak that needs to be fixed.  First, flush all of that dye out of the tank and bowl to avoid staining the porcelain.  Then call a plumber and have the leaks repaired.  Fortunately, fixing a leaky toilet is usually an inexpensive plumbing job that will pay for itself quickly.

, ,
Read More

Average US Household Water Usage

July 17th, 2012 Posted in Water Line Repair
Comments Off on Average US Household Water Usage

We all strive to be “above average”, but when it comes to household water usage, below average is better.  Using less water is not only good for the environment, but it’s good for your wallet.  You can save a lot of money on your water bill by reducing your household water consumption without sacrificing comfort or performance.  Your household water usage is one area where it pays to be below average.

Think you’re doing a good job conserving water?  Compare your water usage with the national average to see how your family’s usage stacks up.  Your water bill should provide your monthly usage information.  According to the EPA, an average family of four uses about 280 gallons of water per day for indoor water usage.  That’s  about 8,400 gallons of water per month or 100,000 gallons per year.

If your household water usage is “above average” or you just want to save money on water bills, the bathroom is a great place to start.  The bathroom accounts for about half of a household’s water usage.  Installing water efficient low flow toilets, showerheads, faucets and other fixtures can save hundreds of gallons of water per month.

Finding and fixing water leaks is another great way to save water with no adverse effect at all.  Over ten percent of indoor water usage is attributed to water line leaks.  If you suspect a water leak, have your plumbing system checked out by a reputable plumber.

Clothes washing is another area ripe for water savings.  Modern washing machines use as little as half as much water as older models.  When washing clothes, wait until you have a full load to run the washer and keep in mind that cold water is fine for washing most clothes and will help keep them from fading.

 

, ,
Read More

Be Wary Of Over-The-Phone Plumbing Quotes

July 17th, 2012 Posted in Choosing a Reputable Plumber
Comments Off on Be Wary Of Over-The-Phone Plumbing Quotes

When you have a serious plumbing problem like a clogged toilet or sewer line or a leaky water supply line, one of your biggest concerns is “what’s it going to cost me?”  While concern about the plumbing repair cost is understandable, avoid the temptation to shop by phone for the lowest plumbing quote.

With a few rare exceptions, most reputable plumbers will not give you a firm quote for plumbing work without first coming to your home to look at the problem.   A plumber may be able to quote the minimum price for a service call, but that’s just the price for showing up at your home.  The actual cost of the repair is extra.

The reason is that without inspecting and troubleshooting the plumbing problem, your plumber has no way to know how much work will be involved.  A backed up toilet can be simple clog in the drain pipe that can be cleared with a plumbing auger, a more serious clog in a sewer line that needs to be cleared with high pressure hydro-jetting, or a collapsed sewer line or failed septic system that requires extensive work to repair or replace.

A reputable plumber will come to your home, evaluate your plumbing problem, then provide you with a detailed explanation of the problem and an estimate for the work necessary to repair it.  For this reason, instead of searching for a plumber by price, search by reputation. Look for a reputable local plumber with an established business address and phone number who is licensed and insured.  You can be comfortable knowing that you will get hiqh quality, professional plumbing work at reasonable market rates.

, ,
Read More

Efficient Low Flow Toilets Save Water and Money

July 17th, 2012 Posted in Toilets
Comments Off on Efficient Low Flow Toilets Save Water and Money

If you have been reluctant to replace your old toilet because you were concerned about the performance of the new “low flow” toilets, you will be happy to know that modern low flow toilets have been greatly improved since they were first introduced in the mid 1990s.  Prior to 1995, toilets in the United States used between 3.5 and 7 gallons of water per flush.

While all that water did a great job of flushing the waste down the drain, it was a huge waste of water.  As much as one third of all household water usage in those days was attributed to flushing toilets.  To help conserve water, government regulations took effect in 1995 that limited all new toilets sold in the U.S. to using 1.6 gallons of water.

Most toilet manufacturers were unprepared for the changeover to the new lower standards and simply decreased the amount of water used per flush in their existing toilet designs.  The result was that most of these low flow toilets performed poorly.  Consumers complained about toilet clogs and resorted to “double flushing” to get the performance needed which defeated the purpose of low flow toilets.

Manufacturers have since responded by redesigning their toilets and introducing new models that use less water per flush while delivering excellent performance.  In fact, most toilet makers offer standard single flush toilets that work great while only using 1.3 gallons of water per flush.

Other innovations include dual flush toilets that offer a choice of using .8 gallon of water for liquid waste and 1.6 gallons of water for solid waste and pressure assist toilets that use air pressure to help remove waste.  The bottom line is that there is no reason to put off buying a modern, water saving toilet for your home.

 

, ,
Read More

Modern Faucet Design Makes Repairs Easy

July 17th, 2012 Posted in Faucet Repairs
Comments Off on Modern Faucet Design Makes Repairs Easy

If you have been shopping for a faucet lately, you know that there are an endless variety of styles to choose from.  Did you also know that there are several different types of faucets?  In addition to traditional compression type facets, there are three common types of washerless faucets.   In fact, most of the stylish looking faucets (and even some of the traditional faucets) you see at your local home improvement center are some type of washerless faucet.

You may be thinking that you don’t want some strange type of faucet because it will be hard to repair if it starts leaking, but in fact the opposite is true.  One of the main advantages of a washerless faucet is that they can usually be easily repaired by a handy homeowner with a few basic tools.

Although traditional compression type faucets are usually reliable and parts are inexpensive, repairing a leaky faucet calls for some level of skill and a few specialized tools that most homeowners don’t have.  You can call a plumber for faucet repairs, but in most cases you are better off having the plumber install a new faucet rather than repair the old one.

Washerless faucets include cartridge, ball, and disc type faucets, all of which are designed to be repaired by replacing a few easily accessible parts.  You simply turn off the water supply to the faucet and follow a few easy steps to disassemble the faucet.  You did save the instructions that came with your faucet, right?  If not, no problem.  You can easily find the instructions on the internet at the manufacturer’s website. Once you have the faucet apart, take the old parts to the hardware store or home improvement center to get a replacement.

Put the faucet back together, turn on the water, and check for leaks.  Of course, if you are not comfortable doing it yourself, calling your plumber makes sense.  They can have your leaky washerless faucet repaired in no time.

, ,
Read More

Home Water Filters

July 6th, 2012 Posted in Water Filtration
Comments Off on Home Water Filters

If you are unhappy with the test of the tap water in your home, but tired of buying bottled water, a home water filter may be the answer.  Tap water can contain all kinds of contaminants including lead, bacteria, sediment, rust, and many others.  Water quality varies highly from place to place so your water could contain some, none, or all of these contaminants.

Bottled water is usually a great alternative, but in many cases bottled water is little more than filtered tap water.  Bottled water is very expensive compared to tap water, and our landfills are filling up with empty plastic bottles.

A home water filter professionally installed by your plumber is much more cost effective and environmentally friendly solution to get great tasting, healthy drinking water.  Depending on your needs and water quality, you will need to choose between a whole house water filter or one or more undersink water filters.

Undersink filters are mounted under the sink and filter all of the water at that tap.  They are much less expensive than whole house water filters and can be a great choice if your goal is to have one source of clean, filtered drinking water and there is no problem with showering, washing dishes and clothes, and cooking with unfiltered tap water.

A whole house water filter has the advantage of filtering all of the water in your home including water for your dishwasher, showers, ice maker, and at each tap. It is installed in your main water supply line and filters all of the water coming into your home. If your water has an unpleasant odor or if you want clean filtered water throughout your home, a whole house filter would be an excellent choice.  These are more expensive to install than under sink models, but they can filter thousands of gallons of water.

, ,
Read More

Identifying Polybutylene Plumbing

July 6th, 2012 Posted in Polybutylene Pipe
Comments Off on Identifying Polybutylene Plumbing

Polybutylene is a type of pipe that was used for the interior plumbing systems in millions of homes built between 1970 and 1995.  Estimates vary, but somewhere between 6 million and 10 million homes were built during this period with polybutylene plumbing.  Polybutylene was used for the interior water distribution lines throughout the house.  In addition, it was often used for the water supply line from the municipal water main to the house.  It was not used for drain lines or sewer lines.

Polybutylene pipe was popular because it was inexpensive, easy to work with, corrosion resistant and seemed to be very durable.  Unfortunately, it was discovered that polybutylene pipe reacted with chlorine in the public drinking water supplies and became brittle.  After a few years, the pipes would develop fractures and begin to leak.

However, some homes have never had a problem with their polybutylene pipes. One challenge of polybutylene is that it is impossible to tell if a pipe is about to fail by visual inspection.  There is some indication that some polybutylene pipe leaks were caused by improper installation techniques, but again a visual inspection will not reveal whether the installation was proper.

To be sure whether or not you have polybutylene pipes in your home, you need to be able to see the piping.  In some homes, copper stubs were used to connect faucets, toilets, and other fixtures.  The short copper pipes were connected to polybutylene hidden in the walls, floors and ceilings.  The same can be true for polybutylene water service lines.  A short section of copper pipe was used where the lien enters the home and the rest of the line buried in the yard is polybutylene.

Interior polybutylene is usually gray, but can be white or black. Exterior polybutylene used for water service is usually blue, but can be gray or black.  If you suspect you have polybutylene pipes in your home, talk to a plumber who specializes in polybutylene pipe replacement.  He or she can confirm whether or not your pipes are polybutylene and help you understand your options.

, ,
Read More

What To Do When a Toilet Clogs

July 5th, 2012 Posted in Clearing Clogged Pipes
Comments Off on What To Do When a Toilet Clogs

A clogged toilet can ruin your day or, more likely, your morning, weekend or evening since toilets seem to clog after hours, when you and your family are getting ready for work and school, or just when you are sitting down to relax and watch the game.  Calling a plumber is always your best bet, but sometimes a clogged toilet can be cleared easily and you can save yourself a little money along with the time and hassle of waiting for the plumber.

First, if you see the toilet start to back up, you need to turn off the water before the bowl overflows.  There should be a shutoff valve at the wall below the toilet tank.  If the water has already overflowed onto the floor, get it cleaned up with some old towels or paper towels before it finds its way under the toilet and other fixtures and soaks into the subflooring.

When attempting to clear a clogged toilet, remember that time is your friend.  Take your time and don’t be in a rush.  Trying to rush it usually just results in a bigger mess.  Sometimes just the weight of the water in the bowl will clear the clog after it has had a few minutes to soften up.  If you are not so lucky, your next step is to try using a plunger.

Place the rubber plunger in the bowl completely under the water so that the rubber part covers the hole completely.  Push firmly but gently to try to force water pressure down the pipe.  Go easy at first until you get the hang of it.  If the clog does not clear after a dozen good plunges, it’s probably time to call a plumber.

, ,
Read More

Clogged Toilet Do’s and Don’ts

July 5th, 2012 Posted in Clearing Clogged Pipes
Comments Off on Clogged Toilet Do’s and Don’ts

Nobody wants a clogged toilet, but in most cases it is little more than an inconvenience.  Here are a few tips to keep your clogged toilet from becoming a major hassle.

Don’t try clearing a clogged toilet by flushing it again.  That’s just wishful thinking. If it’s clogged and didn’t overflow after the first flush, it darn sure will after the second flush.

Don’t try to clear a toilet clog using chemicals.  These chemicals can harm your pipes and are bad for the environment, but most importantly if they don’t work then you have a toilet full of dangerous chemicals to deal with.  If you try to use a plunger after pouring chemicals in the toilet you could easily splash these chemicals on your skin or in your eyes and be seriously injured.

Do take your time with a clogged toilet.  Once you have the water turned off and cleaned up any spilled water, you have plenty of time to carefully consider your options and deal with the clog.  Most toilet clogs can be cleared with an old fashioned plunger and some patience. If you are in a hurry to get to work, just leave the clog and deal with it when you get home.  In fact, you might get lucky and it clears while you are away.

Do call a plumber if you are unable to clear the clog with a plunger or if the toilet clogs easily and frequently.  Your clogged toilet could be a sign of other issues such as a septic system or sewer line problem or there could be an obstruction in your drain pipe causing clogs to form.

, ,
Read More
Newer Entries

Find Local Company | Featured Plumbers| Find Local Plumbers| Plumbers Directory