Believe it or not, the
average American spends anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour in the bathroom
on a daily basis. As a result, there are
a number of companies that are capitalizing on this trend by developing
bathroom technology that is designed to make better use of the time spent there. With the holiday shopping season upon us,
this could also be the perfect time to add a touch of tech to your bathroom.
1.Bath TV – We all knew that sooner or later the TV
would find its way into the bathroom. The
only thing stopping it was the fact that electricity and water don’t mix. But there are now manufacturers offering
waterproof flat screens and even mirrors with built-in TV sets. What will they think of next?
2.Shower Power – If you love singing in the shower,
Kohler has developed its Moxie Showerhead with you in mind. Combining a showerhead with a magnetic
wireless speaker that is Bluetooth enabled, the system is fully rechargeable
and is literally a snap to remove.
3.Digital Bathroom Scales – If you think that bathroomscales are only good for bragging or nagging rights, guess again. Digital scales can now do much more than just
weigh an individual. They can now be
programmed to track the vital statistics on multiple members of a
household. Some can also measure
everything from weight to body fat to body water.
4.Touchless Faucets – If you go gaga over germs you can find
a range of touch-free faucets for the home from most manufacturers. These units are designed to also save water
and they stay cleaner than traditional faucets since you won’t ever have to
turn off the tap with wet hands.
5.Bathroom Cleaning Robots – The bad news is that nobody
enjoys cleaning the bathroom. The good
news is that technology makes it possible to turn the chore over to a
robot. Most consumers have heard of the
robotic vacuum cleaner named Roomba.
Well the makers of Roomba, iRobot have recently unveiled a line of
wetbots designed to clean the bathroom floor.
Called Scooba, this robot is designed to clean hard to reach places,
including around the toilet and under the cabinets with a three-stage cleaning
process that neutralizes up to 97% of
bacteria.
6.On a Budget? -
If you are a little more cost conscious there are also a number bathroom gadgets from
waterproof notepads to hands-free soap and toothpaste dispensers that can add a
touch of tech without breaking the bank.
Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctors of
Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida. For more helpful hints and how-t videos,
visit their website at http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com
We all remember the choreographed mayhem that Chevy
Chase endured in the motion picture Christmas Vacation. Most of us can relate to a happy holiday
being undermined by wayward relatives, hapless delivery drivers and a culinary
catastrophe or two along the way. So the
last thing that you want is for everyone to remember the Christmas when Santa
appeared dressed as a plumber.
The
Ghost of Christmas Dinner Past
Being home for the holidays usually means preparing
Christmas dinner for the family. The
downside to cooking the holiday feast is that the cleanup can easily wind up
overwhelming your pipes, resulting in a call to yours truly. If you don’t want to add yet another mouth to feed during the holidays, here are some things you need to be made aware:
Fat
is not your friend – While gravy helps make the turkey go down better in
people, when it comes to plumbing the opposite is generally the case. Anything containing fat, such as gravy boats,
plates and serving platters need to be wiped clean with a paper towel before
being washed in the sink. Even then you
want to use plenty of hot water before, during and after doing the holiday
dishes. That’s because any fat left in
the pipes can quickly congeal into a blockage that requires a snake to
clear. One of the remedial steps is to
fill your sink with hot water and a few drops of liquid detergent, then pull
the stopper to flush out the pipes after the dishes are done.
Don’t
give your disposal indigestion – While the modern garbage disposal is a wonderful
invention, it was never designed to eat everything. While most people know to avoid putting
bones, gristle or other hard to grind substances into the disposal, they may
not be aware that these devices also do not like to be fed a diet of celery,
poultry skins, potato and onion peels, all of which can be hard to break
down. Disposals also need an occasional
deep cleaning in order to eliminate odor.
(Below is a video that shows you how to eliminate “Stinky Disposal
Syndrome” from your home.)
Is
stuffing going to stuff your pipes? – As a rule anything that is pulpy, such as
stuffing, pumpkin flesh and squash can form a paste that can quickly gum up the
works. Just like pancake batter (another
substance you should never pour down the drain), once past the disposal, these
substances can quickly swell up and clog any drain. Again, the solution is not to put these
substances into the disposal.
The
extended family can also prove to be a strain on your plumbing.While you can’t exactly read relatives the
riot act, you can make sure that in their effort to help you clear the holiday
dishes that they don’t inadvertently break any of the rules set above.(That is if
you can get them to help with the dishes.)
The bottom line is that like it or not, the day
after Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of the busiest days of the year for
plumbers like me. If you follow the
advice above you should be able to make sure that I stay out of your home for the holidays.
Billy
Aldridge is one of the Doctor’s of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing, a
residential and commercial plumbing contractor located in Jacksonville,
Florida. For more information and
helpful how-to videos visit their site at http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com
Being a homeowner means having to wear a lot of
hats. Other than the privilege of paying
the mortgage and utility bills every month, there are also a lot of honey dos
that need doing on a regular basis, such as mowing the lawn, watering the lawn,
trimming the shrubs and blowing off the driveway. (Thank God in Florida we don’t
have to shovel the snow.) There is also
the occasional need to play Mr. Fixit. The
point that I am trying to make is with the exception of watering the lawn,
which can be more or less automated with the installation of an irrigation
system, most of these chores are not exactly labors of love. Therefore they rob us of what little free
time our hectic work week will allow. So
the last thing you want to do is waste any more of your time cleaning out the
gutters.
Gutter cleaning is a lot like paying taxes in that it
is a necessary evil that we all have to deal with from time to time. In Jacksonville where the leaves more or less
fall all year round, it isn’t unusual to have to clean them on a quarterly
basis. To neglect the gutters not only encourages
the downspouts to back up and refuse to discharge water when the occasional
gully washer comes through, which in Florida can also occur at most any time
of year. It can also result in damage to
your home should water back up and make its way indoors.
Of course, being a homeowner myself, I can
appreciate not wanting to stick your hands into several inches of built up muck
every three months in order to keep the gutters clear. Not to mention the
danger of having to climb up on a ladder or the roof to do the deed. If left unchecked, gutters become the
ultimate if unintentional compost machines which are quite capable of turning
leaves into dirt. I have seen gutters on
neighboring properties sprout grass and even saplings, so full of soil were they. Once I even discovered a fire ant nest inside
my gutters. Talk about waiting a bit too
long before taking action.
While technology has not yet come up with a
self-cleaning gutter system, there is a simple way to eliminate 90% of the
problem. What I am referring to are
gutter guards. These are screens that
fit snugly atop the gutter that allow leaves and other wind and rain-born debris
to pass over while allowing precipitation to pass through the gutter. They are relatively easy to install (or you
can have them professionally installed) and come in a variety of materials,
including plastic, rubber or metal to make sure they won’t clash with your
home. While they won’t eliminate 100% of
gutter maintenance, they will make the chore of
gutter cleaning a lot less of a hassle. More
importantly they become a barrier to prevent the birds and the bees from
nesting there. (I’m not so sure about fire ants.)
Since installing gutter guards on my
home I have found that the amount of time and hazard saved was no less than 12
hours per year, which is about the time it took me to install the guards. All in all a good investment of time and
money. Now if they could only perfect the robotic lawn mower. So if you want to keep your mind out of the
gutters, Google “gutter guards” today.
Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctors of Plumbology at Aldridge and
Sons Plumbing, a residential and commercial plumbing contractor located in
Jacksonville, FL. Visit their website at
http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com
for more tips and how-to videos.
With the night time temperatures only going down to
the fifties and the day time temp in the mid-seventies you wouldn’t think that
it was time to start thinking about winterizing your home. But you’d be wrong. While we don’t get the kind of bone chilling
breezes that the folks in say Chicago or Milwaukee do, we Floridians do have
some days and a fair number of nights when the thermometer dips below
freezing. So the last time you want to
start thinking about wrapping up the pipes is when one has burst and you are
forced to start bailing out the kitchen.
By getting a jump on winter’s steely grip now you will save yourself a
considerable amount of time and money in the coming months.
1.Insulating
exposed pipes - While is standard operating procedure to wrap outdoor spigots
and drains when we are expecting a freeze, one of the areas that many people
overlook in the Sunshine State are water pipes and drains that are either on
the exterior of the home, or are in the garage.
These can freeze and burst if left unprotected. To avoid damage, simply wrap the pipes with
electrical-resistance heat tape, or to allow the tap to drip. When it comes to outside spigots, always
remove the hose and wrap the tap with a towel to keep frost from creeping
in.
2.Check
all the windows and doors for heat loss and repair or replace any cracked or
missing weather stripping. This is one
that is a no brainer, since it not only prevents frost damage, but it actually
pays for itself by reducing the electric bill.
Other than a visual inspection, the best way to detect a draft is to
hold a lit candle up to window and door jambs on a breezy day. If the candle flickers, there is significant
heat loss. Just be sure not to get too
close to drapes or you might wind up with a more serious problem to contend
with than heat loss.
3.Inspecting
the heating system – Don’t wait until the coldest night of the year to find out
that your heat pump no longer pumps heat.
Now is the best time to get the heating system inspected. Also make sure that you change the filter
every month to keep the system from blocking up. I once had to help a friend chip his filter
off of a frozen air exchanger on the hottest day of the year due to the fact
that he hadn’t changed it in six months.
Not only can this be a nuisance, but it can cause serious damage to the
system.
4.Drains
and Gutters – Clearing out the gutters and drains in the fall means that they
won’t freeze over, block up and perhaps fall down during a hard freeze in
January. A sure sign to know if your
gutters need cleaning are if a garden is beginning to sprout up there. A sure sign that your drain needs clearing is
when you can no longer see it beneath the leaf litter.
While Jack Frost isn’t exactly nipping at our noses
right now, a sudden freeze can come down from the Northeast at any time during
December, January and/or February. The
best time to tackle the chore of winterizing your home is now, while the
weather is pleasant and everyone isn’t gang rushing the shopping centers as
will be the case after Thanksgiving.
Billy
Aldridge is one of the Doctors of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing, a
residential and commercial plumbing contractor located in Jacksonville,
Florida. Visit their website at http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.comfor
all your plumbing needs.
When the economy is bad the last thing anyone wants to do is
waste money. But that’s exactly what
many people do month in and month out without ever knowing why. What I am talking about is wasting water
needlessly. Whether you realize it or
not, there are a number of ways in which you can save money due to undetected
water leaks. Below are four things you
can do every month or so to prevent your money from going down the drain.
1.The Toilet
Other than installing a
high-efficiency toilet which will save you money with every flush, the one
Achille’s heel on every toilet is the flapper.
Over time, hard water and chlorine start to take their toll on the
flapper, causing it to become warped.
Two of the ways to determine if it is time to replace the flapper are to
look and listen. If you remove the cover
from the back of the tank, you should be able to see if the flapper is
beginning to warp. But if you hear the
toilet running from time to time when there is no one in the bathroom, this is
a sure sign that you need to replace the flapper. Best of all, replacing the flapper is one of
the simplest DIY plumbing projects in the book.
(Below is a video that takes you step by step through the process.)
2.The Bathroom
Of course, the toilet is not the
only culprit when it comes to rounding up the usual suspects when you are
trying to track down a leak. Another
common source of water loss is due to leaky faucets and spigots. You may not realize it, but that drip, drip,
drip can add up to hundreds of gallons of water loss each and every month. The
shower can also rob you if you haven’t shifted to a high-performance shower
head that can reduce consumption down to less than two gallons per minute.
3.The Kitchen
While many people spend tens of thousands
of dollars to upgrade their kitchens, there are a number of low cost ways to
reduce water wastage in the kitchen, including changing the aerator on the
faucet to a high-efficiency model, waiting until the dishwasher is completely
full to run it and using the spray attachment or filling up the sink instead of
simply letting the water run non-stop while you do the dishes.
4.The Sprinkler System
The irrigation system is another
robber baron when it comes to wasting water.
Just as with the kitchen and
bath, there are high-efficiency sprinkler heads that can save water every time
the system is activated. There are also
moisture sensors that will automatically turn the system off when it
rains. But the single biggest waste of
water in the yard is due to cracked pipes and damaged sprinkler heads. Even though the irrigation system operates on
its own, every homeowner still needs to manually check to make sure that it is
in proper working order and free from leaks.
The bottom line is that if you don’t want to make the
utility company any richer, a little due diligence is all that it takes to make
sure that your hard earned cash doesn't go straight down the drain.
Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctor’s of Plumbology at Aldridge and
Sons Plumbing, a commercial and residential plumbing contractor located in
Jacksnville, FL. Go to http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com
for all your plumbing needs.
With Hurricane Sandy making a beeline for the New Jersey
coastline, we Floridians are glad that we managed to duck another bullet. But you have to remember that major storms
hitting the Northeast are not an everyday event. In sunny Florida, storms are a common occurrence. With that in mind, the last thing that any
homeowner in Florida wants to do is wait until the next major deluge is
underway to batten down the hatches.
Below is my take on a storm preparedness checklist.
A stands for Action Plan
While many Floridians have weathered a hurricane or two in
their lives, you would be surprised how many people choose to wait until the
last minute only to fly by the seat of their pants. While this may have gotten you through some
tight spots in the past, this scenario is not going to be sufficient to protect
you and your loved ones if a prolonged power outage accompanies a blow. While help inevitably comes, after a major
disaster, there is no telling how long you are going to be on your own. One of the things every family needs to do
long before hurricane season begins is to have an action plan to know what to
do when Mother Nature turns nasty. While
you may choose to ride out the storm in your home, you need to establish a
regrouping point should you be forced to flee.
While having a cellphone is a wonderful way to communicate, this is
usually one of the first things to go down in a hurricane. So you will need to have alternative means of
communicating such as a walkie talkie or handheld marine radios.
B is for Bathrooms
Bathrooms are not only a necessity, they can also be a life
saver. While most people can go without
food for days or even weeks, the human body can fail in three days without
water. If a storm is severe enough, it
can compromise sewage treatment plants, which means that water coming out of
the taps would be considered unsafe to drink.
While many people stockpile bottled water during an emergency, this is
one of the fastest commodities to become depleted should disaster strike. One of the best things you can do to prepare
for an emergency is to fill the bathtub up with water. Not only will this supply be safe to drink,
but you can also ration it out for washing and cooking purposes as well.
C = Camping Gear
If you will recall the four hurricanes that came barreling
down I-95 to hit JAX in 2005, then you know that power can be cut off after a
major storm for days or even weeks. If
you want to get through the worst of it without having to turn into a refugee,
then you need to have a supply of camping gear available. This should include a tent or two, depending
upon how many people you hope to shelter.
You should also have a camp stove and supply of waterproof matches, a
saw, an axe and no less than one hundred feet of rope at hand. Not only will this help you campout in your
backyard, which may prove more comfortable than staying in a house without air
conditioning. But it will also allow you
to begin the cleanup process and secure your valuables until help arrives.
D means keep your drainage clear
Water, not wind, is the cause of the worst damage during and
after a major storm. If Hurricane
Katrina was any indication, the last thing you want to do is have four feet of
standing water inside your home once a storm has past. While many of the poor souls in New Orleans
live below sea level, as all too many homeowners in Jacksonville know, there
are many low lying areas in town. So
when the rain is coming down in buckets, that’s the worst time to find out that
you have either a partial or total blockage in your drains. If you suspect your drains are becoming
blocked, it’s best to contact a plumbing contractor to clear the blockage
before a storm can flood your home.
E stands for Electricity
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that big storms
cause big damage to the power grid. When
you are sitting inside your boarded up home listening to flying debris bonking
off the plywood covering your windows, you know that it probably won’t be long
before you are plunged into darkness.
The problem is that once the lights do go out, most people don’t realize
that they need to throw the main to the off position so that when the power
comes back on, the surge created won’t do damage to major appliances. If you do have a backup generator, make sure
it is well clear of the house before you start it. There’s nothing more toxic than carbon
monoxide.
F is for Food
While a supply of ice in the fridge is usually sufficient to
keeping groceries from spoiling for a couple of days, you certainly don’t want
to open the fridge until the lights come back on. This means you need to have at least a two week’s
supply of canned goods and packaged food on hand. You will also need something and somewhere to
prepare them. If you don’t have a camp
stove, you can always use the gas grill (outside once the storm breaks) to
cook. Therefore you need to make sure
you have a full bottle of LP gas ready before the storm starts.
G means Gutters
If you have gutters on your house, they are a natural sump for
leaves, branches, loose shingles and all forms of wind whipped debris that if
not cleared can cause a backup and roof leak as standing water can get under
the shingles and into the house.
Therefore you need to make sure that the gutters are clear and that
water can flow freely before the start of a downpour. You should also have a number of tarps handy
that you can use to patch any roof leaks that can be caused from fallen limbs
and flying debris.
H stands for Hanging on until help arrives
While time seems to slow down and storms seem to last
forever when you are hunkered down in the middle of one, the last thing you
want to do is to start wandering around in its aftermath. As bad as things on the home front might seem
once the storm is past, there are still imminent dangers from downed power
lines, broken branches and receding flood waters that are best to avoid.
Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctors of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons
Plumbing, a family owned and operated residential and commercial plumbing
company in Jacksonville Florida. To
review even more helpful tips and how-to videos visit their website at
http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com
When it comes to drinking water, most people don't give it a second thought. But when you think about it, fresh, clean water is one of the things that none of us can live without. A human being can go for weeks without food. But all it takes is three or four days without water to do most people in. So you would think that most people would be concerned about the water they ingest. If the sales of bottled water are any indicator, then water quality is definitely an issue to most Americans. According to a bevindustry.com article, consumption of bottled water in the US in 2010 was a whopping 8.75 billion gallons. This means that on average, every man woman and child in the US drank 28.3 gallons of bottled water in 2010. So bottled water is extremely popular. But how healthy is it? According to an MSNBC report:
Tests on leading brands of bottled water turned up a variety of contaminants, including cancer-linked chemicals three times higher than California's health standard, according to a study released Wednesday by an environmental advocacy group. Lab tests detected 38 chemicals in 10 brands, with an average of eight contaminants found in each kind of bottled water. Tests showed coliform bacteria, caffeine, the pain reliever acetaminophen, fertilizer, solvents, plastic-making chemicals and the radioactive element strontium.
While contamination concerns are certainly an issue, when you also consider that in some instances the cost of bottled water is more than the cost of gasoline, this gives many people pause to consider the alternatives.
Turning on the Tap
While municipalities from coast to coast treat water before delivering it to consumers, there is a wide disparity between the type and efficacy of treatment systems. According to the CDC:
Drinking water supplies in the United States are among the safest in the world. However, even in the U.S., drinking water sources can become contaminated, causing sickness and disease from waterborne germs, such as Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Hepatitis A, Giardia intestinalis, and other pathogens.Drinking water sources are subject to contamination and require appropriate treatment to remove disease-causing agents. Public drinking water systems use various methods of water treatment to provide safe drinking water for their communities. Today, the most common steps in water treatment used by community water systems (mainly surface water treatment) include flocculation, sedimentation, iltration and disinfection.
You have to understand that the mandate of municipal water treatment is not to provide purified water. Treatment plants are only required to keep contaminants and pathogens below 'acceptable levels." To do this, various chemicals are added, including chlorine and fluoride.
In fact, the CDC will be the first to tell you that scientists have determined that typical water treatment plants are not designed to filter out such things as pharmaceuticals including pain killers, tranquilizers, hormones and antibiotics. While these same scientists have not conclusively proven that the public is being harmed by these drugs, they have shown that tiny amounts can have detrimental effects on human cells and DNA.
So this leaves it up to the average American to not only determine whether the water coming out of their taps is 'safe', but it also leaves water treatment up to the individual as well.
Walter Filtration Drop by Drop
Even if a consumer is willing to invest in a home filtration system, there are a number of different technologies from which to choose. Everything from activated charcoal filters, to reverse osmosis, ceramic filtration and steam distillation systems are available. So there are a number of choices to be made with regard to such things as cost, as well as the best type of purification system for your needs. Before choosing a system, you have to understand that all water pollution is not created equal. Neither are treatment systems. Certain types of treatment are better at eliminating one kind of contamination as opposed to another. The only way to scientifically determine the best system for your needs is to have the water tested.
Homeowners also need to understand that there are other factors involved in the purification game. For instance, when distillation, reverse osmosis or carbon filtration systems are initially deployed, they all remove their fair share of contaminants. However, as time goes by, the percentage of contamination removed decreases. Inevitably all filtration systems have a finite lifetime and require periodic maintenance. If you are considering acquiring a whole house water treatment system, you need to cover the frequency and costs of maintaining the system as well as how long it will take to recoup your investment.
The bottom line is that if you are looking to ensure the quality of your water, you should talk to a trained water purification professional to determine the type of system that best fits your needs and your budget. Because when it comes to your family's health, this is one commodity that's truly priceless.
Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctors of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, FL. To find out more about water filtration and other water related issues, visit http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com.
There is something lurking in
the basement, hall closet or garage of every residence in the US. It’s big, it’s ugly, it’s hungry and you
could wake up one fine morning to find out that it has struck. Now I’m not talking about some kind of
phantom that lurks in the darkest recesses of your imagination. What I’m talking about is your water heater.
Now I know that when it comes
to your top ten list of things that go bump in the night, the water heater is
the last thing that you would consider as a menace to you or your family. But consider the following:
1.The average water heater consumes up to 25% of the
power that the typical homeowner pays for month in and month out.
2.Since this contraption is literally out of sight and
out of mind, it isn’t unusual for most people to ignore the thing until they
wake up to find an inch or so of water on the floor due to the fact that their
heater gave up the ghost.
3.The average life of a water heater is thirteen
years. After that, contaminants in the
water tend to collect around the heating element, making the heater even less
energy efficient.
4.Speaking of energy efficiency, today there are a
number of alternatives to the traditional water heater. These alternatives take up less space and/or
use up far less energy. (More on that
later.)
I know what you’re
thinking. You live in Jacksonville,
Florida. There are no basements in
Jacksonville. While this may hold true,
the fact is that no matter where your water heater is installed, it takes up a
lot of valuable space. Space that could
better be used for storage. When you
are ready to replace your existing water heater, you may want to opt for either
a tankless or a hybrid water heater.
These units take up far less space and use far less electricity.
Tankless systems are the
ultimate in power efficiency since they make hot water on demand…as much as you
want. Unlike traditional water heaters
that expend the majority of their power consumption on maintaining the
temperature of water stored inside the tank, tankless heaters only operate when
you turn on the tap. Another couple of
advantages of a tankless system are that you never run out of hot water. This is especially useful if you have a large
family or when the overnight guests come for a visit. They also take up less than a third of the
space of a traditional water heater. Some
can even be installed outside, which is the ultimate space saver. The downside is that tankless heaters tend to
be a bit pricier than traditional units.
If you take the longterm approach and factor in the energy saved, these
systems will ultimately pay for themselves.
However, tankless isn’t the only way to go.
Hybrid heaters are
available that straddle the fence between traditional and tankless
heaters.Like tankless systems, hybrids
are a bit pricier than traditional water heaters.These units won’t save space, bring a bit
taller than traditional units they replace, since the heat pump is mounted on
top.However, they are much more
efficient since they contain a heat pump that draws in heat from the air to
help heat the water. When Consumer Reports tested hypbrid heaters they
determined that the average family would save around $320 per year.This is a plus, since hybrid water heaters
cost about $1000 more than traditional units.
That’s not to say that
conventional water heaters have gotten stuck in some kind of technological time
warp. Like most major appliances, water
heaters have improved tremendously over the past few years. That’s why you want to shop for the
cheapest unit you can lay your hands on, but the one that gives you the best
overall value. The first step in
selecting the best system for your purposes is to determine the size you
need. To do this, you need to calculate
the amount of water your family uses during its busiest hour.
Once
you've figured out your "First Hour Rating" - how much hot water your
family typically needs and the size of the water heater you should buy - look
for the "First Hour Rating" figure on the EnergyGuide.
The
EnergyGuide will be a large yellow sticker that, by law, has to appear on water
heaters and other appliances. In this case it compares the average yearly
operating costs of different water heaters, using the same criteria for all
models tested. It lets you see which one would probably cost you less to run.
On this
sample, the "First Hour Rating" appears on the upper left-hand
corner, underneath the water heater's energy source. The "First Hour
Rating" is 66.
Choose
a model with a "First Hour Rating" close to the capacity you need.
Don't just rely on the physical size of the storage tank - gas water heaters
work quicker than electric ones, so they produce more hot water in an hour. A
gas water heater that holds 40-gallons may turn out as much hot water in an
hour as a 65-gallon electric one!
If you
decide to increase the size of your water heater, make sure you have room in
your home for a bigger model. Water heaters are sometimes crammed into tight
spaces - check the manufacturer's specifications on any model you buy to make
sure it will fit.
Note
the big number - $156 - in the center of the EnergyGuide. That's the estimated
cost of energy needed to operate this water heater for one year. On the bar
immediately below this yearly cost, the label even displays the range of yearly
costs of comparable-sized water heaters, from the least expensive to most
expensive. That's why an EnergyGuide label is such a valuable tool - it makes
comparison shopping easy.
Whichever type of heater
you buy, be it traditional, hybrid or tankless, remember that you are going to
have to live with the thing for a decade or more.So choose the unit that makes the best sense
in the long run, instead of making the mistake of feeding that other monster
that lives in your home: the electric meter.
What goes down might just come back up. At least that seems to be the consensus when
it comes to most simple plumbing issues such as backups and clogs. While some of these problems are the result
of forces beyond our control, others are simply a matter of poor preventative
maintenance. Below I will share with you
some cause and effect scenarios.
The Kitchen Sink
You’d be surprised at what people put down their kitchen
sink. Chicken fat, hot grease, pancake
batter and more get poured down the drain, sometimes with disastrous
results. Worse, most people do nothing
to clear the drain until it backs up.
And then they usually resort to some kind of caustic chemicals to try to
rectify the matter. This can cause more
damage than good in some circumstances, particularly if the pipes are more than
twenty years old.
First of all, any kind of fluid that will change its state
to a solid once it cools off, such as grease, lard, fat and pancake batter
should never be poured down the drain. I
deal with these substances by keeping a jar under the sink where I pour all hot
grease and fat. When it comes to pancake
batter, after using a spatula to scrape as much of the batter as possible into
the trash can, I will fill the bowl with hot water in order to dilute the
material as much as possible. Only then
will I pour the water down the drain, followed by filling the sink two thirds
full of hot water and then pulling the plug.
In fact this procedure is an excellent monthly preventative maintenance
item, since it will flush the pipes out.
When it comes to garbage disposals, this is another clog
builder, particularly if you don’t run it long enough or flush the drain with
enough water after each use. Not only
does this appliance contribute to clogs, but it can also become an odor creator
if not properly maintained. Below is a
video where I show you how to disinfect a stinky disposal.
Bathroom Buildup
As bad as the kitchen sink can be when it comes to backing
up, the bathroom sink and tub can be even worse. That’s largely due to such things as hair,
grooming products, cosmetics and hair.
Did I mention hair? It’s amazing
the tensile strength, not to mention the knotting ability of hair. Particularly long hair. Once even one strand becomes affixed in a
drain, it isn’t long before a tangle of the stuff begins to impede and
eventually stop the flow of water altogether.
Certain kinds of hair dyes, cosmetics and over the counter remedies have
an affinity for hair that creates bonds between the follicles that eventually
turn into a ball of stickum that grabs onto any foreign object that comes down
the pipe.
Before resorting to Draino or some other caustic substance,
the first thing you should do is remove the drain and clean it out. In many cases, the clog starts and stops
there. If the clog is deeper still, for
around $10 or so you can buy a Drain Claw which you can snake down the
drain. If the clog is located a foot or
so down the pipe, the claw is designed to grip it and rip it. If the clog is located deeper than that, then
I suggest you contact a plumber. The
problem with caustic drain cleaners is they are dangerous to use and they don’t
just dissolve the clog, they will erode the pipes as well. The cost of having a plumber snake your drain
is far less than the cost of a trip to the ER or repairing a pipe that has
burst behind the wall.
When Nature Calls
There is another menace that rears its ugly head in outdoor drains
and sewer lines: Tree roots.
Particularly in older neighborhoods, tree roots can penetrate sewer
lines and outdoor drains, slowing or even halting the flow. Roots are insidious beasties that enter sewer
and supply lines through the tiniest of openings, eventually stopping up the
works. The worst thing a homeowner can
do when they notice their drains slowing to a crawl is to wait until it blocks
up entirely. If you suspect root intrusion, call a plumber immediately so the situation can be assessed. Many times the existing roots can be cleared out of the line, which will buy you some time. That's the good news. The bad news is that once roots infiltrate the sewer line, there is no choice other than digging it up and replacing it.
As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure. When it comes to maintaining pipes
and alleviating clogs, the best offense is a good defense. By that I mean, that with proper care,
monthly maintenance and nipping plumbing problems in the bud early, you can
save money on plumbing issues by knowing your plumbing system’s likes and
dislikes.
Billy Aldridge is one
of the Doctor’s of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville,
Florida. For more helpful hints and how-to videos, visit
http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com
In these trying economic times, I don’t blame the public for attempting to save money by doing it themselves.
The problem is that more often than you’d care to believe, someone gets
it way over their heads in their zeal to save a buck. When that happens, the results can be damage
to the home or business, not to mention a huge repair bill. So the first bit of advice I give to all you
wannabe DIYers out there is: Know your limits.
As Seen on TV
The real culprit behind some questionable DIY attempts I
suspect are those ubiquitous TV shows that demonstrate just how
easy it is to do the job yourself. Ever
since Bob Vila first aired “This Old House” back in 1979, there has been a
flood of home repair series that have made their hosts household names and big
box hardware supply stores a ton of money.
Just remember that you can’t always believe everything you see on
TV. Plus you also need to realize that most home
repair shows are hosted by experienced contractors who know what they are
doing.
Since everyone seems to respond to TV shows, I have put a
few together a few YouTube examples myself. These clips
come from news organizations and consumers that show like an outtake reel designed to reveal what can happen when a DIY project goes wrong. The first is a Fox News piece with Angie Hicks of Angie's list.
DIY Plumbing Disaster for Fun & Profit - In Australia they actually created a competition with a $3,000 first prize that encouraged people to share their DIY plumbing disasters. I guess that was to cover the damage done. Below is a clip that shows a running commentary from the judges with some of the more creative entries. Who says that they don't have a sense of humor down under.
The next installment is a newsflash from a first time homeowner who hired an unlicensed plumber to fix her dishwasher. Not only wasn't the problem fixed. The "fixer" caused more than $17,000 in damage. Yikes!
Last but not least, here is how not to unstop a drain. Yuck!
The reason these videos are helpful is that they serve to illustrate some of the things that can go wrong if you try to bite off more than you can chew when it comes to tackling a number of common plumbing problems on your own. That's not to say that there isn't a time and place for a little DIY. You just don't want to wind up paying more to fix the fix than the original repair would have cost in the first place. As my final installment, I offer up a DIY plumbing fix that literally anyone can handle.
Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctors of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida. Visit their website at http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com for all you plumbing needs.
With the economy still
depressed and with it the real estate market, many people are choosing to
improve their existing homes instead of jumping ship. With that in mind, one of the best ways to
enhance the enjoyment of your existing home is to remodel your kitchen. When it comes to designing a new kitchen, the
project can either be a pleasure, or it can be a headache, depending on how
well the makeover is planned beforehand.
So before you start pulling down cabinets and replacing appliances and
flooring, you will want to lay out a plan that both improves the functionality
of your kitchen, as well as working within your budget.
Let Your Fingers Do the Walking
Inevitably you will want to
meet with a designer and installer, as well as a plumber and an electrician. Before you do that however, you need to make
some decisions on how much you have to spend on the project, as well as where
your priorities lie. Deciding on such
things as appliances, fixtures, cabinets, tiles and paint used to mean multiple
trips to Home Depot or Lowes, along with other big box stores. With the advent
of tablet PCs and smartphones, there are now apps that not only let your
fingers do the walking when it comes to selecting hardware, décor and color
schemes, but there are even apps that let you move these elements around your
virtual kitchen to see what the final product will look like.
Architectural Digest has a free app called Amazing
Kitchens that feature a selection of stunning kitchens that is available for
iPhone, iPod and iPad. The app is also
packed with useful and intuitive tools that help make kitchen design a snap.
If Android is your ios of choice, no worry,
since there are plenty of apps available.
One of the best resources is Google Play, where you will find Kitchen Cabinets
and Designs, a free app that provides such things as kitchen design ideas,
ideas for kitchen cabinets and videos of selected kitchens.
If you haven’t made the switch to mobile computingyet,
there are plenty of software packages available for PCs and laptops. Check
out http://kitchen-design-software-review.toptenreviews.com/ which is a site that is not only dedicated to
rating the best kitchen design software, but they also break down each
package’s features to help you choose the package that’s right for you.
Once you have determined the
layout then it’s time to start comparison shopping for major appliances and
fixtures. The Internet is a great way to
accomplish this task as well. Everything
from big box stores to Amazon and Even EBay are right at your fingertips. Consumer reports and other review sites are a
great way to compare name brands and get a bead on such things as energy
efficiency and reliability.
If you are remodeling on a
budget, the Internet can be your best friend.
Comparison shopping aside, there are also thousands of blogs and videos
out there that show you how to save money without scrimping on quality. Speaking of blogs, you might like to check
out one of my previous blogs, http://aldridgesonsplumbing.blogspot.com/2012/07/kitchen-remodeling-jacksonville-4-tips.html which contains 4 tips that can save you money when
remodeling a kitchen.
Time to Bring in the Professionals
Once you have done your
homework, now it is time to bring in the pros.
Depending upon the complexity of the project, you may need to work with
several, including a designer, a cabinet installer, a flooring company, a
plumber, an electrician and a carpenter.
If you already have an idea of what you have in mind, this not only
makes everyone’s job that much easier, but it can save you real money. If you have no clue, this leaves it up to the
designer to “suggest” a plan of action that may or may not fit your
budget. So planning is essential to
staying on budget.
Speaking of planning, you
will also need to plan for the fact that your kitchen could be out of
commission for up to a month while the teardown and redo is accomplished. This
usually entails a lot of take-out food and restaurant meals that you need to budget
for as well while the work is underway.
The upside is that once the job is done, you will not only get years of
enjoyment from your new kitchen, but it will also add value to your home.
So if you’re looking to
upgrade your kitchen any time in the near future, remember that the key to
staying on budget and eliminating much of the stress that any renovation causes
is to “Plan the work and work the plan.”
Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctors of
Plumbology at Aldridge & Sons Plumbing, a family owned and operated
commercial and residential plumbing company based in Jacksonville, FL. See Billy’s helpful how-to videos at http://plumbers-jacksonvile-fl.com
Finding a competent local
plumber is a lot like gardening. You
have to know how to weed out the bad from the good. While no one wants to trust their home to an
unqualified, or worse yet, unlicensed plumber, there are a few things that
homeowners need to ask before they let anyone start messing around with their
pipes.
1.Nowadays, you
don’t have to take any contractor’s word that they are honest, courteous and prompt. With the availability of the
Internet, researching a local business couldn't be easier. Start by visiting a plumbers website and look
for such things as how long they have been in business, if they have any
testimonials, and what their hours of operation are. You can also go to such sites as LinkedIn, Merchant Circle and
Google Local to find if any positive and/or negative reviews have been
posted. Last but not least, read their
blog, if they have one. This is one of
the best ways to get to know the people behind the advertisement.
2.Ask for their
business license, contractor’s credentials, and proof of insurance. The last thing you want is to have some
damage done to your home during the repair only to find out after the fact that
the contractor was either not insured, or under insured. If you find that they are missing any of the
three, keep looking.
3.When asking for a
quote, make sure it is in writing and ascertain the approximate length of time
the job is going to take, along with the materials that will b e supplied by
the contractor. The last thing you want
to be hit with is a bill after the fact for materials that you assumed were to
be supplied by the contractor.
4. Also find out
if any permits need to be pulled or inspections are going to be required before
during or after the work is completed. This could cost you time off from work if the
job is inside and you need to be there to let the inspector into your
home. The last thing you want is to be
informed of this after the fact. Find
out what time the repair crew is going to show up and how long the repair is
going to take so you can plan your day.
5.Talk to the contractor to find out if their crew is
going to clean up after the repair is complete, or if they plan on leaving that
detail up to you. Ask for and check out
their references. Specifically ask the people who have had first hand
experience with a contractor what their impressions were of the people assigned
to perform the repair. Don’t assume that
the well-dressed, soft spoken young man who comes to give you a quote is going
to be the same person that is going to do the work. You could be in for a rude awakening,
literally.
6.Once you decide to work with a contractor, you then
need to see a contract that defines the job in its entirety. If there is anything in the contract that
makes you feel ill at ease, do not sign it until you have complete confidence
in the people with whom you are dealing. When it comes to plumbing repair, the last thing you want to do is repair the repair, or worse ye, have your home damaged by an unskilled or unlicensed plumber. As in the garden, if you always take the time to make sure you are working with good seeds, then you won't be forced to spend your time pulling weeds.
Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctors of Plumbology at
Aldridge & Sons Plumbing, a family owned and operated commercial and
residential plumbing contractor based in Jacksonville, Florida. Visit their http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com
website for more blogs and helpful how-to videos that are designed to save you
money and help your plumbing last longer.
