Is it Time to Buff Up Your Bathroom?

By Billy Aldridge

While other parts of the home may take precedence over the bathroom when it comes to scheduling a redo, buffing the bathroom is one way to add value and creature comfort to your home.  Particularly if your home is twenty or more years old, updating fixtures, appliances and toilets can not only beautify your home, but it can also pay for itself in water and energy savings. 

Say Tata to the Toilet

Sorry to say it, but if your toilet was built before 1990, then it can be one of the costliest appliances in your home when it comes to water consumption.  Back in the 50’s it was common for toilets to use as much as 7 gallons per flush.  By the 80’s the norm was closer to 4 gallons.  Today’s high efficiency toilets can use less than a gallon and a half per flush and help homeowners save as much as 16,000 gallons of water annually.

High Efficiency Toilets (HETs) should be able to flush using at least 20% less water than is mandated by law and should not need to be flushed more than once to do their job. They should require minimal cleaning with environmentally unfriendly detergents. They should flush quietly. They should be user friendly and comfortable. And they should be available in a wide variety of design styles that fit with the existing (or future) bathroom décor. These are the guiding principles that drive our design of high-performance, High Efficiency TOTO Toilets.

Water You Waiting For?

Old bathrooms also have old pipes, many of which can be affected by hard water which causes scale which leads to decreased water pressure.  If you turn on the shower and receive no more than a trickle, this is due to scale.  Scale not only reduces water flow, but it can also cause back pressure that can lead to a sudden failure in pipes, many of which are located behind the wall.  If you notice a water stain that can’t be traced to its source, it’s time to call in a plumber before that drip, drip turns into a torrent that can cost you far more than having a few pipes replaced.

Another energy demon is the traditional water heater, which is not only affected by the same scale buildup as your pipes, but this scale clings to the heating coils which in turn reduce their efficiency resulting in higher power bills.  Speaking of power bills, traditional water heaters can gobble up as much as 25% of your total monthly electric consumption.  Today there are far more energy and space efficient heaters including tankless and hybrid systems.

Bathroom Tech

Another reason to consider giving the B-Room a makeover has to do with the fact that there are so many high tech additions now available to make tub time much more enjoyable.  There are all kinds of accoutrements to consider from whirlpool tubs and walk-in tubs to singing showerheads and TVs built directly into the mirror.

High Tech Walk-in Tubs include Hydrotherapy Air jet Systems and Waterjet Massage Systems available from Tub King that are designed for people with mobility concerns, but are great for anyone who want to enjoy the benefits of a whirlpool bath. http://www.tubking.com/walk_in_tubs.html

There is a singing showerhead called the Moxie by Kohler that can be programmed through your Bluetooth. Since water and electricity don’t mix, the unit is wireless and rechargeable.  http://www.us.kohler.com/us/Moxie%22-Showerhead-+-Wireless-Speaker/content/CNT16200089.htm

Relaxing in the tub takes on a whole new meaning when you can watch a movie while you soak.  Called Mirrorvue Mirror Television, this product can be installed as a vanity mirror or directly in the bath enclosure.  If you’re worried about this tub TV steaming up, the folks at Evervue guarantee the screen to be fog free. So you will receive a crystal clear picture no matter how hot you like your water. http://www.evervuetv.com/mv.html

Other than aesthetics and energy savings, remaking the bathroom can also add real value to your home.  While a typical bathroom remodel can cost anywhere from $15,000 to $50,000, the average cost that is recouped when you sell your home is 60% or more.  When you factor in the added enjoyment your family will get from an upgraded bathroom, buffing up your bathroom might be worth looking into in the near future.

Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctors of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing located in Jacksonville, Florida.  For more helpful hints and how-to videos visit their site at http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com

The Plumbing Detective

By Billy Aldridge

Being a homeowner means sometimes having to make like a gumshoe, especially when it comes to hidden leaks.  Most leaks around the home are relatively easy to find.  Look for a wet spot or discoloration or listen carefully for a persistent drip, drip, drip behind a wall until the leak is located.  Other leaks, particularly those associated with shower enclosures can be particularly difficult to localize.  That’s when you need to call in the Plumbing Detective. 

Shower Power

Showers can be one of the worst offenders when it comes to leaks.  This is due to the fact that there are so 

many places from which a shower can spring a leak. Everything from the door, to the drain to the tile backsplash can develop nearly imperceptible leaks that can cause real damage behind the wall or to the subfloor.  If left unchecked this can also be a chief source of mold in the home. 

Signs of a leak can include such things as loose tiles, peeling paint, obvious signs of mold and any standing water on the floor after using the shower.  Once it seems that water is making its way beyond the shower enclosure, then it’s time to start doing a little detective work.  If the source of the leak appears to be emanating from the periphery of the enclosure and you see standing water on the floor every time the shower is used, then the likely culprit is the shower door or frame. 

Round Up the Usual Suspects

Sealing this kind of leak is one of the simplest fixes since all you need is a tube of caulk.  The hard part is localizing the leak itself.  To do that, splash a little water around the door and frame.  If you don’t see water oozing out the other side, wait a minute or two.  Water has a way of working its way through the tiniest or gaps.  But sometimes it takes a little time to do the deed.  Another source of door leaks can be a faulty gasket.  If the door has a rubber gasket or door sweep check these for cracks or gaps.  Once you determine the cause of the leak, simply replace any worn gaskets and/or cracked caulk and then test for water intrusion a second time just to make sure you haven’t missed anything.  Sometimes the shower could have multiple leaks, particularly if it is more than ten years old.

Down the Drain

Drain leaks can be even more insidious to detect, simply because the source of the leak is ought of sight and mind.  .  Even in prefabricated plastic or fiberglass shower stalls this kind of leak is not at all uncommon.  However, these leaks can be quite costly to repair if left unchecked.  It is not unusual to have to tear out a shower enclosure and replace the subflooring in homes where these leaks have been left to their own devices for months or years.  If the bathroom in question is on the first floor which happens to be on a concrete slab, it isn’t unusual for the leak to create water intrusion in adjoining rooms, all of which will need to be repaired once the leak is found and sealed.  If the bathroom in question is on the second floor, the ceiling on the room below may also need to be ripped out and replaced.  So any way you slice it, water won’t be the only thing going down the drain if your home has one of these leaks.

Detecting these leaks can be kind of tricky, since it isn’t always possible to see beneath the stall.  If the shower has an access panel, sometimes it is possible to see beneath the shower, or at least snake a fiber optic viewing scope beneath the drain. If it is impossible to see beneath the shower stall then the second way to detect if you have a drain leak is to plug the drain and then add just enough water to form a puddle around the drain.  Delineate the boundary of the puddle by placing a tube of toothpaste at the edge of the puddle.  Then walk away for five minutes or so and return to see if the water is still touching the tube.  If it is not then you have a leaky drain.  (Make sure the plug is fully engaged so that it doesn’t leak before you attempt this test.)

Replacing a leaking drain isn’t all that difficult.  To remove the existing drain, simply unscrew the flange that is located above the drain.  Remove and clean the flange.  Then set this aside.   Next, remove the drain and gasket and take the flange to any hardware store, plumbing supply house  or big box home center .  While your there, pick up a tube of silicone caulk.  You will want to apply a bead of this below the flange when you reassemble the drain.  Then it’s just a screwdriver job.

The Trouble with Tile

Last but not least on our rap sheet of leak perpetrators is tile, or more likely the caulk surrounding the tile.  If your bathroom has tile and the tile is anywhere in, on or under the tub, then it can and will deteriorate over time causing unwanted water intrusion.  Whether it is the thin-set holdiog the tile to the wall or the grout between the tiles, these need to be checked and sealed every now and then.   Loose tiles are a dead giveaway that you need to remove the tile and re-grout.  If a number of tiles are loose in any given area, or if the wall feels spongy to the touch beneath any removed tile, then it is time to replace the backer board before replacing any loose tiles.

While leaks are problematic, they don’t need to be catastrophic, provided that you catch them early and correct the situation.  Leave them to their own devices and these fleeing felons can cost you and your family much more than correcting a simple leak.  So don’t let these little leaks rob you blind.

Billy Aldridge is one of the Doctors of Plumbology at Aldridge and Sons Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida.  For even more helpful plimbing tips and DIY videos, go to http://plumbers-jacksonville-fl.com