Archive for the ‘Green Plumbing’ Category
WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR BATHROOM ON A BUDGET
WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR BATHROOM ON A BUDGET
Many homeowners dream of a bathroom make-over. You need more space, more lighting, a larger bathtub or shower, or a new look. Bathroom improvements don’t have to be costly to be worthwhile.
Some ideas that may prove useful in transforming your old bathroom into a stylish new one that won’t break the bank include:
· Freshen up your bathroom with a new coat of paint on walls and ceiling. This is by far the least expensive bathroom make-over strategy.
· Remove old cracked, aged, and dirty caulking around your shower and/or tub with new caulk.
· Purchase and install a new toilet. With lots of toilet colors available, you’ll be able to coordinate your new toilet with other bathroom décor to create a new look. Get a dual flush toilet and you’ll also be contributing to the preservation of the environment. A licensed plumber can help with the purchase and installation.
· Replace your old vanity with a new one. Or, if that is too expensive, consider replacing the top of your vanity or sink.
· Add stylish new taps and a matching showerhead for a quick modernization of your old bathroom.
· Upgrade your light fixtures with some new, energy efficient and more stylish models. You may have a hard time deciding on this one if you haven’t looked at light fixtures lately as the variety is almost overwhelming.
· Replace your worn and probably dulled shower door with a new clean door. If you coordinate it with your new fixtures, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the result.
· Replace towel bars, your toilet paper holder, and shower rod. These are available in multiple styles and materials so you’re sure to find one that will improve your bathroom’s appearance.
· Finish any upgrade or improvement with new towels, bathmats, and accessories to pull your room together.
Try some or all of these suggestions. You’ll enjoy the process and the new bathroom. Should you need the services of a qualified, licensed plumber during your bathroom make-over project, contact one of our plumbers at www.find-plumbers for an estimate.
Blog Post provided by: Atlanta Bathroom Plumbing Specialist
Proper Insulation of Pipes
Proper Insulation of Pipes
Insulation of your home’s pipes is not something most people think about until there is a problem (i.e., frozen and/or cracked pipes) which will require a licensed water line repair plumber to fix. Being conscientious about insulating your plumbing will result in high performance and long service-life of your piping system. And, insulation is one of the many do-it-yourself tasks that most homeowners can accomplish with little expense and little skill.
To be sure, pipe insulation in parts of the country where pipes have the potential to freeze and burst is a given. Consequently, the time and effort put into seeing that your pipes are properly insulated far outweighs the possibility of a pipe bursting during a snowstorm. While it’s obvious that your outdoor pipes need insulation, other pipes, even those in your home where the temperature is regulated, need insulation as well. For instance if you have an electrical power outage, go on vacation or have a sudden temperature drop, you are susceptible to frozen pipes. By properly insulating all pipes connected to your home, you can eliminate the possibility of an unexpected problem.
In addition, insulation of your plumbing can have a huge impact on your home’s energy use as well as the price you pay for that usage. Insulation of your pipes improves the thermal efficiency of your home, limits heat transfer, provides a vapor barrier against moisture, eliminates condensation and decelerates pipe deterioration. All of these results help keep energy prices down and contribute to environmental preservation.
What Materials to Use
Materials used for insulation of pipes have recently moved from mineral and fiberglass products to flexible and rigid closed-cell glass materials. The newest materials will block moisture that would normally collect in tradition fiberglass insulation and keeps pipes from getting wet even under the harshest of circumstances. Some methods of insulation use a wicking material, wrapped around the pipes that will absorb moisture and carry it outside of the jacket over your pipes where the moisture evaporates. If you need to insulate underground pipes, you can buy a variety of polyurethane foam products that serve as excellent insulators and limit the impact of water on those pipe systems.
Take time this winter to inspect your pipes for exposed areas. You can then insulate them yourself or call a local qualified plumber to do the job for you. A small investment upfront on insulation may save you a lot of money over this winter season.
Blog post provided by: Alpharetta GA plumbing services experts
Things You Can Flush and Things You Can’t
Things You Can Flush and Things You Can’t
Flushing items down your toilet may seem like a good idea at the time. However, despite the obvious problems with clogging your toilet, should you really be flushing that stuff? Chemicals, in particular cosmetics, medications, and cleaning supplies may be harmful to your local water supply. Many water treatment plants can not destroy or remove these chemicals from wastewater. Consequently, they are going to end up in someone’s drinking water.
Flushing cosmetics and medications down the toilet result in numerous consequences. Some of the more harmful consequences include the poisoning of aquatic environments, and worsening the issue of bacteria resistant pharmaceuticals. Cosmetics should be disposed of in the garbage so as to eliminate their harm to the environment. Landfills are the best place for these to be disposed of as the plastic barriers that most landfills are now equipped with prevent chemicals from contaminating the water and soil tables.
Flushing cleaning supplies down the toilet is even worse for the environment than cosmetics and medications. Cleaning supplies with their harsh and poisonous ingredients damage fragile aquatic environments and seep into water and soil, affecting wildlife, aquatic organisms, and plants. In addition, some of these cleaning supplies have the potential to corrode your pipes, creating the expense of repair or replacement.
Instead of disposing of cosmetics, mediations, and cleaning supplies by flushing try the following.
· Contact your pharmacy about disposal of medication. They may have a program or bin set up for easy disposal.
· Seal medication with tape before placing it into the trash.
· Mix your cosmetics and medications with your throw-away coffee grounds when putting them in the trash to discourage pets and children from pilfering in it.
· Put kitty litter in an empty milk container and pour liquid cleaners or liquid medications into the container to be absorbed before discarding them.
1. By taking just a few simple steps to dispose of cosmetics, medication, and cleaning supplies instead of flushing them, you will contribute to the preservation of the environment and save on plumbing repair as well. However, should you find yourself with a clogged line as a result of flushing these items, contact a local qualified plumber to help with the problem.
Blog post provided by: Marietta GA clogged toilet plumbing specialists
Going Green to Clean
Going Green to Clean
Mold in bathrooms and kitchens is an inevitable byproduct of these areas where moisture collects. While harsh chemical cleaners will definitely rid you of mold and mildew, there are some environmentally-safe substances that will do the trick as well. Three of these all natural ingredients are vinegar, tea tree oil, and grapefruit seed extract. Of the three, vinegar, found in most household kitchens, is the cheapest and most easily found. Tea tree oil, found in most health food stores, is a powerful, spectrum fungicide, but has a very strong smell and is expensive. And grapefruit seed extract, while odorless, is also expensive.
Vinegar
Vinegar is purported to kill eight-two percent of molds. You can easily make yourself a good vinegar spray by pouring white distilled vinegar straight into a spray bottle to spray on mold. Let the sprayed vinegar set for a few hours and then rinse for a clean mold-free area.
Tea Tree
Tea tree spray, with its strong odor is about the best mold cure around. Though expensive, tea tree spray is highly effective in the fight against mold and mildew, with a little going a long way. If you can stand the odor for the few days it will take for it to dissipate, it is well worth the trouble. To make your tea tree spray, combine two teaspoons of tea tree oil with two cups of water in a spray bottle. Shake the mixture well and spray on mold or mildew. Do not rinse.
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Your second best defense against mold and mildew is grapefruit seed extract spray. The advantage of using grapefruit seed extract is that you don’t have to endure any odor but still get a pretty good mold cleaner. Combine twenty drops of grapefruit seed extract with two cups of water and spray on mold and mildew. As with tea tree spray, do not rinse for best results.
Mold and mildew can be very dangerous to your health. And people with mold or mildew allergies are particularly susceptible to its danger. To reduce the likelihood of developing a mold or mildew problem, be vigilant about keeping basements and carpets dry. In addition, make sure you repair all leaks in plumbing and roofs.
Post provided by: Plumbers Lawrenceville GA
Tankless Water Heaters
Tankless Water Heaters
Tankless Water Heaters function to heat water directly without the use of a storage tank. Consequently, tankless water heaters avoid the standby heat losses associated with storage water heaters. With a tankless water heater, when you turn on your hot water tap, cold water travels through a pipe into your tankless water heater unit. If you have an electric tankless water heater, an electric element heats the water; and in a gas-fired tankless water heater a gas burner heats the water. This results in a tankless water heater delivering a constant supply of hot water to your home. Thus, you don’t need to wait for a storage tank to fill up with water to enjoy your hot water.
Tankless Water Heater Maintenance
To optimize the energy efficiency of your tankless water heater you must make sure that it is properly installed and that you handle maintenance issues regularly.
Proper installation and maintenance of tankless water heaters depends on the climate you live in and local building code requirements. To determine if you are within codes, you should have a qualified, licensed plumbing contractor install your tankless water heater.
Precautions To Take To Ensure Your Tankless Water Heater Is Installed Correctly
Take precautions in choosing a contractor to install your tankless water heater by requesting a cost estimate in writing, asking the contractor for references, checking with your local Better Business Bureau to see if unfavorable reports have been filed against the contractor, and confirm that the company has a local permit and understands your local building code requirements.
Manufacturers of tankless water heaters usually provide installation and instruction manuals with their product; so make sure your contractor is aware of this and that he has a copy of these installation instruction materials. In addition, make sure that your contractor has contacted your municipality for information about obtaining a permit to install your tankless water heater, if necessary, and that your contractor is educated in the codes required to be followed when installing your tankless water heater.
Life expectancy of most tankless water heaters is more than twenty years, so verify that parts for your particular water heater will be available for at least ten to fifteen years.
Consult the manufacturer’s website or literature for detailed warranty information about your tankless water heater. And, remember, periodic water heater maintenance can significantly extend your water heater’s life as well as minimize your loss of efficiency. Be sure to read your owner’s manual for specific maintenance recommendations and follow those recommendations.
Post provided by: Licensed Plumber Marietta GA
Water Filter vs. Bottled Water
Installing a Water Filter System vs. Drinking Bottled Water
One of the top items on most shopping lists is bottled water, especially during the hot summer season. It is important for us to drink plenty of water daily – people have swapped the 8 glasses of water per day rule with bottled water because of the convenience. In addition, many of us have ditched the soda and high-sugared fruit drinks with water. Unfortunately, drinking water from certain plastic bottles can be unhealthy.
Recent studies have shown that there are dangerous chemicals in certain types of plastic water bottles that contain bisphenol A and phthalates. These dangerous chemicals can seep into your water and actually cause weight gain and fatigue.
The sole purpose of drinking water is to cleanse your system and to help keep our weight down—drinking water containing toxins defeats the purpose of drinking healthy.
The good news, there are alternatives such as installing a water filter system in your home. There are three types of filtration: On-faucet Filtration, Countertop Filters Systems and Under Sink Filtration Systems.
On-faucet Filtration forces tap water through a thick carbon block that has holes that lock in harmful chemicals, odors and bacteria.
Countertop Filters Systems filters even tiny particles and can be used along with carbon to prevent bad odors.
Under Sink Filtration Systems offers a much higher flow capacity than your standard faucet filter and it is easy to attach.
If your family drinks several cases of bottled water each month, you may want to consider adding a water filter to your home. A new water filter will provide thousands of gallons of clean fresh water without the toxins that may exist in plastic bottles. Also, a new water filter will end up saving you quite a bit of money by eliminating the need for bottled water.
Post provided by Plumbers in Alpharetta Ga
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