Archive for the ‘Kitchen Repair’ Category
WASHERLESS FAUCETS
WASHERLESS FAUCETS
Washerless faucets are considered to be a type of faucet that usually lasts longer than compression faucets. However, washerless faucets are also more prone to leaks than compression ones. Consequently, when a washerless faucet is in need of repair, you will have to replace some or possibly all of the flow parts and the fixture. The type of washerless faucet you have will be the determining factor as to what parts must be replaced to alleviate a leak.
There are two styles of washerless faucets available (single lever or two-handled) and three types of washerless faucets (ball, disc, and cartridge).
BALL FAUCETS
Having a free-moving handle that attaches to a rotating ball inside the faucet body, a ball faucet works when the rotation of a ball stops at a position where the ball aligns with the water flow of your hot water or cold water inlets to dispense water. When the handle of one of these type faucets leaks, a tightening of the ring or replacement of the cam washer usually solves the problem.
DISC FAUCETS
Disc faucets have a ceramic disc assembly at their core. These handles rarely wear out but leaks do develop when any of the faucet’s rubber seals become corroded. With three rubber seals for hot, cold, and mixed water flow, you’ll need to remove and replace all three seals when leaks occur.
CARTRIDGE FAUCETS
Most cartridge faucets are of the single-handed variety and are easily identifiable by their narrow metal or plastic cartridge sitting inside its faucet body. Cartridge faucets develop leaks when their O-rings or cartridge assembly becomes worn. To alleviate these leaks, you’ll need to replace either or both of these parts. The main thing to remember with a cartridge faucet is to make sure you replace the O-ring or cartridge assembly with an exact duplicate part; otherwise, you’ll still have a leak when you finish your repair job.
If you have a more extensive leaky faucet problem that isn’t solved by the above suggestions, contact qualified plumber contractor to take care of that leak for you.
Blog Post provided by: Marietta Licensed Plumbers
CLEANING YOUR GARBAGE DISPOSAL
CLEANING YOUR GARBAGE DISPOSAL
Considering that you throw some pretty disgusting food articles into your garbage disposal, you probably aren’t surprised that it sometimes becomes smelly and clogged. Unless you have abused your garbage disposal by continuously disposing of items that it cannot handle, solving a garbage disposal problem is relatively simple.
THE BASICS
When you flip the switch on your garbage disposal, blades start to spin to pulverize the food and debris you have thrown into it. Once pulverized enough, these articles flow downstream through your plumbing system as liquidized waste. Since the blades of your garbage disposal are very fast and strong, an odor problem may arise when you try to grind up some item that gets stuck against the walls of the disposal. If allowed to remain in the disposal long enough (a few days), you’ll have quite an unpleasant odor on your hands.
CLEANING A STINKY GARBAGE DISPOSAL
Once odor has invaded, the simplest way to rid your garbage disposal of that odor is to fill the disposal with soap and water and flush it out. To accomplish this task, stop up the sink where your disposal is located, fill your sink with enough soapy water to fill up the disposal, and then release the stopper while turning on your garbage disposal to have the disposal’s submerged blades spin the mixture around and hopefully dislodge the odor-producing gunk in your disposal. If this is a successful procedure, you’ll notice an immediate improvement in the odor.
IF SOAP AND WATER DON’T WORK
If soap and water don’t clear the odor, try the same flushing procedure and use baking soda and vinegar (½ cup of baking soda plus ½ cup of vinegar added to water) to partially fill your sink. Immediately following the last gurgle of the water going down the disposal, follow the mixture with boiling water.
If the above measures are unsuccessful, contact experienced licensed plumber for a guaranteed solution to that garbage disposal clog or odor problem.
Blog Post provided by: Marietta Garbage Disposal Plumbing service
Repairing Plumbing Pipes
Repairing Plumbing Pipes
The majority of plumbing problems occur at or near fixtures such as sinks, tubs, and toilets. Sometimes, however, your pipes themselves are the root of the problem. Plumbing pipes can be quite temperamental. They leak, sweat, freeze, and make loud noises.
Leaking Pipes
Plumbing leaks come in a variety of sizes. Some can flood your home, while others are not damaging at all. How you approach stopping a leak depends on the type of leak you are dealing with. If your leak problem occurs at a joint, tighten the joint. If your leak is in a pipe, remove the section that is leaking and replace it with a new section. Unfortunately, this is more easily said than done, so most water pipe replacement jobs are best left to a qualified plumber. However, if you are an avid, do-it-yourselfer, you may want to consider using a patch kit, found at most any hardware store. Unfortunately, while a patch kit is an easy fix it may not stop your leak on a permanent basis if your pipe is damaged to begin with.
Quieting Noisy Pipes
Banging pipes, sometimes called water hammer, is only one of several different noises that can come from your plumbing system. If you hear a banging sound when you turn on water, your pipes are probably striking against something. Solving a banging pipe problem is easier if you can see the pipes in question, so if you can manage to see the moving pipe, even if it is between the walls, you may be able to silence it by padding the ends of the pipes as they emerge from behind your wall, eliminating the need to tear your house apart.
If the knocking sound occurs only when you turn on the hot water, your water heater is set too high. Turning down the heat setting may silence the pipes.
While drainpipes rarely clatter, they do sometimes make a sucking noise as water leaves a sink or basin. If you hear this sound, it means that a vent, such as the hole at the top edge of a bathroom sink, is restricted or your drain has no vent at all attached to it. In either case, a potentially serious plumbing problem exists when you hear this sound because a non-functioning or non-existent vent can eliminate the water seal and allow sewer gases to back up into your home. Try eliminating the problem with a plumber’s snake. If that doesn’t work, call a licensed qualified plumber to make sure your system is functioning properly. Don’t risk your family’s health if you aren’t sure of how to fix a noisy pipe.
Blog post provided by: Marietta Ga plumbers
Water Conservation Tips
Water Conservation Tips
Whether you are interested in the green movement or not, it never hurts to conserve water. Residential water conservation is a great way to contribute to the environment as well as your pocketbook.
No matter what area of your home you start with begin your water conservation campaign, always repair leaky faucets, both indoors and out. If you live in an older home, consider replacing old toilets, dishwashers and clothes washers with newer, more water and energy efficient alternatives.
Kitchen Conservation Tips
Fill your sink or basin when washing and rinsing dishes to save on running water. When cooking, peel and clean your vegetables in a large bowl instead of under running water. Only run your dishwasher when it is full. Try not to use your garbage disposal unless absolutely necessary. Install faucet aerators to cut down on water usage.
Bathroom Conservation Tips
Take showers instead of baths, and turn off the water to brush your teeth and shave. Repair leaky toilets and install a toilet dam, low-flow showerheads, and faucet aerators.
Laundry Conservation Tips
Purchase a water saving model of clothes washer. Chose one where you can adjust the load size to use only the amount of water you need. Try to let delay washing a load of clothes until you have a full one.
Outdoor Conservation Tips
Only water your lawn when necessary, once per week should be sufficient even when there is no rainfall. Avoid watering on windy and hot days. Try to water your lawn in the late evening or morning to minimize evaporation of water. Soaker hoses get the water down where you need it; sprinklers are sometimes wasteful because they water buildings as well as vegetation. Mulch applied around flower beds and shrubs will also reduce evaporation (an added bonus is that mulch promotes plant growth and controls weeds). Compost or organic matter added to your soil will improve soil conditions as well as aid in water retention. When you mow, set your mower blades to two to three inches high since longer grass will shade your soil and improve its moisture retention capabilities. Planting plants native to your area will reduce the need for watering as these plants have adapted to the weather of your location. Besides lawn care conservation methods, you can also conserve outdoor usage by collecting rainfall for irrigation, wash your car sparingly and quickly, and use a broom to clean walkways, decks and porches instead of hosing them off.
Taking these simple steps to conserve water at your own home will go a long way towards not only helping the environment, but may save you a little money as well.
Post provided by: Marietta GA Licensed Plumbers
Common Household Plumbing Tools
Common Household Plumbing Tools
Every household needs some sort of plumbing tools. Many of the most common plumbing tools are not plumbing tools at all. In fact, you probably already have many of the tools necessary for simple plumbing jobs around your house right now. However, certain plumbing jobs may require more specialized tools to complete the job. At a minimum, you should have wrenches, a plunger and an auger available to solve your simple plumbing problems. Having basic plumbing tools around the house will prevent routine calls to a licensed plumbing company.
Pipe Wrench
Buy yourself a sturdy pipe wrench for when you need a wrench that is the appropriate size and with the appropriate grip to loosen pipes. A medium-size, adjustable pipe wrench will suffice to tighten and loosen pipes and other plumbing connections. Your local hardware or plumbing-supply store will have these in stock in a variety of styles and prices.
A basin wrench is a specialized tool that will enable you to reach tight spots under sinks and basins. The jaws of a basin wrench are adjustable and accommodate nuts of different sizes. In addition, a basin wrench, when flipped over, allows you to keep turning the wrench without removing it from the nut.
A socket wrench set is another useful plumbing tool to have around. It is used for removing recessed packing nuts and on tub and shower fixtures. You’ll also find it handy to have around to complete other do-it-yourself household repairs.
If you need to change a toilet seat, a deep socket wrench will do the trick. And to remove a toilet for replacement or repair, you’ll most likely need a spud wrench. Older toilets sometimes have a large pipe (called a spud) which connects the tank to the bowl. An extra-large hexagonal slip nut holds the bowl to the tank. Consequently, a spud wrench is required to remove these slip nuts. Purchase an adjustable type of spud wrench as it will be more versatile than the nonadjustable type, which has a fixed opening at each end.
Other Plumbing Tools to Have Around
Augers, plungers, and snakes are tools designed specifically for plumbing. You’ll find these useful in almost any home repair project as well as most plumbing repair tasks. Plumbers’ snakes (or drain-and-trap augers) vary in length. For general use, a short snake is all you’ll need for most plumbing repairs. Look for a closet auger, a version of the plumbers’ snake designed specifically for clearing clogs in toilets. It will be a bit shorter than a regular snake, and comes encased in a plastic or metal housing with an easy-to-use crank.
Having some plumbing repair tools available to solve simple plumbing issues is paramount to being a responsible homeowner. Investing in these tools is ultimately an investment in the longevity of your home.
Post provided by: Bathroom Repair Plumber Alpharetta GA
Clearing Kitchen Sink Clogs
Clearing Kitchen Sink Clogs
Nothing takes the life out of an evening at home, like a clogged kitchen sink. The standing water and odor alone will have you desperate to solve the problem. If you have a plunger handy, you may be able to clear the clog quickly.
Your first attempt to unclog your kitchen drain should be to use a plunger. Plungers with a large rubber bell are best as they provide more thrust; however, for a kitchen drain other types will suffice. Before you begin, if you have a garbage disposer, check that it is off. Rotate the disposer blades manually with a screwdriver or other such tool (never use your fingers) to dislodge any objects stuck in the disposal; and if you have a dishwasher, clamp the flexible part of the drain line to prevent dirty water from going into the dishwasher as you plunge. If rotating the blades dislodges a stuck object, you may be finished. However, if you still have standing water, you will need to proceed to plunge the drains of your kitchen sink. Plunge the disposer side of your sink first (most stopped-up kitchen sinks are the result of a clogged garbage disposer). Hopefully this will force the clog down the drain. Press the reset button located on the bottom of your disposer and test the garbage disposal.
If the disposer works and you still have a clogged sink, you will need to plunge the drain without the garbage disposer since this is probably the source of your clog. To accomplish this, fill your kitchen sink with three or four inches of water to make sure the plunger will seal around the drain. Use a wet rag or basket strainer to plug the garbage disposal drain opening and create a vacuum in the pipes. Plunge the open drain by rolling the head of the plunger into the water to force water, not air, into the drain. You can create extra pressure by popping the plunger off the mouth of the drain during upstrokes. If the water doesn’t clear, continue plunging for several minutes. If plunging doesn’t clear the clog, you may have a clog located too far down your drain for you to reach and should consider contacting a qualified licensed plumber to clear the clog.
Tips to Avoid Kitchen Sink Clogs
Most kitchen sink clogs are a result of drain line abuse. You can avoid abusing your kitchen line by not overloading your garbage disposer with meat, high starch foods (pasta, potatoes, rice), or high-fiber foods (corn husks and celery). In addition, be sure to run lots of cold water down your drain while using the garbage disposer. A good practice is to let the disposer catch up after every cupful of food you put into it. Never dump grease, egg shells, onion skins, or coffee grounds in the garbage disposal drain because these tend to solidify in the drain and can cause major pipe obstructions.
Post provided by: Clogged Drain Repair Plumber Marietta GA
Clogged Drains
Clogged Drains
If you have become frustrated trying to fix a clogged drain with a plunger, there are other options to unclogging that pesky back-up. You can begin by cleaning your P-Trap. Clogs in the P-trap or trap arm of your drain are usually a result of coffee grounds or grease; in which case a plunger will not clear the pipe. You can try the suggestions below or call a licensed plumber to unclog your drain.
To disassemble and clean your P-trap, you should begin by using a sponge to soak up the water from the sink to reduce water flow under your sink when you remove the trap. Put a bucket or pan beneath the sink to collect the dirty water from the clogged pipe. Gently loosen the slip nuts attaching your trap to avoid bending or cracking the trap. First, unscrew the slip nut between the trap arm and the P-trap. Next, unscrew the slip nut at the bottom of the waste tee. If your trap is clogged, all you need to do is clean it, reinstall it, and test the line by running warm water through it. When reassembling the P-trap, be careful not to over-tighten the slip nuts.
If once you disassemble the P-trap you do not find a clog, then your next option is to snake the line to try to clear up your clogged drain. To begin, loosen the setscrew of your snake (also called a cable auger) at the tip of the snake and pull out six to ten inches of cable. Tighten the setscrew and feed the cable into the pipe until you feel some resistance. Pull out another twelve to eighteen inches of cable, tighten the setscrew, and crank the handle of your snake clockwise while pushing forward to drive the cable farther into the pipe. Repeat this process until you break through the blockage. Should your cable get bogged down or catch on something, crank the handle counterclockwise and pull back a bit before continuing. At some point, you should feel the cable clear the clog. Once the clog is cleared, pull the cable out, clean it, replace the trap arm and trap, and run hot water into your sink until it drains properly. It may take a few minutes for the water to flow smoothly while the clog you dislodged breaks up or dissolves.
As an added precaution, while the drain is open and before reassembling the traps, pour ½ cup of white vinegar and ½ cup of baking soda into the drain, cover the openings and let it sit for a few minutes. Run about a gallon of warm water through the pipes to flush out the mixture. This should clean the drain even more and remove any lingering odor.
Post provided by: Clogged Drain Repair Plumber Alpharetta GA
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
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