Plumbing Tips

Tis’ The Season, Be Nice To Your Plumbing

Tis’ The Season, Be Nice To Your Plumbing.
This is the time of year we get a lot of calls for clogged kitchen sinks. Be kind to you plumbing and avoid putting these items down the disposer.
Any kind of pasta, especially spaghetti.
Rice is a NO-No
Stringy vegetables like celery, asparagus, carrots or potato peelings.
Grease will eventually congeal and completely clog the line.
And don’t put bones down the disposer unless you have 1 HP or better.
Hope you have a plumber free holiday season.

Tis’ The Season, Be Nice To Your Plumbing Read More »

How Your Toilet Works

There are several different types of toilets, but the most common type is the “flush toilet”. A flush toilet can be defined as “a toilet that eliminates its waste by a flush of water”. The household toilet is just another working necessity in a house, and not thought about often… until it doesn’t work. Then, all you can think about is how to fix it. In order to be able to work on a toilet, and get it in working order again, you’ll need to understand how it works.

When you push the handle, it’s attached on the inside of the tank to a lever, in turn, raises a rod or chain. When the rod or chain rises up, it lifts up a round part that is called a “flapper” or “flush ball”. The purpose of the flapper is twofold: it covers the round hole (the flush valve valve) in the bottom of the toilet tank to keep the water from flowing out of the tank. It’s other purpose, when the toilet is flushed, is to rise up and allow a rush of water to be drawn from the toilet tank into the toilet bowl. The water rushes into the bowl through the hole in its middle, as well as from small holes that encircle the underside of the toilet bowl rim. Here’s a tip for you: flappers are usually made of a pliable rubber, and they are available in many different sizes. If the flapper in your toilet bowl malfunctions, simply remove it from its hinges and replace it with a new, same sized one.

How Your Toilet Works Read More »

Water Heating Solutions, Save Energy in California

Many homeowners wait until their water heater fails before shopping for a replacement. Because they are in a hurry to regain their hot water supply, they are often unable to take the time to shop for the most energy efficient unit for their specific needs. This is unfortunate, because the cost of purchasing and operating a water heater can vary greatly, depending on the type, brand, and model selected and on the quality of the installation.

Within the last few years, a variety of water heaters have become available to consumers. The following types of water heaters are now on the market: conventional storage, demand, heat pump, tankless coil, indirect, and solar (in our Energy section). It is also possible to purchase water heaters that can be connected to your home’s space heating system.

Water Heating Solutions, Save Energy in California Read More »

Should I Test My Well Water?

Unlike public drinking water systems, private well owners do not have experts regularly checking their water’s source and its quality before it is sent through pipes for consumption. Therefore, private well owners are solely responsible for monitoring the quality of their drinking water. Regularly scheduled water testing is important to keep your drinking water clean and your well operating at peak performance.

As a private well owner, you can rely on help from the University Hygienic Laboratory to meet your annual water testing needs.

Should I Test My Well Water? Read More »

Skip to content