Abington Plumbing Question: What are Low Flow Toilets?

May 14th, 2012

You probably have more than one toilet in your Abington home, which can account for up to 30 percent of your home’s water use. Therefore, it is not surprising to learn that the type of toilet you have can have a big impact on how much water you use every day.

High efficiency or low flow toilets use much less water than standard toilets, which saves water each and every flush. Modern toilets use no more than 3.5 gallons of water per flush, but low flow toilet use much less, generally between 1.6 and 1.1 gallons.

That might not seem like a huge difference, but the water savings till add up quickly. A low flow toilet can save you up to 12,000 gallons of water a year! If you have a large family or a lot of bathrooms, you could save even more. Saving that much water is not only good for your wallet, it is also good for the environment.

Some people might have concerns about the effectiveness of low flow toilets, but the ones made today work even better than their standard counterparts. Though they use less water, they are especially designed with improved hydraulics to make sure that are effective. They also are no more likely to clog than the toilet that you have in your home now.

While a new toilet isn’t a large investment, it is one that will be in your home for a long time. If you have a toilet that was installed before 1980, you could be using up to 5 gallons of water every time you flush. Getting a low flow toilet will save you water for many years to come, so even if your current system is still working, you should think about having one installed. It’s a great upgrade for almost any home, and it will help you save significantly on your water bills!

If you are interested in having a low-flow toilet installed in Abington, give Resolve Rooter a call!

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Roxey Ballet’s Cinderella Performance is This Weekend!

May 11th, 2012

Roxey Ballet is near and dear to the owners of Resolve Rooter. Denise and her family are long time participants with Roxey Ballet and will once again be performing in the Cinderella show this weekend, May 12th and 13th – 3pm at JP Case Theater. Come out and support Roxey Ballet and Resolve Rooter this weekend!

 

From dress rehearsal:

 

 

 

 

 

To opening night:

 

 

 

 

 

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Willow Grove Plumber’s Tip: How to Prevent Kitchen Sink Clogs

May 7th, 2012

A clog in your kitchen sink can be very frustrating. Since your kitchen is a central part of your daily life, you want to make sure that everything in it works smoothly. Here are some simple tips on how to prevent your Willow Grove kitchen sink from clogging:

Garbage Disposal Clogs

Not all garbage disposals are made the same. Some have powerful motors that can handle large amounts of food, while others are smaller and might jam or incompletely shred food if overloaded. With an older, less powerful unit, you probably want to be careful about the volume of food that you put down the drain. With all garbage disposals, make sure that you run water before and after use and that you don’t use it to dispose of hard or fibrous waste. A little care will significantly cut down on the risk of your disposal causing clogs in your sink.

Grease Clogs

You should never pour grease down your kitchen sink. Grease doesn’t mix with water, so it accumulates on the walls of the drain pipes. The grease will also trap hair and other debris, which can cause large clogs to develop. A professional Willow Grove plumber can clear up grease clogs, but it is best to avoid them entirely. When cooking, don’t dispose of cooking oil and grease down any of your drains. If you do need to dispose of liquid that contains a little grease down your sink, follow it with lots of hot water and dish detergent which will help prevent the grease from sticking to the pipes.

Other Things to Avoid

Hair can cause clogs in the sink, especially if combined with soap and grease. Even something like mopping the floor and pouring the dirty water down your kitchen sink can lead to hair accumulating in your pipes. Soap can also build up over time if it goes down the drain without water. It is better to dispose of soap and dirty mop water down the toilet, which has a larger diameter pipe drain.

Taking these simple precautions will cut down clogs and help keep your plumbing working smoothly. And if your sink does clog, you  can always call the plumbing experts at Resolve Rooter!

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Spring Newsletter!

May 4th, 2012

Check our our Spring Newsletter for informational articles, promotions, testimonials, a Did You Know fact, and a delicious Spring recipe to try!

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Doylestown Plumbing Tip: Sump Pump Maintenance is Easy in the Spring

April 30th, 2012

For those of us who own sump pumps in Doylestown, their maintenance is one of the most important things to make a little time for on a regular basis.  If a sump pump is not working properly it could mean flooding of a home or office building that sits below the water table level, or that had a basement waterproofing system in place.  Flooding can mean excessive damage to not only the basement, but to any other lower floors, and even foundation damage which will all then need to be repaired or replaced completely.  With such simple precautionary steps as performing a few quick maintenance checks it is easy to keep that sump pump running properly without such damage.  A good time to go about sump pump maintenance is during the springtime prior to the rainy season when the weather changes once again and other areas of the home or building are being checked as well.

  • For electric sump pumps: Ensure the sump pump is plugged into a working outlet, and that the cord is in good shape.  Due to the damp, the breakers on these outlets can trip more easily, which then shuts off the sump pump.  This is a simple fix as the breaker just needs to be reset.
  • For battery powered sump pumps: replace the battery as often as is recommended by the manufacturer.  On back-up battery powered pumps, replace the battery every two to three years.
  • Check that the sump pump is standing upright.  Since sump pumps vibrate they can fall to one side, which can jam vital parts, causing it not to activate properly.  While upright, all working parts should be free to move as necessary.
  • Pick up submersible pumps to clean the grate on the bottom.  Ensure that there are no small stones in the grate which could block the inlet or damage the pump.
  • Check that outlet pipes are tightly joined together, check that their outlet is at least twenty feet from the foundation of the home or building, and that when the sump pump is on it is actually removing water through the pipes.
  • Clean the vent hole in the discharge pipe, remove any debris which was stuck in it.

Besides performing maintenance on your Doylestown sump pump annually, it is good to check it again after heavy rains to ensure that it is still removing water properly.  Also check it after longer dry spells by dumping a bucket or two of water near the machine to make sure it starts up automatically and that it drains efficiently.  While most new models have indicators which alert you when the pump is not working properly, it is still good to physically check the machine periodically to ensure it is running properly.  With proper sump pump maintenance your sump pump will give you great service for a long time, so give Resolve Rooter a call today if you would like to schedule an appointment!

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Six Year Old Matthew Dziekan Needs Your Support!

April 27th, 2012

Matthew Dziekan is the son of Resolve Rooter employee Erik Dziekan and needs our support! Matthew is currently awaiting a heart transplant surgery after having a heart attack in early February. See his story here.

If you would like to support the family and Matthew’s speedy recovery, please send cards and donations to:

Matthew Dziekan, P.O. Box 1771, Bayonne, NJ 07002

 

 

 

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Union Plumber’s Guide: Calculating Water Usage and Tips to Conserve Water

April 23rd, 2012

How much water do we actually use every day?  Much research has been done on this subject, and by calculating water usage it is seen that on average, an American household of four uses 400 gallons of water per day of direct indoor water use, not including outdoor water usage which can bump that number up drastically higher.  To pinpoint exactly where water is being used the most, extensive research has been done.  Below is a list of indoor and outdoor water usages per household item or appliance; it can be used to easily identify the best places in your Union home to focus on in order to conserve water usage every day.

Average Indoor Household Water Usage

  • Toilets (27%)
  • Washing Machines (22%)
  • Showers and Baths (19%)
  • Sinks (16%)
  • Water Wasted (14%) – leaky faucets, toilets, and showerheads

Average Outdoor Household Water Usage

  • Lawn care accounts for 50% of indoor and outdoor water usage combined
  • Swimming pools take 19,000 gallons of water to fill on average, and when left uncovered that water evaporates at a staggering 1,000 gallons per month.  Pool covers can keep 30% to 50% of that water from evaporating.

Tips to Conserve Water in Daily Life

There are some simple ways to conserve water in our everyday lives.  By implementing some of these fixes, that water bill will begin to shrink, making your pocketbook much happier.

  • Fix leaky faucets, taps, showerheads, and sprinklers
  • Run the dishwasher only when it is completely filled
  • Rather than rinsing dirty dishes, scrape excess food into the trash or compost
  • Wash vegetables in a bowl of water while using a vegetable brush, rather than running them under the sink faucet
  • Boil food in as little water as possible, just enough to cover the food completely
  • Turn off the tap when not directly in use such as while brushing teeth or shaving
  • Place a plastic bottle filled with water in the toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used for each flush, or consider installing low-flow toilets
  • Spend less time in the shower, take less baths and keep water levels low when you do bathe
  • Only do full loads of laundry
  • Don’t overwater plants
  • Use a pool cover to keep the pool cleaner and to keep water from evaporating
  • Water the lawn during the cool part of the day to ensure minimal evaporation, and ensure sprinklers are set to only water foliage, not the sidewalk
  • Switch out water-thirsty lawn for more climate-friendly landscaping or plants which need less watering

By calculating water usage in order to see where the average consumer uses water on a daily basis, it makes it easier to identify suitable areas where water can be conserved. To reudce your home’s water usage, call Resolve Rooter to check your pipe for leaks today!

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Thank You For Your Feedback

April 20th, 2012

We are so grateful to get to provide service to such loyal clients. We are always looking for ways to improve and welcome your feedback. Please let us know how we are doing by taking our online survey!

Enjoy this recent testimonial from Patrick M. in West Pittston, PA:

I am writing to let you know how satisfied I was with the work performed by your company. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would have to give your company and its employees a 12! I really appreciated the courtesy and professionalism that was demonstrated by the crew that did the work at my home in West Pittston, PA. I was especially amazed at the professionalism and perseverance exhibited as well. I don’t think your employees wanted to go home until the job was done! Which was perfectly fine with me, but I must admit I did feel bad for them having to take some extra time due to the configuration of my utility lines! I would highly recommend your company and as a matter of fact have done so already. I think the best aspect of this job was the fact that I live on a state route (as you know) and as people drove by they wanted to know what was wrong and who was doing the work – so that in itself was like have a Resolve Rooter billboard up for the weekend! Although I hope I don’t have to call you anytime in the near future it was a pleasure having your company do the work!

Please tell Pat, Shaun, John, Billy, Joe and Luke “THANKS AGAIN!” I think you have an outstanding crew up in this area! It seems I have come across these guys throughout my time with my sanitary line issues and all mentioned have done an excellent job! Please pass this email on to the respective parties as well as the owners of resolve rooter so that I may bring this to their attention as well! Keep up the great work! I have received a call from PAWR and have left the above comments to them too!

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Scranton Plumbing Repair Question: How Can I Fix a Leaky Kitchen Sink Faucet?

April 16th, 2012

A leaky kitchen sink faucet is certainly are not an emergency, but it is pretty inconvenient and annoying. Fortunately, they are often quite easy to fix. The proper procedure for fixing a leak in your Scranton kitchen sink faucet will depend on the type of faucet you have, but it is always a relatively simple task.

If you know what type of faucet you have in your kitchen, you are ahead of the game. But if you do not, you will need to take your faucet apart first to see what is going on in there. Especially in older homes, the most common type of faucet is a compression faucet. This means that inside the faucet there is a rubber washer that helps to create the seal when the faucet is tightened.

Scranton Plumbing Repair

A kitchen faucet leak is often caused by a worn washer that needs to be replaced. While not the easiest DIY repair, you can replace this washer. First, turn off the water supply to your sink (there should be a couple of knobs under the sink for this purpose). Then cover the sink drain to prevent you from dropping anything down it while you are working.

Once you have set yourself up, unscrew the faucet handles (or whichever one is leaking) and remove the outer part. At this point, you should be able to see the washer. Simply remove it and replace it with a new one and then put the faucet handle back on and you should be as good as new. These types of washers tend to wear out from time to time, so  you will probably have to do this again in a few years or so.

When you are replacing your washers, though, it is important to remember a couple of things. First, if you are unsure about what type of washer to put in your faucet, take the old one to the store with you and ask a salesperson for help. You want to make sure that the washer you put in is exactly the right fit for your fixture so it is worth taking the extra step to ensure that you have the right piece.

And after you have taken apart the faucet, it is a good idea to check the stem to see if that has worn out and needs to be replaced as well.

This is a pretty complicated procedure for the average homeowner, so if don’t have a lot of experience fixing your home’s plumbing, its best to call a Scranton plumber. Resolve Rooter offers 24/7  service, so give us a call for any plumbing problem, any time!

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When to Call Your Wilkes Barre Plumber

April 9th, 2012

Many aspects of plumbing around simple fixtures are easy repairs for the homeowner who likes to be handy.  Videos on the internet have made most simple repairs even easier by showing step-by-step processes to get them done.

Some projects obviously are more complicated and require the special skills and knowledge that only years of experience can provide.  Especially when water is gushing out and you don’t know where the main shut-off is located, the damage that can intensify minute by minute should be mitigated by calling in the expert Wilkes Barre plumber.

A Fix in Time

There are some repairs that are simple enough for the average homeowner to handle. If you have had a little experience with plumbing repair, you might be able to fix a leaky faucet and clogged garbage disposal. You should alsoWilkes Barre Plumbing Repair know how to shut off your main water supply in case something starts to flood your home.

Slightly more experienced DIY homeowners can replace their own toilets, install an under the counter water filtration system, or put on a new shower head. As long as you can follow instructions and have some basic tools, these tasks can be accomplished without too much trouble. But for the more complicated projects or if you haven’t had a lot of experience fixing your own plumbing, calling a plumber is almost always the best option.

When to call a Wilkes Barre Plumber

When something has broken and is causing serious flooding, whether or not you can find the main shut-off, it still probably makes sense to call a Wilkes Barre plumber to get the repairs made quickly and correctly.  For much less emergent situations, plumbing can still be a tricky sport to find the right size fittings so getting a plumber with a truck full of odd parts can cost a little money but save a lot of aggravation and return trips to the local hardware store to exchange the 5/8 male coupling with gasket you expected it to be for the 3/4 female that was needed.

For any project that requires a permit, a licensed plumber makes good sense who knows the proper codes and intricacies of supplies, drains and venting so the work will pass inspection.  Replacing larger items like a hot water heater, shower unit or sink are far simpler for professionals to wrestle.

Any problems with the hot water baseboard or radiant heat systems are better left to plumbers to fix who know how to properly bleed and refill the pipes to flow without air bubbles.  If there is a problem with the sewer main inside or outside the house, a plumber will be better equipped to cut and repair the pipes (as well as deal with the mess).

Because of their lethal risks, gas lines to appliances must be installed and connected by a certified technician which many plumbers are.

Ultimately, if you have any doubt about your abilities, even though you’re playing with water, a mistake can make a big mess.  Call Resolve Rooter if you are having problems with your home’s plumbing!

Photo from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/herzogbr/2869244594/

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