LET'S TALK CLOGS...AGAIN!!!

Although I have addressed clogs in several forms over past blogs, they remain a hot topic on the discussion forums and although I find it hard to believe that EVERYONE in America, for that matter the WORLD, have not been reading my blogs I’m going to address the types and to a certain extent the symptoms of common household clogs again, today. Before I begin you should always keep on hand a plunger, a simple 25’ auger, some liquid drain cleaner and the phone number of a good plumber. Each of these will be cited, as needed, in the examples below.
1. The most common clog that shows up in most households is the toilet. What causes it? Usually inadequate outflow of the drain because of something stuck in the drain or the toilet itself. This something can be an extraordinary bowel movement, too much toilet paper, a kid’s toy or any one of the many things that children try to flush including the family hamster, or can be symptomatic of not enough water to cause the flush to occur. The latter occurring more and more today with the new “green” low cubic feet per minute (CFM) water saving toilets. I see more complaints about these toilets than most anything else and it boils down to brand name. Some brands simply do not work effectively on low CFM regardless of their claims. Consistently TOTO, American standard and Kohler seem to have that market sewn up with toilets that work best. If it is just a water problem a second flush, while defeating the purpose of low flush, will usually solve the problem. If it is a real clog, first try the old standby plunger, every house should have one. DO not waste your money on the high tech complicated and expensive designs or the automated power air push type. These rarely will do the job as well as the simple inexpensive standard plunger that you’ve seen all of your life. Just keep it in a nearby closet because they are not very decorative. If the plunger doesn’t work, and you will know that pretty quickly, then it’s time for the “snake”. The snake is an auger designed to cut through stubborn clogs. These stubborn clogs can be roots growing through your drain line downstream from the toilet and this type of clog can show up in other fixtures in the house.
2. As mentioned above, the main line drain clog is the more difficult and potentially more expensive. This clog usually causes the entire house to back up not just the toilet. The backup from this clog will appear from the lowest point in your plumbing i.e. a basement drain, a sump hole, the tub or shower in the basement and if you have no basement the tub on the first level. This is an unpleasant clog and can cause more unhealthy damage to parts of your home because if it gets out of control it can contaminate your home with harmful effluent and water. If this clog doesn’t clear easy with your own small household auger you will need to call a plumber immediately to affect a repair. These clogs can occur in either a private septic system or a public sewer line.
3. On the subject of the septic system, you can have a back up into your home that resembles a clog because your septic tank is full, the drain field is clogged with roots or if you live in an area plagued with lots of rain your drain field can lose its percolation ability therefore your tank can not drain as it was designed to do. Septic systems are not a DIY project. You will need to contact a septic tank specialty company immediately.
4. Likewise a public sewer system can be compromised by weather, especially if storm drains empty into the local sewer system, and can cause temporary backups into your home. If this is the case your neighbors should be affected also but it will usually occur in the house at the lowest point in the sewer system loop. Hopefully that is not you. In most cases the public utility may be liable for damages but you will still have to suffer through the unpleasant experience.
5. To digress a bit another simple and common household clog happens in the sinks. This is usually caused by a buildup of hair in a bathroom sink, grease and food products in a kitchen sink or the dregs of food materials and grease from a dishwasher. These clogs are the ones that respond most easily with the liquid drain cleaners such as “Liquid Plumber”. You should read and abide by the use instructions on these products because they contain caustic harmful chemicals which can create burns and eye damage. You should also be very careful in trying to plunge or auger a drain after using a liquid drain cleaner because residual product can splash back on you.
I’m sure that there are plethora of other types of clogs and old fashioned remedies, but hopefully this will give you a start on how to diagnose your problem and to help you know how to fix it or get it fixed. I would welcome your additions to the list and personal stories of particularly difficult or even funny clogs in your life. I will try to use as many as possible. Just click on comments and write away. Thanks

MY BOWL RUNNETH OVER...NOW WHAT DO I DO?

A discussion group forum posting over the weekend reminded me of a problem that my ex-wife and I had many years ago. Well we had a lot of problems that why she is my ”EX” but this blog is not about marital advice because on that I’m no expert, just ask her! The problem I am talking about was what happens when your toilet bowl over flows due to a clog or mechanical malfunction. I have blogged before about how to unclog a toilet bowl as well as what some of the causes of clogs and mechanical failure might be and how to repair them but what do you do about the mess created? This particular thread was an apartment dweller dealing with the maintenance department. Their toilet had over flowed while they were out and had run for some 2+ hours so not only did they have water and effluent damage to their carpet but of course it had seeped through to the neighbor below. The maintenance folks had come in with wet vacs and fans and had soaked up the water and dried the carpets but was that enough? Her concern was mold and mildew under the carpet and she was certain that she could still smell something but couldn’t identify its origin. Well lets start from the beginning, The bowl over flows and probably some amount of waste material spilled out followed by lots of clear water, if you’re lucky and the clog was localized to the toilet, i.e. the toilet clogged when you flush it and what was in it that you were trying to flush doesn’t go down and for some reason the toilet doesn’t stop trying to refill. If you were to have a mainline clog the sewage can back up and eminate from the lowest point in your plumbing system then spill out and over your house. In this latter example your home is then badly contaminated with raw sewage and you have a major problem. This is the type of situation my wife and I experienced. We were living in a basement apartment while building a new home and the building main drain clogged backing up everything from the apartments above us into our apartment. Because we had only planned to stay there a brief amount of time we had most of our belongings packed in cardboard boxes which also soaked up the sewage and ruined many things in them. Needless to say simply drying the carpet wasn’t sufficient to clean up the mess although the apartment management company seemed to think it was which resulted in a major battle between us. Fortunately for the forum writer her situation wasn’t that bad but many things still could have been overlooked which could still cause a long term problem. Because the over flow could have caused some sewage, even if it were small amount heavily diluted with clean water, simply drying the carpet wasn’t enough, the carpet needed to be cleaned thoroughly utilizing a “steam” type cleaning service. Secondly when you have that much water in your home anything touching the floor soaks up water. Most people fail notice that their draperies that touch the floor, the bed spreads, upholstered furniture, throw rugs and many other things thorough out the house are capable of wicking up the contaminated water and will all have to be cleaned thoroughly. Any of these things missed in the cleaning operation can result in mold and or a residual smell. People also forget about the carpet in closets as well as clothes that may be on the floor. Mildew can be a long term problem also and requires 3 things to exist…moisture, still air and darkness (think basement). Any carpeted areas not thoroughly cleaned and dried can result in ling term mildew growth causing damage and that familiar mildew musty smell.
The bottom line is that if you have a serious flood, caused by a plumbing problem, make sure you do more than just simply dry the water up. Clean everything that the water has come in contact with.

OH!! SWEET MYSTERY OF LIFE AT LAST I'VE FOUND YOU!

As I wrote last Friday, I had ordered myself a TOTO SW844 “Washlet”,from the good folks at National Builder Supply, and was anxiously awaiting its arrival. Well the fated day came on Tuesday and my friend, Mike, came over Wednesday to install it.
I have written about Washlets several times but had never experienced one nor really had much of an idea about the total experience from box to butt so to speak. But now having had the opportunity to test drive this marvelous device, several times, I can report, in detail, about how it installed, how it works and how great it is.
THE RECEIPT AND INSTALLATION
It came well packed, no chance of damage and because it is an international product both in manufacture and distribution it had installation and operating instructions in several languages. Enough languages that the first words out of Mike’s mouth had something to do with ”how the hell do I install this thing with instructions in every language but English?” It’s not that there were no instructions in English but that I had removed them and taken them into the den to read them. Being the typical guy who is famous (as I’ve have mentioned before) for a great deal of drama when it comes to DIY projects I really didn’t expect him to read the instructions anyway. Well after a few choice well placed words to me about the destiny of my soul for having hidden his directions, he ventured forth to tutor himself. On the surface I would admit that it appeared to be a daunting task and he complained that his wife should just get comfortable because this one was going to take all afternoon. Needless to say other than needing a short extension cord to connect it to electricity the job was done easily and within 30 minutes including a very detailed testing procedure sans butt. All operations were a “GO” for lift off and I was ready for my first experience.
I will spare you the details of bodily functions but suffice it to say I had stored up enough bodily elements to give it a great test. To start with let me explain some of the Washlet’s functions.
1. It warms the seat to a temperature of your desire and has an energy savings function on all it’s electrical functions allowing for timed or complete shut off of all these options.
2. It warms the washing water to your desired temperature and has a hot water tank reservoir which keeps a supply on hand so there is no warm up factor or blast of sobering cold water to your more delicate body areas. This too can be turned off or set on a schedule. Because my body doesn’t work on a schedule I turned this function off opting to go “commando” with cold water after experiencing the warm water cycle.
3. The wash functions consists of wands that appear from, seemingly, no where that then oscillates in a circular motion providing cleansing for both front and rear areas. NOW THAT IS A REAL EXPERIENCE!!
4. Once you have been thoroughly washed a touch of another button provides warm air to dry you thoroughly. Both the wash and dry functions are controlled by a remote control box which starts and stops everything at your demand with a touch of a button with no surprises as to when the water or air will come on or go off. The remote control is an option that came on the model that I bought. The base model has the same controls that are just mounted on the device itself down the side and would have been a tight fit for my bathroom and for some folks probably difficult to reach and read which button you are pushing.
5. Lastly when all is done and you stand up the device closes itself softly so there are no surprises for anyone sitting down on it without looking first. Fortunately for me I have no female sharing my life or my bathroom other than Mike’s wife of 45 years, Dianne, who wisely ALWAYS uses the guest bathroom when she visits.
In summation I have to say I could not be more pleased. The installation was quick and basically painless (Mike didn’t hurt himself this time), the use is a pleasant and needed experience for me at this stage of my life and disability and I am of record as saying that the only improvement that I believe TOTO could make on the Washlet was to add an MP3 player, a DVD/CD player and offer an optional flat panel TV to go on the wall in front of you so that life would be complete and I wouldn’t have to leave the bathroom at all except an for occasional snack. HMMMM… maybe a microwave and small refrigerator to go with it also? The list goes on…ARE Y’ALL LISTENING TOTO??

WHY HAVE A HOME INSPECTION?

With the state of today’s economy and the vast number of foreclosures affecting the marketplace, now can be the time to step out in faith and make your dreams of home ownership a reality. The advantage, today, is the tremendous values that can be had in houses these days. I saw a news article recently showing homes in an area of Florida where homes that had sold, 3 years ago, for in excess of $300,000 were now on the market for $75,000. A great buy, maybe, but possibly a “money pit”. Homes in foreclosure can be perfect but in all likelihood will have some problems relative to the financial distress of the previous owner. Routine maintenance could have been missed, repairs of major systems avoided and sometimes these homes have been abused and violated while left empty and awaiting sale. Home inspections have always been a good idea whether good times or bad. When buying a home from an existing owner or a financial institution, the home inspection becomes a useful tool to make yourself aware of any repairs the home may need and can be a useful tool to negotiate the final price with an offset for making the necessary repairs shown in the inspection. I give you a prime scenario from my own experience. I lived in Los Angeles in the 1980’s and was an active real estate investor. I found a beautiful home in the Hollywood Hills, great view of L.A., swimming pool and a mid century modern design that I loved. I negotiated what I thought to be a great price and set off to close escrow. My only contingency was the building inspection. I retained a licensed bonded inspection company and met the inspector at the house. He immediately wanted to go into the attic, and on return approached the seller and said that he wanted to pull up the carpet in the living room. The seller was freaked out and I was in a quandary because he hadn’t looked at the heating, plumbing, electrical or really anything else. When the seller said no to pulling up the carpet the inspector turned to me and said the inspection was over and advised that I walk away from the deal. The seller capitulated to pulling the carpet up and when done we found that the entire concrete slab was cracked clean into and gapped open from what was diagnosed as previous undiscovered earthquake damage from at least four years prior. How did the inspector know the crack was there by visiting the attic? When he had driven up to the house he had noticed that the main roof line was sagging and once in the attic discovered the main roof beam was cracked and separated. This could have only happen in his opinion if the foundation was also cracked. In short the house was then deemed to be a total loss and I was out of the deal. The house was eventually bulldozed and the property sold for land value only. The moral of the story always get a building inspection prior to closing any real estate transaction. This becomes even more Important when buying a property that is in distress. Undisclosed problems can make a great buy an albatross. You can not and should not enter into a real estate transaction without being fully informed as to the condition of the property. No reliable real estate agent , bank or seller will decline this contingency unless they are attempting to hide something. Even if the inspection is done with no recourse as to price adjustment you will at least be aware of the full cost of what it will take to own the house. As always CAVEAT EMPTOR ( BUYER BEWARE).

How to find something dropped in your sink

Have you ever dropped something of value down the sink? Your wedding ring? A contact lens? A part of something you are working on or cleaning in the sink? Well all Is not lost. Because of the “P” trap configuration of most sinks the item may not be lost at all but instead is probably caught in the trap just below the drain. The “P” trap is a function of plumbing which traps a water barrier in the drain as to prevent sewer gases from flowing back into the house. It actually isn’t a “P” at all but rather a “U” in your sink drain usually directly below the sink. Here is a simple step by step method to look for your lost valuable.
1. Turn the water off immediately both at the sink and then find the shut off valve and turn it off also, to avoid the possibility of washing your lost item on down the drain. Because most heavier items, such as jewelry, tend to drop to the bottom even if some water has run after it you may still be in luck and find it in the trap. I have read that items have been found years later that never washed on through.
2. Look below the sink and locate the “U” that I mentioned above.
3. Place a bucket under the trap because it is filled with dirty water and when you disassemble it the water will go everywhere if you don’t catch it and the trap in the bucket plus this will eliminate the possibility of the item getting lost under the sink once you open the trap.
4. The “P” trap is attached with large hex shaped nuts that only need to be hand tight. In some cases of older corroded fittings a pair of channel lock pliers may be needed to loosen these nuts. Loosen the nuts on each end and drop the whole assembly into your bucket.
5. Now the dirty work. You may want to wear protective gloves. Fully empty the trap into the bucket and search for your item. With any luck it will be there.
6. Simply reassemble the trap by tightening the hex nuts back in place, turn your water supply back on and immediately run some water down the sink to restore the water barrier in the trap.
7. If your item was not in the trap there is one additional possibility that your system contains a “grease filter” in line to your sewage system. This is not an easy nor pleasant task to handle but if the item lost was of extreme value invest in your friendly local plumber to assist in locating and cleaning the filter and look for the item.
HAPPY HUNTING!!

Does your faucet have a lifetime guarantee?

Another thread I ran across this week was from a poster who had a problem with their MOEN brand kitchen single handle faucet. They didn’t know what happened but it had fallen apart and now they were having to do without a kitchen faucet and in a panic. Reference http://www.diychatroom.com/f7/not-sure-what-i-did-my-faucet-44113/ for the whole story. Many kind people jumped to assist in how to go about fixing it because obviously in this day and age none of us can afford to go out and buy a new faucet without just cause. As you can read, my answer was simple CALL MOEN. You see since 1987 Moen has offered a lifetime parts and service warranty on their products and on many occasions I know that if the part isn’t available or the faucet has been discontinued they routinely send you a brand new equivalent fixture. To the best of my knowledge this has now forced many manufacturers to offer the same thing. As you can see the poster did just that and sure enough MOEN sent a new faucet. I read postings daily where people are desperately seeking some missing or broken part for a plumbing fixture without considering that there may be a warranty option. It only takes a 1-800 free call to the manufacturer to see if they can help. Below , provided by the good folks at National Builder Supply, is a list of the customer service numbers for some of the major makers. I keep this close by and refer folks to it often.
Toto- 1-888-295-8134
Danze Customer Service- 1-877-530-3344
Danze replacement parts- 1-888-328-2383
Price Pfister- 1-800-732-8238
Moen- 1-800-289-6636
Grohe- 1-800-444-7643
Matco-Norca- 1-800-443-7526
Delta 1-800-345-3358
Houzer 1-800-880-3639

If the manufacturer of your fixture isn’t listed here simply Google them and seek a contact number. It only costs you a few minutes to possibly save yourself a lot of time and money. Before calling make sure you know who made your fixture and if possible have a digital picture to email to them to help identify the model and problem.

WATCHING FOR UPS

Contrary to some opinions expressed in the discussion groups I am not on the payroll at National Builder Supply. I stated at the very beginning (first blog) that I am not an employee but instead very much a fan of both the company and its owner Marcus Morgan.
Why do I bring this up again? Well I buy, from NBS, things that I want, like anybody else, and do so for the same reason as everybody else…great service, nice people, great low price guarantee, and free shipping. Well after writing, recently, about the benefits of the TOTO Washlet and the advantages that it would present to any elderly or disabled person and their families, I decided that I fell into both of those categories and then some. I’m older than most dirt, suffer from Parkinson’s and find the simple things in life harder to accomplish on a day to day basis. Things that we all take for granted like washing dishes, cooking simple things, cleaning house, getting dressed and most importantly the simple act of going to the bathroom and keeping oneself clean and sanitary afterwards. This latter task convinced me that a Washlet was not only a luxury, on a day to day basis, but was becoming an essential for me to continue to maintain a simple quality of life. So I broke down a couple of days ago and ordered a basic Washlet. Even though I had written and read about them, it wasn’t until I got ready to order one that I realized all the functions that they offer and the options available. A Washlet not only washes you, it warms the seat, can be purchased with a hot water reservoir allowing a constant supply of instant hot water for the washing function, and can be ordered with just a stream of water or an oscillating function. The only thing missing is the MP3/DVD /CD player option. Maybe If TOTO reads this that will be forth coming. I’m excited and anxious for my Washlet to get here, thus watching for the UPS truck. In the meantime to further the sense of urgency I broke the toilet seat the other day and every time I sit down it pinches me…LOL, I know TOO MUCH INFORMATION, but at least you can see I’m a real person.
I would like to take a moment and a few words to also acknowledge that I am still able to live alone only through the good graces of friends of 40+ years like Mike (Crash and Burn) and Dianne Hennecy who do my shopping, take me to doctors appointments, look in on me daily, call me constantly to make sure I’m OK and a myriad of other things and neighbors Bill and Shirley Whiteside who live across the street. Bill has medical problems that make me look like a young whippersnapper but cranks up his golf car almost every day and takes my little dog, Nate (SEE PIC ABOVE, Nate doing what he does best), and me for a ride around the neighborhood to give Nate some exercise. Nate runs along side the golf cart doing his best imitation of a sled dog. Shirley has her hands full having to see to Bill’s many needs but also never misses a day of coming over to check on me and brings me wonderful home cooked meals. Those folks fill my days with friendship and help. As most of you know, I pass my time by reading and commenting on some 30+ discussion forums and by writing this blog. This gives me a real sense of accomplishment and keeps my mind active even though my body doesn’t cooperate.
The addition of this Washlet along with my existing TOTO Ultramax ADA height toilet will make some of my simple functions a little easier. SO HURRY UP UPS!

EBAY LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT?

Since 2001 EBAY has been listed on my favorites menu and remains an important source of information and a valuable purchase and selling place for my family and me. I proudly have a transaction history of 239 transactions and 100% positive feedback. So I’m no professional but am well enough versed in EBAYing to speak with some authority in both the pros and cons.
Pros
Convenience- for many years I lived in a more remote area (North Georgia Mountains) where a shopping trip meant a 50 miles drive for most anything other than food. I found EBAY to be a great quick easy source for some things that we needed as a family and especially good for holiday occasions and birthdays, etc. It’s today’s version of the Sears Catalog for the modern family. Just look for what youre seeking, click on bid or “buy it now” pay for it with your PAYPAL account, the only way to do it (more on that later, and then wait for the UPS truck to arrive.
Price – EBAY, unlike your usual retail store, you decide what you want to pay for an item.Try that at Walmart and see how quickly you get laughed out of the store. Even if you do decide to buy retail from a box store EBAY provides a great forum for price comparison. Look up the item and see what a myriad of vendors are selling the item for as well as being able to research previously sold merchandise for a history of any item recently sold on EBAY. I love and have been known to buy, sell and collect older rare Mercedes and use EBAY as quick pricing guide that I find more reliable than the internet auto pricing guides that are available. I cannot venture a guess at how often I have seen an item mentioned on TV and wondered what it cost. A quick look on EBAY can come close to telling you the current retail but gives you a chance to see what kind of better price you can get it for. I mention, as an example, my most recent purchase. I have shaved, most of my life, with a variety of safety razors and foam. With my Parkinsons worsening I have found it more and more difficult and downright dangerous to do that any more. My best friend of 40+ years “Crash and Burn Hennecy” (reference some of my previous mentions of his mishaps) recommended that I buy a Panasonic “wet and dry” electric razor. I live on a very tight budget so the idea of going to the local retailer and buying one is just not in my realm of possibilities. So I looked them up on EBAY found that new they were from $90 to $130. It may as well been $1000 with my resources, but a quick search found me a brand new in the box identical shaver, received by someone as a gift and never used. Seller was asking $29.95 + freight but had it listed as “make and offer”. I offered $25.00 including freight and within 30 minutes had bought it. I bet that most of you who do not frequent EBAY were not even aware that you can make an offer on some things.
Safety and Guarantees – This is something that I will also touch on in the “CONS” section because it can be the best and worst thing about dealing on EBAY. If you are careful in your selection, read the sellers ad carefully, and uphold your end of the bargain you can be assured of getting what you ordered as you expect it to be and when you expect it. Between EBAY and PAYPAL you are offered some very strong buyer protection guarantees and money refund promises, but it begins with your knowing what you are buying and from whom.

CONS
Price – yes I mentioned that in the PROS section but there is a danger to price on EBAY. As I mentioned earlier you should do your research before buying anything. Take a look at as many like items as you have the patience for. Decide what price you are willing to pay and stick to it. Just like any auction if you are not capable of sitting on your hands when the price passes your maximum then you don’t need to play the game. Additionally watch for hidden handling fees and exorbitant shipping fees. Many sellers will low ball the price and then get their profit in those fees. Use common sense, you know that a priority mail package less than 1 lb will go to any lower 48 states location for about $5.00. If a seller is charging more than that for what you want to buy ask him why? Or refuse to buy and move on to the next item. Thousands of people bid on something and win at the price they wanted to pay only to get to checkout and find the price to be way over what they wanted to pay. By then you’ve committed to buy and if you renege you chance getting a black mark on your EBAY account. Most reliable sellers provide a shipping calculator for you to determine the amount on your own but if the shipping and handling charges are not clearly defined ask the seller for the amount to your zip code before you enter the first bid.
Quality – I am very cautious about buying any non name brand item. There are many sellers selling cheap import items, from electronics to computers, that look great in the pictures but are not apples to apples as the name brand item and most have no warranty. If there is a warranty on any item on EBAY it should be clearly noted in the seller’s ad. As in my searching for “wet dry” shavers there were literally hundreds of them offered from $.99 but not a one was a named brand. Again I stress read the AD thoroughly before you ever make a first bid.
Safety and Guarantees – as I previously mentioned an EBay purchase can be safe and fully guaranteed but you need to know who you are doing business with. Study the seller’s number of transactions, always at the top of the listing as well as his percentage of satisfactory feedbacks. Read the feedbacks don’t just trust the numbers, some can be very enlightening. Always pay with your PAYPAL account which offers the best in security for your credit cards and banking information and virtually guarantees that if you don’t get you shipment you get a refund.
In summation EBAY can be fun and rewarding but Caveat emptor.

A trusted EBAY seller of long term is the H.M.Wallace family of online businesses such as National Builder Supply and Performance Toilets. Their EBAY stores are listed in their names, nothing to hide, they both are EBAY ‘POWER SELLERS”, maintaining spotless reputations and offer extraordinary values in closeouts and overstocks from their online retail stores and as always offering free shipping and no handling charges. So get your feet wet and dive into the EBAY experience.

THIS IS CARRYING "INSTANT HOT WATER" TO THE MAX!

I recently wrote a blog entitled “Why is my hot water tank leaking?” and at that time I thought I had pretty much covered the basics of what to expect from a malfunctioning Hot water heater. Over this past weekend I ran across a thread on the DIYChatroom.com discussion group which not only has reminded me of additional dangerous possibilities of a hot water heater malfunction but gives me reason to reemphasize the importance of the T&P valve as well as the need for you to know how much potential damage an out of control HWH can cause. Reference http://www.diychatroom.com/f7/hot-water-coming-out-all-pipes-help-44137/ to read and understand how this situation started and the many postings in response to the thread that were made, including mine.
This homeowner comes home to find that hot water is coming from all faucets hot or cold and even in the toilet. What would your first thought be? Somehow the pipes have gotten crossed? Somebody has turned on a valve somewhere in the house blocking the cold water?(no such valve exists), It’s all in your mind, the days have become hot and the water must be heating in the pipes?.....NONE OF THE ABOVE. This homeowner has an out of control hot water heater with either no T&P valve or one that is stuck and not opening. As the thread continues we find that there apparently isn’t one at all. He posted his thread at about 7:30 Saturday morning and I saw it about 1 hour later along with another reader and I was afraid at that point that neither could have gotten back to him in time. If you read my response you will see that I am trying to give him some information but more importantly I am urging him to turn the darn HWH off then worry about why it’s doing it. It is also important to note that in today’s economy we all have to make decisions about what we can and cannot afford. I for one am disabled and have limited financial resources and have to make day to day decisions as to what I can spend money on just basic necessities. With that said the homeowner states he can’t afford a plumber and the reality is this is one of those things that he will have to afford and can surely afford a plumber more than to have to replace the house or pay for a funeral.
Now what happened? As I said in my opinion, and the opinion of all but one of the posters to the thread, is that for some as yet undetermined reason the HWH has over heated to the MAX and a malfunctioning or non-existent T&P valve has allowed so much pressure from this overheating to cause the boiling hot water to force its way through the plumbing system and seek an outlet to relieve the pressure. If the valve had been working the pressure would have been relieved by the valve opening and draining pressure and water out. In most cases the plumbing would not hold and the HWH tank would literally explode. One of the posters relates a story of HWH actually blowing out through the roof of the house and in this case had the HWH exploded it is gas fired and so a resulting fire and explosion would have probably occurred. CAN YOU NOW SEE WHY I WAS IN SUCH A PANIC WHEN I READ IT? We still don’t know the final outcome of this particular situation but we do know that he turned the HWH off in time and hopefully is addressing getting the problem repaired by a licensed plumber today.
The last posting (#20) sums up the things that some folks will do to save money and yet endanger their families (not aimed at this homeowner) plug up the hole where the T&P valve was supposed to be, or allow a non-functioning T&P valve to remain in place, unchecked and not replaced. Don’t wait for hot water to fill up your toilet. Read up on how to do a regular maintenance on your HWH or call a good plumber and ask that he come out and check yours at least on an annual basis. There are many other things that can cause problems with a HWH, stuck or malfunctioning thermostats, heating elements shorting out in an electrical heater, in the event of a gas fired heater faulty pilot lights and deteriorating burners. All of these as well as the general condition of the tank should be inspected and respected.

CAN I INSTALL A TOILET IN MY BASEMENT?

The most difficult new additions of plumbing fixtures are tubs, showers and toilets. Obviously the difficulty arises from the need to drain from the bottom. I read in threads all of time where people ask “I have a tub, can we take it out and replace it with a shower and a toilet or bidet”. Well it is easier to replace a tub with a shower but toilets require a larger drain and thus a lot of changes in the overall plumbing which is located in the floor. The question of the week was how about a basement? How easy is it to add a bathroom with a toilet to my basement? The simple answer is ITS NOT EASY. To have an operative toilet you need 3 things, a water supply, a drain line and a vent (drains don’t work effectively without one). Additionally you are usually dealing with a steel reinforced concrete slab that is the basement floor. Let’s talk about each individually:
1. WATER SUPPLY – probably the easiest thing to accomplish. Many basements have laundry fixtures that are easy to tap to provide water and if not the main water line from the street comes into, through or just above the basement allowing for easy access. Additionally of you are just building out your basement you have the full ability to hide the piping from the source to where you need it in the stud partition walls. If none of those sources are easy it is a simple job to find a water line from the kitchen or bathrooms above to pull a supply line from. So take a look around and see where you can get the water and keep in mind you want to get it from the shortest distance to keep from losing water pressure from a long complicated run.
2. DRAIN LINE – Probably the hardest thing to accomplish. This may require cutting into the concrete floor and not just a hole underneath the fixture but may require a trench across the floor to the outside to the main drain. Depending on the depth below ground of the basement this may actually be impossible because the last time I checked water does not run uphill without some considerable encouragement. So your only alternative would be to drain the basement fixtures into existing drains from the house. You might get lucky and find the drain coming down a wall and through the floor and be able to tap into it and minimize the lift needed but lift will still be needed. If not, you will have to locate where it leaves the house above and facilitate a connection to that and install a sump type system to take the effluent from the toilet and pump it up and out. There are several types of systems for this. You can buy a complete sump and pump system that comes in a drum type device (see pic) that can be buried simply in a hole beneath the toilet requiring only a simple cut in the concrete and a hole deep enough to bury the device. Another alternative is to raise the toilet up above floor height to allow for a drain line out the bottom and connect to an external pump either beside or behind the toilet. This can be done by building a frame cover with plywood to hide the mechanics or there are complete devices that can be purchased that already have the box, drain and pump in one fiberglass assembly (see pic). Either of these last two options will require a step up to the toilet or that the entire bathroom be raised above floor level. The latter will make a cleaner neater appearance but a step up from floor level into the bathroom will be required. These lift pump and complete assemblies can be bought for from $400 to $1500 plus labor to install.
3. VENT – Most people underestimate the value and importance of the vent. A vent does two things, it allows the drain to breathe so that water flows out as it should and secondly it takes dangerous sewer gases up and out of the house. If your home is properly vented now with some over capacity of needed vent you will simply need to locate the nearest vent above the basement level and tap into it. In your house is already suffering from inadequate or minimum venting then you will have to run a vent pipe from the basement up through the house and out and above the roof line of your house. This will of course require getting into walls, the attic and piercing and resealing your roof.
Hopefully I have given you some idea as to the difficulty you’re facing in adding a bathroom to the basement…..impossible? probably not….difficult? definitely….can you do it yourself? I couldn’t and you probably can’t either. Save your effort and call your friendly licensed plumber and at least get a consultation on what will be needed to make it happen.

PVC AND OTHER PIPING...ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

In my continuing and hopefully final discussion of supply piping materials, today let’s talk about the other major forms of materials used. In previous day's blogs I talked about the use of copper, most consider it to be the premium material and it certainly is the most expensive, then there is PEX, the new kid on the block who’s advantages outweigh it’s disadvantages by a considerable margin. PEX is still relatively new and unfamiliar to most of us. There is considerable controversy both code wise and in connection problems with PEX.
Other primary alternatives are galvanized steel, brass and the PVC (polyvinyl chloride) family. Like copper, steel and brass are very expensive and have similar advantages and disadvantages. Both copper and brass must be soldered in the connections and can represent a fire hazard during the installation phase but it’s rare. Both have the potential to build up scale over years of use which can eventually impede the water flow and copper can eventually develop pinhole leaks caused by electrolysis. These problems, mostly the expense, caused the development and wide spread use of PVC for both supply and drain lines in homes. PVC is inexpensive, easily connected by utilizing PVC glue and a whole family of connectors and is easily installed, like an erector set, making it friendly to most of us DIYers. These days some codes have outlawed plain PVC for supply lines and now require CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) which is considered safer and less likely to impart any chemical taste or hazard especially in hot water lines.
The general disadvantages of PVC or CPVC are that it is highly susceptible to ultraviolet light degradation thus should be used, primarily, in internal uses, it is more susceptible to freezing and must be highly insulated in very cold climates and is a very poor insulator for heat and cold so there can be considerable loss of energy especially in hot water lines. PVC can also be noisy especially when used for drain lines, an almost impossible problem to avoid without considerable sound deadening efforts. PVC supply lines can, like metal lines, also flex and pop causing some of the noise commonly thought of as water hammer, but water hammer, as I discussed in a previous blog, is not just solely caused by the material but by air trapped in the lines. Metallic and plastic lines, except PEX, are too inflexible to offset this action. The last home I had with PVC lines was trouble enough to cause me to never want to use it again. You could hear water draining down the piping every time a toilet was flushed or a faucet was turned on. Despite considerable efforts to insulate the piping every severe winter we experienced frozen and ruptured pipes somewhere in the house and generally the installation looked and sounded cheap. Why? Because it was.
I’m sure that there are more disadvantages and advantages that I have missed, each based on all of the individual experiences of each of us. Hopefully I have hit the high spots and I welcome and ask that you share any and all of your own personal experiences, with any of these materials, in the comments segment of this blog.

TO PEX OR NOT TO PEX? THAT'S THE QUESTION

As promised now a discussion of what I believe to be the most controversial form of plumbing piping on the market today…PEX (or crosslinked polyethylene). I say controversial based on the many discussion groups and forums that I read. PEX is discussed probably 10 times more often than any other form of plastic or metal piping as part of a water supply piping system even though it has several advantages over metal pipe (copper, iron, lead) or rigid plastic pipe (PVC, CPVC, ABS) systems. Some local codes aren’t allowing it for whole house systems and I believe, in general, it is the public’s lack of knowledge on the product that has caused most of the controversy.
PEX tubing is made from crosslinked HDPE (high density polyethylene) polymer. The HDPE is melted and continuously extruded into tube. PEX plumbing has been in use in Europe since about 1970, and was introduced in the U.S. around 1980. The use of PEX has been increasing ever since, replacing copper pipe in many applications, especially radiant heating systems installed in the slab under floors or walkways. Interest in PEX for hot and cold water plumbing has increased recently in the United States which I believe also contributes to the questions and discussions I read.

Advantages of PEX
1. Plumbing PEX plumbing installations cost less because:
o PEX is less expensive than copper pipe.
o Less time is spent running pipe and installing fittings than with rigid pipe systems.
o Installing fewer fittings reduces the chances for expensive callbacks.
2. Flexible PEX can be shipped and stored on spools, where rigid plastic or metal piping must be cut to some practical length for shipping and storage. This leads to lower shipping and handling costs .
3. PEX requires fewer fittings than rigid piping.
4. It can turn 90 degree corners without the need for elbow fittings.
5. PEX tubing unrolled from spools can be installed in long runs without the need for coupling fittings.
6. PEX tube fittings do not require soldering, and so the health hazards involved with lead-based solder and acid fluxes are eliminated. This makes it safer to install since no torch is needed to make connections..
7. PEX resists the scale build-up common with copper pipe, and does not pit or corrode when exposed to acidic water.
8. PEX is much more resistant to freeze-breakage than copper or rigid plastic pipe.
9. PEX tubing does not transfer heat as readily as copper, and so conserves energy.
10. Water flows more quietly through PEX tube, and the characteristic "water hammer" noise of metal pipe systems is virtually eliminated.
11. PEX can be used in combination with metal or other plastic piping and is currently most often used as connectors on existing system when old lines must be replaced in an existing system.
12. Each supply line typically has a shut off line in place for repair convenience
13. Pex is available In colors making easier to color code your plumbing system or easily identify hot and cold pipes.
14. A “manifold” system can be made as a part of the PEX installation allowing better segregation of hot and cold lines and better regulation of pressure.

Disadvantages of PEX:
1. It cannot be used outside and can become damaged if even left outside (as are many plastics its very susceptible to ultraviolet) for any long period of time
2. It has a shorter life expectancy and thus does not provide an option to recycle.
3. PEX has an impermeable membrane that may allow the possibility of contaminating your water. Oxygen barrier versions of PEX can be had at additional expense (30% more) to overcome this issue and would be required if you used PEX in radiant floor heating applications
4. Even though it is easier to install it is a more difficult initial installation for the untrained.

Well there it is folks, my take on the PEX controversy. Cheaper, easier to install, less chance of freezing and many more advantages than disadvantages but somehow, to me, just smacks of CHEAP. Is it better than PVC? You bet! Is it better than copper as far as long lasting and known value? No Chance.
Next time and overall discussion of other metallic and plastic options including the perennial favorite PVC.

COPPER...FOR PLUMBING OR JUST FOR PENNIES?

Over my next few blogs I intend to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the most common materials used for plumbing in homes today. The primary three are copper, steel or plastic with a myriad of choices now on the market in the latter. For today’s discussion I am going to start with copper which for many years has been considered to be the ultimate quality material to use.
Advantages
1. Copper is a soft metal known for its pliability so it can bend rather easily and uses less fasteners and connectors for the ease of installation
2. Bacteria can grow in other types of plumbing, especially plastic. Copper pipe plumbing has antibacterial properties that can prevent the grow of bacteria
3. When using other types of metal and connectors there is a risk of lead poisoning. With no lead used in the manufacturing of Copper pipe plumbing there is no risk of lead problems.
4. Unlike steel, copper pipes resist corrosion. Copper develops a patina over years but this does not cause damage
5. Copper piping is also capable of withstanding ultraviolet rays unlike plastic and makes it far better for outside uses such as in a sprinkler systems. Ultraviolet rays cause plastic to become discolored and brittle thus reducing its life expectancy.
6. Copper piping resists temperature changes making it more resistant to freezing. Don’t be mislead, it will freeze and rupture in temperature extremes I was blown away the first time I saw the damage to a copper pipe after a hard freeze night. The difference was 1 burst pipe in the house while a neighbor’s house, done in PVC, had pipes burst all over and the resulting water damage.
7. In the event of fire copper will not give off the toxic fumes that plastic piping systems will and can potential keep water flowing longer in the house to fight a fire
Disadvantages
1. The most significant disadvantage of copper pipe plumbing is the cost. Copper is a considerably more expensive material than plastic or steel. Although the installation of copper pipe plumbing requires less hardware, it will still be more expensive to install. Unfortunately the value of copper and the problems with our existing economy is causing a very real problem with the theft of copper piping in new homes under construction and unattended homes.
2, Although one of the advantages of copper is its flexibility a disadvantage can be how it must be connected. All copper systems require soldering for connections and if you are like me and find soldering to be a lost art then you will either want to avoid doing it yourself and plan on having a professional plumber do the job. Improperly soldered connections can ultimately result in leaks that don’t show up initially.
3. Another disadvantage of copper pipe plumbing deals with water acidity. Copper plumbing is only suitable for water that has a pH between 6.5 and 8.5 thus. Well water may be too acidic for copper pipe plumbing. You will want to have your well water tested before making the decision for copper and monitor the ph level several times a year. You should do this regardless of the type of materials you decide to use because the acidic/alkaline factor can affect many other things in your home from your own health to the affectivity of detergents.

Now with the discussion done on copper, stand by for next weeks exciting episode "TO PEX OR NOT TO PEX....THAT IS THE QUESTION".

How am I Doing?

I mention, often, that I follow and participate in some 30+ chatrooms/forums/discussion groups. I read these on a constant basis sometimes as many as 4 times each day 7 days a week. These discussion groups allow me to do several things.
1. As most of you know I am disabled with Parkinsons which limits my ability to work and even get around so reading and commenting on these panels fills my days and allows me to feel useful during the last days of my life when it is hard to find my own value.
2. The forums provide me with a fount of knowledge on all sorts of DIY subjects. I have been a lifelong project person from planning and building 3 personal homes to numerous renovations and repair projects. By far I don’t pretend to be an authority on any one thing, the old "jack of all trades/master" of none syndrome probably describes me beat but studying the problems of others and the solutions offered keeps me up to date and allows me to then pass these answers on to others when the problem pops up elsewhere on another site.
3. As witnessed by my writings of this blog site these forums have provided me with a constant supply of subject matter to write about in an effort to further document these lessons and to have them as a constant point of reference to my readers.
4. I try to keep track of my writings, postings and threads as well as the number of visitors I get here on this site to judge its value and thus to provide me the encouragement to continue to write even on days when I don’t feel like it or when my joints hurt so badly that it’s difficult to type. The results of these trackings are as follows after 5 months of my work: On Google I have nearly 800 separate hits of things that can be traced back to me, on a Yahoo search you can find nearly 1400 hits, here on this blogsite, over this past weekend, I installed a counter to see how many viewers I am getting daily and I’m proud to say that in 3 days of tracking we have had 60 visitors that have found the site and spent some time reading my musings.

In a further effort to disseminate my writings and to make them easier to find I also have reprinted many of my blogs on” Ezine” sites such as www.hubpages.com. www.articlesbase.com. www.associatedcontent.com, and www.ehow.com.

One of my favorite sites is www.diychatroom.com. This site offers not only discussion forums that cover EVERY possible DIY subject but also has a space for blogs. I have 23 of my DIY based blogs from this blogsite reprinted and featured and as of today have had over 2500 people view, read and comment on my writing. To me these numbers as well as the tracking and numbers above mean that the word is getting out and hopefully represents people that have learned something that Ive been able to pass along or have found a solution to a problem.

As I previously said, I don’t have all the answers so for your own reading pleasure and resources for additional help I recommend the following additional forums and discussion groups out of the many I follow: www.diynetwork.com, www.doityourself.com. www.terrylove.com, the kitchen. bathroom. plumbing, home repair, and remodeling forums from http://ths.gardenweb.com . These latter sites represent the very best in really personal chat and discussion and are probably the most heavily used on the web. There are also great sites sponsored by the PBS series “This Old House”, HGTV, and the Home and Garden section of the New York Times. Check some of these sites out but don’t forget to come back and see me and keep up with the latest from FAUCETMAN886 and please leave me some comments on what you think and what else you would like to read about.

KITCHEN CABINETS....CUSTOM OR PREFAB?

I have, in the past few weeks, written blogs about choosing floor surfaces, backsplashes, countertops, sinks, cutting boards and a myriad of other things to consider when remodeling a kitchen or bathroom. The one thing that I have avoided, until today, is cabinetry and I do so reluctantly for a couple of reasons. Although I don’t put myself forward as a true “expert” on anything I blog about I do carefully research most things so as to supplement the knowledge that I do have and that I have gained from some 30+ years of DIYing and of actually building a few of my own homes. The last home I built was in 1997 and at that time the cabinet choices were slim. Home Depot was just getting a major foot hold in the market and was selling prefab, broken down assemble them yourself cabinets, the first I remember seeing. There were some cabinet manufacturers with local showrooms offering beautiful cabinets, factory made and there was the old tried and true sole proprietor custom cabinet shop. After looking at the products available at that time and the labor and knowledge that it would take to install the prefab type, I immediately chose not to go with that choice. I did price the showrooms and although they offered some great options and ideas there was lead time, installation schedules, a built in factor for mistakes and an exorbitant cost. Thus it only took me 3 interviews with custom cabinet makers to decide that they were the way to go. I got the style of my own design, which happened to be a mix of natural pine frames and boxes with natural cherry doors and drawer fronts (imitating some classic antique furniture pieces I had seen) and every detail I wanted including some glass uppers, hardware, countertops and backsplashes all from one source and most importantly FULLY INSTALLED. If you have never installed cabinetry of any kind or watched it being installed you do not realize what an art it is to do correctly. Every room has its construction abnormalities and each cabinet has to be custom fitted to adjust for these faults. Prefab or preassembled cabinets ordered from a factory cannot account for these problems and even the custom cabinet maker may have the same problem he at least has the advantage of doing all of his work having actually seen, measured and worked in the kitchen or bathroom you are building. Needless to say I was happy with the experience and felt that I got more than my money’s worth from the cabinet maker I chose and a certain amount of pride in my design.
That brings us to today and man have things changed! As I said at first, when I sit down to write these blogs , if I don’t know enough about a subject I do research. Thus I spent a better part of the weekend “Googling” cabinet choices, reading other blogs and last but not least I read the discussion rooms and forums. The controversy can be summed up in the fact that just two forum threads, alone, had a total of over 100 responses of opinions and personal experiences. The latter provided a real eye opener on the state of the cabinet business today. The choices have broadened considerably in suppliers.
1. The big box stores now offer a wider selection of both prefab and broken down cabinetry with their primary brand being KRAFTMAID. The brand is well known and well considered for its quality and standard features that are options in custom shops. They are offered installed or ready for you to install and the store usually offers free design consulting. The down side is the installation if you are doing it yourself with little flexibility in sizing if your room happens to be one of those examples with rampant abnormalities of square and dimension.
2. The market is now full of products made in China and offered in all varieties from ordered, imported and fully assembled, to imported broken down and assembled by the dealer or by the customer. There are enough problems with these to cause me to NEVER consider this alternative. Although the price may be right if doesn’t offset problems with lead time for ordering, with getting replacements when errors are made or received quality is lacking (months if at all), and the most notable news of late of Chinese products being constructed of poor quality materials and sometimes containing downright dangerous chemicals. The latest in this vein is the thousands of homes that have been built in the last 5 years with sulfur contaminated sheetrock causing major health and corrosion problems, lead in painted products such as toys and furniture and tainted food products. The forums were full of these nightmares.
3. The custom design showroom is still flourishing offering the best in design, style and construction. This service is offset again with the need for built in timing for replacements and high costs. It just rubs me wrong somehow to pay premium prices for something and then to be told that we have to build into the pricing and scheduling the fact that some of the cabinetry will arrive damaged, wrong sized or just incorrect and will have to be reordered and you will have to adjust you building schedule to account for this inevitability. Additionally a word of caution that you make sure where they are getting their cabinets. Many have begun to get their cabinets from China also.
4. Lastly is the small businessman local cabinet shop. In this day and age and with economy the way it is and the competition from the above sources many of these small businesses have fallen by the wayside. Call me old fashioned but if I needed cabinets today this would be my first choice. I make this choice with many thoughts in mind, my perception of quality offered, value based on that quality, experienced design and installation expertise and the factor of supporting a local business.
As I did, do your own research, shop around, decide in advance what your priorities are i.e. Price? Design? Quality? Timing? Convenience? or a little of all of it. I’m afraid that what you will find is a confusing market filled with possible disappointments and because it can be the largest expenditure in your renovation or build out you should make your final decision carefully and well advised.

The Washlet..Luxury or necessity?

Last week I ran across a thread on one of the many forums that I follow daily regarding the Toto Washlet and an innovative idea for its use. I have been aware of the product for quite a while and even did a brief blog on the Washlet at Christmas time when Marcus was running a special on them as the ideal Christmas present. My opinion was at that time that it was a great item but truly a luxury that most of us just can’t afford. For those of you that aren’t familiar with the Washlet it is simply a replacement toilet seat that actually converts your standard toilet to a bidet type system. Bidets are standard equipment in most bathrooms in Europe and better developed countries worldwide but for some reason have not ever caught on here in America. Like a bidet the Washet literally sprays water in a strong directional or in an oscilating pattern to wash your rear or front after toilet use while you continue to sit. This accomplishes 2 major things, a cleaner more sanitary situation for your health and personal cleanliness and cuts down the need for vast amounts of toilet paper which is better for our environment and your septic system if you use a septic tank. Some of the Washlet units heat the seats as well as performing the washing function and as with all Toto toilets have soft closing automatic lids adding to the comfort and luxury.
The thread that I mentioned was for a person who’s elderly mother had just been placed in a nursing home and she was seeking some Washlet info so that she could possibly have one installed for her mother’s use. Having the Washlet would of course assure her mother’s sanitary needs but could also be considered as a practical way to reduce the need for assistance from nursing home staff. The more I thought of this concept the better idea I think it is and feel that it is something that would be advantageous to any hospital or nursing facility and would also be a great benefit in the home for the elderly and disabled folks such as myself. Many older folks find it hard to keep themselves clean and I afraid that with the lack of staffing and time they have the more the potential of not having their cleanliness needs met. The danger of this lack of care can lead to some major infections and discomfort. Before the thread was complete postings began to agree that it was a great idea and certainly has had me thinking more about acquiring one for myself. They are easily installed with the only complication coming from the need for a power supply nearby to supply the needed electricity.
In conclusion I think it’s time to stop thinking of the Washlet as frivolous luxury and more towards it being a necessity for the home where you have older or disabled folks, children and where you are conscious of the effect we all are having in the environment.
A full line of the Toto Washlets are available from National Builder Supply at costs from $435 to $1131. Use the link below for further info.

http://www.nationalbuildersupply.com/Results.aspx?dsNav=Ntk:081008washlet7&dsDimensionSearch=D:washlet&dsCompoundDimensionSearch=D:washlet

HOW SAFE IS YOUR WATER SUPPLY?

In past blogs I’ve written about plumbing smells and oddly enough those blogs have consistently been the most widely read and commented on and the topic still remains of high interest in the discussion groups and forums that I follow daily. As a follow up on this I would like to address water purity issues and simple ways that you can and should be checking your water source for the safety and health of your family and for the proper maintenance and care of your plumbing system.
To begin most Americans use some 80+/- gallons of water per day. Most of this water comes from a municipal or public source. In rural areas and small developments your water may still some from a well. In either case can you be sure the water is safe? Most of us just take it for granted that when we turn the tap on the water is fine but the reality is that even in a public system you should always keep up with the purity of the water provided to your family. Your local water district is required to issue “Consumer Quality Reports” on an annual basis. Although this report should be mailed to you many districts satisfy this requirement by publishing the reports in local newspapers and others by just having the report available to you upon request. Either way, if you haven’t received one, ask for it to be sent to you. To do this testing on your own can be expensive so use the sources available to you before you spend the money to have your own testing done. This is just a start because there can be other factors. The condition of the piping into your home and appliances such as your hot water heater can affect the water quality. If your home is old it can contain some lead piping or plastic composites that leach out chemicals into your water. High lead content has become a major concern in recent years with cases of severe brain damage occurring in children from lead in water sources, peeling paint and most recently in imported toys.
To this end start by simply drawing a glass of water into a very clean and clear glass. Does the water have a smell? If you’re on a public system you might smell a faint trace of chlorine. Do you smell sulfur or rotten eggs? As I mentioned in a previous blog this could indicate a problem with the anodes in your water heater. Is the water clear? You shouldn’t be able to detect any color nor floating particles in the water. Let the glass sit for couple of hours and see if there is any sediment that settles to the bottom. Any of these things could indicate that your water has become contaminated or compromised and you should contact your water provider for additional testing. To assure that the problem does not originate from within your own plumbing system you will have to do the testing on your own. Your county extension agent can provide you with a list of independent firms which do water testing and with a list of recommended do-it-yourself kits which can be purchased at your local big box or hardware store or from the internet. Obviously the testing done by a lab will be more reliable than a DIY test but the lab tests can be very expensive. Check your drains and fixtures such as toilets and tubs for red, green, blue or brown staining. This can indicate a bacteria growth or a presence of undesirable chemicals.
You should be especially conscious of your water quality if you have a private water supply, such as a well. You are solely responsible for your water quality when coming from your own source and you are far more likely to experience water quality issues. Wells should be tested for herbicides and insecticides when you first have the well installed, and at least twice the first year (early spring and late fall) for coli forms bacteria and nitrates from local fertilizing. After the first year you should be testing once a year for lead, pH and dissolved solids or if any work has been performed on your well, Notice chemical use on or near your property, or if you see any of the above-mentioned indicators, have your water checked. Most new wells are required to have initial testing done before use providing you a baseline guide for future water testing. This initial testing should check for coli forms, calcium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, nitrates, pH, sodium, sulfate, zinc and dissolved solids. Keep this report for a comparison against future tests.
Basically water purity initially boils down to common sense. If you are on a public water supply the quality should be well maintained but you should avail yourself of the reports provided. You should perform the simple visual tests I recommended on regular basis and don’t ignore obvious problems. Lastly because a well is your own responsibility you should be even more vigilant with observation and testing.

HOW IS YOUR SMALL BUSINESS DOING?

Readers of my blog and my many postings and threads on the discussion panels know that I am a retired accountant. What most don’t know is that rather than a regular pencil pushing tax return filing accountant I was instead a specialist in startups and turnarounds of small businesses. In my 30+ years of career I wrote business plans and got funding for some 22 startups and managed 10 successful turnarounds from bankruptcy or near to the brink. Although I enjoyed my career a great deal I feel that what I enjoyed the most and feel a great comfort in today Is the fact that I managed to create and/or save many jobs for hard working business owners and their employees. In the economy of today I fear that so much of that has come undone and there is so much to do to help struggling small businesses today and yet I am unable to work any longer at this profession.
With this thought in mind I felt that maybe I could help a little by lending some words of encouragement and advice to those of you that may be struggling to keep your business afloat. The successful turnaround of today’s economy depends on small businesses. America is very dependent on the small business person. Yes large industries can hire hundreds of people at a time but it is the small business that supports the needed ancillary services that big business needs and of course families and individuals rely on day to day. For every 1 job that a large business provides there is a need for 8 to 15 jobs outside of that industry that are within the small business arena. Store clerks, mechanics, health pros, food workers, teachers and the list goes on and on. If these small businesses don’t survive then the chain of need cannot grow and develop the way it should. The product that the big industry makes becomes more expensive to produce because there is no competition in the market for supplies and services downstream. The American economy is built on the principle of “SUPPLY AND DEMAND” and the pricing of any product or service is mandated by the costs of its raw materials and labor.
If you are a struggling small business owner the most important piece of advice I can give is to have control on your business with proper books and records. If the only way you can determine the success or failure of your business comes the day you get to the bank and find that you have nothing left then it is too late to help yourself. You should know your labor cost, which in most businesses is your largest expenditure. You should know your raw materials cost of your manufacturing and what you acquisition costs are for inventory of a retailer. You cannot imagine how many failing businesses I was called in to review for help only to find that the owner had no idea what his costs much less profit or loss was. Worse I found too many owners who had a great set of books prepared by a great bookkeeper or accountant and yet never opened them to see where the problem was. Business failure rarely happens overnight but can be fast once it gets rolling downhill.
Secondly an important control is a budget and goals. You must have a road map to where your business is going otherwise how will you know when it gets there? This road map comes from budgets for month to month control of expenses and set performance or sales goals to have something to strive towards and to use as a barometer of performance. Human nature requires that we all get pats on the back or “atta-boys” along the way so that we can feel good about our accomplishments. These rewards are hard to get from others so we have to learn how to get our hand over our shoulder and pat ourselves. If you know where your business is going and can gauge its progress, or lack thereof, you will know your being successful or what changes to your route needs to be affected.
Last but not least, and this is a hard one to accomplish and sometimes impossible to prove but I am a firm believer in ‘WHAT GOES AROUND…COMES AROUND”. If you do good for people then it will come back to you. Run your business in a moral and ethical way in which you cannot be challenged. Do as much for your employees and your customers as to make you invaluable to them and lastly be good to yourself.
The American economy has been on the ropes. Some believe that they can see a light at the end of the tunnel. I for one believe that it is there and is not a train coming towards us. I believe we have a government that is taking control and making every effort to effect change. Most of all I believe in America and its people and that is the most important thing to all of us. The market is consumer driven. When the people feel confident and start buying cars and durable goods again, when they start spending on non essential services again, when they take their savings out of the mattress and put it back into the banks then we will be back on firm ground again. So if you are running a small struggling business and are finding it hard to make it day to day do something to feel more in control, do something for other people to give them confidence. Keep fighting the good fight and if I can be of more specific help contact me. All I have to offer is words of experience and I ask for nothing in return because even though my days are not as good as they once were and my bank account is practically non-existent I am still paying back for all the good that I have received in life. YOU CAN TOO.

How to plan a Handicapped (ADA Compliant) Bathroom

As promised in my previous blog “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” I discussed the importance of having a safe and comfortable bathroom for seniors in the family or someone suffering from a disability. I took the first shot at the problem by discussing how you can change a bathroom with out major renovations and most importantly without breaking the family budget, a budget that is probably already taxed to the maximum if you are a senior, disabled or family trying to care for someone in that situation.
Now lets discuss pulling out all the stops. You’ve got unlimited funds and talent and need to do it all right. To accomplish this feat you may as well decide to tear the old bathroom back to the bare studs.
1. Structurally things that will have to be done include widening the entrance door to a width that will accommodate a wheel chair or someone with a walker. The average wheelchair is 24” to 27” wide so a handicapped door should be at least 32” wide jamb to jamb. The old door will have to come out, a wider framing installed and a new wider door assembly purchased and installed.
2. The next most important item in the handicapped access bathroom would be to install either a walk in tub with a door or a roll in shower with a flat sill. The walk in tubs are becoming more popular for their ease of entry and comfort. These tubs are deep and have a swing open door that seals up tight once you’re in and allows for the tub to fill. These tubs can also be purchase with whirlpool options which can provide additional therapy and comfort for someone suffering from maladies. A simpler option would be to tile the entire area where the old tub was from side to side and floor to ceiling with no sill and a slope front to back to allow for easy wheelchair access and proper drainage. These showers are usually supplemented with a shower curtain but there are more decorative doors available for privacy but you must be certain the door installed is made of safety glass or lexan to protect from any possible shatter glass. Remember a person with a walker or wheelchair cannot always be well balanced.
3. I discussed in the other blog the replacement of the existing toilet with a new one with an elongated bowl and at the recommended ADA height of 17” to 19”. I have these in my home and although they male all the difference in the world to me you would be surprised at how many guests comment positively on the height having never noticed or experienced one in a private home. These can be found reasonably priced at very little more cost wise than a standard toilet. They are money well invested.
4. When installing a new vanity you will want to consider either a unit at wheelchair height (lower than the normal vanity) which should be no lower than 29” from the bottom of the counter top to the floor and no more than 34” maximum from the top to the floor. If this height will interfere with other family members multiple height vanities can be found with a lower and higher sections to accommodate all family members. You may also want to look into faucets that are easily turned on and off by someone disabled. Single handled models with large easy to grip handles work best. For expert friendly advice on any of your plumbing needs for this project please call any one of the customer service staff at National Builder Supply.
5. You should also consider the height of all ancillary hardware in the bathroom. Toilet paper holders, towel bars, soap dishes light switches door knobs etc should all be adjusted to a comfortable height for the disabled.
6. New floor surfaces should be of a non-skid variety, easily cleaned and well drained. While you have the bathroom gutted you may want to install a floor drain for easier cleaning. Accidents do happen and a floor drain can make your job disinfecting and cleaning a much easier task.
7. Grab bars should be installed near the toilet, by the entrance and inside the shower/tub . Fir these grab bars to be safe please note that they MUST be attached to the wall studs. You cannot depend on expanders or “molly” bolts to give you the strength to hold a person up.
8. Last but not least, as provided by all electrical codes today, any electrical outlet within reach of a sink or tub must be wired to a GFCI. These are safety circuits which prevent accidental electrocution. If your home is older it may very well not have those in place.

Hopefully this has given you some ideas as to what you can plan on needing for your senior years. If you are building new construction from scratch and feel that you may stay in your new home for a time extending into your senior years it is a good idea to plan some of these adaptations into at least one of your bathrooms.

HELP I'VE FALLEN AND I CAN'T GET UP!!

A familar commercial message but all to real to senior citizens and their families. As many of you that follow my blogs know, I am a retired disabled accountant suffering from Parkinsons. My family and I have had to make many adjustments to our lives because of my condition both physical and economic. I tried living alone and maintaining my home until my savings were depleted and eventually I had to face the reality of limited income and limited physical ability. I had to give up my home and the independence that it afforded me and became, for a while dependent on living with one of my children. These are decisions that so many families are being forced to make these days because of the aging of the baby boomer generation as well as the deterioration of the American economy. I assure you it isn’t an easy decision from either’s viewpoint, the parent or the children but a reality none the less. Although I was able to regain some independence last year by moving in to a small place of my own with close friends nearby to look in on me I was still faced with having to make my new space safe.
Over eighty percent of all fractures in senior citizens over the age of sixty-five years of age are caused by falls. In twenty percent of falls the injuries result in death. The long term result of a fall is fear of another fall, permanent disabilities, pain and the loss of independence. At some point these fears of both the senior and his or her family may result in institutionalization. I have so far only fallen once and it was while I was still living with my son. I lay in the floor for what seemed to be forever but was only a few minutes before I could get myself up. Fortunately I suffered no major damage but it caused me to develop a fear that I have never had in my lifetime and additionally caused us to begin to rethink my safety. We did and still today I maintain some simple things. I ALWAYS have my cell phone on my person so I can call for help if need be. I am slower in my movements and more careful in my daily activities so as to minimize the chance of another fall and because I live alone, as I mentioned before, I have nearby friends who check in on me and react if I don’t answer the phone or have not been heard from during the course of a day.
Fully one-half of all accidents occurring in the home, are in the bathroom such as slips getting in and out of the shower or tub, getting on and off the toilet and simple slips caused by wet surfaces. Because of this fact alone, if you can only do little simple things to make your home more accident proof your money is best spent in improving your bathroom and making it more handicapped accessible. Providing a safer bathroom can be simple and completed in a short amount of time. The following are some of the simple things that can be done:
1. Remove loose rugs or at least make sure that any necessary rug has a skid-proof rubber backing to ensure footing. These are especially important in the bathtub and sink areas.
2. The tub or shower should have slip-proof strips installed.
3. Grab bars must be installed in areas where they would be of the most use, such as near and in the tub and beside the toilet. We installed a long horizontal bar in the tub/shower and a shorter vertical bar directly across from the toilet which enables me to hold on while getting on and off the toilet. This same bar coincidently is immediately adjacent to the tub and gives me something to hold on to when stepping in and out.
4. Special portable seats can be had to place in the tub or shower so that the senior can sit down while bathing and not have to sit all the way down in the tub. I have one of these in my bathroom it’s easily lifted out (light weight plastic) if someone else needs to bathe.
5. Special toilet seats are available which are much thicker and raise the seat up several inches. These can be awkward for other members of the family and guests who may have to use the same bathroom and they are difficult to keep clean. We opted to replace both toilets with ADA height toilets. These toilets are available at reasonable prices and are an easy DIY project for most anyone.
6. Additional planning for how to handle day to day functions can go a long way towards making the bathroom safer. Unlocked doors with a courtesy knock, someone should know that the senior is going to the bathroom so that he can be checked on in a reasonable amount of time and someone should be at least close by if not in the room with the senior while bathing. A few preventative measures in any home can make it safer for a senior or handicapped family member and allow them to remain at home for a much longer period of time.

In a future blog I plan to discuss the things that you can do to make your bathroom more handicap accessible if you have a better budget.

AMERICAN STANDARD AND NATIONAL BUILDERS SUPPLY...A GREAT NEW COMBINATION

In a continuing effort to bring the largest selection of products and brands to its customers, National Builder Supply announces its inclusion of American Standard Brands to its growing line of premium plumbing fixtures. When other businesses are cutting back in services and raising prices NBS is proud to say “BUSINESS IS GREAT”. Here, from the American Standard website are some significant facts and history of the Company. American Standard Brands was formed in February, 2008 from the merger of 3 companies: American Standard Americas, Crane Plumbing, and Eljer. American Standard America is a leading North American manufacturer of bath and kitchen products. The Company participates in all key product categories including bathroom and kitchen faucets, fixtures and furniture with leading positions in toilets and the number two position in bathroom fixtures in the U.S. and overall category leadership in Canada, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Products are marketed under brand names such as American Standard®, Porcher® and Jado®. American Standard America delivers products to a wide range of customers in both residential and commercial markets and for new construction and replacement/remodeling. Crane Plumbing manufactures and distributes plumbing fixtures and specialty plumbing products in the United States and Canada under the Crane Plumbing, Fiat, Showerite, Universal-Rundle and Sanymetal brand names.
Eljer manufactures and markets vitreous china fixtures, cast iron sinks, whirlpool tubs, and other related plumbing products for the kitchen and bathroom markets.
Before American Standard, there was the Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company. It was founded in 1875, and merged with several other small plumbing manufacturers in 1899 to form the Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company. Standard Sanitary pioneered many of the plumbing product improvements introduced in the early part of this century including the one-piece toilet, built-in tubs, combination faucets (which mix hot and cold water to deliver tempered water) and tarnish-proof, corrosion-proof chrome finishes for brass fittings. By 1929, Standard had become the world's largest producer of bathroom fixtures.That same year, the Standard Sanitary Corporation merged with American Radiator Company to form the American Radiator and Standard Sanitary Corporation. The corporation adopted the name "American Standard" in 1967.And, in the last few years we’ve introduced new products and innovations in all of product categories, leaving an indelible impression on the industry.
At American Standard, it all begins with our unmatched legacy of quality and innovation that has lasted for more than 130 years. It is this tradition of quality and innovation that puts us in three out of five homes in America, as well as, countless hotels, airports, and stadiums. We provide the style and performance that fit perfectly into life, wherever that may be.
We have a broad range of bath and kitchen products that are designed to marry style and function with innovative solutions, creating products that simply make life easier. Every product we make is designed to meet the unique needs of our consumers and trade partners all over the world.
At American Standard, innovation never stops, ingenuity never ceases, history never dates itself and needs never go unmet. The same goes for the vast product line and unmatched service provided by National Builder Supply.

HOW MUCH PRESSURE IS TOO MUCH PRESSURE?

Water pressure seems to have been the theme of the week on the DIY forums and discussion groups so I thought I would end the week with a brief article about water pressure, how much you really need, what can cause it to fluctuate, how to lower or raise it and the damages that can occur with too much pressure.
Anybody that ever thought that too much pressure was impossible needs to know that long term you can destroy appliances and fixtures in your home. In reality 60 psi is more than adequate for the average home. If your water pressure exceeds 100 psi from the street you can be doing permanent damage to your washing machine, dishwasher and other appliances with valves. Additionally you can find that sensitive cartridges in single handle faucets, cartridges in showers as well as the showerheads themselves can be damaged. With this thought in mind if you have recently gone from high pressure to low pressure in a specific faucet or appliance the first thing you need to do is check you incoming pressure. If you find it to be high you may have to investigate the repair or replacement of the offending device. If you do find high pressure you should consider installing a pressure relief valve inline in the incoming water line. Some utilities can adjust the pressure at your meter so you might also check with them.
If you find your pressure to be satisfactory on all but one fixture, the most common example of pressure variance, you may simply have a clogged aerator. Believe it or not a miniscule amount of grit or trash that has gathered in your aerator can significantly hinder your water flow or pressure. Simply remove the aerator or shower head and clean it out thoroughly.
Another long term problem that can build up is corrosion in your delivery piping in a specific area of your home. This occurs especially when you live in an area with high iron or mineral content especially of you get you water from a well. This is not as easy a fix because it can involve repiping the area of your home where the pipes have become compromised. The immediate sign of this type of problem is low pressure in one part of your home and normal pressure in another. This is not a job for the faint of heart and should be left to a licensed plumber.
Lastly if the pressure problem seems to be the whole house it can be one of three things, either corrosion build up in your main supply line from the meter, an undetected leak in the ground or well or a system problem with the provider of you water. If you have a leak you should have noticed an increase in your water bill or possibly detect the sound of running water in your system. Before getting ahead of yourself if you are served by a water utility check with your neighbors and see if they are experiencing the same or similar problem. If it is a system problem report it you’re your utility if your on a well you will need to adjust your pressure tank to compensate. If it is your problem alone then you will have to face installing a new delivery line into your home. Again this is a time consuming and costly thing to have to have done

HOW TO HELP YOUR DISHWASHER DO A BETTER JOB

Is your old dishwasher not doing a good job? Is it just not getting your dishes clean? Not drying them well? Here are a few helpful hints on how to improve its performance.
1. Fix him a wonderful dinner, send the kids off to the neighbors, wear some new beautiful lingerie and offer him sex!
2. If that doesn’t work try bribing your teenager to let him/her use the car!
3. Well so much for the human element, if you’re using one of those new fangled devices you might try the next few examples
a. Because you need good water circulation through the washing and rinse cycles make sure that you don’t overload the dishwasher especially on the lower rack. Many dishwashers have a telescoping pipe that rises up to the upper rack during the washing and rinsing cycles and where this pipe comes up from the bottom must be kept clear so that it is not hindered in extending.
b. Has much as you might hate it, pre-rinse the dishes if they are heavily soiled or dried because the human dishwasher didn’t get to them fast enough
c. Dishwashers depend on hot water to perform to their best so if it takes too long for the hot water to reach your kitchen then you are hindering its performance during the most critical time, when the dishes are being rinsed for the first time. To make sure the hot water gets there quickly, run the water in the sink first (in most cases the dishwasher runs off of the same hot water pipe as the sink) until you get hot water then turn the dishwasher on. Some of the newer more expensive dishwashers have a element to boost the water temperature but even of yours does its is a waste of precious energy when you have hot water already heated and ready to go from your hot water heater.
d. Avoid the inexpensive dishwashing detergents. Invariably they do not perform as well as the old dependable so the few pennies you save by buying the generic or off brand is lost in time and effort to either wash the dishes again, yourself, or to run another cycle. I know if this fact from personal experience. I always was pleased as to how great our old Kenmore dishwasher worked, probably the best of any I’ve owned. I changed detergents to save some money and immediately the difference was notable and I began to think that I was going to have to invest in a new washer. I went back to my old tried and true brand (green box, by the way) and BINGO! Clean dishes again.
e. Make sure you keep “jet dry” well stocked in the machine to keep spots from forming. I prefer to save electricity by bypassing the heated drying cycle and this drying agent will eliminate spots that form from.
f. Lastly, your dishwasher has a drain in the bottom that can easily clog and will throw this old waste back up in the clean wash water and can cause your machine to smell badly. Every so often pull the bottom rack out and look for the drain, in the lowest point in the dishwasher, and clean it out, especially after washing a cycle of very soiled dishes.
Either way you choose to have you dishes washed will work but I highly recommend that you try step #1 occasionally. Even if it doesn’t get the dishes done better it can be great for your relationship and will detract from your spouse “washing someone else’s dishes”….LOL

THE CARE AND FEEDING OF THE FAMILY SEPTIC TANK

I have written several well received blogs, of late, on plumbing smells as well as clogs and sewage backups so I guess now is as good a time as any to talk about the proper care and maintenance of your septic system. If you are on a septic tank, as opposed to a public sewer system you are at the mercy of a complicated process that if not maintained can ruin your day in one flush.
To properly maintain your septic tank you need a basic understanding of how it works (SEE THE DRAWING). When your home was built a large concrete tank was buried in the yard in an area of good percolation. Now don’t get confused, this has nothing to do with your morning coffee. Percolation in this case defines how fast water poured into a hole in the yard seeps or percolates down into the ground. This is very important because if the ground is not porous enough or contains too much bedrock too close to the surface then your system will not drain properly and will back up into your house. Most county health departments require a “perc” test before a building permit is issued and this test defines the best placement for your septic system. The system itself is the aforementioned tank and a drain field of lines which radiate out from near the top of the tank and out across the “drain field”. Basically waste water from sinks, bathtubs, toilets and washing machines enter the system from the drain lines installed in your home. As the water sits in the septic tank it separates, the solids going to the bottom and grease, soap and dissolved waste effluent floats to the top. Micro-organisms in the sewage continuously work to break down the solids in the bottom and when they are dissolved enough they float to the top and join the waste water on its trip out into the drain field and then percolate into the ground. Although there are enzyme treatments such as “Ridex” available to assist the breakdown of these solids the key to your system working normally is just in using it on a regular basis. If you are not a full time resident in your home, such as a vacation home then you may need to boost the tanks operation with these enzymes or by adding some dissolved live yeast to the system to kick start it. To increase the time between having to clean out your septic system avoid pouring grease down your drains as it will clump together and float to the top of the tank eventually clogging the drain lines and causing a back-up into your house. Avoid flushing non-degradable items such as feminine sanitary products, q-tips, disposable diapers, plastic items, cigarette butts (very non PC these days) paper towels and if like my home, toys, the family cat or litter from the cat box..LOL
You should avoid planting trees and shrubs close to the drain field lines on your septic system. The roots from these plants will find their way into your field lines and eventually clog the drain field causing the tank to over fill and back up into the yard or worse into your house. A failed septic system can be a major expense and put the groundwater that supplies your drinking water at risk. No matter what the cause, septic system failure is a nuisance and a health hazard that should be fixed promptly. A failure can result in pollution of wells, lakes, and streams. Using more water than the soil can absorb is also a cause for septic system failure. Over saturated soil causes the sewage to be forced to the surface or backs up into the house. This problem is often the result of one of two problems. Either the system is improperly designed if your home is new, or as the result of a change in water use habits such as an increase in the size of the family or the addition of a water-using appliance. Also surface water draining from roofs, driveways, and roads onto the soil absorption field area can put an extra load on the system. If the soil is saturated with clean water, even seasonally, it cannot accept any more wastewater. The untreated wastewater will either rise to the surface or back up. Driving, paving, or building on top of a drain field can damage it. Pipes can shift or be crushed and the soil compacted. Damage of this sort can make it difficult to locate the septic tank and prevents access for regular pumping.
If you ever experience a septic system failure you will subscribe to the principle that the septic tank should be pumped about every 3 to 5 years to remove the sludge and scum retained in the tank and prevent clogging of the soil absorption field. More frequent pumping is needed if a garbage disposal is used in the home. It doesn’t take but that one bout of sewage backed up in your basement, bathtub or dishwasher to make you a believer. In theory it will back up into the lowest point of the plumbing system and further depending on how much resistance it encounters along the way. Not a pretty picture. So treat you septic tank well and feed it regularly.