Carney All Seasons Blog: Archive for the ‘Plumbing’ Category

Types of Drinking Water Filters

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011

There are not many things more important than making sure that your home drinking water supply is safe and free of contaminants. All kinds of things can appear in your drinking water, and it is helpful to know exactly what types of contaminants are prevalent in your area so that you can make the best decision about what type of water filters to buy.

Some water filters work well at removing certain types of contaminants but not others. However, there are some good water filters that can get rid of almost all contaminants on their own. One such type is a distiller. Water distillers operate by heating the water coming into your home until it turns into steam. When water evaporates like this, it leaves behind anything it was carrying with it when it was in liquid form. The steam rises and moves into another chamber, and when it condenses back into liquid form again, the contaminants are no longer present.

Another type of water filter that removes the majority of contaminants is a reverse osmosis filter. These are excellent for removing things like asbestos, minerals, metals, salts and nitrates. For best results, however, you will want to purchase a system that incorporates some type of carbon filter as well. Carbon filters, placed either before or after the osmosis filtering system, are better at removing things like pesticides and radon. The combination of these two water treatment types into one filter system makes the solution more complete.

If you do not think you have a serious contamination problem but just want to get rid of bad tastes or smells in your water, activated carbon filters are a good and economical choice. However, you will want to make sure that you know exactly what contaminants the filter you purchase is designed to remove, as not all carbon filters are equally as effective against certain types of contaminants.

The most important thing to do before you go out and purchase a water filtration system, however, is to determine what exactly you are trying to remove from your water. The types of contaminants found in your water will vary a great deal depending on where you live and what types of pipes you have in your home, and that will directly affect the type of water filter that is right for you.

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Water Filtering Faucets

Monday, June 20th, 2011

The last thing you want is to be drinking or cooking with contaminated water. Of course, you can always opt for a full house water filtration system, but these are often expensive to install and maintain. If you are not prepared to make this kind of investment, you may want to consider purchasing a water filtering faucet instead.

Unlike large point of entry water filtration systems, a water filtering faucet treats the water at one particular sink or other outlet. These types of faucets typically employ carbon filters that effectively remove many gasses and particles suspended in the water as it moves through the filter.

Just like any other type of water filtration system, there are various types of water filtering faucets and they are not all equally effective at removing contaminants. Before you purchase anything like this, however, you should make sure you know exactly what contaminants are present in your water. This is the only way to ensure that you purchase a product designed to treat exactly the problem that you have.

If you do decide to go with a water filtering faucet, make sure you know how often to replace the filters inside it and what type of replacements to get. Your water filter will only work properly when it is correctly maintained, and there is no point in using it if you have not been able to keep up with proper filter maintenance and replacement.

Another nice feature of water filtering faucets is that you can usually switch them on and off. When you need water for cooking or drinking, you can send it through the filter, and when you are using water for other things, you do not need to use the filter at all. This can cause the filter to last longer and it is also more convenient on models that have a reduced water pressure when the filter is employed.

You may initially balk at the cost of a water filtering faucet, preferring to purchase bottled water for drinking instead. But you have to take into account the fact that once you purchase a water filtering faucet, you will not have to spend the money on bottled drinking water any more. This will translate into a significant savings over time, making the initial investment well worth it in the end.

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Do Low-Flow Toilets Work?

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011

Low flush toilets have been available since 1994 and are highly recommended both by the government and multiple green organizations to help reduce the water use in your home. But, the big question you probably have is whether these highly popular alternatives to regular toilets in fact work.

The Numbers

To start with, low flush toilets use less than half as much water to flush as a normal toilet. The average standard toilet uses 3.5 gallons per flush, while a low flush toilet uses only 1.6 gallons per flush. Some new toilets even use less – with the new High Efficiency Toilet (HET) standards setting the maximum flush capacity at 1.3 gpf.

While those toilets did not always perform to optimal standards when they were first released 17 years ago, they have come a long way and now operate almost identically to standard toilets. In fact, most public and restaurant restrooms built in the last 15 years now use these types of toilets instead to save money.

Choosing a Model that Will Work

There are a number of ways to measure different toilets. Just like almost any fixture, the manufacturer, design, and construction of a low flush toilet will determine how well it works. So, while for the most part low flush toilets work like normal toilets, you should take some things into consideration.

To start with, you must choose between either a siphonic or wash-down style toilet. The siphonic toilet uses much more water in the bowl, but as a result has a lot higher chance of clogging. The wash down method uses far less water in the bowl and does not clog as much, but the result is a somewhat tougher to clean interior of the toilet.

Pricing

The lowest prices may not represent the best low flush toilets on the market, but neither do the highest prices. Look for mid-range prices from competitive manufacturers. For less than $300, you can often buy a solid low flush toilet that will not clog any more often than a standard toilet and will save a tremendous amount of water and energy each year by reducing the amount of water flushed.

Low flush toilets are effective, inexpensive and largely popular for a good reason – they work. So, if you are remodelling a bathroom or simply want to make a change to the toilet you currently have, consider installing a low flush toilet to take advantage of green energy technology that is freely available for your bathroom.

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How Much Water Will I Save with a Low Flow Toilet?

Monday, May 9th, 2011

There are many reasons why you might want to save water in your home. Not only does it save you money, cutting down on your annual water bill, but it allows you to do your part in reducing the impact of modernity on our environment. And of all the appliances and plumbing fixtures in our homes, the toilet is among the worst offenders when it comes to wasting water.

That is why the advent of the low flush toilet has been very well received. While the 1.6 gpf toilet (standard toilets are 3.5 gpf) was originally invented in the 1990s, it is only now becoming more widespread as issues with things like clogging and multiple flushes were commonplace with the earliest models.

So, how much water can a low flush toilet actually save you? On average a 3.5 gpf toilet uses around 27,300 gallons of water per year. By comparison the 1.6 gpf toilet uses only 12,500 gallons per year. That is less than half as much water. With the average toilet using up to 30% of the daily water flow in a home, it is a fantastic way to cut back on your environmental footprint, and if your water bills tend to be high, it will severely reduce them as well.

Other Ways to Save Water

Low Flush Toilets are a great way to cut back on the amount of water we use in our homes, but there are other ways as well. In terms of fixtures, low flow shower heads are very popular right now and can help to cut back another 15% of your annual water use. You can also purchase lower flow faucets for your kitchen and bathroom sinks. High quality hot water heaters that provide hot water as needed are also good for reducing water use as you will not need to leave the faucet or bath running for any period of time.

Whether you want to cut a few dollars from your monthly bill or simply want to do your part to protect our environment, a low flush toilet is definitely the way to go, especially if you are remodelling or moving into a new home and the choice is there for you to take. It may still be good to compare the price of a regular to low flush toilet if you already have a working toilet in your home, but for new installations it is almost always a good deal.

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Bathtub Faucets and Fittings

Friday, April 22nd, 2011

Buying new bathtub faucets and fittings can be a lot of fun. But it can also be a bit overwhelming simply because there are so many options out there. And the types of faucets and fittings you choose will have a big impact on the overall cost of the project. That is why it is a good idea to learn a little bit about your options ahead of time so that you know more or less what you are looking for when you actually get into the store.

To begin with, you will have to decide whether you want brass or plastic fittings. Plastic fittings are generally cheaper, but they also do not last as long and are more prone to chipping and cracking. Brass, on the other hand, might cost you a bit more up front, but it will last you longer and serve you better.

Brass faucets and fittings are available in a wide range of styles and finishes, so you can comb through the options to find the one that best fits with the theme you are going for in your bathroom. However, you should keep in mind that some of the available finishes for brass fixtures and faucets require specific care so that they do not tarnish. Make sure that whatever brass fittings and faucets you buy are a kind that you will be willing to care for properly.

You should also keep in mind that the majority of the functional part of your bathtub faucet will be located behind the wall of the tub. That can make repairs and replacement of faulty parts a bit more difficult than on a regular sink faucet, so you want to make sure you do not have to get in there to fix something very often.

And the best way to ensure that is to opt for a slightly higher quality fitting and faucet. It may cost you a bit more up front, but it will be well worth it to you in the long run. Even with these restrictions, there are still plenty of options out there so you should have no trouble finding one that suits your sense of style while still offering high quality performance for a reasonable price.

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What Is a Flapper Valve?

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

Your toilet is not an overly complicated piece of equipment. But in order to work properly, it does require that all of its parts are in the right place and in good shape. Even if something small on your toilet is out of place, it can cause problems like constant dripping or running, improper flushing force or a sudden refilling of the bowl when no one has flushed the toilet.

These problems can sound serious, but many of them are quite easy to address if you know where to look. With most toilets, that place is the flapper valve. The flapper valve is a relatively small rubber plug that fits over an opening at the bottom of your toilet tank. When you press the handle to flush your toilet, the flapper valve lifts up and allows all of the water from the tank to go rushing into the bowl.

The force of this water pushes everything out of the bowl through the drain at the bottom, clearing the bowl and refilling it with fresh water all at once. As long as the flapper valve is able to maintain a tight seal, this process will go along smoothly without a hitch. But sometimes these valves become dirty or simply wear out.

When that happens, water can begin to leak down from the tank into the bowl on an almost constant basis. Depending on the severity of the leak, this may just cause the toilet to run constantly. Or it can even cause periodic “phantom flushes” were the toilet clears the bowl without anyone pressing the handle.

Phantom flushes occur because too much water has seeped down from the tank into the bowl. When the volume in the toilet bowl reaches a certain level, the water in the bowl is forced out, resulting in a flush. This wastes water and can also be pretty startling if you are not expecting it. Fortunately, though, you can usually fix this problem easily enough.

To do this, check your flapper valve to make sure it is keeping a tight seal with the bottom of the tank when not in use. If it is not, you may only need to clean it off to restore the integrity of the seal. In more serious situations, however, you may need to replace the flapper valve entirely. This is not difficult or expensive and can save you a lot of water in the long run.

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What Are High-Efficiency Toilets?

Monday, April 18th, 2011

Everyone has a toilet in their home. In fact, you probably have more than one. And you probably do not give much thought to the type of toilet you have. After all, a toilet is a toilet, right? Well, there are actually several different types of toilets, and while they all get the basic job done, there are reasons to favor one type over another.

One such distinction falls on what are known as high-efficiency toilets. These toilets use significantly less water than standard toilets on each flush, thereby saving you money on your water bill every time you use them. No toilet on the market today is permitted by law to use more than 3.5 gallons of water per flush. High-efficiency toilets, by contrast, generally use between 1.6 gallons and 1.1 gallons.

That might not seem like a huge difference, but just think about how many times in a day someone flushes the toilets in your home. That will add up fast. Installing a high-efficiency toilet can save you as much as 12,000 gallons of water a year. And depending on the size of your household and the number of toilets you have, that figure could be even higher.

Of course, a lot of people shy away from high-efficiency toilets because they are concerned about performance. It seems unlikely to them that a toilet that uses so much less water could work effectively all of the time. The truth is, though, that many high efficiency toilets work even better than conventional ones at clearing the bowl in one flush. And high efficiency toilets do not clog any more than regular toilets. In fact, they often do better in that area as well.

Another thing to bear in mind is that toilets last for a long time. This means that the toilet in your home could be quite old. Toilets made before 1980 use much more than modern toilets are allowed to use per flush. Some of them actually go through five gallons or more of water each time you use them. By replacing an older toilet with a new, high-efficiency model, you will be setting yourself up for some significant savings on your water bill each month.

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How to Plunge a Clogged Drain

Friday, April 15th, 2011

It is almost inevitable that you will have to deal with a plugged drain somewhere in your home at some point. This drain may be in the bathtub, a sink or a toilet. But wherever it is, a plunger is usually your best bet for getting it out. If you are going to be successful, though, you need to know how to set yourself up and use the plunger properly.

To begin with, remove the strainer or pop-up plug from the opening of the drain. You want the material that is clogging the drain to be able to come back up through that hole when you apply the plunger suction. Next, make sure the sink or tub has enough water in it to cover the head of the plunger completely. A toilet generally has enough water in it already. This water helps to create a better seal for the plunger and allows you to generate better suction, both of which are essential if you are going to dislodge that plug.

You should also make sure you block off any other outlet connected to the drain you are going to plunge. To do this, stuff an old rag or sponge into the overflow opening or into the second drain of a two compartment sink. That will make it possible for the entire force of your suctioning to reach the clog because it will not be compromised by air escaping through an alternate opening.

Now you are ready to plunge. Place the plunger over the opening of the clogged drain. While keeping constant contact with the sink or tub floor, move the plunger rapidly up and down between 10 and 20 times. After the last plunge, pull the plunger off of the sink or tub floor quickly. This should break the seal you have established and help to pull the clog back up the drain towards you.

It can take a few cycles like this before you are able to dislodge the clog completely. But each time you plunge, you are doing more to break up the clog. The pressure from the plunger can eventually get rid of many difficult clogs, so do not be discouraged if it takes a few tries.

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How a Garbage Disposal Works

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011

Garbage disposals are becoming more and more prevalent in homes across the country. So the chances are pretty high that you have one in your home. Garbage disposals definitely make getting rid of food waste easier. Instead of scraping all those plates and dishes into the garbage first, you can simply flush it all down the drain, run the garbage disposal and it magically disappears.

But do you really know what is happening when you turn on that wonderful garbage disposal and where all your food is really going? The truth is that a garbage disposal is not a particularly complicated piece of equipment. There are some variations, but in general your garbage disposal has a motor attached to rotating blades which are located in a chamber below your sink that is attached to your drain.

When you put food down the garbage disposal and turn it on, these blades shred the food into small enough pieces that it can pass safely through your drain pipes and out into the sewer system. The shredded food then runs with the water back into your main drainage system and passes out of your house.

This is a pretty simple operation, but there are some things you should be aware of if you use a garbage disposal in your home. First of all, it is important to never reach into the garbage disposal when it is running. If you need to reach in, make sure the unit is switched off. It is even a good idea to shut off the power to the garbage disposal entirely so that it cannot be turned on by accident while your hand is in there.

You may notice a foul odor coming from the garbage disposal after a period of time too. This is common and easy enough to fix, but you will have to get down into the garbage disposal to get rid of the smell. The smell simply comes from residue of the food you have put down the garbage disposal and that needs to be cleaned off so the smell will go away.

Again, make sure you have the garbage disposal turned off completely before you reach in to take parts out to clean them. You can also put baking soda, vinegar or half a lemon down the garbage disposal and run it in order to combat a persistent smell or to keep one from developing.

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Types of Septic Systems

Monday, April 11th, 2011

When it comes to septic systems, there are probably more options than you realize. To a certain extent, the type of septic system you choose is determined by the particular conditions around your home. But it is worth learning about the various options so that you can make an informed decision about the kind of system you would like to have.

The more conventional types of septic systems fall into two categories – gravity and pressure distribution. A gravity system, as its name implies, makes use of the force of gravity to drain away waste from your home and into a drainfield.

Gravity systems use gravity to help treat the waste as well, so this type of system requires that you have a particular type of soil and enough space below the ground to allow for proper filtering. If the water table or a layer of hardpan is too close to the ground’s surface around your home, a gravity system may not be an option for you.

Another conventional option is a pressure distribution system. In this setup, a pump regulates the flow of waste from a storage tank to the drainfield. This is the optimal setup if you do not have enough below ground space for a gravity system as the pump makes sure that only the proper amount of waste can enter the drainfield at once and that the waste is distributed evenly when it is pumped in.

There are also several alternative types of septic systems. For instance, mound septic systems are another option to consider when you do not have enough space below ground for a gravity system. In a mound system, the drainfield is actually placed above the surface of the ground and a pump regulates the flow of waste to the field. This allows for adequate treatment before the waste reaches the water table.

Also an option in this type of situation is a sand filter system. This type of septic system incorporates a sand filter holding tank to treat waste before it is allowed out into the drain field. It is another way to make up for the fact that there may not be enough soil to provide adequate filtration but does not require that you build up a mound of earth on your property.

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