Ask the Plumber - Handy Tips and FAQ's
Gas Versus Electric Stovetops, What’s Better For You?
Most people have a decided preference between gas cooking and electric cooking. It’s funny, too, because if someone regularly cooks on a gas stove and then goes to a friend’s home with an electric stove, the results can be very interesting!
Usually one of two things will happen:
- Food takes way too long to cook, or
- It burns before it’s done!
If you’ve only experienced cooking on one kind of stove, changing to the other will take some adjustment. Want to try something different? Here’s what you need to know: Read more
Ask Your Plumber About Smart Kitchen Remodeling
That new kitchen you’ve been dreaming about might be a great idea! But maybe not, how will you know? A kitchen remodel, if not thoughtfully considered and advised, might cost a lot more than you think or just be a bad workflow altogether.
What should you be thinking about? Read more
Let us Install That Appliance For You
A new dishwasher brings such relief to busy families, but like all other appliances these days, buying one incurs all kinds of additional charges. There’s tax, extended warranties, and service agreements – sometimes even shipping.
These days, if you want to make sure the $1000 you just spent on a washing machine will guarantee that it will still work next year, you’d better ante-up another $300 just to be sure, right? (Nuts, if you ask me …)
When it comes to installation, many times the company you bought it from will offer to install for free within a limited service area, and they should offer that, but we routinely get called when someone comes home from being gone to water rushing out the front door. Sometimes there’s no bigger reason than improper appliance installation, or worn out, low-grade hoses and fittings used for the install a couple of years ago. Read more
To Plunge Or Not To Plunge, That Is The Question
One of the most frequent things we get called for in repair services is toilet repair. That can mean anything from toilets that flush themselves, constantly running toilets, to even rocking toilets at the base. Cracked toilets or tanks are pretty common, too, and let’s not forget about the teenager’s bathroom toilet clog that seems to happen a little too frequently … but I digress. Read more
Okay, Are We Supposed To Go Green – Or Blue?
American Standard has launched an incredibly insightful and helpful website over the last couple of years called responsiblebathroom.com. While many homeowners are resistant to purchasing low-flow and reduced flow fixtures because of their past performance issues, industry leaders are now embracing this situation by producing superior fixtures at reasonable cost.
They are, however, calling for a ‘bluer’ planet! Read more
Water Toxicity And You
Less than 40% of people just like yourself believe federal drinking water quality laws are ‘fair.’ As a matter of fact, 25% of consumers are ‘very concerned’ with water quality. Only half of the American public trusts our water supplies, according to an independent survey released by the Water Quality Association. Read more
Can Most People Afford Green Living?
In August of 2010, Habitat For Humanity and Whirlpool Corporation teamed up to ask homeowners how they felt about green living. It might not surprise you, but out of 1,092 respondents nationwide, nearly half of those describing themselves as lower income believed living green was affordable, but felt purchasing a green home would not be.
71 percent of high income earners believed that they could both afford to live green and purchase an entirely green home.
What do you believe? Read more
Don’t Water Down The Facts
Plumbers see a lot of water use, and a lot of waste. We hear toilets leaking and cycling water on and off, we get asked to remove the flow restrictors out of shower heads so people stop complaining about inadequate water spray. We recognize when irrigation systems or water hoses spew run-off onto sidewalks, alleys and streets.
We see water wastefulness all the time because most of the population is still unconcerned with the value of our water and why we need to be good stewards with our resources. Read more
The Real Cost of Ignored Shower Leaks
There’s never a good time to have a shower leak, but this month we’re giving the topic extra attention because it’s Fix a Leak Week, a week to think about the effects of wasteful water habits on conservation efforts. Fix a Leak Week is part of the WaterSense initiative set up by the EPA.
If your child goes to elementary school with a member of the Gary’s Quality Plumbing family, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade teachers were given these worksheets to send home with their students. They are a great way to use math, science, and conversation skills between parent and child to learn about how easy it can be to waste water. Most of us have no idea just how much water is wasted when we ignore simple leaks. Ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day. Read more
Fixing Failing Faucets is Just Good Stewardship
According to the EPA’s WaterSense website, “Leaks can account for, on average, 10,000 gallons of water wasted in the home every year, which is enough to fill a backyard swimming pool.” That’s a LOT of water.
If you’re not thinking about the leaks on your property, you’re not doing anyone a favor. Water is a limited commodity, and we need to be good stewards of what we’ve been given in life. Good stewardship is a thought-provoking attitude – a mindful manner of resource management, not a careless, what-do-I-care way to do things. Fixing simple faucet leaks not only preserves the condition of your home, it also saves water. Read more
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