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Ask the Plumber – Handy Tips and FAQ’s

City of Plano Offers Conservation Rebate Program

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City of Plano residents, as of March 1, 2010 a new water conservation rebate program has gone into effect for homeowners in good standing with their water utility account. To meet the new requirements, items eligible for rebate must be purchased inside the City of Plano. This program is great for homeowners with rental properties as well, as long as that address is also in good standing. Commercial buildings are not eligible at this time

The City of Plano reserves the right to terminate or modify the water conservation rebate program at any time. For more information, go directly to the City of Plano Web site at this link and check this out for yourself. There is so much more to read on this subject, from rain barrels to high efficiency toilets.

As always, Gary’s Quality Plumbing is happy to install your new fixtures in compliance with the incentive. When we all do our part, we take one step closer to living responsible lifestyles.

Additional information at livegreeninplano.com.

Plumbing Woes Can Ruin Your Holiday Fun

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With the onset of fall, we want to remind you that we are heading for the inevitable colder weather! Don’t let freezing water catch you by surprise. North Texas typically won’t freeze over for a couple more weeks, so we’ve got time to take some preventative measures that can save a lot of money in the long run.

  • Now is the time to make sure you don’t have any leaking hose bibs. (outdoor faucets)
  • Remember to remove your hoses before a freeze to prevent costly repairs.
  • Styrofoam caps or other covering will protect your hose bib from cracking under a freeze.
  • Leave your pool running before, during, and just after a freeze.
  • Consider getting your waste lines cleaned out before holiday entertaining.

Enjoy your beautiful autumn days, and take advantage of this friendlier time of year to get around your house and check out the state of things. Get a game plan together so you’re not caught off guard when it gets nasty outside!

Related Article: Plumbing Woes Can Ruin Your Holiday Fun

Allen And Dallas Are Replacing Toilets!

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Dallas residents, listen up! Customers of Dallas Water Utility that have wanted a toilet replacement may qualify for the New Throne For The Home Toilet Voucher Program. That’s right, DWU is offering $90 a piece to encourage you to replace your existing older model toilet with a newer, low-flush, or high-efficiency model toilet.

Now Allen is joining the movement with it’s H2OME Improvement Rebate Program, offering $100 towards replacement if you qualify.

Toilets installed in homes before 1985 use between 5-7 gallons of water per flush. That’s an amazing amount of water. Even if those were eventually replaced, the toilets installed before 1991 were still using 3.5 gallons of water each time they were flushed.  Not only will replacing those toilets help keep your water bill reasonable, but the impact on our water supply will be directly impacted. Low-flush toilets use significantly less, at 1.6 /gal. and if you go for the high-efficiency, you’ll be looking at 1.3/ gal.

Not everyone will qualify, but many will. Contact Gary’s Quality Plumbing at 972-424-6479, to take a look at your situation and see what solution will work best for you. Toilet replacements are limited to 2 per household in Dallas, and once the applications are filled out and approved, you can present your voucher for use immediately.

Allen residents are encouraged to have their applications postmarked by September 15 to ensure they qualify for this fiscal period, but will be able to apply in person up to September 22. Allen will reimburse up to $100 on the first toilet installed by a liscensed plumber, $75 for the second, and $50 for the third, each in different bathrooms.

Make sure you fill out all appropriate applications in the links provided. (Links no longer valid and removed)

Dallas Toilet Replacement Program

Did you get in on the program? Tell us what you think!

Are Tankless Hot Water Heaters For You?

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How Do You Know If Tankless Hot Water Heaters Are For You?

You may have noticed the age of your water heater the last time stored your Christmas items in your attic or cleaned out your garage. If your water heater is over ten years old, especially if it is located in an attic or somewhere that water from a burst water heater could cause significant damage, you might want to consider replacing it even if it is not leaking at the present time. Remember that things usually go wrong at the worst possible time, so be pro-active.  [Read more…] about Are Tankless Hot Water Heaters For You?

Dallas Residents: Contact Your Plumber And Save Money Now

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New incentives have gone into effect for residents in the Dallas Water Utility District (DWU). In an effort to encourage water conservation, DWU customers are now being offered a voucher worth up to $90 per toilet replacement to replace their existing high-flush toilets with new low-flow and high-efficiency models.

You may not realize how much water is being used by older, pre-1985 toilets, but the difference between the older and newer toilets is substantial. Older toilets used between 5-7 gallons per flush, and before 1991 were still using 3.5 gallons per flush. New low-flush toilets are only using 1.6 gallons per flush, saving homeowners and renters alike hard earned money while helping conservation efforts. The savings are even better when using the high-efficiency toilets at 1.3 gallons per flush, saving 60% of the previous amount of water.

The nice thing about the way this toilet replacement voucher plan is set up, is that you can use the voucher at the time of purchase. If you’d rather be reimbursed for your purchase, it will show up as a credit on your water bill. No cash rebates.

To qualify for the New Throne For Your Home toilet replacement voucher program, your home must have been built before 1992. For additional requirements, terms, and applications visit the links available on their website and don’t forget to schedule an appointment with Gary’s Quality Plumbing as soon as possible!

http://savedallaswater.com/qualify_voucher.htm

How Efficient Are Garbage Disposals?

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Are Garbage Disposals Efficiently Disposing Your Food Waste?

We take it for granted that when we scrape our food into the sink drain that holds the garbage disposal, our food waste is being disposed of ‘somewhere’ down the line in some kind of regurgitated manageable substance. That couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Lately we’re becoming more informed about what really happens to the food waste we dispose of.

Truth be known, our urban sewer system was never designed to handle the resulting residue from food disposals. What is happening is disturbing at best. Once food has made its course through your garbage disposal, it doesn’t just float away into our sewer systems as we have previously thought. No, it sits in every curve and dip in the line from your home, through the neighborhood, and further into urban systems until it collects much like plaque on an artery. You might call it arteriosclerosis of the urban sewer.

With this information we have a greater understanding of how to make our systems more efficient. Follow these tips to insure you don’t experience problems relating to the food waste leaving your home through a garbage disposer.

  • Always scrape food from plates into the garbage
  • If it doesn’t float, don’t put it down the disposer. Coffee grounds, rice, potato and citrus peels are among the foods that accumulate in your pipe system, even after being ground up.
  • Use plenty of water to rinse dishes when using your disposer. Most do not, and if that is not an option for your household’s green living campaign you should,
  • Purchase a composting garbage disposal if necessary. This will be discussed more in upcoming posts.
  • If odor is coming out of your disposal drain, baking soda and ice will clean the blades and deodorize safely. Make sure you run hot water while doing so.

Proper maintenance is important to the homeowner and the city water treatment plant. If the ‘gunk’ does make it out of your home, it ends up in the bottom of your city’s systems, and takes tax dollars to clean out. Its a good idea to make sure you’re aware of what you’re putting into your disposal.

What have you learned to do differently with your food waste?