The Care and Feeding of Your Garbage Disposal Hawaii Maui

Most people don't think about their garbage disposal until something goes wrong. It's an appliance like any other that requires proper use and regular maintenance. With proper care, a good disposal should last ten years or more. If you added a new disposal during your kitchen remodel, ensure you keep it clean!

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How to Clean Your Disposal

Regular cleaning is necessary to ensure that your disposal doesn't harbor bacteria and to remove damaging build-up. There are a couple of methods for cleaning your disposal. One involves grinding up ice cubes, which cleans the disposal and sharpens the blades at the same time. Some experts suggest that the only way to get rid of potentially harmful bacteria is with bleach. They recommend a teaspoon of bleach followed by a liter of water. To remove scale from the unit's inside, others recommend pouring down a cup of vinegar and leaving it for an hour. If the disposal's smell is an issue, grind up a slice of lemon.

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Proper Use of Your Garbage Disposal

Only put small amounts of food down the disposal and make sure each piece is fairly small. Cramming too much down at once can cause a clog in your pipes. Run cold water into the disposal while you're feeding food into it. Water helps to grind up the food and encourages the waste to keep moving through the pipes. Avoid adding overly fibrous materials like corn husks and artichokes, or hard items such as shells, large bones, glass, or metal objects. Even too much pasta all at once can create a clog.

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How to Remove Blockages

Always reach for clogged items with a set of tongs or similar item. Never place your hand in the disposal. A short can occur and damage your hand. It is essential to remove a foreign object, however; it can dull the blades or jam the unit. If your disposal stops running altogether, you can press the reset button at the bottom of the unit under your sink. If that doesn't work, try flipping the wall switch on and off. This creates a jerking movement that may dislodge the object so that you can remove it with tongs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joaquin_Erazo,_Jr.

How To Save Money On Your Water Bills Maui Hawaii

If you want to save money on your household energy bills then its worth considering your water heater. Water heaters account for a third of all household energy consumption.

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There are four ways to cut your water heating bills:

* Use less hot water,
* Turn down the thermostat on your water heater,
* Insulate your water heater,
* Buy a new, more efficient water heater.

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Lower the thermostat on your water heater; water heaters often arrive from the manufacture with high temperature settings, a setting of 49C provides nice hot water for most people.

Reduce the amount of baths that you have within any given week, try to take more showers. Or if you have children let one child take one bath and then another child can use the water. This may sound not very hygienic but there was a time when water was not running from taps and people had to be a lot more economical with water that they would collect from wells.

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If you have an old electric water heater storage tank insulate it with an insulation blanket, be careful not to cover the thermostat as this can skew your temperature control.

Insulate the first 6-8 feet of the hot and cold water pipes connected to the water heater.

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Most water heaters last for around 10-5 years, it's best to start shopping for a new one if yours is more than 7 years old. Research what's on the market before your current water heater fails as this will enable you to select a heater that meets your needs.

For long-term savings don't skrimp on your initial purchase a standard water heater may cost less initially, however look at the big picture and the savings that can be made through buying an energy efficient heater, year on year.

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Consider natural-gas on-demand or tankless water heaters. Research has found there to be massive savings of up to 30% compared with standard natural-gas storage tank water heaters.

Source: http://www.findaplumbernow.com/how-to-save-money-on-your-water-bills.php