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.

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Basic Plumbing 101 Hawaii Maui

In order to understand how plumbing works, three main components of basic plumbing systems must be understood. The first part includes pipes and pressurized water supply attached to fixtures, which are the second part. These fixtures are things like sinks, toilets, bathtubs, and others. Fixtures allow us to utilize the plumbing system by taking water from part one, using it, and dumping it through part three, which is the drainage. The drainage carries waste water away from your house.

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Much like with a computer system (a sound card, for example), plumbing has input and output pieces. The input is your water coming in. Cold water is pumped under enough pressure to travel to your floor, and in through a faucet. Warm water, on the other hand, first has to go through a water heater. The optimal heating temperature that's been proven to be cost-effective and warm enough for most appliances like dishwashers is 120 degrees Fahrenheit (certain fixtures like laundry machines, for example, might require temperatures around 150 degrees for optimal performance). If you're planning the piping in a building that's located in an area where you know your water supplier will provide "hard" water - which is water that can leave mineral buildup on the piping - you might want to stick with non-corrosive materials. Copper and galvanized steal, as well as brass or wrought iron are good examples. Pipes with smaller diameters are prone to affecting the performance of your fixtures the most.

Your fixtures, as the name suggests, are fixed outlets that let you use water flowing into your house from the pipes. Fancy examples include pools, Jacuzzis, saunas, and more. Smooth surfaces and secure piping connections are major necessities of fixtures; rough surfaces can be home to bacteria and bad smells, while loose piping will inevitably leak and flood your floor(s) if the problem isn't addressed on time.

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Your drainage system not only takes waste water away, but it also includes a venting system within those drain pipes. The air circulation is in place to remove dangerous gases and replace them with plain air that's less combustible. You probably know that a drain pipe is in the shape of a letter N, with water sealing off the fixture from the nasty contents of the waste below. That's why a broken sink can stink up your bathroom very quickly; the water in the bottom part of the N-shaped drain pipe acts like a seal from the stench of the breaking-down waste, because even the venting system can't take care of all the smell. This is called the "Trap." The vents also help the water to pour out and away from the house more quickly.

As a house owner, you need to know where your shutoff valves are in case of an emergency like a toilet overflow or something like that. Fixtures tend to have smaller, pre-installed shutoff valves as well, which stop the flow of the pressurized water supply. Shopping around for a water provider can be beneficial to your plumbing because hard water and improper piping materials can screw up your entire plumbing system with calcium buildup and other deposits. You may have seen those on your bathtub or in the toilet, where there's a rust-brown ring around the edge of the fixture. This is not only unpleasant to the eye, but also damaging to your plumbing. Speak with a representative of your water supplier to see what can be done to address this issue if it exists.

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A Primer on Plumbing Pipes Hawaii Maui

Some time in the past 30 or 40 years, I remember an initiative to get truth in advertising. I don't know how successful it was, but one industry that apparently wasn't affected by it is the plumbing industry. I can't think of any other industry that has as many definitions for what a 1/2" or any other size pipes are.

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One would think that 1/2" copper tubing would be the same, no matter what, but the sad truth is that 1/2" rigid copper pipe has a different outer diameter ( OD), then 1/2" flexible copper pipe. Fittings for one will not work on the other. If you want to use both you would have to purchase an adapter. The same thing can be said for plastic pipe, a piece of 1" black ABS pipe is not the same size as 1" white PVC plastic pipe. Again to use both, a home owner would need a buy an adapter.

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To help eliminate some of the confusion, here is a primer on plumbing fittings and connections.

Rigid Copper Pipe:

Used mostly for hot and cold water lines within the house. The best tool to cut rigid copper tubing is a pipe cutter. The pipe is placed in the cutter, and the knob is turned down, which brings the pipe into contact with the cutter wheel. As the cutter is rotated around the pipe, you continue to tighten the wheel, until you have cut through the entire pipe.

There are two ways to connect copper pipes together. The first is to solder or sweat the pipes together. The second is the use of compression fittings. Soldered fittings are much less expensive then the compression, but take a little more work to make a leak free joint.

When you sweat copper pipes, the first thing is to clean the ends that you are going to sweat together. then flux is applied to both the pipe and the fitting you are connecting to it. The pieces are placed together, and heat is applied to the union with a propane torch. When the union is heated enough, solder is applied to the joint, the solder is sucked into the joint, sealing the two pieces together. From experience, I can tell you take to make this work successfully, there must be absolutely NO WATER in the line, if there is the joint will leak. And once a joint leaks , there is no repairs without replacing the fitting and starting over. Professional plumbers tend to use a hotter source of heat, then the propane bottle can provide. But I'm always concerned about using any heat source inside my house. If you choose this method, be very careful with the torch in tight spaces. It might be a good idea to have a fire extinguisher handy.

Compression fittings do not require heat. A common place that compression fittings are used is at the water shut off valves beneath your sink, or toilet. But there are many other places that you can use them. To make up a fitting using a compression fitting, start by cutting the inlet pipe to length, using a pipe cutter. Place the compression nut and compression ring over the end of the pipe, as shown above, then insert the pipe into the compression seat. Then using two wrenches, one to hold the fitting and the other for the compression nut, tighten the compression nut completely. This forces the compression ring unto the pipe, creating a water tight seal.

Compression fittings are not fool proof. If the pipe is not seated all the way onto the seat, the joint will leak, thus it is imperative that the end of the pipe be cut flat. Compression fitting are designed as a one use only device, if it leaks cut out the offending piece and start over again. Also the pipe must be completely cleaned before you start, any dirt or corrosion on the pipe will create leaks. Tightening the compression nut in confined spaces may require to use of special tools like crows feet wrenches.

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Flexible Copper Pipe:

This is used mainly to connect natural or propane gas to your house. It is normally connected to the appropriate devices with the use of compression fitting designed for the flexible pipes. Flexible copper pipe is suitable for being installed under ground. Flexible copper pipe may look like a great choice for indoors plumbing runs, but it is not recommended for that use. Also the limited amount of fittings available make this a less then perfect choice. Flexible copper fitting are NOT interchangeable with fittings for rigid copper pipe.

Some professional plumbers are currently installing flexible water pipes, but these require special tools and fittings, that are not available to the DIY'r. Not all municipalities allow for the use of flexible pipes for water delivery with in the home.

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Rigid Pipe:

This pipe comes in either black iron or galvanized pipe. Black iron pipe is normally used to run natural gas inside the home, while galvanized is used mainly for water lines. The ends of these pipes are threaded, as are the connecting pieces. You simply screw the pieces together, after applying either plumber's tape or pipe dope.

Plumber's tape is made of Teflon, and is white in color. You should apply it to the male end of the pipe, by running the tape around the pipe several times. Install the tape in the opposite direction, then the male end of the pipe will thread into the female union. Before you thread the two pieces together, be sure to clean out any remaining Teflon tape on the inside of the female threads if you are re using the fitting. There is a Pink Teflon tape, that used solely for making up connection is natural gas lines. Pipe dope, is actually a thick paste that is applied to the threads using a brush. If you are reusing a fitting that has had pipe dope applied before, you must clean both the male and female threads, using a wire brush and a pick, much like the ones that the dentist uses to clean our teeth.

To connect two pieces of pipe together or to install an adapter or fitting, use two pipe wrenches. The first wrench is used to hold the pipe, while the second one is used to turn the fitting or adapter. While you may not use a pipe wrench all that often, this is not the place to go for the bargain priced tool. Sometimes it takes considerable energy to loosen a threaded joint that has been in place for several years. The cheaper wrenches tend to slip, which can cause injury to you or cause damage to you home.

Recently galvanized pipes have gotten some bad press, when used for water delivery. Apparently the insides of the pipes are releasing chemicals into the drinking water, so it is advised that you stick to either copper or the newer flexible pipes for water delivery.

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Plastic or PVC/ABS Pipes:

PVC ( Polyvinyl Chloride) pipe is a white plastic pipe that is used to supply both hot and cold water to the interiors of many homes. This product is very flexible and easy to use. There are two ways to cut PVC pipe, either use a hand saw or miter saw to cut large diameter pieces. Smaller diameter pieces can be cut using hand held PVC cutters. To connect PVC pieces, you first cut the pipe to length, then using a cleaning solution designed for the pipe, clean both the ends of the pipe and the connecting piece. A special glue is then applied to both pieces, and the pieces are pushed together. The glue sets, within a minute, so it is vitally important that the pieces be aligned properly when pushed together. There is a very limited amount of time that you can maneuver the pieces. It is a very good idea to use a scribe line to indicate to proper orientation of two mating pieces.

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ABS (Arcylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is a black plastic pipe that is used for drain, waste and vent (DWV) plumbing in today's homes. This product replaced the cast iron pipes found in many older homes. ABS is worked in much the same manner as the PVC pipe. It can be cut with hand saw or powered miter saw. It uses a cleaner and glue similar to the PVC pipes, only this is designed for the ABS pipes.

When you are gluing either of these products, it is recommended that you use a pair of disposable gloves to protect you hand, unless you like picking dried glue off your hands for several days. Also it is recommended that you work in a well ventilated area.

Generally, you will not see both white and black plastic pipes connected together. One exception to this is maybe found under the sink. A lot of manufacturers are making "P" traps, shown here in black ABS, for the sink drains out of white plastic.

Because of its flexibility you may find homes in earth quake areas plumbed with PVC rather then the conventional rigid copper pipes. There was a lot of bad press in the 90's about PVC pipes breaking within the walls of homes, this was traced to specific manufacturers, and shouldn't be seen as a condemnation of the product.

The PVC and ABS pipes are not sized the same. a 1 " PVC will not connect to a black 1" ABS fitting. This may have been done to keep us from inadvertently using the wrong pipe for the wrong application, but it sure is confusing. I mean a 1" pipe should be a 1" pipe.

I hope this helped clear up some of the confusion about the many options offered to us by the plumbing manufacturers. A word of advice learned the hard way, check to be sure that all your fittings do actually connect before you leave the store or you may find yourself making return trips to your DIY store as I've done many times.

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Tips on How to Make Plumbing Pipes Fit in With Your Interior Design Maui Hawaii

Although plumbing pipes are an essential part of the home plumbing system, often these pipes can detract from the decorative design of a room. Plumbing pipes do not always have a decorative appeal and do not fit in with the interior design of a room. Some are often considered an eye sore. Fortunately there are things you can do to make plumbing pipes fit in with your homes interior design.

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The following is a list of tips on how to decoratively integrate plumbing pipes with your interior design:

1. If you are planning to modernize your room, check to see how old your pipes are as you may be able to upgrade with more modern pipes. They will not only look more appealing but they will help ensure your plumbing system stays in good working order.

2. Many homes will have exposed plumbing pipes that run down the exterior walls. They can be a real eyesore, especially if the rest of the room is very well designed. There are things you can do to make these pipes more attractive and fit the design of the room. For instance, consider adding a fresh coat of paint with a color that blends well with the room. Also, you can wrap artificial green around the pipes and extend them all the way up the pipe. You can even wrap a pretty ribbon around the pipes. If you want to cover the pipes, you can hang a decorative curtain or place a ceiling to floor furniture piece such as a shelving cabinet in front of the pipes. You could even get a cabinet that allows you to have the pipes placed inside so that you can install the cabinet right up against the wall.

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3. Some homes will have exposed pipes under the sink. You can hide these pipes by installing a cabinet under the sink and the pipes will be inside when you open the cabinet. There are many stylish sink cabinets on the market that can really add style to a room. You can also store items in the cabinets. If you build a cabinet or decorative box around the pipes, you can paint and decorate the cabinet to reflect the decor of the room.

4. Pipes that run across the ceiling can be a distraction. You can paint them to match the ceiling or you can lower the ceiling so that the pipes will be covered. It is not that difficult of a job. You can use stylish material for the ceiling or paint it a colour that will add style to a room.

Exposed plumbing pipes can often make a room less appealing. However, there are many things that you can do to cover the pipes or fashionably integrate hem with the rest of the room. If you are planning on upgrading pipes or making a change that requires working with the pipes, you should call in a professional plumber to do the job as the plumbing system is such a vital part of the home and you do not want to damage them which can result in a big mess and an expensive repair bill.

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Why You Should Buy A Tankless Water Heater Hawaii Maui

Every American household spends 25% of each energy dollar producing domestic hot water. Nationwide more residential energy is consumed by domestic hot water than on anything but heating and air conditioning.

You could save up to 60% on your monthly water heating costs by installing a tankless water heater in your home. A tankless water heater is a demand-type unit. This means that it operates ONLY when hot water is drawn in your home. The opposite is true of conventional tank-type heaters. In a conventional heater, water is stored in its tank and kept heated continuously, whether you are asleep, at work or away on a vacation. This is a surprising realization to many homeowners, but it is a fact.

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Tankless water heaters, also called combination, instantaneous, continuous flow, inline, flash, on-demand or instant-on water heaters, are gaining in popularity. The chief advantages of tankless water heaters are a continuous flow of hot water and the saving of energy, thereby reducing your monthly energy bill. These water heaters heat the water as the water flows through the device. They do not retain any water internally except for what is in the heat exchanger coil.

There are tankless water heater systems that work at the point of use, such as under your kitchen or bathroom sink. Also, there are larger units that serve multiple plumbing fixtures, even your entire house. A tankless water heater can also be used as a booster for dishwashers, washing machines, and as a backup for solar or wood-fired domestic systems.

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Although gas-fired demand water heaters tend to have higher flow rates than electric ones, they can waste energy if they have a constantly burning pilot light. This can offset some of the energy savings. Moreover, much of the heat produced by the pilot light of a tank-type model heats the water in the tank, a savings that is just lost with the instantaneous units.

If you purchase a model that uses a standing pilot light, you can always turn it off when it's not in use to save energy. Alternatively, you can purchase a model with an intermittent ignition device. This resembles the spark ignition device on some gas kitchen ranges and ovens. You should check with the manufacturer for models that have this feature.

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Tankless water heaters are more efficient than tank water heaters, but reviews say they take some getting used to. If you want to switch to a more efficient tankless water heater, be aware that you'll need some time to adjust, since water delivery is different than with a tank water heater. Since tankless systems don't start heating water until you turn on the tap, there is a delay of about 3/4 gallon before the water runs hot.

Flow rate of hot water from a tankless system is greatly affected by the temperature of your groundwater. The warmer your groundwater, the better the flow rate. Homes in colder climates will need a larger system to get an adequate hot-water flow rate. The average groundwater temperature in the U.S. is about 50° Fahrenheit. Most people like shower temperatures of between 105° and 120°, so your groundwater temperature would need to be raised by 60° to 75°.

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You can check online for reviews of tankless water heater systems, and then decide if it is the right fit for you and your lifestyle.

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The Importance of a Well-Designed Plumbing System Maui Hawaii

A house will never be perfect without a well designed plumbing system. You have to check that everything connected in your plumbing system is tightened, and in its proper location. When these things are not in your list, you'll surely end up with lots of problem. When you're just about to build your new home, make sure to have a professional plumber from a reputable plumbing company to take care of the plumbing for you, don't take things for granted.

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A poor plumbing design usually turns life horrible. Would you like to have your toilet bowl overflowing? Or have your kitchen sink babbling every time your washing machine drains? Imagine water flowing in your floors during a sunny day, no typhoon nor floods at all. You don't want it to happen for sure. That's why, a well designed plumbing system is important.

When you hire someone to take the job of designing your plumbing system, make sure that he is a professional plumber. Prefer someone known to do the job very well. It will be easy to know, you can either ask friends and family for referrals, check the background of the company he is working for, or ask for his certificate or license proving that he's capable of the job. There are also online solutions on how to find one, like plumbers directory, online yellow pages, classified sites that features a lot of qualified plumbers, from small to large scale providers. Do not hire someone that is not capable to do the job or else, you'll be wasting money. It's like hiring a carpenter to do the cooking.

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You shouldn't also rely on some do-it-yourself guides about plumbing that you see online. Though it aims to help you in some ways, having the help of someone professional for the job is always the best thing. These do-it-yourself types of guide mostly provide quick but not lasting solutions for repair problems and not for designing a plumbing system for the house you are building while a professional plumber will be able to give you quality service that will last along with any other parts of your house.

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Plumbing Services Maui Hawaii

Every house has a plumbing now. Small problems like clogged sinks, tubs toilets, etc can be dealt by the person himself, by buying the proper tool and using it according to the instruction manual, however, these are just small problems, if there comes to be a large problems, likes tree roots, blocked drainage pipes, taps, water heaters, and rusted water pipes, then an individual can't do the job himself, he has to call a professional plumbing service to solve the problem.

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Firstly, the reason due to which the plumbers have to be called is tree root problem. This problem, is caused because the drainage pipes that are laid down are in the reach of these roots, sensing water movement in these pipes the roots starts probing these pipes and growing thicker around them and over time, if these roots become enough thick then they can break through the drainage pipe walls to get water, thus causing blockage of the flow of the water, or leaking of the water in the area, so the professional are called who analyze the problem and takes steps accordingly to solve the problem. Secondly, blocked drain is quite a big problem. These drain pipes can get blocked due to several reasons, like pile up of hair in the bath and sink plugholes or fat and grease is poured down the sink, causing the fat to get encrusted on the sides. This reduces the flow of the water and water borne wastes, thus clogging the drain pipes. Moreover, sometimes people carelessly, flush away things that are not supposed to be flushed away, like plastic wrappers, soaps, baby diapers etc these things tend to block the pipes and stop the flow of waste through them. This phenomenon is much more common than one thinks. So solve this problem professionals are called as they have the specific tools to clear away the clogs.

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Thirdly, leaking taps is a major problem. With the passage of times, the washers and Teflon tape inside the taps gets worn out and as a result water starts to seep out. If this problem isn't taken care of then quite a large amount of water is lost from the leak, as with the passage of time, the leak will worsen. This constant leakage may also damage the toilet as it may step in to the walls or floor of the toilet causing major problem. Fourthly; there is a case of leaking toilet tanks, due to some problem or damage inflicted on the tank, the water starts to leak from them and it can result in huge loss of water. Fifthly; rusted and old water pipes is also one of the reason to call a professional. Over time the pipes get rusted or corrode away, as a result the water start leaking away, so either to repair the pipe, or to replace it, professional help is needed, otherwise it cannot be done individually.

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These are some of the reasons mentioned because of which we need the plumbing service. There are a number of other reasons to out there, because of which one might need a professional's help, so it is necessary to have plumbing services to solve these problems and keep the plumbing condition perfect, as not every problem can be dealt with individually.

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