Unless you live in the balmy tropics of a deep southern state, you probably have some sort of heating system in your home. Heating systems are essential in northern parts of the U.S., whether woodstoves, heat pumps, boilers, or furnaces, as cooler fall/spring temperatures and harsh winters demand supplemental heat. Key Points: Each heating system …
As you browse through your local home improvement center, you’ll probably come across a section of colorful, coiled tubing. This flexible tubing, known as PEX, is a popular pick for plumbing systems. It’s a durable, flexible, and inexpensive option, making it a favorite of DIYers. And the best part? It’s easy to install! Key Points: …
PEX fittings are an essential piece of PEX plumbing systems. They provide watertight seals between sections of the pipe, ensuring water traveling through remains inside the pipe instead of around it. There may come a time when you need to remove the PEX fittings, perhaps to address an issue or replumb the area. Key Points: …
Perhaps you recently installed a water softener to banish the woes of hard water in your home. Goodbye, mineral deposits! Goodbye, dehydrated skin! However, once the system is up and running, you begin to notice something. When you wash your hands, shower, clean dishes, or complete any other task requiring water, you notice the water …
Perhaps you’re working through a plumbing project, trying to shorten your seemingly endless to-do list. However, once you gather your tools and materials to complete the job, you realize you don’t have the correct glue. You might be working with PVC but only have CPVC glue (or vice versa). So, do you need to take …
In areas with hard water, a water softener works like magic to make the water drinkable. As with all appliances, though, sometimes a piece is faulty or installed incorrectly, and the machine doesn’t operate as it usually would. The good news is that there are simple fixes for most problems that cause a water softener …
We’ve all learned to love a nice hot shower after a long day. It relaxes our muscles and begins the nightly routine we’ve had the luxury of developing. But what happens when that lovely warm shower turns cold? A bad feeling, that’s for sure. We’ll discuss all the basics of a water heater, what to …
Perhaps you’re revamping part of the plumbing system in your home, like the pipes leading away from a bathtub or faucet. The old pipes are made of ABS, but the new lines you bought are made of PVC. So, can you join the two together? While you can connect these two pipes, it isn’t as …
Perhaps your bathroom is next in line for a facelift, so you’re removing all the old fixtures from the space. As you remove the old toilet, you notice a caulk seam around the base. So, when you install the new toilet, you begin to wonder whether caulking around the toilet’s base is necessary. Should you …
The plumbing system for your home is complex, requiring numerous components to ensure everything functions properly. If you have an irrigation system, the plumbing network in and around your home becomes slightly more complicated, as you must have a backflow preventer. Key Points: This article discusses the ins and outs of backflow preventers and whether …
Backflow preventers can be the difference between a clean water supply and a contaminated one. If you have a private well, the responsibility of testing and monitoring falls to you, so installing a backflow prevention device isn’t a bad idea. Key Points: But do you actually need a backflow preventer on a well system? While …
Generally speaking, galvanized pipes come standard with threading on both ends. This makes it easy to connect two pieces and continue your project, but sometimes you might end up with two thread-free ends. So, now what? Can you connect the two ends without a hassle? Lucky for you, the process is pretty straightforward. Although it …
Water heaters seem to be the way of the world these days, providing fast, convenient hot water wherever you need it. As all machines do, they may begin to have some problems over time. Today, we’ll take a look at what it means when your water heater starts to whistle and what to do about …
Hot water can be a necessity, especially in the cold winter months. Hot water heater tanks commonly freeze, but what about a tankless water heater? Interestingly enough, a tankless water heater does have the ability to freeze, leaving you without hot water. The good news is that there are several different ways to thaw and …
Tankless water heaters are becoming a popular alternative to traditional tank-style heaters. Instead of heating water and storing it in a tank for use like tank-style water heaters, tankless models heat water on demand. This on-demand style of producing hot water allows homeowners to save money with the more energy-efficient system and reduce space consumption, …
Perhaps you’re filling a pot with hot water for boiling, and as it’s spewing out of the faucet, you notice it has noticeable cloudiness. While it’s usually not a big deal, it can be disconcerting, leaving many folks wondering whether the water is safe for cooking or drinking. Key Points: There are a few potential …
Gas lines are an integral part of millions of homes. Whether they power your home’s furnace, water heater or cookstove, a steady supply of natural gas is essential for everyday tasks. The gas lines inside your home provide this constant supply of fuel to the appliances in your home, and when you add a new …
Perhaps your home has hard water, which led you to purchase a water softener. While you enjoy the benefits of the added system, you begin to notice issues over time. For instance, you might notice your water pressure slowly tanks several months after installing your water softener. Key Points: Is there a connection between the …