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If you’re thinking of buying a garbage disposal and having it installed in your kitchen then be prepared to look at a flood of models and brands that are available in the marketplace. The simple task of choosing what will work best for you can be a daunting prospect when faced with so many choices.

Having a garbage disposal in good working order is essential in maintaining a clean environment for your home and averting any drainage issue in the future. This is one reason why one of your most important criteria for choosing a garbage disposal should be quality and durability.

Here are additional tips for choosing garbage disposal

• Choose a brand or model with a warranty, this proves the manufacturer’s commitment to their merchandise.
•  Take into consideration the extent of the use the garbage disposal will be subjected to. If you want the unit for your home, then choose one that is suited for home use. But if you need it for your business, such as a restaurant, then get a more powerful garbage disposal.
• Another factor to consider is easy and simple installation. There are units that are simple and easy to install, some even comes with a DIY installation instruction.
• Consider also the presence of a septic tank in your sewer system. There are models that are septic tank specific.
• Lastly, compare prices. Some disposals are more expensive than the others even if the specifications and features are the same.

Garbage disposals are very helpful kitchen appliances. If and when you buy one, make sure that you’re getting the best one, at least the best for you. It also pays to ask for recommendation from friends and family and to check comments and reviews of satisfied users for each and every product that you are considering.

A clogged washing machine drain line means that your washing machine does not empty waste water properly or doesn’t empty waste water at all. The clogging of a washing machine drain line is usually due to lint, soap sludge and dirt that accumulate along the washing machine hose, drain pipe or even the main sewer line. This can be a very stressful situation, but there are some easy things to check on if this happens.

Here is how you can unclog your washing machine drain line

• The first thing you need to inspect is the drainage hose of your washing machine. This is the hose attached to your machine and is connected to the drainage pipe. See if there are any bends or twist on the hose and straighten it.
• Detach the drainage hose from the machine and check it for clogs. To remove any soap sludge build-up inside the hose, soak it in the sink filled with a mixture of water and chlorinated bleach( proportion is 2 tbsp of bleach per 1 gal of water)
• The next thing you have to inspect to find the reason for the clog is the pump filter. If the pump filter is clogged with debris this could cause your clogging
• A broken tab located on the washing machine cover could also be the reason why your washing machine is not draining
• Next, check if there is any clothing article – a sock, a small hanky or underwear wedged between the water pump and the drum of the washing machine. This could be the clog you’re looking for.

If after you’ve done all the steps above, and you still have a clog washing machine drain line, then in all probability, the problem is along the drainage pipe. If such is the case, then you will need professional help, call a plumber.

The function of your water machine water line is to load the washing machine with the water that is the right temperature. Your washing machine has two water lines; one for cold water and the other for hot water. They are connected to an inlet valve that supplies water into a single hose. Before the hose discharges water into the tub, water first passes through a device that precludes wash water from going back into the washing machine water line. This anti-siphon device has a large aperture that lets air in.

There are several fixes that a homeowner can do themselves.

If there is no water entering the wash tub you should check the water line hoses for crooks or bends. Also check the filter screen. There is a filter screen at the tip of the water line hoses and the inlet valve to trap rubbish and prevent the debris from harming the washer. If the filter screens are clogged then the water pressure will be low or water will not flow or if it is flowing it could be the wrong water temperature. Also check the water inlet valve, timer control, water temperature switch and water level switch.

If the filter screens are now clog- free but the water still does not enter the wash tub, the next thing you need to check is the inlet valve. What you have to check are the terminals and the connectors. Check them for corrosion. If they are rusted they should either be cleaned or if they’re totally corroded, replaced.

If the inlet valve is good, but water seeps through it even when the washing machine is off, then it could be that the valve is the problem. Waste and other debris may be stopping the valve from shutting or the valve could be faulty. Clean the valve, but if it can no longer be cleaned then replace it.

If none of these solutions work, then it is time to call a plumber (864) 517-1251.

A leaky toilet is not only annoying; it is also a very wasteful issue. It is a very common problem that most of us experience at one time or the other. You have a leaky toilet, also sometimes referred to as a running toilet, when the water continues to drip into the bowl and as the water level in the tank falls the ballcock refills it. You will hear the hissing of water as it passes along the pipes, a very irritating and bothersome sound because you know you are wasting water.

A toilet has only two main parts, a fill valve that allows water to fill the tank after it is flushed and the flush valve which allows the water to flood the bowl when you flush it. When a toilet runs or leaks either continuously or sporadically, the reason could be a faulty flush valve or fill valve.

Ways to fix a leaky toilet
To find out which valve is giving you trouble you need to examine the overflow tube. When water spills over into the tube, your fill valve is the culprit. When the water level is lower than the top of the tube, it is your flush valve that is leaking, the reason why water drips into the bowl. The constant and slow trickling of water into the bowl is the reason why the fill valve doesn’t close totally.

• Adjusting the float - If your fill valve has a floating ball connected to the rod, slowly raise the rod and take note if the water stops. You can repair your leaky toilet by fine-tuning the float. This is easily done if your fill valve has a has a float adjustment screw. If there is none, lightly bend down the float arm to put added pressure on the fill valve. To find out if it works, flush down the toilet.

• Flushing the valve - A flush valve may not completely close because of hard water, tiny fragments of debris from a broken water line or old pipes. Flush out and clear this debris by sluicing the valve with water.

• Replacing the washer - Replace a cracked or worn-out washer by removing the worn washer from the cap using a small screw driver. Press down the new washer in place.

• Replacing the fill valve - If the fill valve is beyond repair, then you need to replace it. Shut off the water supply from the shut –off valve before you proceed with replacing the fill valve and drain the remaining water on the tank by flushing the toilet and holding open the flush valve. Make sure that the interior of the tank is completely dry by sponging out any remaining water or moisture

If the cause of your leaky toilet is coming from the flush valve or the tank bolts, you need to detach the bowl from the tank to replace the rubber washer, the tank bolts and the gaskets of the flush valve.

If all else fails, call a professional plumber - 864.517,1251.

Your kitchen may look sparkling clean and beautiful but if there’s a foul odor permeating the room then all you’re cleaning and beautifying effort is wasted. The rotten odor in the kitchen often comes from the garbage disposal being smelly.  It is unfortunate that garbage disposals, our very handy kitchen helper, are usually ignored, until they clogs or smells. Even if the garbage disposal is working perfectly, a not so pleasant stench can still come from it. This is because some rotting teeny food particles can still get stuck or cling to the garbage disposal cylinder, cutting blades and sometimes the splash guard that cause the growth of bacteria that produces the foul odor.

Cleaning the Disposal
The key to eliminating garbage disposal smell is to keep the disposal clean at all times. Spraying the kitchen with air – freshener or deodorizing the garbage disposal will not get rid of the smell. The blend of the nasty garbage disposal smell and the deodorizer could even be worse.

A weekly or even twice a month cleaning of the garbage disposal will effectively get rid of the garbage disposal smell. One way to clean the garbage disposal is with a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar. Pour the substances one at a time, baking soda first, followed by the white vinegar, plug the sink with its stopper and leave it there for about 15 minute. After the set time, uncap the sink, pour a kettle of boiling water onto the sink and turn on the machine. This process will wash out the rotten food particles clinging to the cutting blades and the interior cylinder.

Cleaning the splash guard
Another source of the odorous garbage disposal smell could be the slime and grime coating the splash guard’s underside. A regular cleaning of the splash guard by wiping it with a sponge soaked in water and bleach mixture or kitchen cleaner and deodorizer might just be the solution to your smelly garbage disposal.

Citrus peel and mint freshener
After cleaning the garbage disposal, the best way to deodorize to the machine and get a fresh and lemony scent to the whole kitchen, is to grind some lime, lemon or orange peel in it. If you are not partial to the citrus scent then try mint. Dribble several droplets of mint extract in the garbage disposal, let it stand for several hours before washing it off. You not only got rid of the garbage disposal smell in your kitchen, you also now have a clean and fresh smelling kitchen.

There is not really a convenient time to deal with a stopped up toilet, but often toilets seem to stop up at the most inconvenient times. When you are having a dinner party or an overnight guest is staying in your home, clogged toilets can be a nightmare. Fortunately most blockages are minor and can be handled quickly if you have the right tools on hand.

The first tool to try is the old reliable toilet plunger that can be placed over the throat of the bowl and pushed down gently to create suction action in the toilet’s drain chamber. Doing this several times is often enough to unclog toilets where minor blockages due to paper products is the problem. If you try plunging a half dozen times and see no results, it’s time to move on to the next tool in your closet: the handheld auger.

If you have small children in the household who sometimes drop toys in toilets or even pets that may think the inside of a toilet is a great place to hide bones, a handheld auger can be a great addition to your home tool collection. Many times a small item can get lodged in a toilet’s drain lines and cause paper and waste to collect so that the resulting blockage can’t be cleared with a plunger. A handheld auger excels at unclogging toilets with these sorts of jams and they are fairly inexpensive.

The end of the auger has a 90 degree bend that allows it to be placed into the toilet bowl throat and you simply crank the auger so that the snake moves through the drainage chambers. When the snake has reached its maximum length (usually about 4 feet) pull it back out and try flushing the toilet. Be careful you don’t scratch the inside of the bowl while cranking the auger or pulling it back out. If the blockage still isn’t cleared, you now have two choices: clear your schedule for the next several hours for a fairly large project or call a plumbing contractor.

Pulling the toilet up and using a large plumbing snake or power auger to clear the blockage in the main line isn’t the most pleasant job in the world which is one of the reasons why plumbers stay so busy. Plumbing snakes and power augers are available at most tool rentals and don’t forget to purchase a new wax seal that will be needed for the toilet before it is sat back into place.

If all else fails, give us a call or contact us online.

Generally, four destination points in the home are recognized as end uses for hot water: faucets, showers, dishwashers, and washing machines. Now, you do not have to take cold showers, dine on dirty dishes, or wear dirty clothes to reduce your hot water consumption. Less radical measures are available that will be virtually unnoticeable once you apply them.

Faucets and Showers
Simply repairing leaks in faucets and showers can save hot water. A leak of one drip per second can cost $1 per month, yet could be repaired in a few minutes for less than that. And some apparently insignificant steps, when practiced routinely at your household, could have significant results. For example, turning the hot-water faucet off while shaving or brushing your teeth can also reduce water-heating costs. Another option is limiting the amount of time you spend in the shower. Other actions may require a small investment of time and money. Installing low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators can save significant amounts of hot water. Low-flow showerheads can reduce hot water consumption for bathing by 30%, yet still provide a strong, invigorating spray.

Automatic Dishwashers
A relatively common assumption is that washing dishes by hand saves hot water. However, washing dishes by hand several times a day could be more expensive than operating some automatic dishwashers. If properly used, an efficient dishwasher can consume less energy than washing dishes by hand, particularly when you only operate the dishwasher with full loads.

The biggest cost of operating a dishwasher comes from the energy required to heat the water before it ever makes it to the machine. Heating water for an automatic dishwasher can represent about 80% of the energy required to run this appliance. Average dishwashers use 8 to 14 gallons of water for a complete wash cycle and require a water temperature of 140°F for optimum cleaning.

Another feature that reduces hot-water use in dishwashers is the availability of cycle selections. Shorter cycles require less water, thereby reducing the energy cost. The most efficient dishwasher currently on the market can cost half as much to operate as the most inefficient model.

Washing Machines
Like dishwashers, much of the cost—up to 90%—of operating washing machines is associated with the energy needed to heat the water. Unlike dishwashers, washing machines do not require a minimum temperature for optimum cleaning. Either cold or warm water can be used for washing most laundry loads; cold water is always sufficient for rinsing. Make sure you follow the cold-water washing instructions for your particular laundry detergent. Washing only full loads is another good rule of thumb for reducing hot-water consumption in clothes washers.