Monthly Archives: May 2022

Make The Most Of Your Plumbing Projects

May 21, 2022   Matt

Make The Most Of Your Plumbing Projects

Plumbing can cost a lot of money, so being prepared and knowing how to take care of your plumbing can be very beneficial to you and your wallet. By knowing how to take care of your plumbing, you can save time and save yourself a lot of money, in the end.

Do not put cooking oils, fat, or grease, down your drain. These fats cause clogs by solidifying in pipes. To properly dispose of fats, put them in a bowl with a lid that you can dispose of. Once it gets hard, throw it in the trash or compost bin.

Frozen pipes can lead to many problems, most of them expensive to fix. So you want to avoid that at all costs. To avoid frozen pipes, make sure the temperature in your home never drops below 55 degrees. Look for any air leaks around your pipes and make sure they’re sealed up.

If you have a leak and your water bill is going up, there is a method you can try before you call a professional. You can use the red-dye system to detect whether the leak is above ground, underground, or whether it has anything to do with the toilets.

To avoid water damage to walls in the kitchen, make sure all seams in your counter tops and back splash are properly sealed using a waterproof silicone. Silicone will dry out over time, crack and shrink and should be replaced once every three years. Keeping your silicone in good shape will keep kitchen spills where they belong and not running down the walls.

To avoid plumbing disasters in your kitchen, never place hard-to-grind, stringy, fibrous waste, such as poultry skins, banana peels, carrots, celery, or cantaloupe pulp, into the garbage disposer. The disposer can’t sufficiently grind these food products and they will clog your sink drain. You should also run cold water down the drain for about 15 seconds before and after using the garbage disposer to flush the waste down the main drain.

In the winter time to avoid your pipes freezing you should insulate them. If the pipes are going to be in a place that is exposed to severely cold weather, you should drain them if they aren’t being used. If the pipes are indoor you should open up the cupboards under the sink so more heat can get to them.

Taking preemptive action to fix a strange smelling kitchen sink can be a good way to keep your kitchen smelling great. Make sure not to throw hair or grease into your sink. Use baking soda if you have a strange smell coming from your drain. Make sure you use your garbage disposal if you have one to grind up any food and use water while doing this to prevent damage to the blades of the garbage disposal.

By knowing your plumbing and how it works, as was stated before, can save you a lot of time and money. There’s nothing worse than a plumbing accident to mess up your day. So, using the advice from this article, you can be sure to save yourself a big headache!

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Get Smart And Follow These Tips On Dealing With Acne (2)

May 19, 2022   Matt

Get Smart And Follow These Tips On Dealing With Acne

Acne is a skin condition characterized by the emergence of excess oil production and clogged, inflamed pores of the face and occasionally other areas such as the shoulders, neck and back. This article can help to trace the causes and decide whether medical treatment is called for in order to eliminate it.

Avoid anti-aging cosmetic products. Products designed for mature skin tend to be full of heavy oils as older people often have dry skin. If you have acne-prone skin, these oils will clog up your pores and cause further acne outbreaks. Anti-aging cosmetics also usually contain powerful chemicals which can irritate existing acne.

If you are battling an outbreak of acne, use dried orange peels to help improve your skin. Grind up the peel of an orange and combine it with water to make a paste. Put the paste right on your blemishes and allow it to sit for approximately 20 minutes before washing it off with warm water. The paste will help your skin clear up quickly.

You should be sure to keep your face clean, even if you don’t have acne. Keeping a clean face can prevent acne breakouts and also help clear it up. Wash your face with warm water but try to avoid using soap that isn’t for your face. Harsh soap can make irritation worse.

Finding a good balance of skincare products is crucial to keeping your cleaning regimen from being counterproductive. In other words, over-cleaning your face will strip away the oil and can actually cause your skin to produce even more oil than before. It is important that you choose products that clean your skin without stripping it of oil, so as to avoid unnecessary irritation.

If you are struggling with acne, try cutting back on dairy food like cheese and milk. Certain studies show a link between the consumption of dairy and acne breakouts. The hormones in dairy, especially milk, may be responsible for increased production in the oil glands. Give it a try, and you may see clearer skin!

You can use over-the-counter acne treatments to help with your acne. These are mainly topical and generally include popular acne ingredients like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. You must be careful with these though and follow the directions on how much to use and how many times to apply them. Also, these may be too harsh for some, so if you have doubts, ask a physician or dermatologist.

An effective way to cure acne is by taking the supplement Zinc. You should take the appropriate amount daily for best results. It helps to clear up your skin and keep you looking your best. The best dosage is 25 or 50 milligrams, taken three times throughout the day.

As outlined previously, acne is a medical condition with varying degrees of severity. The more severe cases can cause permanent scarring by causing deep pits in the skin. Over the counter and prescription medicines are available. By using the information in this article and putting a skin care plan in action, most cases are easily treatable.

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Gardening And Landscaping: How To Find Bargains On The Internet

May 18, 2022   Matt

Gardening And Landscaping: How To Find Bargains On The Internet

Any person who has spent time designing a landscape scheme and planting and tending to flower beds and vegetable patches has come to understand that gardening and landscaping can become a most expensive undertaking. Perhaps you are a person who has embarked on a trek involving gardening and landscaping. If that is the case, you likely have also found yourself interested in finding ways in which you can save money on necessary gardening supplies and landscaping materials.

In the brick and mortar world, there are a wide array of different store that specialize in gardening supplies and landscaping materials. As a general rule, these various specialty shops maintain an inventory of goods that tend to be priced on the high side. Of course, there are also discount retail stores that carry gardening items on a seasonal basis for what might be considered a more reasonable price. However, many an ardent gardener has complained that while the prices may be better in a discount retail store, the selection may not be as broad as a “green-thumber” might desire.

One solution that works for many people who love to garden but who do not want to break the bank in the process is turning to the Internet and World Wide Web. In recent years, there has been a steady growth in the number of Internet based websites that cater to people dedicated to gardening and landscaping.

In many instances, an Internet-based gardening business is able to avoid the high overhead costs associated with comparable stores and outlets in the brick and mortar world. These Internet venues are then able to pass the savings they enjoy on to their customers. In othere words, a typical gardener is able to obtain high quality products online (and a good selection of this type of merchandise) as a cost markedly lower than what might otherwise be found in shops and stores operating in the proverbial “real world.”

By taking the time to “surf” the Net — by taking a break from planting and tending to plants out of doors — a gardening enthusiast will be able to find exactly the types of gardening supplies and landscaping materials that are needed to develop a beautiful lawn and garden. A gardener will be able to find everything from seeds to plants to all manners of gardening supplies at one or another of the different Internet venues now in operation specializing in this type or merchandise. In the end, by shopping online for garden related merchandise, a person will be able to create exactly the type of garden and landscape he or she desires — and will have money to spare when all is said, done and planted.

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Check Out Some Of These Great Plumbing Tips (2)

May 16, 2022   Matt

Check Out Some Of These Great Plumbing Tips

You need to have some knowledge of what to look for and expect from doing your own plumbing. You need to know what resources are available to you and who can provide you answers as to what you need for your future plumbing jobs. The tips below can help you with how to start.

Before you start a plumbing project you should tighten all of the pipes that are easily accessible. Especially if your pipes are making a range of loud banging sounds, as this is a clear sign that there are loose pipes along the line. It is also a good idea in case there is a clog so the excess pressure released does not break a loose pipe.

Make sure everyone that lives in your house knows where to find and use the main water shut off valve in case there is a burst pipe emergency. This is especially important if you live in an area where your pipes may freeze. Take a moment to show your family members where the valve is and how to properly shut it off.

Find a plumber that you can trust. Make sure to get referrals from friends and family so that you can prevent getting ripped off, which happens often. Also make sure not to pay the plumber before the work is completed. If you do that, there will not be an incentive to get the job completed in a timely manner.

If you have drains in your house that have not been used for a long period of time, pour one gallon of water through them to keep them functional. Furthermore, this will have the added benefit of reducing any odors from entering your house from lack of use during the year.

Make sure that any exposed pipes in your home are insulated, especially those found in crawl spaces on the outside walls of your home. This will help keep them from freezing and causing you tons of problems. Frozen pipes can often be devastating and leave you with problems that are expensive to fix and no water in the middle of winter.

Before you being a plumbing job, take a few key steps so that you can avoid any mishaps. Turn off all water supplies before starting a project. Make sure that you have protected items nearby with tarps to keep them from getting damaged by spraying water. It is better to be prepared than it is to deal with damage after the fact.

To prevent the pipes from freezing, it is advisable to seal off air vents, cracks and access doors. In order to keep the heat in and the cold out, you can try using insulation or caulk. In the event a leak occurs, make it a point to remind everyone where the master circuit breaker is so it can be shut off immediately.

As you have seen in the above tips, there is a lot of knowledge you can acquire before starting to do your own plumbing and it’s this knowledge that can help you with your future plumbing jobs. Do everything you must to find out what you need to get started.

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Deciding On Jewelry Made Easy

May 14, 2022   Matt

Deciding On Jewelry Made Easy

Body jewelry is a trend that is here to stay. While a single, sparkly bellybutton piercing can be sexy, it is possible to take the trend too far. Body piercing can be meaningful and has existed in some cultures for generations but it’s fairly new to most of us. It is difficult for someone in their 60’s to understand why a teenager has spikes sticking out of his face.

Buying jewelry for someone else can be challenging. Look at what they choose for themselves and try to find something similar. Avoid sized items like rings unless you know what their size is. If you guess, what’s going to happen if you guess wrong? It may help to go window shopping with them and see if they mention a certain store, brand, or even a specific item.

Buying and selling jewelry wholesale is a great way to make a profit doing something you love. Before you begin to invest in bulk or wholesale rings, earrings, and necklaces, find out what business steps are needed to make your operation legitimate. In some states, this means applying for a vendor’s license.

If you need to reach deep crevices, like on the back of a ring’s setting, use a soft baby toothbrush. Make sure to dry the item after you’re done so that it doesn’t end up tarnished. This will keep your jewelry looking amazing for a long time and save you the hassle of cleaning it with harsh chemicals.

When buying jewelry for someone that you care about make sure that you are not stepping over your own boundaries of what you can afford. While most likely you do want to impress the other person, no jewelry purchase will adequately make up for putting yourself at a severe financial risk.

When soldering a wedding ring and an engagement ring together, make sure the jeweler polishes the rings. Engagement rings are often worn for some time before the wedding band is and it will look like the rings do not match if they are not polished to look new.

If you are buying jewelry as a gift for someone and you are not sure what they would like, consider asking the jewelry retailer if they sell gift cards. By giving a jewelry gift card as a present instead, the recipient can visit the jewelry retailer themselves and select the exact piece that they want.

Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and toothpaste to clean your diamonds. Toothpaste has a low abrasion quality, and so it is safe to use on your precious diamonds. It can make them sparkle and shine, much like a professional cleaning can do. This is a very effective method for saving money versus professional cleanings.

Try to be fashionable with this trend but don’t go too far. You may regret putting multiple holes in your face when you are 30 years old and have scars from your teenage piercings. Not everyone appreciates this look so try to be patient with your grandparents. It’s good to be an individual but that means not doing what everyone else does.

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Contracting Helps Save on Energy Costs

May 13, 2022   Matt

Contracting Helps Save on Energy Costs

To improve energy efficiency, some companies are doing more than just turning out the lights at the end of the day.

As soaring energy costs increasingly affect the bottom line of U.S. businesses, the “energy performance contract” has become an attractive solution for commercial building owners. This contract is a financing or operating lease offered by an energy service company, also known as an ESCO, to help businesses improve the energy efficiency of their buildings or facilities.

The key to energy performance contracting is to use long-term utility savings to fund the improvements. The ESCO often guarantees energy savings that will meet or exceed annual payments to cover all project costs, usually over a contract term of seven to 20 years.

“A building owner either pays a utility for an inefficient building, or they can pay an ESCO to improve their building,” says Jeff Stokes, a vice president at World Energy Solutions, a publicly traded ESCO (symbol: WEGY) based in St. Petersburg, Fla.

World Energy Solutions strives to reduce kilowatt usage by up to 30 percent. The company offers a variety of services, including utility billing and rate analysis, energy auditing, installation of building improvements, building systems maintenance and ongoing monitoring and verification of the energy savings.

ESCOs can provide flexible and unique ways to finance their services. For example, World Energy Solutions offers to pay the

total up-front cost of installation as well as equipment maintenance in return for an 80 percent share of the actual savings realized over a minimum 10-year period.

“In some cases, our company will fund the entire installation, at no charge to our customer, and live off the savings we generate over a certain amount of time,” says Ben Croxton, chief executive officer of World Energy Solutions.

ESCOs not only identify energy-saving opportunities, but also develop engineering designs and specifications and manage the entire process. They also can provide staff training and ongoing maintenance services.

Even the federal government has gotten into the act, and for good reason: Executive orders that require federal agencies to use 35 percent less energy by 2010 in comparison to 1985 levels will require billion in energy projects. Much of that will go to “Super Energy Savings Performance Contracts,” offered by the Department of Energy.

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