Category Archives: Yard & Outdoors

London bathroom fitters: How to choose combination faucet. Part1.

June 17, 2022   Matt

London bathroom fitters: How to choose combination faucet. Part1.

Nowadays starting the repair of a bathroom may get into number of difficulties because inexpert buyer may be unable to make head or tail of sanitary equipment variety. There are a lot of different combination faucets, starting with standard functional models and up to design models which hardly can be named as sanitary equipment as they are objects of art. A lot of buyers consider combination faucet to be not only the hot and cold water mixing device but also one of the main elements of bathroom design. Industrial manufacturers continuously satisfy us with novelties which meet diversified tastes and needs of population and embody the boldest ideas of designers. So how can one choose the most suitable combination faucet?

First, you’ve got to remember the purpose of that purchase. Combination faucet is not just a bathroom decoration, so it shall function properly, i.e. to mix hot and cold water.

Number of combination faucets installed in the bathroom is important, too. It would be better to choose independent combination faucets for bathtub, shower, wash sink and bidet because combination of several functions by one combination faucet is not beneficial for the quality of their performance. If you have rather small bathroom and you don’t have a shower cabin, then you may choose one combination faucet for bathtub and shower and one faucet for a wash sink.

Types of combination faucets according to places of installation.
So, what’s the difference between combination faucets for bathtub and shower? First of all, combination faucets for shower are more compact, they do not have the tap and bathtub/shower switch. Water flows right into the shower fittings and is mixed there, so you receive the water of required temperature.

Combination faucets used for bathtub are usually with low tap, rotating or fixed. Combination faucets with hand spray and height-adjustable shower holders as well as wall-mounted combination faucets are usually used with bathtubs. Some models are equipped with electronic control system. There is one more difference of bathtub combination faucets: they are designed for three/four apertures. It looks like several handles – for filling of bathtub, for hand spray and so forth.

Bathtub and wash sink combination faucets are very much akin to bathroom combination faucets, but the buyers, when choosing the combination faucet, usually take notice of sanitary equipment compatibility in the bathroom but not of its technical features. There are models with special drainage set which is used to open or close the plug hole by a small lever placed on a combination faucet.

Wash sink combination faucets may be as well designed for one or several apertures though combination faucets designed for one aperture are much more popular because of their easy installation. In order to make your wash sink maintenance easier and more pleasant there are combination faucets equipped with special absorbing tap.

Bidet combination faucets are to the large extent similar to wash sink combination faucets, because in most cases they are installed on a skirting board and designed for one or three apertures. The difference is that the bidet set contains aerator with a ball joint enabling to change the jet direction and over-simplifying the use of combination faucet.

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Pipe Problems? Try These Great Tips On Plumbing! (2)

June 12, 2022   Matt

Pipe Problems? Try These Great Tips On Plumbing!

Plumbing encompasses a lot of things. It covers items such as sinks, showers pipes, waste systems, etc. There are so many ways that one can can maintain and repair their own system for their own home needs. This article has advice that can help you find what you need to know to start.

You need to winter-proof your house. You have to make sure you switch of the master circuit breaker or the shut-off valve before you leave your house. Since one small hole or congested water can quickly freeze and cause pipes to break and expand, you need to drain and open all outdoor and household water lines.

You should consider getting a stainless steel sink if you are in need of a new sink. Stainless steel sinks are much better than other ones for many reasons. They are more durable, they absorb shock, they are easier to clean, and they go with almost any decor.

If water is not coming to the dishwasher, you most likely have a blockage somewhere. You will need to turn off the water supply and remove the hose that leads to the dishwasher. After securing the hose, turn the water back on. See if it feeds into a bowl. If not, then you must find the block where it is at which may include removing more piping.

Work with plumbers that offer flat rates. When a plumber is charging by the hour, they do not have an incentive to get the job done quickly. It is human nature to go just a little bit slower if it’ll mean extra money in our pockets. If you cannot find someone who charges per project make sure that you are vigilant in watching the clock and their work.

You always want to solder correctly, the biggest mistake most people make when soldering is failing to get the interior of the fitting and the exterior of the pipe clean and shiny. Polish these surfaces with a fine emery clot until bright. When soldering, never heat the pipe, but instead heat the fitting. Doing so allows the solder to be drawn into the fitting by capillary action.

The water heater in your home needs to have regular flushing to its plumbing in order to work properly. There is usually a valve at the bottom of the water heater that a hose can be attached to. Connect a hose to this valve and open it up all the way to flush scale and deposits out of the system.

Check the filters in your furnace, regularly. If these filters have not been cleaned or replaced recently, they may become clogged. This will affect how well your furnace is able to work, meaning that you may not have enough heat during the winter. Take this simple step, as soon as the weather starts to become cold.

In conclusion, plumbing is a very broad subject that covers a lot of everyday home improvements. There are some right ways and wrong ways to do it, but there is so much room for learning. Hopefully, this article gave you some advice on how to make plumbing work for you.

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Things You Need To Know For Your Next Plumbing Project

June 07, 2022   Matt

Things You Need To Know For Your Next Plumbing Project

Clogged drains are a problem for several people, as substances like food particles, hair, and other blockage can make a sink or toilet overflow. With a little prevention and purchasing a product like Dran-O, you can try plumbing by yourself. Read this article for some tips on how to do plumbing yourself.

Back flow can happen to anyone on municipal water systems, so it’s important to prepare your plumbing for it. For example, put a vacuum-breaker fitting on your outdoor faucets to ensure that the water never ends up flowing backwards and causing you a massive headache due to water damage in your home.

It’s important not to dump harsh chemicals into your septic system like drain cleaners, but are you also considering the other chemicals you use to clean? Toilet cleaners, dishwasher soap, and even laundry detergent can kill off the healthy bacteria which is taking care of your waste. Try to use natural products for all cleaning jobs in your house to keep your septic system in good shape.

Don’t forget to check the plumbing on the outside of your home before you leave on vacation! Any leaks that are there can end up damaging your foundation, especially if you go away during the winter. Check each faucet and pipe, including your sprinkler system, far enough ahead of time to be able to do repairs.

If you have hard water, check intake hoses for washing machines and ice makers often to prevent them from splitting open from buildup. Lime scale remover can be used to remove buildup, but replacing hoses is an economical method as well to take care of the issue. Change out hoses when you change the batteries in your smoke alarms to stop unexpected floods.

Be careful with putting household cleaners in your toilet. They can cause the toilet to malfunction. The debris that these cleaners leave can sit in your toilet’s pipes and harden, making them almost impossible to get rid of. If it does harden, it usually requires the help of a professional.

Look closely at your toilets several times throughout the year. Check to see if there are any leaks that you may not have noticed; you can do this by placing five or six drops of food coloring in the tank. If there is a leak, the color will seep into the bowl within half an hour. This process will help you catch a small problem before it gets too out of control.

If you find that your pipes have frozen during the cold winter months open all the faucets in your home. This lowers the water pressure for when the pipes thaw and the water is freely flowing again. Make sure to open all the faucets not just those that are frequently used.

Hiring a plumber can be an expensive endeavor, and it may be unnecessary. Simple problems like clogged drains can be fixed at home without hiring a professional. Remember the tips in this article if you are having trouble with a sink or toilet overflowing or you need to clear a drain.

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Plumbing Tips That Will Save You Money (3)

June 02, 2022   Matt

Plumbing Tips That Will Save You Money

Imagine taking on a plumbing project with the confidence that you are going to do a good job and that you are going to complete the job for well under the price of hiring professional help. Now use this hopefulness, and take a few minutes to read the great tips in this article.

While it may seem like a seemingly harmless thing to do, never run potato peels through your garbage disposal. The chemical make up of this seemingly harmless food allows the potato to turn into a thick, viscous substance that can wreak havoc on the disposal itself, with the potential to render it completely useless.

Work with plumbers that offer flat rates. When a plumber is charging by the hour, they do not have an incentive to get the job done quickly. It is human nature to go just a little bit slower if it’ll mean extra money in our pockets. If you cannot find someone who charges per project make sure that you are vigilant in watching the clock and their work.

To conserve hot water each day, run your dishwasher late at night. This will help to maintain an adequate water level for your guests and for your chores in the morning or afternoon. Also, you can increase the supply of water available to you for cooking meals throughout the day.

If you have unused cooking grease, do not pour it down your kitchen drain. The grease or oil can clog your drain and even cause irreparable damage. Instead, put the unused grease or oil into a plastic bag. Or, you can put the grease into an empty tin can, set it in the refrigerator to solidify, and then throw it away.

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.

If water backs up from one sink to another, it is because the lines are connected. The part of the branch line for one device might be higher than another, but most likely there is also a blockage in the branch line connecting the two devices as well. This blockage must be cleaned.

Tank-less water heaters are a great space saving alternative to traditional tank units. They are available in many models, some for indoors and some models are capable for outdoor mounting. Tank-less water heaters are known as great money savers when it comes to your water bill.

Don’t start any do-it-yourself plumbing project without having a plan in place. You need to know beforehand exactly what you are getting yourself into. Know what kind of space you are working with and what lines are which. Getting a clear picture early on will make your plumbing project go a lot smoother!

To summarize, you want to know that you are taking care of your plumbing job just the same as a professional would, but without the additional costs they would inflict upon you. Hopefully, this article was informative enough for you to tackle any plumbing issue that might come your way.

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Performance Contracting Helps Save on Energy Costs

May 28, 2022   Matt

Performance 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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A stark, barren backyard can be brought to life with the specific planting of trees, flowers and shrubs that will lighten the aura of any home

May 23, 2022   Matt

A stark, barren backyard can be brought to life with the specific planting of trees, flowers and shrubs that will lighten the aura of any home

Landscape rocks are of different shapes, sizes and colors and can be used to frame and compliment the house that is being landscaped.|You can obtain information about where to buy the landscape materials you need by asking your landscape contractor about the best possible place to obtain them.

Drainage is the direction in which excess water is collected and disposed; a good landscape plan should include a good drainage plan especially one that is effective during the rainy season.|Backyard landscaping can provide an atmosphere of relaxation in which your family can feel free to luxuriate in because of the beauty and feeling of security it inevitably gives off.|Landscaping your home can be a fun process because you get to hunt for which idea you feel will yield the results you want and you can experiment with the array of landscaping ideas available.

If I were to speak artistically, I would define landscaping as “the process of encasing a master piece with a frame of pleated gold”….landscaping is that finishing touch that summaries the beauty of a home.|Thanks to the World Wide Web, you can be your own landscaping expert by finding out how to landscape and the different kinds of landscapes available…in addition to saving money, you also get to have a lot of fun.

You can choose a landscape plan that will perfectly reflect who you are or what you believe in thanks to the wide range of landscape ideas available. |You should take into consideration the location of your home, the topography and environment of your home and the cost; if you are gunning for a landscape plan for your home.|You can employ the services of a landscape professional if you have no inkling about how to landscape your own home….the cost will definitely be worth it by the time the professional is through.

The major benefit for lots of people of planting clover in your frontyard or backyard as a landscape item is that you can come out any time you want to enjoy the view without being bothered by bugs because they detest clover.|I would suggest that you go for landscaping trees, shrubs and plants that are capable of surviving regardless of the seasons so that your home can look beautiful at anytime of the year.|If you are not sure you will be able to landscape your home by yourself, don’t even risk trying because you may do things wrongly and then have to pay more to a professional to re-do the entire thing all over again.

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