Home Maintenance

Noritz produces a line of tankless water heaters designed for use with a gas or propane connection. It is important to perform certain maintenance tasks on your water heater to keep it in proper...

Leaves color your lawn and the thermostat dips toward the freezing point---winter approaches. You prepare yourself for spending the season in warmer enclaves, but it is also time to winterize...

The French drain was invented in Concord Massachusetts by a farmer named Henry French, who also wrote a detailed book on the subject in 1859. The drain has no connection at all with the country of...

Maintaining appliances is often neglected and sometimes, it isn't until the sink is actually clogged that it gets any attention. Clogged sinks can be eliminated, and fixing a drain is fairly...

If you have a leaky kitchen sink, there is no need to panic. The problem may be as simple as a worn-out or loose drain basket. If it is the drain basket, it's easy to fix. With a few spare...

Reverse osmosis is a way of filtering water that cleans nearly all particles and defects out of water. Reverse osmosis systems can be installed in the home as part of a normal sink. These filters...

Most people see late fall as a time to clean up the yard one last time, pull up plants and rake the last of the leaves before winter. However, a commonly overlooked fall maintenance staple is...

It is very important to drain the water out of your bathtub. Leaving water in the tub can create mildew and mold. Leaving the tub full of water can also be bad for your health, and can stain your...

The gutter system on your home is designed to capture the rainwater from the roof and carry it away from the foundation of the home. Some areas have a significant amount of yearly rainfall and...

Installing drainage tile can be useful when you are experiencing humidity or odor problems in your basement. The tile is a perforated material that allows water to drain to an outside system such...

Nair is a hair remover generally used by women to remove hair from their legs and underarms. But Nair also is among a variety of household remedies that can be used to clear a clogged drain. Nair...

Shop Vacs are designed to be easy to drain, no matter the model, and the process is simple. Once the tank is full, unplug the machine and bring it to where you are going to dispose of the...

Today, much kitchen waste is sent down the drain to be pulverized in the waste disposer and then washed down the drain. A round disk in the bottom of the container section of a disposer has blades...

The sole responsibility of a gutter is to route water away from the home, which protects the home's siding, landscaping, foundation and, if applicable, the basement. Gutters frequently become...

Kitchens are supposed to smell good and clean. The only smell in a kitchen should be the pleasant smells of a great meal cooking. Sometimes, however, you might notice a very unpleasant smell...

It happens in a second. In the midst of primping and preparing for an evening out, a slight movement of the hand or head and the "clink" of an earring falling down the bathroom sink drain is...

There are a variety of options for handling water drainage from downspouts. The best option depends on the location of the home, local regulations and the needs of the homeowner. Water from...

If your sink or bathtub drain becomes clogged, it can be tempting to use toxic drain cleaners to clear the clog, but if you don't want to use a toxic drain cleaner, or you are unable to do so...

Winterize your pool to protect it from freezing temperatures during the cooler months that could cause costly damages to your water lines, pool heater and other devices. Correctly closing up your...

It is important to flush a hot water tank at least once a year to clear sediment from the unit. The sediment that builds up is grit, sand, gravel or dirt. When the sediment builds up in the hot...

Draining a hot water tank once every couple of years will remove sediment and debris that could be inhibiting the efficiency of the tank. Sediment buildup in a hot water tank forces it to work...

A clogged toilet can be smelly and rather annoying. This article will share simple steps you can follow to quickly unclog a toilet.

Clogged drains can be a pain. There are many reasons why a drain can get clogged; be it from hair or soap in a bathroom drain to food stuck in the kitchen drain. Whatever the reason, there are...

Drain tile is typically installed when building a new house to prevent water from causing damage to the foundation. Homes that do not have drain tiles may have ground water seep into the basement...

Because the water that fills your electric water heater contains minerals, when the water heats up, these minerals break down into sediment. When sediment builds up, it coats the lower heating...

Septic system maintenance is often overlooked by the majority of home owners. With the septic tank and leach field both being underground, it is a case of being out of sight and out of mind until...

You should check your hot tub's water balance measurements on a regular basis. The balance must be verified that it is within the correct parameters for your system, but at the same time, also...

There are benefits and disadvantages to having a salt water pool. You need to drain the pool less frequently than if you were manually chlorinating a pool, but salt water is considered a...

Jet tubs can be a wonderful and relaxing place for you to enjoy alone, with a partner or with friends. However, maintaining a jet tub's cleanliness can be difficult. Luckily, there are several...

Hot water heaters supply the hot water to the faucets within your home. If you notice a lack of hot water, then you can do some troubleshooting to determine what could be causing the problem. In...

A summer home, beach house or vacation house needs to be winterized and closed for the season. If the house is not properly winterized you run the risk of severely damaging your home. There are a...

Anyone who has ever had to do dirty dishes by hand knows that the modern dishwasher is a true time saver. Unfortunately, after time, the little bits of food and grease that remain on the dishes...

Turning on the hot water faucet and expecting the water to be hot is something we all take for granted. Rarely are we concerned about hot water, until it fails to come. In most cases when this...

Unusually wet floors and carpeting in the bathroom after showers point to a probable leak in the shower tray. A steady leak will cause damage to floors and walls and can become extensive in a...

Who among us hasn't tried in vain to drain a waterbed, sucking on the end of the hose, wondering why the water won't start flowing? When approached correctly, draining your waterbed can be an...

To keep a drain functioning properly, it is essential to keep it clean. Usually, a sink or bathtub will begin to drain slowly before it stops entirely. This happens as a result of soap residue,...

Potassium hydroxide is a highly corrosive chemical compound used in household cleaning products such as oven cleaners and drain openers and is also used for industrial cleaning. Many items in the...

Over time, your hot water heater builds up sediments. Because you count on your water heater to have hot water ready for household chores and bathing, it needs to function efficiently. Routine...

Clogged up drains can be a mess!! Not to mention expensive to unclog. I have easy solutions, that cost hardly anything. Check it out and try it for yourself!!!

Plumbers will often charge you hundreds of dollars for simple fixes that you easily can do for free. One of the most common household problems is a kitchen sink that will not drain properly. ...

Garbage disposals take a lot of wear and tear, and they can start to smell after a while. If the odors coming from your sink are unbearable, it's time to clean out your garbage disposal.

Clogged drains are a part of life. Whether it is a sink or a shower drain, the process of dealing with a clog is never an experience to look forward to. Sure, they can be treated easy enough with...

Central air conditioners are designed to operate with very little maintenance, but there are routine cleanings that can be done to help improve how they run. The outside part, the compressor and...

When faced with a clogged drain, people often call a plumber or resort to chemical drain cleaners to solve the problem. Instead of incurring the added expense and potential environmental hazards,...

We have all been there, unfortunately. You can see the drain is starting to be clogged, the water is going down slower than normal!! Before you get to the point of complete clog- and going through...

Removing a pop up bathtub plug and unclogging the drain is not a hard task to do but if you have never done it, then it might not be so easy. If you have a screwdriver, flashlight and pair of...

I had a house that was remodeled with all new windows, sealed, and resided with cement board siding. All of this did not deture centipedes from crawling there way into my home. With a bunch a...

Every time you use hot water in your house, water flows through your electric water heater and leaves residue behind. Most of this residue is in the form of deposited minerals that were originally...

Clogged drains are a nuisance, but they can also be easy to clear. To prevent clogged drains, use a trap to catch hair (in bathroom sinks) and food particles (in kitchen sinks) before they make...

Home radiators provide great heat on cold winter days, but they have to be maintained in order to run properly. A home radiator should be flushed and refilled about once a year to keep it running...