Plumbing

How To – Checking And Replacing Your Water Heater Thermocouple

Your water heater’s Thermocouple is used as a safety device to shut off your gas flow if your pilot light is not working.

The Thermocouple looks like a probe  and because of its design there are no repairable parts.

When the end of the thermocouple is heated to a certain temperature the metal switch inside will allow voltage to flow back to your gas valve.  If no heat is present then it will restrict electricity from reaching the gas valve and shut down gas supply to your heater.

If the device is installed correctly and has good connections then it should either work or not work.

How To – Plumbing Tools and Repairing Common Clogs

Curing a Bathroom or Kitchen clog is one of the messy jobs that you will eventually have to do. Even if you would normally call a plumber or your Apartment Super there are times that fixing things yourself is just easier.

There are a few similarities of all clogs.

The first has to do with the type of pipe or fixture that is clogged.

Every plumbing appliance (Sink, Toilet, Bathtub) that is hooked to a Waste Line has a Trap of some type to restrict …

HowTo – Closing And Maintaining Your Swimming Pool For Winter

Whether you have a permanent in ground or above ground swimming pool there are steps you need to take to preserve it over winter.

The best time to perform this maintenance is early Fall before the leaves begin to fill your pool. This will reduce the amount of cleaning you need to perform but it will also reduce the amount of mold that will transfer into your pool from wilting leaves.

How To – Bathroom Sink Clog – P-trap and Pop-up

Bathroom sinks are notorious for getting clogged. In some instances it is almost a on going problem but curing the clog yourself is not always that difficult.

For the most part I never suggest a chemical cleaner and the reason for this is often the clog is in an area where the chemical won’t come in extended contact with the material. Another good reason is if the Chemical does not work you will have caustic chemicals within pipes …

Waste Lines

Unlike your feed lines your waste lines are not under pressure.

This means that you must always maintain a downward slope when installing waste lines. Never run a waste pipe within a floor or wall at the horizontal this will be asking for future trouble.

When you install Waste lines in your house you can use PVC or Cast Iron pipe. Today most builders prefer PVC because it is light easy to handle and goes in quick. Cast Iron is still used …

How To – Building A Basement Bathroom On A Budget

In this howto we will examine some of the options you have when building a basement bathroom and how you can save money by doing most of the work yourself.

If you have some basic carpentry and plumbing skills building a basement bathroom doesn’t need to cost you ten thousand dollars or more. The important thing is understanding what your requirements are for meeting code and what specialty items are available to get your job …

Water – Saving Money at the Faucet

water faucet saving moneyHow would you like to save 50% or more of the water you send down your drain? Everyone would but when it comes to saving water, electric or fuel it seems there is always someone telling you that you need to spend money to save.  They say buy this thing for $50 and it will save you $100 over the next 30 years. …

How To – Understanding Drinking Water Contaminants

http://www.yourepair.com/yrblog/wp-content/HLIC/11acaecdc961d86dde9ce5ccd67be91b.jpgThe water you drink every day could be contaminated with unhealthy chemicals, minerals, bacteria and other contaminants but how do these pollutants enter the drinking water and what can you do to identify them.

The water we drink comes from rainfall this is true if it originates from snow on mountains filling  streams that turn into rivers filling lakes and underground aquifers or if you collect it directly from your roof in a cistern system.

The path from …

How To – Cleaning Your Washing Machine To Remove Odors

There are a number of times that you will need to clean your washing machine to keep it in top working order but most often it will be when you have a musty mold smell.

When mold starts to grow inside your washing machine tub and in your waste lines you can end up with clothes that smell bad and may be unhealthy to wear.

Mold only requires water to begin growing and will grow quickly …

How To – Removing An Old Tub During A Bathroom Remodel

Sometimes home projects can be difficult for the single person but there are tricks of the trade to get your work done fast and easy.

When you are remodeling your bathroom you will find that dealing with your current fixtures can be somewhat difficult. The important thing to remember is if it fit into your house you can definitely get it out.

Bathtubs are one of the largest built in items you will need to deal …