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Residential and Commercial plumbers and plumbing contractors available in Orland Park, Tinley Park, Oak Lawn, Palos Heights, Midlothian, Oak Forest, Homer Glen, Mokena, Frankfort, and the surrounding Chicago South Suburbs. Emergency plumbers.

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Kevin Szabo Jr Plumbing Blog

Kevin Szabo Jr Plumbing is Tinley Park, Orland Park, Oak Forest, Midlothian, Orland Hill, Homer Glen, Mokena, Frankfort, Crestwood, Palos Heights, Oak Lawn, local plumber. Read our blog for advice, tips, a good laugh, and basic home improvement.

**We are moving our old blog to our new and improved website. Too see all our posts visit kevinszabojrplumbing.blogspot.com

Filtering by Category: December

Reasons Why Drain and Sewer Video Camera Inspections Must Be Undertaken

Rona Regan

Reasons Why Drain and Sewer Video Camera Inspections Must Be Undertaken

There could be several reasons behind blocked drains. To find the blockage or crack in the pipes most people feel that there is a need to dig them up. This means too much of effort, time and money along with creation of mess. However, these days drain and sewer video camera inspection is one of the most common procedures that most advanced plumbers opt for. The survey involves putting a drain camera into the sewer drainage or storm water pipeline to assess the condition internally. This is a non-invasive testing method which allows drainage line deep inside the ground to be inspected very easily.

There are many drain cleaning companies in the area that offer the drain and sewer video camera inspection services the customer. They have a full range of video camera equipment to carry out the examination of the pipes. Drainage pipes of diameters between 50 mm to 3 meters could be ideal for inspection using the camera equipment. Usually the cameras have zoom capabilities and pan and tilt features that allow you to detect any minor damage or crack in the pipe. The technology can be used to take right decisions on cleaning or repairing decisions related to drains and pipes. It is possible to clean or repair only the damaged or clogged section of the pipe which is detected to be defective.

Why to choose technology over traditional methods?

·       The drain and sewer video camera inspection is high on technology that is cost effective compared to the traditional process. A lot of time and money is wasted in identifying the cause by digging the area which also needs lot of recovery process. The traditional methods could lead to the misdiagnosis which can be troublesome. Multiple visits can be expensive and time consuming. Hence, using this technique you can save money as well as time.

·       The drain and sewer video camera inspection survey method is what allows you to get faster results unlike the traditional techniques used till date. There is no requirement of wasting time in full excavation to find out the actual problem with this procedure. The plumbers can use this technology to quickly diagnose the real problem to offer the right solution to it.

·       Technology can help not only to solve the existing problem but it also helps prevent a lot of issues as well. The video camera inspection survey technique also help to address the problem from exaggerating which in-returns help you save money on the long run. You can solve the defect or clog from turning nasty by identifying easily as early as possible. 

Benefits of this technology

The above mentioned reasons are the major benefits of the CCTV drain inspection technology used to identify the source of the problem. But apart from them some general benefits of using this technique for both parties are:

·       The video camera inspection does not require any excavation of the grounds for the pipes. Thus, there is no damage done to the property and the landscapes around. 

·       Because of the no requirement of the digging for the method, the pipe traffic is not at all disturbed. As a result, you get the best results of the understanding where and what is the exact problem.

·       Any situation whether there is a leak or broken pipe or blockage can be identified quickly and easily with the survey. Thus, time and energy is saved when they use this procedure to access the situation.

·       Repairing leaks can be hectic work, and until the right spot is detected complication can never be solved. Using the small camera with high features it is possible to detect the actual spot to repair it properly.

·       All the process is recorded and the report is submitted neatly to the owner for them to understand. 

We hope that the above-mentioned points will help you understand the importance of drain and sewer video camera inspection for cleaning rather than traditional method of plumbing.

Guest Contributor, Mary Mathis

Why You Should Hire a Professional Plumber?

Rona Regan

Why You Should Hire a Professional Plumber?

Plumbing is one of the most vital activities that ensure healthy and safe living environment at our homes. It is important to ensure that the entire plumbing work is executed carefully, so that any leakage of gas or water in the house is prevented. Once every few years, every homeowner needs a plumbing service to make sure that everything in their homes is working fine. A clogged or choked drainage system will end up pulling dirt into your kitchen or bathroom. Naturally, it is essential to take care of the water and drainage pipes in your home. Many people want to handle plumbing on their own. However, it is better to call the professional plumber for the following reasons.

Detailed Diagnostics

A plumbing professional will provide you with extremely detailed diagnostic reports about home plumbing systems. There can be plenty of issues hidden to the eye. A pro can easily spot the root cause of the problems, and check the entire plumbing system to look for any underlying issues such as:

  • Clogged drains or pipes
  • High water pressure
  • Cracks in pipe surfaces

This can help you to avoid any later issues, involving big expenses, in the future.

Supply of clean water

Given that tubing and pipes do not last for all times, damages and leaks can be replaced with superior materials and upgraded components. You will find the upgrades complying with the local building codes and regulations. A professional plumber will replace your frozen and damaged pipes and make sure that your drinking water is not contaminated.

Property protection

There can be risks of property damages from breaking of pipes. Plumbing professionals will help your property and its belongings, and reduce risks of damages. They can also minimize the risks of unnecessary expenses. They also have tools and equipment of professional-grade, which can take care of plumbing requirements much better than plungers can or wrenches bought from stores can do.

Professional Training

Professionals come with a lot of training and experience. They know the easiest and newest ways of handling plumbing requirements. There are reduced risks of errors. Professionals spend every day working on home plumbing. They are called up for most types of installation, repair and replacement jobs. This explains why they can work much faster and take care of the plumbing jobs. Skilled professionals can quickly finish the work and save you a lot of time and money. You will not have to worry about a poorly done plumbing job.

Cost Benefits

It is also less expensive to hire a plumbing professional, than calling up amateurs or handling the tasks on your own. When you attempt to repair a broken or plumbing faucet or pipe, you are always at the risk of greater plumbing problems – which might eventually need you to call professionals anyway. The bigger the mistake, the greater will be the expense. By calling experts straightaway, you can save many unnecessary expenses.

Emergency Plumbing Services

With a professional, you can also get emergency services. Once you enlist the services of a plumber, you will be given a direct contact number. In case of emergencies, you can directly get in touch with your plumber and get the problems resolved quickly. He can offer services like:

  • Repairing water leaks
  • Setting up new pipes
  • Installing dishwashers
  • Replacing the old pipes

This will ensure that everything is taken care of efficiently and with minimal risks of damage. The water bill from a mess or leak in the pipes can be very expensive, and you can avoid the unnecessary costs with the assistance of a qualified emergency plumbing professional.

Guest Contributor, Oliva Wilson

Author Bio: I'm Oliva Wilson, a knowledgeable and qualified blogger. I adore writing blog on many topics, like Home Improvement, Pet, Food, Automotive, Business, Health, Lifestyle etc.

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Is a Water Filtration System a Smart Investment?

Rona Regan

Is a Water Filtration System a Smart Investment? 

There are two reasons why you should worry about your tap water and start thinking about filtration options. They’re not equally important, but both should be taken into consideration. First of all, if your water has a strange color or if you’ve noticed stains on your clothes after washing them – you should definitely get it fixed right away. The other reason is less dangerous, but equally important. Sometimes the chemicals used to make the water safe leave a strange aftertaste or give a strong sent to your water. That’s also a good reason to get a filter even though the water you’re getting is drinkable.

Potential risks

The risks involved in drinking unfiltered tap water can be microbiological or chemical. The first one refers to micro-organisms that might enter your water supply system. It’s not an important concern at least in the developed world, where there are government agencies which check for these on a regular basis. Chemical concerns, however, are real, because some of them are the result of water purification itself.

Pesticides can be found in rural area water supplies, because they are used in farms and they get to water trough storm drains.  That water flows to rivers and creeks and then back to your home. Water suppliers are definitely checking for pesticides, but there have been reported cases of water contamination.

Chorine is the biggest cause of problems with your tap water. It’s used to kill microorganisms that get into water system and the amounts are regulated so it can’t be harmful. However, it changes the taste and smell of your water. If you think the water smells like bleach – you’re probably right and the chlorine is to blame for it.

Filters

When determining whether to use a filter and what kind – it basically comes to cost versus benefit analysis. Installing and maintaining filters take a little effort and money, but in return you get clean and drinkable water. It’s up to you to weigh those two out. Choosing the right kind of filter is the biggest part of that job.

Jug filters don’t actually need to be installed - they’re just placed in front of a tap, which is easy and convenient for smaller amounts of water. The setback is that they’re prone to clogging and the filters need to be regularly changed.

Counter-top filters can deal with larger amounts of water, without any changes to the plumbing. However, they can’t be used on all faucets and they take up a lot of space on your counter-top.

Under-sink filters can filter the biggest amount of water and they don’t take up much space in your kitchen. On the other hand, they require professionals to install them and they’re the most expansive, because of the additional cost of plumbing work.

Mediums

Choosing the right filter medium is your next most important concern. The choice is mostly based on what kind of problem your water supply has and what you want to filter out.

Using a quality water filter and cartridges will get rid of basically all contaminants using water pressure and a very thin membrane which blocks the unwanted particles. The process is fully automated, so you don’t have to think about it after the installation.

If you have a problem with mineral saturated water (so-called hard water), the filters that remove calcium and magnesium are the choice you should go with. These filters are appropriately called softeners.

UV lights are used to kill microbes, so they’re the best solution for your irrigation needs. However, it only works if the water is clear already.

All filtration systems come with advantages as well as disadvantages, but they make a valuable addition to your home, because you can’t put a price on health.

Guest Contributor, Lillian Connors

Advantages of Using Custom Roller Blinds for your Home

Rona Regan

Advantages of Using Custom Roller Blinds for your Home

Roller blinds are popular additions for homes as these add a great look to the house and these come well within budget as well. There are a lot of options available for roller blinds in the market. These days you can also get custom roller blinds made per your specific requirements. Many people opt for custom roller blinds because they can get it per their specific color and size requirements. Mentioned below are some of the reasons why custom roller blinds have become popular across the globe.

It's highly affordable:

Custom roller blinds are easy to be made and there are different fabrics available in the market to choose from. The installation and customizing costs for these roller blinds are extremely low. For custom roller blinds you do not need a company to come and install it for you. All that you need is an experienced professional working in customizing roller blinds and you can get a good deal from him.

You can choose what you want:

There is a wide range of possibilities that you can have with the customizing option. You can select the kind of fabric you want, you can get your own design, you can select the size that is suitable for you. This helps the home owner to get great benefits even in the long run. When it comes to the kitchens or bathrooms, you can choose the washable options like vinyl. However, for the other areas of your house you can choose from velvet to the silk. You can consider the budget you have and then choose the one that best suits your needs.

Create a simple mechanism:

When you look for a certain thing per your specific requirement then you are in the driving seat. In roller blinds the mechanism is simple and based on the fabric wrapped around the rollers. The possibility of the simple mechanism means that the blinds can be easily opened and quickly closed as and when the weather and your mood changes. In custom mechanism, you can make it simpler and so there is nothing much left to go wrong.

Easy maintenance:

The roller blinds are one of the most maintainable of all the other options available. When you customize it, you can design it in a way that helps you do so in the easiest of ways. All that you will need to clean the blind is a small brush and a few wipes. If there are any stubborn stains, then a damp cloth will do. So instead of spending hours to clean the windows, you can do the cleaning process in a short time and that too with great ease.

Choose the one that is perfect:

When you are going for custom roller blinds you are the one choosing everything from the rollers to the design, size and the material of the blinds. With these possibilities, you can choose the custom roller blinds which is best suited for all your needs. You can match them with your home interior color, aesthetics, and get the design that exemplifies your home décor. So, there is nothing left to chance and everything you use can be matched perfectly.

The above-mentioned points highlight the reasons for the popularity of custom roller blinds. If you are planning to go for the custom roller blinds, then make sure that you only take help from an experienced professional. An experienced professional will ensure that you only get the perfect results for your roller blinds customization and installation as well.

Guest Contributor, Lauren Bracy

How Do You Conduct Your Blocked Drain Removal Project?

Rona Regan

How Do You Conduct Your Blocked Drain Removal Project?

Proper drainage system helps you get healthy and hygienic atmosphere in your home and commercial places. However, if you face blocked drain problems in your property, then you need to hire professional on immediate basis. Some people may ignore these problems, and they can face some serious troubles after few days. It is recommended to avoid such foolish acts, and try to think smart in a genuine way that can help you out to cope with the drainage problem. Or else can you wash your face and brush your teeth in an overflowing washbasin. In order to avoid such things, you need to clear your blocked drain and stay healthy and hygienic.

How do you conduct the residential and commercial drainage repair and maintenance work?

Firstly, you need to identify the reason of the blocked drain and for this you need to evaluate the cleaning process and ask the professional about the reason. There are many reasons for the blockage of drains, like, hair, baby wipes, sanitary products, food ingredients, and plastic, which might have been deposited inside your drainage system, and these make the drain blocked. Most of these items cannot be recycled, and you cannot move them by creating water pressure. In this regards, you can try some homemade applications for cleaning blocked drains like you can pour some hot water with vinegar in your drain, or you can plug out this garbage with some hanger. It is recommended to not create any pressure toward your drainage system, and try to plug out the garbage from the drainage system.

Why do you opt for some professional blocked drainage services?

  • This is not just a small task and it is impossible to conduct the blocked drain cleaning in the commercial place in this DIY (do it yourself) way. Therefore, for the commercial blocked drain-clearing task, you need to rely on some reputed blocked drain clearing companies, and they will come with their team. Along with that, these companies have the latest tools, and they will inspect the whole drainage system of your property with their advanced techniques.

  • Apart from that, you can find complicated joints and angles in your drainage lines which can be blocked anytime, and you cannot identify these hidden places, also you cannot access these narrow joints with your own tools. However, the professionals come with CCTV camera, and install the camera inside drainage system, and identify the accurate blockage portions eventually.

  • They can easily detect the blockage area of your drainage system, and they then fix these portions with some chemical washing technology. In addition, they do not incorporate any harmful chemicals which can affect your daily life.

  • These professionals are experts for removing dirt build up system, and can provide you some easy solutions for your blocked drain. If you clean your drain by yourself then you can find the same problems very soon, because you cannot be able to pull out all the deposited garbage from the drain. In addition, you can find some bad odor from your drainage system. To avoid these problems, you need to hire blocked drain clearing professionals, who not only clean your drain, but who also suggest you the proper maintenance guidelines.

Maintenance of the drainage system is very important, because if you do not maintain your drain in a proper way, then you can face blocked drain issues for recurrent times. You can also schedule for a blocked drain removal services. They will visit your place every 6 months or annually, to inspect the drainage system, and clean the drain if necessary.  

Guest Contributor, Amelie Lawrence

Expert Guide on How to Clear and Prevent Blocked Drains

Rona Regan

Preventing Blocked Drains.jpg

Expert Guide on How to Clear and Prevent Blocked Drains

Blocked drains are a very common problem that most people face in their houses’ plumbing. This could be because many tend to not think about the network of pipes that exists in their houses until a problem occurs. Even if you come across a blocked drain, you will be able to clear it quickly. But instead of waiting for something to happen you should stay proactive and pay more attention to what goes into your drain so that you will be able to prolong its life, prevent leans and avoid all types of costly repairs.

How to Unclog a Blocked Drain

When the drain at your home is blocked, carry out the following steps to unclog them efficiently:

·       Add Baking Soda, fresh squeezed lemon juice and vinegar. Let it sit in the drain for 30 minutes. Then rinse it with warm water. This should help the clog. Avoid using store bought chemicals. Store bought chemicals will damage your pipes in the long run.

·       Instead of using store bought chemicals, hire a plumber for snaking the blocked drain and removing the gunk, grease or hair completely.

·       You could also use a manually operated augur or even a snake that is available at most hardware stores. You will also be able to rent an electric snake for unclogging the blocked drain all by yourself

Precautionary Measures

If the drain is clogged and water is backed up along the pipelines, then it will put a lot of stress on the pipe and shorten its life span. Instead of going through all that trouble of unclogging the blocked drain, you could take some preventive steps so that you will be able to prevent the clog from happening in the first place. Follow the precautionary measures mentioned below and be proactive:

·       The drains in the kitchen are the ones that get clogged very often, due to all the food particles that go down it. They accumulate there over time and get stuck, so make sure that you scrape them off and put it in the trash before you could put the plates in the sink. You should never put liquid grease in the drain rather it should be poured into a container that is sealable and discarded separately.

·       Make sure to never pour oil down the kitchen drain. It will be able to handle milk, water and other types of liquids but oil will solidify and set on the inside of the pipes thus creating a blockage. Getting rid of this blockage will be a tough task so you should make sure that you get rid of the oil separately.

·       Hair is a major problem in the bathroom drains. Install a screen that can go over the tubs and showers in the bathroom. Once a week you should take out the hair so that any type of buildup can be prevented.

·       When it comes to the toilets, you should not put in anything other than toilet paper and sewage.

·       You can use a drain un-blocker regularly for getting rid of the small blockages. These small clogs will not be able to wash over on its own and will end up attracting more gunk and debris till a stage where it becomes a big clog thus fully blocking the pipes. You could also use some eco-friendly products for keeping the drain clean at all times.

Keep these precautionary measures as well as unclogging steps handy, so that they can be implemented to maintain the drains in your home and to unclog a blocked drain immediately.

Guest Contributor, Lara Buck

Contact a Plumber If Drain is Struggling to Manage Rain Water

Rona Regan

Contact a Plumber If Drain is Struggling to Manage Rain Water

Post a storm or heavy rain, often it has been found that the stormwater drain have a large puddle or pool of water. This occurs due to the blockage of the stormwater drain. Fixing blocked stormwater drains is a challenging task and this cannot be performed by just basic skills. This is why the experts are called in so that they can analyze the situation and provide a solution to the problem.

Blocked drains can lead to property damage and can affect the daily lives. The blocked stormwater drain experts use modern tools and techniques to clear the blocked stormwater drain such as:

  • Drain Rods

  • Drain Plunger

  • Compressed Air

  • Closet Auger

  • Compressed Air & Push Fit Waste Systems

  • Drain Clearing Chemicals

  • Mechanical Drain Rodding

  • High Pressure Water Jetting

Depending on the amount of the pipe or sewer damage, a blocked stormwater drain experts have different tools and gadgets that can be used. To unclog a storm water drain, a plumber uses a plumbing electric eel and or a high pressure water jetter. The high pressure water jetter is used as a last resort when all other techniques fail.

Although there is no specific reason behind the blocked stormwater drain, however, there are few precautionary measured that can be taken to prevent the stormwater drain from getting clogged:

  • Make sure that the sewers and drainpipes are checked at least once in a month and the materials such as leaves, dirt, plastics are removed.

  • Get a leaf diverter or gutter guard installed as this will prevent leaves from going down the pipe. Most leaf and tree debris will slip off the diverter, but make sure to clean the leaf diverter as constant use will eventually block up the filter.

  • Ensure that diapers, condoms, plastics, hairs, tennis balls etc. do not get chance to enter the drain.

  • If the stormwater drains, drainpipes and sewers are taking time to drain the water; then contact the blocked stormwater drain experts as this will help in saving time and money.

  • Get the stormwater drains, drainpipes and sewers checked before the start and end of summer, during autumn and winter season.

  • In order to prevent a blocked drain from happening, it is suggested to use a hair catcher. It is a device that looks like a strainer that catches falling hair and refrains them from entering the drain. In case of unavailability of the hair catcher, it is also better to use bent wires to catch hairs trapped on the drain.

All these simple precautions will prevent the stormwater drain from getting over flooded.

Hiring a blocked stormwater drain experts can be quite beneficial because of the following things:

  • It helps in saving time and money: Professionals know how to get the work done within time by using the advanced gadgets; however, when cleaning without the help of a professional one needs to purchase all the expensive gadgets.

  • It helps in preventing harm to the environment: Drain cleaning chemicals if used in more quantity than recommended can result in damages to the environment; however, by hiring a professional, one does not need to worry about this as they know the exact proportion of using these chemicals.

  • It helps in finding the root cause of the problem: A professional will examine and then diagnose the exact source of problem of stormwater drain and then will fix the problem.

  • It helps in getting the work done in a clean and a hygienic manner: A professional when cleans the stormwater drain will ensure that the cleanliness and basic hygiene is maintained.

Thus, one should contact blocked stormwater drain experts if the stormwater drain has clogged.

Guest Contributor, Jack Louis

Why You Should Always Get Help From A Professional Plumber For Blocked Drains

Kevin Szabo Jr

Professional Plumber for Blocked Drain

There are instances when a blocked drain is something that you feel can be fixed on your own. But that is really not true all the time. In some cases, these drains call for repairs that include specialists like plumbers. No doubt that regular work can be done at home for clogged drains using your classic home remedies like lemon and vinegar combined with baking soda or using hot water, mild home-based drain cleaners, etc. can be used as well. But the truth is that, more often than not, the clogging is still there deep within the layers of the pipe. Hence, you won’t get the desired results. 

Instead of trying to repair the blocked drain yourself, it is advisable to call for a plumber for the following reasons:

•        You have tried repairing or unclogging the blocked drain and yet there is no respite. So one of the first warning signs is that there is still a very strong gurgling or swirling sound coming from the pipes. In such cases, the pipes are still clogged way down and you are probably not aware of it. If in spite of your cleaning efforts, you continue to hear these sounds then don’t delay. The chances are that you are continuing to clog your drain, though it may just seem a bit cleaner on the top layers.

•        If there is constant overflowing in the kitchen or toilet sinks in spite of cleaning your blocked drain using home remedies, then you should call a professional. An overflowing sink, toilet or other forms of drainage are never a good sign. It is indicative of clogging in the pipes, which just seems to be getting worse. You can of course give it a shot or two but in the long run, delaying this would mean further damage to your pipes.

Repair The Blocked Drain Yourself

•        Considering the season and the time of the year is also very important here. Blocked drains that are caused because of frozen pipes or similar conditions like a storm, leads to extreme clogging with tree branches or even leaves that you cannot manage at home. In such cases, it is best to call a plumber rather than delaying repairs. Often, the damage caused to the pipes could be irreparable, which also implies that you have to pay a fortune for this.

•        Nothing seems to be helping your clogged drains. You have tried it all from home remedies to commercial solvents and even the plunger. All of these are indicative that your blocked drains need special attention. Calling a plumber earlier would ensure that you are able to fix the issue from the root. Else, you may be just cleaning your drains superficially without even knowing the main source of the clogging.

Apart from these above-mentioned suggestions, you should also bear in mind to-

•        Avoid throwing things into the drain, be it your kitchen or the toilet. These items can include grease, flour, plastic items, etc. Ensure that you get a drain that works as an efficient blocker, preventing pipe clogging.

•        Watch for early signs of drainage problems that are listed above.

It is true that a blocked drain is best prevented rather than cured. You can also hire plumbers who would come and do regular cleaning and unclogging of your pipes. For a nominal charge, you can sign a contract where in the plumber would come and clean your pipes or sinks every 3 months or as per the contract - thus preventing the entire issue all together and saving you a lot of clogging hassles.

Guest Contributor, Mary Mathis

Budget-Friendly Ways to a Bathroom Remodeling Success

Rona Regan

Budget-Friendly Ways to a Bathroom Remodeling Success

Every once in a while, we get the need to do some remodeling - sometimes it is just one room, yet in rare occasions it is the entire house. Besides the kitchen, another room that gets remodeled quite often is the bathroom. There are plenty of things one can do to upgrade this space. Listed below are budget-friendly ways to a successful bathroom remodeling.

Save On Tiles

If we don’t take the bathtub into consideration, the most expensive part of bathroom remodeling may as well be laying the tiles. This can be ridiculously expensive, especially if you are paying a contractor to do it for you. Now, I don’t know much about tiles, but I know that if a contractor does it, he will place as many tiles as he can, thus take as much money from you as possible. This is why you should limit the number of tiles you place. To save money, place tiles only on the floor, rather than placing them inside the shower and on the walls. You’ll surprised by the amount of money you’ll save by doing this.

The Painting Process

Another method of keeping your budget intact is repainting the bathroom. Since the bathroom is the smallest room in the house, repainting it usually takes a lot of time. You can even use a better paint or one with a satin finish. Also, keep in mind the sudden temperature swings happening in the bathroom, as well as mold and moisture. You might want to paint your ceiling with a special paint as well, the one that resists mold growth.

Reline Your Tub

Most people make the biggest mistake ever when remodeling their bathroom – they purchase a new tub. Keep in mind that purchasing a new tub should only happen in case you actually want a new tub. In every other scenario, you could save a lot of money simply by having a professional reline your old one. Do this only, and only with the tub; relining the sink or the shower costs more than replacing them completely. If your tub is made of porcelain or fiberglass, or even cast iron, you could refinish it yourself. DIY refinishing tool and paint may cost up to $150-200, but it is way less than replacing it or paying a contractor to do it.

In Case You Are Getting A New One

Now if you’ve really tried everything and you are left with no options but to replace your tub, shower or any of the bathroom accessories, the best option is to try and get a used one. Sites like eBay and Craigslist have good offers and you may end up getting a great deal if a good bargain is struck. You would be surprised by the quality of old things that people sell once they get them replaced. Check these websites from time and time, and turn on your notifications so that you don’t miss a next great deal.

Set Your Creativity Free

There are plenty of things you can do to make your bathroom look nicer. For instance, throw in an interesting runner rug, or use the old vintage can to hold your toothbrushes and toothpaste. Use old pieces of barn wood and transform them into shelves. There is no limit to the things you can do if you put your imagination to the test

Eco-Friendly Design

Another great way of upgrading your bathroom is by installing eco-friendly designs. We are talking about low-flow toilets, sinks and showers. By saving on the amount of spent water, you will not only preserve the environment, but at the same time save some money. To make things even more tempting, water saving faucets and shower heads often cost the same, if not even less than the regular ones.

Get creative, and renew your bathroom while trying not to spend a fortune on it. Instead, save money by applying these tips, and spend it on a holiday you’ve always wanted.

Guest Contributor, Lillian Connors

Safest and Best Plumbing Pipes for Your Home to Avoid Blocked Drains

Rona Regan

Safest and Best Plumbing Pipes for Your Home to Avoid Blocked Drains

There are a plethora of problems that affect your home’s plumbing and amongst them blocked drains is a very fairly common one. The many reasons for blocked drains range from the wrong kind of disposal to not maintaining your pipes the right way. In other cases, it also happens that you are over cleaning your pipes too much and because they are of a shoddy make, they tend to break faster. This breakage in turn results in the pipes getting clogged further, which in the long run implies that you will continue the bear the brink of this over-clogging. However, a simple solution here would be using safer and durable pipes.

Doing so is highly recommended to prevent blocked drains. Most homes have older plumbing line that breaks apart easily due to wear and tear as well as due to the harsh use of other chemicals these days. So if your home is constantly having issues of blocked lines then you should consider getting an expert opinion and re-work the plumbing. Ideally you can try all kinds of cleaning methods with these pipes be it industrial or even your basic soda and vinegar combination here. Some of the available pipe options here include-

CPVC

This is one of the most common kinds of pipes used for preventing blocked drains issues. They are used mostly in residential places where both hot and cold water application is fairly common. These have also replaced the copper pipes in many areas. They come in a range of choices like 10-20 feet sizes and the diameters are about ½-inch to 2-inches. These come with special solvents too that aids in faster soldering and keeps your pipe safe for a longer time.

PEX

These too are used for hot and cold interior pipe purposes in residences. Not only are they are easy to move but they can be operated or maneuvered with ease without having to use elbows. You can use the standard 100 foot rolls that they come in. They are joint with either plastic or metal crimping and the diameter is about ¼ to ¾-inch. These work in preventing blocked drains because they are able to withstand the harsh weather conditions and thus can quickly get rid of dirt.

Copper

Copper pipes are a sturdy and sensible option for all residential homes because they are compatible with both hot and cold water. What makes these pipes sustainable is the fact they are quite light in weight and they are also very long-lasting. Since they fit easily into spaces, you don’t have to worry about fitting issues. Also, the material in itself is able to withstand chemical cleansers and procedures that are known for reducing the risks of blocked drains. You can get them in M (red) for indoor water distribution

What’s not suitable?

PVC

PVC or polyvinyl chloride is generally used for water applicants and thus is not suitable for your home unless you are living in very warm areas and use only cold water applications. Ideally these are used for irrigation and farming purposes and the pressure application here goes up to 2 inches. These are joined using mechanical couplings.

There are various other forms of new pipes being launched that are suitable for your home. These are specially devised to combat the problem of blocked drains by preventing materials from sticking to them. They are sturdier and not prone to easy breakage, which makes them ideal for long-term solutions. Of course, do consult with a plumber to know the best option as per your local rules. 

Guest Contributor, Mary Mathis