12 Little Accidents At Home And How To Fix Them

GoDirect gladly serves the Denver community on big sewage and plumbing projects. But what about the small things, like wear and tear? We're happy to help with that too, however, if you'd like to take a stab at it first, here are some DIY tips and tricks to tackling the minor house issues.

12 Little Accidents at Home and How to Fix Them - HomeAdvisor Your home suffers a lot of wear and tear each day. It’s normal to see hints of damage here and there – but wouldn’t it be nicer without them. What can you do to clear up after a minor domestic catastrophe?

Whether it’s damage that comes from repeated use, or a one-off accident that’s left a mark, little flaws around the home can detract from all your good intentions. Everything seems nicely decorated, and then your eyes drift to a horrible scratch or a stain in the carpet. It can be difficult to know how to fix these problems without making them worse.

Well, every blemish needs its own solution – but the solutions are out there. Did you know that petroleum jelly is ideal for getting rid of mug rings on tables? It’s just one of many surprising household uses this weird substance has!

Bigger disasters, like spilling wax on your carpet, can be dealt with using easy-to-find tools. With wax, the best thing to do is to cover the spillage with kitchen paper, and heat it up with a hairdryer. Once the towel is saturated with wax, replace it with it with a fresh one and do it again. Keep trying until the wax is all gone – it shouldn’t take long.

You never know where the next bit of damage is going to appear. We’ve put together a new infographic, with easy instructions on how to deal with a number of common mishaps around the home.

It might sometimes feel like your house has a life of its own. With these handy tips, you’ll be ready to give it a little tender loving care whenever required.

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Why You Should Get A Sewer Scope Inspection Before Buying A House

When inspecting a house, most people only inspect the interior and exterior. However, how often do people think about checking out the sewer line before purchasing a home? Sewer lines are a critical element to a home and are often overlooked until a problem occurs.

Purchasing a home is a big deal and we understand that, so we want to offer you our sewer scope services to help you make the best purchasing decision possible. Give us a call, it's necessary.

Why you need to have the sewer scoped when buying a home | findwell Inspecting a home before your purchase is a critical piece of due diligence that you should do as a home buyer. One home system that is often overlooked is the sewer line. Normal home inspectors don’t examine it, since it is buried in the ground and it requires special camera equipment to inspect. The prudent home buyer will always have the sewer line inspected, regardless of the age of a home.

A sewer backup is a potentially nasty and expensive event when you own a home.  Sewer line repair can also be extremely expensive, as it requires a lot of excavation and potentially street/sidewalk repairs. A cheap sewer line repair can cost $5000, and once you get in to the street, it can quickly reach a $10,000-$25,000 repair, making it one of the single most expensive repairs you could face during home ownership.

The side sewer line is the pipe that exits the home and joins up with the city sewer main, usually in the middle of the street. In Seattle, the oldest homes have sewer pipes that are made of clay. Sometime around the middle of the 20th century, this changed to concrete. In the late 70’s-early 80’s, builders began using plastic pipes (PVC or ABS). Clay and concrete pipes can be susceptible to cracks and tree root infiltration at the joints between section of pipes. Plastic pipes are glued together and impervious to roots. However, there can be issues with new plastic pipes as well. Cracks, pipe shifting, low spots and roots can all cause the sewer to backup into your home.

We have plenty of examples of sewer problems that we discovered in both old and new homes. The lesson here is to not necessarily trust what you are told about a sewer line, unless you have video from a recent sewer scope verifying its condition.

The bottom line is that sewer lines of all ages can have potential issues. Personally I would never buy a house without scoping the sewer line. If you suspect the home has clay or concrete lines, a sewer scope is a must. Even with plastic lines, we’ve found plenty of issues that need to be addressed.  The couple hundred bucks you spend on a sewer scope inspection is well worth it to avoid costly and messy repairs in the future.

 

Originally Posted over here: Why You Should Get A Sewer Scope Inspection Before Buying A House

Hydro-Jet Cleaning vs. Plumbing Snaking

So you have a clogged drain - How do you move forward? Which method do you use and what's the difference?

When you run into a clog and need a sewer repair it's important to understand the type of clog you're dealing with and what method will work best to get rid of the problem. Rest assured that no matter the size of the job, we’ve got you covered.

Plumbing Snaking vs. Hydro Jetting | Home Guides | SF Gate Drain clogs are a problem for every homeowner at some point. Materials get stuck in toilet and sink drains or build up over time and result in slow drains or overflows. If your plunger won’t move the clog, you need something a little more powerful. Plumbers often use a plumbing auger or a hydro jet when clogs just won’t budge. Each is designed for different types of clogs.

Plumbing snakes, also called plumbing augers, consist of a long metal tube at one end with a cable inside that has a corkscrew auger or blades attached, and a hand crank at the other. The cable end of the snake is placed in the drain and you turn the crank end to extend the cable down the drain. When it reaches the clog you can feel the resistance and must turn the crank to push through the clog and then pull it out of the drain. Plumbing snakes may have a straight tube or a J-shaped bend. The straight tube style is intended for sink drains, while the J-shaped snakes are intended for toilets.

Hydro jetting consists of a high-pressure hose with a specialized nozzle connected to a machine that pressurizes the water, producing a powerful stream that clears the drain. Hydro jetting is usually done through a cleanout, which is an opening that allows plumbers to clean out clogs. The water is forced down the drain, where it pushes grease, mineral build-up, hair and other debris through the drain. With a powerful enough hydro jet, tree roots can also be broken up. However, before using a hydro jet, a plumber typically inspects the drain with a small camera to determine if the pipe is damaged.

A plumbing snake is ideal for minor clogs or when an item such as a toy gets stuck in the drain. If your plunger doesn’t remove the material, a snake is usually enough to remove most clogs. Snakes can also alert you to more serious problems. For example, if it can’t break through the material, you may have a tree root in the line, and not a buildup of hair. A hydro jet, on the other hand, doesn’t just break up clogs, it clears your plumbing lines of material that builds up on pipe walls, such as minerals and grease. Snaking doesn’t thoroughly clean your pipes, so it is a temporary solution to many types of clogs. While hydro jetting can clear almost any clog, it's not an option for the do-it-yourselfer. If your pipes are damaged or weak, a hydro jet may cause more damage, so it is a process that should be done by a professional plumber to avoid damaging your plumbing.

The best way to clear your clogged plumbing lines depends on the cause of the problem. Hydro jetting is a solution that’s best when clogs can’t be removed using a plumbing snake, such as heavy sludge and grease that has built up over time, or tree roots. Plumbing snakes are ideal for slow-draining lines or to remove occasional blockages, such as too much toilet paper or food stuck in your sink drain.

Via homeguides.sfgate.com

Original Post over here: Hydro-Jet Cleaning vs. Plumbing Snaking

How To Flush Your Toilet And Waste Less Water

Earth Day just passed, but that doesn't mean we can't try to conserve on the other days. Did you know that the average American flushes 24 gallons of potable water down the toilet every single day? That's a lot! To help you care for the Earth and for yourself, here are some tips on how to waste less water. If you run into any problems and need a sewer inspection, you know who to call!

How to Flush Your Toilet and Waste Less Water - Articles - Networx Americans are a contradictory bunch. We care a great deal about recycling and saving energy. (Yay!) Yet at the same time, many of us remain blissfully unaware of another essential resource that is being wasted on a regular basis. That is clean water. The average American literally flushes 24 gallons of potable water down the toilet every single day. It doesn't have to be like that, though. There are plenty of ways to reduce how much water your toilet uses and none of them is very expensive, painful, or difficult. Let's take a closer look.

If It's Yellow …

Contrary to popular belief, not flushing the toilet every time won't lead to a disgustingly malodorous bathroom -- at least, as long as you and your housemates keep yourselves properly hydrated. (In fact, one of the most noticeable symptoms of dehydration is concentrated urine that tends to have a stronger smell than usual.) To avoid stubborn mineral deposits, flush after every 2 or 3 urinations and scrub down the inside of the bowl with a toilet brush, assisted by a little white vinegar if necessary.

Water Saving

Reducing the amount you flush won't save you much cash either, only a few dollars per year. However, it will conserve something more precious than money … clean water. Older model toilets are water guzzlers, using anywhere from 3.5 to 7 gallons for every flush. That means reducing your flushing to every second time could save about 10,000 gallons of water annually.

When You Need to Flush Twice

If flushing the toilet every time you use it is less than optimal, flushing twice for one "go" is even worse. A buildup of lime scale under the toilet bowl rim will slow the flow of the flush water; try removing it with a paste of white vinegar and baking soda, left undisturbed for several hours. Should that prove unsuccessful, you may need to replace the flushing mechanism.

Placing a brick in your old-style toilet tank is occasionally recommended as a water-saving method. The concept behind this is that the volume of liquid the tank can hold, and therefore the volume per flush, will be reduced. While this is logical, dropping a brick into the tank may damage the mechanism. Some people also claim that the brick might disintegrate with time, causing even more serious problems. Substitute something like the natural rubber Drop-a-Brick for a similar effect that is easier on the plumbing. Check with a plumber before adding any kind of gizmo to your tank if you have a newer model toilet, though. Otherwise you might end up breaking the air lock, allowing the lovely scent of sewage to permeate your home.

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Go Green At Home For Earth Day!

We, at Go Direct, want to remind you all that this weekend Saturday, April 22, is Earth Day! There are all sorts of ways to celebrate but just in case you're unsure, here are 40 tips to help you go greener.

40 ways to go greener at home ...besides just recycling - The Art of Simple - Being intentionally eco-wise is about celebrating the creativity of creation, being good stewards with what we’re given, and passing on those values to the next generation.

The thing I love most about practicing good green green habits? Nine times out of ten, they’re also the more frugal option. Being environmentally-friendly is just good economics—in our home and budget, and with the earth.

There are tons of little things we can do in our homes to play a small part in reducing landfill waste, cleaning the air, and preserving the natural landscape. But we double our efforts when we get our kids involved, helping them understand the why to our what.

When they get it, it’ll be second nature when they’re adults—and that much easier to pass it down to their children.

Here are some small, easy, green choices we can make in our homes. Choose three that you’re not already doing, and make them a habit this year.

1.  Plant an herb garden.  It’s good to have a reminder around of where our food originates, and this one is super easy.

2.  Switch all your lightbulbs to CFLs (or at least switch a few).

3.  Create a homemade compost bin for $15.

4.  Switch one appliance to an energy efficient model (look for the “energy star” label).

Photo from Flip & Tumble

5.  Stop using disposable bags. Order some reusable bags—my favorites are Flip & Tumble. Or, make your own—they’re insanely easy.

6.  Buy an inexpensive reusable water bottle, and stop buying plastic disposable bottles (my favorite is the Kleen Kanteen with the sport cap.  Then watch The Story of Bottled Water, a short movie about the bottled water phenomena.

7.  Wash laundry in cold water instead of hot.

8.  Turn off lights when you leave the room.

9.  Don’t turn on lights at all for as long as you can—open your curtains and enjoy natural light.

10.  Drive the speed limit, and combine all your errands for the week in one trip.

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Simple Tips to Conserve Water in Honor of Earth Day

Earth Day is just around the corner. How are you going to conserve and help the planet this week? Here at GoDirect we value sustainability and efficiency and want to help with your conservation habits. Check out the article below and let us know your thoughts. What are your plans for Earth Day?

Need more assistance with plumbing repair in Denver? Call us!

Expert Plumbers Overflow with Simple Tips to Conserve Water in Honor of Earth Day HOUSTON, April 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- It only takes one year for a typical U.S. home to waste up to 38,000 gallons of water*. If that alone doesn't make you feel flush, this means nine out of ten homes are currently wasting 70 gallons of water each day! Before you wash all hope down the drain, let us shower you with good news. It's not too late to get a handle on wasted water, and with Earth Day around the corner on April 22, now is the perfect time to plunge into water conservation.

Experts from Benjamin Franklin Plumbing®, part of the Direct Energy family of brands with independently owned and operated locations throughout North America, are overflowing with information to help home owners save water. Here are a few simple water conservation tips:

• Install low-flush toilets or a dual flush system
  The EPA estimates that a family of four that replaces its home's older toilets with WaterSense (meets EPA criteria) labeled models will, on average, save more than $90 per year in reduced water utility bills.
• Ensure your home is equipped with low-flow showerheads
  The average family could save 2,900 gallons per year by installing WaterSense labeled showerheads.
• Install a hot water recirculation system for instant hot water
  This helps save an average of 25,000 gallons of water per household per year from not having to wait for the running water to heat up! Because of the significant water savings, some counties are making the installation of hot water recirculation pumps mandatory for new construction projects. If you'd like to learn more about the features and benefits, ask your local plumber.

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6 Questions About Your Water Pipes

Did you know that every house has a water supply line that runs underground from the street to the home through a crawlspace, basement wall or concrete slab. But how much do you actually understand about your water pipes?

Here are 6 questions you should have about your water pipes.

If you have a leak, high water bills and/or loss of water pressure, you may be in need of immediate water line repair or replacement.

6 Questions Every Homeowner Should Have About Water Pipes Homeowners protect their houses from floods and fires. Some take out warranties for appliances. Some even carry health insurance for their pets. But many do not protect themselves from costly water line and sewer line disruptions and in-home plumbing emergencies.

This year, many homeowners will experience problems with their water and sewer lines (the pipes that run from their property line to their home). Even more will deal with in-home plumbing issues. Pipe clogs, leaks and breaks are surprisingly common, and the numbers are becoming more common as America’s pipes age. The “Water is Your Business Campaign,” sponsored by the National Association of Water Companies and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, reports that there are 650 water main breaks per day in the U.S., resulting in a daily loss of 7 billion gallons of water. 1  The results of a residential water pipe break can have a serious impact on homeowners’ properties and their wallets.

Yet, many homeowners are unaware of the most common causes of water problems outside and inside their homes. Homeowners, not the local municipality or water utility, are generally responsible for the pipes running through their property. What’s more, most don’t know that most homeowners’ insurance policies will not cover the repair costs, leaving their biggest investment unprotected from expense.

Here are 6 water-related concerns every homeowner should be aware of in order to help protect themselves from the hassles, headaches and potentially high costs of water line, sewer line and in-home plumbing problems.

The vast majority of the nation’s water pipes were installed after World War II and are in serious need of replacement or repair. In fact, a 2010 report from the National Association of Water Companies and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce stated that nearly half of all pipes in the U.S. were in poor shape. And, according to a 2012 Water Infrastructure and Sustainability fact sheet by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average age of a broken water main in the U.S. is 47 years.2  Knowing the age of your pipes will help you to assess their need for repair.

Invasive tree roots often “follow” and disrupt service lines. Roots seek out pipes because they provide essential elements that trees need to grow - water, nutrients and oxygen. When tree roots get into pipes, they can cause clogs and blocks that lead to serious problems and need for repair.

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