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Weather changes in autumn can bring about changes in your home’s plumbing system. Preparing for these changes can prevent damage to the pipes and protect your home from leaks. The following tips will help you get ready for the coming cold weather. Insulate Pipes Pipes that freeze overnight can burst, causing hundreds or even thousands of dollars in damage to your home and property. While there are many tricks that homeowners use to prevent their pipes from freezing (like leaving the tap running overnight), installation of pipe insulation is one of the best methods that you can use to help […]
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With school starting again, your home’s schedule will soon be in an uproar. In a family of school-aged children and working adults, competition for the bathroom in the morning can be fierce. Shower backups, humidity and mold can all be a problem when the bathrooms see heavy use by multiple people day in and day out. At Terry’s Plumbing, we think it’s a terrible shame when bathrooms lose functionality because of scheduling problems. These back to school tips will help you get the most use out of your bathroom without creating problems for your plumbing or your family. Stagger Shower […]
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Many renters live in blissful ignorance of their rental home’s plumbing system. Still, unless your landlord lives next door and responds to all phone calls within milliseconds, knowing a thing or two about the plumbing in your rental home could save you a lot of trouble and expense in the event of a plumbing emergency. Some types of plumbing problems are so urgent that they must be dealt with immediately. Having the ability to prevent these problems or stop them when they start can save your home from a flood. Know Where the Shutoff Is For the sake of convenience, […]
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The Salt Institute reports that almost 90% of households in the U.S. have hard water. But what is hard water, what can it do to your plumbing, and how can it affect you in normal everyday life? In today’s post, we’re going to explore these questions and their answers. What is hard water? Hard water is water that contains dissolved minerals, most notably calcium and magnesium. These dissolved minerals are invisible, generally tasteless, and also harmless to the human body—but not harmless to your plumbing. How can you tell if you have hard water? Hard water leaves behind a film […]
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Drain cleaning seems like the easiest thing in the world, and in terms of plumbing projects, it can be pretty easy. That said, many homeowners who take on drain cleaning for themselves will make mistakes. Mistake Number 1: Using Chemical Drain Cleaners Chemical drain cleaners are hard on pipes, bad for the environment and they’re not even very effective. While it is possible to clear a clogged pipe with chemical drain cleaner, most chemical drain cleaners will only eat away a small portion of the clog, allowing the water to run for a short time only. Often the clogs will […]
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From washing the car to watering the lawn, outdoor faucets are important for a variety of reasons. For your convenience, your home should have outdoor faucets in the front and the back yards. Whether your home lacks an outdoor faucet in one of these areas, or you simply need more faucets to be productive while working outdoors, this tutorial will walk you through the installation process step-by-step. With a few useful tools and some know-how, you can install a faucet yourself, without help from a professional. Materials: 1 3/8 inch drill bit Drill Pipe cutter Bucket Pipes and fittings Propane […]
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Replacing the shower doors in your bathroom, while not terribly difficult, does require some elbow grease and a few hours of your time. This is a very doable DIY project that many homeowners can handle easily on their own. A word of caution before you get started: Not all shower doors are designed in exactly the same way. Read the installation instructions before you start on this project, and follow all manufacturer’s recommendations. Materials Screw driver Drill Masonry bits Anchors Painter’s tape Putty knife Caulk Shower Door Installation Procedure Remove the shower doors from their track. To do this, lift […]
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Depending on who you talk to, the expected lifespan of a typical water heater is between 8 and 15 years. The lifespan of your water heater at home can depend on quite a few factors, including the quality of the water heater, the amount of care you put into the water heater, whether or not you have hard water, how hard you use your water heater and so on. Unless you have psychic abilities, you have no way of knowing when your water heater will finally give out. It’s a good idea to start inspecting your water heater on a […]
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When you purchase a new dishwasher, you’ll probably have to pay a fee to have the dishwasher installed by a professional. Performing the installation on your own can help you save money and may also give you a sense of personal satisfaction. While dishwasher installation is a multi-step process, it’s not as complicated as you might think. The following tutorial will help you remove your old dishwasher and hookup the new unit. Get Prepared Before you can get started on your installation, read the manual that came with the unit. Not all dishwashers are the same and some units may have […]
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Leaks in underground pipes can be difficult to detect, because they often produce no water that can be easily viewed above ground. As a homeowner, knowing how to recognize the signs of an underground leak can be very important. Since underground leaks can destabilize the soil on your property and potentially cause foundation problems, knowing when you have an underground leak can help you save your property and prevent thousands of dollars in damage. Excess Water in the Soil If you have an underground leak on the area around your house, the soil around the leak is likely to become […]
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