Homeowners Guide To Septic Systems

in Home & Family - Landscaping
by Scott Rodgers

If you use a septic tank for collecting your home wastes then you should have a good understanding of its working as well as the knowledge of keeping your septic tank system in good running condition. Many people don’t have sufficient knowledge of the process required to make it run smoothly and they don’t take any precautions until their system stops working and their toilets start backing up onto the floor.

A septic tank is made to collect the waste of your home. However, inside these septic tank bacteria regularly divides the waste into solid and liquid. The solid matter settles down at the bottom of the tank in the form of sludge but liquid remains at the top of the septic tank.

Septic tank has a inlet through which waste water come inside the septic tank and an outlet through which relatively clean water goes to drain field. This is a continuous process because as more and more waste water will come inside the septic tank it will force the water from the top to outside the septic tank.

For smooth running of this system, two things are very essential. First, the bacterial action in the tank should be sufficient to break down the solid matter on a daily basis. Second, the sludge build-up at the bottom of the tank should not grow much.

When a tank becomes too full of sludge or the bacterial action is not sufficient to break down solid matter into the sludge then the waste matter will start backing up into the house every time you flush a toilet, use the washing machine or have a bath.

For removing of sludge, you can hire a plumber or anyone who is expert in septic tank pumping. Don’t forget to call him periodically as the increase in sludge level can create problem for you.

The time period after which the sludge is required to be removed depends on the size of the septic tank and size of your family. In case you have a big family then you need to call the plumber on frequent basis.

Things that are being flushed through the toilet also affect the functioning of your septic tank. Never flush things like plastic, vinyl, rubber, condoms, sanitary napkins and disposable diapers as they can not be broken down by bacteria. Through your toilet only human waste and toilet paper should reach the septic tank if you want your septic tank to work normally.

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Application Of Roofing Felt Paper

in Home & Family - Landscaping
by Scott Rodgers

Most homeowners avoid the roofing jobs. Such a laid-back attitude is accredited to the uncertainty involved in the roofing jobs. The uninformed homeowners fail to take necessary actions in case of a roofing emergency. Hence, the homeowners must give a shot at the easier and simpler roofing jobs. Besides acquiring the basic information, the homeowners would be able to cut down the cost of the roofing project on hand as the labor charges would be reduced.

One such job that falls under the category of easy roofing tasks is the roof felting job. Make sure that you possess the right set of tools and equipments before moving ahead with the proceedings. Also, follow the required safety precautions while climbing and working on the roof. Often, the roofing jobs lead to unforeseen accidents and hazards. Hence, one should be proactive regarding the safety of his life.

Before the application of the roof felt, there are certain buildups that need to be constructed. For instance, the drip edges should be prepared for the roof felting task. The drip edge should be properly treated with starter roll and ice guard. In order to accomplish the task with ease, follow a procedure stepwise.

The drip edge forms an important unit of the roof architecture. It is an aluminum sheet that covers the edges of the roof. It bears the fury of the external agents and prevents the roof edges from easy water accumulation.

Take out a started roll from the roofing supplies purchased and apply it on the drip edge. Cover the entire spread of the drip edge while laying the started roll. The started roll layer prepares the roof surface for the installation of the roof felt. It renders the required adhesiveness to the surface.

Staple a roll of ice guard evenly on the roof surface. Some homeowners avoid the utilization of ice guard and instead, choose to felt the roof straightaway. However, a layer of ice guard is mandatory for the households located in hilly regions.

Now, make way for the felt paper and unroll it from the smaller part of the roof. Move to the other edge of the roof such that the ice guard is overlapped in the process.

Repeat the same with the lane parallel to the first lane.

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Tips On Installing An Electrical Wall Switch

in Home & Family - Landscaping
by Scott Rodgers

Often, the electricians charge more than the actual cost of a particular electrical repair work. The uninformed homeowners fail to save on such unwanted electrical expenses. On the other hand, the wise homeowners take up the challenge of handling the minor electrical jobs on their own. Similarly, the job of replacing an electrical wall switch is considered easy enough to be handled by a novice.

Determine the reason for your replacement of the concerned switch and henceforth, select a switch type that is more efficient than the old switch. Furthermore, the working of the new switch must complement the architecture of your electrical setup. Decide whether you want a standard flip switch or a fancy switch. The fancy wall switches are cheaper than the regular ones. Visit a local electrical store and check the available variety of the switch type you want to purchase.

Commence the project only when all the necessary tools and supplies are at your disposal. An incomplete collection of electrical tools may hamper the smooth proceedings of the project at any instant of time.

Most experts advise the beginners to cut off the electricity supply when handling an electrical project. The possibility of electric hazards or accidents drops down dramatically owing to such preventive measures. In order to shut down the power supply of the home, locate the breaker box or the electric fuse. Turn off all the breaker switches one by one.

Now, locate the face plate of the switch and unscrew it with the help of an appropriate-sized screwdriver. Normally, either a flat tip screw or a Philips head screw needs to be removed depending on the type of the outlet or switch.

Before undoing the different wires from the terminals of the switches, note down the configuration on a rough piece of paper. Do not move ahead until you possess a clear idea of the wiring schema. You can use the switch board to write down the wiring connections.

Remove the lugs of the switches holding the corresponding electrical wires. Unscrew the wires from the terminals of the switches carefully. Place the new switch and connect the wires according to the notified schema. Retighten the screws and put in the juncture.

Make sure that the wiring schema is followed while making the connections. Replace the wall plate on the socket and check the normal operation of the new switch by switching on the power supply.

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Electric Lighting Fixtures Of Home Backyard

in Home & Family - Landscaping
by Scott Rodgers

Installing outdoor lighting fixtures in your backyard serves many purposes. First, it enhances the look of your house at night. Second, it provides safety to the house from intruders. To avoid any chance of meeting accidents during night time, you should properly light up the backyard of your home. A variety of products are available in the market to serve the purpose. You can choose any kind of effective lighting fixtures.

Before moving ahead with the proceedings, define the exact purpose of installing lighting fixtures in your backyard. If you have security concerns then select the spread lights or the flood lights. Such fixtures would keep the backyard illuminated even at night.

As an experiment, you can walk in the dark while holding a flashlight. See the difference between the high voltage and low voltage lighting by varying the intensity of the beam. Also, check the angle that would be most suitable for the installation of particular lighting fixture. The face of the light should be facing the ground and not the sky.

For aesthetic purposes, foot lights and tier lights could be used. Such lighting fixtures would be able to highlight the flower beds and pots. The whole theme of the backyard would attain a new appeal with the installation of such lighting fixtures.

In case a tall tree or plant needs to be highlighted then make way for some flood lights. The flood lights would render a good spread of illumination to the concerned tree.

When it comes to the small plants and trees then spot lights or focus lights would serve the required purpose. Such a setting would make the beautiful features of your backyard visible at night.

As far as the security of the backyard is concerned, the lights with the maximum spread should be considered. Use spread lights or flood lights to serve the required purpose. Keep the infants and pets away from the work site. The naked electric wires and joints may lead to a possible accident.

The level of risk involved with the wiring of the electrical jobs cannot be avoided. Hence, follow all the safety precautions and keep the guidance of an expert at your disposal.

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Types Of Plumbing Valves

in Home & Family - Landscaping
by Scott Rodgers

Valves in pipe lines are provided to control supply of water. They are used to stop supply when any repair is carried in pipe line. Valves are devices that control the flow of fluids and gases. Some are used to regulate the rate of flow, and others are used to stop it completely to prevent flooding or allow repairs to be made.

There are dozens of different types of valves, and each performs a specific task. But there are many other valves used in the typical residence.

Compression or stem type faucet – This is a two-handle faucet design. With a single faucet, you can enjoy both hot and cold water as per the requirement. You can tell a stem faucet by the way it feels when you turn it off. One can feel a rubber washer being squeezed inside the faucet. Compression valves possess o- rings beneath the faucet’s stem that tend to wear and tear with time.

Different compression valves have different stem designs however all utilizes the neoprene washers. The only cause for a leaky valve is a damaged washer.

Then comes the cartridge valves that are also known as washer- less valves are operated by only one handle. This way these are different to the compression valves. Inside this valve a metal or plastic cylindrical cartridge is located. As you lift the handle, the valve stem raises and its holes align with the holes of the cartridge. On the other hand, as you twist the handle, cold and hot water mix and regulate water temperature.

Next are the disk valves and are also washers less. They are used mostly in single-handle kitchen sink faucets, and are identified by the cylinder located inside the faucet. The inlet hoses of the plumbing system allow hot and cold water to pass through the valves, while the outlet hole directs the water to pass through the valve spout.

Ball valves, as the name implies, are stop valves that use a ball to stop or start the flow of fluid. These comprise of a cylindrical cap under the handle. If leaks come from the valves’ spout, tightening the cap commonly stops the leaks.

A leak in a washer or washer less faucet usually indicates that the working parts need replacing. One should not overlook the leaky valves and go for its repair or replacement as soon as possible.

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How Does An Anti Scald Shower Valve Works ?

in Home & Family - Landscaping
by Scott Rodgers

Sometimes when you take the bath, all of sudden very cold or very hot water start coming out of the shower and could seriously harm you. Adults and children need to be very alert to prevent this problem. Anti-scald valve or thermostatic temperature control valve in the shower helps in eliminating this problem.

Anti-scald pressure-balanced and temperature control valves are an important part of bathroom plumbing because they eliminate the scalding and cold water shocks that can occur in a shower when a toilet is flushed or a faucet is turned on. If you are looking for a new shower or just a shower head, get an anti-scald valve.

With the help of these valves, a safe temperature level can be maintained irrespective of temperature level of water. One other good alternative to solve this problem is to set the thermostat at 120 degrees. Once you set your thermostat at this particular temperature you can check water temperature by putting a thermometer inside a cup of water.

The problem that causes temperature fluctuations is basic. When a toilet is flushed, cold water flows into the tank to refill it, which causes the water pressure in the cold-water pipes to dip. If this happens when you are showering then less cold water may reach the shower valve and changes the shower’s comfortable hot/cold mix to hot only.

On contrary, if a person in house opens up any hot water faucet, it reduces the water temperature of water coming out of the shower.

To solve this problem of water pressure, you can install pressure balancing valves. This valve helps in changing the inlet water pressure and provides you constant level of water pressure. Due to this a particular level of water temperature is maintained and you get comfortable level of water temperature to bath. However, one of the drawbacks of using these valves is the flow of water coming out of the shower.

For few people a good water flow and high volume of water is very essential. Such people should go with thermostatic valves as these valves have around 3/4 inch water inlet and the flow of water through these valves is very high. It also helps in maintaining the required water temperature.

A plumber can usually replace a single-handle, conventional valve with a pressure-balanced valve but replacement of a dual-handle setup is little cumbersome.

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Advantages Of Using A CFL Bulb

in Home & Family - Landscaping
by Scott Rodgers

Various types of bulbs with different characteristics and features are available in market. You need to be choosy in selecting a perfect piece for your house that could save both energy and money for you. It is not the time of selecting a simple bulb (of 60 or 90 watts) because a lot of new and more efficient bulbs are being introduced in the market.

Generally people choose to have a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) for their home as these bulbs are highly energy efficient and have also got an energy star rating. These bulbs consume 1/4th of electricity consumed by a normal bulb to produce the same amount of light. These bulbs are also very durable and reduce the heat production by 70%. Due to this reduction in heat production, energy cost of air conditioner is also reduced.

Due to advancement in features of these bulbs, they can be used at any place where a normal bulb is used means you do not need any special kind of fixture for these bulbs. You can get these bulbs in various colors (warm and cool colors), sizes and patterns. You can install these bulbs inside the home as well as outside the home. These bulbs can easily operate with dimmer and tri-way switches.

Besides, compact fluorescent bulbs you have many other options like incandescent (regular) bulbs, general fluorescent bulbs and halogen bulbs. You need to keep certain things in your mind while choosing a bulb like quality of light, color of light, brightness, location where you need a particular light, energy efficiency and suitability as per your lighting fixtures.

Safety should always be your biggest consideration while choosing the power of bulb. You should never exceed the recommended wattage for your light fixture. It is a good idea to save the bulb being replaced so that you can match its specifications including wattage, voltage and bulb base size.

When you change the old standard bulbs with CFL, don’t forget to match the bulb’s wattage. You can get the details from the product description of the CFL. However, the calculation is very simple, for a fixture where you are using a bulb of 60 watts you need to have a CFL having one forth watts that is 15 watts to generate the same light.

If you are replacing standard bulbs with energy-efficient CFLs, focus on the areas where lights are used the most, such as family rooms, living rooms and kitchen. This will make the most of energy savings.

You should prefer using the lowest watt bulbs that can satisfy your needs. Also buy a bulb that is durable to use especially for an area where you can not reach easily like track lighting mounted on a cathedral ceiling.

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Examining The Plumbing Time To Time

in Home & Family - Landscaping
by Scott Rodgers

Most of us think that maintaining the home plumbing timely is all bookish and unreal. Such a callous attitude may prove costly for the efficiency of the plumbing setup in the long run. You need to make regular maintenance inspections of your homes plumbing at least once every 3 to 4 months.

You must have heard the saying “Flaws appear minor at first sight turn more daunting if left unnoticed for a long time”. Same is the case with the leaks, holes and seepage in the plumbing. Such irregularities allow the water to creep into the internal structure of your walls and ceilings. A neglected plumbing will collect late fees from your pocket whereas regular timely checkup will avoid worries and extra expenses.

Repair any dripping faucets inside and/or outside your home at the first sign of a leak. Letting them leak and waiting to make repairs only makes them harder to fix, and may ruin them all together. To maintain energy efficient plumbing you need to take charge and act now. Examine them meticulously.

All set to revamp your home plumbing- it is important to have the entire grade one. So, choose them wisely. Furthermore, in order to enhance the operational life of the plumbing fixtures and faucets, make sure, you are selecting from the renowned dealer. Also, make use of the high grade components.

Also, make sure you are fully apprehended with the tools and equipments needed for the task. Some of the very common and highly usable tools are wrenches, cutters, hammers etc. With them one can easily connect or disassociate the plumbing fixtures.

Not only the tools and equipments those listed above, here are many other things that are pivotal while doing any plumbing task. For instance, Teflon tape or the thread compound is essential while undertaking repair work of a particular segment of plumbing architecture.

Pressure status of your plumbing system should also be taken care of. Affirm, water systems have adequate water pressure that is 80 psi or below. In case, the pressure is, there are chances that pipe may crack.

Call an expert if you are unable to determine the cause of the faulty plumbing. There may be a more complicated problem with the plumbing in the home that requires the services of a certified plumber.

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Fixing A Compression Faucet

in Home & Family - Landscaping
by Scott Rodgers

Compression or stem type faucet – This is a two-handle faucet design. With a single faucet, you can enjoy both hot and cold water as per the requirement. You can tell a stem faucet by the way it feels when you turn it off. You should feel a rubber washer being squeezed inside the faucet.

Compression faucets have been around the longest and are very common in older homes. When a compression type stem springs a leak it is usually because its washer, located at the tip, has worn out, allowing water to seep between it and the faucet’s seat. Usually this leak can be stopped by replacing the old washer.

Fixing the leaky faucet is easy and you can accomplish this task in the following few steps. Shut off the water going to your faucet by turning off the sink’s shut off valve. This should be located underneath the sink. If you can’t find it, you can shut off the main water supply to your house. Also, remove the fancy plastic caps.

Loosen the lock-nut inside with a crescent wrench. Once the nut is loosened and removed, pull out the stem. With some types of faucets, the stem itself may be threaded into the body of the faucet assembly. You’ll have to turn it counter-clockwise to loosen and remove it.

At the end of the stem you’ll find the old washer on the end sitting in a valve seat. It will be held in place with a screw and it will look pretty well beaten up and crushed.

Remove the old washer by removing the brass screw and by taking a screwdriver into the screw hole in the washer, just pop the old washer out. Replace with the correctly sized washer. Taking the old one to the hardware store is the best way to fit a new washer.

If the faucet still leaks after you’ve replaced the washer, you may have to replace the valve seat, which requires a special wrench. The valve seat is located below the stem and can be accessed when the stem is removed.

Reassemble the stem and faucet assembly back to their places. Turn on the water supply and test for drips and leaks. If no leaks are found, no plumber is required. But if case you fail to stop the leaks, call in the plumber to set it right.

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Simple Steps To Build Tin Roof

in Home & Family - Landscaping
by Scott Rodgers

Enhance the charm of your home or building with bonnet roofing materials as these provide an extravagant face to any building. Although, these are quite unusual, these offer a huge list of advantages to the homeowners. These are not only stylish but, cheap and easy to install.

Tin is a long-lasting roofing material, and tin roofs, if properly installed and cared for can last up to 50 years. To keep a tin roof in great shape, it needs to be painted regularly. Tin roofs are a perfect combination of the both durability and stability. Even the worst weather can be withstood by the tin roofs. The following part of the article familiarizes an individual with the building techniques of tin roofs.

Installing the tin roofs would require certain very important items like 30-lb. roofing felt, 1-inch galvanized clout nails, 3-inch metal edging, 1 1/4-inch roofing nails, 12-foot sheets of tin roofing, 1/4-inch metal wood screws and tin snips. Ensure, you have them all beforehand.

To start with, first of all, lay down 30-lb roofing felt over the entire roof surface before putting tin sheet. Well, this is done to provide a base to the tin. Having placed the felt, secure them with the rafters all over with the help of 1 inch clout nails. Make sure, the nails are galvanized.

The periphery of the roof is then to be covered with the 3 inch metal. Nail them with the rafter nails using nails of size 1 inch. Pull up 12-foot sheets of tin roofing material onto the roof. Attach the sheets with 1/4-inch metal screws to the roofing rafters. Put screws into the first sheet every 2 feet down the center and inside edge.

Cover the entire roof with the tin roofing material. Make sure that the roofing material overlaps with one another, so as to prevent any gaps or holes, which can cause leaks in the future, or even contribute to early corrosion. Use nails to infix the sheets of roofing and stabilize them in their corresponding positions.

Having installed all the tin sheets over the roof, cut the extra portion of the sheet using tin snips. Later on, secure the sheet with the nails. Moreover, before cutting down the extra part, bend the sheet down to cover the ridge of the roof as well. Also secure it with metal wood screws of size inch.

For constructing the tin roofs, all you need is well qualified and experienced roofers. Since, tin roofs are bit difficult, an ill- skilled man may cause heavy damages to the roof and the house in turn.

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