Tips for Stress free life > Expert Zone > Home Improvement
Home Improvement Tips
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Tips for Stress free life > Expert Zone > Home Improvement Home Improvement Tips |
|
|
|
|
I Need What Part?
One of the first things you learn as a homeowner is that you may own your home, but you don't actually live in it full time. You get to spend the rest of your time living in the hardware store or hardware dept of your local retail store. Unfortunately the older the home the more frequent you visit this vast place with aisles and aisles of thingies and who whos, that previously meant little more than, ''?that aisle that my dad use to get all kinds of shiny pipes, connectors, and silver and brass things." A place where he spent many hours, (and you will too), talking about stuff with strange names and even stranger looking objects'd plumbing. For now I'm just going to talk about plumbing. The first thing to realize is that older homes have plumbing systems that use galvanized pipe, which will corrode over time, leading to low pressure and leaks, (modern homes use copper and flexible pipe). Also in most modern homes there are usually "stop valves", (these are the little turn thingies) under each sink and toilet in the house, the most important one is the main water cut off. KNOW WHERE THIS IS LOCATED!! Or be ready to watch "Ole Faithful" wash your ceiling. So, as a result of my many "Trial by Water" episodes of plumbing problems, I thought it time to clarify some of the incorrect definitions of plumbing terms with the correct ones used by the pros, at least, the "pros" in my local hardware store. These are all terms that I have come across in my attempts (more failures and disasters than success stories) to rectify some problems I have encountered with my 20 year old home. 1) ABS pipe? not to be confused with PVC pipe ABS-Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene: ?It is a rigid black plastic pipe used for drain, waste and vent lines. PVC-Polyvinyl Chloride: ?It is a rigid white or cream colored plastic pipe used in non-pressure systems, such as drainage, waste and vent systems. 2) Aerator: This is not biology?. it is NOT part of a woman's anatomy. ?It is a device screwed into the end of a faucet spout that mixes air into flowing water, and controls flow to reduce splashing. 3) Drip Channel: This is not a TV channel for plumbers, or your spouse's cousin. ?A metal channel that is designed to prevent water running down a shower door from dripping onto the floor when the door is opened. 4) Fitting: No, not a "dry" run of putting all the parts together to see if they "fit", also included here to point out another bunch of terms to look-up. ?Any pipe part used to join together two sections of pipe, such as elbows, couplings, bushings, bends, wyes, etc. 5) Flow Rate: Wrong?how high the water spouts out of the tap when the handle breaks off and the water is still turned on. ?Rating in gallons per minute (GPM) or gallons per hour. (GPH) 6) Nipple: Again..this is NOT anatomy ?A short length of pipe installed between couplings or other fittings. 7) O-Ring: Has absolutely nothing to do with a Space Shuttle although they serve a slightly similar purpose. ?It is a round rubber washer used to create a water tight seal, chiefly around valve stems. 8) Snake; All I could envision here was a real sake put into the toilet to "eat" anything in its path on the way to the septic tank, then the screams of the next person "using" the toilet when the snake returns. ?A long, highly flexible metal wire or coil used for cleaning drains. Also called plumber's snake. 9) Stillson Wrench: Not a hat that looks like a pipe wrench. ?It is a large L shaped pipe wrench. It has jaws that are adjustable and will tighten as pressure on the handle is increased. It is also known as a pipe wrench. 10) Teflon Tape: Not a how to video of plumbing projects involving plastics. ?A fluorocarbon polymer with non-sticking properties used to wrap pipe threads to seal a joint. 11) Yoke: This is not a funny story by a Swedish plumber. ?It is usually a brass casting that holds both the hot and cold valves and the mixing chamber for the water. If you have a plumbing problem and are not sure about how plumbing works, this is not a time to experiment. Take it from personal experience, the disasters you can create are not worth the need to say "humph who needs a plumber..I can fix this!" Do yourself a BIG favor and consult a plumber. If it is a small job that you can confidently fix yourself I have but one piece of advice to give?shut off the water first!!!!!!! ...and that is about it except for these final words that my late father always said: A good flush beats a full house every time. Henry Morgan is a computer technician who spends his spare time playing Mr.Fix It around the house. He has learned many a lesson the hard way and enjoys sharing his knowledge to help others. He is currently supporting this site: http://www.plumbingworks.info Please feel free to use this article on your web site or newsletter. All I ask is that the resource box is left intact and if the article is used on a web page, please ensure that the URL is a live link. Thank you.
MORE RESOURCES:
Bad Credit Debt Consolidation – Debt Relief to Help Money Problems Today - Subprime Blogger (blog)
Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Sliding Glass Door Replacement This article is going to be about replacing an old sliding glass door with a modern Vinyl frame sliding glass door. If you currently have french doors and you want to replace them with sliding doors, or vise versa, future articles will cover that topic. Buying The Right Comforter For Your Bed Putting the right comforter on your bed can make the whole bedroom look fabulous. Comforters are the most visible of all the bedding pieces, so when you change the comforter you make a large change in the decor of the bedroom itself. Log Home Basics As we start to research log homes, it quickly becomes apparent that there is much more variety than one would ever think. Not only do log homes come in all shapes and sizes, but the logs themselves come in as many variations as you can imagine. What Two Words Will Double the Space in Your Home? Just two words and a bit of explanation about them will help you to double, maybe even triple, the space in your home now. Those two words are "Go vertical. Planning Permission UK - Tactics if Appealing to the DOE for a Planning Refusal Tactics of Appealing to the DOE - There will be times in any Design Agents career when a clients scheme will be refused Planning Permission. Fortunately, our experience is now at a point when we can normally forecast these schemes & steer the client away from that design solution. Beat the Summer Heat - What Size A/C Do I Need? A larger air conditioner will not always provide more cooling. It should be sized for the room area. Hardwood Floor Refinishing - For The Faint of Heart Are your beautiful hardwood floors not so beautiful anymore? Maybe they just need a refinishing job. It can be a daunting task, but here are some ideas to make it a little easier. Deck Decorating On my blog, I once wrote about life on the Veranda - a favorite Southern, summer pastime.Picture a Charleston side-porch house, facing the obligatory magnolia tree, refreshing gin and tonics or the standard mint julep. The Benefits of Small Dehumidifiers So it's too humid in your 10' X 10' bedroom. Or perhaps the steam in your bathroom is starting to make the wallpaper peel. How To Choose The Canvas For Your Awning The main factor for the canvas for your awning, it's to choose to do in PVC, because will be light and malleable.Between their advantages we have the following ones:It's resistant to the UV raysAllows any colorThey possess some protection coatings, as the following:Not to allow the fire propagationWith blockade against UV rays (with great resistance against the effects of the ultraviolet rays that discolour along the time)Fungicides (addictive that avoid the formation of mould and stains)Non oxidizer, to avoid the appearance of iron stainsAddictive to avoid negative effects to the aesthetics and the brightness, that could damage the coating and to reduce the useful life of the canvas)A varnish layer or lacquer in the coating (the varnish is not only designated for protection of the canvas from the UV rays, but also improves the self-cleaning characteristics; one of the used material for that is the Tedlar). Tips For Buying a Whirlpool Bath Online So you're building the bath of your dreams but find the prices you have been quoted for the Whirlpool Bath way out of your budget.Don't despair and settle for a Whirlpool Bath you don't want!Go online and save by buying direct from a Whirlpool tub distributor. Reduce Your Heating Bills This Winter Imagine leaving a window open all winter long -- the heat loss, cold drafts and wasted energy! If your home has a folding attic stair, fireplace or clothes dryer, that may be just what is occurring in your home every day.These often overlooked sources of heat loss and air leakage can cause heat to pour out and the cold outside air to rush in -- costing you higher heating bills. Interior Design For Babies Babies, babies, babies-yes the topic of this article is based on interior design for nurseries. The new arrival of a baby brings a time of thankfulness and joy into all parents' lives. Hot Tubs Create a Backyard Oasis What would you like in the backyard that is great for entertaining, would be a focal point and can be enjoyed by the whole family? Hot tubs could be what you are looking for. Immersing in hot or warm water goes back centuries to Greek, Japanese and Roman texts. Dehumidifiers Wring Out Your Home Anyone that has a home office or bedroom in the basement knows how valuable a dehumidifier can be. Without it, the basement would be damp and useless, mold and mildew would grow promoting ill health and insects would have a perfect place to live. Everything - Plus The Kitchen Sink Looking to do some remodeling in your kitchen sink area or maybe the whole kitchen? There are many options out there for any idea you may have. Kitchen appliances on down to kitchen tables, and kitchen sinks are available at your finger tips online. Kitchen Design - No Need to Do It Alone You can't opt out of the process altogether, though, because you need to decide what equipment you want in the kitchen, the type of units, fitted or freestanding, the flooring, lighting ? the list goes on.The size and shape of your kitchen will, to some extent, dictate the equipment you have and where you put it. Do You Know How To Use Window Coverings? Window coverings serve an important role in your home,giving you privacy and also protecting your furniture anddécor from the harshness of prolonged, direct sunlight.But the range of choices is so wide, including blinds,shades, shutters and curtains, that some homeowners have ahard time deciding which they prefer, or whether they canmix their window coverings according to the room where theyare installed. Add A Room To Your Home With A Patio Awning Do you need a patio awning for your lovely patio off of your backyard that only gets half the use it could because of rain or far too bright sun? Installing a patio awning to shade and protect it can be almost as good as adding a room to your home!When choosing a patio awning, you'll need to consider a number of things - the area that needs to be covered, the structure on which the awning will be installed (usually your house), the weather conditions in your area, the cost and the aesthetics. There are many types and styles of patio awning available to suit your needs - once you're certain what your needs are. Improving Your Bathrooms Appearance can be as Simple as Changing Your Bathroom Cabinets Your choice of bathroom cabinet can affect the look and feel of your entire room. If your bathroom could benefit from a fresh new look, then consider replacing your old storage cabinets with stylish new ones.
|
|
You are here |
|
| Home Improvement | Home Improvement - Complete list | |
|
| Main Home | | Meditation Corner | |
|
|
| Recommend us | |
|
[About
us] [Contact] [Privacy
Policy]
Copyright 2006, Meditation
is Easy.com, All
rights reserved
