Category: Plumbing Tips

Garbage disposal units are convenient for easy kitchen cleanup, but most people regularly put things down there that cause problems with the mechanism. A good general rule to follow with garbage disposal units is to never put large food scraps down them. Garbage disposals are designed to get rid of the small kitchen scraps that inevitably wash down the drain–they are not designed to act as a trash compactor for anything you feel like getting rid of.

Want to keep your garbage disposal functioning at its best? Try to only use your garbage disposal for those small scraps that make their way down the drain no matter what and avoid the following items altogether.

Coffee Grounds

When too many coffee grounds go down the garbage disposal, they form a thick, dense paste that easily causes nasty clogs.

Eggshells

Eggshells should be avoided, not because of the hard shell itself but because of the membrane on the inside of the shell. This membrane can easily wrap itself around the blades of the disposal and reduce functionality or cause a blockage.

Fats, Oils, & Grease

Fats, oils, and grease leftover from cooking may seem like a harmless thing to pour down the garbage disposal, but it’s actually one of the most harmful items on this list. While oils, fats, and grease may be liquid when you’re pouring them down the drain, as they cool they will solidify, coating your garbage disposal mechanism with a thick substance that can dull blades, clog up the mechanism, and create blockages. Pour your excess oils and fats into a can or jar, wait for the liquid to cool and solidify, then toss the whole container into the trash.

Bones

It’s common for people to think that the best way to dispose of chicken bones is by feeding them into the garbage disposal, but the blades are not designed to grind items that are that hard. If you accidentally drop a small bone into the disposal, it will be fine, but regularly sending bones down the disposal will cause problems with the blades.

Pasta & Grains

Pasta and grains like quinoa or rice will expand once you send them down the drain, causing major clogs and getting stuck in between the garbage disposal blades.

Onion Skins

Onions have a membrane underneath the skin, similar to the eggshell membrane. As with eggshells, the onion-skin membrane will wrap itself around the garbage disposal blades and make them less effective.

Need your garbage disposal repaired or replaced? Santana Bros Plumbing will do the job right! Trust us for efficient, quality work for all of your plumbing installations and repairs.

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Whether your New Year’s resolution is to reduce your environmental impact, save money, or both, this list of easy ways to waste less water will help you turn over a new leaf this year. Follow these tips to waste less water and save more money on your monthly bills.

Get Leaks Fixed as Soon as You Notice Them

When you notice any leak, get it repaired immediately, no matter how minor it may seem. Even very small leaks waste a significant amount of water because there is a constant flow dripping out. Minor leaks can also turn into major leaks or even burst pipes if left unchecked, which results in a lot of water waste, damage, and a much more costly repair job. Do yourself and the environment a favor and call a plumber as soon as you spot that leak.

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Turn off the Tap While You Brush

A lot of people let the water run the whole time they are brushing their teeth, which is a big waste of water. Instead, wet your brush, turn off the tap, and brush your teeth without turning the water back on until it’s time to rinse your mouth. Getting into this small habit every day will save you a lot of water, resulting in lower bills and a smaller environmental footprint.

Use Less Water in the Shower

Make a commitment to using less water in the shower. There are a few ways you can do this. One obvious option is to take shorter showers–you really only need a few minutes to get clean, you don’t need to stand in the shower having an existential crisis for an extra fifteen minutes. Another way you can reduce water usage in the shower is to turn off the water while you soap up, then turn it back on again when you’re ready to rinse off.

Upgrade Your Plumbing

Upgrading to new plumbing fixtures such as showerheads, toilets, faucets, and water heaters significantly increases the efficiency of your plumbing system. Newer models are designed to be highly efficient and use less water while giving you the functionality you want.

Ready to upgrade or have questions about efficient plumbing? Get in touch with Santana Bros today!

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When in Doubt, Don’t Flush it

Never flush items like wipes, kitty litter, or menstrual products. Even products that advertise themselves as “flushable” will take a long time to break down in your pipes and can easily cause a stubborn clog in the meantime. As a general rule, don’t flush anything but bodily waste and toilet paper and you’ll have fewer nasty blockages to deal with.

Learn How to Shut off Your Water

Make sure you know where your water main shutoff valve is and how to use it. Too often, people don’t learn how to shut off the water to their home until an emergency like a burst pipe happens. In this situation, you can save yourself a lot of water damage if you know exactly where your water shutoff is located and how to turn it off. Some shutoff valves require a tool, such as a wrench, to be accessed. If this is the case in your home, keep the necessary tool close to the shutoff valve so you can grab it easily in a hurry if a plumbing emergency arises.

Check Your Pipes Regularly

Inspect your pipes every 6 months or so, looking for any visible signs of damage. To do this, do a visual check of all exposed pipes in your home, taking a look for discoloration, rust, cracking, and leaks. These are all signs that your pipes are damaged and could have bigger problems soon, so have them repaired (or replaced, if needed) at the first sign of damage.

Don’t Ignore Minor Leaks

We know how easy it is to see a small leak somewhere in your home and say to yourself “well, it’s just a tiny leak, I don’t need to deal with it right now.” The thing is, that tiny leak is actually wasting a significant amount of water and running up your utilities bill, plus the longer you ignore it, the more likely it is to become a much bigger issue that takes significantly more time and money to fix than a simple little leak. In the long run, you’ll be a lot happier if you deal with that leak as soon as you notice it.

Use Drain Strainers

Drain strainers are a simple, inexpensive solution that can prevent a lot of hassle. Clogged drains are inconvenient and tough to get unblocked, so the more you do to prevent stubborn blockages from happening, the less you’ll have to worry about a slow-running, stinky drain. Use drain strainers in the bathtub or shower to prevent hair and soap chips from going down the drain, and use them in the kitchen sink to catch food bits and other debris before it makes its way down the drain and into your pipes.

The above tips can go a long way in preventing plumbing issues, but problems do happen from time to time anyway. If you have a plumbing repair job that needs attention, trust Santana Bros to get the job done right.

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Generally speaking, you can remove limescale buildup easily enough using vinegar, but sometimes it’s not as simple as just wiping down a flat surface with a cloth and being finished. Here are some tips on how to effectively remove limescale from various surfaces and fixtures.

Showerheads

When showerheads become blocked with mineral deposits, the best thing to do is to soak the affected area in vinegar. That’s not exactly easy to do if you don’t know how to remove your showerhead, or simply don’t want to go to the trouble. Luckily, you don’t have to. Simply soak a cloth in vinegar, wrap the cloth around the showerhead tightly, and secure it with a rubber band. Leave the vinegar-soaked cloth on the showerhead for a couple of hours, then remove it and wipe off the vinegar –the limescale deposits should come right off too.

Washing Machines & Dishwashers

Add a cup of vinegar to your washing machine or dishwasher and run the machine as you would normally, but without any laundry or dishes. This allows the vinegar to get into all of the hard-to-reach areas of the dishwasher and/or washing machine and get rid of limescale buildup that may cause blockages and damage your machine.

Coffee Makers & Kettles

Coffee makers and kettles can get limescale buildup inside them, which leads to blockages, poor functioning, and bad tasting beverages. To remove mineral buildup from kettles, fill the kettle a quarter of the way up with vinegar and let it sit for an hour. After the hour is up, fill the kettle the rest of the way with water and put it on to boil. Once it boils, pour out the water/vinegar mixture and rinse out the kettle several times to get rid of any vinegar taste.

For coffee makers, the process is similar. Simply fill the water compartment of your coffee maker a quarter of the way with vinegar, let it sit for an hour, then fill it the rest of the way up with water and turn the machine on to heat the water. Allow the water/vinegar mixture to drip through the coffee maker and when it is done, pour out the mixture and rinse out the coffee maker a few times.

Need help with any plumbing issues? Get in touch today.

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