Summer is here! Is your plumbing ready?

Here are some tips for keeping your plumbing in great shape this summer:

Whether your summer fun involves sand and surf, hiking trails or ATVs, it’s a good bet that it comes with an extra dose of dirt at the end of the day. When you're washing up after your adventures, make sure you keep the worst of it out of your drains. They weren't designed to handle large amounts of sand, gravel and mud, and could become clogged or damaged.

• Playing outside means more dirty clothes. Make sure you check your washing machine hoses for bulges, leaks, and cracks.
  • Be sure to clean out your dryer lint regularly.
  • Finally keep in mind that your washing machine hoses should be replaced about every 3 years!

• Make sure your washing machine has plenty of space around it.
  • Move it about 4 inches from the wall to prevent hose kinking and damage, and don’t leave your home when your machine is running.

• Also check your ductwork for condensation. This can cause a backup if the drains are not clear. Leaks in seams can also cause condensation.

• BBQs in the summer can mean lots of food that could end up in your garbage disposal.
  • Be careful what you put down your kitchen disposal after your cookout. Most are not equipped to handle celery, cornhusks, banana peels and other 
  • fibrous or “stringy” foods. Other items to stay away from are fats or cooking oils because they can form clogs in the pipes.
  • Make sure you run cold water at full pressure for 15 seconds before and after you put anything down the disposal to flush it.
  • And NEVER put instant stuffing, potato mixes or similar “just-add-water” foods down the drain. They’ll create an instant clog when you add water.

• Summer also means TRAVEL!
  • A great way to save money and energy while on your vacation is to turn down the temperature of your water heater and turn up the temperature of your refrigerator.
    • But if you do turn down your refrigerator, make sure you remove highly perishable foods like dairy, produce and meat first.

• Heavy summer rainfall can overwhelm your gutters and other drainage. If basement flooding is a problem in your home, install a sump pump to collect and dispel the water that collects.
• 

• As it goes every season the best defense to ensuring your plumbing systems are running properly is to schedule annual maintenance inspections, and keep on top of your systems before it’s too late, or when you need them most.

My toilet tank will not stop running.  I jiggled the handle, lifted up on the ball floating thing, adjusted the chain, and cleaned the sludge off of the flapper.  Nothing works!  The commode still keeps running.  Do I need a new toilet? Can I fix the toilet myself?  Please help!

The running toilet is a problem that every homeowner will experience at some point in their lives.  Over time, the plastic, rubber and metal parts that are constantly immersed in a toilet tank will fail and deteriorate.  Depending on the age of the toilet, and the height, it may be time to buy a new HydraPro Comfort Height commode for $99.99.  This will include the tank, bowl and seat.  This will fix the problem of the running toilet, and give you a more comfortable 17 inch commode. 

Fortunately, you can also just replace the parts inside the tank for a quick and inexpensive fix to the runing toilet problem as well.

     The most common reason for a leaky toilet is a worn out flapper.  Korky makes several different flapper and balls, depending on whether you have a 2 inch or 3 inch throat in your commode trap.  Most of these flappers are universal and simple to change.  BR Supply stocks most of the common flappers and should be able to order any other flapper you may need.   When changing your flapper, make sure to turn off the water supply and drain all the water our of the tank.  Then, remove the faulty flapper.  At this point, take fine grade sandpaper and work it around the throat of the flush valve assembly.  This will assure a tight seal and removal of built up sludge when you attach the new flapper.  Next, attach the new flapper and turn on the water supply.  Hopefully, this fixes your running toilet.

 If this does not fix your running toilet, it could be the fill valve is faulty.  We stock a few different fill valves, including the most popular Fluidmaster 400A.  Fluidmaster also provides handles, gaskets, bolts and full flush valve assemblies.  Fluidmaster has everything you need for 2 inch and 3 inch throat commodes.  The handle on your commode is also easily replaced, and can be done to fix a problem, or just to refresh the look of your bathroom.  

 As always, if you can bring the part in with you to any of our 12 BR Supply stores, or take a picture on your cell phone, it will help us to diagnose and solve your problem with the correct part.  A running toilet can waste hundreds of gallons of water in a 24 hour span. This is paid for by you in your water bill, and is a waste of precious clean water.  Take the time and repair the problem of your running toilet today.

I saw my neighbor outside yesterday with a normal garden hose and what looked like a weed killer sprayer.   Curious, I asked her what was going on.  She said she was going to "clean" her air conditioner. I  walked away more confused than I was before.  Is this something that needs to be done?  How do I do it?  Why do I need to clean something that does not seem to have dirt on it?  Please help!

Cleaning your outside air conditioner (Condensing Unit Coil) once a year will save you money, and make your house cooler at the same time!   Most people do not realize the unit needs to be cleaned, or how simple the task is.  When a condenser coil is dirty, the dirt prevents the coil from releasing the heat that it has removed from your home.  Imagine sitting in the sun on a 95 degree day wrapped in a thermal blanket.  The blanket will keep the heat trapped around your body, and not allow you to sweat and relieve the heat.  The same is true with a dirty coil on your condenser, the dirt acts as a blanket that blocks the heat from leaving the coil.  So what do we do?

 As you already know, the first two things you need are a water hose and a sprayer.  We sell both items in a professional grade here at BR Supply (CAM 22873) and (WAL 128430).   Before you begin, you must first turn off the electrical breaker at your unit.  Water and electricity do not mix!   Once you have the sprayer and water, you need to get the cleanser, which does mix with water!  We sell several different types of coil cleaner at BR Supply.   The most popular is the DIV Pro-Blue. 

This cleaner is acid based and foams as it cleans your coil.  Follow the directions on the cleaner and mix the chemical with water.  Next, spray the coil with clean water from your hose to get rid of obvious loose debris.  After the initial water spray, use your garden sprayer to soak the coil with the coil cleaner mixture.  Leave the coil cleaner on the unit for 15 minutes to allow the foam to penetrate and clean inside the coil.  Lastly, rinse the coil off again to remove all the dirt from the inside of the coil. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Other popular coil cleaners we stock include: DIV Pro-Green (a rinse free cleaner that is not acidic), DIV Pro-Kleen (a stronger, high-acid based cleaner).   For smaller units and window hung Air Conditioners, we advise you use the aerosol based DIV 358-20, which is 19 oz. and does not require mixing.  Once the coils are clean, turn back power to the unit and prepare to have a more efficient and better performing unit.

As always, if you have any questions, call or stop by your nearest BR Supply store.  Click the "Locations" tab to find the store closest to you.

Our lavatory sink drain is constantly running slow.  My wife and daughters brush their hair over the sink, and also use hair care products that get washed into the drain.  I use LIQUID-PLUMR, but it never fully clears the mess.  Any Suggestions?

You are not alone with your slow drain issues.  Over time, all drains in your home will become clogged with grease, hair, food residue, and other slime.  LIQUID-PLUMR can not resolve or dissolve these issues, it takes something stronger. 

THRIFT is the professional plumber's secret.  Hot water activates THRIFT's dry, odorless crystals.  THRIFT liquefies hair, grease, and all slime stuck to the side of the drain so that within 60 seconds the drain is clear.  THRIFT is so potent, you can actually hear the sizzle of the residue being burned inside your drains as it works. 

Because it is so potent, we advise that you wear rubber gloves when using THRIFT and make sure your room is well ventilated.  THRIFT is also a great way to maintain drains that are not yet running slow, and provides a great benefit for grease traps and septic systems.  THRIFT Crystals are stocked at all of our locations in three sizes; 1 pound, 2 pound, and 6 pound.  THRIFT is also available in a liquid state in one quart bottles.  Try THRIFT, you will not be disappointed or clogged!