Ken's Plumbing | Blog

One of the best things about modern plumbing is that it just kind of works. You don't necessarily have to think about where your water goes when it drains or how a faucet can produce hot and cold water, but when you start thinking about those things, it can be hard to figure out how everything actually works.

Replacing a major home appliance is never fun or convenient, but the experience can go just a little smoother if you can start preparing for such a major purchase before things head totally south.

So if you're suspicious that your water heater may be on the road to failure, check out this list to see if your unit's symptoms match up with these 4 signs that your water heater might be giving up, and plan ahead for a replacement:

So far we've given you a list of things to consider when shopping for a new water heater, and we've compared traditional and tankless models, so this week we thought we'd help you learn the differences between gas water heaters and electric water heaters.

Whether your current water heater is on its last leg, or you're just looking to upgrade, choosing a new water heater is a big decision, especially with all of the options on the market today!

Ultimately, you're looking for what's best for your home and family. To help you make the right choice for your home, we've compared traditional, conventional storage water heaters and tankless water heater models by basing them on four important criteria:

1. Installation and Maintenance
2. Cost
3. Efficiency
4. Convenience

Laundry day has come!

At this point, the world is divided into two types of people: those who just throw all their clothes in the washing machine, toss in some soap, and hope for the best, and those who separate everything, try to decipher the hieroglyphics on the tag and carefully follow the washing instructions to ensure each garment is treated with the utmost care.

While the second way is undoubtedly the right way to do laundry, we totally see why it's easier to just ignore what the tag says. Washing your clothes shouldn't be an exercise in mental ability, and this is where washing machine cycles come into play. To help you navigate these cycles with confidence, we've compiled answers to the most frequently asked questions, providing a comprehensive guide in one convenient place.

Read More in Our Other Guides:

• The Ultimate Guide to Frozen Pipe Repair
• How to Troubleshoot a Sump Pump: Step-by-Step Guide

Which, do you think, is the best way to clean your dishes: washing by hand or running them through the dishwasher?

If you said, "Nice try... You have to do BOTH to get the best clean!" then you may be shocked to learn that was not a trick question, and the correct answer is not both.

Isn't it the worst when you've forgotten to run the dishwasher all week, and then when you finally remember to do it, you discover you're completely out of dishwasher tablets?

If you're down to your very last dish, you may look over to your regular liquid dish soap and think, "Eh, soap is just soap, right? What's the worst thing that could happen?"

Running toilets are nothing but trouble! Not only is the sound annoying, but all that extra running water means higher water bills, which is another kind of annoying. 

Fortunately, a running toilet is a fairly common plumbing problem that is pretty easy to identify. In this article, we've laid out the four most common causes of running toilets so you can finally eliminate one of life's little annoyances.

So, before you go out and replace your toilet unnecessarily, let's get started!

Have you ever tried taking a shower or washing your dishes with low water pressure? It takes way longer than it needs to, and you just don't get the same results as you would with normal water pressure.

Sure, the lower water bill that comes along with low water pressure is kinda nice, but at some point you have to say enough is enough. For those who have reached that point, we're explaining the causes of this common plumbing problem and what you can do to get the water pressure you need:

Do you find yourself spending more time in your shower cleaning out mold and mildew spots than you do cleaning yourself? With the constant cleaning and sanitizing, how is it possible that the mold keeps coming back?

Mold and mildew occur when your bathroom has leaks, a lack of ventilation that keeps moisture from drying, and/or the presence of organic materials (cotton rugs and towels, paper products and drywall, etc.). Without solving these problems, there is no amount of cleaning you can do to achieve the long-term results you're looking for. So while this isn't the most severe plumbing issue you could face, we'll walk you through how to prevent mold and mildew in your bathroom.