Ken's Plumbing | Blog

You learn a lot in the course of your lifetime, and, of course, some of the facts and information you pick up along the way are more important than others. For example, we're sure you learned the Pythagorean Theorem at some point, which was useful only to pass the test you had on it. Meanwhile, you likely never learned about maintaining your pumbing, which is useful from the very moment you move out on your own through the rest of your life.

We're here to help you close the knowledge gap and learn some useful plumbing information that can help you identify small problems before they become huge disasters, and maybe even help you stop an occurring disaster before it can go from bad to worse!

If your home was built before the 1990s and you're still using the plumbing that was built into the house, it's safe to say you're wasting both time and money. You need to install WaterSense labeled products which will allow you to save dozens of gallons of water per year, which means you can save hundreds of dollars, too!

If you've made a conscious effort to turn off lights in rooms you're not in, set your thermostat to more efficient temperatures, and do larger loads of laundry, it's time for you to make high-efficiency plumbing a part of your eco-friendly lifestyle as well. Discover the difference it can make:

Seasonal plumbing issues reach far beyond clogged toilets at Thanksgiving and frozen pipes during an ice storm. Just as many things can go wrong in the summer, but with the added stress of some of them occuring while you're out on the beach and won't be home to discover them for another 3 days.

To help keep your Summer as carefree as it should be, we've made you a quick plumbing checklist to help you and your family prevent disasters before they strike:

Listen, we get it. We know you want a DIY solution to your hot water heater problem because it means you save a couple of bucks, but we can assure you this is a situation where the cons are downright dangerous and outweigh the pros of saving some money.

Your water heater is one of your more dangerous home appliances because of the dozens of gallons of extremely hot water, gas lines, pressure-controlled tanks, etc. Discover why you need to put away your toolbox and pick up your phone to schedule an appointment with your professional plumber when it comes to water heater replacement:

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.