Monday, September 17, 2012
Simple Plumbing Cleaning Chore: Cleaning a Faucet Aerator
Plumbing is one home system that many dread having to deal with. One proactive step you can take to keep your plumbing clean is to take care of your faucet aerator. Now you might be thinking, “my what?!” Faucet aerators mix air with the water, minimizing splashing and reducing the amount of water used (and the energy required to heat hot water) without reducing the effectiveness of the water stream.
“An aerator contains a screen and a water reducer/aerator washer,” says to Bob Beall, a plumber in the Northeast Ohio and Southwest Pennsylvania region. “These little items have a habit of collecting bits of naturally occurring mineral sediment in the water.” “What becomes noticeable when the aerator becomes clogged is a reduced water flow at the spout (on both hot and cold) and/or a non-symmetrical spray coming from the spout,” according to Beall.
Below are Beall’s tips for cleaning your aerator.
No. 1. To remove the aerator from the faucet simply turn it counterclockwise. Drop it straight down so you don’t lose any internal parts, especially the thread-sealing gasket. The threads can be either inside or outside the cap. If the cap is stuck, you will need pliers to turn it.
BONUS TIP: Tape the jaws with electrical tape to minimize scratching.
No. 2 Look inside the center area for sand, silt, and other waterborne debris.
No. 3 Take the center section out to check for further debris, noting the order in which things come apart.
No. 4 Check for anything stuck in the screen.
No. 5 In the flow reducer, look in the tiny side holes and the center hole of the white button for debris.
Note that if do not put all the pieces back together properly, there will be a leak or the water flow will not be a smooth aerated flow.
Despite even the most experienced plumber’s intentions, it’s easy to let the parts of an aerator fall out when removing it. To prevent permanent loss of any parts, put the stopper in the sink drain before removing the aerator. If it is necessary to take the aerator away from the sink, to keep from losing parts, disassemble it over a bowl.
Source: Mr. Rooter Plumbing
“An aerator contains a screen and a water reducer/aerator washer,” says to Bob Beall, a plumber in the Northeast Ohio and Southwest Pennsylvania region. “These little items have a habit of collecting bits of naturally occurring mineral sediment in the water.” “What becomes noticeable when the aerator becomes clogged is a reduced water flow at the spout (on both hot and cold) and/or a non-symmetrical spray coming from the spout,” according to Beall.Below are Beall’s tips for cleaning your aerator.
No. 1. To remove the aerator from the faucet simply turn it counterclockwise. Drop it straight down so you don’t lose any internal parts, especially the thread-sealing gasket. The threads can be either inside or outside the cap. If the cap is stuck, you will need pliers to turn it.
BONUS TIP: Tape the jaws with electrical tape to minimize scratching.
No. 2 Look inside the center area for sand, silt, and other waterborne debris.
No. 3 Take the center section out to check for further debris, noting the order in which things come apart.
No. 4 Check for anything stuck in the screen.
No. 5 In the flow reducer, look in the tiny side holes and the center hole of the white button for debris.
Note that if do not put all the pieces back together properly, there will be a leak or the water flow will not be a smooth aerated flow.
Despite even the most experienced plumber’s intentions, it’s easy to let the parts of an aerator fall out when removing it. To prevent permanent loss of any parts, put the stopper in the sink drain before removing the aerator. If it is necessary to take the aerator away from the sink, to keep from losing parts, disassemble it over a bowl.
Source: Mr. Rooter Plumbing
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Financial Tip of the Week - Improve Your Credit Score
Just like a top football, basketball or hockey player is drafted based on their stats, your credit score is used to determine your financial fitness.
Your credit score is the best way to define your ability to handle debt. It's based on several aspects of your financial picture and can help creditors determine if you're responsible with your money.
Improving your credit is one of the easiest ways to improve your overall financial scorecard. Doing so may help you get approved for loans and lower your interest rates and insurance premiums.
The following steps can help you improve your credit score:
Pay on time. Payment history is one of the most important factors used to calculate your credit score, so consistently paying on time is one of the easiest ways to boost your score. To help you pay on time, consider enrolling in an e-bill pay program that will make payments automatically on your behalf and guarantee they arrive on time.
Reduce debt-to-credit ratio. Focus on paying down the amount you owe on your credit cards so each one has an available credit of at least 50 percent. Doing so improves your debt-to-credit ratio and in turn will improve your credit score.
Use more than one type of credit. Your score is built around both revolving (ex. credit card) and installment (ex. mortgage loan) credit. Having both types in your credit history shows you can responsibly handle multiple kinds of credit, and in turn may improve your score.
Stick with the accounts you have. Opening new accounts means new inquiries on your credit report, which may lower your score. On the other hand, avoid closing accounts you already have, even if you don't use them that often. Doing so can negatively impact your debt-to-credit ratio and credit history – both of which are used to calculate your score.
Source: BMO Harris Bank
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Home for Sale? Stage it Right for Autumn
Home for Sale? Stage it Right for Autumn
By Barbara Pronin
The transition from summer to fall means more than the beginning of football season and sending the kids back to school. For a homeowner wanting to sell a home, it means staging it right with fall in mind to make it more appealing to buyers.
Here are seven ways to bump up your home’s seasonal appeal:
Start with curb appeal – Keep the lawn free of falling leaves and debris and cut back dead or dying perennials. Replace them with fall blooms, like mums, and/or add a few fall blooms in pots to the front porch.
Add fall décor – Use neutral fall décor outside, such as pumpkins, leafy wreaths or small hay bales that appeal to adult sensibilities. But keep it to a tasteful minimum. The idea is to add a few homey touches but keep the focus on the home itself.
Use seasonal scents – Nothing conjures up warm memories more than the sweet, spicy scents of fall. Bring them to mind with a pot of simmering cider on the stove or the aroma of freshly baked bread or cookies. But try to keep it natural. Scented candles or aerosol sprays can irritate some buyers.
Make the kitchen sparkle – Keep it very clean and remove all cleaning supplies from view. Take the notes and photos off the refrigerator and keep the counters clear – except, perhaps, for an attractive cookbook and a bottle of wine or olive oil, or a handsome arrangement of fall produce in a pretty bowl or basket.
Let the light in – Keep drapes and blinds open during the day, and turn on the lights if your home is dark or the weather outside is gray.
Make the fireplace a focal point – Can you make it seem cozier with an armchair or rocking chair facing it, draped with a shawl or afghan? Will a few small pumpkins or gourds add a homey touch to the mantel? Can you rearrange the furniture to make the fireplace the focus of the room?
Set the dining room table – Using fall foliage and candles as a centerpiece, set the table with your best cloth, glassware and china – or dramatize a polished wood table with a showy bowl or basket full of autumn’s finest fruits and foliage.
By Barbara Pronin
The transition from summer to fall means more than the beginning of football season and sending the kids back to school. For a homeowner wanting to sell a home, it means staging it right with fall in mind to make it more appealing to buyers.
Here are seven ways to bump up your home’s seasonal appeal:
Start with curb appeal – Keep the lawn free of falling leaves and debris and cut back dead or dying perennials. Replace them with fall blooms, like mums, and/or add a few fall blooms in pots to the front porch.
Add fall décor – Use neutral fall décor outside, such as pumpkins, leafy wreaths or small hay bales that appeal to adult sensibilities. But keep it to a tasteful minimum. The idea is to add a few homey touches but keep the focus on the home itself.
Use seasonal scents – Nothing conjures up warm memories more than the sweet, spicy scents of fall. Bring them to mind with a pot of simmering cider on the stove or the aroma of freshly baked bread or cookies. But try to keep it natural. Scented candles or aerosol sprays can irritate some buyers.
Make the kitchen sparkle – Keep it very clean and remove all cleaning supplies from view. Take the notes and photos off the refrigerator and keep the counters clear – except, perhaps, for an attractive cookbook and a bottle of wine or olive oil, or a handsome arrangement of fall produce in a pretty bowl or basket.
Let the light in – Keep drapes and blinds open during the day, and turn on the lights if your home is dark or the weather outside is gray.
Make the fireplace a focal point – Can you make it seem cozier with an armchair or rocking chair facing it, draped with a shawl or afghan? Will a few small pumpkins or gourds add a homey touch to the mantel? Can you rearrange the furniture to make the fireplace the focus of the room?
Set the dining room table – Using fall foliage and candles as a centerpiece, set the table with your best cloth, glassware and china – or dramatize a polished wood table with a showy bowl or basket full of autumn’s finest fruits and foliage.
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