FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I have been told that flat-rate pricing is the best. Why do you charge by the hour?
Most flat-rate books are set up to take care of the worst case scenario. If your repair happens to be simple, then you would have over paid. We charge by the hour because it is the only way to make sure that you pay only for what is done.
Why are you supposed to remove your hoses from outside spigots in the winter?
Most outside spigots or hose bibs in our area are frost-free. What this means is they drain out excess water when they are shut off. If you leave your hoses on, the water cannot drain out and the drain tube can freeze, causing a broken pipe and a big mess.
How do I keep my garbage disposal in clean working order?
Ice is an extremely effective and inexpensive method for cleaning your garbage disposal, sharpening the blades and breaking up any grease build-up. Just toss a few ice cubes into the garbage disposal and run it. As the garbage disposal chops into the ice cubes, the ice chips will effectively scour all the hard to reach areas of the unit, and melt down the drain. Try this once or twice a month to keep your garbage disposal in fine working order.
What items can I put down my garbage disposal without causing harm to it?
COLD WATER – For it to function at its best, you should always run cold water through your garbage disposal unit for 20-30 seconds before and after you grind food stuffs. This ensures that all of the food will be flushed down the drain. You don’t want a few decaying scraps sitting at the bottom of your disposal unit, stinking up your sink.
LIQUIDS AND SOFT FOODS – Here’s a good rule of thumb: if a baby can eat it, the garbage disposer can handle it without any problems.
CHOPPED FOODS – When you want to process solid foods, chop them up thoroughly before feeding it to your disposal unit.
DISH SOAP – No, you wouldn’t use your garbage disposal unit to dispose of dish soap, but putting soap inside will help you clean the disposal unit. Once you pour a little in, turn on your unit and run cold water through it. Your disposal unit will thank you.
ICE CUBES – Throwing a few of these in occasionally will knock off food residue that has built up on the unit’s blades. To make them even more effective, use ice cubes made out of lemon juice, vinegar, or some other biodegradable cleanser. These will freshen up the unit.
LIQUIDS AND SOFT FOODS – Here’s a good rule of thumb: if a baby can eat it, the garbage disposer can handle it without any problems.
CHOPPED FOODS – When you want to process solid foods, chop them up thoroughly before feeding it to your disposal unit.
DISH SOAP – No, you wouldn’t use your garbage disposal unit to dispose of dish soap, but putting soap inside will help you clean the disposal unit. Once you pour a little in, turn on your unit and run cold water through it. Your disposal unit will thank you.
ICE CUBES – Throwing a few of these in occasionally will knock off food residue that has built up on the unit’s blades. To make them even more effective, use ice cubes made out of lemon juice, vinegar, or some other biodegradable cleanser. These will freshen up the unit.
Are liquid drain cleaners really harmful to my pipes?
The short answer is “Yes.” Most liquid cleaners are very caustic and contain very harmful chemicals. For those of you with older pipes, the liquid drain cleaners can “eat through” old p-traps or even pipes in the wall. We suggest using an enzyme cleaner such as Bio Clean to maintain drains and keep them flowing.
I have been told by my water district that my water pressure is too high. What does that mean?
There are some areas of town that have very high water pressure at the street. High water pressure is anything over 75 psi (pounds per square inch) in a residence. In most cases you already have a pressure regulator and it probably needs to be replaced.