As professional plumbers we put a lot of stock in the plumbing products we use.  One of our favorite suppliers to work with is Ferguson.  Ferguson is ranked by trade publications as the largest distributor of plumbing supplies and pipe, valves and fittings (PVF). It is also the third largest distributor of heating and cooling equipment (HVAC/R) and the second largest company within the waterworks industry.  We like them because their offerings include a wide range of plumbing and lighting products designed for kitchens, bathrooms, and more.  Ferguson offers the best brands in the business including Kohler, Elkay, Pfister, Moen, and many more.

Ferguson also has a variety of showroom locations, offering the ultimate experience for customers selecting products for their home.  We love to send our clients to the Ferguson Showroom in Golden Valley for project ideas and inspiration. The Golden Valley showroom not only features plumbing fixtures, but also lighting and appliances. The showroom is located at 925 Decatur Avenue North  Golden Valley, MN 55427 and the showroom phone number is (763) 591-5700.

There you can check out working displays including fully-functional whirlpools, showers and complete kitchens.   If you’d like, you can make a showroom appointment to meet with a customer representative – Ferguson customer representatives are available to answer product questions, help you to maintain project time lines, and guide you to the right product for you.  The Ferguson team is highly trained and very helpful when it comes to choosing fixtures or appliances for your home!

Once you find the perfect product for your bathroom or kitchen, contact us for installation or project implementation!

It Moves More: The Champion 4 will move a mass 70% larger than the industry standard.  In addition, this model has one of the highest bulk removal ratings on the market – 1,000 grams.  This toilet can even flush a bucket of golf balls!

It Clogs Less: This toilet offers the industry’s widest 2 3/8″ trap way and 4″ flush valve, all but eliminating clogs.

Quick and Quiet: This toilet is quiet, quick and has a great flush – perfect for late night bathrooms break when you don’t want to wake the whole house!  The flush is quick in that it only takes about 2 to 3 seconds and all waste is gone.

Easy To Keep Clean: Spend less time cleaning your bathroom with the Champion 4′s patented EverClean surface.  This double-coated surface finish inhibits the growth of stain and odor-causing bacteria, mold, and mildew keeping your toilet cleaner longer – even after years of use.  This is the finish we recommend for families with children or toilets placed in high traffic areas.  In addition, the toilet’s built-in PowerWash rim scrubs the bowl with each flush, ensuring an even greater degree of cleanliness.

All in all, this is our toilet of choice!  Do you need help ordering and installing one?  Give us a call, and we will get you set up with your new home convenience!

• Animal Bones: Animal bones are one of the most common clog-inducing culprits.  Unfortunately, the blades of garbage disposals are simply not strong enough to break bones apart.
• Rice and Pasta:  These seemingly innocent culprits can be responsible for a great deal of drain damage.  Rice and pasta swell when they come in contact with water.  As a result, regardless of the amount of water that you run down your drain, small pieces of rice and/or pasta will eventually collect in your garbage disposal trap and swell until the disposal is rendered useless.
• Silverware: We’ve all done it – you are rinsing out a full sink at the end of the night and a knife, fork, or other utensil slips into your drain.  If you hear metal scraping when you turn your disposal on, turn it off as quickly as possible to avoid further damage.
• Grease: Grease in its liquid form is harmless for your disposal.  Unfortunately, grease does not stay that way.  Eventually it will solidify and clog the disposal.  Avoid this by avoiding pouring grease down your drain at all.
• Egg Shells: A common misconception that we hear is that putting egg shells in your drain will serve to sharpen disposal blades.  Not only is this not true, egg shells are actually key culprits of clogged drainage lines.

In general, when it comes to your garbage disposal, less is truly more.  When possible, dispose of garbage in the trash can instead of down the drain.  When using the garbage disposal, only put in small amounts of waste at a time and be sure to run plenty of water.  If you do end up needing help with a garbage disposal clog, call us at Nowthen Plumbing for a quick repair!

Few things are more frustrating than a clogged drain!  Whether in your kitchen, your bathroom, or your utility room, clogged drains can quickly provide an infuriating mess.  Unfortunately, they are also fairly common.  To solve your next clog conundrum, try one of our DIY solutions:

Slow-Running Drains: For slow-running drains, shake a half box of baking soda down the drain, before pouring in one cup of vinegar. The baking soda will bubble and foam.  Once it stops foaming, flush the drain with very hot water for 2-3 minutes.

Dealing With A Clog:  If you have a full-on clog, begin by removing as much of the backed up water as you can.  Pour one cup of baking soda into the drain, followed by a large pot or kettle of boiling hot water. If the sink empties completely, pour another kettle of boiling water to give it another clean flush and then let cool water run from the tap for a couple minutes.

Biodegradable: If the flushing technique listed above doesn’t work, use a biodegradable waste digester, available in the plumping section of your hardware store, to dissolve the build-up of debris in your pipes.  However, always use caution when using commercial drain cleaners of any kind.  We recommend wearing eye goggles since the water can splash back up at you.

An Ounce Of Prevention: While slow or clogged drains are the most common household plumbing problem, they are typically preventable.  Work to stave off bathroom clogs by installing grates or small screens over the drains to prevent hair and other debris from going down the drain and building up.  In the kitchen, avoid clogs by being cautious of what you pour down the drain.  For example, liquefied fats poured down a drain can coat the pipes and leave a ready surface for debris to get stuck in.  And while garbage disposals are convenient, they should be used sparingly. Dump large amounts of food in a garbage can and only use the disposal for the small bits left on the plate.

If these solutions don’t solve your problem, call us at Nowthen Plumbing to thoroughly assess the situation.

Remove Mineral Deposit Build-Ups:  Overtime, mineral deposits can build-up in your pipes, causing clogs that result in lower water pressure.  Because these clogs most commonly affect faucets and showerheads, a thorough cleaning of each can typically resolve the issue.  To accomplish this, soak showerheads in a vinegar-and-water solution to dissolve mineral deposits.  However, in more severe situations mineral build-ups can partially block the flow of water through the pipes themselves.  If you suspect this might be the case, call us at Nowthen Plumbing to thoroughly assess the situation.

Identify Leaks: Low-water pressure can also be caused by damage to the pipe, such as a leak or crack.  To determine if you have pipe damage, read your water meter and then shut off your homes’ water taps. Refer back to your meter in two hours.  If your water usage has increased, you likely have a leak and need to contact a plumber to schedule a repair. Or the easier route if you think you have a leak is to call us and have us figure it out for you.

Plan Accordingly: Because most of us operate on a somewhat similar schedule throughout the day (showers in the morning, watering the lawn on the weekends, etc.), homes sharing a mutual water distribution pipe may experience water pressure variations.  With that in mind, take a look at whether or not your low-water pressure issues are occurring during peak usage hours.  If so, consider changing your schedule slightly.

Check Your Valves: Double check that all of your homes’ water valves are completely open to ensure that you benefitting from all potential water pressure.  To do so, locate each valve at your homes’ faucet bases and turn clockwise.

Baking Soda Solution

A quick way to eliminate sink odor is to clean you drain with baking soda.  To do so, pour one cup of baking soda into your sink drain.  Let it soak for 15 – 20 minutes and then flush the baking soda through the drain with a large pan of boiling water.  Be sure to also clean your drain stopper, where odors can tend to linger.  Finally, eliminate any remaining smells in your sink pipes with a commercial drain cleaning solution.

Preventing A Smelly Sink

Once your drain has been cleaned, put a stop to future sink stench with these simple prevention tips.

• Attempt to prevent food from going down the drain whenever possible by making sure that your sink stopper fits properly and that it is emptied into the trash after each use.

• If food does go down the drain, be sure to rinse thoroughly with plenty of water to help propel food or particles past the sink’s trap.

• Occasionally wipe your sink with a towel or sponge saturated in undiluted vinegar to help eliminate sink basin smells.  Rinse thoroughly with warm water.

• Grind a lemon or orange peel in your kitchen’s garbage disposal to help release citric acid and eliminate smell, while simultaneously cleaning your garbage disposal blades.

Still have a stinky sink?  We can help – call us today for a sink-scent solution!

WaterCop flood sensors are then installed near water-based appliances and in rooms where running water is present. When the sensors detect leaking water, a wireless signal is broadcast to the WaterCop main valve causing the valve to close. Water flow is then cut off to all areas of the home to eliminate continuous flooding.  Particularly important to Minnesota homeowners is the devices ability to also prevent burst pipes.  Optional temperature sensors, placed near indoor pipes, can shut off a home’s water in the event that the ambient indoor temperature drops below a pre-determined point!

After installing your WaterCop, keep in mind that this device reduces your flood related risk and, as a result, can increase your home’s insurability.  Contact your insurance agent to determine if you are eligible for discounts associated with automatic water shut-off systems.

Contact Nowthen Plumbing to have your WaterCop flood prevention tool installed today!

• Drain Maintenance: While preparing your Thanksgiving meal, be careful to avoid pouring fats or cooking oils down your drain, as these items can congeal and create a clog.  To help avoid this, wipe all grease from your pots with a paper towel before placing them in the sink.

• Garbage Disposal: To avoid garbage disposal clogs, clear plates of any hard, stringy, or tough waste before placing them in the sink.  Common clog culprits to avoid include turkey skin, potato peels, carrots, and celery.  For additional garbage disposal tips, check out our previous post on garbage disposal maintenance.

• Shower Prep: If Thanksgiving is bringing extra house guests your way, consider a shower strategy in advance.  To help
  retain hot water, turn your water heater up slightly (but keep in mind the temperature must remain under 125 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid scalding) and plan on spreading showers throughout the day if possible.

• Pressure Power: To help maximize water pressure through multiple uses, the night before guests arrive clean your shower head.  Pour a cup of vinegar into a plastic bag, place the bag over your shower head and secure overnight.  In the
  morning, remove the vinegar bag and gently scrub off any remaining mineral deposits.

While these tips will help keep you on track, if you do run into a plumbing catastrophe contact Nowthen Plumbing for emergency assistance.  And, from our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!

Replace Standard Toilets: Toilet usage accounts for approximately 40 percent of all residential water use.  However, several water-saving alternatives to standard toilets are available on the market today.  Two such options include dual flush or low flow toilets.  Dual flush toilets allow users to choose between a lower-flush option for liquid waste and a higher-flush option for solid waste, while low-flush toilets use no more than 1.3 gallons of water per flush.  Installing either will significantly reduce water usage over that of a standard toilet.

Not ready to replace your toilet in its entirety?  Listen to ensure that your current toilet model is not running when not in use.  A running toilet could be a sign that the flapper is leaking inside the tank – a problem that can lead to substantial water loss if not repaired.

Fix The Faucet:  Replace standard faucets with low-flow substitutes or invest in aerator faucets.  Aerators are circular screened disks of metal that when screwed onto faucet heads, reduce the faucets overall flow.  In addition, be sure to make timely repairs on all leaky faucets, as well as shower and tub valves as a single continuous drip can result in gallons of wasted water per week.

Change Your Showerhead: Consider changing your showerhead to a low-flow option.  Trading out a standard showerhead (which has an average flow of 4.5 gallons of water per minute) for a low-flow model (which has an average flow of 2.5 gallons of water per minute) can save a family of four over 20,000 gallons of water per year.  And fortunately, today’s low-flow showerhead models are designed to maximize water usage while still providing a strong shower stream.

Are you ready to make water saving plumbing improvements?  Contact us at Nowthen Plumbing to begin making your plumbing modifications today!

Turn Off Your Water: Whether you have an overflowing sink basin, a backed up drain, or a flooded bathroom, begin to control the damage by shutting off your water at your home’s main shutoff valve.  Typically, the shutoff valve will be located inside your home near your water meter.  Once you (or your plumber) has identified the source of the problem and insulated the issue to a single fixture, isolation valves (valves located at each fixture and designed to stop the flow of water to that location only) can be turned off in place of the shut-off valve.  Using your isolation valve as opposed to the shut-off valve will allow you to keep the water on in the rest of your home while the repair is underway.

Turn Off Your Water Heater: Once your water is turned off, take the time to also turn off your water heater as a partially empty water heater is more likely to burst.

Remove The Water: The first step to resolving your plumbing problems is to contain the water damage.  Remove standing water, mop up any spills, and try to limit further spills.

Call In Reinforcements: If resolving your plumbing problem falls outside of your comfort zone, contact us at Nowthen Plumbing to help remedy the situation.  When you call, try to be as specific as possible to help us pinpoint the problem as quickly and accurately as we can!