Keep Your Shower Looking Brand New

Pipe Wrench Plumbing

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Want to keep your shower looking new?  There are several ways to keep your bathroom looking clean and help you avoid costly repairs in the future.  Here are a few preventative tips to help keep your shower looking great!

Shower Cleaning Tips:

• New Shampoo – Some shampoos contain harmful dyes and colorings.  Switch to a shampoo that won’t stain your shower grout.
• Cleaning Products – Harsh cleaners might make your shower look new at first, but they strip away water repellency over time.  A mixture of white vinegar and water is a gentle way to clean grout.
• Seal – Home stores sell sealing products that add water repellency to your grout.  This will make it more stain resistant.
• Squeegee – Use a squeegee after each shower, leaving less water behind to dry on your grout, tile, and shower doors.  This will also prevent visible mineral deposits.

Pipe Wrench Plumbing offers complete shower services, including installations, custom showers, bathroom plumbing, and repair.  Call 865-583-3957 to contact our Knoxville plumbing practice for more information.

How To Organize Your Freezer for Energy-Efficiency and Food Quality

Pipe Wrench Plumbing

865-583-3957
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A crowded and disorganized freezer doesn’t make meal planning easy.  Over packing your freezer can cause ice to build on the walls and you may end up losing or forgetting about a lot of the food you were trying to save.  Since it’s a pain to unpack and defrost your freezer, it’s important that you know how to properly fill your freezer to keep it in the best possible shape.  

What to Freeze:

Chicken Stock

Unbaked Muffins and Pastries

Pie Crust

Pizza Dough

Cookies

Peas

Spinach

Berries

Shrimp

Whole Grain Flours

What Not to Freeze:

Milk

Dry-Roasted or Seared Meats

Dry Pasta

Knowing how to store food in your freezer can help save you money, keep your kitchen energy-efficient, and keep your food tasting great!  Pipe Wrench Plumbing offers appliance installation and repair services.  

Call 865-583-3957 to contact our Knoxville plumbing practice for more information on kitchen appliance hook-ups and our 24/7 repair services.

Water Efficiency Tips for Earth Day

Pipe Wrench Plumbing

865-583-3957
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Tomorrow is Earth Day!  Celebrate by making your home more environmentally friendly.  With a few simple plumbing tips you can make improve water-efficiency in your home all year round.  The EPA offers a few ways to help reduce your environmental impact.

Source: Flickr

Water Use Tips:

• Bathroom – Over half of household water use takes place in the bathroom.  Turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth, shaving, soaping, or shampooing.
• Kitchen – Keep drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the faucet run to get cool water. 
• Laundry – Don’t use the washing machine until you have a full load of laundry.
• Appliances – Upgrade your appliances to products that are more efficient.  Low-flow faucets, showerheads, and washing machines can save water and energy.
• Repair – Repair all of the leaks in your home!  A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water every day. 

Read more about how you can improve water use in your home this Earth Day on the EPA website.

Pipe Wrench Plumbing offers 24/7 emergency repair services.  Call 865-583-3957 to contact our Knoxville plumbing practice for more information on all of your plumbing repair, replacement and installation needs.  Our professional plumbers can help make your home more water-efficient this Earth Day.

Tips for Small Bathrooms

Pipe Wrench Plumbing

865-583-3957
Same Day Service Guaranteed! 

It isn’t always easy to make your small bathroom functional.  Creating space or even designing your bathroom to look bigger can be difficult.  Fortunately, there are a few simple things that you can do to take advantage of hidden spaces in your small bathroom.

Tips for Small Bathrooms:

• Tiles – Keep the color pattern simple.  Multiple shades of the same base color can make your bathroom appear bigger than it is.  Try small floor-to-ceiling mosaic or diamond shaped tiles.
• Wallpaper – Wallpaper is a more cost-effective alternative to tiles.  There are plenty of eco-friendly options that can give your bathroom a vertical effect.
• Niches – Make space by using the walls for storage.  Small niches in your shower can be great for storing shampoo, conditioner and soap. 
• Expand – Do you have a closet or laundry room next to your bathroom?  Try expanding the bathroom into another room to make your bathroom size more comfortable.

Call 865-583-3957 if you are looking to remodel your bathroom.  Pipe Wrench Plumbing offers services for all of your bathroom plumbing needs.  Our expert plumbers can help you create a functional bathroom with plumbing and appliance installations.

Bathroom Remodeling Tips As You Age

Pipe Wrench Plumbing

865-583-3957
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Bathroom injuries become more and more frequent with age.  If you are getting older yourself or you are looking into remodeling a bathroom for your parents or in-laws, there are a few things that you can do to make the bathroom safer and more accommodating.

Simple Remodeling Tips:

• Grab Bars – Installing grab bars around the toilet and in the shower can help make sure you stay on your feet.
• Handles and Knobs – Larger door handles and knobs are easier to use.  Replace faucets in the shower or sink when they are difficult to turn.
• Nonslip Shower Mats – Slippery surfaces are dangerous for people of all ages.  Make sure your tub or shower has a nonslip mat on the floor.  You can also opt for nonslip flooring if you have glossy tiles on your bathroom floor.
• Raise or Replace Sink – If the person using the bathroom is in a wheelchair, the sink should be raised to accommodate the chair.  Raising the sink is also useful for those who have trouble bending over.

Read more about bathroom remodeling tips for the elderly on Angies List.  Don’t forget to call 865-583-3957 to contact Pipe Wrench Plumbing for all of your plumbing needs!  Our professional plumbers provide expert plumbing and installation services.

Watering Wisely: Outdoor Tips to Conserve Water Use

Pipe Wrench Plumbing

865-583-3957
Same Day Service Guaranteed! 

Having a beautiful landscape doesn’t mean that you have to waste water.  There are ways to manage your outdoor irrigation systems to avoid overwatering and flooding.  The EPA offers a few tips to help minimize water waste, while keeping your lawn green and your garden beautiful.

Watering Tips:

• Maintenance – Inspect your sprinkler system for clogged, broken or missing sprinkler heads.  Make sure that the water is directed onto the lawn and not the driveway or sidewalk.
• Timing – Avoid watering in the middle of the day when water is more likely to evaporate.  Schedule each sprinkler zone to a specific watering schedule depending on sun or shade exposure.
• Frequency – Watering needs change depending on the weather and the season.  Watering too frequently can drown plants that need less water than your grass.  If you don’t have a weather-based controller, update your timing system for the spring!
• New Technology – Newer technologies like drip irrigation systems use between 20 and 50 percent less water than conventional sprinkler systems.  This can save you money!

Read more water saving tips on the EPA website.  Remember, Pipe Wrench Plumbing offers services for all of your plumbing repair needs.  Call 865-583-3957 to save water and money if you are in need of pipe repair, pipe lining, trenchless sewer repair, or plumbing repair!  Our experienced professional plumbers and customer service representatives are happy to help you receive quick care for all of your plumbing service needs.

What to Consider When Remodeling Your Bathroom

Pipe Wrench Plumbing

865-583-3957
Same Day Service Guaranteed! 

Remodeling your bathroom this spring?  Now is a great time to upgrade for both beauty and function.  Before you begin, here are a few things to consider during your bathroom renovations.

7 Bathroom Remodeling Tips:

• Bathtub vs. Shower – How often do you take a bath?  Consider the cost the bathtub and whether or not you really need it.  If you forego the tub, consider creating a zero-threshold shower.  Although this could have a higher initial cost, you’ll appreciate it as you gracefully age.
• Vanity Height – Older homes are likely to have a shorter vanity.  The standard height has changed from 30 inches to 36 inches to be more comfortable for adults.
• Shower Heads – Plan the location of your shower head.  If you’re tall, place it higher on the wall.  Also consider where you are placing the controls.  You don’t want to get soaked with cold water while turning on the shower.
• Grab Bars – Grab bars are not just great for safety, but they can be aesthetically pleasing too.  When placed well, they can be beneficial to anyone.
• Shower Niches – When redoing your shower, consider providing places for shampoo and conditioner bottles.  Niches are a great alternative to shower caddies that are inexpensive and aesthetically pleasing.
• Steam Shower – Steam showers are not as popular as they once were.  However, if you have a home gym that you use regularly it could be a useful investment. 
• Hooks, Towel Bars, etc. – Don’t let these be an afterthought.  Not only are they necessary, but they can be really fun to design!  Think about where you want your hooks, towel bars, and toilet paper holders to go during the planning process.  This will help make sure that your bathroom doesn’t look over blocked.

For more bathroom remodeling tips, visit this link.  Remember, we offer services for all of your plumbing needs!  When installing your new showers, tubs, and sinks, call 865-583-395!  Pipe Wrench Plumbing is here to help you with all of your plumbing installations!

Spring Clean Your Bathroom

Have you started spring cleaning yet?  Now is a great time to start!  A clean bathroom isn’t just more aesthetically pleasing, it can help keep you and your family healthy too.  Here are a few tips to keep your bathroom clean and free of germs.

Spring Cleaning Tips:

• Shower – Soap scum is a common shower nuisance.  However, the showerhead can also be a breeding ground for germs.  Clean your shower head, wash plastic shower curtains, and wipe condensation from all surfaces after showering.
• Grout – Grout is porous and susceptible to bacteria growth.  Clean grout with bleach and rinse well.
• Tile, Walls, Ceiling – Spray tiles, countertops, walls and ceilings with all-purpose cleaner. 
• Toilet – Pour a cup of baking soda into the bowl and let it sit for a few minutes before brushing.  This can help get rid of germs and dirty spots.
• Sink – The sink drain has the highest bathroom bacteria account (even more than the toilet seat)!  Clean the faucet with disinfecting wipes and if the sink is clogged, call us for drain cleaning services!
• Towels – Moist towels are bacteria prone.  Keep towels spread out of the bar where they can dry.  Replace with clean towels every three to four days.

Read more about how you can keep your bathroom clean here. 

If you encounter any plumbing problems as you go about your spring cleaning and home renovations, contact Pipe Wrench Plumbing.  We offer 24/7 emergency repair services!  Call 865-583-3957 to contact our experienced Knoxville plumbers.