Quick List of Common HVAC Myths

Myths prevent homeowners from understanding the true operational performance of their HVAC systems. These myths are believed to be true by millions, and could be costing individuals a significant amount of money on their home heating and cooling.

To help you separate the truth from these unsubstantiated claims, we’re helping draw out the facts with our quick list of common HVAC myths in this latest post.

HVAC Maintenance Isn’t Required if the System is Running Normally

While your home HVAC systems might be performing well at the moment, there could be an underlying issue that is costing you money and could lead to a breakdown in a short amount of time.

You don’t have a clear insight on the components in the system, and so you require expert maintenance to help keep all HVAC technology running to peak capacity. Turning to professionals for HVAC maintenance, even when everything is running normally, can help you save time and money in the future.

Pushing Your Thermostat Will Speed It Up

Many people believe that, if they want to reach a certain temperature in their home, they can set the thermostat higher or lower than that ideal temperature to “trick” the system into moving more quickly.

Your home thermostat is designed to run at a certain speed. Unless you have a two-phase AC system, you’re not going to be able to speed up the cooling in your home by setting the temperature lower than optimal.

You Don’t Need a Specialist to Replace Your Air Filter

An air filter can become clogged with contaminants, forcing your AC systems to work harder and requiring your family to spend more money cooling the home. You might think it’s a simple job to replace the filter and return the system to peak performance. But unfortunately, you might not be able to identify potential structural problems if you try to replace the air filter without expert help.

A trusted technician can replace the air filter for you and then review the system carefully to determine whether contaminants have further impacted the unit.

Through the process of learning more on the latest HVAC systems myths, you can join homeowners throughout the country in achieving a full return on your investment in home heating and cooling systems.

To guide you in this process, our Grand Junction, CO team at Peterson Plumbing is available around-the-clock. Call us today at 970-399-7063 to learn more about the latest myths.

Worried About Your Plumbing this Holiday Season? Take Steps to Avoid These Headaches

Nothing can take the merriment out your holiday celebrations than having to deal with untimely plumbing mishaps. The holiday season creates an extra element of risk as temperatures can get much colder, creating the potential for frozen pipes.

The good news that simply taking a few minutes to do a little preventative maintenance, either before you hit the road for your holiday travels or before your holiday company arrives, can prevent a lot of plumbing problems from happening.

You Need a Working Sump Pump

You may not even think to maintain your sump pump, but rest assured that this is one piece of equipment that you need to be in tip-top shape. Make sure the area around the pump is free and clear of debris that would keep it from working properly. To test its functionality, pour a few buckets of water in the sump pit. If it’s working well, it should switch on automatically. If it doesn’t, get it fixed right away.

Mind the Thermostat

Although it is perfectly ok to turn down your thermostat if you are going to be away from your home for a period of time, never set it lower than 55°F. Any cooler will created potentially risky conditions for frozen pipes.

Double Check Faucets

After you’ve been on the road, it is recommended that you circulate through your home and check that water is flowing freely from all of your faucets.

If you should discover that there isn’t water coming out of any of them, you might be dealing with a water supply issue.

If a single one isn’t flowing, it could be the indication of pipe damage sustained from a frozen pipe. Get it looked at by your plumber.

Deal With Exterior Faucets

It is essential that hoses are removed from exterior faucets. You need to drain any remaining water. Any pooling water in hoses or faucets can freeze and then pose a threat of flooding inside your home. That’s why as an extra safety measure, turn the safety shut-off valve off inside, which will prevent water from entering that route.

Insulate Pipes with Foam

Pipes that are vulnerable to the cold are more susceptible to freezing. Prevent this from happening by wrapping them in simple, but effective foam insulation. Pay special attention to pipes that are installed in exterior walls and in areas of your home that are less insulated (like the basement, garage or crawl spaces). Leave cabinet doors open under sinks that are installed on outside walls.

Insulate the Water Heater with a Jacket

Part of keeping your pipes from freezing is making sure that you’ve got access to warm water all the time. Most new hot water tanks come insulated. If you have an older tank, or if you want to be extra energy efficient, invest in a water heater jacket.

For more help with your holiday plumbing preparations, call Peterson Plumbing today. Call (970) 399-7063 today for trustworthy service in Grand Junction, CO and the surrounding area.

How is it Possible to Save on Heating Costs in the Fall and Winter?

As you see those expensive heating bills coming in during the fall and winter months, you may be wondering, what can I do about this? The answer is lots, and a lot of energy-saving measures are easy to do. Every little bit counts and you’ll see an impact on your heating bills.

Do an energy audit of your home to start, looking at areas that let warm air escape or let cold air in.

Dodge the Drafts

Your number one culprit for warm air escape is your windows. If you are in an older home, or if you have a large number of windows, you are very vulnerable. It’s easy to fix though. First, repair any cracks in the seals around the window with caulk.

Apply a film over top of the windows (you can tape it to the window frame, or apply it directly against the window pane itself). This is an effective barrier. Another trick is to install snugly fitting draperies and window treatments.

Run the Ceiling Fan

Although we tend to run the ceiling fan to keep cool when it is warm outside, keeping it going year round can help you save some cash on your heating bills by moving warm air around. If you have desktop or standalone fans, they work too. Conversely, try not to run the bathroom and kitchen fans, because they actually suck warm air out.

Even the Threshold

Block air from leaving through gaps between the exterior doors and the threshold by raising the threshold. An easy-to-apply adjustable threshold will do the trick.

Use the Sun to Your Advantage

You shouldn’t just seek the sun in the fall and winter for your daily dose of Vitamin D. Opening the curtains during the day lets the sun shine in- and lets you take advantage of some no-cost, very helpful solar power.

Protect the Chimney

Would you leave the window wide open in the living room in January? Of course not. However, that’s what you are effectively doing when you leave your chimney flue open when you’re not using your fireplace.

Make sure that it is closed tightly. Similarly, for extra energy savings put a chimney pillow in, which will act as an inflatable plug, blocking hot air from escaping.

Furnace Attention

It’s the season to get your furnace tuned up. A professional will clean the components, look for damage, attend to the pilot light and change the air filter. All of these items are important in helping your furnace run efficiently.

Fall and winter heating bills draining your wallet? We’ve got lots of energy efficient tips and more. Contact our service professionals at Peterson Plumbing, In Grand Junction, CO, at Call us at (970)-399-7063.

5 Reasons to Have Furnace Maintenance

Are you ready for winter? One area you shouldn’t forget about while preparing for the colder months is maintaining your home’s heating system before you begin using it every day.

This includes scheduling maintenance on your furnace from a qualified professional to ensure that there are no issues with your unit and that it will work reliably all season long.

Why should you invest in furnace maintenance this season? Keep reading to find out:

1. Your Unit Hasn’t Been Used All Summer

Most of us don’t need to use our furnaces during the warmer months, and while the warmer days are great they also mean that our furnaces have been inactive for months at a time and issues such as worn-out mechanical parts, will still be present as you begin using it again.

This makes it especially important to book furnace maintenance before you begin using your unit consistently so that a professional can ensure that it is working perfectly and no problems have crept up during the summer.

2. Colder Days are Coming

As the colder days set in, we will be using our furnaces more and more, which means that furnace maintenance is imperative to ensure that it will work reliably. There’s nothing worse than waking up or coming home during the middle of a cold snap to discover that your furnace has failed you!

3. Keep Your Family Safe

A heating professional can tell you if your furnace has become compromised in some way, or has a crack which may begin leaking carbon monoxide into your home.

This gas is potentially lethal and is especially dangerous because it is colorless and odorless, which means that unless you have functioning carbon monoxide detectors (which should also be inspected and tested with the change of seasons), you may be putting your family at risk.

4. Extend the Lifetime of Your Furnace

A furnace which has been well maintained will have to work less hard to heat the air in your home throughout the winter.

This is important to remember because a furnace which is breaking down or worn-out will attempt to overcompensate to deliver the same level of warm air that it once did, which can cause it to wear out faster.

Investing in annual furnace maintenance can dramatically extend the lifetime of your furnace by resolving smaller issues and performing repairs which may escalate into larger issues down the line.

5. Save Money in the Long Term

Paying for scheduled annual maintenance is significantly cheaper than calling for emergency furnace repair and replacement in the middle of the winter when it matters most.

Not just that, but heating systems which are well-maintained work more efficiently and use less energy, which means that your monthly bills will be lower.

If you’re interested in scheduling a professional furnace maintenance appointment this fall, call Peterson Plumbing at 970-339-7063 for service in Grand Junction, CO and the surrounding area.

Eliminate Uneven Cooling In Your Home Today with these 3 Easy Tips

Have you been struggling to adequately cool your home during the summer months? If you’ve been noticing that when you walk from one room to another, or when you move between levels of your multi-storey residence, that there is a noticeable difference in temperature, then your HVAC system may be having problems evenly distributing cool, comfortable air throughout your home.

Suffering from uneven cooling isn’t just uncomfortable; it can also drive up your energy costs as your cooling system overworks to compensate for the uneven temperature, and it can cause your air conditioner to wear out and break down faster.

How can you reduce uneven cooling, keep your energy costs low, and minimize strain on your HVAC system? Read on to find out three easy ways:

1. Increase Your Attic Insulation

Most homeowners rarely give their attic insulation a second thought, but it plays a vital role in temperature control inside your home. This is because insulation not only keeps outdoor air from getting into your home, but it prevents the air indoors from escaping out into the world.

This means that if you have inadequate amounts of insulation, or if your insulation isn’t the appropriate kind for use in your region, then it may be allowing valuable cool air to escape up through the roof of your home.

2. Check Your Air Ducts for Leaks

Your air ducts are the component of your home’s heating and cooling system which are responsible for transferring air throughout your home and from room to room. When this system works perfectly you can enjoy consistent and even temperatures throughout your home, but if it becomes compromised then you may begin experiencing issues with inconsistent temperatures.

Holes and tears in your air ducts can cause air to leak out into unwanted areas, resulting in uneven air distribution and forcing your system to work harder to produce consistent temperatures.

3. Invest in a Zoning System for Your Home

Zoning systems allow you to have complete control over different areas of your home, and provide you with the opportunity to create custom “zones” which can be heated or cooled independently of one another.

When installing your zoning system, be sure to discuss the appropriate zones with your cooling technician, as they can help you identify the rooms or areas of your home which may need special attention and their own “zones” to stay comfortable. For example, a zoning system allows you to keep bedrooms on the second storey of your home cooler and more comfortable for sleep than your basement.

For professional assistance with eliminating uneven cooling in your Grand Junction, CO home contact your local HVAC experts at Peterson Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling. We’re just a phone call away, so dial 970-399-7063 and enjoy the comfort that comes with cool, controlled indoor temperatures now.

Make Your Home Pollen-Free In Three Steps

Seasonal allergy sufferers know how difficult hay fever season can be. Sometimes, it seems like there’s no escaping the terrible symptoms no matter whether you’re outside or indoors.

But there are ways of achieving the kind of clean air in your home that will help to remove pollen from the air you breathe and minimize your allergy symptoms.

1. Keep Your Windows and Doors Closed

From spring to fall, you’ll notice during the weather report that they often include a current pollen count. That’s because, a wide range of plants, weeds, grasses and trees produce pollen during this time.

It gets released into the air, triggering allergy symptoms like itchy and watery eyes, runny noses, and even asthma in some cases.

Your first line of defense in keeping these airborne allergens at bay is to prevent them from entering by keeping your doors and windows closed, particularly during the hours most associated with high pollen counts. These include the early morning and midday (roughly 10 AM to 3 PM).

2. Install a HEPA Filter In Your AC

The filter in your AC is designed to remove dust and dirt from the air before it enters into your ductwork on its way to the various rooms of your home. Did you know that air filters are not all created equal?

If you or members of your family are allergy sufferers, you should look for a filter that is designated with the HEPA symbol. HEPA, which stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air, means that these filters will do a better job of trapping tiny particles like dust mites, pet dander and, of course, pollen, as air is forced through their fine mesh.

eUsing a HEPA filter will significantly reduce the amount of pollen entering your house and circulating through your home.

3. Lower the Humidity In Your Home

Allergens, like dust mites and mold spores, thrive in environments with high moisture content in the air. With the addition of a dehumidifier in your home, you can keep the relative humidity below 50%, which will provide some relief for your allergy symptoms and make your home feel more comfortable.

By doing these three simple things, you won’t have to put up with all of the sneezing, red, itchy eyes, and other symptoms of seasonal allergies, at least while you’re in your home.

And for more great ways to have clean air in your home, the experts at Peterson Plumbing, in Grand Junction, CO, are only a phone call away at 970-399-7063.

Home Improvement Projects to Complete Before the 4th of July

Preparing Your Home

With the 4th of July weekend just around the corner, its time to get your home ready for the star-spangled celebration.

There is no better time for all those home improvements you have been dying to get done.

Your home should be up-to-date before you host your friends and family. So here are a few home improvements projects that you can tackle.

Clean the deck

A clean deck is the rich, inviting hallmark of your yard. A sparkling clean, well-maintained deck can be very inviting.

Other than the fresh look, cleaning your deck maintains the integrity of the wood and provides a longer deck life.

It is, therefore, important you make sure that your deck is safe and clean before the holiday weekend.

On that account, there is no better time to give your deck a thorough cleaning as the 4th of July weekend approaches. Here are simple steps to cleaning your deck.

Step 1 – Preparation

Prepare to clean your deck by getting rid of anything that could get in your way. Remove all the potted plants and the patio furniture. If you have fragile plants in the ground near your deck, cover them lightly to protect them from any potential disturbance.

Step 2 – Sweep your deck

Simply get rid of debris by sweeping them into a trash bag. Use a slender tool to remove any debris that is trapped in between the deck boards.

Step 3 – Hose off/power-wash your deck

Wash the surface of your deck using your garden hose with a spray attachment. Aim directly at the muddied spots using the highest setting on the sprayer to remove as much dirt as possible. Rince your deck, beginning at one end and continuing until the entire deck is rinsed.

Step 4 – Cleanse your deck

Use a solution of water and a laundry detergent or a commercial cleaner. Apply the solution to the deck and scrub it using a push broom or a long-handled brush with stiff bristles. Rince off the deck with plain water to remove the cleaning solution.

Step 5- Bleach

If your deck has algae or mildew growth bleach it with a solution of 1 part bleach to 4 parts water. Allow the bleach to sit for 10-15 minutes depending on how old the growth is. Scrub the area once again and rinse it clean.

Persistent areas will require a second bleach scrub. Allow the area to dry before treating it again. Allow your deck to dry completely before applying a sealant. It may take 2-3 full days to dry.

Step 6 – Reseal your deck

Purchase a wood sealer based on your preference and needs. A good sealer should include a waterproofing agent that offer your deck a year-round protection. Follow the directions on the sealant as you apply it.

Step 7- Redecorate

Once your sealer has dried off, go ahead and replace your furniture along with your potted flowers or any other items you wish to keep.

Clean Outdoor Grills

The memorial weekend offers the most pleasurable time to barbecue. But have you cleaned up your grill? To clean a gas grill, turn the heat to maximum, close the lid and leave it on for 25 minutes. Wait until it has cooled down to clean the racks with a grill brush. For the exterior, clean with warm water or a gentle cleanser.

To clean a charcoal grill, empty the old charcoal and ashes and wash the entire grill with hot water and dishwasher soap. Allow it to dry completely.

Clean your windows

Windows naturally light and brighten your home and have a significant effect on how people perceive your home. They also affect the overall heat efficiency of your home.

To self-clean your windows, invest in a good squeegee that has a long handle. You can use soapy water or glass cleaner, whatever you preference may be. You can also schedule a window cleaning service for a thorough and a convenient clean.

Check Your Outside Faucets

Winter is over! It’s time to turn your outside faucets on to wash and spray off the patio, clean your windows and run water for yard work purposes in the preparation for the 4th of July holiday.

As you enjoy this time in your yard, be sure to take all the necessary steps to guarantee you don’t end up with a flooded basement that could cause a costly mess. Outside faucets are prone to freeze damage, and it’s important to make sure that they are in good working conditions. Turn on the outside faucet and let it run while you go back inside the basement to check for any leaks.

Check Your Air Conditioning

Summer extends throughout the month of July. Therefore, The 4th of July celebrations are at the peak month of summer. Check to see that your air conditioning is cooling properly before your weekend holiday.

Schedule an inspection for your home’s central A/C system. Remove debris on your window units and clean the filters before turning them on. Also, clean the blades of your ceiling fans with a damp piece of cloth.

Lawn Care Tips

During the 4th of July celebrations, the weather is usually nice and sunny. At this time of the year, you need to prepare your lawn for the fun and traffic of the holiday weekend. Here are a few care tips that will get your lawn in shape for the holiday.

• Lawns love the sun: clean all leaves, debris or branches from your yard.
• Fill up all bare spots with an early germinating seed after raking up all the dead grass.
• Test your soil for nutrients, PH, and mineral levels to learn what your soil is deprived oand add the recommended amount.
• Core aerate your lawn to open the soil for healthier plants.
• Apply fertilizer to enhance plant growth.
• Have your sprinkler system up and working.

The staff here at Peterson Plumbing in Grand Junction, CO has the experience you can count on, so call us today at (970)-399-7063 to receive the expertise you need before making one of the largest investments in your life.

Garbage Disposal Smelling Funky? Release the Odor with These Five Tips!

Do you have a garbage disposal in your kitchen sink? Are you noticing a smell that you just can’t get rid of? Is that odor growing to the point that you don’t like to be in your kitchen and your family members are beginning to complain? Are you wondering if your kitchen will ever return to normal? If you’ll be able to walk in without holding your nose?

If you are having garbage disposal odor issues, you certainly are not alone. Garbage disposal odor is a common problem for many homeowners across the country – and it has to do with the natural collection of different foods and materials in your garbage disposal.

The good news is that every garbage disposal can get that fresh smell once again with a few simple, inexpensive tricks. Best of all, the odors often can be addressed with natural home remedies. Continue reading our quick guide of the top five tips for getting rid of odor in your garbage disposal, and begin smelling freshness once again!

Tip #1: Release Odors with H20

Before you run out to the store to spend money you could save on a garbage disposal cleaner, try a few natural remedies that just might do the trick.

Sometimes food particles are caught in the disposal, and they just need a little loosening. To do this, run hot water down your drain for a few minutes while the disposal is on. Leave the kitchen for about 15 minutes and return to test the air with your nose.

Tip #2: Throw in a Few Cubes

Fill your disposal with ice cubes. Turn on the cool water and then the disposal. The crushing of the ice in the disposal acts with an abrasive force and helps to freeze food particles that are lingering in the disposal.

Continue this process for a few cycles. Leave the kitchen for about 15 minutes, and then return to take a whiff. If needed, you can repeat this process again.

Tip #3: Whip up a Kitchen Concoction

You also can try the home remedy of using baking soda and vinegar in your disposal. Measure about a half cup of baking soda, and dump it into your disposal. Follow with about a half cup of vinegar. Let your concoction sit in your garbage disposal for a few minutes, and then turn on the hot water to flush it away.

With these three natural home remedies for combating odor in your garbage disposal, you’re also naturally cleaning your disposal and protecting it from any corrosive commercial cleaners that may damage your disposal over time.

Tip #4: Don’t Underestimate the Power of Citrus

If water and ice aren’t doing the trick, you can deploy the power of citrus in your drain. Chop up a lemon or an orange into small chunks. It is Okay to leave the peel on these fruits, but the key is to chop the fruit into small chunks so your disposal does not get overwhelmed.

Turn on the water once again, as you never want to run your garbage disposal without the water running, and then drop the fruit chunks into the disposal, one piece a time until all of the pieces have been ground. If after you’ve tried these tips, you still have a smell lingering in your disposable, then you may want to consider a biodegradable disposal cleaner that is made for garbage disposals.

Never use drain cleaning products such as Drano in your garbage disposal. These products are made for drains, and the chemicals used in them may quickly corrode the garbage disposal’s parts.

Tip #5: Avoid Putting These Objects in Your Disposal

Sometimes education about your garbage disposal is everything. Some people don’t know that certain foods have a way of naturally clogging your garbage disposal and getting stuck. When enough of those food particles get caught in your disposal not only do you have a clogged disposal and likely clogged pipes connected to the disposal – but you all have trapped food particles that begin to rot and to smell.

Before you flush something down your disposal, think twice. Avoid foods such as potatoes, bananas, rice, pasta and beans. These foods have the tendency to expand when grounded up in a disposal, creating a clog that is difficult to overcome. Also, avoid stuffing into your disposal any kinds of fibrous foods – such as onion skins, celery, asparagus, corn husks, artichokes, lettuce, and carrots. These foods have a tendency to get wrapped around the blades of your disposal.

You also should avoid pouring grease, oils and fats into your disposal, as these liquids solidify and not only start to smell but will begin clogging your drains. Finally, egg shells and any non-food items are an absolute no-no. A garbage disposal is a powerful appliance –- but it’s not a landfill for your kitchen. Use wisdom and know what you can and cannot put down your disposal to avoid a clog and a resulting odor that fills your beautiful kitchen and makes it an unpleasant place to be.

Ready to take on those pesky odors in your kitchen? Remember these five top tips as you are working in your kitchen and trying to understand how your garbage disposal works and should be maintained over time.

With a little know-how and a few simple tricks, you’ll be able to keep your garbage disposal in working order and you’ll be able to keep your kitchen smelling fresh for weeks to come. The power is in your hands – literally – and you’ll feel great knowing you fixed the problem at hand. For the tougher plumbing issues, call in the experts to help you solve your garbage disposal problems.

Learn more about how the experts at Peterson Plumbing in Grand Junction, Colorado can help you with your plumbing issues by calling (970)-255-8430.

As soon as spring arrives in your area, it is time for you to prepare a home for the hot summer months in order to remain comfortable without wasting money. With global warming, summer can become unbearably hot, and without adequate climate control equipment, you can suffer from dehydration or a heat stroke in your own home.

Our company recommends taking steps immediately to avoid needing to make an emergency telephone call to us on the hottest day of the year. In addition, if last year’s utility bills were too expensive, then it is time to have a high efficiency air conditioner installed.

One: Prepare a Home’s Air Conditioner

If our customers have a window air conditioner, then we suggest taking off its protective cover to verify it is in good condition.

Dust off the coils, check the electrical cord and test the device to verify it is working correctly. After turning off the device, change or clean its air filter to help it work optimally.

For our customers who have a central air conditioner, we recommend checking the outdoor portion to make sure that nothing is covering the unit and that no surrounding plants are interfering with the fan’s blades. Inside a home, our customers must change an air conditioner’s filter and dust off the components.

Avoid touching any wires during the process, and put the cover back on the air conditioner before turning on the thermostat to verify that it is still functional. When a window or central air conditioner is making strange noises or will not start, call our company’s technicians for a repair immediately.

Two: Check a Home’s Venting System

The venting system inside our customers’ homes is as important in the summer as it is in the winter, and we suggest using dust cloths and vacuum cleaners to remove debris from the vents to help cool air enter into each room.

Verify that vent covers are not closed to ensure climate-controlled air can flow adequately, and avoid placing these items over vents:

• Rugs
• Furniture
• Appliances
• Storage boxes
• Clothing

When vents are blocked, it makes an air conditioner work harder to keep a home cool because the ductwork is designed to maintain a building’s air circulation.

Homeowners will notice that there are hot or cool spots inside their home, and this leads to feeling uncomfortable while paying more for electricity.

Don’t make the mistake of adjusting the thermostat frequently to cope with cold or hot spots in a home because it wastes valuable energy and causes problems for an air conditioner’s mechanisms.

Three: Inspect a Home’s Windows and Doors

It is a good idea to open a home’s windows and doors in the spring to permit fresh air to enter and to enjoy cool breezes, but as the temperature outside increases, our customers want to turn on an air conditioner. While our clients may have added caulking and roll-on insulation around doors and windows in the autumn, the materials degrade during the winter.

To prevent loss of cool climate-controlled air in the summer, make sure to close and lock all windows to seal the devices securely. Add roll-on foam insulation or inject liquid caulking around windows and doors. Go outside your home to find holes and crevices in a building’s foundation or siding that require filling to prevent drafts. If your home has single-pane windows, then it is time to upgrade to new triple-pane windows that are made to keep climate-controlled air inside a building.

Spring is also an excellent time to add batting insulation to attics, crawl spaces and basements to reduce your electric bills each month. This is also the perfect season to have a home’s siding and roof replaced with newer materials that have better insulating properties.

Four: Additional Ways to Prepare for Summer

When your home has a higher humidity level in the summer, it makes the entire building hotter, but our customers can use dehumidifying equipment to reduce the moisture in the air. It is possible to install a centralized dehumidifier to suction moisture from the incoming air, or a homeowner can use large freestanding or small portable dehumidifiers.

Using a dehumidifier in a home also helps to prevent mold growth in wall spaces, basements or attics. When our customers install dehumidifiers, they must make sure to empty the tanks of the smaller devices and change the filters to keep the devices in good condition.

If air circulation inside a home is an issue despite cleaning the venting systems, then consider installing ceiling fans or using portable fans to augment the air conditioner’s cool air. During the hottest part of the day, homeowners should close window blinds and drapes to keep rooms cooler.

When using a hot shower in the bathroom, make sure to use the exhaust fan for a few minutes to remove humidity that can increase an entire home’s temperature level. Homes that still feel too warm during the hot summer months need to have a modern high efficiency air conditioner installed to reduce the temperature.

To learn more about how to keep a home cooler in the summer in  Grand Junction, CO call Peterson Plumbing at (970) 399-7063 today.

As the popularity of adult wipes grows by the day, so does the price of plumbing repairs across the country. Though adults consciously buy wipes labeled as flushable, the reality is that these wipes are anything but biodegradable.

Millions of dollars worth of sewer issues result in flushing these wipes. In fact, cities are fighting back by trying to pass bills that the wipe companies must label their products as harmful to pipes, drains, and sewers.

The wipe industry is a 13.2 billion dollar a year industry. These wipes were not only created as a means to clean yourself after using the bathroom, but are marketed as makeup removers, hand sanitizers, and household cleaners.

Wipes are part of an expensive business and the producers will stop at nothing to get you to buy their products.

These non-woven cloths get stuck in pipes and sewer machinery. The cost of toilet repair and drain cleaning has resulted in countless individuals suing the wipe industry. Cities have partaken in these lawsuits as well. Why do these wipes clog so many drains, though?

Why have people realized the problems with flushing baby wipes, but not by flushing adult wipes? There is a multitude of reasons as to why these products clog drains, why people are more inclined to flush these, and how DIY wet wipes are better solutions than the other marketed wipes.

Why Not Throw Them in the Trash?

People adapted to throwing baby wipes in the trash because of the warnings on the labels and simply because it is part of the parenting process. Though babies produce the same type of waste as adults, there is a taboo placed on adult waste. In fact, grown people are appalled at the thought of throwing their own wipes in the trash. Actually, adults rarely keep a pail for wipes in the bathroom.

Of course, all of the blame cannot be placed on the people who use these wipes. The products are marketed to be safe, and the wipe companies market their products as making people cleaner, healthier, and less inclined to contract illnesses. These false advertisements clearly result in huge consequences for the plumbing industry.

Why These Wipes Do Not Flush

It is no secret that when a piece of toilet paper becomes the least bit wet, it begins to break down. Regardless of toilet paper thickness, the product was designed to biodegrade simply because failure to breakdown would result in astronomical plumbing issues. Wipes, on the other hand, are entirely too thick to be thrown in a toilet.

The chemicals on wipes are designed to handle messier situations, but the same chemicals make the wipes less biodegradable. Yes, the wipes breakdown, but not quick enough to avoid clogs. Even if your household does not need a toilet repair or a drain cleaning, the sewer system of cities most certainly will as a result of flushing these products.

It is important to note that even toilet paper can clog a drain. If this specially designed product can do this, what are these wipes really doing?

Wipes are usually advertised as being very durable. The conclusion to be drawn from this, though, is that they are harder to break down. Of course, one cannot see into a drain by just flushing the toilet, so they are unaware of the growing problem and continue to flush. The clog grows bigger in size and collects anything else that gets flushed.

DIY Wet Wipes

Making your own wet wipes can be done in many ways and are far safer for the plumbing system in your house and in the city. The most common way to make this product is by taking a roll of toilet paper, and soaking them in a container of baby shampoo and baby oil. The regular thickness of toilet paper is present and results in fewer clogs as the product is easily biodegradable.

If you are making your own wet wipes for cleaning, swapping out the toilet paper for paper towels is okay. Soaking them in miscellaneous, natural cleaning fluids results in a safe cleaning product. It is still not recommended that these products are flushed, but the material of paper towels is more biodegradable than traditional wipes.

In conclusion, the cheap price put on certain household objects is not worth the underlying cost that they entail. Millions of dollars are spent each year to clean sewer machinery and household drains. Environmental issues are associated with flushing nontraditional items like wipes as well.

DIY projects are cost effective and safer in circumstances such as these. Local senators have been in the process of passing bills to ensure that the public knows the dangers of flushing wipes disguised as being safe.

We provide drain cleaning and toilet repair services in the Grand Junction, CO area. Call Peterson Plumbing at (970) 399-7063 today.