Reading Time: 5 minutes Fixing warped PVC fittings Fixing warped PVC fittings is something you may need to do if you plan on recycling or reusing them. There are a lot of how to reuse PVC fitting articles on the internet. But no one talks about what you need to do if you overheat a fitting and warp it.… Read More »
Reading Time: 3 minutes How To Cut Deburr Glue PVC Pipe How to cut deburr glue PVC pipe is not very hard to do. It’s what you use to make the cut and what is leftover after the cut that may impact your project. For this article, I will use the term PVC, but the procedures in this article will… Read More »
Reading Time: 4 minutes Reusing PVC Fittings Why do I want to reuse PVC fittings? Reusing PVC fittings can be cost effective if you’re a homeowner like me. If you’re a contractor type person then time is more important and not worth the effort. But as homeowners, we have time on our hands in a lot of our projects. This… Read More »
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Difference Between Schedule 40 PVC and Schedule 80 PVC Have you heard the term “schedule” when discussing PVC pipe and fittings? A PVC pipe’s schedule has to do with the thickness of its walls which affects the pressure the pipe or fittings can resist. Schedule 80 pipe is more expensive than schedule 40 pipe because of the additional… Read More »
Reading Time: 4 minutes Chlorine Resistant Algae Treatment Are you looking for a chlorine resistant algae treatment? This spring I was in the same boat. I had started up my pool this spring when something changed. I thought that it would be the usual process. Clean the pool filter. Test the water. Set the pH to the low end… Read More »
Reading Time: 5 minutes Thatch Buildup and Raising Sprinkler Heads This is about my thatch buildup and raising sprinkler heads solution. I needed to raise my sprinklers. After forty years the thatch/soil buildup has finally started to impact how my sprinklers do their job. Unfortunately for me, this is going to be a tough job. My trees are well… Read More »
Reading Time: 3 minutes Installing Bearings Without Damage Installing bearings without damage is very easy to do. But as I was watching a Youtube video I found myself cringing as another “expert” beat on the outer race of a brand new bearing as he installed it on a shaft. I kept thinking that he was shortening the life of… Read More »
Reading Time: 4 minutes Weld Plastic Using Household Plastics Weld plastic using household plastics begins with determining what kind of plastic you will be welding. But I’m getting ahead of myself. First thing you need to know about welding is that welding requires additional material to combine two pieces together. In the normal welding of steel, you have a… Read More »
Reading Time: 4 minutes Unclogging A Slow Bathroom Sink Unclogging a slow bathroom sink is something I needed to do recently. We all use sinks and over time hair and soap will build up and slow the flow of water from the sink. It is inevitable sooner or later we are faced with the slow running drain. FreeImages.com/Nick Colomb… Read More »
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Importance of Witness Marks My neighbor learned about the importance of witness marks this week. He had to replace his pool pump and of course this involved replumbing piping from the new pump to the filter. The project also expanded into replacing some short turn elbows with 45º fittings on the filter return… Read More »
Reading Time: 4 minutes How To Repair LED Bulbs In order to save some money, you may need to know how to repair LED bulbs. It’s a dirty little secret of LED lamps. Something only spoken in hushed tones in the dark corners of the internet. LED bulbs do not last as long as advertised. When LED life is… Read More »
Reading Time: 4 minutes Air Leak in SuperFlo Pool Pump My neighbor had an air leak in SuperFlo pool pump and needed help. We had replaced his pump seal and all the O-ring/seals, and both motor bearings and after starting it up it was drawing air into the water. He showed me the air bubbles at the return jet… Read More »
Reading Time: 5 minutes Repairing a Leaking Hose Bib Repairing a leaking hose bib shot to the top of the list recently. I experienced an over usage fee on my water bill. I didn’t know that it was leaking at the time but when the bill came I started searching for a leak. In my backyard I had extended… Read More »
Reading Time: 2 minutes A New Grip for your fence gate latch Getting a new grip for your fence gate latch with a new handle that is. As soon as you put a latch on your gate your going to need a way to release that latch from the other side of the gate. You could just reach over… Read More »
Reading Time: 4 minutes Sprinkler valve leaking My sprinkler valve leaking is giving me headaches. Everything has been good for years and years now things are not working like they should. The lowest sprinkler on one of the lines is leaking water all the time. One other valve is leaking at the anti-siphon valve when the water is on and… Read More »
Reading Time: 2 minutes Tools for changing a cabin filter Tools for changing a cabin filter are probably in your home now. This article covers the tools needed for cleaning the filter area. Changing your cabin filter requires cleaning where your hands cannot reach. You will need to vacuum out the large stuff and brush loose the stuck on stuff in… Read More »
Reading Time: 3 minutes Whisperflo pump seal replacement My WhisperFlo pump seal replacement was needed. It all started when my pump lost its prime. I found the pump running dry and who knows how long it had been doing that. My pump runs at night as that is the best rate for electricity. I just noticed that the pool… Read More »
Reading Time: 3 minutes DIY drip irrigation staples DIY drip irrigation staples are not that hard to make. In fact, I’ve made some for pots. It seems that the hose doesn’t like to stay in the pot once it is full of water and the weight sort of drags it out of the pot. I’ve made two different types of… Read More »
Reading Time: 5 minutes Basic drip irrigation Basic drip irrigation is easy to install once you understand how it works and what are its limitations. Drip can cover a large area provided the supply lines are large enough to get the water to the emitters. That’s one of the limitations. Also, the drip system delivers water right to the plant and… Read More »
Reading Time: 4 minutes Deep cleaning a sand filter Do you find yourself backwashing your sand filter more often? Is your sand filter not keeping your water as clean as it used to after you backwash your filter? Should you change out your sand? Have you experienced these things? Sand Filter Maintenance Clean the skimmer basket and check that it is in… Read More »