One of the most useful gadgets in your kitchen is your garbage disposal. Rather than scraping every bit of food into the trash can, you can grind it up in the disposal. You probably don’t think too much about this kitchen appliance until it stops working. There’s a long list of items not to put in the garbage disposal. Here’s the scoop on some of those items to avoid and ways to keep your garbage disposal running in tip-top shape.

Hands and Fingers Out

Keeps your hand and fingers out of the disposal. Drop something in the disposal that shouldn’t be in it? Never put your hand in. Items like coins, broken glass, or kitchen implements should be fished out using tongs after you’ve unplugged the disposal. If you’re ever in doubt, call your handy local plumber.

Keep Out Rice, Potato Peels, Eggshells, and Celery

Rice expands when it’s in the drain, celery is excessively stringy, eggshells, and potato peels can all cause the disposal blades to lock up. These items are difficult for the disposal to break down. Best to toss in the garbage can or mulch pile.

Keep the Water Running

Always run water when you’re using the garbage disposal. Food is ground up by the blades and water helps flush it down the disposal. Running water keeps food from sticking around on the garbage disposal sides and stinking up the kitchen.

No Bones

Even if the garbage disposal is rated to grind up bones, hard bones should be thrown in the garbage can. Animal bones are strong and most bones other than soft bones such as fish and chicken, will clog up the disposal.

Grease, Oil, and Fat

Tossing oil, fat, and grease down the disposal will end up catching all the food waste coming through after, eventually causing a clog. These three offenders will solidify in the plumbing. In any case, run cold water at all times when running the garbage disposal.

Meat and Poultry Skin

Put all meat skin in the garbage can. Meat skins are rubbery and filled with a lot of fat. They’re hard to grind up and will lead to smelly clogs.

Call Cool Blew for the Best Plumbing Advice

If you need garbage disposal repair or replacement, call our experienced plumbers today at 623-872-2900. We know how to get the job done right the first time. There’s no better choice than Cool Blew to keep your disposal running every day.

Super Bowl Sunday is a great reason to host a party. Especially this year since it’s being played locally at the Cardinal’s Stadium in Glendale. Yet, the addition of extra house guests can sometimes put a strain on your home’s plumbing system. Prepping all the food and drinks in the kitchen combined with extra trips to the bathroom can stress out your plumbing. Here are some tips to keep the party going.

Don’t Sink the Dishwasher

The additional cooking, dishes, and plates means the dishwasher is key to keeping this party flowing. Make sure to clean your dishwasher before the heavy use on Super Bowl Sunday. Film, gunk, and food debris can build up on the sides and bottom of your dishwasher over time. Using store bought dishwasher cleaner or a homemade cleaner will help keep the dishwasher running on time and prevent clogs.

Dispose of It

The garbage disposal needs to be blockage free when you’re entertaining. Watch what you and your helpers put down the disposal. Keep grease, fat, large chunks of meat, and non-food items on the sidelines. If you have to guess what to put in the disposal, trash it instead. Run the disposal regularly with lukewarm running water to keep things moving along.

Prep the Bathroom

Party guests and your bathroom can sometimes cause unexpected problems. It’s best to be thinking ahead and inspect, repair, and clean before the party starts. If you have a running toilet, fix it beforehand. Have a toilet brush, extra toilet paper, and a plunger on hand in the bathroom. Make certain the sink drains freely to avoid a plumbing disaster.

Overtime Plumbing Tips

• Get yourself familiar with the toilet shut-off valve underneath the toilet tank in case it overflows.
• Eject the garbage in the garbage can in the bathroom and keep the can in a handy location so nothing goes in the toilet that shouldn’t.
• Throw food scraps in the trash to not sink the party vibes.
• Intercept disposable wipes before your guests flush them, which can cause clogs in the plumbing system. Another great reason to make sure the trash can is easily accessible.
• Fibrous and starchy foods need to stay on the bench and out of the garbage disposal.
• Placing chicken wing bones down the garbage disposal will result in broken bones, your plumbing down, and an extended time out for garbage disposal blades.

If you experience a broken-down garbage disposal, a clogged toilet, or a backed-up sink disaster during your Super Bowl festivities, call Cool Blew. Our experienced plumbers are MVPs and can help keep the party going smoothly. Call Cool Blew today at 623-872-2900 anytime of the day or night, weekends, and holidays.

Plumbing issues unfortunately go hand in hand with homeownership. Many of the most common plumbing problems homeowners face can be directly linked to normal wear and tear, aging plumbing fixtures, absence of maintenance, or improper use. And, plumbing issues usually pop up at inconvenient times, requiring immediate attention, quick repairs, or in some cases replacement.

Usually, the most bothersome plumbing problems are the preventable ones. Here are three common plumbing issues many homeowners run into, and what you can do about them.

1. Dripping Faucet

American homes’ leaky faucets account for millions of gallons of water wasted every year, according to the EPA. That’s a significant amount of water going down the drain anywhere, but particularly in drought-stricken Arizona. Think about this additional fact from the EPA. A leaky faucet dripping at the rate of one drip per second adds up to 3,000 gallons of water wasted annually. Yet, dripping faucets are an easily repairable plumbing issue that will rapidly pay for itself in lower monthly water bills. With a simple visit from a plumber, you’ll resolve the problem and prevent all that wasted water.

2. Faulty Washing Machine Hoses

One of the most common causes of water damage in homes is from bursting or faulty washing machine hoses. The rubber hoses that are generally installed with your washing machine tend to lose pliability over time as they go through a great deal of stress as the water hoses are repeatedly turned on and off. Over the course of time, these hoses can simply fail without warning and cause expensive flooding. Now is the perfect time to have your washing machine hoses checked and replaced with stainless steel braided hoses that won’t break over time.

3. Running Toilet

You’ve probably heard a high-pitched water noise coming from the toilet after you’ve used the bathroom. This is caused when water spills into the overflow tube and the toilet does not shut off properly. Often, you simply need to jiggle the handle to stop the water tank from over-filling. This becomes a big problem when you’re not at home or you don’t hear the toilet running and the water runs unchecked for hours. You can literally waste hundreds of gallons of water without being aware of it until you get your monthly water bill. Save time and money by fixing the issue promptly.

Call Your Plumbing Professionals

Do you have questions about plumbing problems you’ve noticed in your house? Call Cool Blew today today at 623-872-2900. We’ll do a complete inspection and professionally repair all your plumbing problems quickly, efficiently, and affordably.

A water heating system is one of the most unnoticed and underappreciated appliances in your home. Think about how much you rely on your water heater each and every day. From providing warm showers to washing your clothes and cleaning the dishes, the water heater is the workhorse of every home. This is exactly why it’s a good idea to perform routine maintenance on it, so that you can keep it running optimally for many years to come.

Caring for your water heater is a straightforward DIY project. And if you’re not particularly handy, you can always rely on your local plumber – Cool Blew.

Set the Temperature

Keep the thermostat at 120 degrees or below. You can save up to five percent in monthly energy costs for every 10 degrees you reduce your water heater’s temperature. You’ll also reduce its workload and any risk of scalding.

Space It

Make certain your home’s water heater has plenty of free space surrounding it. This increases airflow and reduces fire risks.

Drain It

Another best practice is to partially drain your tank to remove sediment and debris at least yearly. In the Valley of the Sun, our water is particularly hard. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), most of Arizona’s water contains high concentrations of calcium carbonate. These minerals can build up and will corrode your tank over time. To drain the tank, turn off the cold-water supply and hook up a garden hose to the drain valve. Water can be drained into a bucket or onto your landscaping until the water runs clear.

Relieve Pressure

At least yearly, test the water heater’s pressure relief valve by discharging it two or three times. Look for small leaks from the valve which signal a need to call for service.

Install Insulation

Installing a fiberglass insulated jacket for your water heater tank and insulation around the cold and hot water pipes will improve efficiency all year-long. When the weather turns warm outside, insulation will keep the pipes from sweating or forming condensation.

Vacation Mode

Whether you’re away for part of the year or only for a one-week vacation, you can extend your water heater’s lifespan and save a bit of money on utility bills by turning it to the vacation setting. This maintains the pilot light without continuously heating the water.

Whenever you’re in need of advice on your water heater, require repair or maintenance, or need a replacement, call locally owned Cool Blew at 623-872-2900. We’re here to ensure 24/7 that you and your family are never left in the cold.

Your house’s plumbing system is a key component for a smoothly operating home. By implementing plumbing upgrades, your home will feel more luxurious and inviting for family, friends, and neighbors. Here are five home plumbing improvements you can make for 2023 to help reduce your home’s water demand, increase your home’s value, and help you save on monthly utility bills.

Upgrade Bathroom Sinks and Faucets

There are numerous options available for upgrading your bathroom faucets and sinks. Updating the sink style with a larger basin and modernized faucets and handles will immediately improve the visual appeal of your bathroom. Installing water-efficient plumbing fixtures will lower your monthly utility bills and help reduce your water demand if future residential drought restrictions are implemented in Arizona.

Insulate Pipes

Insulating home pipes is a quick and relatively inexpensive upgrade that can save on energy costs and maintenance. Pipes with insufficient insulation increase the risk of burst pipes due to freezing weather or extreme heat and may result in utility bills rising due to energy loss.

Install Low-Flow Toilets

According to the EPA, toilets account for almost 30% of water use in the average house. The EPA estimates that you’ll save up to $110 per year on your water bills with the addition of low-flow WaterSense labeled toilets. They’ll last up to 30 years before needing replacement and they’re 20 percent more water efficient than non-rated products.

Install a New Showerhead

Installing water-saving showerheads can also make a big difference. Standard showerheads use 2.5 gallons of water (gpm) per minute and WaterSense labeled showerheads use no more than 2 gpm. The EPA estimates if every home in the U.S. replaced existing showerheads with WaterSense labeled products, more than 260 billion gallons of water would be saved. Depending on the water fixtures for your home, APS Marketplace and SRP Marketplace may offer instant rebates.

Change to an Efficient Water Heater

New water heaters take up less space, have a longer lifespan, and are more efficient. Adding a tankless water heater by replacing an inefficient model provides your family unlimited hot water to save money over the long term. A great addition to your home plumbing system in 2023. With a 25-year lifespan, it’s one of the most valuable home plumbing upgrades. Your professional plumbers at Cool Blew can help you select the right-size tankless water heater depending on your house’s needs.

Contact Cool Blew

Need reliable and experienced professional plumbing services for your home? Give Cool Blew a call at 623-872-2900. Proudly serving customers Valley Wide since 2002. We make comfortable happen.

If you don’t want to get out of bed one morning and find a pool of water forming inside your home or outside your house from a broken water heater tank leaking, there is no better time than the present to inspect your water heater. Homeowners frequently ask how they can best prevent water heater-related issues in the Valley of the Sun. Here are a few things to consider now that the weather is changing to chilly mornings and evenings.

Inspect

On average, hot water heaters have a lifespan of 10 years. Summer heat in the Valley of the Sun, malfunctioning parts, and rust and sediment buildup can all cause premature failure. A visual inspection of your water heater only takes a few minutes. Be on the lookout for some of these common signs that indicate a possible water heater leak or rupture.

Rusty

If you notice rusty water flowing out of hot water taps, a likely culprit is corrosion in your water heater—a clear signal to get your tank evaluated.

Pooling

When you inspect the tank and notice water pooling underneath it or leaky pipe connections, it’s also time to call for plumbing help.

Water

More than 85% of America’s water is considered hard water. Phoenix is among the cities with the hardest water with an abundance of calcium, iron, and magnesium, originating from the soil. It then travels to Phoenix area water treatment plants which contributes to hardness. Hard water minerals can build up on your water heater’s heating element. And sediment can collect at the bottom of the tank, causing the heater to run longer than necessary. As the water takes longer to heat, it causes the steel on the bottom of the water heater to deteriorate. Eventually your water heater will break whether it’s electric, gas, or solar.

Anode Rod Issues?

Never hear of an anode rod? It’s the steel core wire with magnesium, aluminum, or zinc around it that protects the metal lining inside your tank to prevent premature rust and corrosion. The anode rod is designed to last about five years, but some things can shorten its lifespan, including water salts and well water. If your water heater is over five years old and hasn’t had the anode rod replaced, it’s time to call your local professional plumber.

Schedule

Cool Blew’s experienced plumbers can help to quickly inspect, check, and replace the anode rod, or fix a malfunctioning part like a thermostat. We replace broken water heaters, too. Want to learn more about water heaters and how to keep them functioning longer? Call the licensed plumbers at Cool Blew today at 623-872-2900.

Have you noticed your home’s pipes dripping? It’s a common problem that is often caused by high temperatures combined with excessive moisture in the air. And yes, this can even happen after the official end of our yearly monsoon thunderstorm season. This phenomenon is commonly known as “sweating pipes.”

When you examine the sweating pipe closely, you’ll quickly discover that it’s not leaking. The dripping water is actually caused by condensation. Pipes can collect moisture when the warm, moist air surrounding cold water pipes interact with one another. The result is condensation. Specifically, cold water in your pipes will cool the air surrounding your home’s pipes, and condensation will form on the outside of exposed pipes. In layman’s terms, this moist air is water vapor wanting to become water once again.

The primary concern of pipe sweating is that it can create damage over time. Furniture, carpet, flooring, ceilings, home furnishings, and walls can be damaged from pooling water, mildew and mold that grows unabated. The leaking water may even increase the likelihood of an exterior or interior termite invasion.

Drip Dry It

So, what should you do if you’re seeing sweating pipes in your home? Insulation! Similar to how your hot water tank is insulated with a blanket, foam insulating pipes work the same way. If you’re a DIYer, there are self-adhesive or “drip tape” types of insulation at your local hardware store that adhere to pipes to prevent moisture. Make certain to wipe down the pipe and thoroughly dry it before applying the tape. Wind the pipe tape until it covers both fittings and pipe. Of course, beforehand turn off the water supply to the affected areas. Cutting water at the main source outside your home may be the easiest.

If you need to further reduce humidity created by sweating pipes, you can use a portable dehumidifier. Depending on your HVAC system, you can also turn on the thermostat setting to take care of this issue.

Don’t Sweat It

If you’re not the DIY-type, or your home plumbing skills can’t cut it, call your locally-owned plumbing professionals at Cool Blew today at 623-872-2900. Our certified plumbing experts can repair all your plumbing issues. We’ll fix it right the first time and take pride in being there for you 365 days a year, 24/7 servicing satisfied customers in the Valley of the Sun since 2002.

The extreme heat impacting the Valley of the Sun this summer can cause numerous problems for your home’s plumbing. High temperatures can result in pipes expanding, causing them to leak or break, impacting your plumbing inside and outside. Let’s look at a few other common summer plumbing issues that may put a damper on your day.

Low Water Pressure

Ever turn on the bathroom faucet and notice the water seems to only trickle out or spray out in different directions? Low water pressure typically happens due to calcium buildup in the faucet aerator causing reduced water pressure. A blocked faucet aerator is an easy DIY fix. You only need to remove the aerator from the faucet and clean out the calcium deposits before putting the faucet back together.

Water Heater Breakdown

The water heater can fail for a few reasons. If you’re noticing the shower water becoming cool, there may be a broken thermostat. Often, the first sign of an excessive buildup of sediment inside the water heater tank is water gushing out of the water heater. Whatever the cause of the malfunction, it’s time to call your trustworthy local plumbing professionals. Cool Blew’s plumbing experts will inspect your water heater and repair or replace it.

Clogged Shower Drains

Dirt, hair buildup, and debris can cause blockages in your shower drain any time of the year, but we tend to take more showers in the hot summer months. Simply pouring strong chemicals down the drain sometimes can make the problem worse. Plumbing snakes and plungers can end up pushing the clog further down the pipe. When water is backing up after every shower and DIY fixes don’t resolve the problem, it’s best to call in the plumbing technicians to help sort it out.

Blocked Toilets

Clogged toilets are a common situation when you’re hosting summer parties or out-of-town guests. With more use, more issues occur, from flushing something down the toilet that shouldn’t be flushed or trying to flush too much toilet paper down at once. You’ll want to take any type of clog seriously and use a plunger first. If the toilet continues to backup or you notice a leak, call your plumbing pros.

Cool Blew’s experienced plumbers have all the tools to get your house’s plumbing in tip-top shape. You can trust that our plumbers will take care of the issue promptly. Call Cool Blew today at 623-872-2900 to schedule your appointment. We’ll do a complete inspection and professionally repair all your plumbing problems.

Thinking about a plumbing upgrade for your kitchen? You’ve seen them in restaurant bathrooms most everywhere in Arizona—touchless faucets. They save time and effort by simplifying cleaning. These technological wonders deliver a stream of water anytime motion is detected. How do these faucets work and what are the advantages and disadvantages of installing them in your kitchen by your local plumber?

How Do Touchless Faucets Work?

Touchless faucets have a sensor positioned usually at the base of the faucet. When you move your hand or even a pot or plate in front of the infrared detector, the sensor sends a signal to the solenoid valve, turning water on or off.

Advantages of Touchless Faucets

Hands Free

Whether you have dirty hands or hands full, you only need to place your hands close to the sensor to begin the flow of water. Less spreading of germs and food debris on faucets.

Saves Water

No water is wasted because the faucet turns off when there’s nothing in front of the sensor. The sensor takes three seconds or less to send a signal to shut off the water. Better for the environment and your monthly water bill, as you’ll save hundreds of gallons over a few years.

Safety

No need to reach for knobs or handles. Easy to use for all family members and automatic water temperature and flow settings.

Easier Cleaning

The spray head with a pull-down feature allows you to utilize the faucets’ stronger water flow to quickly clean dishes and cookware with less mess.

Disadvantages of Touchless Faucets

Sensor Malfunction

Since these faucets are activated by motion sensors, having too few sensors or low-quality sensors means the faucet won’t quickly turn on or off, leading to a frustrating situation.

Cost

Generally more expensive than standard faucets and the solenoid or valve can stop functioning properly over time.

Flow Rate

It can be difficult to change the water flow rate or temperature. You’ll have to touch different areas of the faucet, or for some models, use a remote control.

Call Your Plumbing Experts

Need additional information on touchless kitchen faucets or require other plumbing services? Your family-owned plumbing professionals at Cool Blew have the expertise to help you anytime of the day or night.
Call us today at 623-872-2900 to schedule an appointment. We’re committed to providing unbeatable customer service and quality products.