Some people will walk into a home improvement store expecting to walk out with a new bathtub.  However, they did not think of all that entails which deciding to purchase and install a new tub. 

On the other hand, there are people like you who are reading articles like this.  That is a very good thing.  You are one of the persons who will be able to make an educated decision about buying a bathtub. 

Five things should come to mind when choosing a bathtub.  Those five things are listed and described as follows:

Know the dimensions of your bathroom.

In order to make an educated decision in purchasing a bathtub, you should the length and width measurements of your bathroom.  You should also know how high the ceiling is from the ground. 

Also you should multiply the length of the bathroom by the width of it, to give you the total square feet.  This will help you determine approximately what size your tub should come in.  Also, it will determine how high from the ground it will be raised. 

Know the dimensions of where your bathtub will go.

Once you have measured the total square feet of your bathroom.  You should decide how much space you want your tub to use.  Some people d not mind if the bath tub takes up most of the space in the bathroom.  Yet others will be concerned about it. 

It is up to you how large your bathtub should be.  Just remember you are the one who has to live with the end result.  Along with that, you have to remember how useful your house would be to your guests. 

Likewise, you must thing of the overall value of your home.  If you plan on selling it, it is wise to have a large enough tub to relax it, yet small enough that the bathroom is still comfortable to use.

Know which materials bathtubs are made of, and choose.

The most common materials that bathtubs are made of are porcelain, marble, stone, concrete and plastic.  You should decide which is better for you.

Porcelain is more durable than plastic. However, plastic is less expensive.  This is especially true if you want to install a whirlpool bath tub. It would cost less than marble.

Also, plastic when scratched is hardly noticeable.  ON the contrary, when porcelain is scratched, it leaves a gray film.  The reason for this is because the surface of porcelain is actually a top coating which makes the porcelain tub look shinier.

Marble, stone, and concrete tubs are very elegant looking, but can cost a lot.  Also, they are best suited for outside whirlpool bath tubs, rather than inside ones.

Have a color in mind After you have chosen the size and material for your bathtub, you should choose a color.  Most people choose white, but bathtubs have also been manufactured in a variety of colors.  Some colored bathtubs include, ivory, lime green, lavender, and pale yellow. 

You can shop online and browse your favorite stores.  This will give you an idea of what colors are out there.  Along with this, you should already have planned a color scheme for your bathroom.  Knowing what color scheme your bathroom is will add less frustration later. 

For example, a person could impulsively a lavender bathtub, then later decided to paint the bathroom lime green.  If this happens, then that person will have to return the bathtub, and may find that the color they really wanted is not in stock.  To avoid this frustration, you should plan ahead. 

Remember, pick the color scheme for your bathroom, and plan it according to the color bathtub you want.

Compare prices Once you have picked a color for your bathroom and bathtub, it is time to shop. If you don’t mind spontaneously walking into a store not knowing what is there, you can leave without calling. 

However, if you are like most people, and do not have a lot of time on your hands. You would be better off calling first.   You can find out which stores have what you need, in the size you need it. 

Also, if you want to find a bathtub without having to pick up the phone, you can search the internet at some of your favorite stores.  This will help save a lot of time, and is less tired than having to travel to the store. 

Once you know what you want, you can either have it shipped to you, or you can pick it up.  For a purchase such as a bathtub, it is beneficial to choose a merchant as close to your region as possible.  This would be in case you find a defect in your bathtub and you have to return it.

Now you know five things that most people do not know about purchasing a bathtub. However, you should still keep this article handy. You can use the same above before purchasing your toilet and sink.  Pretty soon, you will have the best looking bathroom on your block.

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Hooking up a hot water heater is one of the most common home repair jobs there is.  However if you don’t know what you are doing, or don’t know the first thing about hot water heaters, well then you could be in hot water…quite literally. 

But installing a hot water heater can actually be a rather easy thing to learn.  You just have to make sure you read all the directions before you start so you don’t get in over your head before you even start.  The last thing you want to do is realize you can’t do this and then be stuck without any hot water!

The first thing you have to do is the most obvious.  You have to disconnect and remove your old hot water heater.  Doing this is pretty easy. You just have to be careful. Remember it is full of hot water still.

So, first turn off your gas or electricity that is connected to that water heater. You will then need to drain the water from the old unit.  There should be a drain valve located on it. 

On a gas heater, separate the vent pipe from the draft hood. The hood should lift off after you remove the sheet metal screw that holds it. After checking that the pilot light is out, disconnect the gas line at the heater and cap it.

Next remove the water heater from the water pipes. Be careful when doing this because the pipes may still have hot water in them.  This water is hot enough to burn you if you are not careful.

You may need some pipe wrenches to get some of them off, but there should not be many connected so this step should not take too much time or effort.  You may now take out the old hot water heater and throw it away. 

Many local and state laws have certain restrictions on the disposal of these, so check with the local authorities on the disposal requirements.

Now that you have the old unit out, it is time to install the new unit.  Move your new hot water heater to its new home by using a dolly.  You don’t want to “walk” it or drag it.  There are delicate parts inside that can be damaged if it is jolted or subjected to too much shock. 

Position your new heater so that the pipes will easily reach it.  If you are using gas, you want to be especially careful that the gas pipe can reach easily to avoid any potentially dangerous gas leaks. 

Next connect the hot and cold water.  This is usually a simple process of connecting the new water heater to the same connections as the old water heater. Then you connect the third pipe to the main water line that distributes the water to the rest of the house.  

Refer to the user manual if there are no connections, or if you are confused as to which pipe goes where.  This is the most common mistake made in installing a hot water heater. If you turn on the water and your cold water turns hot, and your hot water never heats up, go and switch the pipes. 

Next you need to locate the relief valve on your newly connected hot water heater.  The temperature and pressure relief valve is a very important part of your hot water system. 

The relief system releases excess heat and pressure automatically so that your hot water heater does not explode.  It is a very important and a valuable safety feature that comes standard on all hot water heaters.

The last step in connecting your new hot water heater is connecting it to the power.  You have to connect it either to the gas line or the electricity for it to heat the water.  Refer to the instruction manual on how to do this. 

If you follow the directions there is no reason that you can not successfully connect your new hot water heater.  It is a fairly easy job. It just takes a little time and patience and anyone can do it.  It is simply a matter of reconnecting to the new hot water heater, everything that you disconnected from the old one.

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Faucets don’t go out very often, but when they do it’s a mess. If you’re a home owner expect to have a few leaky faucets to fix in your house. There’s no need to panic over the water spraying in your home, just get busy and find the problem and fix it.

Most indoor plumbing disasters have an easy solution.  Read on about a few leaky issues you might run in to, and how to fix or prevent them from happening.

Here is a handy tips list for some common everyday solutions to your plumbing problems.

Kitchen Leaky Pipe Joints.

Your kitchen gets as much use as your bathroom, in fact maybe even more use than you realize. Joints in faucets can spring a leak that are either slow leaks or fast quick ones that can leave your face and shirt a mess.

To fix a leaky pipe joint is not a problem. All you have to do is to turn the water valve off that goes to the sink. Take out your joint and hold it up to a bright light. Check for the cracks or holes in the joint line. When you find it replace the line that’s cracked.

On the open end that’s exposed wrap the line with plumbers tape, or any type of Teflon tape will do. Wrap the line about 4 – 5 times with a firm grip. You need a firm grip because you’ll want the tape to get inside the groups of threads in the joint line.

After wrapping just pull the tape off at an angle. There’s no need for scissors. Next put it all back together and hook up the faucet. Turn the water valve back on to the kitchen sink.

If it’s still leaking then turn the water off at the main valve, and repeat the steps by adding more tape. Reconnect and see if it sprays again. If it’s still spraying take it apart and remove the tape. Double check your line for more holes and the fitting too. Rewrap and put it back on. That’s it, you’re done.

Finding Frozen Water Pipes.

There’s nothing more maddening than to wake up and your water pipe is frozen. The solution to finding which one is the tricky part, but it can be found and fixed. You’ll just need a little patience and a warm coat.

Remember not all of your pipes have to freeze it can be only one pipe in the myriad of many pipes of your house. So the first thing is to identify how many are frozen. Turn on every water supply to the inside of the house.

Look for ones that are not producing water. Next turn off the ones that work, and leave the valve open on the ones that don’t. After this turn off the main water valve that brings water into the house, make sure to turn off the main because the only thing stopping the water from coming through is a packed tight ice plug in the line. You’re now readying to thaw your pipe.

Thawing out Frozen Pipes.

Before crawling under the house examine what type of pipe that’s under your house. Your lines are one of two types under your house; they are either a metal alloy or made of plastic. A hand held hair dryer or a heat gun should be used to thaw them out.

Be careful not to over heat your line made of plastic, it can melt them. Be sure to take along an extension cord, hair dryer, plumbing tools, hanging flash light, rags, and a pan or a bucket. Also you might need to replace a line so check the size of the line before going under the house.

It could be that an ice plug has formed because of a hole or split in the line. Repair the line if needed. If a pipe that is interior and copper, tie off two in two places, one in front of and back of the leaky joint, and heat with a swishing motion. This should take no more that 5 min.

Turn the main water supply line back on to the house and check for leaks. If your pipe is on an outside wall, or one that comes through the floor and connects to a sink, open the cabinet and leave a heater on. You should have unfrozen the clog.

Preventing Frozen Pipes.

There are several things that you can do. If your pipes are always freezing every winter then you can line them up with a heated pipe space, or you can install new insulation where the pipes run.

Also consider wrapping any of the pipes with insulation or wrapping the lines with a heat tape. All of these products can be purchased at your local home improvement or hardware store.

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