Teak My Bath!

Teak has been the hot “new” thing lately with the trend toward luxury bathrooms. And why not? Teak has all sorts of fantastic qualities, which is why ship builders used it way back when, and still use it now. We’ve just gotten smart and brought it home with us to improve our homes.

So what makes teak so amazing anyway? Well, beyond the terrific reddish-brown color of new teak products, which is simply gorgeous, its naturally weather resistant as well as highly resistant to mildew, fungi and rot.  As if this wasn’t enough, teak is pretty strong. All together, it’s a great wood for almost anything that will be exposed to the elements on a regular basis, which it was used by shipbuilders even way-back-when.

These days, we see teak mainly in outdoor furniture and on boats. If oiled and maintained, teak will maintain that lovely distinctive color. If left to age naturally, it loses none of the exceptional qualities that make it so desirable, but will age into a lovely silvery color rather like driftwood.

So what’s this have to do with a plumbing supply company?

Well, since this stuff does so well with water, we thought you might like it in your bathroom. Tired of cold tiles and slippery rugs? Get a teak bath mat. To coordinate, add towel bars, shelves, perhaps a robe hook or two. Don’t worry, the teak will handle being in a steamy bathroom just fine.

Naturally, teak and boats are simply made to go together, so there’s quite a few teak accessories specifically designed to make your boating life easier. For those of you who prefer to do your traveling on land, those accessories also fit fantastically in an RV or motor home, keeping your dishes, spices, and other necessities stowed away neatly.

Gorgeous organization can make a real difference in smaller spaces, so the same things that work so well on boats and in motor homes can make a cabin or small apartment more comfortable.

Love the look of teak but running short on ideas outside of the bathroom? Teak benches will withstand the rigors of a busy household, and are incredibly versatile, making them an ideal gift for parents. Set just inside the entryway as a seat for pulling off wet boots and coats and add a few teak hooks for an instant organizational solution for jackets, hats and scarves.

How about using a teak waste paper basket to hide an ugly pot for your favorite plant for an instant visual upgrade? Or a folding teak table for convenience? Tired of struggling with a flimsy plastic step stool? Try a teak one!

We’re sure when you put your mind to it, you’ll find all sorts of places you could tuck a little teak around your home.

Your turn: what’s your opinion – love the teak, or leave it?

April Showers Bring… Plumbing Supplies?

We all know the saying “April showers bring May flowers.” And truly, the rain is something we’re very grateful for.  And like so many things, a common saying suggests thoughts and memories.

Some of us, when we think  of frequent spring rains, we also think of the problems it brings – flooded basements, driveway runoff, and soggy landscaping. Some problems can be solved by basement sump pumps and other supplies we’re happy to help you find.

Others think of the garden we’ve invested so much time and effort in creating and maintaining. We take a moment and appreciate that Mother Nature’s doing the watering this time since it’s a hassle to drag the hose about on a hot day. Perhaps this year it’s time to add a drip system or an extra hose bibb to the far end of the yard, or upgrade to a prettier one (just for fun).

And still others of us are reminded of muddy children gleefully stomping in puddles and excitedly pointing out rainbows as the skies clear. We don’t have much that will help you make that any better, but we do recommend patience and a good mop if they stomp those wet shoes in the house!

Whatever spring rains make you think about, we hope you also think of PlumbingSupply.com for all your plumbing needs.

Are You Ready For Spring?

It should come as no surprise that gardeners have favorites. There is often discussion about this tomato vs. that tomato, or whether this color of rose is right for the ornamental garden plot over there. Garden tools are no different. Several of our team members have gardens, both ornamental and edible, that range from the basic to the fantastic. As an ode to spring, we’ve complied a list of their favorite garden helpers from our warehouse:

Coiled hose – There’s nothing worse than dragging a hose back and forth across your nice, green lawn in an effort to coil it up nicely after watering the roses. If you get annoyed at your garden hose and leave it out, you get lines of brown crisscrossing your lawn seemingly overnight. If you conscientiously put it away after each use, you wind up with muddy hands. It can feel like a no-win situation! This fantastic coiled hose is the ideal solution. Designed for portability and often used for watering individual plants, like in a container garden, this hose has a slightly smaller diameter than the standard garden hose. Several of our staff have one or more of these hoses and say they love it for watering container gardens and confirm the manufacturer’s claims of flexibility and vibrant color even after years of use. One team member likes to use it for filling the kids’ wading pool. She says the coils almost work as a “clip” to keep the hose from slipping out of the pool while it’s filling.

Straight garden hose – We consider this the very best garden hose made. Seriously, it’s great! Flexible, lightweight, and sturdy, this hose is fantastic for those who need more water faster than the coiled hose will offer (like for car washing), but still want something that will last longer than the frustrating bargain basement garden hoses that every home seems to have. We’ve been offering these hoses for years and the only complaint we’ve had is that they don’t come in enough colors; fortunately, the “sand” color looks good against pretty much any house color. Several of our staff own these hoses too, and even with consistent use (and in some cases, abuse), these hoses still outshine every other straight garden hose we’ve tested.

Water pressure regulator – You might wish you had better water pressure, but those with high water pressure know it causes its own set of problems. Most residential fixtures and plumbing are designed to withstand average pressures of 40 – 80psi. Lower pressures result in limp garden hoses, frustrating showers, and filters that seem to simply stop the water flow. On the other hand, higher water pressure can blow seals, cause poorly connected fittings to burst, and generally cause leaks both inside and out. One of our staff literally blew through four garden hoses in about a year due to his 120psi water pressure. He finally invested in our fantastic garden hoses mentioned above and eventually added a water pressure regulator to his system, and couldn’t say enough nice things about the change.

The last things on this list are purely decorative. And by that we mean that we offer them just because they’re pretty. All of our staff have ooh’d and ahh’d over these gorgeous hose bibbs. Don’t get the wrong idea! They work, and do their job extremely well. In fact, the only difference between these decorative hose bibbs and the “plain” hose bibbs we also offer are the whimsical handles, so you know they’re well made. Go ahead, indulge your desire for pretty things without sacrificing practicality and trade out that plain-Jane garden hose bibb. These decorative hose bibbs will brighten your garden with a little whimsy and make you smile to catch a glimpse of a cast bronze dragonfly or butterfly peeking through the day lilies.

Want another example of functional art? Take a look at these garden hose holders; they’re like filigree jewelry for your wall! We like them because they create a little feeling of luxury with their gorgeous designs and lovely finishes while still offering the practicality of sturdy, rust-proof and recycled cast aluminum. One team member pointed out that she especially likes the circular style garden hose holders because they will hide ugly hoses effectively but don’t automatically create a hiding place for the black widow spiders we see around here like a lot of the decorative hose boxes.

So that’s a few of our staff favorites, but we have quite a few other garden related items on our website. And of course, we offer all the fittings you need to repair or expand your sprinkler system, drip system, or even add a drinking fountain to your back yard.

Your turn: what’s your favorite garden helper?

New Year’s Resolution

It’s a new year and everybody’s made, and often already broken, their new year’s resolutions. Now that you’re nearly two months into 2013, maybe it’s time to take a look at those resolutions again.

Most people resolve to take better care of themselves, whether by going to the gym, distancing themselves from toxic relationships, or simply by choosing to eat healthier. Some follow through, and naturally, some don’t. But that’s not the point of this particular article.

Did you resolve to take better care of your home? No? Why not? After all, it shelters you, provides you with warmth and water, a place to keep food so it doesn’t spoil, and a comfortable place to sleep at night. A home is used daily and if something doesn’t work right, it’s a major inconvenience and sometimes a safety or health hazard. So why don’t we think of it more often? Why isn’t it included in our new year’s resolution list? It’s not too late, you can add it, and we promise we won’t tell. We’ll even start you off with a few easy things for your home-care checklist (in no particular order):

1. Check your water heater anode rod. Water naturally likes to break things down (it’s called a universal solvent for a reason, after all), and your anode rod helps keep your water heater healthy, so check it a time or two each year to see if it’s still doing it’s job. If it’s hard to remember, try scheduling it for the same day as your semi-annual dentist appointment.

2. Check the main water shutoff valve for the house. After all, if you were to have a major leak, you would need to know where it was and be confident that it would work when you need it to. Perhaps you can take a minute near your birthday to turn it off and on, just to make sure you can.

3. Check all those stop valves around your home. You know, the cute little ones under your sink, behind your toilet, on the wall behind your washing machine. They often get covered in paint during remodels, and shoved by stuff under the sink. If they don’t work, your main valve has to be turned off just to replace a leaky faucet part. If you’d rather avoid going waterless for some unknown amount of time, double check your stop valves once or twice a year, perhaps just before the Super Bowl?

4. Change the icemaker filter. If you’ve got an icemaker, you probably have a filter. If you don’t know, find out, and then schedule the replacement every 3-6 months, depending on what your filter says, or when your crystal clear ice gets cloudy again. Your smartphone can probably just set up a recurring appointment, so you don’t even have to think about it.

5. Watch your water meter. Leaks can be sneaky. Some are obvious, like a faucet. Its dripping can keep you awake at night! But hidden leaks are less obvious, and so often cause the most damage. So, just before you’re watering the roses on Saturday morning, when no one else is using the shower or dishwasher, take a quick look at your water meter. If it’s running, it’s a good bet that you have a hidden leak. Checking weekly (or more often) will help you detect hidden leaks early and prevent mold, mildew, rot, and a sky-high water bill.

These are just a few things to get you started. When you think about it, you’ll probably think of a few more things you can check quickly and easily. Perhaps look about for discoloration in the attic when you get the Christmas decorations down, or double check your toilet seat before the in-laws visit? It’s really not too much. Just a few minutes here and there could save you from big bills and a big mess.

Okay, your turn: Can you think of anything else in your home that should be checked or replaced regularly?

A Few Holiday Thoughts

During the holiday season, we’re bombarded by media messages of how “this is a great gift” and “you can’t go wrong with that” and of course “if you don’t get this, you’re a schmuck” (though not necessarily in those exact words).

We could add onto this by saying “buy the gift that will keep on giving year round – a new low flow toilet will save water (which saves you money) and look impressive wrapped under the tree!” or “if your wallet is empty, but your heart is full, give the gift of time, and take care of all those little honey-do’s to make your sweetie happy this holiday season” or even “these fantastic faucets are so pretty it’s like jewelry for your kitchen!” How about the ultimate guilt trip: “your perfect holiday party isn’t perfect if your faucet is dripping.”

And yes, that’s part of the job every retailer has this holiday season – we all need to convince the public with their wish lists and gift lists that we need to be included in their holiday spending spree. After all, that’s why people are in business, right? To make money?

Well yes, and at the same time, no. Yes, we need to make money to buy more product, pay our fantastic employees, keep our lights on, and all of that sort of stuff. We simply wouldn’t be around if we didn’t. But at the same time, no, because as any dedicated professional can tell you, the belief in the importance of your service is the reason for doing your job to begin with. We believe water is important. Our founder was a plumber, a plumbing instructor, and was/is, quite passionate about his work. Clean water is essential for basic health and wellness – just ask your doctor! Proper maintenance of plumbing systems and fixtures keep the water coming in clean, and going out in predictable and safe ways. Our job is to help you keep your plumbing working properly by providing parts so you can fix what you can, and to also provide the fixtures, filters, pipe, and fittings so your plumber can do what you can’t. Our pleasure is to help you with your dream kitchen or bathroom. Our heart is in our charity work. All of these things are possible by staying in business.

So, as much as you’re probably expecting the standard holiday sales pitch, and naturally, we’d love to have the opportunity to provide you with amazing customer service, right now we’d just like to take a moment and remind you to breathe and to “remember the reason for the season.” Which, by the way, is another great marketing bit, though we’re not using it here as originally intended. What we mean by this is, aside from religious sentiments surrounding the holiday season, there’s also a strong tradition of connecting with family and friends, even if it’s the only time of year you do so (ah, the yearly appearance of the three page family letter from second-cousin Annie).

We hope you have a happy holiday season and encourage you to take time with your friends and family whether surrounded by lots of beautifully wrapped gifts, or simply lots of love. And hey, if you choose to spend time with Grandma by fixing her toilet with parts we shipped right to her door, who are we to complain, right?

Best holiday wishes from your friends at PlumbingSupply.com

Finding Eljer Toilet Parts

If you’ve ever had to look for parts for your Eljer toilet, you know it can sometimes be a challenge.

The easiest way to find the right repair parts for any Eljer toilet is, of course, to break out your original paperwork, see what model you have and order the right parts from our website. Super easy and the parts deliver right to your door!

But what if the dog ate your paperwork, it got lost in the great paper shuffle of ’89, or you simply tossed all that stuff when the warranty ran out? Read on and we’ll walk you through it.

With most brands of toilets, you can usually find the toilet and/or tank model number actually impressed into the porcelain inside the tank. This is the number you need so Eljer or your favorite plumbing supply house can find your toilet’s repair parts. Eljer tank numbers are seven digits long and typically begin with a 141, 151, or 131 (example: 141-1234). Sometimes the number will be repeated on the underside of the tank lid. Unfortunately, we’ve seen a good number of older Eljer toilets where no number was visible.

Okay, so if you don’t have your paperwork, can’t find a model number and all you know is that you have an Eljer toilet, how do you find parts?

By the way, this post isn’t discussing pressure assisted toilets. We do not offer or sell parts for them (with the possible exception of trip levers). This article is discussing “normal” gravity fed Eljer toilets only.

If your toilet is unique-looking, take a look at our photo gallery of Eljer toilets. If you find one that looks just like yours, compare the parts shown on the page to the parts in your tank. If everything matches up, you’re well on your way to fixing your commode!

Now, if none of the photos look exactly right, your next step is to take a look at the guts of your toilet (if you haven’t already). While a lot of Eljer toilet parts look the same, Eljer does have a couple of unique fill valves. Just check out the photo to the right! If you see a really weird-looking valve, you’re halfway to identifying the right replacement parts.

If, however, you have “average” looking parts, don’t despair. Armed with a few measurements, you can actually figure out what the OEM parts are if you talk to someone at a knowledgeable supply house (oh, a 5-1/2″ Eljer flush valve, yeah, that’s probably the 495-5514-00).

In other words, finding the right parts without your paperwork is certainly a bit more work, but you can still usually fix your Eljer toilet.

Remember when we mentioned measurements? If you have your old parts, you can just measure them and call your favorite plumbing supply house.

If you don’t have your old parts, you’ll need two main measurements to figure out what will fit in your tank – your overall tank depth and the maximum water depth for your tank. Why? Because the height of your tank determines the maximum height your fill valve can be and the maximum water depth determines how tall your flush valve can be. Makes sense when you think about it, right?

Take a ruler or measuring tape and see how tall the inside of your tank is from the bottom of your tank to the top of the porcelain. This is your tank depth and part of how to figure out your fill valve height.

Now measure from the bottom of the tank to the first place water can escape. In many cases, the first place water can escape from is the trip lever. Your replacement flush valve should be about an inch shorter than that measurement. Your replacement fill valve should be at least an inch taller than your flush valve’s overflow tube and shorter than the overall tank depth.

Oh yeah, you’ll also want to measure the diameter of the holes the fill and flush valves fit into, since you’re there anyway. These are usually the same from toilet to toilet (but not always), so just to be on the safe side, go ahead and record them too. Then call your trusty plumbing supply house for help finding the right toilet guts for your Eljer toilet.

Unfortunately, there are times when all the measurements and information in the world just won’t help. Eljer (like most toilet manufacturers) had a couple of models with guts like nothing else. In fact, we remember the Eljer Silette which used an Indiana Brass fill valve (a 79E, if memory serves) that had the gasket at the top and the tank had a shroud built into the tank that the valve fit right into – that’s right, a built-in, non-replaceable, porcelain toilet part… Unfortunately, that valve was discontinued years ago, and because of the design of the tank, a universal third-party valve simply won’t work. To the best of our knowledge no replacement was ever specified. So if you have one of those and your entire fill valve ever needs to be replaced, you’ll most likely get to throw up your hands and go new toilet shopping.

Your turn: what’s the most difficult toilet to find parts for?

Why Don’t My Fittings Fit?

You’ve probably noticed that not all fittings and pipe are the same. In fact, you might have noticed that it’s almost easier to consider the pipe size to be a name rather than a description, since your measuring tape doesn’t seem to help you much. Really, is it too much to ask that a 1/2″ fitting actually measures 1/2″ somewhere?

Apparently so, but why?

The history (the short and simple version):

Once upon a time, all pipe and connectors were made by hand, just like everything else. When industrialization started happening and things could be mass produced, our ancestors decided mass producing pipe would be a great step forward and looked for a way to standardize pipe sizes. Naturally this standardization was based on the needs, materials and manufacturing abilities at the time. Since knowing how much flow something could handle was important, the inside diameter was used as the frame of reference. The outside diameter was standardized as well, so all piping could be joined together without a lot of extra fuss. In other words, 1/2″ pipe had a 1/2″ inner diameter and a standard wall thickness – in the case of copper pipe, it was 1/16″. Great! So what happened? In short, progress happened.

Metallurgy and manufacturing processes improved and new materials were created. Thinner pipes created with this new knowledge could withstand the same rigors as the old standard. Copper was no longer the only mass produced pipe. To keep everything still fitting together easily, they kept the outside diameter the same. But thinner pipes with the same outer diameter now meant that these new pipes were no longer 1/2″ anywhere. So, what to call them to make everything still work smoothly within the industry? They used the same naming convention, just to keep things more or less consistent. The result? Pipe sizes now are more of a name rather than a descriptive term. In fact, the term “nominal” which is one way of defining a pipe size, means “approximate.”

What about fittings? Remember, this was supposed to be fairly intuitive, and outer diameters of pipe were standardized. So, to keep it easy, pipe fittings were called by the size pipe they would fit. In other words, for 1/2″ pipe, you would have selected 1/2″ fittings of the same material.

Okay, so we’ve got the history, and it all makes sense, so why is it so confusing now?

The present:

Remember those new materials and technologies? And the progress? Well, not only did piping tech improve, so did the stuff it was meant to service, and so there were even more changes.

Because of these changes different measurements of pipe became standardized as well. This may have been a way to conserve materials since low or no pressure systems obviously don’t need the heavy duty reinforcing that pressurized systems would need. It also could have been the plumbing equivalent of the media format wars (do you remember Beta vs VHS?). However it happened, more categories of piping evolved, along with multiple ways to connect them.

For now, we’re just going to touch on the main types of rigid piping you’ll see in residential situations in the US. At this point, you’ll most often come across rigid piping in Nominal (rigid copper piping falls under this), IPS (PVC, galvanized and stainless steel all fall under this) and CTS (Copper Tubing Size – soft copper tubing and some styles of CPVC fall under this).

Most rigid pipe is identified by IPS type sizing. PVC actually makes this pretty easy as it often has its size printed on the side! But if you’re not working with PVC pipe where you can see the size, or if you’re not familiar with IPS sizing, the easiest way to identify what size pipe you have so you can find the right fittings is to use a chart. Here’s one we posted. Once you have the pipe size, simply select the fittings of the same “size”. For example: 1/2″ IPS fittings are for 1/2″ IPS pipe.

CTS matches the outside diameter of “nominal” copper pipe and tube, though the actual wall thickness might vary by pipe material. You can use a measuring tape for these types of pipe since the outside diameter is always 1/8″ larger than the “size” of the pipe. Here’s an example: 1/2″ CPVC tubing has an outside diameter of 5/8″. Again, select fittings based on the size of the pipe you’re working with. Pretty easy so far, right?

Copper pipe used in residential jobs (types K, L, M, & DWV) also have an actual outside diameter that is always 1/8-inch larger than the size designation.

Copper tube for air-conditioning and refrigeration field service (ACR) is designated by actual outside diameter. Compression fittings are used fairly often for this since their size designations are for the outer diameter of the tubing they’ll fit. Copper fittings are designed for nominal pipe, so to use them for od sized copper tubing you’ll need to calculate the outer diameter of the pipe they’re intended for. Sound tricky? Need an example? First, remember nominal pipe has an outer diameter 1/8″ larger than its size designation. So, if you need a fitting for 5/8″ od copper tubing, you’ll look for 1/2″ nominal copper fittings since 1/2″ nominal pipe has an outer diameter of 5/8″. Got it now?

All right, now that you’ve got the mystery of the pipe and fittings all worked out, get out there and get working on those projects with confidence!

Your turn: what’s the most confusing thing you’ve encountered when working with something new?