Home Tips

Nearly every single house that I inspect has at least one “Saddle Valve” installed. These are small valves which are attached to plumbing piping by way of ‘piercing’ the piping and being clamped into place with nothing more than a rubber bushing to provide a seal between the saddle valve and the pierced piping to which it is attached.

These valves are commonly used when a ¼ inch water supply line is required for a humidifier or a refrigerator with an icemaker inside.

Sadly, these valves are not very reliable as they are prone to leakage. Some jurisdictions in North America are starting to ban the use of saddle valves. You are encouraged to know the location of these valves in you home, and monitor them regularly for leakage. Typical installation locations are on the cold water supply piping coming into the top of your water heater, or under the kitchen cabinet on the cold water supply piping leading to the faucet of your kitchen sink.

Should these valves start to leak, it is recommended that they be replaced with a brass “Ball Valve”. The installation for this valve requires some plumbing skills and knowledge. This task requires medium skills and some specialized tools (such as a torch, solder and flux, or special crimping tools for installation on plastic water supply piping). This job is best done by a professional plumber. These ball valves (and their soldered or crimped installation) are higher quality, more reliable and rarely leak.

Written By: Kevin Hawes
Assured Home Inspections in Calgary, AB

Home Tip – It’s More Than Just Baking Soda!

Here is another great home tip for you that you can use weekly, or even daily!

Baking Soda is very useful… But did you know…

1. Clean Your Produce
   You can’t be too careful when it comes to food handeling. Wash fruits and vegetables in a pot of cold water with 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda. The baking soda will remove some of the imputities tap water leave behind. Or you can put a small amount of baking soda on a wet sponge or brush and scrub your produce. Give everything a thorough rinsing before serving.
2. Make your own Dishwashing Detergent
   The dishwasher is fully loaded when you discover that you are out of your favorite powdered dishwashing detergent. What now? You can make your own… Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda with 2 tablespoons borax. You may be so pleased with the results you might switch for good…
3. Deodorize Your Dishwasher
   Eliminate odors inside your automatic dishwasr by sprinkling 1/2 cup baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher etween loads. Or pour half a box of baking soda and run the empty machine through its rinse cycle.

I hope you find these tips helpful…

If you have any Real Estate needs, please contact us directly.

Regards,

Jared & Rebecca Chamberlain
www.ChamberlainGroup.ca
Email Us!

Article Source:”Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things” Readers Digest

Your Home May Have An Odor

Did you know that you have an odor…? It’s true! Watch this clip below to learn more!

If you have any questions about real estate, please give us a call…

Regards,

Jared & Rebecca Chamberlain

jaredcjc@mac.com

rebeccac@shaw.ca