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Show Sun Advocate Price, Utah Thursday May 16,2002 3B . i Tips for the plumbing emergency Although you may not fed quali&d to take on major plumb- ing installations or repairs around the house, there arc many small things that you can easily do to repair, dean or maintain your plumbing. These simple tips are only ideas, however a licensed plumber should always be contacted to assist with plumbing emergencies. How do you dear a clogged drain? What do you do to keep a faucet looking and running like new? How do you prepare for a plumbing emergency? What is the best way to dean fixtures? Read on for the answers to those questions as well as tips for maintaining your plumbing. Be Prepared for a Plumbing Emergency -- Homeowners hope they will never have to face a plumbing emergency, but the best time to prepare is before it happens. When water is spewing from a broken pipe or creeping slowly towards your carpet is not the time to be hunting for a water shut-of- f valve, says Mike Pickett, vice president. Product Development at Moen Incorporated. Our plumbing experts first recommend making a A few minutes of your time now can provide the assurance you need to handle a crisis hind the bathroom wall in abed-roocloset, for example). Continue the tour in every room that has a plumbing-relate- d appliance. Be sure to locate, test and tag valves to your washing machine, dishwasher, hot water heating system, water heater, refrigerator ice maker, water softener every place in the house where water is used. Check the Condition of Your Valves - It is important to check all valves often since they may become frozen from lade of. use. A wrench or some WD-4-0 carefully applied will probably loosen any stuck valves. Leaks, dogs and Other Problems - For more serious matters it is usually best to callaplumber, but there are some things you can' do yourself to take care of small problems. Clogged Drain - lb dear a dogged drain, first tiy a plunger. If that does not remove the problem, use a hand auger, which is a flexible steel cable that can be pushed into the drain to break up the obstruction. Your next step of defense is to use a blow bag that hooks to a garden hose and uses water pressure to dear the d clog. Use caustic, chemical drain cleaners only as a last resort since they may dam- m acid-base- ff flush-hand- le O-rin- i A ceramic disk faucet that at the base of the handle means that one or more of the inlet seals on the cartridge may need replacing. These seals can be easily replaced. You may also want to clean the inlet ports on this type of faucet since they can leaks become clogged with mineral deposits. A complete cartridge releak-m-g placement may be needed if problems pe rsist A rotating ball faucet is difficult to repair because of its many parts. You should first disassemble the cam, ball and spout to sec if there are any problems there - many leaks result from a worn out ball or gasket. If those seem fine, remove seals and springs to check for blockages. Leaks also can spring from around die handle or from under the base of the spout Handle leaks indicate that the adjusting ring has loosened or the seal above the ball is worn. Leaks from under the spout result from failure. Examine all encircling the body of the faucet to see if they look worn. O-tin- gs O-ri- ng FSA-approv- ed leum jelly. Basic Maintenance of Plumbing Fixtures and Faucets - One of the easiest plumbing fixtures to the only care for is a faucet things needed for deaning are some water and a little elbow grease. Many people think you need to use a commercial deansing, product to dean a faucet, but the best thing is a soft, damp doth and warm water, said Pickett ' K. It is hard to find the perfect tree, they all have positive and negative attributes. As an Exten- -. lion agent Winger says problems with aspen are high on the question list whats the matter with my tree? Most aspen trees have damage caused by borers that lead into other problems. There are many different insects that bore into aspens. The most common Sapenucakarata is, an insect in d or beetle group. This insed problem is very common. The injury is die long-home- round-heade- d caused by the larvae feeding mi the inner wood of the trunk. Their tunneling weakens the wood and allows the invasion of canker and typidecay fungi. Borer wounds ' cally sap or bleed. Aspen is an attractive host for the insect, especially when the aspen trees already under some kind of stress or dkline. Common stresses for aspen trees in our area are iron deficiency (yellow leaves), poor watering regime (too mudi or too tittle), aspen leaf spot (fungus causing leaf spot - common following wet springs or when sprinklers water the leaves of trees), oystershell scale (insect that feeds on limbs and trunk of tree, sucking out sap), and aspen borer (beetle larvae that bore holes into trunks of Aspen is not well adapted as. They ; in the valley l better in the mountains. rather than as single specimen trees in your landscape. Aspens .have astrong ability to sucker and send up new shoots. Remove aspen trunks when signs of borer injury are observed (sap running down trunk, accumulation of sawdust at base of hole or tree) and allow new trunks to fill in the open spaces aspen are quidt insecticide treat- well-time- d by ments to the trunks. This is costly, time consuming and in--. volvei some risks (pesticides should always be used property follow the iabel directions and wear appropriate protective -- clothing). You must treat before the adult beetles lay their eggs in the growers. Keep, aspen trees as healthy as humanly possible - treat with a late spring through summer. Once eggs hatch and larvae bore into the trunk, the damage is done. Sevin and Thiodan insec- chelated iron product (Sprint 138) in the spring to reduce iron chlorosis, prevent sprinkler water from getting onto leaves (promotes aspen leaf spot disease), prune out dead and dying limbs, water properly (water as a tree, not your lawn - this means infrequent, deep waterings), remove trunks infected with borers as soon as they are observed. A healthy, vigorous tree will resist borer attack. You cannot remove the damage that the borers have already done. You can help (sometimes) reduce further damage to the injured trunk and others in the area ticide products labeled for shade trees are the recommended treatment Apply a spray that drenches the main trunk of the trctfS every ' 3--4 weeks from May-July. Buckling up not only saves lives, it's also the law in Utah! LUMBER 'AND BUI LDINGMA TERIALS - CEDAR SLATS FENCING Suggestions to reduce aspen borer problems: Dont plant aspen, select another tree species that is well suited to our valley growing areas and not as susceptible to insect injury. Grow aspen in a grove with continual renewal of trunks T8B,lnc TREATED 4x4-- 8 1x4-1x- 6 ft CHAIN UNK & FABRIC & PART PIPE & FITTINGS, GALVANIZED, BLACK CUTTING & THREADING PVC, ABS 3034 8 to 5:30EISatl8 472-557- 9 (435)637-966- 3 Cottage Stone: beutiftikeuy to fautall ud Custom Kitchen affordable! Cabinets Interlocking units Automatic setbacks Permanent Maintenance free Environmentally friendly y Bath Vanities' Do Do Red Lava Rock Landscaping Bark Concrete Lawn Edge European Design TUrkey - Counter Tops LIVE EARTH . Soil Suspended Seating Conditioner Suggested tools for that pruning job jecting the right tool for your pruning job. The most common pruning tool is a hand pruner. It is used for cutting perennials and any yvoody stem less than the width pf your. thumb. For this job, choose bypass printers over die envA type. Asharp bypass pruner la less damaging to the stem and fcasier to maintain. A hand pruner may cost between $25 and j$45, but it will last up to 15 years. For pruning wood about the . By MARLON WINGER USU Extension Agent 1510 So. Hwy 10, Price O-rin- saws to motorized pole pruners. The temptation is to buy anything that is on sale and hope Jt does the job. Withstand this Jemptation. Here are tips.on re- Faucet ve Handles - If you are having trouble turning your faucet on and off, you probably have a problem with mineral deposits, lb solve this problem, simply dean the cartridge and apply a silithin film of never use petrocon grease O-ri- ng There are as many pruning tools as there are plants to prune. IYou can visit the store to buy a Simple pruner and end up being 4 itself. ff Y: JERKY GOOI USU Extension ' O-rin-gs O-rin- gs O-ri-ng ft When replacing give them a tight coating of heatproof lubricant. If replacing idoesnt solve your probleins, you may need to replace the cartridge Hard-to-Mo- (Sntinuously Running Tbflet - If water continuously runs in down the road. Make a Plumbing Discovery your toilet, it may be a Ibur. A plumbing discovery with the float rising tool tour involves locating and ing water to trickle down the overflow tube, lb fix this, bend clearly marking all shut-ovalves in your home. First, find the rod slightly downward so the the main water shut-of- f valve. float ball is lowered. If fixing that This valve is usually located in doesnt help, see ifthe trip lever the basement on the pipe com- chain is tangled or has fallen off ing through the wall on the street Next check the tank flapper at the base of the tank and theballcock, side ofyour house (near the water meter). By shutting off this which is located near the top of valve, you will shut off water to the tank. These hems may have your entire house, which may be to be cleaned, adjusted or replaced if they have worn out. necessary for a serious emerTbilet Wont Flush - If a toilet gency. Be aware, though, that if you wont flush, it is likely that the do shut off the water at the main chain has slipped off or a new valve, a gas hot water tank must assembly is needed. Start by examining the inside of be turned down to aslowpossibte (find the control on the face of the tank. Is one end of the chain attached to the flush handle and the tank and set it to the vacation setting). An electric tank the other to a rubber seal at the bottom? If the chain has slipped should be shut off at the electrical paneL Ifyou have a hot water off; reattach it If the handle itheating system, you will also need self is broken, you will need to to check that the furnace has a replace it with a new assembly. ' suffident supply of water so it Leaky Faucet - Ifyou have a does not run dry. cartridge-typ- e faucet, a leak usuDuring your tour, you also ally indicates that the should note the locations of shutneed to be replaced. This is a off valves for other plumbing fixsimple repair that even the novcan perform. tures. Below your kitchen sink ice shut-owill most faucet leaks from the find If the likely you valves for both hot and cold waprob--ablhandle, the upper needs replacement, while a ter. In the bathroom, there are three primary valves operating drip from die spout will indicate at the the faucet, toilet and bathtub a problem with the shower. These valves are typically base of die spout assembly. so for easy also fonnaseal between the access, though the tub valve(s) hot and cold supply lines, so be sure to examine these once you may be in the basement (or be have the faucet disassembled. 'I Prehistoric Plant Matter 25 Year Use them for smaller limbs (1 to in diameter). The next tod is a chain saw, which isnt normally recommended. Chain saws nuke it easy to cut a branch or two, but are often misused. If a chain saw is required for pruning, it may be time to consider another tree. A small chain saw runs from $75 to $125. Before going to the nursery to buy a pruning tool, know what you plan to cut, then buy the tool that is best suited for the job. Custom Woodworking Asphalt Shingles FREE ESTIMATES 1866 W. 2000 No. $124 Bundle 435-637-89- 25 Greg Poulos & Brent Johnson Carbonville Tha daafllaa far tha art Baalaaaa aaatiai Ik Friday at aaaal Building & Landscape Supplies From rebar to roofing - you'll find h here ABINETS lag Bark $ sires mJabla lava Potto DocoraflwModtBrkk Pawn htoMai WJ jptw up fflofni ftmHml) I Saa4Coaat Mortar Mhos I Sopplos lawlod6nHMdCowr)tAcressortos (diameter ofashowdhandle,ptir-fchas- e a pair of bypassloppers.lt Js critical to get a strong pair that pan be kept sharp since many people use loppers more than any . . other pruning tooL ! For wood larger in diameter t ihan a sledge hammer handle, purchase a pruning saw. Most pomeownen dont often need to . but if the need pit laigfe branches,saw or bow saw arises, apruning is the right tooL J Pole primers are great for get-pn- g a kite off the roof or a ball ofthe gutter, but they are genput misused when it comes to erally pruning. People commonly use them when they do' not want to bse a ladder to cut a tall branch. JGeqerally, they make poor prun- -, and it takes quite a bit of jug cuts ' toleamhowtousethem The telescoping onpolepninenmakeit to reach the top of many it trees without usingaladder. ' DcBwy Available Coll Us Before You Buy. 6rpw twwi (Sort $ Wa Hove Comparable Banos not Mon BbSeM Wok's Flood Forrtfaon -3) " SOttSbwbkoM pncts or Bolter! Mllorfaalla (law FartUbaf) Kwok Add Soft CoadMooar DowbtAi Fnmkm Maadarf . u m toJ- -0 IMw IBWa KOfWf nBBBBS Kitchen Cabinets Mirror Cabinets -- V- Counter 1bps Furniture Bathroom Vanities .. a Ty J ensen 651 No. Carbonville Rd. 637-20- 12 SPEEDY STEEL GARAGES , 900 North Highway 155, PO Box 295 Cleveland, Utah (435) John llowa & Sons r UceasCtoNm4CTXMt95-2914e6-55- - . r $Sr4UM15 12xl2, 3 Sizes - 12x12, , 16x24, 24x4 ladadlM Eogiaaif Sfaaip! doikl 1 colon to dmoM from. 4 Colon AmflabUt Bat Lota 653-246- 7 i : V |