GARBAGE DISPOSAL
It’s amazing to me how much stink these things prevent. We’ve all been there and done that when we just didn’t want to pick up the food in the sink and throw it in the garbage so we just stuffed it down the garbage disposal and turned it on. Now, that’s what they’re for, right? Sure….to an extent. But there are ways that this garbage disposal can get jammed or even break and when that happens, repairs are needed.
Let me tell you a quick story. When I was a kid, we were prepping our Thanksgiving dinner, which, of course, included a bunch of potatoes. And we needed to peel those potatoes. Well, we did, but we made the mistake of putting those peels down the garbage disposal and let me tell you, don’t do that. Garbage disposals don’t chew up potato peels. In fact, it jams them right up. So there we were with a jammed garbage disposal, which means a jammed kitchen sink on Thanksgiving when you desperately need a kitchen sink. So my dad took matters into his own hands and thought it would be a good idea to take the hose inside, run it to the kitchen sink and try to flush out the peels. I’m pretty sure it didn't work and in the meantime, the front door was open for a while allowing the freezing November Utah air in. Needless to say, it wasn't fun. So not fun that to this day, I remember it.
So if your garbage disposal is jammed, look underneath the sink and make sure the disposal is turned off. There is usually a place where you can place an Allen wrench under there too. Use the Allen wrench to twist the blade around and hopefully that will loosen up the jammed blade enough to get the disposal working again. If not, you may have broke the disposal entirely and it may need to be replaced. These are pretty quick fixes and we can bring out a new garbage disposal, take out the old one and put in the new one for you.
WATER FILTRATION
This is another one of those water features that, once you have, you can never live without again. Hard water leaves nasty water stains on your fixtures, it leaves your hair and skin feeling rough, and it wears down other water fixtures very quickly.
Our Expert technicians are trained in the most modern forms of water and chemical treatment for domestic water, to date. It all starts with a mineral test, then a chlorine test. These take place right before your eyes, right in your own home. Our compact test kits are extremely accurate, telling us exactly how many grains per gallon of minerals, or chemicals are in your water, at your house.
This tells us exactly what we are working with.
Our Expert technician then sizes the house. (How many bathrooms, what type of fixtures, etc.)
That way, we know what system will work perfectly, for you. Our softeners are chlorine filters are built specifically for your home, ensuring you have the best quality water for your family. It'll also save you loads of money in the long run. Longer lasting fixtures, means less plumbing expenses. Want to save double on cleaning products? This is how. Just check out this cool video.
BIDETS
Let’s get right to it. We know you want a bidet. I mean, who wouldn’t? Now, we know bidets aren’t as culturally acceptable in the United States as they are in Europe but that’s because sometimes our culture is backwards. What should be embarrassing is not using one. Gross. We have a bidet in our house. And let me tell you, once you have one, you never go back. We can order in any finely crafted bidet you could possibly imagine and the installation is pretty dang easy. Give us a call.
DRINKING FOUNTAINS
When I was a kid, there was a family down the street from us who had a drinking fountain in their kitchen and I thought it was the weirdest thing. Now as an adult, I think they were geniuses. You see, thinking back, they had what seemed to be a thousand kids and they were smart enough to water the horses with a drinking fountain instead of the kitchen faucet. Can you imagine how many cups would get used up in a day? In all seriousness, I think they had 10 kids. And they saved a lot of mess and probably saved a lot of water too with that drinking fountain. I’m surprised that we don’t see more of these around. Whether you want a drinking fountain for your house, shop, or workplace, we can get one for you and do the installation.
HOSE BIBBS
Also known as a bibcock valve, these are incredibly important to have, and even more important to not break. When you hear of someone’s basement flooding, too often it is due to the hose bibb located on the exterior of the home. Although freeze-resistant, there are a few items you can check when it comes to your hose bibb. Always be sure that your hose bibb is installed correctly and winterized. If a hose bibb freezes and bursts, this burst can fill up your basement with water and cost loads of money in water damage repair.
KITCHEN SINKS
Ah, the most beloved and most used plumbing fixture in the house. That’s why you have to get this one right. When you kitchen sink breaks, it’s a necessary fix and luckily, it’s usually a quick fix too. Sometimes the sink drain will clog. For example, if you put a bunch of thick vegetable peels down the sink, plan on having to call a plumber out to clear the drain. If you’re doing new construction or need to replace your sink, there are many option to choose from. We talk about sinks in another tab up top but you have to take some things into consideration such as whether or not you want a double sink or single sink and what material you want the sink made out of.
SHOWER HEADS
I don’t know about you, but this is my favorite plumbing fixture in the house. There’s nothing worse than a shower head that has low pressure or is sparse. The way I see it, a shower head doesn’t just let water loose on your hair. It should be a massage too. For me, that means high water pressure and great features on that shower head. To each their own, which is why there are so many great options to choose from. There are some shower heads that have multiple settings so if you have a family member or roommate who doesn’t share the same preferences, adjustments can be made on the shower head to suit your style. Shower heads are generally one of the less expensive plumbing features you can add in your house and it makes the world of a difference. Trust us, you won’t regret getting in the shower every morning to a much better water fixture. They’re pretty easy to install too. Well worth the money!
TERMINAL VALVES
These water features are used to feed water into your fixtures such as dishwashers, ice makers, and humidifiers. How would life be without each of these? Bad. So if for some reason your ice maker isn’t working or your home humidifier is broken, give us a call. It could have something to do with the terminal valve.
URINALS
Do people actually have urinals in their homes? Why yes, yes they do. And apparently, urinals aren’t just used for potty breaks as Marcel Duchamp taught us. Remember him? He used a urinal to make an art sculpture. So whether you want to put a urinal in your home, shop, or office or just feel like using it for artistic purposes (weird), then we can deliver one to your place and even make an installation.
UTILITY SINKS
If you like a clean house, this is your best friend. Really though, utility sinks are a great place to hose down some muddy shoes or throw nasty stuff that is just wrong to put in any other place in the house—including the bathtub. Everybody needs a utility sink for, let’s be honest, the times when their kid pukes all over their sheets. It’s a necessity of life. We work with every plumbing supply house in the state of Utah. Whether you want the cheapest utility sink out there or the ritziest one available, we can get one for you. We can also install the sink and run the water supply to it.
HUMIDIFIERS
These are the best things ever. And maybe I’m speaking out of bias because I have dry skin and eyes and winter is a nightmare for me. But really, they are amazing. Especially when it comes to Utah, the cold, dry air can really do a number to your skin, hair and eyes. Here’s an example: have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with that dry itch in your throat? And then you begin coughing/choking/gagging and overall feeling like you’re going to die? Yes, I have. And it’s all because of dry air. You were sleeping with your mouth open and the dry air got you. Home humidifiers are where the magic comes around. You can actually set the humidity you would like in your home and it will keep the house at that constant level no matter how dry it is outside. The humidifier usually attaches to the furnace and if you happen to purchase a new furnace, sometimes these humidifiers can come with the new furnace for free. I know we run a special on this here at Ben Franklin. At the very least, if you get a new furnace, take us up on this offer.