If you’re looking for a centerpiece that you can use well past the holidays then we suggest this DIY project. These earthy tones can be used all year long depending on the color themes in your house. You can even take the basic concept and switch out the color themes to give the center piece a more festive feel when wanted.

In this example wooden spools were used so that we could cut them down to different height ranges in the center piece. But you can also use one of our favorite pieces of supplies… plumbing hardware! Both have the perfect opening when using them vertically to slide in candles, an essential element to any center piece.

If you’re using wood, you can use a glue gun to fasten them to your base. In this example the spools were glued to the lid of a large round box. You can find similar items at your local craft store, or mix it up by going with a unique shape. Maybe you even have something lying around your house that you could recycle?

After it’s glued together slide in the candles. For this one we chose tea lights. But you can play around with colors, scents, sizes and even battery operated ones.

Next, start choosing what you would like to fill the center piece with. This example uses a mixture of spools, ornaments and decorative balls (dig into those christmas storage bins and i’m sure you’ll find something. If not take off to your local craft store or Ikea)

Throw in some big pine cones to be reminded of the holiday season, weave in a string of battery operarted lights and it’s as simple as that!

Enjoy this easy project and if you have any tough plumbing projects, save time call the punctual plumber Benjamin Franklin Plumbing 602-485-1111.

A special thanks to ‘Something from Nothing’

Summer is a perfect time for home renovations. Whether you simply come up with the ideas and hire a trusted professional to install the renovations, or decide to make it a do it yourself project, either way, there are endless possibilities.

Over the next few days we will be discussing bathroom renovations from showers, sinks and even toilets, highlighting the top and over the top trends to make your bathroom one of a kind.

Whether you decide to fully renovate your sink, including what the sink dish resides in or just decide to switch the faucets there are several options for any bathroom theme.

A bathroom sink renovation could involve fully replacing the sink bowl or in the form of a do it yourself project you re-design the outside shell of the sink by painting it or using a graphic sticker.

The most popular form of sinks in bathroom design is a vessel sink. Offered in many materials, shapes and colors your vessel sink can either be the key accent piece or a complementary and charming accent to whatever theme you may decide.

If you would like to go fully modern, try an unusual shape for your vessel sink. For a list of the different materials offered in the form of a vessel sink look here.

If you want to start renovations with a small change to your bathroom, start by renovating your faucet. Switching to a sleek and modern silver design like the one above will make a noticeable difference in how you feel about your bathroom, whether it be a master bathroom or a hallway half bath.

If you want to try something fun and unusual when it comes to accent colors, try colors in an LED light. These one of a kind sinks are sure to be an eye-catcher for any guest and will be sure to keep your kids entertained.

Then of course there are also the bathroom renovations that to some are considered over the top

but can truly bring your bathroom theme to the next level.

So whether you choose to begin with bold…

…or subtle differences to your bathroom…

Or decide to take on an entire renovation be sure to contact Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, your guide to a flawless installation.

A leading problem when it comes to water flow actually occurs outside of the home. Although it’s hard to believe, tree roots are actually one of the leading causes behind clogged or broken sewer lines.

Tree roots usually navigate towards nutrients, which the pipes carrying sewage out of your home are full of.

Although most homes nowadays are built with plastic PVC or ABS pipes with glued joints for sewer drains, older homes in the Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa or Scottsdale area were built with sewer drains made of clay or orangeburg, a cardboard type pipe. The PVC or ABS pipes are more industrious and can tolerate the outside pressures that a tree root may exert.

With clay or orangeburg pipes, over time the clay or cardboard type pipe ages or the ground shifts and settles degrading the pipes in the process. If the older pipes even have a slight crack the roots of the tree can find their way in. Once inside the tree roots will grow thick and spread out eventually clogging your drain by their mass or the debris that is caught in the roots disposed from the home.  A complete blockage of the pipes will occur if it goes unchecked and eventually the pipes will completely break apart.

This current photo from a home here in Tempe that had continued problems with their drains backing up, until one day, the pipe just could not drain anymore, the roots took over completely.

So as we move into the hottest months of the year we urge homeowners to contact their local plumber as each homeowner is responsible for maintaining their sewer pipes. Remember even though the pipe is buried and out of sight, does not mean there is not a problem so make sure you schedule a regular cleaning and catch any problem before it’s too late.

• SAVE TODAY-MENTION THIS DRAIN BLOG WHEN BOOKING AN APPOINTMENT AND RECIEVE A FREE DRAIN CAMERA AND LOCATE WITH ANY OTHER PLUMBING SERVICE COMPLETED, A $200.00 value, not to be combined with any other discounts or specials, expires 09/30/11.

These three things could be occurring because of a few problems with the source of water that affects your laundry and cleaning not the actual cleaning machines themselves.

We have talked about what Chlorine and Hardness are, and how they affect your quality of water but do you know how the quality of your water damages your plumbing system?

Damaged Pipes Due to Chlorine attacking pipes	Leaking Faucets Due to Hardness corroding seals
Scale Buildup Due to Hardness clinging to pipes	Leaky Toilet Due to Chlorine attacking rubber gaskets

These are a few steps that will help you determine what kind of water treatment would be best for you, before you get something that is really not right for your needs.

• Check with your city and find the report for the water coming to your home, Dr. Oz has a link by zip code to your local report.
• Review that call your city or the safe drinking water hotline 1-800-426-4791 with any questions or concerns you see.
• Test your own water in your home, we have local testing agencies that can do this for you, if you need to find them contact us for their information.

H20 Harmony water filtration systems offer a solution for laundry and cleaning water quality.

Soft Harmony: Is a whole-house water softener that takes hardness out

Switching to a Whole-House water system will give you:

• Shiny, virtually streak-free glasses and dishes

• Clear, fresh, great tasting water

• Improved odor

• Brighter, whiter laundry

• Shiny fixtures

• Spot-free shower & bath

• Improved life of household appliances

• Will lessen household cleaning time & will use less energy= saving you money!

So what are you waiting for?

Call Benjamin Franklin Plumbing today at 602-903-1762

And schedule your service appointment!

Water used for showering and bathing is usually one of the main sources of water that goes unnoticed.  But take a second to think about it…

Have you noticed your skin is dry or irritated?

What about dry hair?

If you answered yes to either of those questions your skin and hair could be experiencing reactions to the Chlorine in your bathing water or Hardness built up in your pipes.

Another thing you could be experiencing is smelly water, (link to post about smelly water) which could mean you are breathing in chlorine fumes during hot showers.

Like we talked about in last weeks post, (link to the post about chlorine) chlorine can cause serious problems when it reacts with certain organic materials and sometimes does not last long enough to completely filter the water. So although Chlorine is the cheapest method of filtration, it is not the most effective.

The city water is automatically chemically treated, however, as a homeowner you have the final say once the water reaches your home, whether you still want those chemicals in your water or not.

Certain water filtration systems like H2O Harmony Water Quality Solutions (link to site) offer the perfect fix for any water source. H20 Harmony water treatment products treat the water, protecting your body and home and helping save Mother EarthThere are two filtration systems that can help filter the water that you are bathing and showering with:

1. Whole Harmony:
   • Used for Drinking and Cooking
   • Showering and Bathing

1. Complete Harmony:
   • Complete Harmony actually covers filtration for water used for
   1. 1. Drinking and Cooking
      2. Showering and Bathing
      3. Laundry and Cleaning

Because Phoenix has naturally harder water, some homes suffer from excess sediment and turbidity, and the buildup of iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide and chlorine – and this may lead to corrosion in your plumbing system that could damage pipes, plumbing fixtures and water-based appliances.

By using either water filtration system, you will experience great drinking water, smoother and softer skin and improvements of skin conditions, including dryness. You will experience shiner and silkier hair and improved odor. The Whole Harmony filtration systems will protect your home’s plumbing for years to come efficiently and economically.