The first step is to check to see what the problem is. If you turn on the disposal and it makes a noise, then most likely it is just jammed. If it doesn’t make a noise, then there is a possibility that the circuit breaker has been tripped. Check your electrical panel, and reset the circuit breaker. Now look under the unit, and you’ll see a small red reset switch. Press this button or flick the switch and it will turn the unit back on. Turn on the disposal again and it should either hum to designate that it is jammed or it should work properly. If it still doesn’t turn on, then you have a much bigger issue and should contact a professional in order to remedy the issue.

The first step when doing anything with the disposal is to ensure that the power is shutoff to this area of the house. This means that you are going to wait to turn off the circuit breaker, located in the electrical control panel. Once this is in the off position, flip your disposal to on to release any remaining power in the line. You’ll hear you disposal slightly engage, hum, then nothing. This is a sign that it is completely off and that all the power is purged from the line.

After doing this, I generally turn off the water as well. You really don’t need to do this, but as a common practice, I have just gotten used to doing it. This prevents you from accidentally turning on the water in the process and creating a mess to go with your problem.

After you have done both of these steps, take a long handle, like a broom handle or something similar and place into the disposal. NEVER USE YOUR HANDS! While placing it in there, gently try to rotate the blades. If you can easily rotate the blades and don’t feel anything in the way, there is something bigger wrong with your disposal and you should call a professional. If you notice blockage, then you have an obviously jammed disposal.

To clear the jam, take an allen wrench and attempt to clear the jam manually by inserting it into the bottom of the disposal spinning the blades until they come free and can rotate completely. Now again take the broomstick handle and jab at the jam downwards to make sure you clear it from the blades. After you have done this, you can reach down inside the disposal with a set of long nose pliers and pull out whatever is causing the blockage. I generally wear nose plugs because I often get sick by the smell and sight of what comes out. It can be pretty disgusting at times.

Now, turn the water back on and turn on the cold water. By doing this, you will harden any grease inside the disposal, which will allow the disposal to break it up, which it can’t do when the grease is loose and warm.

Turn on the electric, test it out and it should work. If it doesn’t work, then repeat the process ensuring that you have indeed removed all of the blockage. If the problem persists it is a sign of a much bigger issue and will require a professional for assistance.

WARNING : Never use chemicals to clean out your disposal, this could cause a variety of issue within the system.

For more articles by this author, go to Helium.

If you made home improvements in 2009, make sure that you have what you need to claim the credits on your 2009 taxes. If you missed out in 2009, these credits still apply for 2010. Start planning now so that you can take advantage!

Here are some of the basics; for detailed information go to EnergyStar.Gov.
1. The eligible improvement must be placed in service or work must be completed between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010.
2. A maximum of $1,500 can be claimed for qualifying products.
3. You must have a Manufacturer Certification Statement for the product in order to qualify. Save receipts and the Manufacturer Certification Statement; for new windows, keep the Energy Star label.
4. Improvements must be made to your principal residence. However, certain products also qualify for second homes.
5. Claim improvements made in 2009 on your 2009 taxes using IRS Tax Form 5695.
6. Tax credits for windows, doors, insulation, roofs, HVAC, and non-solar water heaters are not available for new homes. Certain other improvements do qualify for new homes.

Items that are eligible for the tax credits include:
1. Exterior windows, skylights, storm windows, and doors that have a U factor below 0.30 and a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient, or SHGC, of less than 0.30.
2. Certain types of insulation – specific lifespan and warranty requirements apply.
3. Energy Star brand metal or asphalt roofing – specific lifespan and warranty requirements apply.
4. Central air conditioning
5. Furnaces – either natural gas or propane
6. Heat pumps
7. Hot water boilers
8. Hot water heaters – either gas, oil, or propane
9. Biomass stoves
10. Photovoltaic solar panels
11. Wind energy systems
12. Residential fuel cells and micro-turbine systems

All qualifying products must meet certain energy-efficiency levels; thus, not all products qualify for the tax break. Only those with higher energy efficiency ratings are eligible, and these products typically cost more than standard products. Also remember that the $1,500 maximum (as a percentage up to 30% of the cost of the upgrade) is cumulative for ALL improvements.

If you’re thinking about making home improvements this year, the time is definitely now! Your home improvement professional can provide you with additional information on qualifying products and exceptions.

So what’s the problem?
If you find that your sink is slow to empty, there is probably a build up of grease in the trap and waste pipe. Or possibly a tassel of accumulated hairs or cloth fibers may be clinging below the grid on the plug hole. If the water will not run away at all, accumulated grease has built up to a complete blockage or something such as a bone or hair grip is obstructing the waste pipe. So what do you do?

It is always handy to keep the following tools and materials close at hand to help you to unclog this blockage. Caustic soda; petroleum jelly; a length of wire; sink waste plunger; adjustable spanner; sink auger or expanding curtain wire; bucket and length of wood.

Sink slow to empty
If the sink is slow to empty, smear petroleum jelly around the rim of the plug hole to protect it, then apply caustic soda according to the instructions on the packet. If necessary, clear hairs from the grid with a hook of wire, working from above.

Sink is completely blocked
If the water will not run away at all, place the sink plunger cup squarely over the plug hole. Stuff a damp cloth firmly into the overflow opening and hold it there. This will stop the air escaping through the hole and dissipating the force you build up by plunging.

Pump the plunger sharply up and down. If the blockage does not clear, continue for a few minutes. If plunging fails, put a bucket under the sink and open the trap. To undo the access nut of an old bend trap with a spanner, steady the joint with a piece of wood held in the bend. If the obstruction is not in the trap, use a sink auger to probe the waste pipe and dislodge the blockage.

Obviously prevention is better than the cure, so here are a few tips to stop your drain from clogging:
1) Buy a plug trapper. They are only a couple of dollars from your hardware shop and this will stop and food or large objects from going down your drain.

2) Never pour grease or fat down your drain. This is just asking for trouble. Always leave the grease/fat to solidify and dispose of via your kitchen bin

3) Regularly use baking crystal soda to clean your plug holes and drains. Simply pour the crystals down your plug hole followed by boiling hot water. Do this every 2-3 weeks and not only will you not have blocked sinks but it will also keep it fresh.

If you follow the handy tips for keeping your plug holes fresh and clear then you should have no need to unblock the sink, however, if you do have a blocked sink and the above unclogging methods do not work, you will need to call in a professional plumber.

For more articles by Catherine Lear go to Helium.

LIGHTING
1. Switch to compact fluorescent (CF) light bulbs.
CF bulbs (the little spiral bulbs that fit in standard light sockets) generally use only a quarter of the electricity it takes to power standard light bulbs. When the average home contains around 40 light bulbs, this can add up to some serious savings. CF bulbs are a bit more expensive, but they will last up to ten times as long, and will more than make up for their initial cost in savings. If you have light fixtures where the bulb is visible, there are CF bulbs that are designed to mimic the bulb shape of standard incandescents. There are also CF bulbs to replace your outdoor floodlights, so don’t stop at the inside of your home!

2. For holiday or other decorative lighting, consider LED lights.
LEDs consume only a trickle of electricity, so you can let your lawn or patio glow like the sun without panicking about the electric bill. LED lights cost a few more bucks than standard, high quality light strings, but if you plan on using them a lot, you will reap the benefits. As the popularity of LEDs grows, more and more options of color, size, and shape are available; many mimic standard light strings, others incorporate features like color changing.

3. Use automatic timers or sensors.
If you want the lights to be on when you come home, an automatic timer may be your answer. Plug a lamp into the timer, and set it to turn on just before you are due home. Outdoor timers can be used for any plug-in outdoor lighting (there are particularly good for holiday lights). Light and motion sensors, commonly found in floodlight fixtures, can turn on outdoor lights when the light senses motion or low light levels.

WATER, HOT OR OTHERWISE
Some of you country folk might be surprised to know that many people actually pay for their water. While the city folk may be jealous of your ability to use cold water with reckless abandon, everyone pays for making that cold water hot. The following are tips for conserving water of all temperatures:

1. Install low-flow shower heads and faucets.
Water saving shower heads are fairly inexpensive, and you probably won’t even notice all that water that is not hitting you on the head. Modern low-flow faucets will help you save even more money. All new toilets are water saving by law, but if you have an older model, fill a milk jug or soda bottle with water (don’t forget the cap) and put it in your tank. The bottle will take up space formerly occupied by water, thus saving you one milk jug’s worth of water every time you flush.

2. Turn your water heater down to the lowest acceptable temperature.
Set the thermostat on your water heater to 120 degrees. Many water heaters come from the factory preset higher. If you find you are running out of hot water, slowly adjust the temperature until you find the lowest one that suits your needs.

3. Stop watering that lawn!
Seriously, dead lawns are so in right now. Okay, okay. Maybe you can’t stop watering your lawn or garden, but you can help it need less water. For gardens, mixing a spongelike material like peat moss in with the dirt will help your soil retain water. Mulch can also help keep the soil from drying out. For lawns and gardens both, water them deeply but less often, and only during particularly hot or dry spells. Brief and frequent watering encourages shallow roots, which will actually make your plants weaker and easily killed by a single dry spell that coincides with your week of vacation.

4. Turn off the water when you aren’t using it.
We all turn off the water when we are completely done with it, but how many of us leave the water running while we shave or brush our teeth? If a family of four brushes their teeth for two minutes a day, twice a day, then the faucets are running for almost two extra hours each week.

5. Take showers instead of baths.
Showers use considerably less water than baths. Unless, of course, you take hour long showers. Try to keep your showers under ten minutes, and shave afterward in the sink.

6. Fill up the washing machine.
A load of laundry uses an average of 55 gallons of water. Add in extra rinse cycles, and it can use even more. Make the most of your water usage, and only wash full loads of laundry.

HEATING AND COOLING
1. Insulate your home.
For most people, this entails sealing the drafts around windows and doors, as well as providing adequate attic insulation and ventilation. In an older house, the heat loss from drafty windows can be equal to leaving a single window open all the time, so get yourself a tube of clear caulk and some weatherstripping and seal up those gaps! If your attic could use some extra insulation on the floor, add it, and make sure that you don’t block any vents along the eaves of the roof. Exhaust fans can help keep your attic cool and dry, as well as prolonging the life of your roof.

2. Install window film.
UV blocking window film can block a good portion of the UV rays and heat that come through your windows. While tinted versions are available, window film can also be completely clear. In the winter, window film can help retain heat.

3. Use a programmable thermostat.
Programmable thermostats are relatively inexpensive, and can save you lots of money. Set the heat lower during the night (you are sleeping, you won’t notice!) and during times when no one is home. Of course, keeping your house a few degrees cooler in winter and warmer in summer will help too.

4. Use ceiling fans during the summer.
Set the ceiling fan on “suck” instead of “blow”, and you will pull cool air up from the floor. Save your air conditioner for those truly unbearable days.

5. Consider installing a whole house fan.
Whole house fans are powerful fans installed in the attic hatchway. During the evening, when the temperature cools off, you can use them to quickly replace the hot, stale air in your home with fresh, cool night air. Just make sure your windows are open if you turn on the fan, or the suction can blow out your pilot lights and suck air the wrong way down your chimney!

OTHER TIPS
1. Adjust your fridge and freezer settings, and keep your fridge full.
Appliances that heat or cool generally draw the most power. For food safety, keep your fridge at least 40 degrees or cooler. If you keep your fridge full, it will have to work less to recool things when you open the door. (If you don’t feel like having a fridge full of food, use gallons of water.)

2. Dry your clothes outside during warmer weather.

Using some or all of these tips can help save you a considerable chunk of change on your utility bills. Invest that money wisely and buy yourself a sailboat when you retire! Or you could always blow it all on new shoes and fancy haircuts…

There are steps you can take to safeguard your money as well as conserve our water resources. The EPA’s Water Sense program educates consumers about the various conservation fixtures available on the market. All fixtures with the Water Sense label are endorsed by the EPA and are proven to effectively reduce water consumption without compromising performance.

Therefore, the same flush you’ve become accustomed to with a toilet that uses 3.5 to 7.0 gallons of water has the same impact as a Water Sense toilet that uses 1.28 gallons per flush. Other conservation steps include:

Fixing leaky faucet or toilet

Testing your fixtures for leaks (For your toilet – drop a little food coloring into the tank. If the color shows in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak)

Turning off the bathroom faucet while brushing your teeth can save you up to 8 gallons of water a day

To learn more about the EPA’s Water Sense program, visit WaterSense.

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