Not long ago a reader commented on the How To Series — thank you very much, by the way — but we, unfortunately, didn’t answer his question. Plumbing, we cordially explained, is so immense that we’re only getting started. Plumbing isn’t like, say, HVAC — heating, ventilation, and air conditioning — that is essentially a… Read More
In a previous post we looked at FLUID, a new learning water meter for your home. In this post we examine two other products — one still on the drawing board and that’s available now — to help homeowners track their water usage. Driblet is a smart water meter that intends to track water-related variables… Read More
Now it’s water’s turn. Homes have been getting smarter over the years, little by little, at first for the early-adopter techno geeks. But now technology is reaching another level for average consumers like you who are interested in control energy use or resources. The earliest “smart home” products controlled lighting, for example, were costly and… Read More
It seems like yesterday our “carbon footprint” was the eco phrase de jour. Now it’s “water footprint,” as in What’s your water footprint? In our last post and in this one, we set aside the mechanics of plumbing in our Staten Island residences to take a look at the one element most people, at least… Read More
In the midst of your dream Kitchen Makeover, let a general contractor handle the granite countertops and backsplash and look to a Staten Island plumber or contractor to help you with the plumbing appliances. In this post we take a look at dishwashers and plumbing because, well, dishwashers today are not your mother’s dishwasher of… Read More
When considering making improvements to or renovating the kitchen in your Staten Island home, keep an open mind and dream big, even if your budget screams “go small!” In meeting with a Staten Island plumber, plumbing contractor, or general contractor to go over your plans, you can always scale back to meet the current budget… Read More
Depending on the source, the Number One, Numero Uno, home improvement is . . . not the front yard makeover not replacing the air conditioner not adding insulation to the attic not adding engineered or real-wood flooring, although all of these do appear on some Top 10 Home Improvement Lists circulating around the Web. No,… Read More
As noted in the previous How To Plumbing post on faucets, you can’t troubleshoot or replace faucets without dealing with sinks. One is attached to the other. This post looks at installing a sink faucet and looks at one kind of faucet/sink install — the vessel sink. For the most part, you should be able… Read More
The pipes in your home are the real workhorses of your plumbing infrastructure, carrying water and waste to and fro each and every day. But pipes are behind-the-scene and you rarely, if ever, interface with them. Faucets, on the other hand, you interface with each day — at the bathroom sink, in the shower or… Read More
Every homeowner will face this question when the water heater eventually ages and fails: Should I go tankless? In this How To Plumbing series post we take a look at tankless, or demand, water heaters. With apologies to The Clash, Should I stay (with a tank-storage water heater) or should I go (tankless)? Tankless or… Read More
