Water Conservation Facts

Did you know it takes about 70 gallons of water to fill up your bathtub? There’s a number of facts about water conservation that you probably aren’t aware of. That is why we’ve put together the following top ten facts to consider before turning on the bathroom faucet or garden hose:

• Nearly 20 gallons of water goes down the toilet each day.

• Close to 22 percent of indoor water use comes from doing your laundry, but you can save by setting your machine to the appropriate load size.


• About 60 percent of a homeowners used water towards lawn and garden maintenance.

• In 1994, federally mandated low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilets were installed in more homes than ever before.

• It takes 55 gallons of water to make a morning cup of coffee.

• Filling up a pool takes 22,000 gallons, and if you don’t cover it, water can evaporate.

• One serving of poultry, such as chicken or steak, will cost about 90 gallons of water to produce.

• When you wash your car, you use about 150 gallons of water.

• Hand washing dishes takes about 20 gallons of water, but dishwashers only use between 4 to 6 gallons.

For every minute you take off of your hot water usage, you can also save energy and keep more money in your wallet.

To learn more facts about water conservation, click here.

Will you think twice before turning on the water at home? We know we will! Nassau County Plumbing and Sewer Rooter is your solution for all sewer and drain problems this summer. Give us a call at 516.974.7937 or visit our website for more information.  

How to Clean Your Kitchen This Summer

If spring cleaning is all about making your kitchen look fresh, then summer maintenance is all about keeping it that way. With all of the guests that enter your home during the summer, keeping it fresh might seem like an impossible task. Spoiler alert - it isn’t (at least not with the below tips):

Get rid of water stains. If you have a wooden table or counter in your kitchen, it may be inevitable that one of your guests will forget the use a coaster. Stop the water stain in its tracks with some mayo! Just take a little bit of full-fat mayonnaise, apply it to the water ring stain on your table, and let it sit for about an hour. Then wipe it up with a cloth and the stains will disappear!

Polish sticky appliances. Between your little ones and your guests, you’re bound to get sticky fingerprints on your fridge. One solution you can try is to use a citrus-based furniture polish. This type of cleaner will get rid of the sticky situation and leave an oily shine to help prevent future marks.

Scrub off the grime. Whether you’re looking for a way to clean your stovetop or outdoor grill, getting rid of grime is essential to summer maintenance. What’s the best way to get rid of grime? Grab a wire brush and scrub it down while it’s still warm. Bonus tip: wear rubber gloves to protect your skin from heat and grime.

Shine stainless steel fixtures. Do you have leftover lemons in your fridge? If you do, then we recommend using them to clean your stainless steel fixtures and faucets. Simply rub the lemon over the spots you want to clean up, and then wipe them dry with a microfiber cloth. Not only will your stainless steel shine, but it will smell fresh too!

For more summer maintenance tips, connect with Nassau Plumbing and Sewer Rooter on Facebook and Twitter! And don’t forget to contact us if you run into any plumbing issues while you’re tending to your kitchen. We offer all of the plumbing, sewer, and drain services you need to keep your home functioning properly all summer long. Call us today at 877.713.8136 for emergency services or visit our website for more information. 

What to Do Before Replacing Your Bathroom Faucet

Believe it or not, preparing to install your new shiny bathroom sink faucet isn’t as tricky as you might think. As a matter of fact, with a basin wrench and a few other basic tools, you should be able to tackle this project in no time! Here are three basic steps to follow:

Step 1. Shut off the water supply, which is typically found under the sink. If you can’t find this fixture, turn off the main water valve - it works just the same. Lastly, turn on your faucet to release water pressure that may be left in the lines.

Step 2. Next, grab your safety gloves and a handy basin wrench! Disconnect the supply lines from your faucet. Then, detach the lift rod and faucet nuts that hold the sink faucets in place.

Step 3. Remove the drain under your sink by unscrewing the slip nut on the P-trap. Then, unscrew the drain flange (aka: the pipe fitting) from the tailpiece and clean up the old drain and faucet holes.

Now you should be ready to install your new bathroom faucet! Click here for a step-by-step instruction on how to proceed.

When it comes time to replace your dull bathroom fixtures, you might run into potential plumbing problems, which is why Nassau Plumbing and Sewer Rooter is here to help! Our trained professionals can assist you from the installation process to leak detection. We are here 24/7 for all your emergency needs. Give us a call at 516.874.7937 or visit our website for more information. 

#TipsTuesday | Growing Your Own Garden

You don’t need a green thumb to grow your own garden. In fact, there are plenty of simple ways that you can achieve a stunning landscape. Check out the below ideas - perfect for even the most novice of gardeners:

Create a salad trough. Herbs and crops, like pepper, rosemary, and salad make for a great visual gardening display. Why? Because rosemary grows to be wildly tall and salad tends to stay low to the soil. In other words, when you plant a trough of herbs, you can easily create a dynamic of highs and lows.

Hang up your plants. Dress up your herbs by planting them in metal buckets. Then, watch them grow little by little each day. Around these flower pots you’ve designed, hang an assortment of glass jars filled with freshly cut flowers and candles. This arrangement is easy on the eyes and simple to put together!

Plant roots in pails. Vegetables, such as beetroot, are perfect for planting in buckets, so gather an assortment and paint them different colors. And don’t forget to add a few holes on the bottom of each pail so that your plants can drain properly! Place these pails on your back steps or walkway to display a stylish and symmetrical group of your favorite plants.

Looking for more simple gardening ideas? Click here.

Once you’ve settled on the ideal gardening idea for your backyard, make sure you water your plants just the right amount! And if you run into any outdoor plumbing issues, contact Nassau Plumbing and Sewer Rooter. We offer all of the plumbing, sewer, and drain services you need to help tend to your garden. Call us today at 877.713.8136 for emergency services or visit our website for more information. 

Here's The Terrible Thing That Happens When You Pour Grease Down The Drain

You’ve probably heard it been said before: don’t pour grease don’t the drain. You know it’s bad, but do you know why? Whether you plan to cook a homemade breakfast or invite friends over for a BBQ this weekend, make sure you don’t damage your kitchen’s plumbing by pouring this enemy into your drain’s pipes. After all grease and sewers don’t mix! And the reason is:

• Grease contains many fats that get broken down into their component parts - fatty acids and glycerols. When fatty acids get poured down the drain, they attach themselves to calcium found in sewers and create a “soap” compound, which ultimately damages plumbing.

• Naturally, what goes down your drain leads to the sewers. And when sewer levels rise, these blobs of fat attach to the ceilings of pipes and form stalactite-like structures commonly known as ‘fatbergs’. 

• Ultimately these clogs can cause sewer line backups, which not only look bad but are also dangerous. The worst part about this is that it takes weeks to break these fatbergs apart, so there’s a lot of harm that can be inflicted upon the environment.

While drain cleaners can be a big help when it comes to clearing out your pipes at home, the grease will still get washed into sewers and create worse problems in the long run. With that being said, will you think twice about disposing grease down the drain? We know we will!

For more plumbing facts and tips, connect with us on Facebook! Nassau County Plumbing and Sewer Rooter is your solution for all sewer and drain problems no matter how big or small. Give us a call at 516.974.7937 or visit our website for more information.  

Tips for Summer Yard Maintenance

Summer is yard maintenance season - let’s keep our lawns looking healthy and fresh! When the temperatures heat up and your kids run around, your lawn can take quite a beating, which is why it’s important to take care of it. Not sure where to start? Here are 4 tips you can use to tend to your outdoors this season:

Control weeds - When the yard is in full bloom, your weeds can get a little out of control. Remove them by pulling or digging, or better yet try herbicides. These products are designed to kill broadleaf weeds without damaging the rest of your lawn. However, keep in mind that products can be damaging in the summer heat, so pull them by hand if the temperatures are hot.

Mow the lawn - We know this sounds like an obvious tip for your outdoor maintenance, but it’s important to lay out the specifics: mow regularly at about 3” to 4” and use mulching grass clippings to balance out the moisture levels. Keeping your lawn taller will help to shade the soil from drying in the sun and prevent weed seeds from ‘germinating’. Bonus tip: keep your mower blades sharp, as this minimizes the stress on your grass on those hot days of the season.

Protect from diseases - Did you know that summer is prime time for fungal diseases? That’s right - this is the season when mildew and brown patches start to grow, so apply fungicide when needed. Also, if you’re going to water the lawn, water it during the day to keep evening moisture to a minimum.

Water - Your lawn needs at least one inch of water a week, and even more when a drought occurs. However, you don’t want to oversaturate it either, so keep track of rainfalls by using a rain gauge or small, empty food can. Bonus tip: don’t let your grass go brown and then try to recover it - if your lawn dries up, it will stay that way until the fall rolls around.

Looking for more tips on how to take care of your lawn this summer? Click here.

If you notice any outdoor plumbing or drain issues, contact Nassau County Plumbing and Sewer Rooter! We offer all of the plumbing, sewer, and drain services you need to help you maintain your yard. Call us today at 877.713.8136 for emergency services or visit our website for more information.

Prepare Your Home Plumbing for Guests

Summer is the season when close friends and family come to visit - don’t let your plumbing ruin a good time! Preparing your home for guests is more than just making them feel comfortable, it’s also about taking action to prevent potentially embarrassing problems. Before you welcome your visitors into your home, keep these plumbing preparation tips in mind:

Check the toilet flapper. Overtime, the toilet flapper can wear out and cause an annoying run or leak. For this reason, it’s important to replace the flapper to help keep everything flushing properly.

Clean the drains. Flush out those drains before your guests arrive to prevent clogs and foul odors. One quick method you can try is to sprinkle baking soda in the drain, let it sit for a while, and turn on the hot water to wash it down.

Guard the garbage disposal. Outdoor cookouts mean more work for your garbage disposal. Why? Because many people overestimate the power of this appliance. With that being said, keep fats, oils, and grease out of the disposal. Kindly ask your guests to throw it in the trash can or better yet, offer to do the cleaning up yourself.

Contact a professional. Sometimes you need a little help taking care of the more complex plumbing issues, so call a plumber when you need one! These experts are trained and will be able to properly prevent or fix issues so that bigger problems don’t arise.

If you need a helping hand, don’t hesitate! Nassau County Plumbing and Sewer Rooter is here for your sewer and drain problems 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Give us a call at 516.974.7937 or visit our website for more information. 

How to Update Your Old Bathtub

The bathtub can either make or break your bathroom depending on how you maintain it. If your tub is looking dull, make it a summer project to brighten things up! Here are four ways you can update your old bathtub:

Build a beadboard. Make your bathtub look new again by building a beadboard. This quick pick-me-up can make your bathroom appear more like a spa for you to retreat to after a long day. Go for recycled wood and decorative molding if you want to achieve a coastal, rustic feel for the season.

Pick up some paint. The cost of a new cast-iron tub can go over your desired budget, so opt for paint unless you detect some serious damage. For easy cleaning, you’ll want to use either semi-gloss or glossy paint. Then, let your imagination go wild with stencils to design a bold pattern. Feel free to change it up when you want a new look!

Reglaze and restore. Give your bath a facelift by coating the surface with a bonding agent and finishing coat. This reglazing project will work on porcelain, acrylic, and fiberglass tubs - an ideal option if you love the look and style of your old tub, but need to get rid of dirt and stains. 

Cover it up with a liner. Liners are an effective way to cover up a dull bathtub. What you’ll need is a heavy-gauge plastic material, which might make your tub appear smaller but will make it shiny again. If you choose to go with a bathtub liner, be wary of getting water trapped in between. The moisture caught behind the liner can cause potential mold and mildew problems. With that being said, call your professional plumber if you need a little assistance.

If a decorative tub or a facelift doesn’t serve your old bathtub justice, contact the experts at Nassau Plumbing & Sewer Rooter! We offer tub repair and installation services to give your bathroom the update it needs. Call us today at 877.713.8136 for emergency services or visit our website for more information.