Today`s bathroom is often a showcase of luxury amenities-a place to retreat for rest and relaxation. But it can also be a source of great stress when the plumbing springs a leak and the repair bills threaten to drain your bank account.
”It costs $50 just to get a plumber to come over, so more and more people are doing the repairs themselves,” says Harold Shames, executive vice president of Melard, which manufactures plumbing repair tools. ”Chances are that with good instructions and good tools, they`ll be successful.”
And as homeowners are taking on the tasks once done by professionals, some manufacturers are creating new products to make the jobs as foolproof as possible. Other companies are introducing products to make plumbing work better.
Conservation-minded homeowners can find more and more water-saving devices for the bathroom that they can easily install themselves. And numerous other products are being introduced to minimize hazards in the bathroom, one of the most dangerous rooms in the house.
The prices for the products featured below are suggested retail prices. You can contact the manufacturers listed for help in finding a retailer in your area who carries a specific product.
Professional tools
Melard`s new line of plumbing tools is dubbed ”Professional,” but the tools are packaged with detailed instructions so that do-it-yourselfers can use them. The series includes a tubing cutter, a mini-tubing cutter, tubing cutter replacement wheels, a flaring tool and a plastic pipe and tube cutter. Price: $7 to $29. Melard Manufacturing Corp., 153 Linden St., P.O. Box 58, Passaic, N.J. 07055 (phone: 201-472-8888).
Drain auger
Do-it-yourselfers traditionally have used toxic chemicals to unclog drains, but here`s a safer, more environmentally friendly solution: the PulseAuger. Created by Lewisan Products Inc., this drain-clearing tool can be attached to most drills. The PulseAuger canister contains 20 feet of flexible coil, which is inserted into the drain until it meets the obstruction. When the drill is operated, the coil rotates and vibrates to pulverize the stoppage. The tool is designed to be easy to clean and to recoil into its canister for storage. Price: $39.99. Lewisan Products Inc., 3811 21st St., Racine, Wis. 53405 (phone: 414-632-6776).
Clog blaster
The Drain Blaster, by Jet Blast, uses household water pressure to unclog drains that are blocked with grease, hair, dirt, mud, clay, sludge and other buildups. The Drain Blaster tube attaches to any faucet or garden hose and its brass nozzle is inserted into the clogged drain. When the water is turned on, a jet stream pierces through the blockage while two side jets spin to flush debris off the walls of the pipes. Drains usually can be cleaned in three to five seconds, according to the manufacturer. Price: $19.95. Jet Blast Products Corp., 6800 Ft. Smallwood Rd., Baltimore, Md. 21226 (phone: 800-JET-BLAST).
Toilet tank flapper
If you`re constantly annoyed by a toilet that won`t shut off, Fluidmaster`s Bull`s Eye Flapper can bring welcome silence and water savings. It is designed to fit almost any flush valve and can easily replace a worn-out flapper or take the place of the old-fashioned tank ball mechanism. The flapper has a rigid frame to provide good performance and it`s made of a rot- proof vinyl material.
Price: $2.49. Fluidmaster, 1800 Via Burton. Anaheim, Calif. 92806 (phone: 714-774-1444).
Water savings
Responding to increasing cries for water conservation, Con-Tech Industries Inc. has created Future Flush, which reduces toilet water use by up to 70 percent, according to the manufacturer.
The kit has two handles that control the flapper valve and how much water is used for each flush. The short handle generates a short flush of 1.6 gallons of water or less for liquid wastes and paper, the longer handle provides a full flush for solids. The system can be installed in about 10 minutes.
Price: $20. Con-Tech Industries, P.O. Box 160, Creswell, Ore. 97426
(phone: 800-446-5765).
Frugal flushes
The FrugalMaster kit includes a specially designed fill valve that allows no more than the necessary amount of water to flow back into the toilet bowl after each flush and a Frugal Flush Flapper that will cut water use to 2.3 gallons per flush in a 5-gallon flush toilet and to 2.2 gallons per flush in a 3.5-gallon toilet. When the two components are used together, they will save about 70 percent of the water normally used per flush, according to the manufacturer. No special tools are needed to install the FrugalMaster. The Frugal Flush is also sold separately.
Price: $29.95 for the FrugalMaster kit, $15.95 for the Frugal Flush. Frugal Flush Inc., 1209 E. Washington St., Suite 4, Phoenix, Ariz. 85034
(phone: 602-253-6275).
Bathtub stopper
Plumbing Parts Plus recently introduced the Flip-It, a replacement stopper for the bathtub drain. This mechanical pop-up plug prevents hair from clogging the drain and has a lever that can be opened or closed with the flick of a finger or toe.
Price: $6.99 for the chrome model, $7.99 for a brass model. Plumbing Parts Plus, P.O. Box 756, 5048 W. Chester Pike, Edgemont, Pa. 19028 (phone:
800-473-1803).
Temperature control
If the water temperature in your shower surges from one extreme to another each time someone else in the house turns on another faucet, the Monitor pressure balance valve from Delta Faucet Co. can eliminate the problem. The valve controls the flow of hot and cold water to maintain a constant safe temperature with no sudden fluctuations. Do-it-yourselfers can also preset a maximum temperature so children will not risk scalding themselves under running water. The Monitor is available in chrome and in polished and antique brass.
Price: from $110.25 for a chrome shower unit to $214.95 for a polished-brass combination tub and shower unit with porcelain or rosewood handle. Delta Faucet Co., 55 E. 111th St., Indianapolis, Ind. 46280 (phone:
317-848-1812).
