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April 2010

Sump Pumps...

Although the weather has been absolutely wonderful, this is still spring and the time of year we could call our wettest.

That said, now would be a good time to check your sump pump to make sure it is working properly. 

First, unplug the pump and clean out any debris and toys that may have accumulated in the sump pit over time.  If fine silt, roots or other organic materials have started to take up residence in the pit, they should be removed.

Next, pour or use a garden hose to introduce water into the sump pit to a point where the pump turns on automatically.  The pump should activate before the water level reaches the inlet pipes sticking through the sides of the pit.

Assuming the pump turns on, that’s it - your done.  If it doesn’t activate you need to investigate further until such time you have it working as intended.

A word about back-up sump pumps …

Nearly every home with a sump pump should have some sort of back-up system in place.

For my money, I would opt for the water powered back-up.  Essentially, municipal water is introduced to the system when the primary sump pump fails.  The pressure of water from the city flows through a special device that causes suction in a discharge pipe – almost like a straw – and sucks the sump water out and away from the interior of the home.  In using a water powered back-up, you eliminate reliance on generators, batteries or other means of supplying power to a pump.  Instead you rely solely on the natural laws of physics to get the job done

There's more to lawn care than you might think...

• Before you start, when was the last time you sharpened your mower’s blades or gave it a tune-up?  Take it into your local hardware store and have them give it a little TLC.
• Mowing your lawn regularly will help keep the grass green. Never cut more than two inches at a time. Also avoid cutting in the heat of the day and removing more than 1/3 of the grass blade, as it can traumatize your lawn.
• To keep grass greener and to avoid spreading lawn disease, do not cut the grass when it is wet.
• Cut your grass in different directions each time you mow. This will help the grass grow straight

Time to 'Green-Up' 

Choose vegetable-based dishwashing detergent.  Traditional dish detergent is made from petroleum. If every family replaced just one 28 oz. bottle of petroleum-based dish detergent with a vegetable-based product, we could save 82,000 barrels of oil.

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