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You can liquefy both hair and grease in less than 60 seconds with odorless Insta-Flo drain cleaner. It’s non-acid formula won’t harm fine fixtures, porcelain, chrome trim, polished brass, plastic or metal pipes so it is ideal for showers, bathroom sinks, grease traps, septic systems and sewer lines.

Is it a really tough clog?
Enlist the help of enzymes with Enforcer Drain Care. Instead of caustic chemicals, the enzymes in Enforcer Drain Care will slowly clear the blockage away. Mix Enforcer Drain Care with a cup of warm water and pour it down the drain. Leave it overnight. You may have to do this three or more times for best results.

Still struggling?
Consider the Power Plumber Pressurized Drain Opener. This tool attacks the clog instantly without harming your pipes. No harsh chemicals, acids or lye and ideal for drains, sinks and toilets. You also may need to take drastic measures and get out the Plumbing Snake. The snake is kind to PVC but cruel to clogs. Embrace the oncoming mess with goggles and gloves.

If it is a small crack, you can try to repair it. Drain the toilet, dry it off, apply some Plumber's Goop and let it dry completely before refilling the tank. However, you may have to replace the bowl.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

Yes. Shut off the water supply to the toilet. Mark the water level on the inside of the tank with a pencil. Check the water level in 10 or 20 minutes. If the water has fallen, you know the flush valve is leaking. You may need to purchase a new flush valve or make repairs.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

Going "green" in our everyday lives is all the rage these days. From CFL bulbs to organic cotton T-shirts, it seems everyone has some skin in the eco-game. Your family - and in particular your home - should be no different. Below are 15 easy do-it-yourself projects that will save you money, reduce your environmental footprint and have you playing your eco-part in no time.

1. As the cost of energy continues to rise, there is a way to lower your electric bills. Compact florescent light bulbs, or CFLs, use up to 66 percent less energy than conventional incandescent bulbs and can last up to five years. Replacing the five most-used bulbs in your home can save you up to $60 a year on your electric bill.
2. Your water heater can do a better job keeping the water in the tank hot if you buy it a jacket. Insulating jackets can be installed on most conventional water heaters and reduce the number of times a water heater "fires" during standby. In fact, 20 percent of your energy cost to heat water is used up during standby!
3. Fix that leak! Did you know that a dripping faucet or leaking toilet can waste up to 20 gallons of water a day? Repairing these leaks takes just a little time, and a small investment for the parts needed. The payback - both in dollars and for the environment - is huge!
4. Adding a rain barrel to your drainage system can help you capture some of the water Mother Nature sends us during rain showers. A 1,000 square foot roof can shed up to 650 gallons of water during a 1-inch rainfall. By placing a rain barrel under a down spout, you can use this water for your lawn, garden or even a car wash.
5. Plant a tree and reduce the carbon footprint of your home. To counteract the footprint from the use of electricity and natural gas or oil in the average American home, you would need to plant 42 trees... while that's a lot of green, start slowly to help shade your home and absorb carbon dioxide from the air.
6. Using a ceiling fan can not only help you feel more comfortable in your home, both in the winter and the summer, it can also help to lower your energy bills. By circulating the air in your home, your furnace and air conditioner will run less, which means savings for you.
7. Cutting your lawn just got a lot greener with Earth-friendly mowers. Gas-powered mowers are terrific for larger lawns, but if you have a smaller space to take care of, an electric or new cordless mower can do the trick, and with no fuel or harmful emissions. Mother Nature will thank you!
8. Composting is a great way to reduce your waste and your impact on landfills. By collecting and placing compostable materials in a collection bin, you can create a super-charged natural fertilizer for your garden.
9. Natural cleaning products have come a long way. You now have a choice to use products that lessen their impact on the environment. Many of these new cleaning items have natural ingredients and use less water during shipping to reduce fuel use.
10. Tankless water heaters are here to stay, and are a viable choice when it comes to installing a new water heater in your home. Standby energy use is completely eliminated, and you will never run out of hot water from a properly-sized unit!
11. Reduce your usage. How many cups of water do you boil for a cup of tea? Do you leave the TV or lights on when you leave the room? Does the water run from the faucet when you brush your teeth? These small changes in your lifestyle can make a difference for all of us!
12. Did you know that almost 25 percent of water used in the home is for showers, and each member of a family of four taking a 5-minute shower can use up to 700 gallons a day? By installing low-flow shower heads, you can reduce that use by almost half, and with new technology, still feel a brisk force from the water.
13. Stop all the leaks in your home! Drafty windows and doors can greatly raise your energy consumption. According to the EPA, if you caulk or seal those air leaks with weatherstripping, you can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1,000 pounds a year.
14. Let the sun shine! Not only will it brighten your mood, it will keep you from flipping the switch. In the colder months, the rays from the sun can help to heat your home, and the best part of this tip: it's absolutely free!
15. Your indoor air is three times more polluted than the outdoor air. While painting is a great way to liven up your living environment, make sure you are not harming it during the process. Low VOC or zero VOC paints work just as well and are a great choice for those with allergies, asthma or homes with young children.

Turn off the toilet's water supply valve, flush the toilet and sponge out any remaining water in the tank. The refill valve is usually removed by turning a nut that holds it in place. When the nut is off, the refill assembly can be lifted out. Install the new assembly by following the manufacturer's directions.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

Did you know that as much as 80,000 gallons of water can be wasted each year by an undetected toilet tank leak? It makes economic and environmental sense to occasionally check the toilets around your home. Your toilet tank may simply need a good "tune-up." Here are some adjustments you can make.

Refill Valve

If your tank has a conventional ballcock refill valve, the water level is adjusted by bending the float arm (Fig. 1). The level should be high enough for complete flushes, but the water should not be to the top of the overflow pipe. Your tank should have a colored or molded water level mark. It should never be set so low that the bowl does not refill with trap sealing water. The rule of thumb is to set the water level about 3/4" below the top of the overflow pipe.

If the float rubs on other parts, simply adjust the float arm sideways. If the float lacks buoyancy, unscrew then shake it to determine if it is waterlogged. A waterlogged float should be replaced. The float arm can also be replaced, if needed.

In tanks using modern plastic refill valves, the tank water level is adjusted in other ways. If your tank uses a hand nut, turn the nut clockwise to raise, or counterclockwise to lower, the water level. Or, your tank may have a sliding pinch clamp on an adjustment rod (Fig. 2).

Flush Valve

Replacements for a flush ball and its actuating mechanism are available, but it may be possible to stop a leak with minor adjustments. Check the following mechanisms before purchasing replacements.

See that the guide arm is centered directly over the seat. The guide arm should drop the flush ball directly into its seat. If the flush ball is not seating properly, make the adjustment shown in Fig. 3.

The guide arm should allow the flush ball to rise enough for a complete flush. If not, raise the arm. Be careful that it isn't too high–then it will prevent the ball from closing completely.

Check that the upper lift wire pulls the flush ball high enough. To adjust it, simply bend the wire for a higher or lower lift.

The lifting hardware on a flapper-type flush valve should raise the rubber flapper to start a flush, but should not hold the flapper up off its seat. If this is occurring, the hardware is adjusted too short. Some types allow you to slide the flapper itself up or down on the refill tube to ensure that the flapper meets the valve seat squarely. The lifting hardware and flapper height adjustments are the first things to check when flapper problems arise.

Refill Tube

If the bowl-refill tube is out of place, water is routed directly into the tank, rather than replenishing water in the bowl. When this is the case, you will likely hear splashing sounds during tank refill. The refill tube should aim directly into the overflow pipe but should not reach below water level. If the tube extends too low, it will siphon tank water silently away. Fix it by repositioning as shown in Fig. 4.

Defective refill tubes on some valves can be replaced with new plastic ones. Simply place one end of the plastic tube over the serrated plastic lug on the body of the valve, and place the plastic holder in the top of the overflow pipe.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

To adjust the water level on a conventional toilet tank, you simply bend the float arm down to lower the water level or up to raise it. Another widely popular valve has a pinch clamp that allows you to raise or lower the float.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

It is a pipe that runs from the toilet drain to the outside, usually to the roof. This prevents air lock in the drain line.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

If the refill valve is leaking, the tank overfills and the excess water runs into the overflow pipe and into the bowl.

There are ways to stop the toilet from constantly running. This will make you feel more at peace and save you money on your water bill.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

See if your toilet has an overflow pipe. If so, a rubber tube should go into it. It has a metal clip on it and sometimes it can come loose.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

The refill valve, the flush valve and the trip lever.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

The holidays brought housefuls of people to our homes - and often plumbing problems produced by the volume of food, waste and, in particular, items disposed not suitable for pipes or flushing. Now that the hullabaloo has died down, it's time to fix those plumbing woes. By taking stock in a few key tools and tips and gaining some basic plumbing knowledge, you can avoid having to call a plumber and save a few of those already tight, post-holiday dollars.

Know your pipes' limits

Knowing how your plumbing works will help you to better diagnose a problem and either solve it yourself or resort to calling a professional, if necessary. Invest in a do-it-yourself book on plumbing to help "un-complicate" your home's plumbing system.

Use the correct tools

A good plunger is a must for both toilets and sinks, and should be tried and exhausted before resorting to other means. A plunger will unplug most clogs, especially in the toilet, but there is a right way to use one: When plunging, compress the plunger slowly, then pull it vigorously toward you on the upstroke. This draws the clog upward.

Snakes are suitable

If the plunger isn't doing the trick, another option to try is a snake. Made of bendable steel, a snake is maneuvered into a drain with a crank handle that can sometimes be attached to a power drill. It can reach clogs up to 25 feet away and break them apart with a gentle twist or tug. While this may sound like advanced plumbing, a snake is extremely easy to use and will cost you about $30.

Use caution with chemicals

If elbow grease and conventional methods aren't solving the problem, you may need to try a drain-clearing chemical. Most drain-clearing chemicals are made for hair and grease, but will do the trick on that slow-moving kitchen sink Just be careful not to get hurt when you use them and keep them away from children. Follow the instructions on the bottle exactly to avoid damaging the pipes.

Turn to a plumbing pro

Some plumbing problems are caused by a bigger, more complex issue, so if your efforts aren't making things any better, calling a pro is the next best route. A good plumber should be able to identify the problem and take the necessary course of action. Check your local phone listing for plumbers in your area and be sure to ask questions about licensing, insurance, fee structure and experience when you call.

Credit:  Lou Manfredini's Tips From the Tool Box, Ace Hardware

After flushing the toilet, let it refill. Now put a few drops of food coloring into the tank. If the color appears in the bowl after a few minutes, there is a leak.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

This valve is under the sink or beside the toilet and shuts off the water to the faucet or toilet.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

Flush valves are held to the tank by one large jam nut on the bottom of the tank. Installing a new flush valve usually requires removing the toilet tank from the bowl, which can be rather complicated. However, wall-mounted tanks may not need to be removed.

• If the toilet tank must be removed, turn the water off completely, flush the toilet and hold the trip lever down to evacuate most of the tank water. Use a sponge to remove the remaining water. Disconnect the tank's inlet fitting from the water supply. If the flexible riser tube is damaged, replace it.
• Then, unscrew the two rubber-gasketed bolts flanking the flush valve. These bolts go through the tank and bowl flange, with nuts beneath. Use caution-forcing the bolts may cause you to break the tank, bowl or both. Use plenty of penetrating oil on the threads. If they still won't budge without force, try wrapping masking tape around a hacksaw blade and sawing with the teeth facing you, so the blade cuts on the "pull" stroke. The layer of masking tape will protect the bowl's glazed surface from saw scratches.
• The tank should now lift away from the bowl. Lay it upside-down on a throw rug or newspaper padding to protect it, and unscrew the large nut holding the flush valve to the tank. Use locking pliers plus penetrating oil and extreme care to avoid breakage. Clamp a well-padded locking plier/wrench around the flush valve to keep it from rotating inside the tank.
• Install the new flush valve (see image) according to the directions. The rubber gasket goes on the inside of the tank to prevent leakage. The flat washer fits on the outside to prevent tank damage.
• Use new brass tank hold-down bolts, which will remain workable. Tighten the bolts just enough to compress the tank's soft rubber gasket and keep it from leaking.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

If the toilet flushes on its own, the flush valve is probably not seating properly and water is leaking from the tank into the bowl. This could be the result of the lift chain being tangled. If it is the valve, you can change the flapper. Scale deposits on the seat can be removed with steel wool or with No. 500 abrasive paper. Make sure you clean the valve seat. If it still leaks, the seat is damaged and you will need to replace it as well.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.