Expert Advice on Home Improvement

This homemade rain barrel for recycling rainwater for use in your lawn and garden is an easy do-it-yourself project that costs less than $50. Watch this video to find out how. Watch this video.

Watch this video to find out how you can reduce the chance of scalding in the bathroom by lowering the temperature of your water heater. Watch this video.

Drinking water can become contaminated with lead from the solder that was used in the copper pipes in many older homes. Find out how to test your water and remove lead and other harmful chemicals by installing a water filter. Watch this video.

The Cimmaron toilet from Kohler is a comfortable 17” high, the same as most chairs. The standard model is economical as well, using either 1.4 or 1.6 gallons per flush (GPF). An EcoSmart model is also available that requires only 1.28 GPF, 20% less than most toilets. Watch this video.

Americans spend almost $16 billion a year for bottled water, much of which is simply reprocessed tap water. You can save money, have healthier drinking water, and help the environment by installing a drinking water filter in your home. Water filters are available that stand alone on your kitchen sink, attach to a faucet, or filter water in a pitcher. Watch this video.

Installing a new bathroom vanity isn’t that difficult, although it does involve a combination of some basic plumbing and carpentry skills for everything to come together. Watch this video to find out what you need to know. Watch this video.

The first step in removing a toilet is to drain all the water out of it. This simple trick uses gravity to pull most of the water out of the toilet bowl, making it easy to remove without making a mess. Watch this video.

One way to save water is to install low-flow aerators on kitchen and bathroom faucets. They can be installed in minutes by screwing them into the end of faucets. While most aerators limit water to three gallons per minute, low-flow models are available for around $5 that can reduce the flow to as little as one GPM. This can reduce faucet water usage and save energy. Watch this video.

The Watts Recirculating Pump attaches to the hot water line at the water heater to circulate hot water throughout the home. A programmable timer can be set to turn the pump on only during the hours when hot water is typically used. The kit comes with everything you need and can be installed in under two hours. Watch this video.

“I’ve always heard that if you maintain your water heater, it will last longer. What does that mean?” asks Allison from Louisiana.

Performing simple routine maintenance on your water heater can make it last longer and keep small problems from turning into big ones. Watch this video.