Simple Home Repairs You Can Do to Save Money

1. Un-clogging bathtub drain

               - Pour 1 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of white vinegar in the drain.

               - Use a plug to keep the contents from coming out.

               - Let sit for 30 minutes, after 30 minutes run hot water for 2 minutes.

For really clogged drains repeat the sets.

2. Winterizing Your Home

               - If you have pipes that are in view, make sure to wrap them with insulation and insulation tape.

               - Invest in a water heater insulation blanket. Heating water uses up a lot of energy. Using an insulation blanket, will lower energy costs.

               - Use draft stoppers for doors so that there is no outside air seeping in.

               - Weather striping your windows also helps to stop outside air from coming inside the house.

3. Catch Your Running Toilet - If your toilet is running, you better catch it! A running toilet can cost you in the long run. There are a couple of reasons your toilet may be running. Check the following to determine the cause.

         - Check that the rubber ball is still floating. The ball, which connects to a chain, is what controls the water that fills the tank after flushing.

         - The second thing you want to do is check the connection between the stopper valve and the handle. A chain generally connects the stopper to the handle. When flushed the chain opens the stopper valve.

         - The last thing you want to do is check the stopper valve. The stopper is what stops the water from running. If that stopper is not sitting properly then water will keep running and you will have to replace it.     

4. Leaky Pipes -If you have a small leak, most of the time you can repair it with water resistant tape or some type of sealing material such as epoxy.

         - Make sure the water is off and dry off the pipe.

         - Apply some epoxy to the area.

         -  Cut a piece of rubber from a garden hose or purchase some at Home Depot and hold it down with a C clamp, which you can also buy at Home Depot. Let that sit for about 2 hours.

         - After a couple of hours wrap water resistant tape around the area.        

This article was written by Liz Torres of CASH 1 Loans. CASH 1 is a provider of hassle-free short-term