Frost free yard hydrants are great in places where the winter gets cold enough to freeze water. Usually yard hydrants work well for many years. When a hydrant begins to leak or drip it can be a combination of age and temperature changes that finally wear down the rubber gaskets.

To stop the leak the first thing to try is a yard hydrant repair that involves replacing the gasket. If that doesn't work or if by chance the riser that holds the gasket breaks you can simply replace the hydrant all together.

I am often asked for ways to save money on plumbing repairs. The answer to this varies depending on what repairs we are talking about.

There is a general answer for how to save on household plumbing repairs that applies to almost everyone.

Two ways to save on plumbing repairs:

1. Plumbing Maintenance - Keep up with regular plumbing maintenance to help avoid major problems and emergencies. If you don't let things get out of hand you can sometimes avoid costly repairs.
2. Fixing Common Problems - Learn about some of the most common plumbing problems and how to fix them yourself. If you can take care of several small repairs on your own you can save a lot by avoiding the service call to your plumber.

When replacing the cartridge of a leaky Moen shower pressure balanced valve you may notice two white plastic rings behind the shower handle. Those two rings are actually a great safety feature called a scald guard.

The scald guard can help you restrict the temperature of the hot water to the shower. You can set the scald guard so that even when the water temperature is turned all the way to the hot side it will not get too hot. This is a great feature if you have small children that could get scalded by accident.

The adjustment to the temperature can be changed as needed so that when you no longer need the hot water restriction you can change it back.

You don't have to put up with an annoying leaky shower. Many shower leaks can be fixed with a simple repair.

Usually all that is required is to replace the worn out parts like the cartridge or the seats and springs. The repair will depend on the brand of shower valve.

To fix a leaky shower start by checking the brand of your shower valve.