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Melissa Hawkins

Contributing Author

Published articles: 118


Melissa is our top Home Improvement Expert and Senior Editor. She loves writing about kitchen remodeling, plumbing, gardening and power tools. She can turn every home task into a masterpiece.

SharkBite vs Compression: Which Fitting Should You Use?

Kitchen leaks are no joke. But you can’t just wait around and expect it to be fixed. Hiring a plumbing service may also charge a lot of money. It’s better to do it yourself!  Which fitting should you choose, SharkBite vs Compression?   First off, SharkBite is a temporary solution. You can easily install SharkBite fittings …

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Moen vs Pfister Bathroom Faucet: Which One To Pick?

Faucets are very important for your bathroom. You should be selecting the best faucet to enjoy the best service and comfort. If you chose the wrong one, you’ll have to suffer a lot for leaks and who knows what. Moen and Pfister are among the best bathroom faucets. You must be confused between the two, …

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How To Remove A Stripped Set Screw From A Kitchen Faucet: 4 Different Ways

Kitchen faucets use diversified set screws to secure faucet handles and spouts. Sometimes the driver bits of the screws get stripped. You can’t unscrew them with a screwdriver. How to remove a stripped set screw from a kitchen faucet? There’s a number of ways to remove a stripped screw set from a faucet. You can …

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Replace Main Water Shut Off Valve Cost: Everything You Need To Know!

Every household has a main water shut off valve. It is used to control the water supply to the entirety of the house.  We don’t need to use the shutoff valve unless we’re working with something. As a result, the problems are often overlooked. It’s important to keep it in check and get a replacement …

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How To Fix Crumbling Basement Walls In The Easiest Way

Basement walls can crumble for turbulent weather or any reason. It can be a huge concern for you as it looks horrible. How to fix crumbling basement walls? First, you have to resurface your wall. For that, you need to prepare the wall to accept the cement mortar. You also have to add epoxy to …

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Water Softener With No Drain In The Garage: What To Do?

If you have a water softener in use, you’ll know that drainage is crucial. Improper drainage can lead to many environmental problems. However, if yours is installed in a garage with no drain, things can get puzzling.  You must be asking, how to get around water softener with no drain in the garage? Even without …

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Why Is There Brown Water After Draining The Water Heater? [Explained]

You may have seen your tap water appear brown after you drained the water heater. Turning on a faucet and seeing discolored water is extremely unpleasant.  Wondering what’s causing brown water after draining the water heater?  Brown water is the result of sediment, rust, or manganese. These can build up inside the water heater over …

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What Size Wire for a 40-Gallon Electric Water Heater? [Explained]

Measuring the ideal size of wires for a 40-gallon electric water heater is very important. Unmatched wires can lead to short circuits. You don’t want that, do you?  So now the question comes, what size wire for a 40-gallon electric water heater? An average 40-gallon electric water heater requires 12 gauges of wire. You cannot …

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Grundfos Central Heating Pump Being Very Hot [Troubleshooting]

A central heating pump is an integral part of many households. It is key to keeping the house warm during winter. Thus, it’s important to keep it in good condition.  Quite often, people find their pump overheating. This is seen for the pumps that have been out for a long time. How do you deal …

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How To Replace Main Shut-off Valve Without Turning Off Water [Explained]

It’s frustrating when you experience gradual leaks. And, what’s the cause of those? Well, mineral deposits and grits could block off the cutoff valves!  It would be best if you replaced the main valve in your home and another by the street.   How to replace the main shut-off valve without turning off the water?  Replacing …

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