Stories from under the floorboards.
Editorial index for the Phend journal — how-tos, neighborhood stories, and the occasional repair post-mortem from our crew in Mesa, Gilbert, and across the East Valley.
Ask Pete: What Is An RO System?
Today’s “Ask Pete” is all about Reverse Osmosis Systems. Let’s check in and see what Pete has to say about this intriguing home system. Pete, what is an RO System? First of all, the RO system stands for Reverse Osmosis System which is a household appliance...
How to Choose a Kitchen Faucet
An imperfect or dysfunctional kitchen faucet can be aggravating, so if it’s time for a different faucet, how do you know what factors are most important when choosing your new one? We’ve got that information, so we can share with you how to choose a...
Ask Pete: Why Is My Water Bill So High?
Homeowners like to stay on top of typical home expenses and are very alert to sudden surges in expenses that can hurt our budgets. All of us here in Arizona are aware of the surge in Air Conditioning costs in the summer (unless you are on the year-round...
Video Blog: How To Turn Off Water To Your House
Among the many things, it feels like you are “just supposed to know” is how to turn off the water to your house. But, if you’re like most of us, you may have no idea, especially if you’ve always lived in apartments or it has been someone else’s domain. In...
Pros and Cons of Water Softeners
Are you experiencing the unpleasantness of Arizona’s hard water and thinking of installing a water softener? Read these pros and cons of water softeners as you make your decision. Then call Phend to install it!
Types of Toilet Seats
Toilets may be the most underappreciated innovation of all time. Only those who camp a lot or who have lived with an outhouse can understand how great plumbing truly is, and what a luxury a comfortable toilet seat is, too.
Ask Pete: How Do You Unclog A Toilet?
A clogged toilet can be a total nightmare. If you have ever seen it, you know there aren’t many things as terrifying as the moment you realize your toilet is clogging. You flush the toilet but then, nothing! You lift the cover to find It swirls strangely...
How to Install a Toilet Seat
Sometimes you are moving into a place with terrible toilet seats, sometimes you realize you’ve lived a very long time with the same toilet and the seats are not what they used to be and sometimes they break, slip, or slide. Whatever the reason, if you’ve...
Why Does My Toilet Keep Clogging?
Why does my toilet keep clogging? If you’ve ever wondered if your toilet is possessed or just want to know why it keeps clogging, here’s why and what you can do about it.
Copper versus PEX Pipes [Video]
Is PEX Pipe Better Than Copper Pipe? You may have heard lots of hardware-store hype on this topic but the question isn’t whether one type of pipe is better than the other, it’s a question of which is better for a given application. The most common...
Got a plumbing question we should answer?
Email the crew or call us — if it is a question your neighbors are asking, we will write it up.