Hiking the Grand Canyon, Cabins & Day with a Plumber Print

• Jackie's experience as a 1st timer.
• The importance of knowing what you're doing or going with someone who does!
• What type of foods to help fuel you along the way.
• Keeping your own pace so you can enjoy it and make it succesful.

• Did you know their is another canyon deeper than the Grand Canyon in the himalayas'?
• How far the trip actually is from rim to rim.
• The FAA was created after 2 planes crashed over the Grand Canyon.
• Unique characters the crew has come across over the years.
• More from Jackie on the challenge to keep up on the way up and out.

• Thanks to our guests Jackie, Katie and Barb and Tom from Postorino Pool Service & Repair!

We set the record straight on protecting yourself from bears in Arizona with expert from the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Bill Andres.

• We have black bears here and that is what you need to prepare for.
• Be safe with your food. NEVER FEED THEM!!!
• Make yourself large and the most imposing as possible.
• Don't run! Don't play dead!
• Give the bear an exit route.
• If you're attacked, fight back.
• Always let the AZ Game & Fish know if you run into a problem bear.
• Bear spray is a good idea.

It's the Outdoor Hour with Jay Harper of Harper's Nursery & Landscaping Company!

Tip of the Week: All the rules change when it is as extremely hot as it has been, lately.  Throw your watering schedule out the window. You'll need to physically check your plants and it will take more water than a normal hot summer day.

*Use an "indicator plant" to judge your watering. Listen to Jay describe how this works and what he uses in his yard.

•  Irrigation tips to not waste water. 

Caller:

• Dewey - He has too many weeds in his horse pasture and is worried about spraying it and harming the grass in the horses eat.

Recommendation - Get goats, they'll eat the tallest plants out there and that tends to be the weeds.

Caller:

• Ken - He has a 16 year old ficus tree that's leaves are falling off and he doesn't know what to do about it....

Recommendation - Ficus don't like the extreme heat and white flies can be an issue with them too, but it doesn't sound like white flies. It sounds like heat and could be a water issue and heat stressed. Give it a really good soaking and let it go for a few days and it may recover.  Also, think about some trunk paint.

*Alternatives to the ficus tree that are better suited for our climate.

Letter From a Listener:

• Jan - How early is too early to start her irrigation system in the morning?

Recommendation - It's a drip system, so the timing should be fine. The sprayers are what you need to be concerned with, so it doesn't evaporate during the heat.

Callers:

• Tom - He's trying to grow pomegranite seedlings and it has a sappy coating and bugs on it. What should he do?

Recommendation - The bugs are causing the coating and Jay recommends cleaning them and trying to get them outside in the shade. He can clean them with a neem oil. 

•  Pete - He has pearl scale and wants to know how to prevent it.

Recommendation - Water and fertilize more regularly. He could core aerate and add sulfur to the effected areas too.

• Watering tips and we discuss "Getting Potted in the Desert" to help maintain a garden in our heat, plus Jennifer's been using an Arizona product with success. It's called BioFlora & it's made in Goodyear, AZ! You can pick it up at Elgin Nursery or Summer Winds Nursery.
• We also like Mel's Mix and compost from Hickman's Family Farms. 
• Talking through ways to attract wildlife and other pollinators to your yard.

• Resources to use to attract wildlife and pollinators: The National Wildlfie Federation, The North American Pollinator Protection Campain, Grow Wise, plus Bayer supports Feed A Bee & Backyard Hive.

Caller:

• Bill - He heard us talking about mesquite pancakes and Desert Harvester's and wondered if we had heard about Del Back Whiskey (Hamilton Distillers) made from mesquite beans too?

• Last few tips on gardening in the extreme heat of the summer. Water Use It Wisely is a great resource!
  

Remember, you can reach Jay during the week at Harper's Nursery & Landscaping Company!

• Jennifer found Rosie's notes from his 1st year of shows and is happy he has softened over the years.
• Recapping our thoughts from last week with David from Green ID & their lunch with a listener where they tried to give her a gameplan to save money in the home they are building.
• A few things Rosie would like to see in new homes built to help in home comfort and efficiency.
• If you'd like a home energy audit done at your home, contact REEis or Green ID.

Our article this week is on buying or building a cabin and Rosie's tips on picking the correct one.

• How much maintenance goes into your "weekend getaway."
• What Rosie would put into his.

Caller:

• Carolyn - She has a pebble chlorine pool and wants to know if she switches to a salt, will it damage the surface?

Recommendation - She needs to reach out to Postorino Pool Service & Repair or Desert Sun Pools. We do know that as a builder, it is not the "Magic Cure-All" and can be corrosive to decks and other parts around the pool.

• Here's the link to our article on "10 Questions to Ask Before You Buy a Little Cabin in the Big Woods"
• Here are our How-To-Videos sponsored by Stampede Plumbing!

Caller:

• Bob - He's on a 9 to 9 price plan and is attempting to "Super Cool" his home and wants to know hot to go about it on the weekends?

Recommendation - Just do the same thing you'd do during the week and Rosie walks through the different plans and how it effects your usage. You need to be buying 85-90% of your power on off-peak hours to make it work.

*It's easier to accomplish if you get an "Energy Management Computer" from Advance Home Systems & a programmable thermostat.

More on Choosing a Cabin:

• Rosie's personal experience on picking his spot.
• Try and discover everything about the cabin before you purchase. Put in place a long time between the offer and close so you can get several inspectors out to know about any issues.
• Until about 10 years ago, their were no permits required to build. This can cause a ton of problems now.

Callers:

• Candy - She replaced her A-C unit a week and a half ago. The unit is twice the size of the original unit, but she is concerned about the stand being too small. Their is about 14 inches of overhang.

Recommendation - The overhang isn't too much of a concern. It's more about how it's anchored to the roof.  We'll have her send a few pics and Rosie will look them over and make sure it is safe.

• Pat - The expansion joint on the side of his home has worn out. Can he fill it with spray in foam?

Recommendation - They make a specific product for this and the foam would start to deteriorate over time in the heat. It's not a good idea. Call Marvel Masonry or Cohill's Building Specialties and they can help him. Their's also a product called "Trim a Slab" out there too.

Sign Up for the Sanderson Ford Arizona Staycation!!!

We welcome new partners like Beyer Appliance Service, now in addition to Frost Appliance.  

Callers:

• Pat - She started super-cooling about a year ago and recently she switched her A-C unit to a variable speed Trane unit. How well will this work with the super-cooling?

Recommendation - The unit is coming on and running longer, but you're asking it to cool your home during the coolest part of the day.

• Diane - She remodeled her home 5 years ago and installed a water treatment system from Kinetico system that she loves, but wants to get rid of the hard water stains that were already on her shower doors?

Recommendation - Use vinegar and water, put a bit of soap in the mix as well and get a single-edge razor blade. It's very important to use the blade, correctly so listen to Rosie describe what to do and it should make the process a little easier.

• Rosie invites Pat back from last hour to talk through her bill and "Super Cooling"

It's another Day with a Plumber. We answer questions with experts, Chris Stanfield from Stampede Plumbing & Chase Evans from Walker Plumbing!

• Copper versus Pex Piping.
• Chase talks about what plumbing fix needs to be done at his home....a leaky toilet with a faulty flapper.

• Describing replacing flappers and fill valves in your toilet. Chase likes the Fluidmaster brand.
• The trouble with plastic fittings and a few stories that cost a lot of $$$!!! Don't be cheap! It could cost you.
• Tips on angle stops and replacing them.

Caller:

• Sherry - The water that comes out of her kitchen sink smells like the sewer during the winter. It's not the disposal, so can we help her figure out what it is?

Recommendation - After investigating, Chris thinks it could be bacteria growing in the rubber hose pull out, since it's only in the kitchen sink. She can verify, by filling a glass of water, letting it sit and smelling the water away from the faucet.

• Why plumbers are under-paid.....

Callers:

• Brandon - The water line to his home was not buried very deep and the water is very hot. If he were to redo that, what material would be suitable to use and what type of shut-off valve should he use?

Recommendation - 18 inches is code, but the deeper it gets the cooler the water will be and he could add insulation.  He could use copper or pex and Chris would recommend a ball-cock valve.  He can pick up a roll of pex at Ferguson Plumbing Supply.

• Ted - He went to a plumbing supply store and the only thing he could see for supply lines had plastic nuts. Where does he need to go to get the brass fittings?

Recommendation - He should be able to find them at a plumbing wholesaler. He could find one at Van Marcke Trade Supply.

• Kathy - They're considering remodeling and with the moving of walls, they're going to lose a plumbing vent. The contractor is recommending a studer vent and wonders what we think of that. 

Recommendation - Chase uses them just for her situation and is having good luck, but they only have a lifespan of 5-7 years with maintenance.

•  Dennis - He replaced the flapper valve and now when the water is closing before the tank is empty. What could be causing it to not flush properly?

Recommendation - It's hard to know without seeing it. This might require a photo to know, but it's easy to replace the whole guts of the toilet.

Callers:

• Bill - How reliable are the sharkbite plumbing parts?

Recommendation - The pros use them as a temporary solution, but not as a permanent fix. It needs to be done on a pipe that's in good shape, though.

• Alice - The sink in her bathroom is draining slowly and wonders if it's her long hair causing it?

Recommendation - It does sound like the long hair could be causing it. Chris describes it and Jennifer also likes a product called DrainWig that catches the hair before it gets down the drain.

Thanks to our guest from Stampede Plumbing & Walker Plumbing.

Join Rosie on the House every Saturday Morning!!!