We love our favorite plumber but only when we really need to call them. Garbage disposals are the kitchen's workhorse but love to quit at the most inopportune times and many times you can repair or replace the disposal yourself.

Hands down, my most popular tutorial is on repairing your garbage disposal. Repairing them can be surprisingly easy and you can do it. I'll show you how make the repairs you need quickly and possibly save $180 or more in a plumbing service call. In this tutorial, I'll walk you through the most common garbage disposal repairs and also tell you how to avoid clogs and slow draining situations.

And get familiar with how the garbage disposal is constructed with Anatomy of a Garbage Disposal for a graphic overview of the disposal's components. And if it's your sink that's causing trouble, see Unclogging a Sink.

Water heaters are one of the most essential appliances in our homes. They silently work away providing hot water whenever we want.

They can last for 10 years or more, but by annually performing this tutorial How to Maintain a Water Heater in 3 Easy Steps you can extend the life of your water heater and save energy costs.

So go on. Give your water heater 5 minutes of attention and let your love show!

And if your water heater does quit it's good to read this other tutorial on how to Troubleshoot a Tank Type Water Heater and learn how to diagnose many common problems.

Whether you have a gas or electric water heater, will help you evaluate and repair everything from your gas burner / pilot light to an anode rod.

Hey Stella! Is it off now?!

Yes, that is the type of question shouted from the basement to the 2nd floor bedroom as weekend warriors across the land have tried to figure out which circuit breaker or fuse controls what outlet in their home.

But no longer do you have to make turning off the right circuit breaker a two person affair. No longer do you have to reset your clocks and DVD players or VCR's because you incorrectly turned off power trying to locate the proper circuit breaker.

In the tutorial Circuit Breaker Finder I want you to know about a great little electronic device called a circuit breaker finder or circuit breaker tracer that makes this now a one person task. You simply plug the receiver into the outlet and wave the "magic wand" (OK, the electronic receiver) over your circuit breakers in your power panel and lights flash and beeper beeps when you find the right one! EASY!

So take a read and learn how easy locating the correct circuit breaker or fuse for a remote outlet or light fixture has become.

Refinishing a wood deck is a great summer project that will improve your outdoor living space and extend the life of your deck. And your deck is a significant investment in your home.

Last week I described how to brighten a deck. This week I'll describe the entire deck refinishing process.

Deck refinishing includes several steps such as:

• inspection,
• basic deck board repair and replacement
  (if needed),
• initial deck board cleaning,
• deep cleaning with a power washer,
• sanding,
• staining / sealing and
• and of course, the celebration holiday BBQ!

There are several tricks and tips I outline for you in How to Refinish a Wood Deck to make short work of this project and get you professional looking results. I'll give you specific product recommendations and lead you through a very detailed and photo packed tutorial of each step in the refinishing process.

If you missed having a sparkling  deck this 4th of July, then start soon so your deck is ready for Labor Day, and celebrate the holidays on your new refinished wood deck and enjoy the rest of the summer!