Mother’s Day is tomorrow. I am blessed with a mother that has always been a positive motivator in my life. She set the tone by making sure my direction was sensible. She taught me many valuable lessons like it’s good to give back to others where you can.
One way to give back is to share important trade tips that could improve or save lives. Here are some tips:
- New water heater energy efficiency improvements are scheduled to take effect on April 15, 2015. Costs will increase so consider purchasing a water heater before those increases.
- Medical tests indicate the quality of our blood directly relates to health. It’s important to improve our drinking water and air quality to remove harmful contaminants that end up in our blood. Avoid bottled water in plastic bottles that are not regulated and cheap air filters. Why not install a Reverse Osmosis system that removes dangerous chemicals from your drinking water and a quality air filtration system for your lungs?
- It can be risky to have unused plumbing fixtures because the chlorine in water loses potency over time. Stale water promotes microbial growth and the risk of pseudomonas. Unused water can become discolored and have an odor. Remove unused plumbing fixture piping or cap it off to reduce risks.
- Want beautiful plumbing fixtures and faucets that have a warranty? Plumbing supply vendors have state-of-the-art showrooms. They can recommend faucets that will last longer and are reasonably priced. Lincoln Winnelson at 700 Pioneers has one of the largest showrooms. You can go there weekdays from 9:00 to 5:00 as a guest of John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical or your licensed plumber.
- Toilets waste more water than any other plumbing fixture primarily because water can quietly leak past a toilet tank flapper and slowly seep unnoticed into the toilet bowl. Check by putting food coloring in the toilet tank. If the food coloring seeps into the toilet bowl the odds are the toilet needs some adjustments or parts replaced. You may even consider toilet replacement for a better model.
- A good plumbing improvement at a reasonable cost is a handheld shower that can help clean all parts of the body. Some handheld showers are cheap but are poor quality, so purchase only a quality unit and you will be much happier with your decision.
- Electric heat tapes are designed to keep pipes from freezing but fail quite often and cause fires. Plumbing in unconditioned spaces is a bad practice and always at risk of freezing as many discovered this cold Nebraska winter! Get prepared before next winter by fixing those plumbing risks properly while the weather is warm.
- A failed washing machine hose can quickly flood a home. Most manufacturers recommend replacing hoses every five years. Braided hoses last longer than the standard black hoses, but they also need to be replaced regularly.
- If you are tempted to use chemical drain cleaners to remove stoppages, please realize many service plumbers have been severely burned. The commercials may look credible, but the chemicals are dangerous to humans, piping, and the environment. Blockages are removed better by cabling.
- Sewer mains typically plug for three basic reasons. The sewer was not installed properly, there are tree roots in the sewer, or the sewer tap at the city main is broken. A sewer camera can pinpoint the damages and reduce the cost of repairs; it’s well worth the investment to fix it the first time the sewer backs up.
- Toilet paper can also help plug a sewer if it does not degrade rapidly and water flow is too low. You will find the thicker and fluffier toilet papers are often the culprits. Check out the test toilet paper test results.
- Improperly installed plumbing is serious stuff and caused the SARS virus that struck over 8000 people in 2003. It barely missed the United States. Odds are good the next life-threatening virus will start in a third-world country, but it could start anywhere.
- Journeymen licensed plumbers in our community are required to take proficiency tests that indicate basic skills. They work directly for Master plumbers that maintain liability insurance. Using handyman services, friends, and relatives to make repairs is risky. It’s better to be fully insured if your home burns down or is flooded from poor-quality plumbing repairs.
Thanks to all the moms that have made a difference in our lives!
