Keep Your Plumbing Healthy: Avoid Celebrating World Senior Citizens Day

Every August 21st we celebrate World Senior Citizens Day. This day was created to celebrate the amazing wealth of information that our senior citizens possess, and to honor them in special ways. However, one thing that you don’t want to celebrate getting older is your home’s plumbing system.

Here in Evansville, there are many old and historic homes, and it’s important to not let old plumbing be the downfall of an otherwise beautiful house. Read on to get helpful tips for keeping your plumbing healthy, so you and your family can enjoy it for years and years to come!

Don’t Let Old Plumbing Ruin Your Water Pressure

There are many reasons that the water pressure in your home may be lower. Debris and accumulated mineral deposits commonly found in the water in Indiana can add to it, which is a problem most commonly found with old plumbing systems.

Another way that old plumbing can destroy your water pressure is by corrosion of the pipes. Once the protective zinc coating corrodes, water pressure can start to take a dive as the associated sediment builds up and ultimately restricts the plumbing lines.

In the worst-case scenarios, those deposits can cause the water pressure to stop entirely and the pipes can actually burst and cause massive damage to your home. The only way to stop this from happening is to replace your pipes before this build-up happens and keep up with all your routine plumbing services like drain cleaning.

Old Plumbing Can Cause Health Issues

When your plumbing starts to get old, there are also many health issues that can start to present themselves. Old plumbing can be the cause of many different potential health hazards, including lead poisoning (which is especially dangerous in children). If your pipes are getting older and you or your family are noticing any of the following signs:

• Abdominal pain
• Constipation
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Reduced cognition
• General discomfort

Please seek medical attention immediately. After you finish with the doctor, contact our plumbers here in Evansville to help you make the switch to newer, safer plumbing in your home.

The Dreaded Clog

Every plumbing system experiences a clog every now and again. However, with old plumbing, those clogs will continue to become more and more frequent until ultimately becoming an uncloggable, more expensive problem.

The longer that your plumbing system is in your home, the more likely that these types of frequent clogs will take a financial toll. Even the simple build-up left behind from everyday products like soaps can add up over time.

The best-maintained pipes, even with impeccable care and service, were not meant to last more than half a century. Even though they are an important part of our daily lives, pipes do not age the same as a fine wine or our beloved senior citizens.

If you’re experiencing any problems with your old plumbing, please give our office a call at (812) 618-9638. We can help you figure out the age of your pipes and work with you to find a solution, like repiping services, before you find yourself in a worse situation. Your home is worth it!

Keep These Plumbing Tips in Mind This 4th of July

4th of July is a time for celebrating and spending time with friends and family; the last thing you want to deal with is plumbing issues. While it may not be fun to consider or prepare for, the fact of the matter is that when you have people over to your home, there’s a greater chance of incurring a problem with one of your home’s utility systems because it’s being used with more capacity.

To help you avoid some commonly experienced problems, we’ve put together some plumbing tips to help you keep everything from your kitchen sink to your toilet running smoothly this holiday.

Don’t Let Problems With Your Kitchen Sink Ruin the Party

One of the biggest and most avoidable problems with the kitchen sink is the disposal of harmful grease straight down the drain and into your water system or the city’s.

When you have people over, it’s even more imperative to ensure you have a safeguard in place since you can’t monitor what everyone is doing at all times.

Installing a grease trap to prevent harmful grease from causing a layer of scum to form in your septic tank or at your local water treatment plant is an easy and cheap solution to this problem. If you are unsure of how to install a grease trap, calling an experienced technician should do the trick and resolve the problem quickly.

A Toilet Clog is No Fun for Anyone

When you have guests over and more people are utilizing your plumbing facilities, it raises the possibility of issues arising, especially when it comes to your toilets clogging.

Small clogging issues can quickly turn into larger ones if not dealt with quickly and efficiently.

Make sure to provide each bathroom with a plunger for you and guests to use in case of a clog; you’ll be glad you did when you don’t have flooding or overflow problems happening!

Learn About Your Shutoff Valve

Knowing where your shutoff valve is helps save the day; take a moment to learn about how your home can have the water shut off in case of emergency. Doing this can save you from potential flooding disaster and expensive damage being done to your home.

• City Water - If your home runs off a city water line, then you should be able to access the shut-off valve from the covered spot in your front yard (usually close to the street or sidewalk).
• Well Water - If your home uses well water for its water supply, you’ll need to locate your water pump and ensure the pressure is lowered so you can turn off the pump. If you cannot turn the pump off quickly, you can also turn off the pump by your electrical panel. It is important that the pump is depressurized first, however.

 
Checking to make sure your home’s plumbing systems are in good working order, calling for a service appointment to inspect, and installing any necessary safeguards to protect against disaster can help make sure your 4th of July get-together goes off with a bang this year. If you need service or inspections, contact us and we’ll get an experienced technician to your home expediently. Happy 4th of July!

Water Saving Tips = Money Saving Tips!

If we told you that you could save big bucks without a whole lot of effort, you’d (rightly) be wondering what the catch is. Even more, if we also said that it would help reduce your impact on the planet, you’d be really suspicious.

However, the only catch is paying more attention to your water usage and following some easy tips. By watching your water use you can help your pipes, you’ll help the planet and pad your wallet.

We’ve all heard tips like “don’t water your lawn so much” or “turn the water off while you brush your teeth!” While those tips are valuable, we’ll share ones that you might not think of off the top of your head.

Tip #1: Use Low Flushing Toilets

Especially if you have older toilets, you can literally be flushing money down the toilet. These days, toilets can use as little as 1.1 gallons per flush. For comparison, here are some average flows amounts from older thrones.

• Toilets From 1980-1992: These toilets used an average of 3.5 gallons per flush, more than three times the most efficient toilets of today. In 1992, the U.S. government mandated a focus on water conservation and this number dropped substantially.
• Prior to 1980: Toilets in the seventies used between 5 and 7 gallons per flush, on average, almost 700% more than our modern toilets. Even older toilets clocked in at a whopping 8 gallons per flush. When you consider that the average water utility bill costs about one cent per gallon and each person flushes the toilet an average of 5 times per day, you could see how money was almost literally being flushed down the toilet.

While normally saying “they don’t make them like they used to,” is not such a good thing, when it comes to toilets, it is fantastic. There are plenty of lower flow toilets, averaging between 1.1 and 1.6 gallons per flush, including the industry-leading dual flush option. Any of these options can save you money with each and every visit.

Tip #2: Check Your Shower Faucets

You may think that a dripping faucet can’t amount to much in the way of savings. After all, the phrase “it’s just a drop in the bucket” exists for a reason, right?

However, every time you hear a dripping faucet, you should think of it as the sound of lost money. That’s because these leaks can add up quickly.

Take for example a faucet that leaks about 10 times per minute, which would hardly be unusual. This drip can account for up to $20 per month, per faucet, not to mention all the wasted water. Making sure you stop the flow can increase the flow of money to your wallet.

Tip #3: Catch Pipe Leaks Early

Your water bill is probably something you normally just open and pay without even thinking about it. However, you really should pay attention to your bill because that can be the first (and sometimes only) indicator of an expensive pipe leak.

With most happening underground or out of sight, catching these early can be critical. After all, a leak just the size of a pencil tip can lose nearly 1,000 gallons every day. At even just a penny per gallon, this is $10 of extra expense. Catching these early is critical.

If you’d like any assistance installing water conserving hardware or checking for a leak, please feel free to reach out to an expert at Bud’s Plumbing & Repair Service by calling (812) 618-9638 and we’ll be happy to assist.

The Importance of Remember the True Meaning of Memorial Day

As Memorial Day approaches, we look forward to the opportunity to honor the sacrifices that so many Americans have made for our country. As we reflect and think all the way back to the Civil War, it’s hard to even imagine the grueling conditions and extreme temperatures – both hot and cold – that soldiers endured. And of course, there were no water heaters, water filters or similar luxuries.

As we now enjoy and depend upon those comforts today, it’s all the more important to remember and honor these sacrifices this Memorial Day. While we might take this time to relax and unwind with our family, it’s always important to take a moment and pass on the true meaning of Memorial Day.

Why Decoration Day Became Memorial Day

Following the Civil War, families and friends of fallen soldiers began visiting their graves and decorating them with flowers and wreaths. This practice gained popularity throughout the United States and became an official annual celebration.

Decoration Day celebrations grew from simply decorating graves to include services, festivities, and community events. After World War II, the name began shifting from Decoration Day to Memorial Day, and in 1967 Memorial Day became an official federal holiday.

Memorial Day celebrations continue to honor the roots of the holiday with visits to cemeteries, services honoring fallen soldiers and family members decorating graves with flowers, wreaths, and flags. In addition, the day is now celebrated with parades, community events, cookouts, and parties.

Honoring Armed Forces

While Decoration Day initially honored only those that were killed in the Civil War, following World War I the scope was expanded to include all Americans killed in the line of duty. The day is an opportunity to remember the over a million American men and women that have died protecting our country.

Their sacrifices have made our current freedoms and thriving democracy possible. While it’s easy to take some of our freedoms and opportunities for granted, Memorial Day is an important opportunity to remember and honor the sacrifices of the members of the United States Armed Forces that made these possible.

This can be as simple as taking a moment of silence and educating your little ones or you can take the time to give back. Many families need volunteering and assistance, and you can take that opportunity to give back to your neighbors with military ties in the Evansville area.

Thanks to Our Clients

As we reflect this Memorial Day, at Bud's Plumbing & Repair Service we are thankful for the chance to do the work that we do and to be a part of this wonderful country. We’re able to do this because of our great clients.

Your loyalty enables us to stay busy doing what we love. We’re honored and privileged to be a part of this community and country. A genuine thank you to our wonderful and loyal clients from our entire team.

This Memorial Day take a moment to remember all of the people that have made this country great and to remember the many sacrifices that have gotten us where we are. And, a Happy Memorial Day to you and your family!

Use Less Water (And Spend Less Money) When The Days Get Longer

We spend all our time wishing there were more hours in a day, and now, finally, our wish is granted! How? It’s Daylight Savings Time again! This month we set our clocks ahead one hour in order to extend our use of daylight hours, and reduce our dependence on artificial light sources.

While this is great for fuel use, being awake and active for more time can often translate to more water use. Let’s take a look, together, at why Daylight Savings Time exists, how we can save water this time of year, and why saving water is important!

Why do we Have Daylight Savings?

The simple answer to this is that Daylight Savings time was a response to the energy crisis in the United States during the late 1960s.

But the history of Daylight Savings time goes actually begins more than eighty years before that in New Zealand, where a scientist named George Vernon Hudson was the first to publish an essay suggesting setting clocks forward during the spring and back during the fall.

There is even evidence that ancient civilizations practiced some form of this. Daylight Savings has advantages to multiple industries, including the military, transportation, and even plumbing!

What Can You do to Save Water?

Even though higher water use is common during Daylight Savings Time, there are lots of ways that you can cut back on your water usage just by making small adjustments to your everyday life.

For example, cutting your shower down to ten minutes a day is a simple way to drastically reduce your water usage.

You can also have a low flow or dual flow toilet installed in your home, to use less water each time you flush. One of the easiest ways to save water is by not allowing the faucet to run while you are brushing your teeth or washing dishes or vegetables.

If you have a lawn or plants that you water every day, watering them in the evening is also a more efficient and eco-friendly way to do it.

Shouldn’t we All be Going Green?

The answer to that question is YES! We absolutely should all be doing our part to help the environment by conserving water. Not only does saving water protect various ecosystems and cultures, but it can also positively affect your plumbing system!

It's no secret that if you want something to last a long time, you don't overuse it. Using less water can reduce wear and tear on your pipes, faucets, and showers. It can also reduce problems like scale build-up, rust, and mildew growth.

When it comes to saving our planet, we can all do our part. Consider for a moment how much water you use in a day. How much more do you use in the extra hour we get this time of year? Bud’s Plumbing & Repair Service would like to challenge you to cut back on your water use. For more information on what you could do to reduce your use, give us a call at (812) 618-9638.