Everyone remembers to put clean out the gutters, wash the walls and wax the floors on their Spring Cleaning list, but rarely do we remember to put plumbing needs on our Spring Cleaning lists.  Never under estimate the power of simple household cooking products such as vinegar to clean your plumbing.

• Pools:

With temperatures on the rise many Valley families will start swimming if they haven’t already. Be sure the auto fill is working properly; the hotter it is the more water pools need to function.

• Kitchens:

It’s essential to our personal health that dishwashers are clean and doing their job. Run a load with only vinegar and water to clear out their lines

Disposals can use a good cleaning, use a 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water and run it through the disposal, to clear out grease, etc.  Next take a cup full of ice with no water and sharpen the disposal on it.  Add a cap of cooking oil after and let it run until the rough sounds disappear.

• Bathrooms:

Spring is a great time to check toilets. They get a lot of use and should be thoroughly checked at least once a year. A simple and inexpensive way to make sure you’re not wasting water is to use food coloring in the back tank. Place 5 drops of any color in the tank and let it sit for 10 minutes. If the color leaks through to the bowl the toilet should be tuned up a bit. This one small move can conserve thousands of gallons of water and allow the toilet to perform well throughout the year.

If you’re having issues with flushing, be sure to check the small holes in the bowl, up and underneath the rim. These can get clogged with calcium deposits and dirt. By cleaning the holes out, it can allow the toilet to perform better, but it can be a nasty job.

Toilets need at least one deep cleaning every season. Many toilets have rings that a great tool known as Shaw’s Pads can get rid of nicely without much work. Before using a Shaw Pad to clean please check with your toilet manufacture to be sure it’s safe for your toilet.

Showerhead

Shower heads can be cleaned with undiluted white vinegar in a plastic bag tied up over your showerhead, leave it overnight and clean off all the loose deposits. But when most shower heads get to the point where they are  very hard to clean up it’s best to replace them. Replacing your shower head will create better water flow and shower experiences. It’s an inexpensive way towards a great spring experience daily.

• Waterflow:

Several things come through our water lines on a daily basis that will corrode or clog faucet aerators, our faucets filters, hurting water flow. Unscrew the tip of the faucet and clean out the filter and screw it back on or get new aerators. This is a cheap way to freshen up the faucet and its performance.

World Plumbing Day is observed on March 11 every year. It was created by the World Plumbing Council (WPC) as a means of highlighting the important role the plumbing industry plays in relation to public health and the environment. The first World Plumbing Day was celebrated on March 11, 2010.

According to a study recently conducted by the World Health Organization 1.1 billion people in the world have no access to safe water and another 2.6 billion have no effective means of sanitation

The United Nations has also declared 2005-2015 the International Decade for Action “Water for Life”, setting a world agenda that focuses increased attention on water-related issues. This initiative is of extraordinary importance in a world where preventable diseases related to water and sanitation claim the lives of about 3.1 million people per year, most of them children less than 5 years old. Of these, about 1.6 million people die each year of diarrheal diseases associated with lack of safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

Using the theme “Plumbing- Vital for Global Health” The WPC encouraged plumbing organizations throughout the world to undertake some activity which would raise the profile of the industry.

That is exactly what we did last Friday.  We shared with the local media and our customers the top five things everyone should know in order to keep themselves and their families plumbing safe.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESbv1EsAxH0[/youtube]

Benjamin Franklin, The Punctual Plumber works hard not only to serve and educate our community but to enhance the lives of our neighbors. In honor of World Plumbing Day we pledged to donate $10 from all appointments made on the 11^th. We are happy to report we received 34 calls and will be donating $340 to help wounded veterans.

World Plumbing day is March 11th. As a longtime Phoenix Plumber, this day is very important to us and we want to share it with you!  Plumbers are known to install and repair plumbing systems or find things lost in drains like the earring we saved yesterday for a homeowner.

Plumber Saved Earring From Going Down The Drain

What is World Plumbing Day all about?  I may be crazy, I know, but this is really important for all of us, let me share with you why.  It’s a day we remember why plumbers are so important to our health and safety.  Did you know without plumbers or plumbing systems our health would be much different today?  Countries that don’t practice basic plumbing principles have many more illnesses and deaths then we do here in America. For more information review www.worldplumbingday.org 

Here are top 5 tips to help your plumbing work better.

1)      Have an annual water heater checkup, just because it feels hot, does not mean it is safe or working properly. Water heater’s not heating at the right temperature can cause Legionnaires’ disease bacteria. (As was the case at the Playboy Mansion causing hundreds to become ill) 

2)      Test your tap water annually, showering in high chlorine count can cause serious problems with your health.  It’s important to remember your skin is your largest organ and needs to be protected. 

Chlorine Water Test

3)  If you notice water at the base of the toilet, be aware- it may be leaking. If it is leaking under the toilet, it will rot your floor causing your home damage and costing you money. Sewage, even clear water, can be very dangerous when not disposed of properly.

 4)  Know where your home’s main shut off is and how to use it. Make sure a quick closing valve is installed, it can help you and your family in a panic. 

5)  Everyone likes a powerful shower, but too much pressure will wear on your fixtures and plumbing system. It is like our body’s blood pressure, but for your home. Test your water pressure, 60 psi to 80 psi is the recommended pressure, anything more will cost you stress and money!

***We are donating $10.00 from every appointment booked on March 11, 2011 to Wounded Warriors Project.

Want to win $100.00 Cash? Have we serviced you before? Vote for your favorite Benjamin Franklin Plumber before March 31st and be entered into a drawing for $100 cash. Vote through the contact us area on our website, let us know your vote on our Facebook page or feel free to call us with it.

We honor all plumbers worldwide that have dedicated their lives to making our health better, Thank you!!