Jamie & Lisa Carter attend the World Plumbing Council Meeting in Ann Arbor, MI

"The mission of the World Plumbing Council is to provide the role of plumbing in improving public Ralph and safeguarding the environment, by uniting the World Plumbing Industry, for the benefit if all."

"Good plumbing can and does make a difference in many aspects if our day to day lives. While most people in developed countries tend to take the provision if wholesome drinking water and sanitation services for granted, it was not too long ago that general health in these countries improved dramatically when such services were first effectively provided."

1.1 billion people do not have access to safe water.

2.6 billion people do not have access to acceptable sanitation.

6000 children die every day fri. Water related diseases.  

Good plumbing systems could help to improve these tragic statistics dramatically and Jamie and Lisa Carter have joined the World Plumbing Council to learn how they can participate in improving plumbing conditions around the world.   

The entire world is affected by climate change and the unceasing pressures on our natural resources through demand for fossil fuels and shortages of potable water.  The plumbing industry is at the foremost of moves towards increasing energy efficiency and the use of renewable sources of energy. Water conservation is also a major issue in which the plumbing industry is involves in many countries. 

Fall Plumbing Maintenance Checklist, by Jamie Carter, Certified Plumbing Engineer

Winterizing your Home's Plumbing is an Essential part of Prevention, which will save time and money.

Winterizing your home’s plumbing in the fall will save you from potential expensive winter repairs. Jamie Carter, Certified Plumbing Engineer, has been doing plumbing for over 30 years, and he’s created a checklist of fall plumbing maintenance that will help protect your home for the winter. This simple checklist is for homeowners. If you are a snowbird and winterizing a home that will be vacant for a long period of time, you will need to take further precautions.

·         Fall Plumbing Maintenance: Exposed Pipes
If your home has any exposed plumbing pipes that are used for water they should be wrapped with electrical heating tape, especially with our colder climate in Indiana. Once the pipes have been secured with the electrical heating tape, they should be insulated with foam pipe insulation.

·         Fall Plumbing Maintenance: Exterior Water
All exterior faucets should be shut off during the fall plumbing maintenance process.  It’s important to remove and drain all hoses and drain any open taps. If your home has a sprinkler system, don't forget about shutting it off and draining it as well.   There are three methods to drain water down, manual, automatic, and blow-out. The appropriate method will vary by system and an experienced plumbing professional will know the best process.  

·         Fall Plumbing Maintenance: Hot Water Heater
Hot water heater will freeze based on the location of the unit if exposed to extreme temperatures, and it’s important to take precautionary measures (and also to save money on your water bill), by wrapping the heater tank with an insulating blanket.  If you live in an area where it gets particularly cold, this is definitely recommended before the cold weather hits, it will save you HOT water, and added expense from utilities.

·         Fall Plumbing Maintenance: Miscellaneous
The following items are routine things that should be checked in a home periodically. Leaky faucets are often simple to fix and should be repaired as soon as possible in order to conserve on water usage. It’s important to check the visible as well as the inconspicuous areas like underneath the cabinet as well. Leaks can also occur in the pipes inside the walls.  If you have noticed soft spots on the ceiling or the walls, you may have leaking pipes inside the walls or in the attic. Check all your toilets to be sure they are flushing properly and not running continuously. Also, be sure the toilet is firmly held in place to avoid the risk of falling. If any caulking around showers, tubs, toilets, and sinks is coming loose, peel it all away and re-caulk those areas.  Drains should be inspected for potential back-ups.  Sump pumps should be carefully inspected to prevent pump malfunction and potential flooding.

An ounce of prevention will save you a pound of cure in the long run!  If you don’t have the time, or are unsure of performing this plumbing checklist, please call us and we’ll take care of it for you.  We are offering a Fall Plumbing Maintenance special for $29.  This includes checking all of the items above, along with draining your water heater down to remove calcification and scale build-up.