Role Changes

Role Changes: Young plumbers will shape the future of the industry.

What if there were a Drinking Water Crisis in Indianapolis?

Reason's Why your Water Supply could be affected.

Is your Drinking Water unSafe?

You have probably heard about the drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan.  But, do you understand the cause of the water crisis that has made the drinking water unsafe.  The water crisis exposed thousands of residents to lead-laced water.  So, how did a small town of 100,000 people become exposed to unsafe drinking water?

When the drinking water was safe:

Flint used to purchase their water from Detroit, which treated their water with orthophosphate, a chemical that coats water pipes as water flows through them to prevent lead from leaching into the water supply.

The Water Supply changed:

Flint switched their water supply to the Flint River in 2014 to save money.  The city did not use corrosion control and thus, the lead was not prevented from entering the water.  The river was found to contain eight times more chloride than Detroit’s water, and this chemical is highly corrosive to metals.  Flint residents have old lead service water lines connected to their homes.  The water from the river ate away at the inside lining of the pipes and entered the water supply.  Lead is a colorless substance, so it’s not obvious to residents.

Why The Drinking Water is unSafe:

The drinking water carried significant amounts of lead, which can be especially damaging to children in their developmental years.  In October 2015, Flint switched back to the Detroit water supply, but the water is still unsafe to drink.

What should you do if you suspect Lead?

Call your local county health department in Indianapolis or the state department of environmental protection to have your water evaluated for lead.  It should be analyzed by a certified laboratory, not someone giving a free analysis to sell you some type of treatment system.  Lead poisoning is harmful to your health, and high levels in a child can result in convulsions, major neurological damage, organ failure, coma and death.  Lead’s primary source is drinking water through piping in household plumbing.  If you suspect your home’s pipes are old and may contain lead, you should call your Plumber for an inspection.

Call Carter’s My Plumber if you have any questions about your drinking water:  317-859-9999

World Plumbing Day Recognized by local Greenwood Plumber

World Plumbing Day Recognized by local Greenwood Plumber

Plumbing is vital to global health, and recognizing World Plumbing Day each year at Carter's My Plumber has brought emphasis and importance to honor our industry at the local level.  The Plumbing industry continues to make advancements to increase sustainability of our planet's water resources and sanitation through the balance of cost, energy, consumption and conservation.  Misuse of water and sanitation has become a global concern, and finding new alternative methods to enhance the proper use of water and sanitation is something we must safeguard for future generations.  Carter's My Plumber of Greenwood, Indiana, is building awareness in their community regarding the proper treatment of water and sanitation. 

Greenwood Plumber promotes World Plumbing Day 2016:

Carter's My Plumber is a member of the World Plumbing Council.  Jamie, Lisa and Kelson Carter are advocates for safe water and sanitation at the local level, as well as, at the global level.  The importance of clean water to drink is a critical element of life.  Sanitation is a complete necessity.  The luxury of fresh water a the tap and a proper functioning toilet is often taken for granted in well developed countries.  Jamie and Lisa have traveled to Haiti, Mexica, Costa Rica and Nicaragua witnessing the lack of effective plumbing systems.  It's our goal at Carter's My Plumber to continue to support the mission of organizations such as the World Plumbing Council, Water.org, Water for Life, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and others to build awareness and deliver about safe water and sanitation to underdeveloped countries.Health Aspects of Plumbing:

According to the World Health Organization disease which is preventable, claims the lives of approximately 3.1 million people per year.  Most of these people are children under the age of 5 years.  It is estimated 1.6 million people die from diarrheal diseases caused by poor, unsanitary water and sanitation conditions.  International goals include bringing safe drinking water supplies and sanitation to the countries most affected by these conditions.  The World Plumbing Council, along with the World Health Organization are continue to build public awareness and they have develop the "Health Aspects of Plumbing" publication to further educate about the design, installation and maintenance of effective plumbing systems.

Water samples from Flint, Michigan homes provided by flintwaterstudy.org

The Importance of Plumbing:

Without sound plumbing principles and practices our water and sanitation systems would harbor communicable diseases such as SARS.  It's critical to follow code when installing and working on Plumbing systems.  Any cross contamination can lead to a disastrous outcome.  The licensing of a Plumber is a comprehensive process and a critical safeguard to protect public health.

Greenwood Plumber promotes World Plumbing Day 2016:

Carter's My Plumber is a member of the World Plumbing Council.  Jamie, Lisa and Kelson Carter are advocates for safe water and sanitation at the local level, as well as, at the global level.  The importance of clean water to drink is a critical element of life.  Sanitation is a complete necessity.  The luxury of fresh water a the tap and a proper functioning toilet is often taken for granted in well developed countries.  Jamie and Lisa have traveled to Haiti, Mexica, Costa Rica and Nicaragua witnessing the lack of effective plumbing systems.  It's our goal at Carter's My Plumber to continue to support the mission of organizations such as the World Plumbing Council, Water.org, Water for Life, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and others to build awareness and deliver about safe water and sanitation to underdeveloped countries.

President Obama Commends World Plumbing Day:

President Obama acknowledges the need to develop creative and innovative methods to access safe, clean and reliable water sources.  In a letter he sent to the World Plumbing Council, he suggests the world recommit and recognize on World Plumbing Day for the importance of protecting our water and sanitation for the future generations

Why Water Heater Maintenance Is Important!

Have you ever woken up in the morning, stumbled into the bathroom, turned on the shower and been hit with cold water?  If you’ve been there before you know it’s not pleasant! Our water heaters play an important role in our daily lives but are often forgot about in our day-to-day routines until it stops working.  The average life of a water heater can be anywhere from eight to 12 years, but with regular routine maintenance you could prolong the life of the heater and reap the benefits in the long run.  It’s a solid investment you can make for your home and here are a few major benefits from getting annual maintenance:

1Increase Efficiency

Your water heater needs to be serviced at least once a year, twice a year if you live in a hard water area.  If you don’t maintain your heater, you will eventually begin to see a decrease in its efficiency.  It will take longer to heat up, you will waste more water, your bill will increase, etc.  Sediment build up is very common and can be a major contributor to making your system less efficient and shortening its lifespan.  If you’ve ever heard noises coming from your water heater, this is likely a sign that you need to have it flushed!

Decrease Costly Breakdowns

Yearly maintenance can catch issues before they start costing you a lot of money, energy and time.  If you have yearly water heater maintenance, our licensed technicians will be able to catch water heater leaks, corrosion, or anything that is prohibiting your system from working at 100%. 

No Surprises

Remember that shocking cold shower?  You know no surprise cold shower is the number one benefit of water heater maintenance.  You never know how much you appreciate the heat until it’s gone!  Having regular water heater maintenance will help you avoid those awful surprises.

Don’t wait for that surprise cold shower or even a flooded basement, garage or home from a broken water heater.  Schedule your routine water heater maintenance appointment with one of our licensed technicians today!  Call Carter's My Plumber now at 317-859-9999!


Carter’s My Plumber is a local, family-owned plumbing contractor located in Greenwood, Indiana, providing plumbing service to the Indianapolis, Greenwood, Whiteland, Franklin, Bargersville, Trafalgar, Mooresville, Wanamaker, Beech Grove and Southport areas.  Carter’s My Plumber has a special menu of services designed to meet the needs of every homeowner to provide a complete solution to their home’s plumbing system.  With over 30 years of plumbing experience, their trained plumbers meet the plumbing need of every residential and light commercial need.

Plumbing Myths Every Homeowner Should Know

As a homeowner, there is probably a list of things you wish you knew before you purchased your home.  Your home’s plumbing is more than likely on that list and not knowing can make you vulnerable to believing popular myths.  This can lead you to inadvertently damaging your home.  These myths need to be debunked before you experience them firsthand.  In order to keep your plumbing and your wallet intact, it is important to understand what not to do.

MYTH:  “In Tank” Cleaners Make Cleaning the Toilet Easy

You know them – the stick-on or drop-in tabs that go either in the bowl or tank of your toilet and slowly dissolve for about a month.  Unfortunately the bleach isn’t cleaning the porcelain, it’s just bleaching the scum that’s building up in your bowl.  If left untouched, the scum can build up and ruin your toilet.  Bleach can be extremely detrimental to the working parts of your toilet and can wear away at the porcelain and corrode pipes over time.

MYTH:  If It Keeps Going Down My Drain, It Isn’t Getting Clogged

You have no fear of clogs if water and other things are successfully flowing down your drain, right?  Wrong!  Even though you can’t see your drains, there are things coating and sticking inside them that are going to cause clogs later.  It’s not just kitchen grease either.  Things like oils that are in soaps, rice and even pasta can stick and cause problems. 

MYTH:  Lemons Clean Your Garbage Disposal

False!  This is probably one of the most common myths.  Many believe that chopping up some citrus fruit in the garbage disposal will make it smell fresh.  It does make it smell lemony but it doesn’t actually clean anything.  In fact, the citric acid can actually cause corrosion on the metal inside of the disposal.

MYTH:  You Can Clean Plumbing Fixtures With Hand Soap

Hand soap and water can actually cause some fixtures to peel and bubble.  This is extra important because if your fixtures get damaged because of this, warranties could be voided.  So the next time you wash your hands and get hand soap on the faucet or handles, take an extra five seconds and wipe it off!

MYTH:  Plumbing Requires No Maintenance

Our plumbing works day in and day out moving corrosive chemicals in and out of our home.  Over time, they will corrode, rot and break and without proper maintenance, they will do this a lot sooner.  Make sure you are using all your fixtures regularly!

MYTH:  Flushable Wipes Are Flushable

The sewer or septic system really cannot eliminate most wipes, including ones advertised as flushable.  They just do not break down fast enough and can snag on pipes and block the system, causing serious damage.  Toilets are designed to remove human waste.  Use the trashcan for everything else!

Knowledge is power!  Now that these myths have been debunked, you have the knowledge to keep your plumbing working, as it should, helping to protect your home against unpleasant and costly issues!  If a plumbing issue does occur, don’t fret!  Call Carter’s My Plumber to have a licensed technician visit your home and fix your issue with great customer service and a smile!

Carter’s My Plumber is a local, family-owned plumbing contractor located in Greenwood, Indiana, providing plumbing service to the Indianapolis, Greenwood, Whiteland, Franklin, Bargersville, Trafalgar, Mooresville, Wanamaker, Beech Grove and Southport areas.  Carter’s My Plumber has a special menu of services designed to meet the needs of every homeowner to provide a complete solution to their home’s plumbing system.  With over 30 years of plumbing experience, their trained plumbers meet the plumbing need of every residential and light commercial need.