Sharing is Caring

Glass in the Disposal

Having glass or other foreign objects in your garbage disposal can turn into a major problem. It can cause the blades to get bent, clog your pipes, and even cause your disposal to jam possibly blocking your kitchen sink drain and dishwasher if it is connected. It is best to remove an item that is lodged.

thekitchn.com

The first thing to do if you have glass in your disposal is to turn off your disposal and to be safe, if possible, switch off the breaker too.

DO NOT STICK YOUR HAND IN THE DISPOSAL!!

Use a tool similar to needle nose pliers to fish out the pieces of glass.

You can also try an industrial size vacuum like a Shop-vac if you have one available.

Make sure you twist the blades to ensure you’ve gotten all the glass. You can do this with a hex key from underneath the disposal or by using a tool. DO NOT USE YOUR HANDS.

Once you are sure you’ve gotten all the glass, you can restore the power to the unit. Run the water to ensure you’ve gotten everything out.

Always keep in mind, retrieving things from a garbage disposal is a dangerous task. If you feel there may be something stuck in your disposal and do not feel comfortable getting it out, please give us a call.

It’s Vacation Time!!

Just an announcement about next week for our company. Sept 30th – Oct 4th is a vacation week.

What does this mean?

  • Half of our crew is on vacation.
  • Projects and estimates will not be scheduled for this week. We will be scheduling for the week of Oct 7th.
  • Emergency and small repair jobs will be taken and done as needed.
  • If there is no answer, please leave a voicemail. We will return your call as soon as possible.
  • Our Accounting department is closed during this time. Crissie will follow up with everyone when she is back in the office.

We will resume business as normal the 7th of October.

Thank you everyone!

Winterizing Irrigation Systems

As Winter rapidly approaches, please keep in mind your irrigation system and Backflow device can freeze and burst. If you leave water in the system it can freeze and damage the valves and lines. Preparing your sprinkler system for the Winter months is easy.

Here are a few helpful tips for your irrigation system

  • Turn off the timer. Turning off the timer allows the controllers to maintain your settings so you won’t have to reprogram. If you disconnect the power you will need to reset your timer.
  • Shut off the water supply using the main valve. Shutting off the main valve will protect your system from having water flowing through it.
  • Above ground pipes, valves and devices should be insulated. You can purchase insulation for these devices at most home improvement stores.

If you need any help with your devices please give us a call at 704-934-0015

Getting to Know Your Toilet

Knowing the different parts of your toilet can help you better understand where a problem may be coming from. If you notice a bad smell or if you have an overflowing toilet these key parts could prevent you from cleaning up a giant mess.

  • Tank- The tank is the back part of your toilet that holds clean water used for flushing the toilet and filling other components.
  • Bowl- The bowl holds the waste water.
  • Flush Handle- The flush handle is the part used to flush the toilet. It is connected to the trip lever.
  • Trip Lever- The trip lever lifts the flapper, allows water to leave the tank during a flush, and lets soiled water out.
  • Float Ball- The float ball is used to measure the amount of water inside the tank. It lowers and rises as the water moves through the system. When the tank is full, the ball stops rising.
  • Overflow Tube- The overflow tube leads to the toilets drain. It stops the tank from overflowing and pushes out any excess water.
  • Flapper Valve- The flapper valve is attached to the flush handle and the trip lever with a chain. Its main use is to keep water inside the tank. It creates suction to help force soiled water down the toilet drain. If your toilet is overflowing, you can try pushing the flapper down.
  • Stop Valve- Also referred to as the toilet supply valve, this valve controls the water supply. It is usually located behind the toilet near the floor.
  • Supply Tube- The supply tube supplies water to the toilet from the main water line into the refill tube.
  • Refill Tube- The refill tube refills the bowl with clean water through the supply tube when the float ball is down.
  • Trap- The trap is a seal that prevents water back flowing and prevents odors from seeping through from the main sewer line.
  • Wax Ring- The wax ring is a seal between the toilet and the main sewer line. Typically if you have a leak at the bottom of your toilet this is where it is coming from.

It’s Like Throwing Money Down The Drain!

A running toilet can waste around 200 gallons of water per day, that equals thousands of gallons per year. On average, a running toilet adds approximately $200 per month to a water bill. If you notice your toilet is making noises after flushing it, you could be wasting money. To be sure of this, you can add a few drops of food coloring into the tank and let it sit. If the food coloring leaks into the bowl, you know your toilet is running.

Replacing Possible Culprits

  • The toilet bowl only needs to be replaced if it is cracked.
  • Flappers last around 4-5 years on average, however, certain cleaning chemicals used to clean toilets may shorten that to a year or less.
  • Handles should be replaced if you have to jiggle it for the water to stop running, if you have to hold the handle down to flush, or if the water runs constantly.
  • Wax seals should only need replacement every 20-30 years.

Backflow Device Testing

During summer months you may notice your lawn is dry and wilted but, before you decide to turn on the sprinklers, make sure you’ve had your back-flow device tested. On average, around 25% of back-flow devices will fail, possibly putting someone else’s health at risk. The number one cause of back-flow device failure is due to dirt and debris that flows through the pipeline.

Not sure what a back-flow device is?

Back-flow devices or preventers keep contaminated water from moving the wrong way though your waterlines. It’s sole job is to prevent drinking water from becoming contaminated due to back-flow. Back siphon-age can occur when the pressure in a tank or water trough is lower than the pressure of the water system. Your water quality may not be affected however, it may cause someone to get sick from drinking contaminated water.

If you need your back-flow devices tested, please call and make an appointment. Please remember, if you need any repairs, they should be made by a certified technician.

July 4th Hours


Our office will close at 12:00 PM on Wednesday July 3rd and will re-open at 8:00 AM on Friday July 5th.

If you have any after hour emergencies, please call our office at 704-934-0015 and leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible. All Non-urgent calls will have calls returned on Friday.

From our family to yours ~ Have a Happy & Safe 4th of July!!

Easter Holiday Hours

Hi All!, Just a heads up.

Our Easter holiday hours for the office are as follows:

Good Friday 4/19/19 – 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Saturday & Sunday – Closed as usual
Monday 4/22/19 – 8:00 am – 5:00 pm as usual

As always, if you have a true emergency, please call and leave a message and we will respond as soon as possible.

All messages left for non-urgent matters will be addressed on Monday 4/22/19.

Thank you and have a Blessed Easter!!

Plumber’s Helper Wanted

Job Description

Our company is looking to fill the position for a Plumber’s Helper.
Must have VALID NC Driver’s License. With clean driving record.
Must have a clean criminal background.
Must be willing to work nights and weekends on a rotating schedule, if you want to move up from helper in the future.
You must have transportation to and from work.
Service and repair experience is a plus for Plumber’s Helper position, not required.
Holidays, Vacation, Sick time offered after 90 day trial period.

Fax resume to 704-934-0031
OR
Fill out application HERE

NO PHONE CALLS!

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Salary: $10.00 /hour

Update Your Contact Number For Us!

After much consideration, we will be dropping one of our phone numbers. Please make sure that you have our 704-934-0015 number as your stored contact number for us. This is very important, as we want you to be able to contact us if you need to!
The 704-788-2244 number will become a memory in history at the end of this month, 3/31/19.

This will leave our numbers as the following:
Office Phone: 704-934-0015
Office fax: 704-934-0015
Non-Urgent Photos & Texts: 704-310-1599

Please DO NOT TEXT JOBS or URGENT Issues. Please call the office an leave a message in those instances. This cell number is mostly used if we have to take the office mobile, request you to send photos or other info.

Thank you for updating your contact information for us!