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As the feeling of newness to the year starts to fade, so too does our motivation to maintain those New Year’s resolutions you made a month ago. Sometimes we need some ideas to keep us working towards those aspirations, so we’ve compiled a list of 5 quick tips to stay healthy this year.

Can you believe it!? We’re already a week into 2013 and it hardly feels like winter. This is a great time of year to take stock of your home and make some home improvement goals for the new year. Here’s a few things to look at when planning your aspirations for 2013:

1. Is my Water Heater Running Efficiently?

Your water heater consumes more energy than any other appliance in your home, and it’s an important one too, so keeping it running at peak efficiency is vital to maintaining a working unit as well as managing your energy bills. Earl’s Plumbing always recommends flushing your water heater every 6-12 months to reduce sediment build up and check for potential problems before they become headaches. Call or send us a message to schedule an appointment for regular maintenance on your water heater today. As an alternative to a typical tank water heater, tankless water heaters offer a higher level of efficiency and convenience that will pay for itself many times over in energy savings.

2. How Clean is my Water?

There are staggering amounts of contaminants in today’s world that make their way into municipal and local water supplies. These various contaminates can have a negative effect on your plumbing, appliances, as well as your personal health. Now is as good of time as any to think about the safety of your home and family and research home water filtration systems. Earl’s offers and recommends reverse osmosis systems for the most complete filtration of drinking water. To protect your plumbing and appliances, a water softener is a great investment that will add a barrier of safety to your plumbing system and keep appliances running at optimum efficiency.

3. What Does my Sewer Look Like?

This is a question you might never thought you’d ask yourself, but unfortunately not enough people ask this question soon enough. If you’re experiencing regular sewer issues, especially in the spring and fall season, you might be experiencing a root intrusion. Trees are smarter that we think – they know how to find sources of water & food, and they have no problem tearing apart your sewer system to get to it. If you’re concerned about the condition of your home’s sewer, call Earl’s today and we can perform a sewer camera inspection and take a look at it!

4. Is my Plumbing Insulated?

This is the coldest time of the year, which means midnight freezes that can turn into mid-morning disasters. Take the initiative this year and have your home plumbing properly insulated. Just a small amount of preventative care can save you time and money in costly repairs to your plumbing and any secondary damage.

Is your water heater as old as your home? Not sure if you’re pipes are wrapped? No problem! Just send us a message or give us a call to schedule a free home inspection to determine the status of all the above items and start the year off right. And don’t forget to check out our coupons page for great discounts and offers on your service call. Happy New Year and welcome to 2013!!

It’s that magical time of year for giving and being with loved ones. But let’s face it – its also one of the most stressful times of the year for many. Planning and hosting family gatherings, arranging decorations on your home, and the ominous holiday traffic can all add to the end-year anxiety. This year we decided to share the gift of relaxation with a few ideas to lighten the mood around your home.

1. Bake Cookies

Everyone loves cookies! This is a great way to take your mind off your holiday worries and enjoy the simple pleasures of baking. It’s also a great way to involve the kids and get out all that wound up energy. And don’t forget the chocolate chips – chocolate is a natural sedative, and we can all use a little extra serotonin this time of year.

2. Light Some Candles

Natural lighting is a quick and easy way to spruce up your home. Candles add a level of comfort that’s easily missed during the holiday season without much investment on your part. For an added touch, look for candles scented like pine or cinnamon to add that extra special touch.

3. Play Music

Sometimes its nice to break the monotony of the daily routine with a little background music. It doesn’t have to be your grandma’s old Bing Crosby record, just something to brighten the mood in the home. Jazz music or classical compositions without words hold a somewhat neutral space for everyone to enjoy.

4. Call Distant Friends and Family

There’s no better time to catch up on missed time than the holiday season. This is the one time of year that grudges can be forgotten and everyone gets a second chance. Take a chance this year and give someone a call, send an email, or tag them in a Facebook photo – just allow the opportunity for a connection and enjoy the real magic of the holidays.

Have more ideas of how to get in the spirit without breaking the bank? Leave us a comment or visit our Facebook page and share your thoughts with us. Happy holidays to everyone from Earl’s!

Winter can be a be a difficult time for your home’s plumbing. There are a number of common problems that come with cold weather, but with some simple preventative maintenance, you can avoid a major holiday headache and keep things flowing properly.

1. Avoid Frozen Pipes

Frozen pipes are very common during the winter, especially for outside or otherwise exposed plumbing. When water freezes, it expands, which can cause pipes to burst, resulting in a major leak. Watch for reduced flow in your plumbing – this may be an early warning sign of freezing pipes.

To avoid a midnight water leak, we always recommend insulating exposed plumbing. You can call Earl’s for a free inspection to determine the necessary steps to prep your pipes for the cold. In the mean time, another way to avoid freezing pipes is to let your faucets trickle at low pressure during the evenings when it’s coldest.

If you see a cracked pipe that is still frozen, try to turn off the water at either the closest shut off valve or the main water valve to your home. This will avoid water damage once the ice thaws and begins to leak. Call Earl’s right away for same day emergency service before it turns into a major problem.

2. Disconnect Garden Hoses

Garden hoses can be a surprising source of trouble if left connected during a freeze. Ice will form pressure that can be delivered to the plumbing inside your home, increasing the likely hood of a break in the line. To avoid all this hassle, just disconnect your garden hoses during the winter when they’re not in use and make sure to drain all the water out. You can also install an insulated faucet jacket for extra protection.

3. Keep Your Home Warm

When temperatures inside the home start to drop, the water in your walls and ceilings can become susceptible to freezing. Keep your house warm and make sure to circulate air to all the rooms in your house. If you have a water heater in the garage, try to keep any doors to the outside closed as much as possible. If you have a basement with plumbing, make sure there are no drafts or air leaks for cold air to get to your pipes.

4. Don’t Pour Grease Down the Drain

We always recommend properly disposing of cooking oil in grease in your trash rather than putting it in your drains, but this is even more important during the winter months. Grease and oil can coagulate in your drain, causing stoppages far down the line. During the colder season, this is even more likely to happen. The best solution is to never put grease into your drains or garbage disposal.

Hopefully these tips will keep your holiday season bright. If you do run into any major problems, Earl’s Plumbing is a phone call away (or click) away. Stay warm out there!

That’s right, it’s that time again for friends & family, giving & being thankful, and lots and lots of food. Turkeys, hams, pies, cookies, corn, potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, gravy… and leftovers! So how do you keep your essential plumbing equipment working amid this constant onslaught of food waste?

This week we’re releasing a special article about your garbage disposal. With a few simple tips, you can avoid certain disaster in the kitchen and make sure your home stay flowing.

1. Don’t Forget Your Trashcan!

Some think that a garbage disposal is an incinerator, or some kind of industrial food waste processing facility. It’s actually just a set of rotating blades that helps break up chunks of smaller food waste. Always put uneaten food in the trash first, and then use your garbage disposal for smaller pieces.

2. Turn it On

Always turn your garbage disposal on before putting anything inside. Having a food inside the device when you turn it on can overwork and damage your garbage disposal. It also needs the blades to be lubricated, so be sure to turn the water on before, during, and after turning on the disposal.

3. That Does NOT Go In There!

There are certain things that will simply destroy your garbage disposal.
Avoid putting bones, coffee grounds, fibrous vegetables, eggshells, rice, or potato skins through your disposal. Also avoid using chemical drain cleaners that could damage your disposal and drain piping.

4. No Grease!

Grease is a major no no – it might get through your disposal, but can clog the drain line system! Often times it doesn’t solidify until after it travels far into your plumbing system, making it an even bigger problem. Put extra grease, gravey, or buttery sauces into a contain in your refrigerator where it can solidify, making it easier to throw away (or reuse!).

5. Cleaning and Freshening

Over time the inside of your garbage disposal will build residue on the inside of the housing and on the blades. Besides being unsanitary, it can release a constant odor noticeable when in the kitchen. Putting citrus peels (NOT whole fruit!) through the disposal will remove the odor. You can also use vinegar to disinfect the inside of your garbage disposal. Just run the unit and pour a little into the drain – the garbage disposal will do the rest of the work.

You can also try putting some ice into your disposal to sharpen the blades. Try freezing vinegar to do 2 at once!

Hopefully these simple tips will help your holidays go a little more smoothly. If there is something that comes up and you find yourself in a “jam”, just give us a call or schedule online, and we’ll come out right away to take care of your problem.

Not many people realize the importance of plumbing for health and sanitation in daily life. Even fewer realize that plumbing is used all around us in ways we don’t even think about. From cars to modern medicine, pipes and valves keep our world flowing when and where it needs to.

1. At the Dentist

Plumbing might not seem like the most obvious item in your dentists tool kit, but without it, many common practices just wouldn’t be possible. With flexible piping attached to various angled nozzles, washing hard to reach areas of your mouth, especially during surgical procedures, becomes extremely easy. And don’t forget that annoying tube they always stick in your mouth that sucks you dry! This specially designed drain tube pulls moisture from your mouth and sends it on it’s way.

2. At the Doctor

Plumbing is a crucial part of modern medicine. Large dialysis machines pump blood out of your body and into a specially plumbed filtration process to remove toxins when the kidneys fail, safely returning the blood into your body afterwards. IVs are another way plumbing helps doctors by delivering nutrients, hydration, or medicine directly into the blood stream.

3. In Your Car

Your car is a very powerful, intricately designed plumbing machine. Besides the motor and wheels, the internal plumbing of any vehicle is the most essential component of the system. By delivering fresh, clean fuel to the engine & circulating engine oil and coolant, your car can do more than just sit in the driveway. Plumbing also helps get fuel from the gas station to your car (and not by flushing your money down the drain…)

4. At the Pool

In the deadly summer scorchers of Northern California, submersing yourself in water is often the only way to avoid certain death by (sun)burning alive. There’s always the streams, creeks, and rivers of our inland country, or you can head to the coast for a dip in the Pacific. However, some like to enjoy cooling off in the comfort of their own backyards. But how exactly does all that water get to your 20,000 gallon swimming pool? It’s plumbed in of course! Water from the main water service to your home branches off towards a jungle of valves, pipes, filters, and pumps, where it is carefully purified and delivered to your pool.

5. In the Lab

You might be surprised to learn that particle physicists have been dabbling into the humble skill of plumbing. Although they still probably jiggle the handle when the toilet runs, scientists are revolutionizing plumbing in some very interesting ways. Large pipes surrounded by a layer of supercooled liquid hydrogen allow electric current to be passed through with 100% efficiency. These large tubes are charged on and off in sync to accelerate particles in circuit until their inevitable fate of smashing together in splendid display.

These are just a few ways plumbing has revolutionized technology. Besides improving the basic quality of life for most people, and eliminating scourges such as the Bubonic plague through sanitation, plumbing has shared the limelight with some worthy industrial and scientific breakthroughs. No matter where you look, plumbing is everywhere.