• Brits spend an average of an hour and 42 minutes per week on the toilet.  (source: The Scotsman)
• Brites spend another hour and 25 minutes of each week in the bathtub or shower (source: The Scotsman)
• Over their lifetime, women spend the equivalent of one year, seven months and 15 days in the bathroom, a month more than men do. (source: The Scotsman)
• The average desktop is covered in 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat. (source: ABC News)
• Americans use more toilet paper than people anywhere else in the world: seven sheets per bathroom trip, on average. (source: ABC News)
• The most common bathroom blunder is falling into the toilet when the seat is up. (source: Angel Soft)
• King George II of Great Britain died by falling off of a toilet. (source: Squidoo)
• Americans use 433 million miles of toilet paper annually, which is enough to stretch to the sun and back. (source: Squidoo)
• In the U.S., the toilet is flushed more times during the Super Bowl halftime than at any other time during the year. (source: Articlesbase)

Our Raleigh commercial plumbing services include:

• Plumbing upfits for office, retail and industrial customers
• Solar water heating systems
• Hydrostatic drain cleaning for commercial buildings
• Video drain inspections
• Water main inspections
• Sewer main repairs
• Grease trap service and repairs for restaurants
• Backflow device certification
• Acid waste system installation and maintenance
• Lift station maintenance
• Facility surveys and plumbing system inspections
• Commercial pipe repair and replacement
• Polybutylene pipe removal and replacement

In addition to these commercial plumbing and piping services, Progressive also offers water conservation solutions to our commercial customers in Raleigh, Durham and the surrounding areas. As always, feel free to contact the Raleigh commercial plumbing experts at Progressive for more information.

Here’s the column, by a writer for the East Aurora Advertiser:

In Praise of Plumbers

It’s actually true: you never do miss the water ’til the well runs dry.

We lost our water last Friday afternoon, just as the long holiday weekend was about to get underway. The clothes washer was churning, my son was watering newly seeded grass, and-boom. Just like that. No water.

Was it the well? Pump? Both? Of course I feared the worst and pictured our household without water for three weeks while we paid 10 grand for a new well to be dug.

Lucky for us, a Facebook friend recommended a wonderful local plumber, who arrived before 8 a.m. on Saturday. It took him several hours, but he gave us back the liquid of life: water.

I was so grateful for that water on Saturday after the plumbing was fixed. But if I had made a list Friday morning of the things I’m grateful for, “water” might not have occurred to me. It’s funny what you can learn after just 24 hours of living without something so precious.

Click here to read the full article (the part quoted above is near the bottom).

Many of our clients ask us what they can change at home to help them go green and save money at the same time. That’s why this Friday we’ve aggregated a few quizzes to share with you. These fun, simple quizzes will help you learn about green home options for energy use, plumbing upgrades and more. Ready to test your knowledge of water conservation and green plumbing and electrical options?

• Learn more about home energy use and what you can do to reduce it with this quiz.
• To understand the green tax breaks available for upgrading to energy-efficient and water-conserving systems in your home, try this quiz.
• To learn more about the role green appliances can play in your home, this is the quiz for you.
• Interested in solar photovoltaic panels or a solar water heater in your home? Test your knowledge of these upgrades here.
• Now it’s time to test your toilet — try these three tests on your toilet to see if it’s wasting water.
• Tired of tests? Give yourself a break with this game: Designed for kids (but helpful for adults too!), the TipTank game helps players learn about water conservation.

Interested in green upgrades for your home in the Raleigh, Durham or Chapel Hill area? Learn more about our green plumbing services, solar water heaters or photovoltaic system installations.

Don’t worry – this video has a happy ending, thanks to the power of plumbers (and video drain inspection)! And without further ado, the cutest drain clog ever:

Here are some resources:

The EPA WaterSense program’s leak facts and figures.

Regional Water Providers Consortium how-to videos on leak detection and repair.

Progressive Plumbing & Drains contact info – call us for quick repairs!

Progressive Plumbing and Drains uses video drain inspections to accurately diagnose drain problems by getting an inside view of places they wouldn’t be able to see otherwise.

This video shows drain problems that video drain inspections help to diagnose:

Electrical safety tips:

• Block little ones from sticking their fingers in electrical outlets with outlet covers
• Keep electrical cords wrapped up and out of the way where kids won’t be tempted to play with them
• Replace damaged electrical plugs and cords on appliances
• If your home has electric baseboard heaters, block them as much as possible
• Make sure all wire boxes and electrical boxes in your home are locked
• Move electrical appliances away from water, paying special attention to bathroom and kitchen counters

Plumbing safety tips:

• Keep your water heater set at 120 degrees or lower to avoid scalding water temperatures
• Use anti-scald devices on faucets and showerheads
• Install toilet seat locks and toilet tank locks

If you need help installing child-safe locks and enacting safety precautions for your Raleigh plumbing and electrical system, call Progressive Electrical Service or Progressive Plumbing and Drains!

Plunger: Ok, this is pretty obvious. Here’s what you may not know: there are different plungers for different jobs! Stick with a standard cup plunger for tub and sink clogs, and a flange plunger for toilets.

Sink auger: Save this tool for when your sink plunger hasn’t done the job on that sink clog. Thread this flexible cable down the sink drain and work out the clog.

Closet auger: Like a sink auger, but specially designed for the toilet. And no, the two aren’t interchangeable.

Plumber’s tape: When joining pipes, use this special type of tape around the pipe that fits into its counterpart. The tape will help the pipes fit together better, meaning less trouble for you down the line.

Wrenches: Yes, plural. If you don’t have a set already, go for some adjustable ones (they come in 6, 10 and 12 inch lengths) to make sure you’ve got all your bases covered. A pipe wrench and a basin wrench will also come in handy.

While you’re rushing around doing last-minute shopping, card-writing, decorating, baking and more, remember to take care of your home as well. If you’re leaving Raleigh for the holidays, take these measures to guard your pipes from freezing while you’re away celebrating.

Here are a few items to add to that to-do list before you jet off to see the relatives:

• Check your outdoor faucets to make sure they’re turned off and insulated.
• Disconnect any outdoor hoses.
• Set your thermostat to a reasonable temperature (around 70 degrees) instead of turning it down super low.
• Open cabinets under your sinks to let warm air circulate around the pipes.
• Let your faucets run at a slow drip while you’re away – water running through the pipes will keep them from freezing. Put a bucket under the tap to collect the water so you can use it for watering plants when you return.

Did you make your list and check it twice? Happy holidays from Progressive Plumbing and Piping!