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).

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!

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!

Whatever your preference, we all know that at some point, you’ll have a plumbing repair that requires the attention of a professional plumbing contractor.

Of course, at Progressive Plumbing and Piping, we’d like to be the Raleigh plumbers you trust with your plumbing system maintenance! So why should you call Progressive? Well, first, we’re there when you need us – in fact, we’re available for emergency plumbing repairs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Another reason to choose Progressive as your plumber? We’re trusted all over Raleigh for fair prices, great results and personable service. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the testimonials on our site or these plumber reviews on Citysearch. We’ve been Raleigh’s go-to plumber since 1983, so you can trust us to know our stuff.

You can call us for plumbing repairs, installation and replacement of:

• Wells and pumps
• Garbage disposals
• Sewers and drains
• Toilets
• Water lines and pipes
• Bathtubs and showers
• Dishwashers
• Water heaters
• Septic systems
• Tankless water heaters

Plus, Progressive Plumbing and Piping offers green plumbing solutions to help you become more eco-friendly and conserve water and energy.

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!

• Famous and often controversial rockstar Ozzy Osbourne was a plumber’s apprentice before getting into the music industry.
• The word “plumber” dates all the way back to the Roman Empire. In Rome, pipes were originally made from lead, which is “plumbum” in Latin. People who worked with lead were called Plumbarius, which was eventually shortened to the word we use today.
• At 140 degrees, it takes five seconds for water to burn skin. At 160 degrees, it takes only half of a second. Home hot water systems should be set to no hotter than 125 degrees.
• In Japan, some urinals have voice-activated flushing mechanisms. The urinals respond to several commands, including “fire.”
• The term “plumbers” was a popular name given to the covert White House Special Investigations Unit established during the presidency of Richard Nixon in response to the leaked “Pentagon Papers” documents. Their job was to plug intelligence leaks in the U.S. Government relating to the Vietnam War; hence the term “plumbers”.
• Sir John Harington is credited with inventing the flushable toilet in 1596, hence the American nickname for it, “the john.”