Progressive Plumbing & Piping » toilet

Fun Friday Bathroom Facts

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 21:34:30 +0000

For your amusement, I’ve rounded up some interesting facts about bathrooms and toilets. Next time you happen to be chatting about your household plumbing, impress your friends with some of these gems:

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)

The Power of Plumbers!

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 21:18:10 +0000

This video is a favorite, and not just because it highlights the power of plumbers…it also features an adorable puppy! Last summer, a four-year-old boy in London flushed his puppy down the toilet in an attempt to give the puppy a bath. Needless to say, the dog got more than a bath — he got a wild ride down into the home’s plumbing system.

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:

Have You Been to the Plumbing Museum?

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:17:50 +0000

Yes, it surprised us too – there is a plumbing museum!

Apparently, The Plumbing Museum opened in 1979 and has been educating and entertaining visitors since then. Currently located in Watertown, MA (relocated from Worchester, MA), the museum “offers a unique, trade-specific take on American history.”

We don’t know about you, but we think it sounds really fun (and yes, a bit quirky). Early plumbing technologies and current equipment are on display in the museum, and visitors can even join in with Hands-On Workshops.

You don’t have to be a plumber to enjoy the plumbing museum – plumbers and non-plumbers alike are invited to visit. Learn more at The Plumbing Museum website.

Funniest Plumbing Links

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:49:05 +0000

Somehow it seems the plumbing and piping industry attracts a lot of jokes and funny scenarios (guess we never grow out of our penchant for potty humor!). We’ve done posts on plumbing quotes, fun facts about famous plumbers and plumbing history – now Progressive Plumbing and Piping has compiled some of the most entertaining links about plumbing that we’ve come across. Enjoy!

Using everything from 18 hotdogs to 3 lbs. of large gummi bears, St. Thomas Creations tests their toilets with one question in mind: “Will it flush?” But they’re not the only ones pursuing this question that (apparently) plagues curious minds everywhere. There’s also a YouTube series testing public toilets with the same question.

Here’s something you don’t see every day: a toilet waterfall covering a huge wall in China (no, not that wall in China). The waterfall was made for a ceramic festival and uses all sorts of toilets and sinks.

The online magazine HowStuffWorks brings us the Top 10 Moments in Space Bathroom History. Gems from the list include a wearable toilet, a urine-icicle and outer-space toilet debris that looked like a meteor shower.

Video: Toilet flushes, dog goes berserk. Aptly titled, “Dog Hates This Toilet.”

So, the cause behind The Big Squat is a really good (and serious) one. But it’s a undeniably funny way to raise awareness.

While these links are pretty funny, plumbing emergencies are no laughing matter! Call the company that takes your plumbing and piping repairs seriously. Contact Progressive Plumbing next time you have a plumbing predicament.

Avoid Holiday Plumbing Predicaments

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:26:16 +0000

So it’s almost Thanksgiving, and while plumbing may be the last thing you want to think about on the holiday, if you neglect it, you can wind up with a problem much bigger than deciding who’s going to carve the turkey this year. Our Raleigh plumbers are often called in for emergency holiday service — here are a few ways to avoid having to invite us over for Thanksgiving:

Cooking the turkey and other tasty dishes creates some not-so-tasty bi-products like cooking oils and fats. Though it’s tempting, don’t pour these down the drain, where they may solidify and cause major headaches. Instead, wipe excess oils off with paper towels which can be thrown out after clean-up.
Remember to always run the faucet (on cold) when you run the garbage disposal. Start running the faucet a few seconds before turning the disposal on, and continue running it for a few seconds after the disposal’s turned off.
Never overload your garbage disposal, especially with fibrous food items like fruit and vegetable peels and turkey skin.
Only run your dishwasher when it’s full (for water conservation), but don’t overload it. Overloading can cause china to break, which can clog the drain.
Consider running the washing machine and dishwasher at off-times (like the night) to save hot water and water pressure for stay-over guests.
Provide trash cans around the house in convenient locations so guests remember to dispose of food waste, tissues, etc. in the wastebaskets instead of in drains or toilets.
Got some toddlers joining you for Turkey Day? Make sure they’re entertained and under supervision to avoid the (pretty common) problem of toy cars stuck in the toilet.

And, just in case you do encounter the unexpected plumbing crisis, , keep our contact info on hand. Happy Thanksgiving!