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.

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.

• Pay some special attention to your water heater – it’ll be working harder during colder months. Flush out your heater and remove any buildup (it reduces efficiency).
• Set the thermostat on your water heater to 120 degrees for best performance.
• Disconnect outdoor water hoses. If the hoses stay connected and water inside them freezes, it can cause connecting pipes to crack or break.
• Check for drips or leaks from outside faucets. If you find a leak, call Progressive Plumbing and Piping. We’ll fix it, preventing freezing water from causing pipe breaks later on.
• Insulate pipes that are exposed to cold temperatures, like in the basement or garage.

Now that you’ve checked off this list, go enjoy the fall weather!

Gas lines
A lot of cities require a licensed professional to work on gas lines by code because of the inherent danger in working with gas. Another reason to call an expert for gas line help is the threading of the pipe and the fitting of the joints, things that take expensive equipment that you can rely on a plumber to have.

Mainlines (Water and Sewer)
Mainline repairs also require special equipment. While you can rent a sewer snake relatively cheaply, but this won’t fix big problems. A licensed plumber can detect the problem and suggest a solution.

Clogged toilet
Sure, many toilet clogs can be easily done away with by plunging. But when the plunger’s just not cutting it, you may be dealing with a main drain or system blockage. Another sign of this is if all your drains are slow, not just one. If this is the case, give us a call.

Leaky faucets
Some faucets are so old the parts aren’t available anymore, and old faucets are often very difficult to remove. Conversely, some faucets are so new it’s hard to find advice on how to fix them.

Water heaters
When these complicated systems break down, the problem could be anywhere from electrical to the need for a new part. A plumbing expert will be able to get to the root of the problem.

Tank type water heaters can create a huge mess if the tank ruptures. Tank type heaters are also not as efficient as the newest tankless water heaters available today. Tankless technology has been around for more than 50 years and has been used with great success as an energy and space saving tool for years overseas. A tankless unit takes up very little space and can even be installed on the outside of your home or business. These units are ultra efficient as they use no energy to keep water in a tank hot all day or all night just waiting for you to use some hot stored water. Tankless units only use energy when hot water is called for, heating the cold water instantaneously. There are numerous sizes and designs available for residential or commercial use.

Want to learn more? Read up on tankless water heaters.