Call Before You Dig: A Free Service

There's a phone number everyone must call before digging in your yard.

That number is 811.

The website: www.call811.com

What happens when you call 811 is a request goes out to all the utilities and they send locators out who will mark the utilities at your property line. If the mark is near where you are digging, be very, very careful digging around it.

If it's an emergency, they get right on it. Otherwise, it's a 48 hour turn around.

For example, the picture is a typical yard (happens to be in Fairhaven) within a few inches of the public sidewalk. The yellow pipe is gas, the small white pipe is unknown (!), the large white pipe is drainage, and the old rusty pipe is their water main, which the plumbers replaced.

All those pipes were less than 8" below ground level. Scary stuff.

Remember 811 and it is 100% free.

Water pressure regulators or PRV

Many homes have pressure regulators, sometimes known as PRV (pressure regulator valves), because the incoming water pressure is over 80 psi. Federal regs mandate that any pressure over 80 has to be regulated to save water. Beyond being law, anyone who pays by the drip will testify that the lower the pressure, the less water is used.

Where these PRVs are located is a challenge on the scale of NPR's Sunday Puzzle. See that brown splotch in the center of the picture? That's the PRV under a house in Mt. Vernon, Wa.

My camera had a great flash on it and I had a drop light. It was totally dark down there.

Frozen Pipe Break

The weather changes quickly here and can drop below 32 real quick. Last weekend, the temperature dropped below 32 twice.

The biggest problem is hose bibs freezing and splitting. Fortunately, Ball Plumbing uses frost-free bibs. Frost-free does not mean you can abuse them--you still need to take the hose off each winter---but it does mean that if the bib does freeze break, it minimizes water damage.

This is a hose bib with a freeze break:

DIY Hotel in Sedro Woolley

This job was in a hotel in Sedro Woolley. A boiler that size could literally explode like a small bomb.

The handyman tried to fix the boiler's recirc piping with compression fittings and pvc fittings. While we were staring at it, the handle on his plastic ball valve melted and shot across the room. I was able to shut off the water, thankfully, and repair it in short order.

This picture is the broken valve.

I didn't take a picture of my repair, but it cost them under $200.00 including parts, labor and tax.

Plumbing Discounts

We're offering a 5% cash discount on all invoices (excluding the tax) through the end of the year.

Not to be combined with any other discounts, etc, etc.

Professionalism in Plumbing

I'm going to be defining Ball Plumbing Company's Code of Ethics in the coming months. The first is Professionalism.

From this day on, we swear to offer maximum Professional Conduct in all our affairs. Even me, I swear it. Really.

Imagine what maintaining a professional attitude is  like for a plumber who spends the time under houses, digging in the yard, or rescuing a cell phone from the carnivorousness toilet!

Coupled with the physical demands of plumbing, plumbers need to know the how and whys of making water, gas, propane, and air flow correctly. Acting professionally requires knowing the technical and we do. Usually.

Also, a huge part of professionalism in plumbing is honestly getting the homeowner to part with the hard earned cash. Our hourly rates and mark-ups are transparent and posted on the internet for all to see. The contract prices for most jobs are in the book and written in stone.

Customer service. Many people do customer service as part of their job. The plumber, electrician, car mechanic, doctors, lawyers....lots of careers require customer service skills. All of us will tell you it's the hardest part. No need for me to get into specifics, is there.

What's great plumbing customer service to one person is horrible to the next. Nothing much anyone can do about that except to keep the customer's needs in the forefront.

So, while acting in a professional manner is difficult even for the ultra-professional, we at Ball Plumbing promise to maintain it while covered in mud and freezing our butts off. Or wiping off the rescued cell phone..ewwwww! 

See? I'm not that big of a jerk. Usually.

P.O.M. (Plumbers On Motorcycles)

As reported by the Herald, the Bellingham  Harley Davidson dealership is closing the end of October for unclear reasons. That's too bad because a) hate to see any business close and b) every town needs a Harley dealership. Harley's an American original and as familiar as Sears.

Here's my Harley motorcycle:

Read more here: http://blogs.bellinghamherald.com/business/whatcom-county-business/mt-baker-harley-davidson-to-close-oct-31/#storylink=cpy