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How Can Low-Flow Toilets Help Save Water

Posted on July 23, 2019 | by lsnow

We recently celebrated World Environment Day and were reminded of the importance of protecting the environment and our limited natural resources. One such important resource is water, which is essential to life, a limited resource and, often, a costly resource.

It’s important that we all take steps to limit our water usage and avoid wasting water whenever possible. One easy way to do this is by using low flush toilets, a bathroom renovation!

Since water can be wasted with just the flush of the toilet, today we’ll talk about low flush toilets, how they work and why they’re important.

Low Flush Toilets

Low flush toilets are toilets that use significantly less water than traditional toilets. Low flush toilets use a maximum of 1.6 gallons of water per flush, as opposed to the 3.6 to 7 gallons of water than traditional toilets use.

For the average home, toilets use more water than anything else, so they present a good opportunity to save some water. For a family of four, the simple step of switching from traditional to low flush toilets can save around 15,000 gallons of water per year.

Obviously, this will not only help you to protect the environment but also will provide a noticeable reduction in your water bill.

All toilets made since 1994 are low flush toilets. However, newer models use even less water, with some using as little as 1.28 gallons per flush. If your toilets were installed before 1994, it’s a good idea to check to see if they are low flush and, if they’re not, to consider replacing them.

How Do They Work?

While there were initially some concerns about low flush toilets, they now work as effectively as traditional toilets while using significantly less water. To achieve this efficiency, they use one of two methods:

Gravity-driven toilets clear waste when the flapper moves by releasing water and having water flow down into the bowl. Gravity then takes the waste down and through the pipes.
Pressure-assisted toilets have pressure tanks that work as a water balloon. With this technology, water fills the tank and is held there under pressure. When the valve opens, the water and pressure work in combination to effectively remove waste.

Utilizing these methods, low flush toilets work effectively and efficiently to remove waste. As a result, switching to low flush toilets will not result in a decrease in the effectiveness of your toilets.

Water Use and Conservation

Thanks to everyone reading and sharing this for your efforts to help save water. Water is a valuable, limited natural resource, and it’s important that we all do our part to help conserve it.

It’s the efforts of people like you that are going to make a difference and help to ensure that we protect our environment and resources. With this goal in mind, if you’re not already using them, consider installing low flush toilets throughout your house.

If you have questions about this process or about the type of toilets in your home, call Valley Plumbing and Drain Cleaning today at (801) 341-4222. And, please continue to think of and share ways that we can all work to protect the environment and save water.

Are You Spending Time Outdoors on the Year’s Longest Day?

Posted on June 21, 2019 | by lsnow

Did you know that June 21st is going to be the longest day of 2019? The longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere is when we say goodbye to spring and hello to summer.

Cultures all over the world have been celebrating the solstice for hundreds of years. How will you celebrate? Whatever you do, make sure you spend at least a few minutes soaking up the extra sunshine on the summer solstice.

The days will slowly begin to grow shorter after June 21st, so enjoy the extra daylight while you can! If you don’t already have outdoor activities planned for the kickoff to summer, try out some of our low-cost water activities, at Valley Plumbing and Drain Cleaning we just want you to have fun!

Bring Your Sprinklers Into the Mix

On a hot summer day, few things will cool you down as quickly as running through the sprinkler. The activity is a childhood favorite, but it’s not just for kids.

Make some memories with your kids and cool down at the same time by turning on your sprinklers and racing through them together.

No kids? No problem! Position your sprinkler to mist your feet when you’re lounging in your favorite lawn chair. It’ll help keep you cool as you enjoy some extra time in the sunshine.

And don’t worry, no one will judge you if you take a solo-jog through the spray. Your sprinkler will be pulling double duty because you’ll be putting some water on your thirsty lawn while you and/or your kids play in the yard. It’s a great way to conserve water and enjoy a hot summer day.

Hose Fights Are Always Fun

If you choose to spend part of the longest day working on your yard, chances are you’ll be pretty tired and hot by the time you finish.

Start a playful hose fight with your kids or your spouse to keep your family from combusting.

You’ll cool down even faster with a blast from the hose than you would with the coldest, crispest glass of lemonade. If you want to cut down on the water that you use for your game, arm your family with water guns.

While you’re all chasing each other around the yard emptying your squirt gun tanks, you’ll also be watering your freshly cut grass. You won’t have to worry about your water use if the stray droplets are feeding your yard.

Set Up Water Balloon Battles

You can get into a lot of different shenanigans with water balloons. You can spend your extra daylight filling water bombs and surprising friends who walk past your yard. No doubt, they’ll be delighted at being cooled down, once they get over the shock of the splash.

If your kids are getting restless indoors, you can set them up for a water balloon fight against each other. They’ll be delighted to have a basket full of their own, unique color of balloons.

You could even have them invite friends over to strengthen their teams. The cost of water balloons, even if you purchase a few different colors, is quite minimal in exchange for keeping your kids occupied for a bit. Your kids will have a blast lobbing water balloons at each other.

If you want to really surprise them, pull out your own batch of balloons to join in on the fun. They’ll never forget the time that mom and dad joined in on the water balloon war. To wrap up the game, you can offer a refreshing treat, like ice cream or a popsicle, to kids who work hard to clean up the balloon debris. Encourage your kids to find each little piece so that no animal accidentally tries to eat it.

Summer Solstice Celebration

We only get to celebrate the longest day of the year, well, once a year! It’ll be a whole year before we have such a long, sunny day again, so make sure that you take advantage of it with some fun outdoor activities, inspired by your outdoor plumbing.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a good time. You can stretch your buck further if you hold your water activities in your yard so that your grass can benefit from the games too.

Why We Love Mother’s Day

Posted on May 11, 2019 | by lsnow

On Sunday, May 12th, it will be time once again to celebrate Mother’s Day! There is no better time to spend quality time with our mothers, and let them know how much they mean to us! There is also a no better time to thank them for all the time and patience they put into teaching us the basics of life.

Do you remember all of the chores your mother taught you over the years? It is probably safe to say you remember all of them! You also probably do most of them on a day to day basis. All of the chores our mothers taught us had a bigger impact then you may think!

Sometimes that meaning can be hard to see when you are little, or a teenager; but it was there nonetheless. It may be only now that you realize all the chores you were asked to do were not only chores, but lessons on how to save money, time, and energy... even with your plumbing services!

Let's take water for example. Many chores that were handed out to us had to do with water. Looking back now, you may realize the significance of those chores and how they are essential to us in more ways than one…

Glassware Stains Meant Trouble!

Let's do a quick poll; type the word “MOM” in the comments below if your mother asked you to wipe down glassware after it was already clean! Whether they were fresh out of the dishwasher, or they had been sitting on a shelf, your mother probably asked you to give them another wipe down.

As we now know, it was not just dust, your mother was trying to get rid of, but hard water stains! Every mother's worst nightmare is hard water stains. They collect on our dishes, bathroom fixtures, and kitchen appliances.

Hard Water is caused by mineral buildup in our water. If your mother had not asked you to wipe down those dishes a second time, your glassware would have been stained beyond repair! Our mothers knew the dangers of this, and she was teaching you how to keep it at bay!

Timing Your Shower

How many of us had our showers timed? Or at the very least we were told to keep our showers short and to turn off the water while we were brushing our teeth. Mother’s are notorious for conserving water and with good reason!

For every minute you are in the shower you use approx 2 gallons of water! Your mother, being a wise woman, knew how much money and waste this was going to cause. In fact, you are probably saying the same thing to your children now!

Paying a water bill is no fun for anyone! Paying one that is astronomically high due to long showers is downright painful! Whether your mother had your shower on a timer, or she gave the 5-minute countdown knock, she knew what she was talking about.

Not only are long showers going to cause an expensive bill each month, but they also can cause your pipes to corrode more quickly. All that mineral buildup we talked about on your mother’s dishes can also buildup in your pipes. This can reduce the flow of water; which causes you to use even more water!

Are You Collecting Water?

At this point, you may have started to see the theme, right? Whether they knew it or not; our mothers were the ultimate water conservationists!

Another great example is Beth! Beth uses a rainwater tank in her backyard to collect water. As you can guess, this is something her mother taught her to do.

Beth’s mother used a rain barrel to collect rainwater in order to water her plants, wash dishes and clothes, and cook with! Though Beth mainly uses hers to water her garden and indoor plants, she saves almost $100 per year; all thanks to her mother's advice!

Say Thank You to Mom

Looking back now, all of those chores your mother gave you were not only to help you learn responsibility but to help you conserve water and save money! For that reason, and so many more, your mother deserves a giant thank you!

No need to wait for Mother’s Day either. Call your mom, give her a hug, and spend time with her. Let her know you realize all the things she had you do were preparing you to have the most efficient life possible!

At Valley Plumbing and Drain Cleaning, we’d like to send a warm Happy Mother’s Day to all of our mothers out there! We hope your day is full of happiness and relaxation. You deserve it!

Did the April Fool Get You? Get Him Back with Plumbing Savings!

Posted on April 22, 2019 | by lsnow

If you’re tired of the April Fool getting you every year with his tricks and excessive plumbing expenses, then put a stop to it and flip his tricks ack on him! Valley would like to help you get back at that tricky April Fool this year, by helping you save more money on your plumbing expenses.

If you want to save money on your plumbing costs, but aren't sure how to, don’t worry! Valley Plumbing is here to share some tips to help you save money on plumbing maintenance, repairs, and even installations.

Make the Rain Water Work for You

One way to decrease your plumbing costs every month is to get creative about your water usage. Harvesting and recycling rainwater is a great way to decrease your monthly water bill and also do your part to help the global water crisis.

Rainwater barrels can be a bit pricey to install (some cost as much as $2,200), but the benefits of using harvested rainwater to clean your home or flush your toilets far outweigh the cost of a rain harvesting system! You'll see a difference in your monthly water bill each month!

Make Plumbing Maintenance a Priority

We cannot stress enough the importance of keeping up with your plumbing maintenance. Maintaining your plumbing system costs far less than the cost to repair and clean up a major plumbing emergency that can be caused by a lack of maintenance.

Making sure to have your drains cleaned twice a year, and have your pipes inspected once a year can end up saving you thousands of dollars on plumbing repairs. Another way to maintain your plumbing is to be mindful of what you are putting down your drains.

Clogged drains can cause a host of problems, and liquid drain cleaners that are often used remove them can actually do more harm than good. Keeping harmful substances out of your drain pipes can also save you money n the long run by making your pipes last longer.

Make the Right Choice to Save More Money

Which plumbing company you choose to trust your plumbing to can make a big difference in how much money you actually save. That’s why it’s important that you choose a company that offers competitive pricing across all of their services, as well as coupons and other savings on top of them!

Don’t want to sacrifice quality workmanship, to save a little bit of money? Good; you shouldn’t have to! With Valley Plumbing, you get quality services, done right the first time, at always competitive prices! Our team of highly skilled plumbing technicians and contractors is dedicated to making sure you feel confident in the work we do to keep your plumbing in the best possible condition.

Trust us with your plumbing maintenance by joining our Quality Service Club maintenance program, and you can enjoy savings like 15% off additional services. Call Valley Plumbing today at (801) 341-4222 to speak with a plumbing professional in Salt Lake City, UT today! Ask about our incredible referral program to learn how you can get an extra $25 from Valley Plumbing!

How is Your Water Gonna Get Along Without Dust When It’s Gone?

Posted on March 21, 2019 | by lsnow

Isn't it fun to play with the lyrics of some of your favorite songs and make them about something else? We hope you recognized our reference to Queen's classic hit Another One Bites the Dust (and if you didn't, who even are you?).

Another One Bites the Dust is one of our favorite songs to listen to during the spring when dust count is on the rise. Sure, no one enjoys breathing dust in through the air, but did you know you may also be drinking, showering in, and washing your hands with dusty water?

You read that right- dusty water! So sit back, play some Queen in the background, and read on to learn more about how water softeners can help you get rid of dust that can cause your water supply to harden.

Dust And Hard Water

Dust, along with hard minerals like magnesium and calcium, in your water supply can cause it to harden. While “hard water” is not physically solid, it is hard in its chemical makeup. Hard water can affect everything from your shower to your laundry and dishes.

Here are some common signs that you may have hard water in your home:

You notice white spots on silverware or dishes after washing them.
Skin irritation or itchiness from the minerals and dust in your water.
Clothing that becomes faded or rough after even the first wash.
You begin to notice that you need more soap or detergent to clean the same amount.

Investing in a Water Softener Can Make All The Difference

Water softeners are designed to remove the hard minerals and dust from your water through one of a few different processes.

Some of the types of water softeners include magnetic softeners, dual tank softeners, salt-free ion exchangers, and (the most common) ion exchangers.

Any type of water softener will remove harsh minerals from your water and improve your overall water quality. Softer water means you can use less soap each time you wash dishes, put on a load of laundry, and even wash your hair.

This saves you money not only on soap but also on needing to buy clothes more often and needing to purchase products to make up for the damage to your hair.

Understanding Water Softener Costs

While installing a water softener in your home can cost anywhere from $300 to $10,000 depending on where you live, the type of softener you’re looking to install, the size of softener you need, and the condition of your water. A water softener installation far outweighs the cost with all its benefits.

Queen will forever be hailed as rock royalty for making great songs like Another One Bites the Dust. As such, we're sure they wouldn't put up with any dust in their air or water. If Queen is too good to deal with dust affecting their water quality, then so are you!

What are some of your favorite songs that we can listen to this spring? We want to know! Leave your favorite springtime jams in the comments below, and we'll be sure to check them out.