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Did you know that frequent kitchen activity can lead to problems in your plumbing? It's true. Plumbing systems are made up of two parts. One sub-system brings fresh water in, while the other removes waste water. Substances referred to as FOG, or fats, oils, and grease, can cause common household plumbing issues, like clogged drains -- and this, in turn, will affect the removal of waste water.
Butter, olive oil, lard, meat fats, and food scraps can stay behind in your drain -- even if you have a garbage disposal -- and cause serious draining problems that can lead to worse issues in your home. Here are some signs that your home needs drain cleaning services, and that you should call a plumber:

1. Slow draining is caused by a buildup of foreign materials in your pipes and plumbing system that are not allowing water to pass through.
2. Foul smells and odors around sinks and drains are signs of rotten food that has not been properly disposed of. When rinsing off dishes or running the garbage disposal, some foods can get left behind without you realizing it. They begin to decompose and cause nasty odors.
3. Regular use of marketplace drain cleaners is not normal. Of course it's fine to use these products every so often, but if you find yourself purchasing and using a whole container in a short span of time, this can be indicative of a larger issue.

Failure to address these problems can result in common plumbing emergencies. When water does not drain, stagnant water is left sitting in sinks and pipes. This water, filled with germs, can pose substantial health risks.
Dirty, foul-smelling water can trigger allergies in some people, especially those with asthma. Contact with dirty water can also cause skin irritation.
Some people think that hot water will help force FOG-based clogs down the drain by melting the substances, but actually, steaming hot water is even more harmful to the situation.
Clogged and dirty drains can cause buildup of bacteria like legionella. By immersing the bacteria in warm water, you may give them a perfect environment in which to reproduce. Take legionella, for example; this is a bacteria that can be spread through standing water and bacteria, both of which occur in clogged drains. Legionella causes Legionnaire's disease, a possibly deadly pneumonia-like condition that attacks the respiratory system.
If you find yourself with a potentially clogged drain or any other common plumbing emergencies, Valley Plumbing as soon as possible.

Looking for a job can be stressful. Trying to put together a resume that stands out might seem impossible. September is National Resume Month, and we include four tips that you can keep in mind when organizing your resume.

The Benefits of an Online Resume

An online resume offers a lot of advantages, the most common places being:

• LinkedIn
• Your site
• Job boards like Monster or Indeed

Recruiters and employers do a lot of searching online these days, so if your resume is online, they can find you more easily. An online resume also functions well as a "master resume."
For each job you apply for, you typically edit your resume down and tailor it to that particular job. Having an online resume allows potential employers to see a complete picture of you, and there might be something on there you didn't choose to include that sticks out to them that gets you a callback.

How to Organize Your Resume

There are a lot of different ways to organize your resume, and all can be successful.

• The most shared and popular is a chronologically organized resume that has your most recent accomplishments at the top and goes back in time from there.
• Career changers or recent grads without a lot of experience can use the functional resume format, which emphasizes your abilities over your past employment.

No matter how you ultimately decide to organize your resume, the bottom line is: use the same organizational style throughout.

What Not to Write on Your Resume

• It is accepted that including references on your resume is a waste of time and space - if a potential employer wants references, they'll ask, and you can provide them separately.
• Objective statements have also fallen out of fashion because they are focused on what you, the applicant, wants, not what the employer needs, which is their focus when looking to hire someone.
• If you must have a header statement, try using what's called a personal statement instead. It sums up who you are and your professional qualifications in a sentence or two - basically like your Professional Headline on LinkedIn.
• Do not list hobbies on your resume, unless they are extremely relevant to the position to which you're applying.
• Do not list old jobs on your resume that have no relevance to the one for which you're applying.

Keep Your Resume Up to Date

Even if you are not currently seeking employment, you have a lot to gain by periodically updating your resume. Opportunities can arise very quickly, and even if you are content in your current job, your dream job might make itself known to you at a moment's notice.
It's good to be able to respond immediately when opportunity calls instead of having to take up precious time to massively update your resume or build another one from scratch. You also might forget particular accomplishments when you go to update your resume at a later date.
So give your resume some love this September by picking it up, dusting it off and looking at it critically. Update it even if you're currently happy with your employment situation. You never know when your dream job will come knocking, or your situation will change!
And remember if you are in need of any quality services in your Salt Lake City, UT home, call Valley Plumbing at (801)-487-4770.
 

Is your home plagued by low water pressure? Do you dread doing the dishes or taking a shower because the pressure is simply not enough? What would you say if we told you there were several options to solve the issue of low water pressure in your house? These four steps are sure to make significant improvements if you struggle with weak water pressure:

Step 1: Make Sure it’s Affecting your Whole Home, Not Just the Faucet

Many homeowners mistake low water pressure for a clogged faucet. The signs are typically the same. Most modern faucets are equipped with water conservation components that may sometimes get blocked or clogged with sediment or small debris. Since modern faucets consist of many small parts, you won’t necessarily notice a huge issue with the faucet; it will simply come across as poor water pressure. Before taking other methods and repairs into consideration, make sure that the water pressure issue you are experiencing is not limited to one or two faucets in your home.

Step 2: Schedule a Professional Drain Cleaning Service

One of the most common causes of low water pressure is clogged drains. Over time, your drains and pipes become clogged by hardened hair, food, grease, and oil. This has a huge impact on your water pressure. We recommend professional drain cleaning or hydro-jetting services over chemical drain cleaners since professional service is safer and more effective. In the long run, chemical drain cleaners will ruin your pipes and create weak spots that will eventually rupture. Schedule a professional cleaning today and notice the difference it makes in your water pressure.

Step 3: Replace the Regulator

The regulator is a device located near your water meter. It’s designed to regulate water from the water supplier since in most cases water directly from the supplier is too highly pressurized for home use. If the regulator is worn out or deteriorating, it may be set too low or simply not working properly. Replacing the regulator with a new unit will improve your water pressure ten-fold.

Bonus Step: Install a Booster

If none of these tips and tricks have helped, you may simply be plagued with low water pressure. Don’t worry, there is another option. Water pressure boosters connect directly to your plumbing and work with an electrical pump and pressure tank to boost your water pressure. These devices are a significant investment and should only be considered if the other options have been exhausted.
For more information on solving the issue of low water pressure in your home, call Valley Plumbing and Drain Cleaning, in South Sandy, UT at 801-341-4222.

Pipe maintenance is an often overlooked, yet dearly important part of taking care of your home. A leaky faucet with a rate of one drop per second can waste over 3,000 gallons of water a year, the equivalent of over 180 showers!
And if you're the one who pays the water bills, then you know it would have cost much less to schedule a visit from your local plumbing services.
Hiring a professional to fix problems such as these can save homeowners nearly 10% on their water bills. In addition to saving you money, keeping an eye out for signs that your home needs drain cleaning can grant you peace of mind and save you from having a huge inconvenience -- and mess -- on your hands. Your home's drains serve one simple purpose: carrying waste away from your home. And when something goes wrong, there's only one place for all that waste to go...
Here are three ways to tell if your drains need cleaning:
1. What's That Smell?
Number one on our list of signs that your home needs drain cleaning is the smell. Do you have a kitchen, bathroom, or basement that has an unpleasant odor in it that just won't go away? Don't wait, it's only one of many common household plumbing issues that can turn into a plumbing emergency if you're not vigilant! Frequently smelly drains are the tell-tale sign that food or fecal matter has begun to build up in your drain.
2. Overflowing Toilets
Possibly the most worrisome and definitive of signs that your home needs drain cleaning is when your toilet overflows. The most important thing to do is to remain calm and try to plunge into the toilet. If that doesn't work, immediately call for emergency plumbing services so they can clear your drains.
3. Slow Drains or Clogs
While a slow-draining sink or shower can be more annoying than it is alarming, it could indicate deeper issues below the surface. Your home plumbing is made up of two separate subsystems: one that brings freshwater in, and one that takes wastewater out. A slow-moving drain that doesn't clear up with regular household decloggers may require a professional plumber.
To get the most out of your drains for the longest amount of time, clean your drains regularly, either on your own or with the help of a plumber that provides drain cleaning services. A healthy drain system is a key to a healthy home!

Preparing to take the kids back to school in the fall is one of the most tiring and troublesome experiences a parent can go through. There are so many little things to accomplish, such as buying new outfits, textbooks, backpacks, general school supplies, and reorganizing schedules around work and everyday life. Most kids will not be ready and will simply not want to offer a helping hand with all of the tasks that need to be completed by the first day of school.

Savings/Budget

You should begin saving a bit of extra money ahead of time for the purchase of various school supplies. Most schools don't send home a list of what is needed, such as the books, notebooks, and pencils, until it is nearly time to return.
This can be troublesome and downright headache-inducing for most parents. The best option is to put aside a bit of money each month during the summer so when the time comes you already have the funds required to take the kids shopping.

Buying Supplies

Most local big-name stores will offer the school supplies required for most children in the area. Large shopping chains set aside entire sections of their floor, including multiple aisles, for parents shopping for their children.
You can find brand new notebooks, three-ring binders, packs of markers, pencils, pens, and loose-leaf paper so kids can draw or write notes on. The items can be costly, so saving some money beforehand, as mentioned above, will be vital to heading back to school.

Organizing Your Schedules

This is especially important for those parents who have more than one child in their home heading back to school. Some schools, especially middle and high schools, tend to have different starting times.
You must balance your time between dropping off your child before the bell rings and making it to work on-time each day. This can be a bit of a hassle at first, but once you really get into the swing of things, it should be much easier.
When possible, speak with your kids and find out who would be willing to ride the bus in the morning. If you have a school bus stop near your home, you can drop your child off on the way to work. Alternatively, you can have a family friend, or perhaps a neighbor, who also has a child heading to school, drop your kids off when they are passing by the area.
Heading back to school does not need to give you the headache that most people associate it with. Take a step back, take a quick breath, and write down exactly what needs to be done.
If plumbing problems are keeping you away from getting ready for the school year the professionals at Valley Plumbing and Drain Cleaning are here to help all residents of the South Sandy, UT area. Give us a call at (801) 341-4222.