Mrs. Rooter Blog

Do your drains make you crazy with how slow they drain? It can be so frustrating sitting there waiting for your sink or tub to finish draining. Or for those really slow drains where you actually stand in water on the floor of your shower, because the drain is so slow. You don’t have to live with this. There is a way to minimize this.

There is a service called HydroScrub®, which restores your old drain lines to a like-new condition. Using water, it removes grease and sludge from your pipes that conventional cable machines do not. I really like this service, because it helps your drains run fast like they did the first day they were put to use. 

If you want to see how this works, I suggest you take a look at the pictures on our web site at http://www.mrrooter.com/Services/HydroScrub.aspx.

And when the HydroScrub® service is being done you can also chose to inject specific amounts of our exclusive Mr. Rooter Plumbing drain maintenance product, which will enhance the cleaning power of the HydroScrub® while helping you maintain your fast moving drains for even longer.

Here’s wishing you a world class day.

Ever wonder what happens once you flush the toilet? Dropped something down the toilet and wonder where it might have gotten stuck? If you’re curious, you’ve got to see the toilet diagram on our new web site. Make sure your speakers are turned on!

Go to http://www.mrrooter.com/Services/Residential/Toilets.aspx. To activate this fun animation, click on the top circle. It will show you where the water goes when a toilet is flushed. You can also click on the various circles to find out the different parts of the toilet and where they are located.

It shows you where the Emergency Shut Off Valve is located. Rather than waiting until the emergency has hit and water is going everywhere, look at it now to know what to do and where to go. You may remember my first blog where we talked about this.

Here’s wishing you a world class day.

If you’re like me, you’ll surf the Internet for hours looking for information or advice to fix a problem. But there’s no need to search any longer when it comes to home projects. I have just the site. It is www.homerenovationguide.com.

This site provides great information, including an article library from industry professionals, tips from the pros, and an “Ask the Expert” Section. Our very own Mr. Jim Jennette answers plumbing questions for this section. With more than 20 years of plumbing experience, he coaches our Mr. Rooter Plumbing franchisees as a franchise consultant.

In addition to plumbing, you can find information on just about anything on Home Renovation Guide’s site. Some of the topics include painting, landscaping, lighting and home security. You can submit a question to an expert here: www.homerenovationguide.com/expert_questions.

Here’s wishing you a world class day.

When was the last time someone smiled at you as you passed one another or waived you in to merge into traffic?  Even the simple act of opening a door or  stopping to pick something up you have dropped can be a welcome treat in today’s busy world.  

It seems that what used to be common, is slowly slipping away. Courtesy is such a simple gesture yet many are too busy, unconcerned, or in a rush to stop and make someone’s day a little brighter.

Last week as I was driving home from work, I got a flat tire – my first one since 1982.  Since that time, either I’ve grown physically weaker or the new way they put on lug nuts made it impossible for me to change my tire myself.  I was surprised how many people watched me struggle with the tire iron without one offering to help or even a smile.  It sure would have made my day. 

This is why at Mr. Rooter® Plumbing we go out of our way to make sure courtesy is a part of everything we do. From parking on the street instead of in your driveway to wearing covers over our shoes when in your home, our technicians go out of their way to make your plumbing problem a little less stressful experience.

Next time you are out take a moment to smile, say thank you, hold a door, carry someone’s groceries – you will be surprised at the warm response you receive.

I am delighted to share with you some good news. Mr. Rooter Plumbing was recently selected to Bond’s Top 100 Franchises for 2009. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this list, it breaks down the franchising industry into the categories of top:

- Food-service companies

- Lodging companies

- Retail companies

- Service-based companies, where we are located.

Thanks to our great team of franchise owners, their team members and our associates, we were chosen for this list. This award means so much to us here at Mr. Rooter Plumbing, because the World Franchising Network looks at franchisee satisfaction and brand identification as part of the selection.

Great companies are built on relationships within the company and with our customers, and this shows us we make a difference. We say here at Mr. Rooter Plumbing that “We make it right by creating outstanding and courteous experiences.” Thank you to the World Franchising Network for recognizing us. We will continue to work toward earning this each and every day.

Congratulations to two of our sister companies – Mr. Appliance and Glass Doctor – who also made the list. Way to go! If you would like to view the other businesses selected to Bond’s Top 100 Franchises for 2009, go to www.100TopFranchises.com.

Here’s wishing you a world class day.

How much time do you spend waiting on water to get hot? To me, it seems like waiting for water to get hot is like watching a pot waiting for it to boil…it takes forever.

Did you know the average homeowner wastes 14,000 to 18,000 gallons of water a year? That’s about 40 gallons of wasted water a day – that’s a lot of water being wasted!

You may be surprised to know that most water districts charge a sewage fee based on usage. If you want a way to lower your bill and save water, I am happy to share with you a product that does both.

It’s called a recirculation pump, and in an instant, it delivers hot water to any faucet or bath in your home. Its built-in timer helps you activate the system only when needed. A recirculation pump uses less energy than a 25-watt light bulb, and it will help you save water and money immediately.

Ask your Mr. Rooter plumber to give you information on installing a Grundfos Comfort Hot Water Recirculation System. For more information, please visit www.savewaternow.com.

Here’s wishing you a world class day.

Do you ever wonder how much water a leaky faucet wastes? If so, you should check out the drip calculator on our web site. You may be surprised to see how much water is wasted with a slow drip on just one faucet in your home.

Just enter the number of drips per minute into the box, and the amount of water wasted daily, monthly and yearly is immediately calculated. The results are fascinating. For example, I typed in 15 as the number of drips per minute. It’s hard to believe that equals more than 2 gallons of wasted water a day.

If you’ve ever wondered why your water bill is climbing, now is the time to check this cool tool out. I really like this feature, and think it can be a great resource for you. You can find our drip calculator at http://www.mrrooter.com/AskTheExpert/Drip%20Calculator.aspx.

Here’s wishing you a world class day.

Today this blog is for all my Canadian friends.  Here’s wishing you happy home repairs and upgrades.

We all have those pesky house repairs and renovations we want to do  like a new kitchen, updated bathroom fixtures, or even a whole new room in our house. Usually those renovations fall by the way side to cover things like car insurance, Christmas, or even the long awaited (and needed!) family vacation.   Did you know that this year, and until January 31^st, 2010, in Canada you can take advantage of the Canadian Government’s tax credit and start those renovations?

The Home Renovation Tax Credit is there to help you out when updating your home or business. Renovations to your home or business this year could result in a tax credit worth up to 15% of the repairs. If you think it may be time to update your bathroom or kitchen, why wait? Jobs between $1,000 and $10,000 can qualify for this tax break. The best part is you can combine plumbing, construction and electrical jobs to make the most of your new plans.

More details can be found at http://www.cra.gc.ca/ or by calling your local Mr. Rooter Plumbing shop.

I recently celebrated my 25^th wedding anniversary, and it got me thinking about what a wedding ring symbolizes. I cherish my ring, and can’t imagine losing it, as I’m sure those of you who are married can relate.

Over the last eight months, we’ve had some frantic calls from customers whose rings were accidently flushed down the toilet or dropped down the garbage disposal. Thankfully, Mr. Rooter plumbers across the U.S. have rescued four rings.

Our first ring rescue was in January. Mr. Mike Roberts, a Mr. Rooter plumber in Phoenix, miraculously recovered a $70,000 diamond wedding ring that was accidently flushed down the toilet in a restaurant. Mike came to the rescue a second time several months later. This time, the ring was a gift from father to daughter. Way to go Mr. Roberts.

Then there were the wedding and engagement rings that were flushed down the toilet by a toddler in Essex County, Mass. Plumber Mr. Dan Kraby was the hero in this retrieval. This mother has a great story to tell the little boy when he grows up! In July, Waco plumber Mr. Jim Hauk came through for a woman whose diamond fell off her ring while she was washing dishes.

You’d be surprised to know how many rings go down toilets and sinks each year.  Here are a few ideas to keep this from happening to you: 

- Keep a small dish or ring holder in your bathroom to safely put your rings in when washing up.

- Do not put your ring on the back of a toilet – it is a recipe for disaster.  More go down the toilet that way than any other way.

- When it’s cold or you are using cold water it is much easier for your ring to slip off your finger.  Be extra careful or think about taking it off and putting it someplace safe.

- Put the plug in your sink before washing to keep a ring from immediately falling down the drain.  Think of it as a safety.  And usually when you plug the sink a nice side benefit is you will use less water. People who see how much water they are consuming are less likely to keep the water running longer. 

Would you know what to do if something does go down a drain? You should call a plumber immediately. Don’t think it’s a hopeless call. We have resources to recover these items. For example, in all of our rescue situations the plumbers used a video inspection camera to find the location of the ring.

Has anything like this happened to you? If so, tell me about it at MrsRooterBlog@MrRooter.com. I would be happy to share it in a future blog post.

I recently received a question through my MrsRooterBlog@MrRooter.com e-mail address. In case you are experiencing this same plumbing problem, I would like to share with you a way to fix it.

Question: We have a running toilet and unfortunately as times are hard financially we have to try and repair it ourselves. I have found information on the website but wonder if you have any you could share with me. I have been led to believe the problem might be a worn flapper.

Here is my response: A running toilet can be caused by several things. The most common reason for a toilet to run is the “flapper” no longer seals because of debris or warping. Often changing that item out will stop the leak. Make sure the hole that is covered by the flapper is clean and free of sand, grit and debris before installing the new part. If that does not work, the toilet may need a new douglas valve or float mechanism. These parts can be found easily and replaced, but if done incorrectly, the parts could cause a flood. My recommendation is to have a service professional do any repairs more extensive than a flapper. If done improperly, the damage would far exceed the expense of the repair.

I hope this helped out the person who e-mailed me. Just like him, e-mail me if you have any questions. I would be happy to help out.

Here’s wishing you a world class day.