Friday is a big day for plumbers all over the world, as it officially marked the second annual World Plumbing Day. This day serves as one to educate residential and commercial property owners about the important role that plumbers and the plumbing industry have in not only health and safety but also protecting the global environment.

The World Plumbing Council established World Plumbing Day last year. This year’s World Plumbing Day theme is “Plumbing vital to global health.” According to Robert D. Burgon, chairman of the World Plumbing Council, the day was founded because too many individuals tend to take for granted the importance of good plumbing and even better plumbers in everyday situations.

Check out our Plumbing Tips section for more details on World Plumbing Day or for other tips on residential or commercial plumbing. Contact our Lewisville TX plumbing company today, or visit us online for additional information.

Installing a new shower valve shouldn’t be something taken lightly. Learning about the different types of shower valves available should be a high priority, and in making your final decision, you will make your shower much more productive for the future.

Your shower valve is supposed to have a very long life expectancy, so it is very important to choose which shower valve is right for you. They can come as thermostatic valves or manual valves. Make sure you do your own research on shower valves and which one could be best for you.

Check out our Plumbing Tips section for additional information on shower valve installation and maintenance. For additional information, contact our Lewisville TX plumbing company, or visit us online.

A leaky faucet or a spigot that isn’t completely turned off may be seen to some merely as “something around the house.” It can be a common thing that eventually could lead to a very small rise in your water bill – a few pennies per month at the most.

It’s been noted by experts that one drip of water can lead to more than 1,500 gallons accumulated in a year, and those gallons can add up to significant dollars that could be saved. Our Lewisville TX plumbers have offered three basic tips that will help you trim your water costs. Check out our Plumbing Tips section for more.

Contact our Lewisville plumbing company for more information, or visit us online.

Take a glance outside. If you live in north Texas, chances are, your environment is currently covered in ice. The National Weather Service has issued a hard freeze warning for the north Texas area.

A hard freeze warning is a relatively new term, as it heeds caution to potentially devastating freezes that can not only cause widespread damage but also completely destroy vegetation and other crops. Freezes such as the ones we’ve seen and the others expected can be monumental problems for your water pipes.

When water freezes, it expands, and when water expands in a pipe, it can cause the pipe to burst. A ruptured pipe will mean a dent in your bank account, as these plumbing troubles are not cheap to fix. Keep in mind that water pipes in Texas are used to warm temperatures, so they may be more susceptible to the frozen weather conditions. Our Lewisville TX plumbers want to offer basic tips to get you, your family and your pipes through these icy conditions.

Check out our Plumbing Tips section and receive more details. For additional information, call our Lewisville TX plumbing company today, or contact us online.

Cleaning a garbage disposal doesn’t have to be rocket science, even though some people try to turn it into a superior project for the gifted.

In fact, garbage disposal cleaning, assuming nothing major is wrong with your unit, can be one of the easiest things to do around your home. Everything you’ll need will come from your refrigerator. The combination of ice and citrus fruits will have your disposal running well and smelling great.

Our Lewisville TX plumbers are experts when it comes to garbage disposal installation, repair and maintenance and have additional information in our Plumbing Tips section. Feel free to give us a call, or contact us online today for information.

The Super Bowl, one of biggest events in the world, will take place Feb. 6. As football fans get ready for Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, plumbers are getting ready for the age-old question that has become something of a classic myth.

“Should I flush during halftime?”

Amazingly, rumors of sewage systems running amuck because of the millions of simultaneous flushes during halftime of the Super Bowl has become something plumbing professionals address each year. It’s obvious that toilet use increases during the Super Bowl, as millions of fans are watching the biggest American football game on the planet, but massive metropolitan sewage breakdowns do not exist. In fact, they are often laughable to plumbers.

Myths will come and go, but know that this myth is just that. Check out more information on the myth in our Plumbing Tips section. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact our expert Lewisville TX plumbers for information. Call us, or contact us online today.

The argument is starting to become more and more of an issue for homeowners.

Which is better: Conventional water heaters or tankless water heaters?

According to experts, there are benefits with both types of water heaters. While the argument appears to be an old school vs. new school account, both devices offer many positives with few negatives. Our Lewisville TX water heater experts want to provide some of the advantages and disadvantages for both the conventional and tankless heaters.

Feel free to check out our Plumbing Tips section for more information. Our experienced Lewisville TX plumbing technicians are available to assist you with all of your water heater inquiries, in addition to installation and maintenance. Call our Lewisville plumbing company for more information, or contact us online.

Having trouble getting rid of that bathtub stain? You’re probably not the only one.

Tub stains can be a nuisance for someone looking to turn a bathroom into a masterpiece. Fortunately, there are methods to getting rid of unwanted stains. In order for that to happen, however, homeowners must know what their tubs are made of.

Most bathroom tubs are made out of one of three materials – porcelain, enamel or acrylic. While porcelain may be considered the most durable, acrylic and enamel may be the easiest to damage without proper instruction. Know which material your tub is made of, and know how to treat said material.

Check out the stain removal tips on our Plumbing Tips section. For more information on bathtub stain removal, call our Lewisville TX plumbers, or contact us online.

Aside from simply breaking down, a number of things can go wrong with your water heater without proper maintenance and upkeep. Preventative maintenance is perhaps the most important aspect of caring for any part of your plumbing system, and your hot water heater is perhaps the heart of the system. In the winter especially, you don’t want to suddenly be without hot water or facing other issues with the system.

For example, taking a shower can be quite unpleasant if the water coming from your hot water heater smells like rotten eggs. This odor is typically caused by the way a certain kind of bacteria found in the water reacts with the magnesium and aluminum contained in most water heaters. This creates hydrogen sulfide gas, which releases an odor similar to rotten eggs. If you have a water softening device, the smell can become even worse. Do not remove the anodes from your water heater to address the issue. Rather, start by turning off the cold water supply to your hot water heater, then opening a hot faucet in the house. This will relieve some of the pressure from the tank. Open one side of the plumbing and pour in a few pints of hydrogen peroxide. With everything closed again, turn the cold water feed back on and run all faucets and taps in the house. This will temporarily relieve the smell, though you may want to contact a local Lewisville water heater expert if the problem is not solved.

Other problem that can lead to the early demise of your hot water heater include internal rust, the buildup of sediment within the tank (caused by hard water being heated), corrosive fumes (from air intake that contains bleach, ammonia, or acids), and high water pressure (over 80psi), which can damage the heater, as well as the piping and other appliances. However, perhaps the most common cause of losing a water heater is neglect. Many don’t consider the ramifications of neglecting their hot water heater tanks, and with the ability to develop leaks or other issues over time, preventative maintenance is essential to the lifespan of your hot water heater. If you aren’t sure about your own water heater, consider contacting a plumber in Lewisville with expert knowledge of hot water heaters for a routine inspection of the system.

The past few weeks, the Dallas-Fort Worth area has seen chilly temperatures, but let’s be honest: We haven’t seen frigid temperatures as of yet.

This all may change as we prepare for 2011. The months of January and February traditionally are the months where Texas feels more like upstate New York and less like Arizona. This is the perfect time for you to winterize your pipes and prepare for the freezing temperatures that potentially could do damage to your water pipes.

The first step in winterizing is to locate all water faucets and other places where water pipes can be bothered by inclement weather. Cover the faucets with something that can provide respectable insulation (a towel or heavy piece of clothing) against freezing weather.

From there, cover the wrapped faucet with a plastic bag and secure it with a rubber band. This will not only help to keep the faucet and water pipe dry but also keep the towel or clothing serving as insulation secure. It may seem a little off-base, but if done properly, it works.

Keep in mind that if your water lines get cold enough, they will break. A broken water line could cost you tons of money, and having a major bill is no way to start the new year. Contact our Lewisville TX plumbers for more information on winterizing your pipes. Call us today, or contact us online for details.