Periodic plumbing inspection and maintenance pays dividends

No one really wants to call the plumber. (We know, we know. It's understandable so we try not to take it too personally.) Just like no one likes to go to the dentist for a periodic check-up and cleaning - or make that appointment for a yearly physical. And we're all too busy to remember the regular oil change and tune-up for our vehicles.

But if we're honest with ourselves we know that regular inspection and maintenance can pay off big time over time.

The plumbing system is a major component of your home. The disruption to daily activity when a major failure or mishap occurs is always significant, but most plumbing problems don't develop overnight. They can almost always be detected months or years in advance.

Regular inspection can detect leaks from the various fittings and connections - both in the water supply and waste disposal systems - before a major failure or water damage occurs. And you might be surprised the problems inadequate or excessive water pressure can cause. When was the last time you checked the water pressure at your home?

Besides periodic inspection, regular cleaning and maintenance is also key. Fixtures kept clear of mineral and soap build-up operate properly - more smoothly with fewer obstructions. Taps and shower heads hampered by too much build-up can be more difficult to shut-off completely, which can lead to you applying too much pressure to get those annoying drips to stop. Threads are stripped, more drips ensue. It's not a good scenario.

So simple steps when repairs and maintenance are still simple in scope - put it on your calendar. Do your own walk around - or call us to schedule a home inspection. Go ahead and replace leaking toilet parts and faucet washers and cartridges when you first notice an issue. As we're always reminding people, those drips really do add up!

For our customers who like to formalize maintenance and save some money with us on repairs, we do have a customer assurance plan. We call it the 'No Drips Club'. You can read more about it here: Why Not Join the 'No Drips' Club?

So just a piece of advice: check your plumbing system every once in awhile - but regularly - and avoid unnecessary damage and mishaps with proper maintenance. It's always best to be able to plan for major repairs or replacements ahead of time. Sudden failures and disruptions to service never happen at the most convenient time. (It's Murphy's Law.)

Have questions or need advice? Call us! We're here to help. (707) 996-8683. Or stop by the office to chat. We're right on Broadway across from the high school.

Baby, Call the Plumber!

Bah bah bah bah BABY.
Don't forget to call Boden Plumbing!

Plumb Like an Egyptian

Did you know that rich and distinguished ancient Egyptians were honored with plumbed-in lavatories in their tombs? We suspect these might actually have been a temporary convenience afforded the builders left behind to seal the tomb from the inside, however.

And here's another one: Copper - the principal material used in modern plumbing work - is the same thing Egyptians used 3000 years ago to lay their own pipe. It only took us a few millennia to come up with PEX - a flexible, and less expensive, alternative.

Ok, now dance.

Steve Martin, King Tut



And The Bangles, Walk Like an Egyptian

Application deadline for new CTE Scholarship is May 10, 2011

Boden Plumbing is pleased to sponsor the new CTE scholarship for shop students graduating from Sonoma Valley High School -- and we wanted to remind everyone that TOMORROW IS DEADLINE DAY!

Yes, Sonoma Valley High School graduating seniors wishing to continue their education in a technical field have a new opportunity to secure funds to help pay for school thanks to a new scholarship fund being offered through the school.

The new Career Technical Education (CTE) Shop Scholarship, sponsored by us, Boden Plumbing, will be awarded to a Sonoma Valley High School senior graduating in June 2011. Applicants must have taken at least one shop class and have plans to enroll in further studies at a technical school, a 2-year college or a 4-year college in a related area of study.

While the CTE program at Sonoma Valley High School has seven areas of study, the new CTE Shop Scholarship is specifically for students of the shop classes – metal, wood, or agriculture mechanics.

Terry suggested offering a scholarship to this group of students and is pleased to encourage young people to develop their technical skills and expertise and consider a career in a technical field.

Students are encouraged to contact their shop teacher for more information or check the Sonoma Valley High website for more information. Follow the links to the correct page and you should find a copy of the application materials to download.

And remember, the deadline for applications is May 10!

What You Can Do to Protect Your Drinking Water

It's National Drinking Water Week, and it's worth pausing for just a moment to show a little appreciation for the clean water you do have and to consider what more you can do to keep it that way.

The vast majority of water on earth is sloshing around in the salty seas. A very small portion is available for human purposes. In fact, just 2-3% of the earth's water is fresh water and about two thirds of that is tied up in glaciers and the polar ice caps.

The small proportion that's left is found in ground water (0.68%), surface water (0.011%) or in the atmosphere (0.04%). And that surface water? Think freshwater lakes - like Lake Baikal in Russia and the Great Lakes in the U.S. They account for a lot of it. So frankly, when we talk about available fresh water, it's important to realize there is a limit. And fresh clean drinking water? That's even more of a rare commodity that you might imagine.

So do be grateful for what you have.



Because it is an essential yet finite resource, maintaining an adequate supply of clean drinking water is certainly something to consider on this the occasion of National Water Week. Not wasting what we do have is part of what we need to do. Protecting the quality of that finite supply is perhaps even more important.

Just check out the amount of small print in the above image from a U.S. EPA poster on safe drinking water. (You can find the full readable version - and even order a copy of your own - here.) That's a lot of small print, a lot of things to consider, but here are just a few ideas to get you started:

Avoid the use of chemicals in the garden and in the home whenever possible. Whether they find their way into the groundwater, a nearby stream or river or are flushed into the public sewer system, chemicals are not what you want to have finding their way into the water supply. And it's all connected. See: Non-toxic Home Cleaning Alternatives

Consider the food you eat and the impact your choices have on water quality. Not only is agriculture by far the largest user of freshwater, agricultural waste and runoff is a major source of water contamination. Can you switch to more organic produce? Eat grass fed, or at least pasture raised, beef? Lobby for sustainable agriculture in your watershed?

Dispose of old, expire or unneeded medicines properly. Prescription drugs in the water supply is another weird and wonderful thing to be aware of. Bottom line: never, ever, ever dispose of medicine down the toilet. Period. The Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) has a safe medicine disposal program - find out what you can do with medicines at www.safemedicinedisposal.org. See also: Drugs in Your Drinking Water?

These are just a few ways you can help to keep our limited supply of drinking water clean and safe. Want to know more about protecting the drinking water supply? Visit the EPA website for more information - and figure out one thing you can take action on this week.