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Energy costs seem to always be on the rise, and it makes sense to cut costs wherever possible. One way to reduce expenses is to cut down on your energy costs. The price you pay varies from month to month, but the fact is that less usage equals a lower bill. Implement these smart ways to cut energy costs in the New Year.

Save on Lighting

Replace your outdated incandescent bulbs with energy-certified compact fluorescent lights or LEDs. They cost slightly more than older bulbs but last significantly longer and use as much as 70% less energy.
Turn off lights when not in use, utilize sensors for less populated areas and use natural daylight instead of artificial lighting during those sunny days.

Unplug It

Get used to unplugging almost everything. When electronics are plugged in and not turned on they still draw small amounts of electricity. If it’s a hassle to unplug everything, purchase a power strip and turn everything off at once. Keep printers, fax machines, and other office equipment turned off instead of using sleep mode for maximum electricity savings.

Consider Changing Out Your Energy-Wasting Appliances

Using old appliances that aren’t ENERGY STAR certified use more electricity than newer models. The cost of a new appliance is better for the environment and the energy savings allow you to break even. Keep your refrigerator full for best chilling results. Consider switching to a front-loading washing machine that uses less water.
When doing laundry, consider hanging clothes on a drying rack or a clothesline if it’s nice outside. Avoid the “Heavy Wash” and “Large Load” settings on the washing machine, these consume more water and energy.
It’s useful to only run your dishwasher when it is full since the majority of its energy consumption is from heating the water and drying the dishes. Allow them to air dry or manually dry them to save on energy costs.

Heating and Cooling

Install a programmable thermostat so you aren’t heating or cooling your home when you’re not there and adjust it to a lower temperature at night if you’re in a cooler climate and a higher temperature if you’re in a warmer climate. Most experts tend to recommend no more than 65 degrees at night for cooler climates.
Implement these simple but effective energy saving tips and start to see your utility bill shrink. Contact Valley Plumbing in Salt Lake City, UT at (801) 405-9334 to learn more about how to save on your costs.

As you deck the halls and make plans to gather the family for a holiday feast, consider your plumbing systems.
Sure, you may not think about your plumbing during the busy holiday season, but for many homeowners, this is their downfall. Plumbing headaches have a habit of cropping up at the worst of times.
To prevent a plumbing disaster during the holidays, you should take some time and pay attention to your plumbing systems. If you do this, you’ll be able to prevent the following problems and enjoy a tranquil and happy holiday season:

Problem 1: Frozen Pipes

One of the worst plumbing disasters a homeowner can face during the holidays is a burst pipe. These issues stem from frozen pipes that are exposed to cold air. To prevent this from happening, we recommend insulating your pipes with foam insulation to protect them from the cold.

Problem 2: Basement Flooding

You rely heavily on your sump pump to pump water away from your home when there is excess water on the ground. In the winter, there is increased precipitation, which leads to a harder working sump pump. For many homeowners, they only rely on the sump pump in emergency situations, leading to the motor in the pump becoming seized from disuse.
Quickly test your sump pump by pouring a bucket of water in the tank to see if it triggers the motor. If nothing happens, you’ll need to call for a professional inspection to confirm if the motor has seized.

Problem 3: Burst Pipes While You are Away

Many homeowners choose to take a vacation during the holidays. If you are leaving your home, we recommend keeping the thermostat set at 55 degrees or more. This will keep the home warm enough to prevent burst pipes and ensure you don’t come home to a mess after your vacation.

Problem 4: Spraying or Dripping Faucets

Some of the most common problems that affect the faucets in your home are corroded or worn out O-rings and washers and sediment building up in the spout.
The former causes drips and leaks while the latter causes a spraying faucet. Neither situation is ideal. Inspect your faucet before the holidays to make sure the water is flowing freely.
 

Problem 5: Inefficient Water Heater

Your water heater needs more energy to retain heat in the winter. Help it out by investing in a water heater insulator. These simple sleeves slip over the unit and protect it from the cold. This will help the unit retain heat, prevent unexpected breakdowns and help save you money on your energy bill.

Problem 6: Leaking or Freezing Outdoor Faucet

Your outdoor faucets need a little love before the holidays too. Even if you have remembered to remove the hoses, did you also remember to close the shut-off valve? The shut-off valve will keep water from entering the pipes preventing leaks and burst pipes in the area.
For more help with your holiday plumbing preparations, call Valley Plumbing today. Call 801-487-4770 today for trustworthy service in Salt Lake City, UT, and the surrounding area.
 

Setting New Year's Resolutions
With the year dwindling to a close, many people are engaging in self-reflection. They are thinking about all of the things they have accomplished and what more they could have done. Many will reflect on issues relating to self-control, such as weight loss or kicking an old habit, like smoking.
However, New Year's resolutions could extend even beyond struggles such as this. For example, they could even extend to saving money by finding solutions to your high bill payments.
These 5 tips will help with setting your New Year's resolutions, now all you have to do is stick to it!
Make A List of Goals You Want To Achieve in 2017
Reflect for a moment on the changes you would like to occur in your everyday life. A high bill payment is not usually on the list of New Year's resolutions. But high bills will impact your overall stress and happiness.
As you are creating your list, think of electricity and water usage and how they could be reduced through making conscious decisions in your home. There is power in making a list. It will make your resolutions real.
Once you have an idea of the changes you would like to occur, make a list of goals.
Categorize Them By Time And Importance
Once you have your list, categorize your goals by time and importance. Some of your goals may not be pressing, but that does not mean that you should push them aside. Rank them by the amount of time they will take to achieve and when it would be appropriate to begin each one.
Set REALISTIC Goals that are not too Easy to Achieve
By tackling harder tasks first, it will give you the confidence you need to tackle smaller tasks. Set realistic goals, but be sure they are challenging, so everything after is a cinch!
An unrealistic resolution will leave you with a feeling of futility. But a goal that is too easy might yield the same result. Strike a proper balance.
Keep The List Where You Will See It Daily
Ensure that you have a constant reminder of your goals. Perhaps you could hang a whiteboard in your living room or on the refrigerator.  It will help remind you of your commitment to yourself and encourage you to stick to the list.
Refer to the List Weekly to Check Off Goals
Have you reduced your energy consumption? Exercised more frequently? Deposited more into your savings account? Check it off the list. If you make a habit of referring to the list, you will not forget about it. Remember to revisit the list weekly, to find out if you've been naughty or nice.
For help sticking to your household money saving goals, contact Valley Plumbing and Drain Cleaning in Salt Lake City, UT, at (801)-341-4222 for more information about our maintenance plans and energy efficient products.

Water heaters are amazing devices that provide hot water to every area of your house whenever you need it. But because these devices are metal containers holding water, are under a great deal of pressure, and operate at high temperatures, there are some risks associated with the units.
But with the right maintenance steps, you can keep your water heater running properly and safely, and ensure it has the longest life possible. And to get your water heater ready for this fall and winter, follow these simple maintenance tips.

Double Checking the Temperature

If you don’t know what the temperature of your water heater is, you should have a look. You may find that you need to adjust it for one reason or another.
Most people set the temperature between 120 F and 140 F, but it’s becoming more common to set heaters to 140 F because of the bacteria-killing properties of this heat level. It seems that 120 F isn’t quite high enough to kill certain bacteria in the water, but it is a good temperature for energy savings.

Adding More Insulation

Everybody wants to save money and energy these days, and you can do this by insulating your water heater tank and pipes. If the pipes don’t have any insulation on them, you can add insulating sleeves that will help reduce energy loss. Similarly, if your water heater tank feels warm to the touch, you should outfit it with an insulating blanket or jacket.
Safety tip: If you have an electric water heater and you outfit it with a blanket or jacket, do not set the thermostat above 130 F. Doing so can cause the wiring to overheat.

Getting Rid of Sediment from the Tank

Sediment naturally builds up in the bottom of your water heater tank, and this can allow bacteria and microbes to grow. Not only can this corrode the tank, but if your water heater isn’t set to the right temperature, it can also allow bacteria into your drinking and bathing water. To prevent this, you should flush the tank on an annual basis, as this removes sediment and mineral buildup.
Safety tip: Wear protective shoes when you flush the tank, because the water coming out is very hot, and spills could burn your skin.

Checking That the Anode Rod Is in Good Condition

The anode rod can extend the life of your water heater because it attracts corrosion to itself rather than the tank. The rod should be inspected every one to two years and replaced every five years.
Safety tip: Before inspecting the anode rod for corrosion, turn off the power and the water, turn on a hot water faucet in the house to relieve pressure, and drain several gallons of water from the drain valve before unscrewing the rod.

Making Sure the TPR Valve Is Working

Without the temperature and pressure relief valve, your water heater is at risk of exploding under the pressure that can sometimes build up inside the tank. To test the valve, simply lift the metal lever attached to the discharge pipe to open the valve. If the valve is working properly, there will be a rush of water out the discharge pipe.
To help keep your family and your home safe, you should inspect and maintain your water heater following these steps annually. Call Valley Plumbing, in Salt Lake City, UT at 801-341-4222 immediately if you encounter any problems, or need help with other plumbing and maintenance issues.

The month of October is Adopt-A-Dog Month, a month dedicated to encouraging people into adopting and rescuing a dog at their local animal shelter. There are many great reasons why you should adopt, rather than buy, a dog at your local shelter.
You can also visit your local animal shelter and learn more information about adopting, what kind of shelter they are, and much more. If you still want to support your local shelter but can't maintain a pet in your home, then there are other actions you can take.

Why You Should Adopt and Not Shop!

Sure people believe that you should purchase a dog at a pet shop rather than adopting one because dogs from a pet store are cleaner, less-problematic purebreds. That's a myth. There are plenty of good reasons why adopting a dog is better for both the dog and the adopter.
These reasons include:

• adoption of a dog means saving that dog's life
• purchasing a dog or a puppy from a pet store is more expensive than adopting
• you can choose whether you want a puppy or an adult dog that's more likely to have been trained already

 

Dogs from a Shelter are Cleaner than Pet Shop Dogs

Not only are they cleaner, but they are also healthier. Shelters usually vaccinate their dogs as well as spay and neuter them. On top of all of that, shelter dogs don't have as many problems on a genetic level than dogs from a pet shop.
Pet stores rely on obtaining "purebred" dogs from puppy mills. Dogs that are purebred are forced to mate with their relatives, and as a result, end up receiving more genetic defects and diseases than mutts do.
Those who run puppy mills don't care about the fact that their animals may end up or currently have physical problems. They don't even take great care of their dogs.
To them, dogs are nothing more than a means to earn more money. Adopting a dog can discourage the demand for dogs bred from these cruel puppy mills.

Visit Your Local Animal Shelter to Learn More

You can learn whether or not your local shelter is a no-kill shelter by checking them out in person. The shelter can provide you with useful information on how their dogs are treated, and how to care for a dog, yourself. Maybe your next visit will end with you adopting a new dog.

Volunteering and Donating are Great Alternatives to Helping Your Local Shelter

You may not be able to own a pet of your own or just simply don't want to. That's alright because you can instead go to your local shelter to help out. Just doing basic tasks like washing dishes and feeding the pets can be a huge benefit to the shelter. Even if you don't have the time to volunteer, you can still donate money. A little bit of money can go a long way to these shelters.
Please donate to American Humane in Washington, DC, and don't hesitate to call at (800) 227-4645. They founded Adopt-a-Dog Month and are dedicated to rescuing shelter dogs.
If you find yourself in need of some plumbing assistance in the Salty Lake City, UT area, please contact Valley Plumbing and Drain Cleaning, at (801) 341-4222 today to schedule a service call.