Mr Rooter - Life in the Toilet !

Rebuilding America

2011-04-28T07:07:00.002-04:00

Mr. Rooter Plumbing is excited to announce that we will be participating in Rebuilding America Day on April 30th, http://www.rebuildingtogether.org. We are working on one of 12 projects that Rebuilding Dutchess, www.rebuildingtogetherdutchess.org is completing on Saturday. Mr. Rooter will be removing a bathtub and installing a walk in shower, replacing two toilets, repairing a kitchen sink, unclogging a stubborn drain, and anything else this couple may need. We are helping to fix a house for a terminally ill man and his caregiver, his lovely wife. I have had the pleasure of meeting both of them and despite their amazing challenges in life their upbeat attitude, kindness, and warmth is remarkable. We are two of a team of 20 volunteers that are working on this house. I feel truly blessed to be able to help and get great strength from this lovely couple.

Warm - Don't get used to it............

2011-02-18T08:56:00.002-05:00

It is going to be warm today. Lot’s of snow melt and possible flooding. Check your sump pump! All you have to do is lift the float and make sure it comes on. Don’t run it dry for more than a few seconds, you could damage it. I will be repairing gutters today in anticipation of the rain coming tomorrow. The ice from the past storms and weather did a lot of damage to the gutters.

On a positive note my cat has started shedding, a sure sign that warm weather and Spring is on its way. I build a file all winter for the jobs that we can’t do. I call everyone on March 1st and start to schedule the work but it looks like it will have to wait another few weeks this year. We need the snow to be gone and the ground to dry out a little bit before we can start digging.

Unbelievable

2011-01-26T07:13:00.000-05:00

For the past month, every day, I speak to people about frozen pipes. Some days more than other, depending on the temperature. "Can you thaw it out, why did it freeze, how much will it cost, this never happened before."

Here is the unbelievable part, I had a frozen pipe in my own house. I was in such denial that I replaced the circulator and the flow valve. I have lived in my house for 20 years and have NEVER had a frozen pipe. Here is how it happened. I was home last Sunday and had a fire in the fireplace. Once I get the fire going I can heat up my house pretty well. So with the fire cranked my heat never ran. By the time the house cooled off the thermostat was not calling for heat, so the heat did not run for a long time on the coldest night of the year.

I could have solved the problem easily by not using the set back thermostat on the coldest night of the year, something I preach to everyone.

If it is cold do not set back the thermostat at night, generally below 5 degrees F. If you use an alternate mode of heating ie: fireplace, wood stove, pellet stove, electric heaters, make sure to run your heat every hour or so when it is frigid outside. If you have plumbing on an outside wall, most likely your kitchen sink, open the cabinet doors and remove the garbage cans before you go to bed. If you have a room that gets colder than others leave the door open to circulate the air. Make sure to close your garage door when you leave in the morning. It does not take much to keep pipes from freezing. It is the thawing process that is difficult and expensive.

This winter is still warmer than "normal," January is now colder than normal but overall we are still having a warm winter.

Stay warm and be careful shoveling snow.

Cold Frozen Pipes

2010-12-18T08:33:00.002-05:00

It took a couple of weeks but I am finally used to the cold. I love it most when it is below zero and the air is so crisp and clear and quiet. Driving to work in the morning I see white vapor rising out of every one’s chimney, trying to keep warm. From a warm bed to a cold house and than from a warm house to a cold car watching my breath in the air.

We keep the thermostats as low as possible while still being able to work. We only heat the parts of the building that we use and only when we use them and I always seem to be asking people to close the door, “it’s cold outside.”

If it gets cold enough or you are careless you may experience frozen pipes. Customers will call around 6PM and say they have water running out of the ceiling of their garage. I ask “leave the garage door open today?” Don’t worry you aren’t the only one.

If you have never had frozen pipes you probably don’t have to worry about it unless your heat goes off. If you are heating with a wood or pellet stove you can still freeze pipes in remote locations where the heat now never runs. If you use clock thermostats, and it is below zero, don’t set the heat back, it is just too cold for the system to get caught back up.

Make sure your basement doors and windows are closed. If you have a pipe in a crawl space make sure to insulate it. Maybe the crawl space needs some heat. It does not take much to keep a pipe from freezing.

If you do freeze a pipe, open the doors of the cabinet if the pipes go to a sink. Growing up in a 200 year old farmhouse, whenever it was cold we would remove the garbage cans from under the sink and leave the cabinet doors open to prevent the pipes from freezing. Kitchen sinks are frequently on outside walls and sometime the pipes are too close to that outside wall. Hair dryers work miracles, don’t leave it unattended, they are not designed to work for hours and tend to burn out quickly when used to thaw pipes.

If a pipe is frozen in a wall or between a ceiling and floor make a hole in the ceiling to let the warm air in, you will be surprised how fast the pipe may thaw.

Or just call Mr. Rooter Plumbing, 845.635.2102, 24/7, to thaw out those pipes and restore water and heat. Don’t wait, a frozen pipe is not a burst pipe but it will be if it is left unattended to.

We live our code of values by

2010-12-11T14:37:00.002-05:00

We live our code of values by treating others as we would like to be treated. This is something my mother and father taught me and I like to remind everyone at Mr. Rooter of it once and a while. Every week at our training meeting we read the code of values starting off every meeting. What does it mean to us on a daily basis at Mr. Rooter Plumbing?

Calling people back in a timely fashion, keeping our appointment times, repairing the problem the first time. Not making a mess in your home, not damaging anything, giving options, letting the customer participate in the decision of how to repair the problem. Discussing the pros and cons of each decision, completing the work in a timely fashion, using only quality materials. All things we expect from service companies ourselves.

Whether we are replacing your water heater, pumping your septic tank, repairing your dripping faucet, or replacing your septic tank and or system make sure we are treating you as you want to be treated.

Expansion

2010-12-04T11:59:00.000-05:00

As of December 1, 2010 I have increased the size of my territory and the people I service by 50%. The expansion comes at a time when we need more calls and more sales to keep pace with last year. Despite the challenging economy we have maintained our sales numbers year to year. 76% of our calls are repeat business proving to us that obsessing over superior customer service pays off. Thanks to all of our loyal customers for continuing to use us for all of your plumbing and septic repairs.

We currently service Dutchess, Putnam, Westchester, and Rockland Counties in New York State. We just added Orange and southern Ulster Counties to our service area. Adding about 400,000 people to a customer base of 950,000 already serviced. We look forward to meeting and making new friends in our new territories.

I would like to thak Jack, the former owner of the territory, for the opportunity of carrying on his years of service work and trusting us to take care of all of his customers.

Give us a call at 845.635.2102 anytime for any plumbing repairs, septic repairs, septic tank cleaning and/or pumping, sump pumps, water heaters, and so much more. All 24/7 and never an overtime charge.

50 Years Old.........................

2010-11-26T10:56:00.002-05:00

There are things in my life that I can’t believe are happening or have happened. All good things. I turned 50 years old two days ago so I guess that some reflection is natural.

I can’t believe how expensive kitchen cabinets are, or brake rotors (owning 20+ trucks I buy a lot of brake rotors,) and health insurance. Lets talk about fuel oil and school taxes.

As I reflect on where I am today I never imagined (when I was 18) that I would be pumping septic tanks, repairing plumbing, and providing emergency plumbing services to tens of thousands of people. I never imagined that I would have assembled such an amazing team as the one I have at Mr. Rooter Plumbing. I never imagined that I would have met so many wonderful people and developed so many great relationships.

I happened to just have my annual physical and except for a few minor aches and pains I am in perfect health. Low cholesterol, low blood pressure, I’ve gotten my weight down a little, low PSA score, just down right boring.

I am fortunate enough to still be able to run. I assumed my knees would have given out years ago but yesterday I went out for a 1 hour run. I have been running since I was 16 years old and haven’t stopped. I do not look forward to the day when I can’t run anymore. I lift weights twice a week to keep my muscle mass up and now do Yoga twice a week also. The Yoga helps overall balance, strength, and concentration. I always feel better after Yoga. I recommend it to everyone.

The last 50 years has been a good ride and I know, with all that I have learned, that the next 50 years will be much better.

SWPPP

2010-10-26T14:39:00.000-04:00

Storm Water Pollution Protection Plan.
Any job in New York State that disturbs more than 1 acre of ground requires a SWPPP. Except the area of the State that is in the New York City Watershed and East of the Hudson River. All of Westchester County, most of Putnam County and some of Dutchess County fall into this category. In this area the area of disturbance is reduced to 5,000 square feet.

I am building a fill pad for a septic system and it is larger than 5,000 square feet so we had to have a SWPPP. Additionally, the contractor (me) has to be trained in Erosion and Sediment Control by a Department of Environmental Conversation endorsed training and must be on site every day during construction.

I own this site until I have 80% vegetative coverage, which cannot happen this late in the fall. I will either have to buy sod or have weekly inspections as well as inspections by the DEC from now through April of next year.

I have found this process onerous and have also learned a lot. Polluted runoff is one of the Nation’s greatest threats to clean water. Contaminated runoff has impaired 1970 miles of streams and rivers, 244 square miles of lakes and reservoirs, and 725 miles of estuaries. To relate this problem to construction activities. One acre of cleared land for development equals 10 tons of eroded sediment per year and one acre of impervious cover (blacktop or concrete) equals one million gallons of runoff per year. The United States loses 600 million tons of sediment per year which is enough to cover 400 football fields per day to a depth of one foot.

All of this sediment ends up in rivers, stream beds, lakes and/or oceans. The next time you are walking through the parking lot in the rain look and see that sheen of oil running with the rain water. It shouldn’t be there.

Training Traiining Training

2010-10-16T08:12:00.000-04:00

I focus on training my technicians and office staff a lot. We have weekly meetings to encourage, train, break old habits, form new habits, learn how to lift without hurting our backs, and to teach new technologies. I spend a lot of time on this but sometimes forget to take care of myself.

I got to spend the last two days with 20 other franchisees and our corporate team training and reinvigorating myself. It is interesting how I forget the basics and how much I can learn from my fellow Rooters. From books to read to a new phone systems, social media, and the Ronald McDonald House, all subjects I need to work on but don't know where to start. Talking to my fellow zees gets me most of the information I need, enough to at least get me to the right person and teach me what to look at to make the right decision for me, my customers, and my employees.

After 14 years as a franchisee I realize how important the organization is. Together, franchisees and the franchiser, can accomplish so much, pooling our resources and the franchiser facilitating our efforts and keeping us on the leading edge of the industry. But where we really benefit is when we help each other. Visiting each others shops, sharing numbers, just talking over lunch or dinner. The value to the system is in each other. Competing plumbing companies don't talk to each other. Where I live they won't even call for a reference for a prospective employee. With 250 Mr. Rooters I have a support team beyond belief. It is this support and these realtionships that keep me going on a daily basis. Without my friends at Mr. Rooter I never would have made it this far. I never would have made it through the good, bad, tough, or great times.

I would like to thank all of you for your support and encouragement over the years.

It's getting cold

2010-10-09T07:49:00.000-04:00

Today's chores are all about winter. When it snows my driveway becomes much smaller. So I move as much as I can inside the buildings, reposition trailiers, and park the septic trucks at another location. I have tested the heaters, plugged in the heat tapes, and am cleaning the gutters and catch basins.

I suggest all homeowners clean your gutters and catch basins in preperation for winter. Remove all hoses from the spigot or it will freeze. If you septic tank needs cleaning - the Department of Health reccomends every 2 or 3 years - get it done now before we have snow. If you have experienced problems with your sewer line and need a sewer line repair think about it now. Having to do it in the cold of winter will just make it more difficult and expensive. Have you had your boiler cleaned? Pool closed? Sprinkler system winterized?

What about your equipment? Snowblower ready to go, does it start? Tractor, lawnmower winterized and put away? New windshield wipers on the car? So many things to do and when I am done I can go to my mothers house and do it all again.

At least the cat stopped shedding, for awhile.

Enjoy the amazing beautiful fall weather, notice the color of the leaves and the spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Get outside before it is too late.

Training

2010-09-30T06:57:00.000-04:00

Every Thursday morning we have technician training. It is a time when we all get to share our week, talk about what good things happened, and what challenges we had. We start by rewarding them for a job well done. After every service call we call our customer to check in, see how the service went, and make sure everything is OK. For every great review we give the technician $5.00. At Mr. Rooter we want to gain customers for life. Currently 72% of our business is repeat business proving to us that our hard work and dedication to customer service is paying off.

Todays training will focus on lead paint safety and septic tanks. We will have a question and answer period with the answers guiding what we need to talk about. While my technicians are a very experienced crew it always amazes me how we all learn something every week when we have this training session, no matter what the subject.

Todays triaining will focus on Septic Tank maintenance, Septic Tank cleaning, how the septic systems work, and how to complete a whole house inspection including the septic system. We get a lot of calls from worried customers who feel their septic system is failing because they have water in their yard. During an inspection of the house we discover a running toilet or two that are the cause of the problem. That is why we inspect the whole house not just the septic system. Sometimes it is a simple solution.

Call Mr. Rooter Plumbing, 845.635.2102, and ask them to mail you a Septic System Care brochure to help you maintain a healthy septic system. A properly maintained septic system can last 50 ears or more!

Young Adam

2010-09-18T11:23:00.000-04:00

Young Adam has just received his Journey's Plumber License. In our field of work this is a big deal. It is an important step towards becoming a Licensed Master Plumber.

His name is just Adam, I call him "young Adam," at 50 years old everyone seems young.

Adam came to Mr. Rooter Plumbing from another plumbing company where he was a helper. Basically a "get me this, get me that" guy. Adam was smart enough to absorb a lot of what he was watching but his last employer did not take advantage of his drive and his knowledge.

At Mr. Rooter Plumbing we have apprentices, they are hired to learn the trade and our goal is to get them into a truck on their own. Adam has surpassed all of our expectations. He installs almost all of our water heaters, can clear clogged drains, inspect septic systems, locate broken sewage lines, repair toilet, sinks, and so much more.

Adam not only knows what he is doing but he is pleasant, cheerful, and on time. Our customers love him and rave about him during our follow up calls. He has a calm, pleasant demeanor that is calming during a time of crisis.

I want to thank Adam for coming to work with us at Mr. Rooter Plumbing. It is an honor and privilege to know you and work with you.

The Wetlands Commission

2010-09-14T20:39:00.000-04:00

Last night I had the pleasure of going in front of the Town of Bedford Wetlands Commission. It can be a careful balancing act between living in our homes and protecting the environment. As long as everyone is reasonable we can all work together to come up with a solution that best fits everyones concerns. The wetland commission had concerns and we dealt with them. Additionally we had concerns and they did everything they could to accommodate us. Our biggest restraint at this point is the weather. We need to get the fill pad planted before the weather gets too cold to plant grass. While all of this takes time the commissioners said they would make sure to review the plans submitted in a timely fashion to help us get this done. We often go in front of these boards and expect to be harassed and given more problems than solutions. This board was helpful, knowledgeable, and mostly care about their town and provide public service to show it.

Thanks for your help.

Clint

Winter is coming.

2010-09-13T08:15:00.000-04:00

Sorry, but winter is coming. I go away a lot and I worry a lot. Yesterday I installed a Sensaphone system in my house. It monitors the outside temperature, inside temperature, the boiler, and most importantly the sump pump. Check it out at http://www.sensaphone.com/sensaphone_web600.php. I installed the web based monitoring model so I can see what is going on from anywhere I am, all I need is the IP address.

A flooded basement and/or frozen pipes are two things I don't want. Now I will have a little warning, even if I am at work. I hate to come home a 8PM to a cold house.

The system installed easily and has many more options. The company also has many other products that can use the phone instead of the web in case you don't have service. Great for vacation homes!

I know I will sleep a little better and worry a little less with my new monitoring system.