My Plumber Heating and Cooling

Wet Weather Alert

2010-02-23T08:32:00.000-08:00

With the melting snow turning lawns and gardens into mud pits, we thought a little reminder would be in order.
• Please check your areaway drains to make sure they are not clogged with leaves and debris; they are draining properly.
• Make sure your sump pump is plugged in and the breaker that controls it is operating.
• Check your sump pump to insure that it is operating properly by pouring a bucket of water through the pit.

More rain or snow is forecast for later this week. Plumbing companies know that these weather conditions will translate into more work than they can handle. Please don’t get left out. Check your system before the flooding starts.

Winter's Cold

2010-02-15T07:45:00.000-08:00

My name is Susan Phillips and I write much of what goes into My Plumber Heating and Cooling’s blog. I have been with My Plumber for over 15 years in one capacity or another writing my way through much of my career with this company.
Recently My Plumber country (Northern Virginia and Suburban Maryland) came in for a patch of bad weather. With three back-to-back winter storms, we broke the record for the snowiest winter on record (set in 1899) with more than 6 weeks of winter still to go. It was during the second storm that I lost my electricity and with it my household heat. We were in the house over-night with temperatures dropping into the single digits. We spent the next 36 hours in a neighbor’s home huddled close to a small wood stove with John, Jen, their 4 small children and Christina, the nanny.
Ultimately someone got the trees off the power-lines and heat was re-established in our home. But not before a couple of home truths were brought home to me. Hypothermia is really, really bad and all things being equal military families make the best neighbors on earth; good neighbors being worth their weight in gold.
There was nothing that My Plumber could have done to change the situation that I found myself in. Others suffered worse - in this ill weather. But the double whammy of no heat and a car encased in ice hammered home the point. Cold become desperate in a brief span of hours.
So I want to take a moment to encourage everyone who has not done so to please, get a home heating system check-up while it is still on sale. At $55 plus 5 cans of food to the Warm Hands and Full Hearts food drive it’s a steal.
What happened to me was not preventable but a glitch in your heating system at the worst time of year need never happen, with a little preventative maintenance.

Furnace Giveaway!

2010-01-25T10:49:00.000-08:00

Through the end of February, My Plumber Heating and Air is making it more affordable this winter season to heat your home. Now, with the purchase and installation of an American Standard Air Conditioning System (14 seer or higher) My Plumber is going to give each customer a Free American Standard Furnace. To find out more about this offer call 703-656-4456.

Food Out The Door

2010-01-22T06:03:00.000-08:00

January 22, 2010 we sent 600 pounds of food to Arlington Food Assistance.

Dealing With Frozen Pipes

2010-01-12T04:31:00.000-08:00

There have been several instances across the country of homeowners trying to thaw thier frozen water pipes with a propane torch, only to lose thier homes when the insulation caught fire. One of these instances resulted in the death of an elderly Texas woman. Ladies and gentlemen please don't try that trick.
If the pipe on an exterior wall freezes raise the household heat a few degrees and open a cabinet door to expose the pipe to the warmer inside air. That's the safest measure you can take.
If you must, use a hair dryer to gently warm the pipe or place a lighted lamp near the frozen pipe. Don't abandon electrical items under the sink. Frozen pipes are subject to burst. Electricity and water don't mix.

Baby it's Cold Outside

2010-01-08T11:10:00.000-08:00

And My Plumber Heating and Cooling would like to remind you that when temperatures drop into the low 20's or lower it is time to let a little water drip. Turn on a faucet as far away from the water main as possible. Open cabinet doors to expose pipes that run along an outside wall to as much warm (inside) air as possible. And stay warm; setting your thermostat below 60 degrees is asking for trouble of the frozen pipe variety.

2009-12-11T07:39:00.000-08:00

My Plumber faces G&C Challenge

2009-11-30T13:05:00.000-08:00

G&C Automotive recently offered a matching challenge to My Plumber Heating and Air's seasonal food collection programs. For every can of food My Plumber collected between November 23 and November 27, 2009 with its "5 plus $55 Heating System Check Up" program and its "Winter Sweep" program ($10 off in exchange for five cans of food, with a $25 coupon for a future service), G&C Automotive donated an equal number of cans, up to 100 cans of food. Gregg Caldwell, owner of G&C and R. Wendell Presgrave, owner of My Plumber, hoped to gather an additional 200 cans of food for those in need through this challenge.

Each time a customer took advantage of My Plumber Heating and Air's offer to provide a comprehensive heating system checkup (a $198 value) for $55 plus a donation of at least five cans of food, or donated to the "Winter Sweep" in exchange for a $10 discount and a coupon for $25 off a future service, G&C added five cans of food to My Plumber's collection bins. "We have been a customer of the company for years and we repair their trucks.

I know G&C," responded R. Wendell Presgrave, owner of the plumbing and HVAC firm, "so I know that Gregg is as good as his word. I never doubted for a moment that Greg Caldwell and G&C would chip in with the 100 cans they offered."

My Plumber Heating and Air has been collecting food for needy area families since 2004 through various coupon and incentive programs. More information about My Plumber Heating and Air is available on its website at www.myplumber.com, or send e-mail to myplumber@myplumber.com. G&C Automotive maintains a website at www.gandcauto.com.

Plumber Raising Food for Fairfax, Virginia.

2009-11-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

Even though My Plumber Heating and Air is based in Manassas, Virginia. Their work takes them to counties throughout Northern Virginia and Suburban Maryland. They keep that in mind when it comes to distributing the food they raise in thier Warm Hands and Full Hearts food drive. That is why the next load of food to go out the door will go to Fairfax, Va. to a worthy organization called Food for Others.

My Plumber Heating and Air Kicks off Food Drive

2009-11-06T07:54:00.000-08:00

November 6, 2009 - To kick off its winter season food drive, My Plumber Heating and Air today donated 483 pounds of food to the Serve Inc. (Securing Emergency Resources through Volunteer Effort) shelter in Manassas. Although the company collects food for the needy all year long, it increases its efforts during the winter season, from season, from November through the end of February. "Bad enough to be hungry," said company founder, R. Wendell Presgrave, "But I can't stomach the thought of a child or one of our elders being hungry in these winter months. Not when there is something My Plumber can do about it."

My Plumber Heating and Air has developed a rather unorthodox means of collecting food. The service plumbers and HVAC technicians at My Plumber offer their customers a $10 disount and a coupon for $25 off a future service in exchange for 5 non-perishable food items. My Plumber also offers a deeply-discounted heating system check-up, along with a $25 coupon good for any future service through April 2010, in exchange for 5 cans of food.

My Plumber Heating and Air has been collecting food for needy area families since 2004 through various coupon and incentive programs. To learn more about My Plumber Heating and Air's Warm Hands and Full Hearts food drive, visit the website at http://www.myplumber.com/ and choose specials from the main menu. To schedule service online, cleck on the telephone icon. More information about SERVE Inc. can be found at wwww.serveinc.org.

A Halloween Warning from My Plumber Heating and Air

2009-10-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

Sir or Madame please be aware, for your garbage disposal, a danger is there
It's time to carve pumpkin and many have learned,
An expensive lesson, from the blades that did churn.
Pumpkin mess to gelatinous mass, there is no way around it,
Twill leave you aghast.

So take heed Fair Ladies and Gents,
Your garbage disposal and pumpkin don't mix.
Cook the Flesh and Toast the Seed
Compost the rest, if that is your need.

But please sweetest ladies and burley, strong men,
Don't grind up a pumpkin in your kitchens sink drain.
pumpkin will fool you, all sweet and pretty,
Your drain it will cling to and clog up to fiend you.

So finest people
Heed my dire warning,
Don't feed your grinder with Halloween Pumpkin.
O.K., So no pox will fall on you,
Just an extensive plumbing pipe haunting.

Winterizing Your Outside Plumbing System

2009-10-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

Northern Va. and Suburban Md. - "If the cool, crisp days of autumn are upon us," said Mark Presgrave of My Plumber Heating and Air recently, "it stands to reason that freezing rain, sleet and snow will soon follow. It is time to winterize your outside hose bib to protect your home from a burst water supply pipe."

There are frost-proof hose bibs and non frost-proof hose bibs. The easiest way to identify the difference is by the location of the handle. If the handle is on top of the faucet, it is probably not frost-proof. If the faucet continues to drain for a few seconds after it is truned off, it probably is frost-proof. Both types of hose bibs need to be winterized for full protection against a burst pipe causing a plumbing leak, during a hard freeze.

First, disconnect the hose and any timer or other device attached to the hose bib. Then locate the shut-off valve (inside the house) for the hose bib and turn it off to interrupt the water supply. Back outside, simply open the faucet and let it drain completely. This simple act of prevention, which takes just a few minutes, can protect a home from serious water damage caused by a frozen, broken water pipe.

For more information regarding this plumbing alert or further information about My Plumber Heating and Air, please visit their website at www.myplumber.com. To contact My Plumber Heating and Air, e-mail myplumber@myplumber.com.

Singing the Summertime A/C Bill Blues?

2009-06-22T12:02:00.000-07:00

Don’t suffer through another summer of sky-high electricity charges. If an overworked or an under-maintained air conditioning unit is to blame, take these hints and get a grip on that utility bill.

* Make sure that your filter is clean. Many people think that changing the filter or cleaning it twice a year is plenty of protection, but the filter should be checked once a month. If dust is apparent on the filter, it is time to change it. A dirty filter means that dirt is sifting through into the system and a dirty system requires more energy to work.
* If your home is on two levels, make sure the upper level vents are wide open and the lower-level vents are slightly closed. Shutting them completely can stifle proper air-flow and harm the system. Heat rises, and limiting the intake on the lower floor will ensure that your home receives equal cooling distribution.
* Check that your air conditioners fan is in the “on” position instead of on “auto”. This will improve air circulation and will allow you to be comfortable at a higher room temperature.
* Keep curtains drawn against the summer sunshine. The sun beating through the window may brighten the room, but it plays havoc with the utility bill and sends electricity charges through the roof.
* Get your A/C system cleaned and checked by a professional HVAC technician. This will improve your systems operations and the technician can spot potential problems before they cause a mid-summer breakdown.

Be a cool operator this summer. Use these tips in the name of “going green” or because you want to maintain a level of comfort while you save. Either way, using these tips will help you maintain your cool and keep your electricity under budget.

A/C Failure Nightmare

2009-06-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

If your air conditioning system is going to fail it will most likely happen in the hottest week of summer. And good luck getting an A/C tech out that week. It's his busiest week of the year.
It's a nightmare. Fortunately, it's a nightmare that need not come true. Proper maintenance on your air conditioning system before you start it up for the summer will help you pinpoint most potential problems before you give your a/c it's summer workout.
Todd Shea, Service Manager for the HVAC team at My Plumber also adds this reminder "When you pay your mortgage, take a moment to check your a/c filter. If it looks a little dirty, change it out. replacing the filter once a season is not often enough. A dirty air conditioning condenser is inefficient and is a major cause for system breakdown."

Winners - Malcom Fisher and John Hutton

2009-06-05T07:59:00.000-07:00

_________________________________________________

Congratulations Malcom Fisher(Left) and John Hutton(Right) on winning the 2009 Nexstar Legacy Foundation Award Scholarship

Mac and John will receive $400 toward next years
apprenticeship education classes.

June is Apprentice Appreciation Month

2009-06-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

June is Apprentice Appreciation Month at My Plumber Heating and Air. All apprentices and the trainers they are riding with get a day of lunch-out on the company. Everyone else in the apprenticeship program gets a certificate of appreciation.
Without the people who apprentice themselves to a company like My Plumber there would simply not be enough plumbers and HVAC techs to go around. Some things you just can’t learn in school and some things you can’t learn anywhere but school, so apprentices get a quality education and hands-on experience in the field, simultaneously.

The picture above was taken several years ago. The young man is working at the parts recognition stage of his apprenticeship, almost ready to go out on a truck with a trainer. Take a forward leap by several years and you would have a photo of Oscar Sosa, I.D. Number 1115OS, one of our top producing plumbing technicians.

Just a reminder:

Most companies have a Senior Citizens Discount, many companies have a Military Service Personnel Discount. At My Plumber Heating and Air we offer the same standard discount to Educators and First Responders.

If you are looking for service from My Plumber, check out our website at http://www.myplumber.com/. There are seasonal coupons and a discount for setting up online, as well as a complete listing of our available discounts.

Fighting Hunger in Our Community

2009-04-30T07:33:00.000-07:00

My Plumber Heating and Air Seeks Partners to Fight Hunger

May 1, 2009 – Northern Va. and Suburban Md. My Plumber Heating and Air is justifiably proud of the more than 60,000 pounds of food it has collected for its neighbors in need over the past five years. The company’s Warm Hands and Full Hearts Food Drive, which ran seasonally and offered discount coupons in exchange for nonperishable food items, has been an unqualified success. Recently, however, company Vice President Mark Presgrave announced some changes to the program that are intended to expand its reach through partnerships with local organizations that have food pantries or feeding centers.
“We’ve proved that companies can give back to the neighborhood and have a positive impact. With more companies across the country asking for permission to use the Warm Hands and Full Hearts logo, the indicators are pretty good that others are taking our original plan and running with it,” Presgrave stated in his announcement. “The attention the web site at http://www.warmhandsandfullhearts.com/ generates for the plight of the hungry helped us realize that we should not keep counting food. Better to concentrate on getting more food back in the hands of those who need it,” he added. “So now we are looking for partners, such as churches and other organizations, interested in feeding the hungry.”
My Plumber Heating and Air has begun to pursue new food drive partners by creating a coupon that has My Plumber’s name and the name of the partnering organization, with an offer of a home cooling or home plumbing inspection at a discounted rate of $55 in return for a donation of five cans of food. The partnering organizations pass the coupons along to their members. When the coupons are redeemed, My Plumber collects the donated food and transports it to the partnering organization for distribution through a food pantry or feeding center. The partnering organization’s members receive the home system inspection they need at a discounted price, and the food collected reaches the hungry more efficiently through the partnering organization’s existing distribution mechanisms.
My Plumber is seeking partners throughout Northern Virginia and Suburban Maryland. Organizations with food pantries or feeding centers whose members might be interested in this program are encouraged to call My Plumber at 703-367-7781.

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For Further Information Contact:

Susan E. Phillips
Community Outreach Coordinator
Phone: 703-367-7976
Email: susan@myplumber.com

2009-04-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

Each month My Plumber Heating and Air celebrates a new Warm Hands and Full Hearts project, sometimes two. This month we are having a Denim Day on April 24, 2009.

At My Plumber, our dress code does not allow for blue jeans, so a Denim Day is a special treat for employees. Office staff pays $5 for the privilege of wearing their blue jeans to work. In turn, the company donates those funds to a worthy cause. This month the cause is little Hunter Presgrave, a five-year old boy from Kitty Hawk, NC who has been stricken with Wilm's tumor, a cancerous growth on one of his kidneys.

Doctors removed the tumor and the kidney and his prognisis is very good. He has five months of chemotherapy ahead of him and a long, rough row to hoe. So do his parents. His medical treatments are expensive and insurance is not covering everything. We will let you know how things turn out. In the meantime if you would like to help the Presgrave family with Hunter's medical bills, please send a check to:

The Hunter Presgrave Fund

C/O OBX Bank

P.O. Box 629

Kitty Hawk, NC 27949

Things That Go Bump Under the Sink

2009-04-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

Is the area under your sink or lavatory filled with household cleaning chemicals and other stored items. No matter how tempting, that space should not be used for household storage. Too many items crowded in with the pipes and connections can “bump” against the supply lines and drains creating a leak you don't need.

Home Plumbing and HVAC Tips

2009-04-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

Check toilets for hidden leaks with this simple procedure. Place 4-6 drops of food coloring in your toilet tanks, check back in ½ hour. If the color shows up in your toilet bowl, you have a leak.

June is National Safety Month

2008-06-05T10:39:00.000-07:00

We are working hard this month to keep everyone safe at My Plumber Heating and Air. If we have no injuries this month on July 3rd the "BOSS" promised we get to have a pizza party! YUMMM

Keep on the lookout because the Summer Community Activities are almost ready to announce.....and there is a very special announcement coming soon about the Warm Hands and Full Hearts food drive.