Flashback Friday: In-home Plumbing Tips

Plumbing systems are pretty simple – they use pressure and valves and you just have to keep them dry and warm so problems don’t arise. Here are a few tips that can alert you to small problems in order to avoid bigger problems in the future.

Warning signs of a potential in-home plumbing problem:

• damp cabinets
• leaking or dripping faucets
• wobbly toilets
• leaking refrigerator, dishwasher or washing machine

What you can do to help preserve the integrity of your in-home plumbing:

• To save yourself money and the plumber time, know where your home’s main water shut-off valve and sewer stack are located. (This also includes the valves for washing machines, icemakers, sinks and toilets. A stud sensor can also detect pipes and wiring to help you locate valves.)
• Insulate exposed pipes in a crawl space or in the garage with plastic or foam insulation.
• Apply insulating caps to outdoor fixtures.
• If you plan on being away from home for a few days, open taps to a small trickle to prevent pipes from freezing.
• For leaky shower heads, replace the washer.
• Fit tub and shower drains with strainers to catch hair and clean them regularly.
• Don’t use your toilet as a wastebasket.
• If you have hard water, you probably have a build-up of mineral deposit on your shower head. Remove the build-up by putting one cup of distilled vinegar in a plastic bag, immerse the shower head in the vinegar, secure the bag to the shower head with a twist tie and let it soak overnight.
• Check washer hoses for bulges and leaks as well as sediment build-up where the hose connects to the piping.
• Ensure the water heater temperature is not set above 120°F, or “medium” for older water heater models.
• Reduce water pressure and install water softener to expand the life expectancy of your in-home plumbing pipes. Normal pressure will register between 40 and 85 psi.

 

To find out how to help protect yourself in the event of an in-home plumbing emergency, visit www.slwofc.ca.

Flashback Friday: Put Your Landscape on a Water Diet

When plants absorb sunlight to produce oxygen through photosynthesis, the water in their leaves evaporates, requiring the plant to pull water from the ground – which could be trouble for some plants in drought-prone areas.

During periods of extreme heat and drought, this process can use all of a plant’s water resources quickly. As a result, when the weather is hotter, a natural reaction when gardening is to water the plants. Unfortunately, too much of a good thing could be detrimental to the plants. If plants are overwatered during the hottest months, it could send mixed signals, encouraging growth at a time when the plant should be conserving resources. Sometimes it’s better to put your landscape on a strict water diet to ensure healthy plants and conserve water during the hottest months.

So what’s the right amount of water for your plants? That relies on several factors, including:

• Climate
• Types of plants
• Current weather predictions

In order to keep your landscape on a strict diet and conserve water, here are a few simple tricks from the Environmental Protection Agency:

• Select plants native to the climate, which will require less water since they are adapted to adjust with the seasons locally. Local nurseries can give you the best advice for native plants along with tips on how to properly care for them.
• Water plants in the early morning or late evening and not during the hottest part of the day. Be sure to note the weather forecast so you don’t water in the morning only for it to rain later in the day.
• Use mulch to help retain moisture in the soil.
• Group plants with similar watering needs together, which will help not only conserve water, but concentrate your watering areas correctly.

When monitoring your plants, there are some tell-tale signs they need water:

• Drooping leaves and stems
• Flowers that lose their petals too soon
• Plant coloration – look for a brownish color

These simple tips will help keep your landscape fit and trim this summer. Interested in learning more about photosynthesis? Check out these articles on How Stuff Works andEncylopedia.com. For more information on finding native plants in your area, check out Find Native Plants.

 

Flashback Friday – Madison, Wisconsin

Today we travel to the capital of the State of Wisconsin. Named for the fourth President of the United States, James Madison, the City offers residents and visitors entertainment, adventure, and history. It features the Wisconsin State Capitol Building, modeled after the U.S. Capitol’s dome.

Once you have taken in the sites at the Capitol Building, make your way to the Olbrich Botanical Gardens. Open year round, the gardens span 16 acres of beautiful landscapes. Featuring multiple outdoor gardens, you can enjoy the roses in the Rose Garden, absorb the beauty of the Perennial Garden, and work up an appetite at the Herb Garden.

During the cold Wisconsin winters, make your way inside to the Bolz Conservatory. This 50-foot-high glass pyramid is a tropical oasis. Home to a waterfall, a diverse tropical plant collection, and free-flying birds, you will feel like you have just stepped out of a blizzard and into the tropics! Some of the more unique plant life is located in the Conservatory, where you can observe banana, vanilla, and coffee plants before getting up close and personal with a collection of carnivorous plants. Just don’t get too close!

After wandering through all of the gardens, you are sure to have worked up an appetite. Take a stroll back down to the Square at the State Capitol Building and check out the Dane County Farmers’ Market. Choose from a selection of meats, vegetables, and cheeses and a variety of baked goods. This year-round weekly market gives residents and visitors alike the chance to sample some of the best produce and products from local vendors. For those more interested in a festival atmosphere, Memorial Day weekend offers you the chance to attend the World’s Largest Brat Fest. The event provides a carnival-like atmosphere featuring games, live music, fireworks, and of course, Bratwurst. The event has donated more than $1.6 million to local charities and grows larger every year. This year’s event sold over 163,000 Brats alone! After you have taken care of your food cravings, you can explore the many museums around the City, where you can enjoy both classic and contemporary art.

There are many great sites to enjoy in Madison, but to see Madison from the best perspective, you should navigate toward the Brodhead Airport in Middleton, Wisconsin, where you will find Ted Davis, owner and pilot for Biplane Rides of America. Mr. Davis offers local tours of the Madison area in his New Standard Model D-25 Biplane. Able to carry four passengers in the front seat with the pilot in the rear, you can take in the sights of the local area, or enjoy a tour of the Wisconsin rivers and Lake Wisconsin.

Enjoy the wind rushing through your hair, and then relax a little after your adventures in Madison.

For more information on things to do and see in Madison, visit www.visitmadison.com.

To find out how to enroll with Service Line Warranties of Canada, and bring yourself peace of mind, visit www.slwofc.ca.

Flashback Friday – KCMO Part Two

This week’s Flashback Friday continues our journey through beautiful Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO). We have already gained a wealth of history and knowledge at the National World War I Museum at the Liberty Memorial, took a swing at learning about Negro League Baseball at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM), and finally bebopped our way over to The American Jazz Museum. For the second leg of our adventure, we will explore some of the other unique experiences in KCMO.

Let’s start this ride right where we left off, in the arts. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art was voted the Best U.S. Museum in 2015 based on Yelp reviews. Admission to the museum is free. The museum features art from both American and international artists, ranging from classic styles to modern art. One of the favorite places to visit on the grounds is the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park. The park stretches out over 22 acres. Housing more than 80 sculptures, the park is highlighted by American artist Robert Morris’s Glass Labyrinth. Within the walls of the museum, you will find a wide variety of collections. The crown jewel of the entire collection may be Caravaggio’s “Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness.” The Nelson-Atkins Museum is one stop where we recommend making a return trip!

The second stop on this leg is not really a stop at all. Wandering around the city, you can take time to appreciate all of the stunning fountains that KCMO has to offer. More than 30 fountains dot the city, and many are within close walking distance of one another. The City of Fountains Foundation is a non-profit corporation that is responsible for the preservation and restoration of the fountains. There are local tour groups that offer walking tours of all of the sites. Follow in the steps of people who have enjoyed fountains in the city since 1899, and take in the sights!

After our long two-part journey through KCMO, everyone is going to be a little hungry, so our final destination will satisfy those cravings. Kansas City barbeque is an integral part of local food culture. Primarily attributed to Henry Perry, who was the proprietor of an eatery that was located in a trolley barn in the legendary 18^th & Vine district, Kansas City barbeque is distinguished by the very liberal use of sauces and a wide variety of meats. Kansas City now plays host to nearly one hundred barbeque restaurants, two of the largest barbeque competitions, and the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS). The KCBS is the sanctioning body for more than three hundred barbeque competitions nationwide and boasts more than 10 thousand members.

If all of our stops have not instigated your cravings for KCMO, gather more information on things to do around the City at www.visitkc.com.

To learn how to enroll with Service Line Warranties of Canada, and provide yourself with peace of mind, please visit www.slwofc.ca.

Flashback Friday – Kansas City, Missouri

For this week’s Flashback Friday, we are taking a journey to the City of Fountains – Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO). Kansas City is full of history and culture, and today we will explore some of the unique experiences available to visitors and residents of KCMO. Our trip will take you from the somber and historical National World War I Museum to the lively and upbeat American Jazz Museum. Kansas City offers many chances to learn and to appreciate and immerse yourself into many different areas of life, in just one city!

Part one of our journey begins at the National World War I Museum at the Liberty Memorial. The Liberty Memorial was completed in 1926 after five years of construction and was dedicated by President Calvin Coolidge on November 11 of that year. The memorial stood untouched and was enjoyed by millions until 1994. Time and Mother Nature deteriorated the structure and it was closed for safety concerns; however, the citizens of KCMO stepped up and passed a limited-run sales tax to support the restoration. In addition to the citizens, the City, State and U.S. Government provided support to expand and revitalize the area. In 2006 the site received a designation as a National Historic Landmark and the National World War I Museum opened to the public. In addition to the stunning Liberty Memorial, rising 265 feet into the sky, the museum features a glass walkway. Under the walkway there are 9,000 poppies, each representing 1,000 lives, which have been planted in memory of the 9 million people who lost their lives in World War I.

Our second stop is at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM). Opened in its permanent location in 1997, the NLBM showcases the accomplishments of great players, teams, and management of the Negro Leagues. The museum features a 10,000 square-foot facility with photographs, interactive displays, and a field of 12 bronze sculptures. Kansas City is most well known in the Negro Leagues for being the home of the Kansas City Monarchs and their star player Jackie Robinson. Robinson was recruited by the Brooklyn Dodgers and became the first African-American player in the mo dern era to play in Major League Baseball. The Negro League began to decline after this and closed its doors in the early 1960s, but its legacy forever lives on at this museum.

Our final stop on this part of our journey is just next door to the NLBM in the famous 18^th & Vine Jazz District. The American Jazz Museum, also opened in 1997, showcases jazz through a multidimensional visitor experience. Featuring interactive exhibits and films, rotating galleries, a theater, and a jazz club, the American Jazz Museum allows visitors to immerse themselves in a diverse and creative environment. The museum hosts educational programs and exhibitions and provides the community a chance to learn about the legends and enjoy the foundation of jazz music within the City. The museum also features an 18-foot memorial to Charlie “Bird” Parker. A Kansas City native, Parker is credited with providing the foundation for the genre known as “bebop.” Charlie Parker has a permanent place in the Jazz Masters Exhibit, which features his iconic saxophone on display along with photos, album covers, and listening stations.

 

Stay tuned next week for part two of our journey through KCMO! For more information on things to do around the City, visit www.visitkc.com.

To learn how to enroll with Service Line Warranties of Canada, and provide yourself with peace of mind, please visit www.slwofc.ca.

Why Would Homeowners Need a Service Line Warranty?

Most homeowners don’t think about the condition of the external buried water and sewer lines that run from the public utility connection to the exterior of their homes – out of sight, out of mind. In fact, people don’t think about their service lines until confronted with a backed up sewer or leaking water line when challenged to find a reputable plumber and pay for the repair that can cost thousands of dollars. Protecting home and property, usually the single largest investment an individual will make in their lifetime according to Freddie Mac, is a top priority for many homeowners.

1. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently gave a D (D = Poor) rating to America’s water and wastewater public infrastructure. Additionally, about 30% of Canadian municipal infrastructure is assessed between fair and poor. Homeowners’ water and sewer lines are subjected to the same conditions as the lines that make up the public infrastructure – age, root invasion, ground shifting, fluctuating temperatures and more. While government is addressing the public infrastructure, homeowners are responsible for the cost of repairs to the service lines located on their property. These repairs can cost from hundreds of dollars to upwards of $3,500 per repair, which can be hard on a family’s budget. With a warranty, the homeowner is covered for the repair costs due to normal wear and tear, with no service fees or deductibles.

2. Several studies indicate that many people are not prepared for these kind of unexpected expenses, even though most have a budget. A recent study by the Federal Reserve suggested that more than 50% of individuals surveyed could not afford a hypothetical emergency expense of $400 without selling belongings or borrowing money. Homeowners work hard for their money and it’s no secret that the expense of owning a home adds up over time. Bankrate’s study revealed that while more than 80% of American’s have a prepared household budget, more than 3 in 5 would have to look elsewhere, such as borrowing from family or using a credit card, in order to cover a small emergency expense, not having enough savings to cover the cost. With depleted savings and many of those eligible for retirement unprepared, expensive repairs are just not in the budget. When evaluating monthly expenses, such as a water or sewer line warranty program, homeowners are encouraged to consider what they have in savings and what they can honestly spend each month for protection. For homeowners with limited resources, a few dollars a month to provide peace of mind could outweigh the risk of “if” a failure would ever occur, considering only 38% said they had sufficient savings to cover an emergency expense.

3. It can be difficult to find a contractor you can trust to do the job right the first time. Lifehacker.com suggests, “You can’t cut corners here – there are plenty of bad handymen out there willing to do shoddy work and charge you a ton of money, and they give the good ones who are eager for your business a bad name.” With a service line warranty, the vetting has been done, so you know that the contractor sent to make the repair has proper licenses and insurance and is located within the area. The Western Pennsylvania chapter of the BBB comments on the challenge of locating the right contractor. “Hiring a home improvement contractor to perform work or repairs can certainly be an overwhelming process during an unexpected emergency. It’s also the type of situation that likely has an impact on people’s budgets, which is why it’s important for consumers to be educated on their rights and responsibilities when choosing a contractor.” Our program only uses contractors that have successfully passed a rigorous background check, maintain proper licensing and insurance, and as the program’s representative, are committed to providing exceptional customer service.

4. Homeowners with a service line warranty are more likely to report a problem and have it fixed quickly, which helps with water conservation efforts and prevents ground pollution. We know the impacts that water main breaks have on water waste: a campaign launched by the National Association of Water Companies and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that there are 650 water main breaks per day in the U.S., resulting in a daily loss of 7 billion gallons of water. The same failing pipes wreaking havoc with municipal water systems are carrying water to your resident’s homes, and are subject to the same breaks and leaks.

Throwback Thursday: Hamilton, ON

For this week’s Throwback Thursday, we go back to the very first partner for Service Line Warranties of Canada. Hamilton, Ontario, has been a partner since 2014, and has been a great ambassador of the program for other cities in Ontario. Today we explore a beautiful part of Hamilton – the waterfalls.

Identified by the Hamilton Conservation Authority (HCA) as “The City of Waterfalls,” Hamilton is home to more than 100 waterfalls. Varying in size, style and accessibility, the waterfalls provide perfect

Tews Falls

destinations for hiking or cycling. The HCA provides a long list of maps and guides to get you around the Niagara Escarpment, where most of the falls are located. Self-guided walks are also provided by the HCA. Ranging in distance from about three kilometers to ten kilometers, with challenge levels from easy to difficult, there is a bit of something for everyone to enjoy.

The natural beauty of the waterfalls provide plenty of opportunity to explore and enjoy the great outdoors that Hamilton has to offer; however, if you would like to stay a little longer and enjoy some of the plant and animal life that exists in the Escarpment, you can also take advantage of the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club (HNC). Celebrating their 97th year, the HNC is dedicated to the study, appreciation and conservation of wild plants and animals. During their summers, the club leads walks through local nature areas and is family friendly.

Webster’s Falls

Areas like the Niagara Escarpment are major benefactors of water conservation. Take some time to enjoy this amazing side of the City of Hamilton, and then return home to start helping us all preserve these beautiful areas for generations to come.

Doing something as simple as taking care of a water service line leak quickly to prevent the unnecessary loss of water can help to reduce your water footprint and lend a hand to water conservation. To get more information on how to make it simple and convenient to take care of a service line leak, visit www.slwofc.ca.

Stress Less This Spring

The employees of Service Line Warranties of Canada (SLWC) are focusing on reducing their stress in the workplace and beyond this week. We invite you to join us in learning about stress and exploring different ways to help reduce stress every day.

Many people face stress on a daily basis, and it can affect different people in different ways. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, there are at least three different types of stress: routine stress, stress brought on by a sudden negative change, and traumatic stress. All three types of stress carry both mental and physical health risks, and it is important to recognize when you are experiencing these stressors so you are better able to use techniques to reduce their effects. Over time, continued stress may lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, anxiety and other illnesses.

Managing the amount of stress you have and reducing future stress is critical to leading a happy and healthy life. Try utilizing some of these stress management techniques:

• Exercise regularly – just 30 minutes per day of gentle walking.
• Meditate for five minutes. Sit up straight with both feet on the floor and focus on your breathing.
• Laugh. When it comes to stress, laughter can be the best medicine.
• Listen to music. Soothing tunes to help relax or blowing off some steam to some hard rock will both reduce your stress.
• Slow down and take time to focus on the things around you.

For more ways to reduce stress, check out these suggestions from WebMD and the Mayo Clinic.

We hope you can find ways to reduce the stress in your daily life. SLWC’s service line warranty program can help reduce stress involved with service line failure. Visit www.slwofc.ca to find out how you can get peace of mind and a stress-free repair process in the event that you have a problem.

Money-saving Monday

According to a Bank of Montreal survey, more than a quarter of Canadians would have their savings drop to zero in a month or less in the event of a financial shock, such as a job loss or major expense. To help get your saving jump started, we will provide you with some tips to save money just by changing the way you do some things you already do!

Around the House

• Weatherproof your home. Caulk holes and cracks that let warm air escape in the winter and cold air escape in the summer. Your local hardware store has materials, and quite possibly useful advice, about inexpensively stopping unwanted heat or cooling loss.
• Use low-flow shower heads. They can reduce water flow by as much as 40 percent.
• Live relatively near your workplace. While this isn’t always possible, driving 5,000 miles less a year can lower transportation costs by more than $1,000.
• Repair dripping faucets. A slow, steady drip (100 drops per minute) wastes 330 gallons of water in a month. That’s nearly 4,000 gallons per year.
• Choose home repair contractors wisely. Favor contractors who have successfully performed work for people you know. Insist on a written, fixed-price bid. Don’t make full payment until satisfactory completion of the work.

Other Ways to Save

• Never purchase expensive items on impulse. Think over each expensive purchase for at least 24 hours. Acting on this principle will mean you have far fewer regrets about impulse purchases, and far more money for emergency savings.
• Substitute coffee for expensive coffee drinks. The two dollars a day you could well save by buying a coffee rather than a cappuccino or latte would allow you, over the course of a year, to completely fund a $500 emergency fund.
• Keep your car engine tuned and its tires inflated to their proper pressure. Doing both can save you up to $100 a year in gas.
• Save your loose change. Putting aside fifty cents a day over the course of a year will allow you to save nearly 40 percent of a $500 emergency fund.
• Borrow books rather than purchasing them. Borrowing books and reading magazines at your local library, rather than purchasing reading material, can save you hundreds of dollars a year.

These are just a few way to save every day. Being prepared for an emergency expense will help to reduce stress and provide you with the peace of mind to know you are ready if something goes wrong. In addition to these 10 tips, check out more money saving tips here.

To find out how SLWC can help provide you with budget-protecting peace of mind, visit www.slwofc.ca.

Spring Plumbing Tips

During this time of year, most people are looking to clean up and clean out, finding things they don’t have use for and throwing them away, or in some cases, finally figuring out a way to use what they have in a better way. Service Line Warranties of Canada is doing some spring cleaning of its own. We are working on revamping and improving our blogs and social media, and we will be debuting our new format next week!

This week check out some helpful spring plumbing tips:

Indoors

• Clean all drain strainers in the sink and showers to prevent hair, soap and debris from clogging drain lines.
• Check toilets for leaks by adding a few drops of food coloring to the toilet tank. If the color appears in the bowl within 30 minutes, you have a leak.
• Clear mineral deposits from shower heads by soaking them in a plastic bag with vinegar overnight and then gently scrubbing with a toothbrush.
• Check appliances with water hoses, such as the washing machine, ice maker and dishwasher, for bulges, leaks and hose weakness.
• Clean the washing machine tub and lint trap to maximize performance.
• Pour a gallon of water into infrequently used drains, including floor drains, to fill the trap and prevent odors. Slow floor drains should be snaked so they perform as expected in the event of a flood.
• Inspect your home for leaks by taking a water meter reading before bed and then again the next morning where no water was used overnight. If the reading has changed, you have a leak.

Outside

• Make sure yard drains, gutters and downspouts are clear and free of leaks and debris from the winter months.
• Check outdoor faucets and hoses for cracks or leaks.
• Check for unusually damp spots or soft ground in the yard, which may indicate a plumbing problem.

 

For more information on other ways to be prepared for spring, visit www.slwofc.ca.