Wisler Plumbing and Air

Serving Roanoke and surrounding areas.

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What It’s like to Be a Technician at Wisler Plumbing & Air

Customer Service

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Right now, we’re really focusing on bringing on apprentices onto our team. We do hire people with no experience in all areas of the field, whether that be water treatment, plumbing, HVAC, HVAC/plumbing installation, or HVAC techs. Although someone might not have any experience or have absolutely no idea what they’re getting into, we can put them through a training program specifically suited for what they’ll be doing. One thing every technician within our company is definitely going to experience is a lot of training. It’s centered around the technical aspects of the job, but it also covers soft skills like how to communicate important details to our clients in an effective manner. The training process will take a different amount of time for everybody, but it generally takes around 6 to 8 months for someone starting at a very low skill level.

 

People coming from factory or assembly line work regularly tell us that they were tired of doing monotonous tasks. Some people just don’t thrive in an environment where they do the same thing over and over, every day. Fortunately, a tech’s day-to-day activities are very diverse. Our technicians visit one or more homes on a daily basis. The job could involve a shower faucet one day, then a toilet or a water heater on the next. The customer’s needs always keep things interesting and fresh.

 

Almost every aspect of a homeowner’s life is tied to relying on working plumbing (like running water, a working toilet, a working kitchen sink, etc.). Sometimes they can be upset about a problem or fearful about what it might cost to have it repaired. When we repair one of those fixtures to make them functional again, or even when we upgrade them to work much better, the job that we’re doing is extremely fulfilling. This is truly a customer service industry, and we sometimes say that we’re here to repair the client. I think we have the opportunity to really impact people and build relationships while we fix their plumbing problem.

 

One of our main values is family. (You can use the word team here whenever it’s in a professional setting). Whenever I think about family, what comes to mind is the people who have my back, those who I can count on, and those who I can be open with. But the idea of family also comes with expectations, tension, challenging times, and tough conversations. Those things exist in healthy families, and they are imperative for growth. I think it is very rewarding to be part of a family/team with all these qualities. If you get stumped on a plumbing problem as a technician, you can call another technician or manager for guidance and support. Our service managers have technical ability because they’ve been in the field themselves. I think that’s what brings the family atmosphere together.

 

For anybody interested in learning more about joining the team at Wisler Plumbing & Air and perhaps becoming an apprentice technician, visit WislerJobs.com. Once you apply online, Maryanne will field the application and start you through our process.

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We recently got together as a team and talked about trust and integrity. These two words are fundamental to our culture and all the team members who make up our organization. How we act as an employer along with how we act as a company to our clients and to the community at large is very important. When we build relationships with our clients and our fellow team members, those relationships are centered around trust. In my opinion, it’s the foundation of any relationship.

 

Being trustworthy is made up of two important components: first, honoring your commitments and doing what you say you’re going to do. The second is owning up to your mistakes and acknowledging when you dropped the ball. After all, we’re not perfect—we all have times when we didn’t follow through on something important. Trust is not built from a single service visit or one month of being employed on our team. It’s built over a much longer period of time. The more we’re consistent across many service visits or month after month of employment, the more trust we build within our relationships.

 

Our clients place their trust in us when we go into their homes, maybe to provide a product or service that they know next to nothing about. They trust that we are fulfilling our responsibility to do the due diligence necessary to offer a fair price. I group all that into just doing business honestly. Rarely does the work cost less than what we thought it would be—it usually costs more, but the important thing here is that clients can place their trust in our organization and can be confident we’re doing fair business.

 

Other ways we build trust with our clients is the fair and consistent pricing and the warranty we offer.  We ensure our prices don’t fluctuate so that each homeowner pays the same amount for the same service.  In addition, when a customer needs a service or replacement on a large appliance, the customer may feel vulnerable.  When a company offers a warranty on their products/services, there’s less risk for the customer.

 

We stand behind our warranty with our 100% satisfaction guarantee.  That means if there is a problem, the homeowner can pick up the phone and give us a call so we can take care of the issue.

 

If you have any questions or need our services, reach out to the team at Wisler Plumbing & Air today. You can request an appointment online, contact us, or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

 

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Most people don’t think about their water heater and how it needs maintenance, but it’s just like any other piece of equipment. Our car, house, and even our own bodies need maintenance. If we don’t exercise and eat healthy, we’re probably not going to last as long. If we don’t change the oil in our car, it won’t last as long, either. Maintenance is just a good idea, but it can also be a way to save money.

Most people don’t realize that buildup occurs in the water heater, especially if there’s hardness in the water. Calcium is dissolved in hard water, but as it is heated, the calcium solidifies and accumulates either on the element of an electric heater or on the bottom of a gas water heater. The layer of calcium buildup acts as an insulation barrier, which means the water heater has to work harder to do the same job. Therefore, it will cause over-payment on your electric or gas bill. To help reduce buildup, we will flush the water heater.

The tank that holds the water is kind of like a settling tank. If there’s debris, sediment, or calcium, it’s going to settle to the bottom of the heater. The tank will corrode very quickly if it’s got a bunch of sediment and gunk at the bottom. That’s going to cause premature failure, and we solve that by flushing the tank as well.

We also check the anode rod when we maintain a water heater. (The owner’s manual says this should be done as part of proper maintenance.) The anode rod is there to protect the metal that makes up the tank itself. Once the anode rod is completely depleted, there is no protection left. If we replace the anode rod when it depletes, we can add a couple of years to the life of the water heater (which saves you money).

If it’s been a while since you had your water heater checked and maintained, just reach out to the team at Wisler Plumbing & Air. Contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

 

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When it comes to choosing a new heating and air system, I think it would be wise to pay attention to three main priorities: comfort, safety, and money savings. Here are some questions to ask as a good starting point.

Comfort

Improving airflow goes a long way toward improving a home’s overall comfort level. Someone might decide to replace the heating and air system because they always have to bundle up with a blanket on the couch, or because a bedroom or basement is much colder than the rest of the house. But before taking out an existing system just to put the exact same thing back in, you might want to ask the question, can the issue be solved by redesigning the ductwork or putting in an extra return instead? In many homes, the original design of the heating and air system isn’t very good. You’ll want to optimize the airflow (out of the vents and through the return) in bigger rooms and/or rooms with high heat loss.

There could also be issues with the sizing of the actual system itself, especially in tract homes or contractor-built homes where they try to skimp on the size of the unit. The basement might be colder than the rest of the house because the thermostat is upstairs and there’s no way to regulate the temperature (which we fix by using zones). The bottom line is, you should focus on comfort. On a hot or cold day, ask yourself, is there anywhere in the home that I’m not comfortable? The question could be explored by a consultant or professional.

 

Safety

When it comes to safety, air quality is a relevant consideration for every system. It’s pretty rare for a heating and air system to have mold inside of it simply because of the sheer amount of airflow. But if the system hasn’t been working properly, the filters haven’t been changed, or the vents have all been shut off, airflow will be drastically reduced. This can cause condensation and lead to moisture buildup, which is the perfect environment for mold growth when combined with a warm area. Mold is definitely a safety concern for the health of the individuals in the home.

 

For natural gas units, LP (liquid propane) gas units, oil-fired systems, or maybe even diesel units (if the system is extremely old), it’s important not to minimize the concern for safety. A good question to ask is, Do I have a gas system? From there, you might want to ask, is it vented properly? Is it up to code? Maybe have the flames tested to see if they burn clean. Those issues can influence carbon monoxide, which could actually go into your duct system and be dispersed throughout the home.

Money Savings

How much it costs for a heating and cooling system to do its job can result in overpayment. You’ll want to ask, how old is my system? What is the current SEER rating? Is hot or cold air being wasted from leaks as it travels through the ductwork? The current SEER rating gives you an idea of whether or not the system is as efficient as necessary. Technology has come a long way over the last 20 years, so if you have a system around that age, it’s probably largely inefficient and costing you extra money each month to heat or cool your home.

We offer both heat and cool checks, depending on the time of year. These checks are free right now, so if you call in and get it scheduled, we’ll uncover any issues when it comes to comfort, safety, and money savings. Contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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James Wisler, Owner of Wisler Plumbing and Air

Our technicians have the biggest hearts. And, right now, we have a little extra time on our frequently-washed hands. So, we want to help.

Stuck at Home and Need Help?

If you’re stuck at home with plumbing or heating problems, you can talk with one of our certified technicians for FREE. We can troubleshoot on the phone or video chat. If your parents in Illinois need help, we’ll talk to them, too. Anyone with a phone or laptop can be a complimentary customer of Wisler Plumbing and Air. And, if needed, we can come to you for a more traditional visit. Sorry, visitations are only for those in our service area (although we may be able to recommend some of our plumber friends in other areas).

Call anytime: (540) 483-9382

Reducing Fear.

For some, uncertain times come with uncertainty around finances. We want to ease as much fear in your life as possible. That’s one reason we offer free Without Worry Comfort Checks and free phone consultations. The next time you speak with us, if you’re fearful of payment, ask about our payment plans. Water, heating and air, and plumbing are essential, money should not be an obstacle.

Look for the Helpers.

Mister Rogers once said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers.’”

We’re Wisler Plumbing & Air, and we want to help. We’re in this together. We have your backs, just like you have ours.

P.S. – And thanks, Dad, for teaching us how to be the helpers.

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First of all, what does it mean to re-pipe a home?  There are waterlines in the house that take hot and cold water to the faucets, tub, and/or whatever fixtures you may have. It’s generally going to start at the main entrance of the waterline into your home (where the service line comes into the house), and it goes all the way to the fixtures, where you see the supply tubes or cutoffs (maybe under the toilet or sink). Those are what I’d call the water distribution lines. When we re-pipe a home, we’re removing all those pipes and putting new ones back in.

 

Unless you’ve had water damage in your home and maybe also filed a claim, I think it’s common to drastically underestimate the amount of damage a water leak can cause and the expense involved in repairing that damage. I don’t want to sound dramatic, but it’s something you definitely need to be aware about. If you’re not sure of the security or integrity of those pipes, you might want to have them checked.

 

Pinholes are one issue that might make you become aware of a lack of pipe integrity. A pinhole in the piping system is generally caused by poor water quality. (Therefore, you can prevent pinholes by making sure you have good water quality.) If you’ve had a pinhole before, you’ll probably get another one at some point in the future. Re-piping is an option you need to consider in this case, because you definitely don’t want a leak to happen while you’re away, or in a space where you’re not even aware that it’s happening. These leaks often cause water damage that’s much more costly than simply re-piping the home.

 

We’ve also re-piped homes simply because of the age of the piping system. You may want to re-pipe a home if you have really old pipes and you don’t have very good pressure or flow at the fixtures. Sometimes old pipes can have buildup or rust inside of them. If you check a screen like the one located in the hose of a washing machine, you can determine if it’s catching any rust, which is an indicator that there’s buildup in the pipes.

 

We offer free consultations for water quality and free estimates for re-piping of the home. For more information, contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

 

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