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What Leadership Means to the Team at Wisler Plumbing and Air

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What Leadership Means to the Team at Wisler Plumbing and Air

It is a priority for our team in 2018 to both develop our current leadership as well as to provide development for potential leaders within our organization. In fact, we’ve put together a new program at the beginning of this year just to realize that goal.

 

When it comes to defining the most important qualities of leadership for our team, quite a few ideas come to mind. The first one is sacrifice, which pertains to having the ability to give up your resources to benefit those that you lead (whether that means time, money, or energy).

 

I also think about being able to give credit whenever a goal has been achieved or a success has been had. Great coaches divvy out praise to their team whenever they get a win. But whenever a loss happens, the coach (or the leader of the organization) should always be there to take the hit. I think that any effective leader has to have that kind of mindset.

 

Deferred gratification is another good mindset for a leader to have. If someone chose to lead others simply for the purpose of making more money or to look better in front of others, they would probably be doing it for exactly the wrong reasons. Leadership does reward you, but it’s not always going to be something you see immediately.

 

I don’t think leadership would be whole without speaking of humility, which simply means that we think less of ourselves and more of others. We have to be humble and often set aside our ego in leadership because otherwise it can truly get in the way of being effective.

 

A leader also needs to be versatile enough to adapt to rapidly changing environments. There are so many things that change very quickly, especially in our current society. A leader has to be open-minded, able to listen to feedback, able to contemplate new ideas, be innovative, and remain open and willing to change. Leadership isn’t a job where you can sit comfortably at a desk with your feet up. It’s hard work that goes on 24/7, following you all the way home. Leaders work hard all the time, regardless of what circle of influence they may be occupying at the moment. It isn’t a light responsibility—it’s extremely important to every individual that you lead.

 

If you want to work with the team at Wisler Plumbing and Air, contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

 

 

 

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There are lots of companies in the area that provide services like plumbing, electrical, heating and air, and even gas lines. We’ve chosen not to add HVAC service to our organization, and it really goes all the way back to our company’s history. We’ve actually done electric work before, and we have our electrical license. What we’ve found is that it’s extremely hard to be everything to everybody, and our history has solely been built on being the expert in the plumbing field. The bottom line is, we want to continue that trend.

 

There was a person who once told me that you should always be good to what’s been good to you. It’s just as simple as that—plumbing is who we are, it’s what we do, and it’s what we know. (Perhaps even more than most people in the area.) Trades, whether it is roofing, electrical, plumbing, or HVAC, are really more than just a service experience. At the end of the day, service is very important. We all care about how we’re received when calling a company, or the first impression of the technician as they visit our home. But when it comes down to it, they are there to solve the problem that the homeowner is experiencing.

 

If a company can’t solve the problem, if they don’t have the required knowledge, or if they don’t have a readily available resource to answer any questions, then the experience will go down the drain. No matter how good they look, how punctual they are, how pretty their truck is, or how nice the person was on the phone, none of that matters if they couldn’t solve the homeowner’s problem.

 

Regardless of the trade, technicians will sometimes run into an issue that they haven’t ever seen before. It could be something like a very old home, for example. It’s very hard for one person to have experience that encompasses every possible situation. That’s why they need to have the option to call someone who can be their resource. That way, even if they haven’t seen something before, they will still be successful at resolving the issue at hand.

 

Even if I hired a technician that knew HVAC very well, they would not have much of a resource to call whenever they encountered an unfamiliar situation. That’s why we’re sticking to plumbing—we are committed to being the experts, and we want to continue to support the people that work for us. That way, we will be able to continue solving clients’ problems.

 

If you have any questions, contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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When it comes to growing our team, we’ve always looked for good people who we could coach, manage, and train. Over the last few years, though, we haven’t just been looking for more good people. We’ve been on the search for people that are better than good—they are genuinely great people. We have a clear vision about what it takes for us to reach our true potential. In order for us to achieve that vision, it’s really all about the people that lie within the company. Here is the criteria that I go through to see if I’ve found somebody great.

Opinions – When someone applies at our company, I give an assessment to uncover their opinions. Everyone has an opinion that’s formed through experiences and knowledge. I look at these opinions to see how the person makes decisions. It’s very important for me to know how someone differentiates right from wrong, for example. When a person is under pressure, these traits will naturally come to the surface.

Talent – I look at the talent and the skill sets that the individual currently has. What skills does the person possess in order to be capable of doing the job? Of course, skills can be developed over time. However, it sure is nice whenever someone already possesses great leadership and communication skills.

Acumen – I pay attention to the person’s acumen, which is their way of thinking and comprehending. Can they comprehend complex decisions? How do they see themselves and the world outside of themselves? This is a key component as to what I’m looking for, and it’s very important simply because if someone thinks very negatively about the world, they will not be very happy as a person.

Motivators – What motivates this person and causes them to be satisfied in their current environment? Again, if this doesn’t align with us, the person is not going to be very happy. If they are motivated for different reasons than our organization, we will find that there’s a tension between the organization and the person.

Behaviors – This normally comes out within the first week of someone being employed. How we behave is very obvious, and it’s what people notice the fastest. Behaviors are just as important as the rest of the traits we look at.

We’re looking for great people who have positive scores in these particular areas. We’re hiring people with or without experience so that we can train plumbing and communication. To learn more, visit WislerPlumbingJobs.com and submit your application today.

If you’re a current or future client of Wisler Plumbing and Air, hopefully this post gives you a glimpse into the high standards we pay attention to while adding people to our team. We want to make sure that the people taking care of you and your home are genuinely great. If you have any questions, contact us online or give us a call at (540) 483-9382.

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On April 16, 2015, the Federal Government placed regulations on the efficiency of newly manufactured water heaters. Water heaters must now meet certain energy ratings. This will mean that there are important changes being made to the product’s manufacturing. Here’s what’s changed and how that will affect you as a homeowner.

First and foremost, 80 gallon standard electric and gas water heaters are no longer available. If you already have an 80 gallon electric or gas water heater, keep in mind that they are no longer being manufactured and you’ll have to replace them with something different once the time comes.

Secondly, meeting the required energy rating means that more insulation needs to be built around the water tank. That will result in the water heater becoming taller and wider. The size increase probably doesn’t seem like a big issue, especially if your water heater is in a basement with plenty of space. However, there are many condos, town homes, or special circumstances where water heaters are in a small closet with very little room to spare. An increase of 2 inches can mean that a new water heater will no longer fit in the same space.

What can you do about that once it comes time to change to a new water heater? You could definitely just change to a smaller water heater that fits into the smaller space. However, I wouldn’t recommend going any smaller if you need the hot water capacity that the old water heater provided. Another option is to switch to a tankless water heater. They are becoming extremely popular in the industry. Tankless water heaters are installed right on the wall and heat the water on demand, as needed.

Tankless water heaters take up much less space while also being very energy efficient. They also have a lifespan that lasts twice as long as tanked water heaters. You can take as many showers as you’d like without having to worry about running out of hot water (assuming that you provide the water heater with power/gas). There is obviously a cost that comes with these features, but when you pay attention to the energy/cost savings and longevity of the system, it will probably end up paying for itself.

Water heaters that meet the efficiency requirements have already been produced for some time now. There are Vertex water heaters that use a highly efficient heating process. There are also hybrid water heaters, meaning that they use multiple sources of energy. Electric hybrids have a heat pump on top of them that use the ambient air temperature to heat the water. They are good when you have a lot of space and want to save money. There are also electric and gas hybrid water heaters. We don’t use many gas hybrids—we’ll either use tankless or high-efficiency tank water heaters in many cases.

If you have any questions about what these new efficiency mandates mean to you, contact us online or give us a call at (540) 483-9382. Remember, these regulations only applies to newly manufactured water heaters, so if you have an older model in your home there’s no need to be concerned until it comes time for a replacement.

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Our plumbing systems are probably the last thing on our minds when we’re going on vacation or planning a vacation. It’s not until we come home to an absolute catastrophe due to water damage that we realize it’s too late.

Just a few minutes can give you the peace of mind to be confident that your plumbing won’t wreak havoc while you’re away. All it takes is a little bit of preparation.

  1. Enable vacation mode.

First and foremost, most new items such as water heaters, water softeners, and HVAC systems have a vacation mode. If you enable vacation mode on your water heater, it will maintain the water temperature at about 60 degrees. It’s adequate enough to conserve energy when you’re away while still keeping the water from becoming completely cold. Water softeners set to vacation mode will exit the mode as soon as you use water again.

  1. Adjust your thermostat.

Heating or cooling your home can take a lot of energy. You should adjust the thermostat to a setting appropriate to the season so it won’t be kicking on as often. HVAC systems can sometimes be programmed to turn back on before you even arrive home. Not only will you save energy, but you’ll come back to a nice comfortable temperature.

  1. Shut off the water.

Unless you have a system that needs continuous water, you should shut off the main water valve. If something were to burst or break while you’re away and the water wasn’t shut off, it would run continuously until someone intervened. Turning off this valve will prevent catastrophic damage from occurring. While it won’t prevent a burst, only water in the pipe itself will be able to leak out. Most of the time, it will be very minimal.

  1. Get someone to check your home.

It’s always good to have a neighbor, friend, or family member to come and check your home to make sure everything’s all right. Even if you’ve switched your water off, it’s still wise to have someone go take a look. We receive countless calls from caretakers that check on a home only to find water spraying everywhere.

Water damages everything it touches. It’s especially bad if there are expensive or sentimental items in the home. If the HVAC drain stops up and it’s running to keep the house cool, it can get backed up. Mold can also develop if the water sits for long enough before being found.

If you follow these simple tips before leaving on vacation, you’ll be able to enjoy your vacation with peace of mind. If you have any questions, contact us online or give us a call at (540) 483-9382.

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It’s a shame that so many homes get neglected. We all know that cars need to have their oil changed on a regular basis. Without proper maintenance, your car would break down way sooner than it should. Your house is no different—the HVAC, electrical and plumbing all need regular maintenance to make sure that your investment is protected. Here are four steps you can follow to keep your home’s plumbing properly maintained:

  1. Check your water heater annually.

The biggest item in the home that needs regular maintenance is the water heater. If you were to look online at the manufacturer’s website or in the instruction manual, there would be a list of things that should be performed on an annual basis. Flushing the system is probably near the top of that list.

  1. Use all household fixtures.

Throughout the year, you should make sure that all the home’s fixtures are used at least occasionally. Some houses have guest bathrooms that aren’t used on a regular basis. Try to go and take a shower/bath and use those fixtures every once in a while. If the bathroom would just sit idly for a long time, it could be detrimental to the fixtures and potentially decrease their lifespan.

  1. Test shutoff valves.

There’s a shutoff valve located under every sink. There’s a main water shutoff valve as well. You should know where the main water valve is located in your home. All of these valves should be worked about every six months to make sure they’re functioning properly. If there was ever an emergency situation, you’d want to be sure that you’re able to shut off the water supply immediately to prevent a flooding catastrophe.

  1. Maintain your drains.

Finally, you want to pay attention to drain maintenance. We have a product that we’ll leave with you so you can maintain the drains on a monthly basis. Grease, soap scum, toothpaste, shaving cream, and other debris can be prevented from building up and causing the drains to slow down. If this isn’t taken care of every month, you’ll likely have a major problem during the annual check. It will be much more difficult and more expensive to deal with.

You already know that if you wash and wax your car, change the oil, and replace the fluids, it’s going to look and run better for years to come. The same applies to your home’s HVAC, electrical, and plumbing. The reality is, proper maintenance will extend the life of your investment.

We’re here for you if your plumbing needs attention. If you have any questions about maintenance or repair, contact us online or give us a call at (540) 483-9382.

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