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Plumbing Terms Homeowners Might Not Know

Plumbing

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There are times when you need to call a plumber and discuss what’s wrong with your plumbing.  That discussion may include terms specific to the plumbing trade and those terms can be confusing if you have never heard them before. The trades use very technical language, and plumbing in particular has a lot of weird names for things. Here are some of the most common terms that you might not already know.

 

Stop valve – You’ll find these under the cabinets or under the toilet. Right where water comes out of the wall or floor, there’s a little valve you can use to turn the water on or off before it gets to the fixture. Anytime someone mentions a ‘stop’, ‘stop valve’, ‘emergency shutoff valve’, or ‘emergency stop’, they are referring to this shutoff valve located right at the fixture.

 

P-trap – This is generally found underneath the sink (kitchen sink, bathroom sink, etc.). It’s the funny looking pipe segment right under the drain. Plumbers will say something like, “I need to take the p-trap off to get the object that got stuck in there.” It gets its name because it looks like a P if you take it apart and stand it up on its end. The p-trap’s job is to hold water in order to prevent sewer gas from coming back into your home.

 

Drain cleaning – This is a term that’s frequently taken for granted. Drain cleaning is not simply unstopping a drain. If you have a stopped-up drain, yes, putting a cable down will unstop it. However, as the name indicates, drain cleaning is where the pipe or drain is actually cleaned. This can be done with a cable or with high-pressure jetting. Remember, when a plumber references drain cleaning, they’re actually referring to something other than just unstopping the drain.

 

Ball valve – A ball valve is generally a shutoff valve. It has a lever, and is frequently found where the main water comes into your home. When someone refers to the ball valve, they may be talking about that main water shutoff—but not necessarily.

 

Gate valve – You can differentiate a gate valve from a ball valve by checking whether it uses a lever or a round handle. A ball valve uses a lever, whereas a gate valve will have a round handle.

 

Fill valve – A fill valve is a component in the back of the toilet tank. The water connects to it, and it’s what fills up the toilet tank so you can flush it.

 

Flapper – Most people probably know what a flapper is, but there are some who don’t. A flapper is a component located in the back of the toilet tank. When you push down on the toilet handle, the flapper lifts up to allow water to flush the toilet. Sometimes you’ll hear a plumber say, “The flapper is leaking,” or “The flapper went bad.” That means the rubber component in the toilet tank needs to be replaced.

 

Wall hydrant, hose bib – These devices are located on the outside of your home (generally speaking), where a hose is attached. A wall hydrant is different from a hose bib, because wall hydrants are designed to be frost-free or freezeproof. In other words, they don’t need to be winterized. Wall hydrants go into the home and the water is shut off, preventing ice that would cause the pipe to burst. Hose bibs are much simpler devices that do need to be winterized.

 

Supply line – A supply line is the water tube that goes from the stop valve at a fixture up to the actual faucet, toilet, or even washing machine. (The lines that go to washing machines are often just called washer hoses.)

 

Cleanout – This is basically an access point to your drains. Sometimes you might see a plug or cap that can be unscrewed somewhere in your basement, or maybe a crawlspace under your sink. The cleanout is used to allow cables or cameras down the drain.

 

Water meter – Normally located on the street, a water meter is what the municipality uses to measure how much water you use during a curtain period of time in order to regulate your water bill.

 

Now that you know these commonly-used plumbing terms, you’ll be able to decipher the Greek language that plumbers use. Hopefully this knowledge comes in handy next time you’re getting service or talking about what’s going on in your home. If you have any questions, contact us or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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All the Players Involved

There are quite a few influencers who have really left their mark on Wisler Plumbing & Air. I think we have to just start at the beginning, and that means looking at the Wisler Family. My father founded the company and I grew up along with my siblings in the family business. Whether it’s my mom, father, or even my brothers and myself, all of us have definitely left our own unique mark. I sometimes think of Wisler Plumbing & Air as a living organization—it kind of has a personality of its own. Anyone who’s been around long enough for the whole ride can see which areas of the organization have been influenced by the Wisler Family. Of course, I would be foolish not to also give credit to the key players who have been employed here. (Some have moved on to other opportunities and some are still with us.) They’ve definitely had an important influence as well.

Success Group International

In 2001, We joined the Contractor Success Group, which is now commonly known as Success Group International (SGI). SGI has been an influencer in this organization for a very long time. We’ve subscribed to their system and way of thinking, which is really about operational excellence and making sure we serve our customers in the best way our industry has to offer. Members of the group are company owners, and a handful of them have directly influenced Wisler Plumbing & Air. We’ve attached to the ones with common values or a common philosophy and gleaned off of their experiences (and they’ve done the same with us). Success Group International and its associated companies from around the country have influenced us greatly over the last 20 years.

Mentors Throughout Time

Both me and my father have also had several mentors and consulting firms over the years. We were part of an organization called C12, which was led by John Netzel at the time. The group has dissolved, but it has left an influence on our company and guided us through four or five years of business. Carl Nielsen from Nielsen Group in Texas has helped us with our people management and impacted the culture in a special way. He’s worked with us for over 15 years. Wisler Plumbing & Air has a story, and the Wizard of Ads team has helped us to tell that story to the public. They’ve definitely influenced this organization and impacted our growth. More people have become aware of us and appreciate what we stand for and the value we offer our community.

Do You Want to Be Part of the Team?

Quite a few people have been a significant part of who and what we are today. If you have any questions or want to learn more about working with the team at Wisler Plumbing & Air, contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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” Our technicians will give you options and recommendations with a straight forward price.”

 

Why do we believe in providing all the information we can to our clients upfront?  So our customers can make the best possible decision. Our clients generally know next to nothing about plumbing or HVAC systems or how to diagnose potential issues, so there’s a lot of anxiety in the decision process. When a client has problems with their system, a few thoughts usually pop into mind right away:

 

How much is this going to cost!?

Is someone going to take advantage of me?

Can I trust this particular service provider?

From our perspective, we think we can overcome those concerns by making sure we’re thorough with the diagnosis. It’s not just a matter of carefully checking all the important points, but also communicating those points to a client so they can walk through with us and see exactly how we got to our conclusion. Without that all-important review of options and the reasons for recommendations, the question of whether or not they’re being taken advantage of isn’t answered.

Sometimes it’s easy for service providers (who work with plumbing or HVAC systems every day) to tell a homeowner that it’s in their best interest to replace a component, but  the homeowner wonders how they get to that conclusion, and does the homeowner have other options? I think it’s important to discuss the considerations between replacement and repair with the customer and provide them with enough useful information to make a final choice. Although we may ask a lot of questions, we might not be asking the right question. That might lead us to make assumptions about the client’s needs, or base our recommendation on something that will happen for them in the future. At the end of the day, the homeowner should make the best informed decision for their home—the decision really needs to stand in their control.

Buyer’s remorse is a real thing (even with plumbing). People often wish they had made a different decision, because they wish had known more details. This type of regret is based on not having enough information to make the best choice. We definitely want to prevent our clients from experiencing buyer’s remorse. When someone calls our company, before our technician goes to their home we do our best to be upfront about our fees and what they can expect out of a service visit. Once there, we want our service personnel to  diagnose the problem by going through a checklist of items, and explaining what’s going to happen in a little more detail so they know what to expect depending on the type of visit.

 

The technician walks the customer through the diagnosis and explains how they came to their conclusion. Then they write up about three to four different options with various price points and warranties (if applicable) for the client to choose from. The customer gets to make the best decision for their home. From there, we’ll keep them informed with details about how work is progressing and what equipment has been put in. Customers are active participants in the whole process so they understand exactly what’s going on in their home.

If you want an upfront and transparent team to guide you through resolving plumbing or HVAC issues, reach out to us today. Request an appointment, contact us, or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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We’ve been learning quite a few business lessons during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Some of us have found ourselves in a less than favorable position, where it has become necessary to make strategic adjustments and become a little more fluid. Leaders, business owners, and people in general should look for the silver lining in situations like these. We can ask ourselves, “what can this teach me,” or “how can I become better?” There’s just a lot to think about now that everything has changed so quickly.

What we consider ‘normal’ is just so fragile.

What we know today could be completely different tomorrow or next week. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. So when we make our plans, we have to stay fluid and be able to adjust to a rapidly changing reality. I mentioned to our team how one of the strengths of a small business is the ability to adapt and stay fluid. Well, there’s no better time than now to put our adaptability to the test.

That brings me to something I realized about teams like ours: success is really only possible through a group of people. It can be so challenging if you’re by yourself or you don’t have anyone to help get through a rough time. For us, the sheer number of team members who stepped up and said, yes, we know what we need to do and we’re here to serve.

Sometimes you just don’t know what to do.

I look back to when the news broke about the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of us were trying to figure out what we were supposed to do next. There were even some people questioning whether any of this was real. Although we may not know what each new week will hold, I think it’s important to do the right thing. We all have the ability to help someone—it’s just a matter of figuring out how. It is important that we don’t confine ourselves (or limit our ability to help someone else) unless it’s absolutely necessary. During a crisis, we might get into survival mode, which usually doesn’t make room for helping others. We learned that there were many people who needed our help, and they were thankful that our team was able to assist wherever possible.

Even during times when there’s not much pressure, it’s a good idea to make sure we’re in a place where we do not become trapped.

That might mean running a lean business, being very conscious about sustainability, and being very careful about the risks taken. Just like that, those risks could turn upside down and really end up costing us dearly.   It is always good to make a contingency plan just in case. We did this before the pandemic, but we wish that maybe we would have done a little bit more.

Distance isn’t always the best solution.

There’s been talk about moving everything to an internet-based solution, but we feel that people still need people. As easy as it might seem to move all our interactions online—especially when we have the technology for videoconferencing and messaging—there’s still just something about personal face-to-face interaction that’s irreplaceable. I hope we can get back to that because it’s often much more meaningful than a phone call or a zoom meeting.

If you have any plumbing or HVAC related questions, request an appointment, contact us, or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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My dad started Wisler Plumbing & Air. I can remember what it was like growing up and watching him in the trade. In this industry, you get to meet a lot of interesting people and see all different kinds of homes. I started riding along on service calls at a very young age. (One client told me they remembered how I tried to use a shovel that was twice my size.) My role early on was to be what some people call a ‘gopher’, which is pretty much a helper for my dad. I remember how I couldn’t wait to graduate from that role to actually doing the work. I would no longer have to get the tools or parts and clean up the job while my dad stayed inside the house.

Some service calls were very late at night. Being the small boy that I was, I had fears of things like huge barking dogs, or the dark night as I had to make the trip from someone’s home to the company truck. I’d run as fast as I could to get a tool or part—I’d even try to choose the right door to go from the house to the truck in the most efficient route. The ironic thing is, when I eventually grew up and got old enough to have helpers of my own, I expected them to run to the truck as fast as I did. I’d think to myself, why in the world was it taking so long to get me a tool? It’s funny how things that happen when you’re a child stick with you.

I grew up with two older brothers, one older than me by 5 years and one older by 6 years. As you can imagine, they were very kind to their little brother. They took it upon themselves to teach me all the ways of plumbing. One of the first summers I was out working with my brothers, they educated me about pipe dope, which is the thread sealant we put around pipes. It has a white, melted marshmallow-like appearance, and they convinced me to give it a taste-test. I was destined to find out if it tasted as good as it looked. (It was the nastiest thing ever, of course.) From that moment on, I learned to be judicious about what I should and shouldn’t eat.

I like to reminisce about all these childhood memories. They’ve definitely shaped me into who I am today. My children are still very young—probably no younger than I was when I started riding along with my dad. But the service industry has changed so much that bringing young children on service calls is probably frowned upon. I did take my son to a family member’s house while doing a plumbing project, though, and he was just so eager to help out and learn what I was doing. (I’m sure he got that from me.)

If you want to work with the family-friendly team at Wisler Plumbing & Air, reach out to us today. Request an appointment, contact us, or give us a call at 540-483-9382.

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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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