Before you remodel, contact you Plumber!
Two of the most popular rooms to remodel in your home are still the kitchen and the bathroom. These two rooms have a lot in common including the use of fixtures, pipes and green savings potential. Making upgrades in the kitchen and bath open up the opportunity to take steps for a greener home. By updating appliances to energy efficient models and adding low flow showerheads you will save your family money and energy in the long run.
Before you start any remodel project on the kitchen or bath, consult with a local plumber to ensure that the fixtures, appliances will not affect piping that might not be noticeable. An expert plumber can provide you recommendations and help you update these rooms for efficiency.
Contacting a plumber is especially important if you are considering remodeling and updating an older home. A plumber can help you see what is hidden, behind walls and underneath the home and can warn you of any issues that could arise with upgrades.
If you are considering a kitchen and bathroom remodel and are located in Northern Colorado, call Apex Rooter and Plumbing. (970) 221-1274 or visit www.apexrooterandplumbing.com
What you should know about your water heater!
The water heater in your house is something that you use multiple times throughout each day and the maintenance and replacement is important to keep your household up and running!
Here are a few tips:
1) Purchasing/Replacement – select the right water heater for your house and your family by using these tips
a. Size – the number of people that utilize the water heater will determine what size to purchase. A rough calculation of the maximum amount of water that will be used on any given day can be figured out by taking the number of people using the water heater times the amount of time they spend in the shower. A rough calculation can be used to gauge size of water heater needed.
b. Make sure to measure the space available for the water heater before you purchase, you don’t want to get it home and realize it won’t fit.
2) Taking care of your water heater – a few checks during the life of your water heater will help you prevent some issues or warn you of an upcoming problem that you want to avoid.
a. Here are some warning signs that you might need to replace your water heater before disaster strikes:
i. Leaking water around the bottom housing, from inlet fitting
ii. Is your water heater noisy
iii. Turning on a hot water spigot yields rusty, brown water
iv. Water heater takes longer than in the past to provide hot water
b. Tips for caring for your water heater:
i. Flush you water heater once a year. Turn valve to vacation and hook garden hose to drain valve located at the bottom of water heater, open valve and let run for 20 minutes into floor drain, bathtub or outside.
ii. When you leave your home for prolonged periods turn the temperature control valve to vacation.
If you have any issues with your water heater and are located in Northern Colorado, call Apex Rooter and Plumbing. (970) 221-1274 or visit www.apexrooterandplumbing.com
Don’t let grease traps be a concern of running your business!
Are you fulfilling your lifetime dream of opening a restaurant? Then you know that there are many local regulations and requirements that must be met after your final purchase. No matter where your establishment is located local governments will require that your grease trap is regularly pumped and maintained.
What is a grease trap?
A grease trap or grease interceptor is a receptacle located between the restaurant kitchen drain lines and the sanitary sewer lines that allows for the separation and collection of fats, oils and greases (FOG) from the used water, preventing such materials from entering the municipal sewer system.
Why should I be concerned about my grease trap?
Local governments require commercial kitchens to have grease trap installed and will have a minimum amount of fats, oils and greases that is acceptable in the water that is leaving the establishment. If your restaurant exceeds this amount you could be facing fines.
As a restaurant owner, you have more than enough to worry about so our recommendation is to contact a local plumber who specializes in grease trap cleaning and maintenance to get a walk-thru of your system and what will be needed to meet your local requirement.
If you live in Northern Colorado and have any questions regarding your grease trap requirements, pumping and maintenance, call to talk to one of our trained Apex technicians - 970-221-1274 or visit www.apexrooterandplumbing.com.
Apex Rooter, Plumbing and Septic Services is Northern Colorado’s premier professional for all your plumbing needs. Apex takes care of all your plumbing needs and that includes making sure your restaurant grease traps meet local requirements!
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Employment Challenges for Small Businesses!
As the economy has suffered over the last few years, in some cases so has employee work ethics. If you are a small business owner like I am, you are probably also being challenged with redefining your relationships with your employees and determining what is now acceptable behavior in order to protect your company.
As hard as we are all working to maintain our business integrity, I feel that we as employers are falling short due to the shift in the dynamic and expectations of the employee and employer relationships. Due to my faith, I have always believed that I should work to respect people in general on a human level, however I am challenged with how to make sure I protect my business from these employees that take advantage of the unemployment system for their own personal gain.
I believe the solution starts with the hiring process and selecting the right individuals to represent and work in your business. Any mistakes made in selecting these employees can be costly and very detrimental to your business.
My recommendation for others that are struggling with this challenge is to:
1) Ensure that you and your employees are on the same page regarding what is required of their job, performance and work environment
2) Provide opportunities for your employees to address concerns or complaints
It seems unfortunate to me that in so many cases small business employers are now required to create and work in sterile environments in order to protect our businesses. The line in which we operate has gotten even finer and it is your job as a business owner to protect your company from the unemployment generation. www.apexrooterandplumbing.com
Fort Collins-Based Plumbing Company Supports Local Cause
Apex Rooter, Plumbing and Septic Inc. Becomes New Member of
Realities for Children Charities
Fort Collins, Colo. – Apex Rooter, Plumbing and Septic Service Inc., announced today that the company will be joining other local businesses to support Realities for Children of Larimer County as a gold level member.
“We are proud to be a new member of Realities for Children and join the alliance with other local businesses to support this important cause.” Said George Langel, owner of Apex. “As a local business owner, I feel it is our responsibility to give back to the community, and this organization is important to provide resources for those children in our community that may need help.”
Realities for Children Charities is a charitable organization dedicated to serving the unmet needs of abused and neglected children of Larimer County since 1995. The organization consists of 150 local business sponsors and 100% of every dollar donated is able to directly benefit abused and neglected youth locally. To learn more, visit www.realitiesforchildren.com.
About Apex Rooter, Plumbing and Septic Service, Inc.
Established in 2001, Apex Rooter, Plumbing and Septic Service, Inc. is locally owned and operated, and is Northern Colorado’s local expert for all septic service needs and requirements. Apex’s highly trained professional plumbers provide the know-how, state-of-the art equipment and latest technologies to solve any septic or sewer emergency, no matter how large or small. Apex offers high quality residential, commercial and industrial services at affordable rates.
Based in Fort Collins and Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, Apex is available to serve clients throughout Northern Colorado and Southeast Wyoming.
Moving Mountains is Our Specialty
For more information, visit www.apexrooterandplumbing.com.
New Home Buyers Beware - Avoid Costly Plumbing Costs!
If you are considering purchasing a new home, hire a professional plumbing company to inspect the new home for any hidden problems. Unfortunately, costly plumbing problems are not easy for new homeowners to see like issues with flooring or bathroom tiles can be, so be smart and protect your future investment.
Can you imagine buying the house of your dreams and later finding out that the pipes underneath your home are in need of repairs that could be up to $10K. So invest $150 up-front for a camera inspection to give you peace of mind and potentially save money long-term
If you are buying a new home and need a home plumbing inspection, call Apex Rooter and Plumbing. (970) 221-1274 or visit www.apexrooterandplumbing.com
Don't let your pipes freeze!
With winter right in front of us and temperatures suddenly dropping, protect your pipes from freezing by taking a few extra steps during the frigid cold!
1) Identify pipes that are likely to freeze – certain pipes and sections of pipes are more likely to freeze, such as:
a. Pipes running along exterior walls, especially in older homes that might not be insulated well!
b. Pipes that run through crawl spaces
c. Water supply area entering the house
2) Insulate those pipes that are likely to freeze – consider pipe insulation which keep the pipes warm helping to prevent freezing
3) Take measure to ensure pipes don’t freeze on even the coldest days by making sure water keeps flowing through them. Run a few faucets throughout the house to keep water running through different sections of pipes, helping to prevent them from freezing.
4) For homes that are vacant for the winter, this requires a more in-depth winterization process. For more information on this look for our video on cabin winterization.
If you find yourself with burst pipes in the Northern Colorado area, call Apex Rooter and Plumbing at (970)221-1274 or visit www.apexrooterandplumbing.com
Getting to the Root of the Problem - Fall Plumbing Tip
Did you know that when trees lose their leaves it stops feeding water from ground up and closes veins off to allow moisture to pass up and through. Rings in tree are like veins, when it is cold veins close off and no water can come up. Roots still grow looking for water. If you have an old sewer line with clay pipes, roots will go find pipes as sources of water. If you have old sewer system you need to maintain the line to protect your pipes from potentially bursting.
Maintain your pipes in the fall and avoid back-ups by calling a professional to rooter your lines. If you don’t know if you have a potential problem, have a video inspection done of the line. Another hint, in 1977 plumbing companies stopped using clay pipe and went to PVC, so if you house is older than that, you could run into issues.
For more information in the Northern Colorado area, call Apex Rooter and Plumbing at (970)221-1274 or visit us at www.apexrooterandplumbing.com.
Tips to Help Prevent Winter Plumbing Emergencies!
How to prepeare your plumbing for winter in the city.
As we all watch the leaves fall and wait for winter to roll in, there are a few steps that city residents can do to prepare for freezing temperatures and prevent emergency plumbing issues:
· Remove your hose from the hose bibs (outside faucet). If you do not remove the hose there is the possibility of the hose bib freezing and breaking causing a burst pipe.
· If your house has a crawl space, make sure all cracks and vents are protected against cold air penetration. If you do not, there is the possibility that the cold air will freeze the pipes. If you have a crawl space that needs to be vented, make sure you protect the copper and steel pipes. Closing the vents will also help heat your house.
· If you leave your house for a prolonged period of time:
o Turn off water supply to house
o Turn off water heater
o Open faucet to depressurize system
o Leave the cupboard doors open below all sinks. Leaving the cupboard doors open will allow warm air to blow inside, making that space the same temperature as the air in the house which helps to protect the pipes that are hidden.
· Make sure all pipes that are in unprotected areas are insulated well. This step will make it more difficult for pipes to freeze.
For more information in Northern Colorado contact:
Apex Rooter and Plumbing Services
24 Hour Emergency Plumbing Services
wwwapexrooterandplumbing.com
Small Businesses Beware What Your Customers Are Saying and Where They Are Saying It
By: George Langel, Owner of Apex Rooter and Plumbing Services, Northern Colorado
Everyday our plumbing technicians are out there working with customers to fix their problems. At Apex Rooter and Plumbing Services in Northern Colorado, we strive to meet and exceed our customer’s needs each and every day. So, I often wonder what happens if we have a dissatisfied customer that no matter how hard you try to please them they are not happy. I worry like most small businesses that after all the years of hard work to build our reputation it could be damaged by one customer using the internet.
Yes the same internet that helps to bring in business could be a tool to damage my businesses reputation. Due to my concern, I have discussed this with my marketing agency, and have been reassured that although the internet is powerful and reaches many, like all word of mouth challenges, it is best and possible to address these issues head on.
So for all of you concerned like I am, there are methods to monitoring what others are saying about you over the internet and if they are talking about you, in most cases there is the opportunity to respond and explain your side of the story. Most consumers understand that we are all human and that in some cases we will not be able to please all of our customers – no matter how hard we try, but it is always best to be honest and address concerns head on!


