|
Join Our List
| 
|
|
Helpful Links
|
|
|
Plumbing Fun Facts
| |
Famous and often controversial rockstar Ozzy Osbourne was a plumber's apprentice before getting into the music industry.
The word "plumber" dates all the way back to the Roman Empire. In Rome, pipes were originally made from lead, which is "plumbum" in Latin. People who worked with lead were called Plumbarius, which was eventually shortened to the word we use today.
The term "plumbers" was a popular name given to the covert White House Special Investigations Unit established during the presidency of Richard Nixon in response to the leaked "Pentagon Papers" documents. Their job was to plug intelligence leaks in the U.S. Government relating to the Vietnam War; hence the term "plumbers".
The average person visits the toilet six to eight times a day. During these six to eight visits to the toilet a day, each individual uses approximately 57 sheets of toilet paper.
You have a 1 in 10,000 chance of being injured by a toilet.
Thomas Crapper is commonly thought to have invented the first toilet, though is not true. A man by the name of Arthur Giblin invented the first effective flushable toilet. He was an employee of Crapper's and sold his patent to Crapper.
The first toilet paper was invented in 1880, but it didn't come on a roll. Instead it came as a box, like tissues.
Scott toilet paper has been around over a hundred years. The company developed its toilet paper on a roll in 1890.
72.4% of people place their toilet paper to be pulled from over the roll, rather than under.
The toilet uses more water than any other appliance in the house.
More toilets flush during half time of the Super Bowl than during any other time of year.
A third of people flush their toilet while they're still sitting on it.
Rats can survive being flushed town toilets. On top of that, they can often return to the dwelling they were in via the same route.
|
|
What our customers
have to say
| |
Casey's Plumbing
"Great people, great service, no need to look anywhere else."
Kieth Robins, Sherwood
"Very pleased with your company. I'll be recommending you to others". Jo Hodges, Milwaukie"Excellent - Explained everything well. Even made friends with my dog". Ross Wine, King City"Thom was great! Professional and good about explaining the process". David Bleyle, Beaverton"Great workmanship; competent and skilled". Ken Moss, Gresham"We found all of your people to be professional, friendly and considerate". Michael Lowe, Beaverton"The best! I am continuing to recommend you guys". Carol Smith, Beaverton"I saw my neighbor using you guys and knew they only use good companies". Patricia Treece, West linn"As usual, work was performed promptly and explained in detail". Dan Ziglinski, TigardThanks to all for the above comments!
|
|
Easter Dinner
| |
Apricot Brown Sugar Ham
|
|
|
 April 2011
|
Greetings!
It's a sunny day today and I'm pumped! Although I really do appreciate the rain, getting warmer sunny days once and awhile really recharges my spirits. As such, I'm excited to share some Casey's Plumbing news with you.
Although I have been a "7 day a week" company for years, it seems that there are still many who aren't aware of this. Being available to our working families (which of course are the majority of you), has always been important to me.
No need to take time off. Schedule a Saturday or Sunday call. I promise that you will get the same top notch service at the same price as any other day.
Don't need a weekend appointment? Schedule a call on Wednesday and we'll apply the entire dispatch fee towards the work (a savings of $157.50 )
The other news I have concerns water heaters. In the past Casey's Plumbing has been reluctant to recommend tankless water heaters. Because of the feedback I have occasionally received from clients who had tankless water heaters, I held off. These clients all reported of getting all the hot water they wanted however, they would get occasional "cold spots".
Other than the cold spots, tankless water heaters really seemed like a good choice. Well here's the good news. I have found a tankless water heater that has solved the "cold spot" problem. And just getting past tax season, many have asked us about a "tax credit". Unlike a tank type water heater (which is still the best choice for many), it only gets a $35.00 rebate from Energy Trust of Oregon. With a tankless on the other hand, you can get a whoping $300.00 rebate! I have no idea how long these rebates will last but $300.00 does add a lot of incentive.
So - need a water heater? Give us a call. A tankless just may be the best choice for you. (At this time there is not an electric unit that I can recommend - the above infomration applies to gas units only).
Thanks so much for your time and continued patronage.
Until next month,  Brenda Casey / Owner and Operations Manager BACK TO TOP
|
|
Do Your Pipes Look Like These?
| |
 When it comes to our cars, most of us are very good at getting regular maintenance. We get the oil changed, chassis lubed air in the tires. And all this is good and indeed important. But how about the largest investment most of us will ever make, our home? As long as the lights go on, the water runs and drains, all is good, right? Well, maybe. Our homes in fact does need regular maintenance just as our cars do. But unlike our cars that need maintenance every 3000 miles, you can go from 10 to 20 years before a major maintenance. As you can see from the images above, our drain pipe tend to build up over time eventually to the point that they will completely clog without regular maintenance. Now here's the good news...you can save between $50 and $100 for a complete whole house drain cleaning for as long as you have access to this E Newsletter. So if your home is at least 10 to 20 years old and you have never had the drainage system maintained, take advantage of this Newsletter special today. Like your car, sure it initially costs money but think of the alternatives. Left unmaintained, drain repairs and or replacements could go in to the thousands of dollars. With a complete whole house maintenance drain cleaning, we will mechanically clean every drain in the house, flush all the drains with high pressure water and inspect your main sewer with our drain vision equipment to ensure it's structural integrity. Call today - save a head ache later on. Finally, if your drains are slow now, this maintenance is more important than ever. And if you are a little short of funds to get the work done, check out these drain cleaning tips from one of our earlier emails.
503-620-9111
503-620-911
BACK TO TOP
|
|
History of American Mother's Day Celebration
| |
When the first English settlers came to America, they discontinued the tradition of Mothering Day. While the British holiday would live on, the American Mother's Day would be invented-with an entirely new history-centuries later. One explanation for the settlers' discontinuation of Mothering Day was that they just didn't have time; they lived under harsh conditions and were forced to work long hours in order to survive. Another possibility, however, is that Mothering Day conflicted with their Puritan ideals. Fleeing England to practice a more conservative Christianity without being persecuted, the pilgrims ignored the more secular holidays, focusing instead on a no-frills devotion to God. For example, even holidays such as Christmas and Easter were much more somber occasions for the pilgrims, usually taking place in a Church that was stripped of all extraneous ornamentation.
Julia Ward Howe's Mother's Day Proclamaition of 1870 The first North American Mother's Day was conceptualized with Julia Ward Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation in 1870. Despite having penned The Battle Hymn of the Republic 12 years earlier, Howe had become so distraught by the death and carnage of the Civil War that she called on Mothers to come together and protest what she saw as the futility of their Sons killing the Sons of other Mothers. With the following, she called for an international Mother's Day celebrating peace and motherhood:
Arise, then, women of this day! 
Arise all women who have hearts,
Whether your baptism be that of water
or of tears, Say firmly:
"We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands shall not come to us reeking of carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn. All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
"We women of one country
Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."
From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with
Our own. It says, "Disarm, Disarm!"
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice!
Blood does not wipe out dishonor
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have of ten forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war.
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means. Whereby the great human family can live in peace,
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, But of God.
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality
May be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient.
And at the earliest period consistent with its objects
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions.
The great and general interests of peace.
The Rise & Fall of Howe's Mother's Day At one point Howe even proposed converting July 4th into Mother's Day, in order to dedicate the nation's anniversary to peace. Eventually, however, June 2nd was designated for the celebration. In 1873 women's groups in 18 North American cities observed this new Mother's holiday. Howe initially funded many of these celebrations, but most of them died out once she stopped footing the bill. The city of Boston, however, would continue celebrating Howe's holiday for 10 more years.
Despite the decided failure of her holiday, Howe had nevertheless planted the seed that would blossom into what we know as Mother's Day today. A West Virginia women's group led by Anna Reeves Jarvis began to celebrate an adaptation of Howe's holiday. In order to re-unite families and neighbors that had been divided between the Union and Confederate sides of the Civil War, the group held a Mother's Friendship Day.
Anna M. Jarvis's Mother's Day in 1908
After Anna Reeves Jarvis died, her daughter Anna M. Jarvis campaigned for the creation of an official Mother's Day in remembrance of her mother and in honor of peace. In 1908, Anna petitioned the superintendent of the church where her Mother had spent over 20 years teaching Sunday School.
Her request was honored, and on May 10, 1908, the first official Mother's Day celebration took place at Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia and a church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The West Virginia event drew a congregation of 407 and Anna Jarvis arranged for white carnations-her Mother's favorite flower-to adorn the patrons. Two carnations were given to every Mother in attendance. Today, white carnations are used to honor deceased Mothers, while pink or red carnations pay tribute to Mothers who are still alive. Andrew's Methodist Church exists to this day, and was incorporated into the International Mother's Day Shrine in 1962.
US Government Adoption In 1908 a U.S. Senator from Nebraska, Elmer Burkett, proposed making Mother's Day a national holiday at the request of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). The proposal was defeated, but by 1909 forty-six states were holding Mother's Day services as well as parts of Canada and Mexico.
Anna Jarvis quit working and devoted herself full time to the creation of Mother's Day, endlessly petitioning state governments, business leaders, women groups, churches and other institutions and organizations. She finally convinced the World's Sunday School Association to back her, a key influence over state legislators and congress. In 1912 West Virginia became the first state to officially recognize Mother's Day, and in 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed it into national observance, declaring the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.
The Fight Over Commercialization The holiday flourished in the United States and flowers, especially white carnations, became very popular. One business journal, Florists Review, went so far as to print, "This was a holiday that could be exploited." But the budding commercialization of Mother's Day greatly disturbed Jarvis, so she vociferously opposed what she perceived as a misuse of the holiday. In 1923 she sued to stop a Mother's Day event, and in the 1930's she was arrested for disturbing the peace at the American War Mothers group. She was protesting their sale of flowers. In the 1930's Jarvis also petitioned against the postage stamp featuring her Mother, a vase of white carnations and the word "Mother's Day." Jarvis was able to have the words "Mother's Day" removed. The flowers remained. In 1938, Time Magazine ran an article about Jarvis's fight to copyright Mother's Day, but by then it was already too late to change the commercial trend.
In opposition to the flower industry's exploitation of the holiday, Jarvis wrote, "What will you do to route charlatans, bandits, pirates, racketeers, kidnappers and other termites that would undermine with their greed one of the finest, noblest and truest movements and celebrations?" Despite her efforts, flower sales on Mother's Day continued to grow. Florist's Review wrote, "Miss Jarvis was completely squelched."
 Anna Jarvis died in 1948, blind, poor and childless. Jarvis would never know that it was, ironically, The Florist's Exchange that had anonymously paid for her care.
Back to top
|
|
Tips for hiring a contractor
| |
Check with the CCB (verify contractor's license), before asking for bids or entering into any agreements with a contractor. When checking a contractor's license: - Verify the contractor is actively licensed. This means the contractor can legally work in Oregon, has a surety bond, provided proof of liability insurance at the time of application and insurance renewal*, and assures that you have access to the CCB (Construction Contractors Board), Dispute Resolution Process.
- Check the contractor's history of complaints (disputes) and any other licenses associated with the contractor's name.
Get more than one bid from licensed contractors before making a decision. Don't automatically accept the lowest bid. A higher bid may be worth the price in better materials or workmanship. If you get a very low bid, the contractor may have made a mistake or not bid everything. If the bid is too low to make a profit, they may use cheaper materials or take shortcuts. Ask for references. Check with previous customers. Were they satisfied with the work? Was the work completed on time? Did the contractor return phone calls? Check the BBB (Better Business Board) and Angie's List for records of complaints and / or praise. Learn as much as you can about the contractor you are hiring. Read "Building/ Remodeling Checklist" and "16 Ways to Avoid Remodeling, Repair and Construction Problems" for a more comprehensive list of issues to consider when hiring a contractor. *Many insurance companies do not contact the CCB when the policy is cancelled since they are not required by law to do so. Consumers may want to verify coverage is still in effect. The above information was taken straight from the CCB as we believe they are your best resource for checking lincensing. If you have any questions or need to schedule a plumbing service call, please contact us at... 503-620-9111
|
|
MONEY SAVING COUPONS
| |
COUPONS NOT GOOD WITH OTHER OFFERS
OR WORK PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED
 
|
|
A Word From Bill Casey
| | 
It's getting to be a real problem in our world today. Innocent homeowners call contractors looking to have work performed on their home.
A service person shows up, and the homeowner doesn't think twice about letting that person into their home. They presume that person is honest and coming to help them with their problem. All too often these seemingly innocent calls turn tragic.
Not long ago, I read about a Florida woman who was killed by a registered sex offender who was performing work in her home. In another instance, a service technician in the Minneapolis area was convicted on several counts for stealing from customers' homes. In yet another story, an unsuspecting housewife in Missouri hired a contractor only to have him call back two weeks later and make lewd remarks over the telephone. What if this guy had done more than just make telephone calls? You don't think about this possibly happening until it's too late.
You and your family deserve to feel comfortable and safe in your own home; to live life without fear. Women home alone with small children, the elderly, or the disabled shouldn't have to be wary of their security when calling a contractor. As a person who's been in this industry for years, it sickens me that this has
become an issue... but it has.
Knowing this, we have made a commitment to you and all of our loyal customers. You will never have to worry about a person from our company that enters your home or be concerned about their true intentions. As a service to you, every single one of our employees is background checked and drug tested. No criminal or drug addict will ever wear one of our uniforms. We have one of the most difficult hiring processes around, and only people of high moral character are given the opportunity to be employed by us. We then take these hard working people and provide them with the best technical and communication training offered in the country. So, you'll know that when one of our people shows up, they're upstanding citizens who are eager and able to help you with any and all of your home's needs.
Many contractors in the home services business do not bother to practice such stringent policies... But that's what distinguishes us from the rest. Indeed, recently when screening applicants to fill an opening we had for a journeyman plumber, only a very small percentage passed the drug screening. And these people are now working for someone!?
When you call Casey's Plumbing, Rooter n Drains or Metro's Best Electric, you know you're dealing with professionals who care about your personal safety, the safety of your family, and the well-being and security of your home. We feel that's the least we can do for you.
Thanks your continued patronage.
Sincerely,
|
|
|
