Hard water can make or break your plumbing, it's as simple as that. It doesn't affect everyone, but you'll know if you have hard water. Here, we'll explain what hard water is, break down what water softener is, and how it helps improve the quality of your water. You might think hard wa…
Weird History: Fourth of July Plumbing and Heating Facts
Happy Independence Day! To celebrate the holiday today, here are four weird history facts about our nation's history with heating, plumbing, and HVAC that you may not have known! Benjamin Franklin invented the Franklin stove in 1741. It was a metal-lined fireplace with a hollow baffle n…
Breathe Easy: Explaining Air Filters and MERV Ratings
Air filters work with a homeowner’s HVAC system to circulate clean air throughout the home via central ductwork. They oftentimes slide into a specialized compartment on, for instance, a furnace. Once the air is called for, the furnace pushes it through the duct where the filter is located, so any …
Construction Camp in Austin Teaches Girls Trade Skills
They do summer camps a little differently in Austin, Texas. Thanks to the National Association of Women in Construction, thirteen middle-school aged girls are learning the skills needed to begin careers in the construction industry and other trades. During the week-long camp, they h…
Ancient History: What Did We Do Before Air Conditioners?
Air conditioners may seem like a staple of society, and many places across the country and the globe can't survive the summer without them. But what did we do before these air-cooling machines were invented? Let's go all the way back to ancient Egypt, where, like most technological innov…
New ‘Super-Wood’ Becomes Cooler in Sunlight
New research shows that you might be able to cool your home with ‘super-wood.’ By stripping the wood of its lignin before densification, it actually allows the densified wood to cool in bright sunlight. By doing this, buildings that are constructed using this material would have a s…
Zone Valves That Use ProPress?!
Hey all! I’ve got a small, but in my opinion, fantastic item today. Anyone who has ever sweat a valve has done this at least once: everything is going smoothly, the valve sweats in just fine, you go to test it by closing it and the valve fails. Well, what do we do? Remove it, take a l…
An Inside Look at Plumbing Fittings
Are you having issues filtering through our thousands of plumbing fittings? Trying to fix that leaky faucet, but don’t know what you need? Then you’ve come to the right place! We know fittings can be complicated, and our dedicated staff is here to help, so we’ve creat…
Texas Eliminates Regulations to Become a Plumber
Plumbers across the country are in shock and disbelief as Texas has voted down a bill that would have kept the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners operational. Instead, aspiring professional plumbers may not need to pass exams or adhere to regulations, starting September 1st. &n…
Ball Pit or Reservoir in Los Angeles?
Did you ever think it would hard to tell a ball pit from a water reservoir? Well, in Los Angeles it is. The L.A. Water Reservoir is now home to 96,000,000 (yes, 96 million!) black balls that look like they belong in a ball pit at a kid's birthday party. But actually, they fit perfectly …
Lead Plumbing Parts Could be Replaced by New Alloy
A team of researchers at Purdue University might have just created the biggest advancement in the plumbing world in decades. For years, lead plumbing has been a known issue--but only recently has official legislation come into effect to regulate its use. But thanks to the team at the …
Koala Refuses to Leave Air Conditioned Car
On a hot day in Australia, a winemaker got a surprise visit while working outside. Tim Withrow left his car running and the air conditioning on so his dog could go in and out to beat the heat. But, turns out his pooch wasn't the only one who had that same idea. A koala be…
