So my week continues in my hometown of Calgary ! Checked in today with the technicians and Big P aka Boss and everything is running smoothly. Seems to be the regular jobs: pipe bursts, furnaces breaking down and drains backing up. September should be a very busy month, and it will continue until at least Feb. Papa is ready ! We are so going to rock it !

If you know me, you will know I love social media. I tweeted our dear friend Erin Ireland that I am in Calgary and she immediately replied back that I must try Pulcinella !! So out we ventured to Kensington for lunch. The staff was so attentive and very helpful ! Our hostess explained to us that the pizza is authentically made in a 1000 degree oven for 60-90 seconds. Wow HOT !!
The Pizza: Fresh ingredients, thin crust, fresh made dough, fresh tomato sauce – priceless !! They also don’t cut the pizza and it’s supposed to be eaten authentically – just like a sandwich the hostess said.

This is surely a must in Calgary ! Pulcinella – the jewel of Kensington !

Here are some more details of Pulcinella :

Hours: Sunday 1130am – 10pm Monday to Thursday 1130am – 11pm Friday & Saturday 1130am – Midnight
Address: 1147 Kensington Crescent NW | 403.283.1166
Website: http://www.pulcinella.ca/

Thank you Erin Ireland for the excellent recommendation !

Papa’s Poll: 5 stars  !!

Despite the negative reviews for the ‘The Smurf’s’ movie, I actually found it enjoyable. Perhaps it was because I was re-living my childhood. Fond memories of waking up early Saturday mornings to run to the TV for “Saturday Morning cartoons” come to mind. I haven’t heard that optimistic “la la la” song since those times. Yes the storyline could used some help, there was a few plots in the movie that could have been developed further.. but I wasn’t expecting it to be like Harry Potter ! It would probably would have been more engaging in 3D but overall it was entertaining ! If you are thinking to see it, would be a good thing to read the reviews online so you can decide whether you should wait for the DVD or not.

As I was watching the movie, I found that Papa Smurf and his Smurfs reminded me of Papa and the technicians.

Here are the similarities I found:

1. We are there for you when you need us at anytime – 24/7.

2. Ability to solve complex problems and complete tasks in a timely manner.

3. Great teamwork.

4. Work hard and with enthusiasm.

5. Go the extra mile to make you happy.

Perhaps Papa Smurf could have secretly been a plumber? That could be a tool bag you know !

We could all use that “la la la” song in our lives at times. The song is available upon request when Papa visits your home (uh oh the techs are going to kill me haha !)

So who’s your Papa Vancouver?

Who can you rely on when your plumbing/heating/drainage is at its worst ?

PAPA Plumbing of course !!

The question is who would be our Gargamel??

Perhaps we all have those “gargamel’s” we have to overcome in life.  But with positive thinking and an optimistic attitude we can conquer those “gargamel’s” ! Cue the Smurf song: la la la sing a happy song !

If you got a problem, if you’re feeling lonely
everything is leaking around
Try looking on the bright side, Papa Plumbing is on your side
troubles will all soon be gone

la la la la sing a happy song, la la la la plumb the whole day long !

Enjoy your beautiful long weekend Vancouver !

Wishing everyone a Happy long weekend !! Whether your going away for a few days or more, here are some great plumbing tips for you:1. Your water heater is hard at work keeping your water warm even when you’re not using any. Change the setting on the tank to the lowest temperature possible or to the “vacation” setting.
2. You should probably shut off your water before leaving your home. This can be done through the main shut off valve, no one wants to come home from vacation to a flooded house and lengthy insurance claim.
3. If you have turned off your plumbing main shut off valve, this is still a good time to look at all your shut off valves and supply lines under your sinks and toilets to be sure none are wet or leaking before leaving.
4. Go outside and take off any garden hoses that may be attached to your outdoor spigots. Turn on your sprinkler system (if you have one) and drain outdoor faucets.
5. Walk around the outside of the home, make sure nothing is leaking before you leave the house.
6. If you have a drinking water system, make sure your drinking water system is newer, as older lines on these units crack and break and are often the culprit causing water damage in many homes. Some of these systems can be turned off indivdually at the valve under the sink to lessen the possibility water damage.

Hope some of these tips help !! Happy long weekend everyone ! Stay safe !! Remember to call Papa 604-437-7272 in case of any emergencies. We are open 24/7 !

Last Wednesday at the HOBN meeting in New Westminster which is hosted by Margaret Reynolds  at the Waffle House, which may I say has some delicious blueberry waffles

Oh, back to the story, so I had breakfast that morning with Margaret, Scott Ko - everyone should check out his website because right now he is offering a free iPad 2 ! I also met a lawyer, Stephen Graf who was talking about how he is writing a series of blog posts on his blog . By the way, Margaret, Scott & Stephen have tremendous knowledge and dedication to their professions.. I have been learning a lot from them.. and I think I am very fortunate to belong to HOBN.

 

 

So of course when Stephen mentioned this, I thought.. thats a great idea, I should also create a series of blog posts related to one topic. Since the majority of calls that come through our switchboard are related to hot water tanks, I thought lets start there !

Hot Water Tanks: seldom do we think of these vessels.. yet they provide our hot water for our showers, dishes and relaxing baths when we have had long days at work. 

This Canada Day weekend alone, we had quite a few emergencies in Vancouver and they were related to the Hot Water Tank ! So lets start with the basics, there are 2 types of hot water tanks: Gas & electric. Now your probably thinking, who doesn’t know the difference? Well believe me, a lot of people do not know if they have a gas or electric tank. Being a regular at answering the phones, I have often come across this question.

So your hot water tank is electric if:

• uses electricity to heat the water
• does not have a pilot light
• there is no venting on the top of the tank.

Here is an example of an electric hot water tank with the parts labelled:

Your hot water tank is gas if:

• uses gas to heat the water
• there is a vent on top of the hot water tank
• does it have a pilot light?

Here is an example of a gas hot water tank with the parts labelled:

Stay tuned for part 2.. when we talk about that pesky t and p valve !! If you have any questions or your having problems with your hot water tank, please feel free to call your trusted plumber, Papa Plumbing at anytime 604-437-PAPA (7272). 

 

 

Hope everyone had a very Happy Canada Day ! I visited some family in Surrey and we got to see the Cloverdale fireworks ! I tried to get a “Happy Canada Day” cake from Safeway:

But they were all sold out and had no more red icing either, so we got this instead:

we also had yummy corn on the cob for our Canada Day BBQ.

Hope everyone had a chance to enjoy the festivities and see the fireworks. We are proudly Canadian and all our vans have the Canadian flag on them as well !

Happy Canada Day Everyone from your proudly Canadian plumbers : Papa Plumbing, Heating & Drainage Ltd !!

I was reading this article from the Calgary Sun today, here is an excerpt from it:

“After cheating death, a Toronto family on Friday met the Calgary man who helped them escape the silent killer. Peter and Voula Themos and their daughter Anna, 2, were asleep in their Toronto home when a faulty furnace led the level of carbon monoxide — a colorless odorless gas — to rise to 152 parts per million, well-above a lethal amount”

After reading this, I thought I would post something about carbon monoxide and how serious it can really be !

Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

• Red coloration of skin due to lack of oxygen
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea and vomiting
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Light-headedness
• Weakness
• Muscle fatigue and general fatigue
• Chest pain
• Loss of consciousness

These can also be confused with the flu or even food poisoning, and because of the confusion some people continue to breath in carbon monoxide which can cause serious long term effects.

Well its highly unlikely your going to have the flu for many weeks, it does generally pass. CO poisoning would not cause you to have a fever – which a flu would. The symptoms of CO poisoning may come and go, or become worse at certain times of the day.

Carbon monoxide poisoning usually gets worse in the winter time, that’s when people burn various types of fuel in order to keep warm. Heating equipment of old age or faulty units combined with poor ventilation cause a great risk of CO poisoning. This makes the colder season a far greater risk period than other times of the year.

During your annual furnace service, your technician will also do a carbon monoxide test to ensure there are no leaks. You should also have a carbon monoxide detector installed in your home which will help prevent this “silent killer”. 

So lets all enjoy our Vancouver summer .. and prepare for winter by making sure our heating systems are all good to go ! Call your local Vancouver plumber today  (we also travel from Hope to Horseshoe Bay, and cover the entire Lower Mainland )for a check on your heating equipment !

 

But its looking sunny for Sunday but then back to rain for next week ! So looks like Kits beach will have to be in July !

Welcome SUMMER !!

 

 

Your trusted Vancouver plumber is kicking off summer with a summer sale !! 

From now until July 31st, have your perimeter drainage cleaned with high pressure for ONLY $195.00 plus HST. 

Having guests over for summer? Well we don’t want any slow drains in the house and we definitely don’t need house guests swimming around the house if the drainage has backed up. 

 

 

Okay so thats highly unlikely !!

However you don’t want this to be the state of your drains:

 

So take advantage of the drainage summer sale and Give Papa a call, we serve the entire Lower Mainland, from Hope to Horseshoe Bay !