How to go about hiring a plumber

How to Go About Hiring A Plumber

Unless planning a remodeling or construction project, most residential plumbing needs are «emergencies.» A drain is backed up, a toilet will not turn off, a disposal is not functioning, or a pipe is leaking. If you do not already have a great plumber, you’ll need to take steps to find the right person for the job (unless it’s a 3 am emergency). Below you’ll find several tips for hiring the best plumber for your money.

1) Locate a listing with a local address.

A plumber with only a toll free listing or no address might not be a local company.

2) Look for a qualified plumber.

Qualified plumbers are almost always licensed with the state. You can usually check the license status of a plumber and sometimes look at their complaint record. If not, you can check the Better Business Bureau. The plumber may or may not belong to a union, depending on where you live.

3) Make sure the plumber is insured.

As with any worker you allow in your home, make sure the plumber provides you with a copy of their insurance. You do not want to be on the hook for any worker injured on your property or for damages they might cause.

4) Request an estimate.

When you contact plumbers, tell them you want an estimate. Some plumbers charge for estimates: try to find one that does not. Review the estimates carefully and determine exactly what you are going to be paying for and what is not included, how long the project will take and the date of completion.

5) Ask for specific plans.

Have them show you whenever possible exactly what they will be doing. Plumbing can often run into work beyond the scope of an original diagnosis, so ask for the hourly rate for any work not described. For instance a small copper pipe leak near a hot water heater might reveal the hot water heater is bad. Or when one leak is repaired another one is discovered or created. Make sure any work not expressed in writing will require your written approval.

6) Get more information.

Ask every plumber how long they’ve been on the job, if the total cost includes the final clean up, and what guarantees are there with their work or the installed parts. Ask about the name brands of the particular parts the plumber will be working with. There are many alternative materials available today. For example CPVC is a great replacement for copper. This chlorinated polyvinyl chloride material has some definite advantages over copper pipe. These pipes and fittings do not scale and corrode which eliminates failure and the material does not promote condensation which can cause damage to walls and contents.

7) You should also ask what experience the plumber has had with your particular problem and inquire about any permits that might be required for your project and if the plumber will be responsible for applying for them.

8) Some repairs require the removal of drywall or other structure material to access the area and make the repair. While most plumbers will not be fixing these issues, make sure you know exactly what they will be doing to get to your problem so you will know what else might need repair.

9) Make sure the plumber is going to clean up and mess made by the repair. While they might not replace tiles that had to be removed or patch drywall, they should leave the area clean.

Keep in mind, the lowest estimate may not necessarily be the right one for you. This person will be in your home so make sure you feel comfortable about them. Consider how they answered your questions and how much experience they have, and their references. Skilled plumbers who are familiar with working with the public should take the time to discuss the issue, how they intend to repair it, and their overall estimate. If the plumber has an attitude and does not want to explain things, you should move on to the next one.

How solar energy works

How Solar Energy Works

The Sun is the source of life on our planet. It?s not only the source of light, but also the source of heat and other forms of energy. Even the energy stored in our food, fossil-fuel; all these are actually results of previous ?insolation? (sunshine). Probably that?s why old civilizations used to worship the sun as a god. It?s amazing to know that one hour of solar energy, if fully harnessed, can fulfil a whole year of energy need on earth!

How Does Solar Energy Work?

The sunlight reaches the earth?s surface in form of:

1. light or the visible radiation (frequencies that produce the spectra ?violet to red? while passing through a prism)

2. heat or invisible infrared radiation (frequencies below [=infra] red spectrum)

3. high-frequency ultra-violet radiation (frequencies beyond [=ultra] violet spectrum). The use of the light needs no elaboration. The heat is the energy we use to dry clothes, run the water-cycle (evaporation-cloud-rain). The UV is that causes the tan on our skin or causes skin-cancer.

But the light form is used in another way now-a-days, a way that has opened towards the new horizon of renewable energy; the solar-electricity. This process of converting the light into electricity is called PV or photovoltaic.

How Do Solar Cells or Solar Panels Work?

Solar Cells convert light directly into electricity. On a sunny day, the electricity converted from an area of 1 square-meter can feed a 100W light-bulb. Solar cells, or photovoltaic cells are generally silicon-based (silicon is an element extracted from sand) pieces that absorb the sunlight.

One end of the Silicon (Si) piece is doped with Boron (B) which is considered as the positive (+ve) end and the other end is doped with Phosphorus (P), which is the negative (-ve) end. When light falls onto the solar cell, electrons are displaced from the atoms of Silicon. However, the electrons tend to move towards Phosphorus which attracts electrons (negative charges). Thereby, there is a surplus of electrons in ?ve end and a shortage of electrons in the +ve end.

If a conducting line is formed up outside the cell between the +ve and ?ve ends, an electrical flow is generated and a working circuit is constructed. This electricity is a direct current or DC (unidirectional flow) like a battery. But DC is not suitable for common use, so DC is converted through an ?inverter? to alternating current or AC. This AC can be transformed into required ?voltage? through a ?transformer?.

This process of converting sunlight into electricity is called the photovoltaic process. A combination of PV cells makes a PV module, a set of PV modules form a PV panel or commonly called solar panel. Even greater powers can be achieved through a collection of PV panels put together in an ?Array?.

The Chain of Harnessing Solar Energy

Summarising all these, here is the chain of Solar Energy:

a. The Sun radiates light

b. The PV cells convert solar radiation into electricity

d. This electricity is like battery-generated electricity (unidirectional flow of current) or the DC.

e. The inverter converts direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC).

f. The transformer guarantees that the voltage of the electricity coming from the inverter is the one we require.

g. The distribution scheme receives electricity produced by the system and combines it with other electric sources.

h. There could be electric meters to measure the amount of electricity produced.

Introduction to corporate culture

Introduction To Corporate Culture

Today’s employees, particularly those involved with corporate finance and other major business sectors, are leaning more towards corporate event management and corporate entertainment as a key source of contentment and happiness at work. This reflects the emergence of what has become defined as corporate culture — one that recognizes the need to keep staff happy through team games, special event days and other activities that help build camaraderie and teamwork.

1. Happy Workers Work Harder

Such episodes come as a welcome break for most rank and file, and usually end up energizing staff and renewing their interest in work. Moving out of the office to have a bowling tournament, an overnight stay at a beach resort or similar activities are nearly fail-safe steps that would help employees de-stress themselves.

2. Build Comradarie

Corporate entertainment also gives workers an opportunity to know members of their own unit or department more, and also allows interaction with members of other units or groups that is not always possible at work. The activity also helps reveal strengths of certain employees that are not apparent in the workplace, while also exposing possible weaknesses or difficulties in others. Thus, the typically quiet type who just report to work and follows his or her routine everyday could turn out to be someone with other skills beneficial to related jobs in other areas. In the same way, someone in the office who is generally not well-liked could turn out to be someone bearing a personal or family issue who just needs an outlet for his or her emotional turmoil.

3. Providers Of Corporate Entertainment

This focus on promoting employee wellbeing has spawned the corporate event management business — corporate entertainment providers that coordinate with companies on themes preferred for what essentially are team-building activities. Such activities would include, but are not limited to: company parties, theme park visits, a concert, or even a night of food and drinks at a favorite restaurant.

4. Extend Corporate Entertainment To Suppliers And Partners

Keith Prowse, a 25-year veteran of the hospitality industry, notes that entertainment provided to clients at sports and similar events builds and strengthens business ties. Corporate entertainment also eases the exchange of ideas during negotiations or discussions, as both sides would be able to look back to enjoyable and shared experiences — enabling a relaxed atmosphere that increases the likelihood of a profitable relationship or the completion of a multimillion-dollar agreement.

5. Ideas

— Rent audio-visual equipment and AV production services
— Tap photographers and photography services
— Caterers
— D?cor specialists
— Hire impersonators
— DJs, musicians
— Other performers
— Rent a limousine or luxury car
— Prizes such as mobile phones, gift certificates

6. Record The Event

The resulting videos, pictures and related multimedia content from recording such events would be ideal for corporate learning, particularly for top executives and senior managers, and serve as a storage of ideas for future use. Some of this media will undoubtedly prove useful to entice people to join your corporation.

7. Don’t Go Too Overboard

Some companies are choosing more unorthodox strategies to woo new clients and maintain the interest of current ones. One firm has been enticing potential partners with driving lessons — using armored vehicles, while another offers flights using a jet fighter. One trade-off though is that such unusual approaches are generally more costly than traditional entertainment forms. Unusually extravagant spending could also expose a company to questions in the media and even regulatory scrutiny.

Despite the logical rationale and integral role it plays in business, the US Securities and Exchange Commission has come up with measures to discourage corporate entertainment. Thus, the seemingly harmless round of golf, ski vacations, a ticket to Wimbledon and cruises for clients are now being probed by the agency. The tighter scrutiny follows a string of scandals that has rocked the country’s prominent companies and raised questions related to corporate governance.

One such case involves Adelphia Communications Corp. founder John Rigas. The executive and his family allegedly used funds of the sixth-largest cable operator in the US for their personal interests, including the acquisition of luxury condominiums, golf clubs and other perks. Jurors eventually decided that Mr Rigas and Timothy Rigas were guilty, rejecting counsel for the defendants that they intended to return everything they had loaned.

How to determine the best day for your fundraiser auction

How To Determine the Best Day For Your Fundraiser Auction

Friday and Saturday are the two most popular days to hold an auction. But what happened to the other five days of the week? What’s the matter with them?

Absolutely nothing!

The truth is, you can have a successful benefit auction on any day.

Of course, the day you select will naturally convey a certain feel or expectation from your guests. Here are some pointers as to how a day influences the perception of the event.

A Sunday afternoon auction must be a tea.

Auctions held over teas are nice in that (if it’s well-run) the event will stick to the schedule. These types of events are meant to be squeezed in after church and before Sunday afternoon commitments, so they need to be kept short and sweet.

Sunday and Monday events must mean that chefs are involved.

Auction events which involve local restaurant chefs often occur on Sunday or Monday. Because many restaurants are closed on Mondays, a chef’s weekend (if you can call it that, given the crazy schedules of chefs) begins sometime on Sunday. Picking one of these days may make it easier for chefs to have the time to cook or serve at your auction.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday lunches appeal to business-types.

Associations and other non-profits like this timeslot when they are targeting the business crowd. Guests arrive at the hotel … eat lunch … bid in the auction … and go back to work. It’s all business.

Mid Week (Tuesday Wednesday, and Thursday) auctions can be nice for foundations.

These days tend to be the most popular for auctions of corporate foundations and association expos. Oftentimes the auction will be in conjunction with a trade show, an awards gala, a user conference, or a golf outing for attendees. It could be either during the day or during the night.

Thursday night galas are the second-tier fundraisers. «Second-tier» is not meant to be a derogatory term! It just means that these galas are traditionally smaller and haven’t yet established a strong footprint in their city. A Thursday night allows the organization to enjoy a better rental rate on the venue, and it’s a solid strategy decision designed to boost attendance. For instance, whereas a larger gala might have the panache necessary to keep a guest from heading to the beach for the weekend, a smaller group must select a date in which many guests are less likely to be traveling — a Thursday night. Thursday night galas rarely clash with the big galas (which fall on weekend nights), they also avoid conflicting with school auctions, and they bypass competing with weekend activities of guests. Perfect, for them!

Friday and Saturday nights are your city’s «landmark» galas. Friday night galas are common and usually only differ from Saturday night galas in the dress code, which is cocktail or business attire instead of formal. The reason for the less stringent dress code is that the charity realizes many business people will be arriving straight from a day at work.

The truth is that you can have a successful fundraiser on any day of the week, but it does make sense to consider what activities are taking place in your community so you don’t directly compete with another gala.

In Washington, DC, I’ve seen as many as 12 predominant events taking place on a Saturday night during busy season — and those were only the auctions of which I was aware! I’ve talked with guests at an event on Friday night to compare notes as to where everyone will be on Saturday. It’s important to remember that your best bidders are busy people, so take their schedule into consideration when choosing a date.

How alan’s website could easily make more money

How Alan’s Website Could Easily Make More Money!

My Australian friend, Alan, recently got in touch for advice on how to make more money from his recently set up website. Alan is into natural health treatments, so his simplehealthmaintenance.com website is one that offers natural solutions to health problems.

Alan asked for my advice as to how to monazite this new site, knowing that I have had success with Google Adsense.

First off, Alan needs to consider whether sales are his primary objective. If so, the addition of Adsense to the site, whilst bringing in extra income, might reduce potential sales.

Adding Adsense to his site would be a quick & easy way to make money. I suggested a horizontal Adsense link, just below the main navigation bar which runs across his index or home page. This would look natural and looks like part of the website navigation.

Also, the addition of a Google skyscraper unit on the right of his page would add value to the site, and also increase his income, but without detracting from his primary objective of sales.

Now, Alan is an expert on health, but not so good at search engine optimization. His heading for the page of “Simple health treatments by non-invasive electronic acupuncture” may explain what the page is about, but it isn’t going to get him hordes of traffic from the search engines — no-one is looking for either “simple health treatments” or “non-invasive electronic acupuncture”! Zoom along to Overture and check out their keyword selector tool in the resource centre if you want to see just what it is that people are searching for.

I suggested to Alan that he look at which words, which people were searching for. Although he is happy to buy traffic for the site, using the pay per click engines (e.g. Adwords & Overture). This makes it easy to get a top search engine ranking for particular words or phrases (known as keywords) but can prove an expensive way of getting traffic.

Improving his “natural” search engine rankings, so that people found his site when typing in the keywords, would reduce Alan’s costs and increase his profit margins considerably.

This is relatively easy to do, and in fact I ran this for Alan myself using Wordtracker. This is a handy piece of software, which allows you to look at the supply and demand of particular keywords and spot gaps in the market, also known as niches.

In this case, just one of the keywords, which came up as in high demand but low supply, was “pain management with acupuncture”. Alan would do well to either use these keywords as part of his homepage or to create a new page with this title and heading, together with suitable webcopy.

By putting these keywords at the beginning and end of a new page of copy, very soon this will start to get ranked well by the search engines and receive visitors who arrive for free!

One other easy suggestion for Alan to implement, since he is also a writer, is to write a couple of articles on the subject of natural healing and acupuncture and to submit them to a few of the Article Directories, such as Ezine Articles and iSnare. This is a effective and natural way to get traffic to your site with minimum effort.

Watch out for your profit margins Alan — they’ll be going way up — just as you implement these few simple changes!

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