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Jim's Blog

Written by Jim Mitcham, Founder

LaundryPure

December 5, 2011

We have discovered a wonderful new appliance that we believe will become as popular as the microwave oven.  Just as microwave ovens grew in popularity from 1% ownership in the early 70s, to to 25% of households having one in 1986 and currently 90% of household ownership, we predict the same explosion for this new appliance.

It shares two benefits that made the microwave oven so popular: convenience and time savings. And, it has other benefits the microwave doesn’t: it protects the environment and saves you money (and it's made in Bristol, VA USA).

So, what is this appliance and how does it save me and the environment? First, let me first state some facts about Americans' habits:

1. Americans do 1,000 loads of laundry every second, 24/7, 365.
2. We use enough laundry detergent to fill tractor trailers parked bumper to bumper from Los Angles to San Francisco every year. And where does most of that detergent waste go? Into our rivers, lakes and streams in the form of pollution.

This wonderful appliance I've been describing is called LaundryPure and has been field tested for ten years in homes just like yours.  It washes your laundry without detergent, bleach, or hot water. LaundryPure users should treat stains with a pretreating agent, but no bleach is needed.  It is not necessary to sort the darks and light, as you can wash them all together. You should use cold water only, as hot doesn’t work as well and is not suggested.  Dryer sheets are no longer needed and the lint in the filter, and on your expensive clothes, will be reduced up to 80%.  In short, you'll no longer have to sort your clothes, use hot water, detergent, bleach, or dryer sheets.

The savings you earn will pay for the LaundryPure in about a year, and you will be making a huge difference in the environment.

For more information, contact us today.

Jim Mitcham
JIM's, Inc.
jimsphac@aol.com
(301) 926-3499

The Health Effects of Chlorine in Your Water

October 5, 2011

All of us who obtain water from a municipality know that it contains chlorine. Municipalities are required to use chlorine and it’s added is to kill organisms that are naturally occurring and harmful to humans.

Before we treated our water, all kinds of things were found in domestic water systems. At one time, strainers were installed in the water mains in the streets of Washington, DC to keep the small eels from coming into the home and out of the faucet.

Why do we use chlorine to purify our water? As I understand it, in the early part of the 20^th century, water purity became a major concern. World War I was just winding down and the chemical industry had large supply of chlorine left over from making mustard gases. A chemical lobby got a law passed requiring chlorine be used to treat water. This seemed like a good idea at first, however, over the years, we’ve discovered the serious health effects of long-term use of water treated with chlorine.

Below, I quote information posted on a web site www.friendsofwater.com.  I invite you to visit the site or Google “effects of chlorine in water.”

• Thomas C. Chalmers and his colleagues at Harvard have noted a 21% increase in the risk of bladder cancer. Long-term drinking of chlorinated water appears to increase a person’s risk of developing bladder cancer as much as 80% and some 45,000 Americans are diagnosed with bladder cancer every year.
• Drinking chlorinated water has been officially linked to an increased incidence of colon cancer.
• Experts have found a 14% increase in birth defects where chlorinated water is consumed.

To remove or avoid chlorine, concerned families filter their drinking water at the tap or buy bottled water. This is not a complete solution, as homeowners are still exposed to chlorine when bathing and washing. Our skin is our body’s largest organ and it absorbs the chlorinated water as we wash. And, when hot water comes out of the showerhead, much of it becomes steam. That steam contains chlorine in gaseous form and is breathed into our bodies.

It’s wonderful to not have our water make us sick through water-born organisms, but we now find the solution to the problem is killing us.

At JIM’S, Inc., we’ve found that dead clients no longer need our services, so we’ve been searching for a solution to this chlorine problem. We suggest you install a whole-house carbon filter to remove the chlorine from all domestic water as it enters your home. Your water will be safe to drink and bathe in, as it’s no longer contaminated with chlorine.

Additional benefits to using filtered water include:

• Improved skin (chlorine makes me, and many others, itchy and dry after a shower)
• Improved shampooing using less shampoo and gaining softer hair
• Good tasting water from the tap, so it’s no longer necessary to purchase and haul inexpensive bottled water and we won’t pollute the environment with all those plastic bottles. Plus, your family may consume more water when it doesn’t smell like chlorine (and we know how important hydration is to good health).
• Better tasting food, coffee and tea.
• Longer lasting plumbing, as chlorinated water eats the rubber and plastic parts of your toilet tanks and faucets. Imagine the savings if your toilets and faucets lasted twice as long between repairs.

All of these financial and environmental benefits more than cover the cost of a whole-house carbon filter and you gain all of the good things mentioned above. Very little maintenance is required when your carbon needs replacing, and we’ll switch the tank out one at minimal cost and bother.

While we’re in your home for other repairs and service, we’ve asked all of our techs to take a sample of your water, so we can test it at no cost to you and we’ll contact you with our findings.

To good water!

Jim Mitcham
JIM's, Inc.
jimsphac@aol.com
(301) 926-3499

Water is Precious: Filter Your Own

August 12, 2011

70% of the earth’s surface is covered with water, but only 3% of it is fresh water, and only 1% of it is available to humans.  Along with the amount available to us humans, we're concerned about the quality of the water we drink.  We, in the industrialized portion of the world, have greatly increased our health and longevity through the availability of clean, safe water.

Many of us have resorted to drinking bottled water and wouldn’t think of drinking tap water.  We assume that bottled water is better and safer; however, the regulations concerning bottled water are miniscule and often the bottled water we are drinking is just tap water that has been filtered.  In most cases, we would be better off and it would be cheaper if we filtered our own tap water.

Another item to consider is the PH or acidity of the water we drink.  Tap water must be just slightly alkaline, where bottled water tests out at around 5.5 on the PH scale, quite acid. We are healthier when we drink more alkaline water.

Save water, save the landfills and save the energy it takes to produce and then recycle those millions and millions of plastic water bottles: filter your own tap water.

Jim Mitcham
JIM's, Inc.
jimsphac@aol.com
(301) 926-3499

Quality

August 5, 2011

Quality is an often used and easily understood word when describing a product, but what does it mean when describing service?  Gas stations were at one time referred to as service stations because they washed your windshield and checked your oil while filling your gas tank; however, those time are mostly gone and so is the name (service station).

When a serviceman comes to your home to perform a service of some type, quality becomes very important.  You are inviting a stranger into your home, which can be unsettling and uncomfortable for some folks.  The quality of the service can make a big difference.  At JIM’S, here's what we believe quality service means:

1. Giving real appointments, not windows of time for arrival.
2. Arriving on time, every time.
3. Sending neat professional technicians who smile and wear booties before entering your home.
4. Giving upfront prices before your work is begun so there are no surprises.
5. Leaving your work area cleaner than when we arrived.
6. Guaranteeing the work for two years - twice the industry average.
7. Following up with you to insure the work was completed to your satisfaction.

JIM’S is a place where old fashioned quality service in not a thing of the past.

Jim Mitcham
JIM's, Inc.
jimsphac@aol.com
(301) 926-3499

Trust

July 29, 2011

I belong to a BNI networking chapter that meets in Bethesda, MD and the main purpose for our weekly meetings is to develop trust by getting to know each other. Then, as we begin to trust each other, the members can share referrals to help each other's businesses grow.

Very little happens in the business world without trust. I’m not apt to do business with you or refer friends to you if I don’t trust you. Trust must be earned through time and experiences, and once lost it is almost impossible to regain. A trusted reputation is more valuable than gold and to be called “A Trusted Friend” is an honor indeed.

I am blessed to have several friends to whom that title is appropriate and well deserved. Guard your reputation so that you may be thought of as “A Trusted Friend.”

Jim Mitcham
JIM's, Inc.
jimsphac@aol.com
(301) 926-3499

Glad to be Your Referral Source

July 22, 2011

I’ve been in the plumbing business since 1958 some 53 years and I guess you could say I know a few things about plumbing and, more importantly, however, I know a few people. These are people I‘ve worked with, spent time with, people who will know my name should I call them and people who are more than willing to help me or friends of mine who need help.

In fact, I just had a situation at my church where a water heater had been installed in a new gymnasium and, because of permit problems, it had not been used in over a year. When they started to use it, the hot water coming out of the faucets smelled awful. The manufacturer gave us the runaround and the church was in a tight spot. They were starting to use the gymnasium and the smell was becoming a serious problem. Previously, I had dealt with a fellow in California who specialized in water heater maintenance. A call to him solved our problem: he suggested a dose of hydrogen peroxide and everything was sweet smelling.

I share all of this to remind all of you blog readers that I'm happy to be a referral source for you. Just give me a call and, most likely, I can steer you in the right direction. And, you don't have to have a plumbing problem, I know lots of folks who aren’t plumbers.

Jim Mitcham
JIM's, Inc.
jimsphac@aol.com
(301) 926-3499

Prolonging the Life of the Average Person

July 15, 2011

Statistics prove that plumbers have done more to prolong the lives of the average person, through improvements in water supply and waste removal, than all the medical advances in the world to date.

This fact is not commonly known to most people, but one that we in the trade are very proud of and, therefore, take great pleasure in upholding our plumbing codes and practices.

One doesn’t have to go too far back to remember when the street gutters flowed and smelled like open sewers. This is still the case in many third world cities. Not too many years ago before the water supply was treated, strainers had to be used on the pipes leading into the home from the street to keep eels from coming into the home. Can you imagine turning on a faucet to get a drink and having an eel come into your glass? And, the mains in the streets were made of wood.

Due to improvements in plumbing (and in a host of other areas), life expectancy has grown from 47.3 years in 1930 to nearly twice that at 78.4 years in 2007. As the saying goes, “We’ve come a long way, baby."

Jim Mitcham
JIM's, Inc.
jimsphac@aol.com
(301) 926-3499

Value-VS-Cost

July 8, 2011

It has always been JIM’S goal to provide a service that is of greater value than the cost and to do this requires continuous effort.

From the person who answers the phone in a friendly and helpful way and arranges the schedule to meet the client’s needs and then sending the proper technician who can handle the described need and arrives on time in a clean, well-stocked truck, who looks neat and professional and greets the client at their door with a smile.

Our technicians are people who are truly happy to serve our clients. They add value by donning their booties and quoting the cost of the job before starting to work, then doing the job properly and cleaning up after they are done. And, perhaps most importantly, they thank the client and then collect payment, which is less than the value that has been given.

Not to be forgotten is the manager who arranges it all and insures that it all happens each and every time. When it all happens, we have a win-win situation that creates referrals, happy clients and a prosperous company. It is important that our entire team remembers that the most valuable thing they have to offer is themselves.

JIM’S also backs up all of this with a two-year warranty on all repairs, which is twice the industry standard.

With our continuous team efforts and our warranty, we work to have every client soon forget the cost because the value of our service far exceeds it.

Jim Mitcham
JIM's, Inc.
jimsphac@aol.com
(301) 926-3499

The "Throne"

July 1, 2011

To coin a phrase, “We’ve come a long way, baby!”

Some people call it a ”throne,” and, after the KBIS show in Las Vegas last April, that may be an appropriate name for the new toilet. This toilet comes with a LCD touch-screen interface, built-in bidet functionality, a deodorizer, dual –flush technology, an auto open-close lid, built in music system, heated seat and a foot warmer.

WOW what else could you want? Just think: your wife will no longer complain about you leaving the seat up and perhaps, this is another reason to consider bath remodeling.

For more ideas on making your bathroom more royal, contact us today at (301) 926-3499 or visit us online at www.jimsinc.com.

Jim Mitcham
JIM's, Inc.
jimsphac@aol.com
(301) 926-3499

What is Your Definition of SERVICE?

June 24, 2011

When you call a company requesting service, what do you expect? I for one expect promptness, professionalism, cleanliness, and consideration of my home and my time. I admire someone who knows what he or she is doing and goes about it with efficiency and dispatch. Get in and get it done, so I can get on with my life. I appreciate a firm that checks back with me to insure my complete satisfaction after the ink is dry on the check and I have had time to reflect on what their serviceman did. Perhaps, because I am in the service business, I am more aware of the difference in good service and bad service and I’m not very forgiving of the latter.

For great service with your plumbing, heating, AC and electrical needs, contact us today at (301) 926-3499 or visit us online at www.jimsinc.com.

Jim Mitcham
JIM's, Inc.
jimsphac@aol.com
(301) 926-3499

About Humidity

June 17, 2011

Because we're experiencing a hot, humid summer in DC, I thought this would be a perfect time to talk about humidity.

We all recognize how the humidity on a hot summer day causes us to feel hotter and more uncomfortable. Humidity in the winter can cause a similar sensation. On a cold day, if the humidity is low in your home, you will feel colder even at a higher temperature setting, but if you add humidity, you will be more comfortable even at a lower temperature setting. It has to do with the perspiration on our skin and the speed with which it evaporates: slower in a more humid atmosphere and quicker in a dryer atmosphere. The quicker it evaporates, the cooler we feel.

It is important that we have a humidifier in our homes and preferably one that has a humidistat that controls the amount of moisture that’s added to the air of your home. If there's too much moisture, you can start to grow mold, and if there's too little, you feel static electricity and the membranes of your throat and sinuses dry out, possibly causing colds and other illnesses.

A similar thing applies with air conditioning. It is important that the air conditioner removes the humidity in the summer, without which we won’t be comfortable, even if the temperature is set low.

In both cases, the cost of heating and cooling our homes will be increased without humidity control and we will not be as healthy.

I hope you have enjoyed this blog and gained some knowledge about the effect of humidity.

Jim Mitcham
JIM's, Inc.
jimsphac@aol.com
(301) 926-3499