LAS VEGAS — For most people, facing the Las Vegas heat without functioning a/c or properly running water is the stuff of nightmares, but for homeowner Jim Siler, a recently widowed man in his 70s, that nightmare was reality.
Siler had been living in the Las Vegas valley without working plumbing or functioning a/c for the past few months. If that wasn’t enough, a water line burst, causing water to pool under his home. On a fixed income, Siler couldn’t afford the $8,000 price tag to get things fixed, so he resorted to weathering out the summer with open windows and inadequate plumbing. In order to take a shower or go to the bathroom, Siler would have to go outside and turn his water on in the sweltering 115°F heat or fill heavy 5-gallon buckets for daily water usage, a massive challenge for someone with limited mobility resulting from strokes and cancer treatments.
Through the Clark County Social Services department, Siler was referred to The Sunny Plumber and Goettl Air Conditioning for help with his situation. Together, along with members from the Bishop Gorman football team, The Sunny Plumber and Goettl Air Conditioning helped fix Siler’s plumbing problems, air conditioning, and things around his home. Hospitalized several times for heat-related issues, Siler resolved to tough-out the brutal Las Vegas weather.
Ken Goodrich, owner of Goettl Air Conditioning and The Sunny Plumber, said several of his staff members donated their time to help at Siler’s home.
“Giving back to those in our community who need help is our obligation,” he said.
Goodrich’s son, Duncan Goodrich, 16, and three of his Bishop Gorman football teammates, cleaned and removed debris from the yard and helped fix stairs and railings to make the home safer and more comfortable. Meanwhile, The Sunny Plumbers and Goettl Air Conditioning repaired Siler’s plumbing and air conditioning systems. Goettl Air Conditioning donated $2,000 in materials and services to fix the air conditioning system and The Sunny Plumbers donated $6,000 in materials and service to fix the plumbing. The company installed a new comfort-height toilet, which was more appropriate for Siler, given his limited mobility.
When asked about how he felt about the work being done, Siler said, “A lot more comfortable and a lot better. At one point it was 127° [in the house].”
For more information, visit http://bit.ly/JimSilerGoettl.
Publication date: 9/19/2016
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