Armed with wrenches, sockets and screwdrivers, more than 30 plumbers will march Saturday into the homes of about 35 Lawrence residents with this mission in mind: Eliminating any utility problems they find.

Each October since 1989, groups of Lawrence plumbers have participated in the HEATS ON project. HEATS ON is the acronym for Handicapped and Elderly Assistance To Service Our Neighbors.

“It was a need seen by the plumbers and pipefitters union, something they can do that can be of value to the community,” said Andy Brown, director of human service programs at the Ballard Community Center.

The program brings together local contractors, plumbers and pipefitters to help people prepare for winter.

The Ballard Center’s role is to sign up residents needing assistance.

Brown said the main purpose of the HEATS ON program was to ensure that furnaces and other gas appliances would function properly with no safety hazards.

“The residents that are helped are deeply appreciative,” Brown said. “The cost of having that inspection done on a regular basis is often prohibitive for the low-income elderly and the disabled.”

Local contracting companies, such as Chaney Inc. and Huxtable and Associates Inc., donate most of the material.

Roy Chaney, president of Chaney Inc, said from 20 to 25 residents are usually served, with total costs to plumbers and contractors between $2,500 and $4,000.

James Cottrell, the business representative for the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union No. 441, said the plumbers do more than just fix furnaces. Cottrell said, if possible, they would also fix other appliance problems they find.

Plumbers might change light bulbs and do light maintenance on pipe fixtures, electrical outlets, stoves and refrigerators.

Brown said residents who want help must meet assistance guidelines to qualify:

• Must be a homeowner.
• Must be age 60 or older, or have a disability.
• Must have income below 185 percent of the federal poverty level. For a single person that is $1,385 monthly or less; or $1,869 per month for a household of two.

Dan Sellers, who works for Chaney Inc., services a furnace. Lawrence plumbers are going out Saturday to ready residents' homes for colder weather, as part of the Handicapped and Elderly Assistance To Service Our Neighbors program.