All Things Plumbing & HVAC: The Orange Coast Plumbing Blog

Need to know what’s an emergency and which problems can wait? Which problems you can solve DIY? The Orange Coast Plumbing blog helps you understand common plumbing, heating,  and air conditioning issues.

A toilet is an often overlooked source of  wasted water in a home. The average toilet uses 6 gallons of water per flush, and individuals use the bathroom roughly six or seven times a day. That’s 40 gallons of water per person a day. Making your toilet water efficient is an easy way to save money.

All plumbing materials have a limited lifespan. Your sewer pipes mayl last from 50 to 100 years, but wear and tear from hard water and harsh chemicals can accelerate corrosion. All pipes corrode and weaken over time, leaving them vulnerable to collapse. Chemicals like acids, solvents, and saltwater can eat away at metal pipes until they give out under pressure.

Whether you want to make your home more livable or increase property value, a bathroom renovation is an appealing option. However, you’ve heard time and again about bathroom renovation challenges.

Fortunately, our plumbers and other specialists have identified the most common bathroom renovation challenges. we’ve also developed ways to solve those challenges and complete the renovation project of your dreams.

The toilet’s exploding. You’re facing a plumbing emergency.

Anything significant requires a plumber, but what about the smaller emergencies that arise? A clogged toilet? A blocked sink? Even a leaky faucet?

Do you have the right tools for a DIY repair or an emergency fix until the plumber arrives?

Most of the time, you may not give much thought to your kitchen garbage disposal. However, that situation can change in a hurry when something goes wrong. Without a doubt, clogs are the number one issue for disposal owners. You might not view a clog as an emergency in many circumstances. But if you rely on your garbage disposal daily or on special occasions, you’ll need to find a quick solution.

There’s nothing like a slow drain to put a damper on a refreshing shower.

Worse, the water may not drain at all — it just sits in the bottom of the tub.

Fortunately, a clogged shower drain is usually an easy fix.

Ductless mini-split air conditioners rely on the same underlying technology as central ACs. However, they utilize that technology differently. First, as their name implies, they are not tied into a system of ducts. Instead, they connect directly to their own, non-ducted components. The evaporator and air handler sit in a unit attached to the wall or mounted in the ceiling. The compressor/condenser part of the system lies outside. Some mini-splits, called single-zone units, utilize completely separate components for each room. However, other setups feature multi-zone units, which use a single compressor/condenser for multiple rooms.

Wondering why is the water not hot enough in your home? Read about how to stop from your hot water going cold.

Have you noticed a puddle near your water heater? That’s never a good thing.

Most water heaters last about 10 to 15 years, even with proper maintenance. And Orange County’s hard water can shorten the life of any appliance exposed to it.

But before you start shopping around for a new heater or even call the plumber, do a bit of DIY troubleshooting. Can you pinpoint the source of the leak?

As odd as it sounds, if the leak comes from the top, you’re in luck.

Water heaters don’t make popping noises when they’re working as designed.

That popping and crackling comes from exploding particles. Particles of what, exactly?

Particles of sediment. Scale and lime deposits.

The seemingly clear water from your tap is chock full of minerals.