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.
Let’s set the record straight: a plunger is a plunger by definition, but each plunger type is different. Each plunger design has different uses.
No doubt you have a plunger or two at home, and you may wonder if you selected the right type for the toilet, the sink, or whatever job is at hand.
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.
Wim Hoff loves his ice baths, but most people prefer to see the steam rise before they step into the shower. So, it may be time to investigate when the shower head spits out water at the temperature of summer rain.
The first place to look is the water heater (surprise!). Is it between 120 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit (140 being the maximum safe temperature)? If not, turn up the dial.
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.
Water heaters should be set to about 120 degrees F. Anything higher carries the risk of scalding at the other end of the pipe.
If 120 degrees seem low, it is — for a bacterium. For humans, it’s more than enough for showers, dishes, and other household tasks where hot water is involved.
Sulpher bacteria thrive in that hot but not-too-hot environment, pitch their tents, and propagate. They have nothing better to do.
Cold showers are great for brown fat activation and controlling inflammation.
They’re not so great for comfort (unless you’re Wim Hof) or keeping the peace in the family.
Standard water heaters last an average of 7-10 years. Their performance often declines as they reach the 10-year mark.
A plumber can give you the lay of the land, report on the condition of your hot water system, replace your water heater if need be, and repair anything that needs fixing — including leaky hot water pipes.
Hot water’s great for coffee, not for baths.
Scalding hot tap water is dangerous, especially for children and seniors. 120 degrees Fahrenheit is the safety recommendation against scalding baths, but 140 degrees is the standard default setting on most water heaters.
Even 120 degrees is too warm for baths; anything over 111.2 degrees puts people and pets at risk. Steam from the bathwater or shower indicates you should turn it down a notch.
When your tap water tap takes on a rust-brown shade, your first reaction might be shock, the second disgust, and the third horror.
Yes, orange water happens, especially in older homes, and if you’re reading this blog, it has probably happened to you.
But is the water safe to use? What should you do about it? Who is responsible? You or the city?
Wildfires can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on water quality. In California, where 1,893,913 million acres of land were burned in 2018 alone, the effects of wildfires are pronounced. Burned watersheds are vulnerable to flooding, erosion, and sedimentation, which can wreak havoc on reservoirs and drinking-water treatment processes.
The fire intensity can change the runoff chemistry enough to alter a watershed’s ability to support an aquatic ecosystem. It can damage drinking water sources.