Plumbing problems? During your summer vacation time here in Los Angeles? Nothing can ruin that planned nap in a hammock or family bar-b-q faster than a clogged drain. But you can help put a stop to any summer plumbing woes before they start by following a few preventive tips.
Before you mow that summer lawn, make sure any embedded sprinkler heads are down - not up and prone to damage. And check for dirt and clogs, too.
When you clean up after that summer party, keep food no-no’s out of your garbage disposal. That means no banana peels or watermelon rinds, and don’t just dump any grease from the grill into your sink. Be sure to run water both before and after you use your disposal, and for at least fifteen seconds after you put ANY food item down the drain. It’s also a great idea to lightly wash and rinse dishes before you load them in the dishwasher. And don’t overfill your garbage disposal. Easy does it!
Time at the beach or pool means beach towels and swimsuits to wash. Treat your washing machine gently: don’t overfill it, shake out sand and dirt before you throw in the towel, literally and figuratively. And be sure washing machine hoses are regularly changed to avoid cracks in the lines.
Watch out for toilet clogs - make sure the kids aren’t using too much toilet paper, and keep a plunger handy.
And just in case anything should go wrong? Keep access to a plumbing pro handy so you know who to call quickly to prevent damage to your home. It’s also a great idea to have your sewer line checked every summer for any possibility of tree root intrusion or other blockages. A non-invasive fiber-optic camera can help you keep an eye on things. Now go have some fun in the sun!
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Avoiding Sewer Line Headaches
Sewer lines can cause a world of headaches if they crack, break, or burst. While sometimes problems can occur no matter what you do, it’s relatively easy to minimize the extent of the problem and prevent damage to your home.
How? Maintenance! Just as you wouldn’t wait until you lost a tooth to schedule a teeth cleaning, you shouldn’t wait until there’s signs of trouble before have routine maintenance performed on your sewer line in Los Angeles.
Simple, regular maintenance through sewer line cleaning, and line observation by using unobtrusive plumbing cameras can mean the difference between a smoothly operating sewer line and a major plumbing issues.
Viewing any problems before they become enormous is key to providing an fast, cost-saving, and efficient to solution. For example, if you have trees on or near your property, roots will edge their way into any small crack in a sewer line and create the need for major repairs. If you spot that leak or crack early, this can be prevented. Knowledge about deteriorating pipes, rusted sections, or build ups of debris means you’ll be able to find a fast solution. Today, many sewer line repairs caught early enough, can be handled without using conventional, intrusive digging. Pipe lining and pipe bursting, both handled in a trenchless fashion are quick and economical solutions.
Non-invasive plumbing cameras provide your “insider’s look” at the sewer line, and regular maintenance - cleaning the line - prevents a host of problems. After all, if no cleaning or checking takes place, you won’t even know there’s a sign of trouble until trouble arrives. Smelly, soggy spot in the lawn? Backed up or slow moving toilets, sinks or drains? Don’t wait until one of these major issues occurs. A little look around and cleaning of that sewer line can save you time and money.
How? Maintenance! Just as you wouldn’t wait until you lost a tooth to schedule a teeth cleaning, you shouldn’t wait until there’s signs of trouble before have routine maintenance performed on your sewer line in Los Angeles.
Simple, regular maintenance through sewer line cleaning, and line observation by using unobtrusive plumbing cameras can mean the difference between a smoothly operating sewer line and a major plumbing issues.
Viewing any problems before they become enormous is key to providing an fast, cost-saving, and efficient to solution. For example, if you have trees on or near your property, roots will edge their way into any small crack in a sewer line and create the need for major repairs. If you spot that leak or crack early, this can be prevented. Knowledge about deteriorating pipes, rusted sections, or build ups of debris means you’ll be able to find a fast solution. Today, many sewer line repairs caught early enough, can be handled without using conventional, intrusive digging. Pipe lining and pipe bursting, both handled in a trenchless fashion are quick and economical solutions.
Non-invasive plumbing cameras provide your “insider’s look” at the sewer line, and regular maintenance - cleaning the line - prevents a host of problems. After all, if no cleaning or checking takes place, you won’t even know there’s a sign of trouble until trouble arrives. Smelly, soggy spot in the lawn? Backed up or slow moving toilets, sinks or drains? Don’t wait until one of these major issues occurs. A little look around and cleaning of that sewer line can save you time and money.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
How to Stay Cool this Summer in Los Angeles
Worried about how to stay cool this summer in Los Angeles without spending a fortune on air conditioning? Don’t want to come home after a long day at work to heat and humidity? The easy solution of course is to turn on the air conditioning, but that uses up money and energy. It’s just not sound anymore for your wallet or for the environment. In fact, in many locations, the electric company offers discounts for people willing to allow their a/c to be turned off on certain days when energy is at a premium.
With this in mind, what is the alternative to using that air conditioning? Here are some tips.
Use fans whenever you can. Ceiling fans save energy and are proven to reduce temperature by around six degrees. And if you’re going out - turn them off, because they use power, too.
Set your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher and leave it there - but if you’re away at work all day, set it even five degrees higher.
Get a programmable thermostat. Inexpensive and easy to install, you can program your home’s temperature to fit your schedule.
Clean or change your air conditioner’s filter yearly to make sure your unit is working well. Dirty filters mean less air flow and less efficiency.
At dinner time, don’t use the oven! Use the range or the microwave, or make a salad - or cook several meals at once, preferably in the evening, when things have cooled down for the day.
Consider doing dishes by hand so that you can avoid that heat setting on your dishwasher’s drying cycle. Wait until you’ve filled the dishwasher before you run it to save energy.
Try to use dishwasher, dryer, and stove after the sun goes down or early in the morning - that way you won’t be adding more heat to your home when it’s hot outside.
Even your lighting can help you keep things cool - compact fluorescent light bulbs use 75% less energy and generate 75% less heat than standard bulbs!
With this in mind, what is the alternative to using that air conditioning? Here are some tips.
Use fans whenever you can. Ceiling fans save energy and are proven to reduce temperature by around six degrees. And if you’re going out - turn them off, because they use power, too.
Set your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher and leave it there - but if you’re away at work all day, set it even five degrees higher.
Get a programmable thermostat. Inexpensive and easy to install, you can program your home’s temperature to fit your schedule.
Clean or change your air conditioner’s filter yearly to make sure your unit is working well. Dirty filters mean less air flow and less efficiency.
At dinner time, don’t use the oven! Use the range or the microwave, or make a salad - or cook several meals at once, preferably in the evening, when things have cooled down for the day.
Consider doing dishes by hand so that you can avoid that heat setting on your dishwasher’s drying cycle. Wait until you’ve filled the dishwasher before you run it to save energy.
Try to use dishwasher, dryer, and stove after the sun goes down or early in the morning - that way you won’t be adding more heat to your home when it’s hot outside.
Even your lighting can help you keep things cool - compact fluorescent light bulbs use 75% less energy and generate 75% less heat than standard bulbs!
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