The most important thing to remember about your garbage disposal is that it isn’t a garbage can. While your disposal is incredibly useful for disposing of food waste, it can’t dispose of everything. No matter how effective or powerful your garbage disposal, there are certain things you should never throw into it. If … [Read more...]
Unfortunately, we all know how quickly major disasters can happen in California. If you’re in the path of a wildfire, you may need to evacuate your home without very much warning. The best way to prepare for possible future evacuations is to know what to do before they happen. Evacuations will always be traumatic, but … [Read more...]
Last week, we laid out the journey your electricity takes to get to you. We followed your electricity across hundreds of miles, across transmission and distribution lines, from the power plant to your neighborhood. We haven't quite finish the journey yet, however. The most important step is yet to come: how all that … [Read more...]
Earlier this year, Mike Diamond broke down the long, impressive journey that brings Los Angeles' electrical power to you. We covered who supplies the power, how it gets to you, and how it moves through your home. Supplying electricity to 4 million people is quite the undertaking--enough so that it can be hard to … [Read more...]
Did you know that as of 2000, all newly constructed buildings in California must install earthquake shut-off valves? Local law enforcement agencies enforce them as a standard when issuing building permits. Despite the fact that earthquake shut-off valves could save your life, however, many Californians don’t know what … [Read more...]
Thanksgiving has a reputation for being a great lazy holiday. You eat your body weight in food and then spend the day “watching” football (read: napping). Sounds great, right? Well, if you’ve ever hosted Thanksgiving, however, you know that this reputation couldn’t be further from the truth. Thanksgiving is a lot of … [Read more...]
Changing your kitchen sink sprayer probably feels like an intimidating project to take on. After all, it's… a sprayer. There are buttons involved. And pressure. You're probably not even all that sure how it works. You could always call a trusty plumber to take care of things for you. If you feel like taking on this … [Read more...]
For some reason, people don't usually prioritize bathrooms when it comes to upgrades or renovations. Instead, they focus on the size of closets, updating appliances, or improving light in the master bathroom. We think this is a shame, because bathroom renovations can make a huge difference to your life, too. Think … [Read more...]
It’s Halloween season, and we write about plumbing. That can only mean one thing: it’s time for some plumbing horror stories. If you’re fan of these kinds of “it came from below” plumbing horror stories, however, you may be inured to their chilling effects. That’s why we’re doing something a little different this … [Read more...]
California’s municipally-sourced tap water is generally very safe to drink, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t trust yourself. There are a couple reasons why even the most meticulously processed and filtered water may seem unclean to you. Water may even become contaminated after it’s processed, while it’s moving … [Read more...]
