California’s municipally-sourced tap water is generally very safe to drink, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t trust your own judgment. There are several reasons why even the most meticulously processed and filtered tap water smells funny or seems unclean to you. Your water may even become contaminated after it’s … [Read more...]

There are an estimated ten million plus residential swimming pools in the United States. Of those, over one million are found in California. If you’ve ever seen Joseph Lee’s, “Big Atlas of LA Pools,” you’ll know that there are forty-three thousand of those pools in the Los Angeles Basin alone!  If you’re one of the … [Read more...]

Los Angeles water continues to be clean and safe to drink. The state of California meticulously processes and treats all the water in its municipal supply system. Every year, reports on Los Angeles water quality show that there is little to be concerned about. The thing is: if your water smells bad, none of that is … [Read more...]

Has this ever happened to you? You wake up in the morning, go to the bathroom to wash your face, and… water won’t come out of your faucet. It’s certainly not the way you want to start your day, but what can you do? Why is your sink not working? There could be a number of reasons. Here are some step-by-step … [Read more...]

You can use different kinds of plumbing repair tape to solve different plumbing leak problems. Use pipe thread tape, sometimes called “Teflon” or “Plumber’s” pipe, to fix leaking pipe joints. Use silicone, sometimes called “self-amalgamating,” “self-fusing,” or “leak repair” tape, to fix hairline cracks or other … [Read more...]

Ideally, when a toilet clogs you’ll grab the nearest flange plunger and clear things up in a minute or two. But what do you do when your toilet’s clogged and there’s no plunger?  Maybe you just moved into a new place. Maybe you’re at your plunger-less friend’s house. Are there ways to unclog a toilet beyond the … [Read more...]

A main sewer line clog is probably the biggest plumbing-related problem you could face. A clogged sewer drain essentially paralyzes your entire plumbing system because there is nowhere for wastewater to go. Everything hinges on breaking up that clog. Plumbing emergencies are scary enough when they don’t involve human … [Read more...]

Household Hacks to Help You Get The Most Out of Your Dishwasher and Make Life Easier Dishwasher vs. hand washing - which is better? When it comes to efficiency and killing bacteria, the dishwasher wins. To kill most bacteria, water must reach a scalding 140° Fahrenheit. That temperature is easily reached in a … [Read more...]

Do not put dish soap in your dishwasher. The difference between dish soap and dishwashing detergent is that dishwashing detergent does NOT create suds, but dish soap does. The idea of a dishwasher overflowing with bubbles might paint a funny picture but, it’s also big, messy problem. Putting dish soap in a … [Read more...]

When a pipe bursts or an appliance starts to leak, you can’t always afford to wait for a plumber. Water damage will take its toll quickly. Knowing a few basic but important plumbing quick fixes can make a big difference in how you recover from a plumbing disaster. Here are some easy repairs you can perform to … [Read more...]