A sump pump is what stands between your home and the forces of nature. The sump pump beneath your basement, crawl space or lowest level collects groundwater and diverts it safely away from your home. Without your sump pump, that groundwater could easily build up and flood through your foundation. Flooding is damaging, … [Read more...]
What to Do When Someone Puts Dish Soap in Your Dishwasher
There’s only one main difference between dish soap and dishwashing detergent, but it's a big one. Dishwashing detergent does not create suds, but dish soap does. The idea of a dishwasher overflowing with bubbles might paint a funny picture. Unfortunately, however, it’s not “funny” in reality so much as it is a big, … [Read more...]
How to Keep Your Dishwasher from Clogging
There are few things as unpleasant as a dishwasher that doesn’t work properly. Seriously, what’s worse? Stepping on legos? Old, microwaved cups of coffee? Black licorice? Sure, ok--but that’s about it. A clogged dishwasher is not a happy dishwasher. When food, paper, and other scraps build up, they create clogs and … [Read more...]
5 Questions to Ask When Choosing a New Plumber
There are all kinds of reasons why you might need to find a new plumber. Maybe you just moved to a new area. Maybe you had a bad experience with your last plumber and want to try someone new. Whatever your reason is, finding a new service provider you can count on can always be intimidating. Luckily, you don’t have to … [Read more...]
How to Protect Your Plumbing in Case of Evacuation
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...]
Where Water Damage Comes From and How to Prevent It
Water damage. Even the term is enough to send a shiver up any homeowner’s spine. Water damage is among the worst kind of property damage that can happen to your home. It’s expensive, hard to notice (until it really isn’t), and worst of all: comprehensive. Water doesn’t just damage parts of your home; it can hurt just … [Read more...]
Home Plumbing Safety 101
There's potential danger in everything. You can't avoid it all, but there's plenty you can do to make your home as safe as possible. Take your home plumbing, for example. When you have a plumbing problem, taking a moment to consider safety can make all the difference. But what does considering safety entail? It … [Read more...]
6 Tips For Refreshing Your Home Plumbing After the Holidays
The holidays are a joyous, wonderful time of year… but they can also be pretty taxing. Face it: with people coming in and out of your home non-stop, using your plumbing, putting things they shouldn’t down your garbage disposal, the holiday season can end up being pretty rough on your home. Just like you probably needed … [Read more...]
New Year Plumbing Maintenance Checklist
New years mean new beginnings. Like well-known author Markus Zusak said, "Never leave anything out to dry as the sun comes up for the new year". That includes your flooring, your pipes, and anything else that could be affected negatively if you’ve neglected your plumbing maintenance. There’s nothing wrong with being … [Read more...]
The Great Thanksgiving Home Prep Checklist
Thanksgiving. The most pumpkin-flavored holiday of the year. It’s a time for playing card games, napping during football games, and feasting on delicious food. It’s also a time for family. Whenever family stays over for more than just a few hours, they can tend to put strain on all kinds of things. Your plumbing is no … [Read more...]
