Happy New Year’s Eve! Have a great time welcoming the New Year tonight! We hope that you are able to achieve all of your resolutions for this upcoming year. Fun fact: the ancient Babylonians were the first to establish the tradition of New Year’s resolutions. That means that people have used this time of year to set goals for themselves for thousands of years! If one of your resolutions is to be more environmentally friendly, remember that an upgrade to your HVAC system can make a big difference in your house’s energy efficiency!
Saddleback Plumbing Heating & Air Blog: Archive for December, 2011
Happy New Year’s Eve from Your Orange County Plumbing and HVAC Contractor!
Saturday, December 31st, 2011Laguna Niguel Plumbing Repair – Review from M.A.
Wednesday, December 28th, 2011When you have a plumbing emergency, it is very important to have a plumber that you can count on. You not only want them to be technically skilled, but you also want superior customer service so you know that your problem will be taken care of right away. A good plumber will also answer any questions you might have and perform work that exceeds your expectations.
At Saddleback plumbing, we don’t just promise great service and repair, we deliver it. That is why so much of our business comes from repeat customers. Here is what M.A. in Laguna Niguel wrote to us about his plumbing repair:
Just a quick note to let you know how happy I am with your company. I have had a few plumbing issues and Saddleback Plumbing, Inc. has never let me down. Every step of contact with your company has been positive… I am a customer service expert/advisor. It is a rare occasion when I come across true customer service. … I will always be a customer and sing the praises of Saddleback Plumbing, Inc. and Jared [who went above and beyond the call]. Thanks for maintaining a locally owned company that serves our community with such professionalism and concern.
– M.A. Laguna Niguel, CA
Thank you for choosing Saddleback! Whether your sink is clogged or your furnace has stopped working, our expert technicians will fix the problem as quickly as possible. Don’t hesitate to call for repairs this winter, stopping a problem early can save you a lot of money in the long run!
Signs that You Have Hard Water in Brea
Monday, December 26th, 2011Hard water is fairly common, especially in certain regions of the country. It is called hard water because of the minerals in it, such as calcium, iron and lime. Depending on how “hard” the water is, it’s usually perfectly healthy, but can cause some other problems throughout your Brea home.
Hard water can negatively affect the durability of household appliances like dishwashers and washing machines, as well as pipes and fixtures throughout the home. How do you know if you have hard water? Here are some common signs and symptoms to be on the lookout for:
- A white, scaly, filmy residue left behind on plumbing fixtures. In particular, you may notice these on showerheads, on stainless fixtures like the basin of your kitchen sink, on your silverware or in the coffee pot.
- Clothes that are not getting as clean as they should in the laundry. This is because hard water is less effective at washing away dirt. Likewise, you may notice soap scum residue in your tub or shower.
- Little or no lather from shampoo or soap while showering.
- A reddish tinge to hair over time. This is due to iron in the water that can temporarily change hair color in the shower.
- Water takes a long time to heat, or heating costs that are higher than usual. This is because hard water requires more heat than water with fewer minerals in it.
- A foul odor emanating from your water.
If you notice any of these signs, or a combination of them, you may have hard water. There are certain things you can do to control the effects of hard water, such as using a commercial mineral remover to dissolve deposits left on showerheads and other fixtures. Vinegar also works well.
However, the best thing to do is to treat hard water so that it does not damage your plumbing system. A licensed Brea plumber can help you do this by adding water softener to your water supply, among other treatments. These are things that need to be done on an ongoing basis, but will help extend the life of your expensive appliances and plumbing system.
Merry Christmas Eve from Saddleback Plumbing
Saturday, December 24th, 2011Everyone at Saddleback Plumbing wishes you a very Merry Christmas! We hope you enjoy spending time with family and opening lots of presents. The holidays are all about appreciating what you have, and we are very thankful for all our customers. We hope that you get everything you want under the Christmas tree tomorrow!
To help make your Christmas a little sweeter, here is a recipe for Molasses Sugar Cookies:
Molasses Sugar Cookies
“These are a wonderful chewy spice cookie. They are drop cookies that keep very well. I make them at the beginning of the holiday season and they keep all the way to New Year’s!”
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups shortening
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS:
- Melt the shortening in a large pan on the stove, and cool.
- Add sugar, eggs, and molasses, beat well.
- In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together and add to the pan. Mix well and chill 3 hours or overnight.
- Form into walnut-size balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 8-10 minutes.
- Store in an airtight container to keep from getting overly crisp. If they do lose their softness, an easy way to restore it is to place one slice of fresh bread in the container with the cookies for a couple of hours or overnight and they will be soft again!
For more details, visit allrecipes.com
If you haven’t had your annual maintenance visit, we recommend you do so soon. Regular maintenance will keep your system running efficiently all winter long, which will help you save money on your utility bills! It will also give you early warning if there are any problems, and an early fix now can save you from a lot of trouble in the future!
A Question from Robinson Ranch: When Should You Replace Instead of Repair Your Heating?
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011We all dread an expensive repair in Robinson Ranch, whether it is a car that needs a new transmission, a leaky roof that needs new shingles, or electrical wiring that has been chewed up by a wild animal. We often try and put bandages on things that we know should be replaced but we just can’t afford to replace them.
The same can be said about your home’s heating system. When your heat goes out or your home just doesn’t seem to be heating up to the setting on your thermostat, your first inclination is to check and see if it is running. Some people will put their hand over a heating vent to check for hot air while others may go into the basement or mechanical room to listen to hear if the furnace is running. Maybe there is a blockage in the ventilation system or a blown circuit breaker, two relatively easy fixes.
If the furnace isn’t working after checking the obvious symptoms, your next move is to call for service. Any Robinson Ranch heating professional would be able to diagnose your problem and offer suggested repairs. Something relatively minor like a bad circuit board or blown fan motor are not real expensive repairs and are the best option versus replacing the furnace. And you may keep experiencing the same problem and getting the same repair work done – anything to avoid an expensive replacement.
But at some point the vicious cycle will come to an end. Your repair bills will begin to inch their way past the cost of replacing the furnace. You can only bandage a problem so long before it becomes “unfixable.” You may not want to pay an expensive replacement bill but consider the alternatives.
First is the obvious – it costs too much to keep repairing the furnace. Secondly, you never know when the furnace may break down and its failure to operate could have dangerous effects on the people in your home, especially if someone is sick. Third, your furnace may not be able to keep up with the heating demand due to lifestyle changes, i.e. an addition put on the house, carpeting removed and wood floors exposed, a new window, door, or skylight added, etc. Your old furnace may not have been designed to keep up with these changes and the repairs are only delaying the inevitable.
Ask yourself if everyone in your Robinson Ranch home is comfortable during cold weather. If most answer no, it may be time to consider replacing that old furnace with a new, energy efficient model that uses today’s technology – and leaves a smaller carbon footprint – to keep up with the demand for heat, in any sized building or home. Your decision to replace your old heating system could be as simple as the need to use modern technology to solve your indoor comfort problems.
Happy Hanukkah from Saddleback Plumbing
Tuesday, December 20th, 2011Everyone here wishes you a Happy Hanukkah! Whether you have a Menorah or a Christmas tree in your house, the holidays are all about spending time with family. We hope you have a great holiday and enjoy eight days of gift giving! One of the great Jewish traditions for this time of year is great food, so here is an excellent recipe for potato latkes:
Potato Latkes
“Shredded potatoes and grated onions are bound with flour, salt and eggs, then fried in oil to make delicious potato pancakes that are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.”
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups peeled and shredded potatoes
1 tablespoon grated onion
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup peanut oil for frying
DIRECTIONS:
- Place the potatoes in a cheesecloth and wring, extracting as much moisture as possible.
- In a medium bowl stir the potatoes, onion, eggs, flour and salt together.
- In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot. Place large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them to form 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick patties. Brown on one side, turn and brown on the other. Let drain on paper towels. Serve hot!
For more details, visit allrecipes.com.
DIY Plumbing Tip 2 : How to Change a Drain Trap
Monday, December 19th, 2011Have you ever noticed that U-shaped length of pipe below your Dove Canyon home’s bathroom or kitchen sink? Does it ever seem to you like it doesn’t make sense to have that in there? It seems counterintuitive to have the water run any direction other than straight down.
Well, that little bend is the drain trap, and it keeps nasty odors and gases from wafting their way up through the plumbing and into your home. The U shape of the trap precludes the normal upward drift of the gases, so they don’t make it up through your drain.
After a while, these traps can become corroded, choked with debris or entirely clogged to such a degree that it needs to be replaced. When this happens, it is important to take care of this right away.
As with any plumbing project, the first step is to turn off the main water supply. Don’t worry about the inconvenience; the whole process will take less than an hour.
Next, remove all the pieces of the existing drain trap. Use a pipe wrench and/or slip-joint pliers to remove the nuts and pull the trap free. Attach a tailpiece washer to your new tailpiece, and then attach the tailpiece to the sink strainer. You may need to cut the tailpiece to length with a hacksaw.
With a slip nut and washer, affix the trap arm to the drain stub. Again, you may need to cut the trap arm to length.
Finally, attach the trap bend to the trap arm, making sure the beveled face of the washer faces the trap bend. Tighten all the nuts and turn the water back on. Run a little water down the drain and check for leaks before using it. You may need to tighten some joints or apply Teflon tape in some places.
Once everything is all sealed up, you’re good to go! Your new drain trap is in place and ready to use.
A Question from Brea: Why Does My Furnace’s Pilot Light Keep Going Off?
Friday, December 16th, 2011If you have an older furnace with a gas pilot light and it keeps going out, heating your Brea home can become a frustrating process. Not only are you forced to trudge downstairs to light it every time you need heat, but you’re probably starting to worry that there is something wrong – either with your furnace or with your gas supply. Here are some possible reasons for your pilot light shutting off and what you can do about them.
- Thermocouple – The thermocouple is used to generate electricity from the gas being burned by the pilot light to power the sensor that keeps the pilot light running. So, if the thermocouple goes bad or gets blocked in some way, the sensor won’t work properly and your pilot light won’t remain lit. Even a small problem with the thermocouple can lead to the valve closing and the pilot light going out.
- Gas Pressure – If the gas pressure going to your furnace is too low, due to a leak, pipe problem or another appliance, the pilot light may not have enough gas to stay lit. While it is possible that the problem is not related to gas pressure, anything that affects the flow of gas into your home should be inspected by a professional. If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas company immediately.
- Mercury Sensor – The sensor in your pilot light that maintains the flow of gas to keep it lit can go bad. Keep in mind that these sensors almost always used to contain mercury (and often still do), so you should be careful with them. It’s best to call a professional who can replace and dispose of it properly.
- Dirty Burners – Excess dust, lint, rust or sulfur build up can result in blockage of the burner holes. When this happens, gas will flood into the chamber but not light right away. When it does finally light, it will create a small boom or banging sound that will often put out the pilot light. Not only is this inconvenient, it is very dangerous. Fortunately, it can be avoided with annual cleanings of your furnace.
The best way to keep your pilot light lit at all times is to have someone inspect it once a year. If something happens in between, you can usually rule out cleanliness issues and call in a Brea HVAC contractor to check the thermocouple and sensor.
Space Heating vs. an Upgrade to Your Fountain Valley Heating System
Wednesday, December 14th, 2011If your Fountain Valley home’s heating system isn’t really cutting it anymore, it may be time to take a step back and consider what your options are. After all, upgrading to an entirely new heating system is a big investment and a large project that will likely disrupt your life at least for a short period of time. However, under certain circumstances it’s the best alternative out there.
One option to consider when you’re unhappy with your home heating situation is supplementing your central heating system with space heaters. These are generally inexpensive and can be placed virtually anywhere in your house or taken with you from one room to another.
Especially if there is a small part of your home that your heating system just doesn’t seem to reach or that you want to keep a bit warmer than the rest of the house, space heaters can be an excellent option. They’re small, safe and portable and can easily keep a smaller portion of your home or room cozy and warm.
However, you’ll have to take into account the operating costs of a space heater as well as the initial investment when you’re trying to evaluate the overall cost effectiveness of this option. Most space heaters run on electricity, which often costs considerably more than oil or natural gas. If your home heating system runs on electricity anyway, this might not be so much of a factor. But if you have a gas furnace, you could wind up paying significantly more to run space heaters as supplemental heat over time.
Also, it’s worth considering that new home heating systems are likely much more energy efficient than the system you currently have in place. Although the initial installation cost can be pretty substantial, you’ll wind up saving a very large amount on your monthly heating bills by upgrading to a newer model.
Plus, you’ll be getting a system that should be able to satisfactorily heat your home without the need for space heaters or other supplemental heat sources. This translates into a pretty hefty savings over time and that’s something you’ll certainly have to take into consideration when you’re evaluating your options.
Heating Tip 4: How to Check a Gas Furnace Draft Pressure Switch
Monday, December 12th, 2011There are many reasons why a furnace stops working and in many cases, a Woodbridge homeowner can perform some simple diagnostics to pinpoint the problem. Finding the problem is one thing – fixing it is another. When in doubt, don’t try it yourself. Call a heating contractor.
But let’s look at one possible problem and solution you may be able to perform yourself – testing the draft pressure switch. The draft pressure switch on a gas furnace allows an electrical current to pass through to ignite the furnace. The pressure switch monitors the draft conditions and won’t allow the furnace’s gas valve to open unless draft is correct.
If the switch is malfunctioning, so too will (or will not) the furnace.
The best way to locate the switch is by consulting with your owner’s manual or by going online and simply typing in the words “gas furnace draft switch.” It is identifiable by its round size and is bolted to the outside of the furnace. It should be nearby the draft inducer motor because the two are connected by a metal tube. The tube may sometimes be the culprit, too. A tube that is blocked with condensation may cause the switch to go bad.
To check for proper function, first turn off power to the furnace, either by shutting down the ‘on’ switch at the furnace or shutting off the circuit breaker.
Use a volt ohm meter to check if the switch is opening and closing properly. Start by zeroing out the meter’s probes by touching the tips together. Using the dial (could be analog or digital), set the meter to 24 volts. Ground the black probe by attaching it to any metal part of the furnace. Then place the end of the red probe on the metal tube connecting the draft pressure switch to the draft inducer motor.
If the switch is working properly the meter should read at least 24 volts, or very near that. If the reading is short of 24 volts, the switch is not working correctly. At that point you may decide to replace it or call a professional to do the task (recommended).
Always remember that there are many sources which will help you diagnose and repair a problem, especially those available through the Internet. If you search YouTube.com you will find many videos advising you on how to repair certain components. Use all of the resources available to you and keep the phone number of a qualified and professional heating and cooling contractor nearby.