Saddleback Plumbing Heating & Air Blog: Archive for December, 2013

New Year’s Eve: The Tournament of Roses Parade

Tuesday, December 31st, 2013

The East Coast has their own traditions for New Year’s Eve, notably the dropping of the ball in Times Square to signal the beginning of the New Year. We have our own traditions here on the West Coast, and with 2014 almost upon us, we thought we’d take a closer look at one of the biggest: the Tournament of Roses Parade.

The Parade is held every year on New Year’s Day, save when January 1 falls on a Sunday (in which case it is held on the 2nd). Tradition holds that they don’t host it on a Sunday in exchange for God preventing rain on the parade, though it has actually rained ten times since the first parade. It all began in 1890, when members of the Pasadena Valley Hunt club organized and staged it on Colorado Boulevard. Their parade consisted of horse carts covered with flowers, followed by a series of athletic events (including races and polo matches). Football was first added in 1902, when Michigan beat Stanford by a score of 49-0. The football tradition was dropped for a few years, but came back in 1916 for good. The game has traditionally featured the champions of the Big 10 and Pac 10 Conferences, though teams from different conferences have appeared from time to time.

As for the parade itself, it soon added motorized floats, marching bands and equestrian units to its array of features. A “Rose Queen” is chosen every year from the ranks of Pasadena girls ages 17 through 21, along with six princesses to serve as her court. 2014’s Rose Queen is high school student Ana Marie Acosta. A Grand Marshall is chosen every year as well, and has previously included such varied luminaries as Walt Disney, John Wayne, Dwight Eisenhower, Hank Aaron, George Lucas, Charles M. Schulz, Kermit the Frog, and Fred Rogers. The Grand Marshall for 2014 will be legendary Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully.

Wherever you are and however you choose to celebrate New Year’s Day, we here at Saddleback Plumbing wish you nothing but the very best. May 2014 bring you all good things, and may your New Year’s celebrations – in whatever form they take – be happy, safe and fun for your entire family. Happy New Year!

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Wishing You a Happy and Safe Holiday Season!

Wednesday, December 25th, 2013

It’s the holiday season once again, and everyone at Saddleback Plumbing wishes the very best for you, your family, and your friends. We hope that whatever brings you joy fills these last days of the year.

We’d like to thank all of our customers for giving us the opportunity to provide you with services that improve your lives and help you better enjoy this time with your loved ones. You are the reason that we exist as a company, and that’s something we always keep that in mind. We are eager to work with you in the coming year.

Here’s something to remember for the season: many companies in our industry are very busy on service calls during December—it’s one of the most crowded times of the year. If you need service, make sure you schedule it as soon as possible so you can continue to enjoy the pleasures of this time of year.

Lastly, we at Saddleback Plumbing want to conclude with a thought from the late Earl Nightingale to help remind us all that we do not need to wait for a holiday to have a reason to enjoy or celebrate ourselves, our lives or our family:

“Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.”

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This is Why Water Treatment Systems Should Be in Every Home

Monday, December 23rd, 2013

Water treatment systems are essentially filters for your entire home: screening out minerals, chlorine and other impurities from the water in your plumbing system. Here in Rancho Santa Margarita, water treatment systems used by the city are fairly effective, but they’re not perfect. The sea air and water from the Pacific can leave trace amounts of salt in our drinking water, leading to a brackish taste. Furthermore, while small amounts of chemicals won’t usually affect your health, they can still impact the quality of your life in subtle yet definable ways. A good water treatment system can prevent all of that.

Here’s a short list of reasons why water treatment systems should be in every home.

  • Cleaner drinking water. If you need a good direct example of the benefits of water filtrated, fill an ice cube tray with tap water, then fill a second one with filtered water. After they freeze, fill a pair of glasses with them. You can see how cloudy and gray the tap water cubes are, compared to the clean transparency of the filtered cubes.  That translates to improved taste not only for your drinking water, but for any cooking you do that involves water as well.
  • Cleaner bathing water. You might notice a hard, crusty deposit on your bathroom faucet or shower head. Now imagine yourself bathing or showering with the same water that created that build up. Those are hard water deposits, and they can leave your skin feeling rough and irritated over time.  Filtered water leaves you feeling cleaner, and your skin feeling softer after you’ve bathe.
  • Cleaner laundry. Similarly, clothes washed in filtered water tend to feel softer, last longer and retain their bright colors better than clothes washed with unfiltered water.

Those are serious considerations, especially in coastal areas like ours. No matter how good the civic system, the ocean still brings impurities to our drinking water that are impossible to escape (the ocean isn’t going anywhere, after all). This is why water treatment systems should be in every home. Here in Rancho Santa Margarita, water treatment systems can be installed by the experts at Saddleback Plumbing. Call us today to set up an appointment for water treatment or any other plumbing service in Rancho Santa Margarita!

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Is an Electric Furnace Better Than a Gas Furnace?

Friday, December 20th, 2013

Here in Lake Forest, CA, getting a furnace installation can be easily ignored. California winters are very mild, and we usually focus on air conditioners at the expense of heaters. This can be a big mistake. Our nights still get pretty cold, and with our California architecture favoring open, breezy homes, a good furnace can be your best friend. During installation, you may be asking “should I get an electric or gas furnace?”  Both systems feature their share of advantages. Which ones work best depends on your needs and the specifics of your home.

Saddleback Plumbing offers heating services to the Lake Forest community!

Gas furnaces offer a singular advantage of cheaper month-to-month costs, since natural gas is cheaper than electricity. Repairs tend to cost less as well, since gas furnaces are more common and their replacement parts don’t cost as much. Gas furnaces also take less time to warm the home than electric furnaces, which saves you even more in monthly bills. On the other hand, electric furnaces are usually less expensive to install initially, making them a smart choice if you don’t want to spend a whole lot up front.

In addition, electric furnaces tend to be a little quieter. Electric heat doesn’t depend on a fan to blow air, which means it won’t make nearly as much noise when it works. It also doesn’t generate any drafty spots or cold spots, and it doesn’t spread indoor air pollutants like pet dander and the like. Electric furnaces thus make a popular choice for residents who have allergies or who just need to maintain a higher air quality overall. Finally, because they don’t use gas, electric furnaces can be a little safer, especially as they get older.

In Lake Forest, CA, a furnace installation doesn’t need to be your only choice.  We have heating system options for our California winters, and Saddleback Plumbing can spell them all out for you. We can inspect your home and answer the question “is an electric furnace better than a gas furnace?” before planning an installation that fits your specific needs. Pick up the phone and give us a call today!

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How is Drain Cleaning Done?

Monday, December 16th, 2013

Saddleback Plumbing offers drain services in Ladera Ranch, and as is common for most plumbers, drain cleaning is a standard operation for us: clearing a pipe or drain of an obstruction in order to get the water flowing again. In Ladera Ranch, drain cleaning is easier than it might be in colder parts of the country, since we don’t have to worry about frozen drains as often as they do. Despite that, it’s still preferable to contact a professional plumber to clean your drains, rather than relying on store-bought solutions. How is drain cleaning done? A few of the basics are outlined below.

The easiest methods, as we intimated, are those you can find at the local hardware store. Basic cleansers and snakes adopt a sort of “one size fits all approach.” They work for the mildest clogs, but are often a stopgap measure at best, because they don’t address the specifics of the clog. Is it caused by hair? By grease? By fibrous vegetables like cabbage or potatoes? That can make a difference in terms of how to address it, a difference that store-bought solutions simply can’t deal with.

Professional plumbing services, on the other hand, bring a lot more to bear on the problem. The first step is often to run a video line down and determine the exact nature of the clogs. Once that’s been pinpointed, the plumber can apply a solution that fits the clog’s unique nature. In some cases, water-jetting, or blasting the clog with powerful-but-controlled bursts of water, is enough to clear it away. If a snake is needed, the plumber can bring a motorized version to bear, topped with a head that is specifically designed to handle the clog in question. That clears the drain without causing undue damage to the pipe itself, something you can’t always be sure of with a generic snake purchased over the counter.

If you live in Ladera Ranch, Saddleback Plumbing believes drain cleaning isn’t something you should have to worry about.

The professionals at Saddleback Plumbing are standing by to give you a hand whenever you need it. We emphasize top-notch service and our technicians can clear the drain with the intention of keeping it open for a long time to come. How is drain cleaning done? Call us today and let us show you!

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Common Problems With Water Lines

Friday, December 13th, 2013

Sooner or later, every homeowner has to deal with common problems with water lines. Most of the time they lie under the ground in your yard, and since reaching them can be difficult, most problems simply go unnoticed until they actively interfere with the functioning of your plumbing. Here in Laguna Hills, water lines have to contend with our local atmosphere and other problems unique to southern Orange County. What kind of issues can you expect from your water lines?

Did you know Saddleback Plumbing works with water lines? Call us for help!

A few of the most prevalent are detailed below.

  • Clogs and blockages. Clogs are an inevitably as grease, waste, hair and food leavings slowly build up in your pipes. You can hire a plumber to handle basic clogs in your sink or shower, but build-up in the main water line can be a more serious operation.
  • Tree roots. Tree roots are instinctively drawn towards sewer lines, because the waste entailed often acts as a natural fertilizer.  Over time, they can instigate breaches or even infiltrate the pipe with micro-roots and clog it solid. Tree roots are among the most difficult water line problems to treat because you must often excavate the entire pipe to get at it.
  • General corrosion. Laguna Beach often contains a lot of corrosive material in the soil: salt from our sea air and similar components in the soil can wreak havoc with your pipes: creating breaches and leaks over time.
  • Shifting soil. The soil can change position over time, especially with our combination of hilly terrain and occasional earthquakes. When it does, your water line may be subjected to sudden pressures that can easily damage it, perhaps resulting in breach.

Unfortunately, common problems with water lines often require meticulous solutions, of the sort that only a trained professional can provide. Saddleback Plumbing works in Laguna Hills, water lines are a focus of ours, and we can apply modern technology (such as video pipe inspection) to address the issue. We have unique conditions in Southern California, and those conditions can affect your home plumbing in ways that you can’t always anticipate.

Give Saddleback Plumbing a call and make sure you have an experienced expert on your side!

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Why Does My Furnace Pilot Light Keep Going Out?

Friday, December 6th, 2013

While new furnaces usually have an electric igniter instead of a pilot light, many homes still have furnaces with pilot lights. When the furnace activates, the pilot light ignites the flow of gas so that you can get heat in your home. However, if your pilot light starts to go out often, it might be time to call for repair. Here at Saddleback Plumbing we offer total furnace repair in Laguna Hills for all types of furnaces. If you’re not getting enough heat or if your furnace won’t light, give us a call and we want figure out what’s going on. Here are some of the things that might be causing your pilot light to go out.

Saddleback Plumbing can help you with your heating services in Laguna Hills, like installing a furnace.

Laguna Hills Furnace Repair Tip: Why Is My Pilot Light Going Out?

There are a few different common causes of your pilot light going out. Our experts can fix any type of issue that you’re having. While every home and furnace is different, here are some of the things that could be causing your problems.

  • Thermocouple – Your gas-fired furnace has a safety feature called a thermocouple. It detects when the pilot light is lit by constantly testing the flame with a probe and it will shut off the flow of gas if the pilot light goes out. However, if the thermocouple malfunctions, it can inadvertently shut off the flow of gas to your pilot light which will cause it to turn off. If this is the case with your furnace, our technicians may need to replace it, clean it or repair it.
  • Lack of maintenance – Another common cause of pilot light problems is just a simple lack of maintenance and cleaning. If your pilot light gets dirty because of dust, it may block the flow of gas to the unit.

If you need any kind of furnace repair in Laguna Hills just call Saddleback Plumbing and one of our experts can help you out. Call today!

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