Category: Uncategorized

Prevent a Burst Pipe in Your Home

For many West Covina homeowners, one of their biggest fears involves a pipe bursting. If this happens when they are at work or on vacation, the damage can be devastating.

However, there are things that can be done to prevent a burst pipe from occurring. By using some common sense and having a plumber conduct a thorough inspection of the home’s plumbing system prior to cold weather, chances are good that this potential plumbing disaster can be avoided.

Keep Pipes Warm

Whether pipes are located in areas of a home that are warm or in places that are much colder, it’s important to make sure all pipes are kept warm enough to keep the water inside them from freezing.

Pipes that are located in basements, crawlspaces, garages, or attics are particularly vulnerable to bursting when temperatures drop.

A problem primarily in older homes, it can be taken care of with one of several options. The most common method used is wrapping the pipes in heat tape, which keeps them warm year-round.

Another option is to have Styrofoam pipe insulation installed by a plumber, which can also solve the problem. In spots where the pipes are exposed to extremely low temperatures, heating cables that are temperature-controlled may be laid directly on the pipes to keep them from bursting.

Insulate Cold Areas

Because many pipes are located in out-of-the-way spots in homes like basements or attics, it’s always a good idea to ensure these areas have been properly insulated to keep temperatures as warm as possible.

If pipes in an attic burst, water will often seep into walls and ceilings below, causing extensive damage that may cost thousands of dollars to repair.

If a pipe located in a basement or crawlspace bursts, extensive damage to the West Covina home’s foundation can take place. By having these areas insulated, pipes can stay just warm enough to avoid freezing.

Keep Water Running Through Faucets

In very cold temperatures, plumbers advise people to keep one or two faucets running at all times to keep water from freezing. Generally, faucets located in the top and bottom levels of homes work best for this.

Pipes that have water continuously running in them rarely if ever burst, which can be a safe way to ensure no problems of this nature occur. By allowing pipes to have a constant flow of water through them, the water inside them can be prevented from freezing.

Avoid a costly pipe burst with these key tips! Call Daniel Cordova Plumbing, Drain & Sewer at (626) 962-0885 for repairs in your West Covina, CA home.

Precautions to Take to Prevent Slab Leaks

Slabs leaks can be very costly to fix. As with most problems, preventing them from happening in the first place is the best course of action for a West Covina homeowner can take.

Due to the fact that slab leaks occur underneath the foundation of a home spotting them can be difficult and fixing them can turn out to be expensive and time consuming.

Here are some tips that you can heed to help prevent these costly leaks from every occurring in your West Covina home in the first place.

Maintain A Proper Water Pressure

Having strong water pressure can make showers more enjoyable and cleaning dishes by hand easier. However high water pressure does have its downside.

Strong water pressure can erode your pipes’ protective coating away. Over time this erosion can create a major leak, including the dreaded slab leak underneath your home’s foundation.

The best course of action you can take is to maintain an appropriate water pressure for your home’s plumbing system. If you are in doubt of what water pressure your plumbing system can handle contact a licensed plumber who can check your pipes and set the pressure at an appropriate level.

Maintaining A Normal Water PH Level Can Prevent Slab Leaks

The PH level of the water will not only affect your skin but the pipes in the plumbing system as well. Extremely soft and extremely hard water will corrode pipes and strip their covering away leading to a leak.

Use water softeners to soften hard water and decrease the PH. Alternatively, if you have very soft water use a PH booster such as sodium carbonate to increase the PH.

If you are not sure what PH your water is, consult a plumbing professional. They can check the PH and provide you with options to lower or increase the PH level of the water so that it is safe for your skin and will not corrode your pipes away and cause a slab leak.

Use Drain Cleaning Chemicals With Extreme Caution

Supermarket shelves are lined up with drain-clearing chemicals that are advertised to clear a clog quickly. Most of these chemicals are extremely powerful corrosive elements.

They can quickly clear a clog away, but they may also damage your pipes. If you are going to use them, be sure to use them correctly and avoid pouring too much down the drain.

A better course of action would be to call a plumber who may be able to clear a clog without any harsh chemicals. Plumbers can use environmentally friendly products and methods to clear even stubborn clogs.

Don’t let a slab leak destroy your West Covina, CA home! Call Daniel Cordova Plumbing, Drain & Sewer at (626) 962-0885 to get it fixed.

Annual Maintenance on Fixtures

Bathroom and kitchen taps present an array of challenges especially when they are not regularly serviced. Here are the benefits of annual maintenance of faucets.

Curbing Nuisance Noises

Faucets that have stayed for years without being serviced may end up producing annoying noises in the kitchen, bathroom or even in the dining room.

The disturbing noises range from clanking, screeching and even squeaking. The noises can be a bother to your family or even your guests.

Simple annual maintenance from your West Covina trusted plumbers can save you from the discomforts brought about by these sounds. If you call professional plumbers at least once per year, you will avoid these ugly incidences.

Water Flow Not Consistent

Unmaintained faucets especially those in kitchens may result in a partial or total blockage. The impurities clog in the taps and hence interfere with water flow. The deposition of minerals and debris clogs the inside of the faucet and reduces water pressure.

Kitchen taps that feature veggie sprayers can experience a reduction in water pressure due to the clogging of their diverters. Some debris might stick hard and be difficult to remove.

It is thus advisable to contact experienced plumbers to service regularly your faucets to avoid such scenarios. If you consult your plumber at least annually for your West Covina home faucets maintenance, you will evade possible leaks that can be expensive and annoying. Water leaks, especially from faucet handles, can lead to huge wastage of water hence increasing your water bills.

The plumbers may be required to replace O-rings or the entire cartridge to end the leaks if your faucets have lasted decades without maintenance. It is important that faucet owners consult professional plumbers instead of attempting the repair themselves to avoid more losses.

Cost Reduction

When you service your faucets regularly, you are cutting cost on the overall maintenance. That is because your tap will always work flawlessly and hence avoid replacement of the whole systems often.

For example, when your handles are working smoothly, users will not force them and lead to breakages. The overall cost that results directly or indirectly from faulty faucets is much higher than the annual maintenance costs.

Regular tap maintenance tends to enhance hygiene that the faulty ones. Faucets clogged with debris and other impurities may be dispensing unclean water.

The probable result is that you and your family may end up spending much more on hospital bills due to illnesses related to unclean water.

You would rather spend that small fee to seek the services of plumbers for regular maintenance of your faucets to avoid hefty medical bills that result from faucet problems.

If you haven’t had your West Covina, CA plumbing system checked out, there’s no better time than now to call Daniel Cordova Plumbing, Drain & Sewer at (626) 962-0885!

Tips to Have a Functioning Garbage Disposal

As the colder weather of Fall approaches, there are many West Covina home maintenance tasks to be completed.

One of these should involve the garbage disposal, which is often looked upon by many people as an appliance that needs little or no maintenance. However, the disposal is one appliance that should have regular maintenance if it is to continue working properly.

Otherwise, it is a kitchen appliance that can be prone to breakdowns and costly repair bills if not properly looked after.

But by taking the time to make sure the garbage disposal is well taken care of, West Covina homeowners can assure themselves of few if any problems over the years.

Watch the Silverware

Many people, especially those who have just had a garbage disposal installed, find themselves having their silverware falling down the disposal. A common problem, it can also prove to be a costly one.

When silverware becomes entangled in the disposal’s blades, it can cause significant damage and result in a service call from a plumber. In most cases, the damage is often bad enough to warrant replacing the unit itself.

Avoid Potato Peels

While most garbage disposals can handle potato peels, it has been determined that it’s best to not put them in garbage disposals. The reasoning for this is that the starches contained in potatoes turn into thick pastes when in garbage disposals, and then cause the blades to stick.

When this happens, the paste acts much like cement, making it very difficult to repair the unit. Along with potato peels, foods such as pasta should also not find their way into the family garbage disposal.

These foods expand once they get wet, which can lead to additional problems involving drains that can become clogged or motors that can break down prematurely due to excessive use.

Coffee Grounds

Coffee grounds are good for many things, such as eliminating strong odors. In fact, many people use their coffee grounds to eliminate odors in garbage disposals. However, while the grounds are excellent for eliminating odors, they can inadvertently cause bigger problems.

Many times, the grounds will clog up drains and pipes and result in a person calling a plumber for assistance. If coffee grounds have stopped up drains and pipes, it is a job that can take several hours to clear all affected pipes and drains as well as inspect the disposal for any damage to the motor or blades.

Time to get your West Covina, CA home garbage disposal ready for the holiday season. Call Daniel Cordova Plumbing, Drain & Sewer at (626) 962-0885 today.