San Diego is one of the most desirable places in the world to live. From the famous beaches to the mountains and deserts, San Diego offers a wide variety of exciting activities and lifestyles. But paradise isn’t always perfect.
In particular, living in and around beach cities is hard on your home. In fact, a Leucadia or Point Loma home is subject to more salt and moisture than most places, causing premature corrosion in everything from the water heater and faucets to the main plumbing lines.
Any plumbing problem is a nightmare for a homeowner. But, for those moments when a scary back-up lingers in your toilet, the right type of hero is ready to come to your rescue: your San Diego plumber.
1. Beach Party Bath – AKA Sand in the Drain
Anyone who has ever been rolling around in the surf knows the routine. Sand gets everywhere no matter how careful you are. You can tell the kids to shower off outside and, without fail, when they take their swimsuit off in the shower, nearly a pound of sand flops into the shower pan floor.
There are those who might argue that some sand going down the drain will scour sludge off the pipes. Even with good water pressure, this probably is not a viable way to clean your drain system.
Even small amounts of sand over the course of daily summer visits to Moonlight Beach can accumulate, creating a plumbing issue. The shower no longer drains properly.
This is a problem.
While hosing the kids down with a water hose is perfectly fine, you don’t want to bathe outdoors without hot water permanently.
Enter the hero: your San Diego plumber. Prompt service to help you go to bed clean tonight with free-flowing hot water in the shower is his superpower.
Here is what your plumbing technician is dealing with.
The plumbing in your bathroom is all connected: the sink, shower, and toilet all connect to one waste line. Under each drain is a P-trap, a joint that looks like a “U” and then connects to a lateral line.
Non-plumber folk might look at the joint and wonder why the heck it’s there. Can’t it just be removed so the sand (and hair) doesn’t get stuck in there?
No. The P-trap exists so a small pool of water creates a barrier preventing fumes and smells from backing out from the sewer line into your bathroom.
Your hero, the licensed plumber, will not only clear the P-trap of sand, but he will make sure there are not other clogs in the bathroom system, just to make sure further drain cleaning services aren’t necessary.
2. Contractors Don’t Care – AKA Mudding Compound Doesn’t Belong in the Sink
Everyone has horror stories when it comes to the handyman or contractor doing one job only to break something else. One would hope that someone who works with paint, construction adhesives or joint compound would know not to let this stuff go down the drain.
That’s a nice fairy tale for so many homeowners.
Sure, there are very responsible contractors and handymen. Instead, a great majority of homeowners manage to get the dude who scrubs mudding compound off his hands in the guest bathroom because it was “too hot outside.”
Items like paint are generally more of an environmental issue than a drain issue. That being said, things like joint compound or adhesives will clump and potentially expand in the system as they solidify. Not only can this clog the system, it can also result in burst pipes leading to an emergency plumbing problem like a slab leak.
Enter your hero: the San Diego licensed plumbing company.
This may not be a plumbing emergency the second you see it happen, but it is something that may eventually cause a stoppage. Which will then need immediate attention and possibly a camera inspection and leak detection services.
Part of the plumbing service in this situation would be to do a visual inspection of the sewer or drain line by running a video camera through the system to determine any problem areas, and potentially snake the system or perform a hydro jet cleaning it to clear it out.
3. Your Husband Said, “No Problem Honey” – AKA DIY Problems
Behind every well-meaning husband should be the direct dial to a licensed plumber. Some of the biggest emergencies plumbers are called for are to finish or redo a job that someone tried to do on their own. Saving a buck on a tankless water heater installation is not always going to save a buck.
Something as simple as water a faucet repair or kitchen sink installation doesn’t always end as expected. The problem with DIY repairs is everything looks so simple as its being taken apart. Then you have to put it back together. Extra pieces are never good.
For example, installing new garbage disposal is not technically difficult. However, the number one problem with new disposal installation is forgetting to pop the plug to the dishwasher.
Caught early enough, your local plumber can not only save your cabinets but also your dishwasher. Solving problems early and preventing bigger damage pays for the service call many times over.
Many homeowners delay calling a plumbing service company for a myriad of reasons. At the same time, when a problem presents itself, delay doesn’t do anyone any favors. A small water leak becomes a bigger plumbing issue if left unattended.
One common DIY issue is a homeowner trying to twist the faucet closed tighter when dealing with a minor drip. It isn’t going to stop the drip yet we all try, until the faucet snaps off. Now there is a serious problem.
Another problem in the DIY plumbing repair situation is stripping the threading on pipes. When something is stuck, people think more muscle is the answer. This isn’t always the case.
In regard to plumbing DIY, this autocorrect may actually have it right 😉
While your residential or commercial plumber is probably a pretty strong guy, watch him work. It’s not all-brute strength, which makes him a hero for not having to replace the pipe you might have otherwise stripped, leading to a leak.
Anderson Plumbing, Heating & Air: Your Hero
At Anderson Plumbing, Heating & Air, we realize an unexpected plumbing issue disrupts your life usually at inconvenient times. We also understand that sometimes we all get in a little over our head in a DIY project.
Don’t worry. Our plumbing service is there when you need us with amazing service designed for customer satisfaction. “Nobody wows clients like we do!” and our team of reliable, professional technicians have a “can do” attitude backed-up with over 45 years of experience serving San Diego County.
Call us for a free quote today!
Plumbing service technicians are heroes to many homeowners. Fixing a water heater problem or clogged drain, it’s your licensed San Diego plumber to the rescue!