Autumn Means Furnace Maintenance
Autumn Means Furnace Maintenance The first day of autumn means different things to different people, but if you’re a Bay Area homeowner, it should mean it’s time to do some furnace maintenance as you get ready for the temperatures to begin dropping. Many Bay Area residents don’t have or use central AC so your furnace may [...]
Maintenance Can Extend the Life of your Equipment
Maintenance Can Extend the Life of your Equipment How much time and money do you spend keeping your vehicle on the road? Whether you buy the parts and do the work yourself or take it to your local service center, changing the spark plugs, oil, and filters can prolong the life of the vehicle and [...]
Plumbing Leaks: Mold and Mildew’s Best Friend
Plumbing Leaks: Mold and Mildew’s Best Friend If you’ve ever seen a house where mold and mildew have been allowed to flourish, it’s a sight you probably won’t soon forget and it may be hard to believe that it can often start with a small plumbing leak. All mold needs to multiply is oxygen and [...]
A Licensed Plumber can Help with that Old House Purchase
A Licensed Plumber can Help with that Old House Purchase It’s difficult not to be tempted with all the great purchase deals available on older homes in the Bay Area — that 19th century townhome you’ve admired while headed to work for the past several years may now have a for sale sign in the front yard [...]
Clogged Toilet: When a Plunger isn’t Enough
Clogged Toilet: When a Plunger isn’t Enough Why does it always seem to happen that you discover a clogged toilet when guests are in town visiting or expected to arrive any moment? Fortunately many blocked toilets can be fixed with your well-used plunger, but what do you do if this is one of those times when [...]
Having a Problem with your Shower Plumbing?
Having a Problem with your Shower Plumbing? Many homeowners assume that problems with the tile in their shower enclosures are due to grout or caulking issues, but in some cases they may be caused by leaks in their shower plumbing. If the wall board behind the tile at the front of your enclosure seems to [...]
What Do You Know about Sewer Line Repair?
What Do You Know about Sewer Line Repair? If you suspect the problem with your home’s slow drains is beyond the confines of the house, who would you call for a sewer line repair? Many Bay Area homeowners might be under the assumption that their plumbing lines end at the exterior walls of their home and [...]
How Old is your Bathroom Plumbing?
How Old is your Bathroom Plumbing? It wasn’t all that long ago that indoor bathroom plumbing was a luxury rather than the common place feature most people in this country consider it to be today. Older residents in the Bay Area may even remember a time when answering nature’s call in the middle of the [...]
Vents and your Home’s Drainage System
Vents and your Home’s Drainage System You probably know that your home’s plumbing system consists of supply pipes that bring hot and cold water to your faucets and drains that take away the used water and waste, but were you aware that air plays an important part in how those drains function? If you live [...]
When Flying Solo Isn’t a Good Idea
When Flying Solo isn’t a Good Idea Over the psst 10-15 years we seem to have become a country of DIYers and there are several national home improvement retailers that should be very happy with that trend. There are probably a number of reasons why homeowners are tackling their own projects: an increase in homeownership [...]
Make Safety a Priority
Make Safety a Priority Would you know what to do if you awoke to the sound of rushing water or the odor of natural gas? How about your family? It might amaze you how many people can use their complicated iPads, iPhones, and video game consoles, but not have a clue how to shut off the main [...]
Plumbing, Heating and Coffee?
Plumbing, Heating and Coffee? As I was sitting at a local coffee shop this morning, savoring a blueberry muffin and a hot cup of joe (does anyone call it “joe” anymore?), something occurred to me. Something so profound that it could change the course of history! Well, maybe not that profound. I was struck by [...]
