Save Money: Make Plumbing Repairs Now

Repairing plumbing can feel an awful lot like paying for insurance. The price is usually high and there are very few results to be seen. But, when it comes to plumbing the more you cannot see, the better off you and your home are. When you can see, hear, or smell anything relating to plumbing, it is time to get it fixed. The longer you wait, the more expensive those repairs will become. And, in some cases, you will have to pay for more than just plumbing expenses. Even if you simply have a leaky faucet, those drips can add up to big bucks in the long run.

Increased Water Bills

When you delay maintenance on something as simple as a leaky faucet, you do run the risk of more than just plumbing problems. The leaky faucet will increase your water bills. It also can be quite irritating to listen to a faucet drip. Your leaky faucet could have problems in places that you cannot see – this means that you could have problems in your walls or in the foundation that could become extremely expensive if you wait too long to make the repairs.

People who postpone repairing leaky faucets can waste over 8,000 gallons of water over time. Simply put an empty water jug under your leaky faucet and watch how quickly the water adds up. Think of what that does to your wallet, especially if you wait for weeks or months to get it repaired.

Growing Mold or Mildew

One danger that most people do not consider with leaking faucets is growth of mold or mildew. The continual moisture can create a buildup of unwanted mold or mildew. You might even have to deal with rot in the wood or drywall in your bathrooms. This could lead to expensive problems that could result in having to remove walls and flooring to get rid of moldy wood or mildew in the drywall. This is an expense that can be avoided by fixing a leaky faucet as soon as it begins. In many cases, a leaky faucet can be repaired in less than 30 minutes, especially if it is repaired early.

Health and Financial Problems

When mold and mildew become a problem, financial worries are often the last ones. Mold and mildew can lead to health problems, especially for young people or elderly people who live in your home. They can also seriously affect the wallet, too. Respiratory problems can occur when there is too much mold or mildew in the home. They can arise with problems relating to moisture from issues with the toilet and the seal as well as issues related to sewer lines. When there is excessive moisture anywhere in your home, you run the risk of mildew and mold. If the mold becomes black, it can be extremely expensive to remove – it can also create horrible health issues.

Don’t Wait Too Long

If you are waiting to make a repair, it is better to just get it done. Plumbing will not repair itself, ever. The cost of waiting is so much more expensive that the cost of getting the project completed by a professional. If you are weighing the costs, it is always better to get finished while the problem is still new. The cost will never decrease and the problems will never be smaller. Even if you have to take a day off of work to wait for the plumber, it is still a better idea to take care of any issue you might have. If the problem gets bigger, you might have to take even more time off of work.

At Scott English Plumbing, we can help you with all types of plumbing problems. Give us a call.

Emergency Plumbing Services

Plumbing problems often arise when you least expect them to, this is especially during the holidays or even special occasions. Therefore, a plumbing emergency can happen to any individual at any time.

If the plumbing problem is too big for you to handle, then the best solution is for you to call an emergency plumber t help you.

An emergency plumber is an individual, group of people or an agency that offer plumbing services within 24 hours and are always ready when called.

Emergency plumbing in Anaheim, are operative for 24 hours in a day during the whole week, be it weekends or holidays. All you need to do is just make a phone call to the agency and they will respond immediately, they know your exact location.

What does an emergency plumber do?

An emergency plumber can offer any assistance that is related to plumbing situation. They tackle plumbing problems such as burst pipes, water leaks, and repair of water systems in your property which include bathrooms.

Emergency plumbers are often well-trained and are familiar with all the types of plumbing systems that are used in the office, commercial and households. Any time that anything goes wrong with your sink, toilet, drains or bathrooms, they know how important it is to respond fast enough. They often try to make your problem their own problem immediately after you contact them. That shows how much they are concerned about your issue.

When they arrive at where you are located, the first thing they always do is diagnose the plumbing issue and take action. One good thing about these plumbers is that they come fully packed with whatever they need to deal with the plumbing issue. Most often the issues that they deal with are burst pipes and major clogs.

These plumbers will take time to explain to you what the problem is and the solution of how they will do it then fix it right. They will even help you to prevent the future plumbing problems that are likely to occur by inspecting the entire system as part of the services that they offer you. They offer you a detailed review of all the products and repair techniques to enable you to make informed choices about the plumbing needs.

Benefits of hiring an emergency plumber

They have experience in difficult jobs

Most plumbing issues may appear to be simple while others are too complex for the homeowner to deal with. Professional plumbers have whatever it takes to deal with any issue because they can diagnose the problem, offer the solution to solve and repair your plumbing well.

They can fix many problems on one visit

When property owners decide to do home improvements, they only tackle one issue. But when you call emergency plumbers, they take care of the issue within hours and do a thorough research on other issues that are likely to occur then fix them.

They can offer you professional advice

You might have a pipe that leaks in many places and needs constant attention. The professional plumber will fix that issue for you and even offer you expert advice on how to improve the entire plumbing system in your home.

You do not need to buy tools

This is because sometimes the plumbing tools take up much of the space in the house. When you call plumbers they often come handy with the equipment that they need.

With all that said, it is important for you as a homeowner to call an emergency plumber whenever you experience something that is way out of what you can do. Therefore you can contact them at any time when you experience a problem. Let the plumbing services offer you all the help that you need.

Call Scott English Plumbing at (714) 987-9801 or 714-987-9801 for help.

24-Hour Emergency Plumbing Tips

It is safe to say that not all homeowners are familiar with plumbing systems and how to repair them, right? Now, with that being said, we also cannot discount the fact that many homeowners will be facing plumbing emergencies at the most inconvenient hours of the day (or night). So what do you do? Can you plan for these emergencies or at least minimize them from happening? The good news is that yes you can! So here are some tips you can follow to be ready for a plumbing emergency any time.

Plumbing Emergencies

It is definitely difficult to predict when and where a plumbing emergency can happen. The good news is that there are some basic tips you can follow in order to make sure that the smallest of problems do not quickly escalate into something disastrous.

Be aware where your main water shutoff valve is located. This is especially true if you do not have isolation valves installed in your plumbing fixtures. What does this do? In case of a leak (or even a burst pipe) it will stop the flow of water into your home plumbing system. Without water, there wouldn’t be much damage that could be done on your property.

If you do not have isolation valves, after reading this, the first thing you do is call a professional plumbing service and have one installed for every plumbing fixture in your home. Why? This allows you to stop the supply of water to a specific location without affecting the other parts of your home. This means that if you have a toilet leak, you can be sure that no further damage will happen to your toilet, but you can still have water supplied to your kitchen and other parts of your home.

A reminder when it comes to valves, these are not designed to function forever; so make sure that you check them periodically to make sure that they are still functioning.

Turn off the electric water heater. If you don’t know, water and electricity are not actually the best of friends. So if the plumbing leak happens to be next your electric water heater, you can be in for a very shocking surprise. What if you have a gas water heater? Make sure to turn its switch to the pilot position. This is a safeguard to prevent any possible damage to your water heater, among other things.

Have tools handy. It does not matter if you know how to repair a plumbing leak or not, these tools will save you from a lot of headaches and distress. So what are the tools that you need? At least two (2) wrenches, a pair of slip joint pliers, a screwdriver, and Allen wrenches.

The 2 wrenches will allow you to do a process known as backing off. This means turning the wrenches in opposite directions to ensure that the stress will not be absorb by the plumbing pipes or fixtures. This is great when tightening loose connections that result in leaks.

The slip joint pliers will allow you to loosen collar nuts usually found on the drain line. This helps you get into the line and clean it out in case it gets clogged.

The screwdriver can be used to screw in a blind cap that seals off leaks caused by broken supply tubes. This helps prevent further damage until professional help arrives in your home.

The Allen wrenches on the other hand will be great tools when facing problems with the garbage disposal or even some of your faucets.

There are two kinds of tapes that you will need in a plumbing emergency; a duct tape and a Teflon tape. The duct tape can be used for cracked pipes or reduce leaks. This temporary solution will give ample time for professional plumbing services to get to your home without having to worry about huge damages.

Teflon tape is used mostly around the ferrule as a stopgap measure until permanent repair can be done to the connection by a licensed plumber.

Clogged toilets and sinks are common problems in many homes. One of the best ways to prepare for them is to have a plunger ready. However, you must be aware that there are 2 types of plungers; a cup plunger and a flange plunger.

Cup plungers are used mainly for small drains like those found in the shower, tubs, and sinks. The flange plunger is used for clogged toilets. You need to have these 2 handy to allow you to deal with virtually all types of leaks.

The important thing to remember with plungers is that the mouth of the cup should be submerged in at least an inch of water and a vacuum should be created to allow the force to dislodge the blockage. You should also be very careful not to apply too much force to ensure that you do not crack the sink or toilet bowl.

If the clogging has not been dislodged, you can follow it up with a plumber’s snake.

As you can see, these tips are not meant to solve your plumbing emergency, but rather, to give ample time for professional help to arrive. So the best way to be ready for a plumbing emergency any time of the day is to have the number of a 24-hour emergency plumbing service handy. Call Scott English Plumbing today!

Types of Plumbing Systems: Learn about Your Home

In the world of homeownership, knowledge is power. Whether you have a home built from scratch, or you own an older home, knowing about the systems inside of its walls is important. There will be moments when those systems need repair. If you do not know what kind of systems you have, the repairs will be more costly. When it comes to plumbing, homeowners should learn all they can about the pipes and fixtures within the exterior walls of their home.

With knowledge, homeowners can look for plumbing problems and possibly fix it before calling a plumber. But, with all plumbing issues, it is best to call a plumber, like Scott English Plumbing to help you solve the problem efficiently. If you know what type of plumbing system you have, the plumber is more likely to be able to fix it faster. There are four types of plumbing systems, and some houses can have a combination of them. These are the four types:

Galvanized Steel

If you own an older home that was built between the 1930s and 1980s, you most likely have galvanized steel pipes. Unfortunately, these are the pipes that can break down over time and release lead into the water. These pipes are usually coated with zinc, which breaks down and causes rust. It is the rust that releases lead into household water.

Galvanized steel pipes are usually gray or silver in color on the outside. They are rather heavy and can be problematic for plumbers to fix. In many situations, plumbers will recommend that homeowners replace them with plastic or copper pipes, usually for safety purposes and for water efficiency. The rust can slow the flow of water, making homeowners use more than they think they are using.

Copper

Copper pipes were also used in homes built in the 1930s, but not for as long as galvanized steel pipes. Copper pipes showed up again in homes built between the 1960s and today. Copper pipes are durable and they are significantly lighter than galvanized steel pipes. Newer ones are easy to spot because they have that classic copper color, but as they age, they develop the oxidized green or brown color.

While copper pipes themselves do not release lead in the water, the soldered joints may contain lead. It is possible to have pipes resoldered, but since copper is expensive, the process can be expensive, too. Many people will leave their copper pipes in place because of the value of the metal. Since they are reliable, this usually does not create any problems with plumbing.

Plastics: PVC & PEX

Home built in the 1950s to today often have PVC pipes in the plumbing system. PVC is short for polyvinyl chloride, which is a strong plastic. These hard pipes are usually marked with information about the quality and durability of the PVC. The durability is usually based on temperature ratings. They are also marked for their diameter.

PVC seems to last forever. It does not corrode or flake, but it is affected by hot water. Most sinks and tubs do not have PVC lines. They are most usually used in toilet lines and vent stacks. These are inexpensive to replace. Due to the low price of PVC pipe, many people use them in creative ways – like making patio furniture.

The newest plumbing systems use what is called PEX pipe. This pipe is made out of polyethylene – another plastic. Homes built in the 1990s to today often have this type of pipe. They come in several colors, but most plumbers will use red pipes to denote hot water lines and blue pipe for cold water lines. They are packaged in coils, so PEX pipe usually does not look straight when installed. This type of pipe does not rust or corrode, but it is never used in drain lines like PVC pipe is used.

If you have any questions about the pipes used in your home, please give Scott English Plumbing a call at (714) 987-9801 or (949) 293-2037

Improve Home Value with Updated Plumbing Technology

The world of plumbing is continually changing. As manufacturers use technology, they are able to create updated plumbing fixtures and systems that can completely change the way families access and use water.

When plumbers look back in the history or modern plumbing, the idea of water purification, indoor plumbing, and running water were considered novelties at one point. Now, homes can have smart systems that bring plumbing into the future. The early plumbers would be shocked by what homeowners can have installed today.

Even the tools that plumbers use to install and repair plumbing systems have advanced. Just a few years ago, plumbers would need to dig into yards to find troubles in plumbing lines. Now they can use cameras to find those same problems. Technology can save time, energy, and money for the homeowners of today.

Touchless Systems

One of the most exciting new plumbing technologies is the touchless system. Of course, consumers have seen these in restaurants and other public places. These touchless systems are designed to help fight the spread of diseases. Instead of using the hands to turn on faucets or flush toilets, the touchless systems simply do it through with movement.

Toilets are able to tell when a stall door is opened and faucets can see hands underneath them. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention spreads the word that germs cause disease, so not having to touch dirty faucets helps keep hands clean.

Leak Detection Systems

Another exciting innovation is one that most people cannot see: flood-stop technology. This is a technology that is used in household appliances like dishwashers and washing machines. It is also found in water heaters, toilets, and ice-making refrigerators. These appliances rely on water, so they can have problems with broken water lines.

Problems like this can be costly, so many of the newest models come with a flood-stop technology that knows when water is leaking. The technology then shuts off the water supply so the leak will not damage floors and basements. If you are interested in this type of technology, it is wise to speak to plumbers like those at Scott English Plumbing who can show you exactly where to have it installed.

Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless water heaters have changed the cost of water bills for homeowners. These water heaters have been available for years, but they have not been advertised well, so many homeowners are now just learning about their benefits. They do cost more to purchase and install, but the rewards are reaped with lower water bills. They do need annual maintenance to prevent scale buildup.

Low-Cost Repairs

Low cost repairs are another way that plumbing is becoming more efficient through technology. Instead of digging up yards and tearing apart walls, plumbers have new tools that are less invasive. The tools involve cleaning out the pipes with a blasting tool. Once leaks are found after the pipes are cleaned, plumbers can insert an epoxy resin to fill leaks and seal them.

Plumbers can also avoid needing to tear up concrete or to dig trenches. With trenchless technology, plumbers are able to dig a tunnel in the yard to add pipes. This is a low-cost way to repair mainlines and add plumbing where it is needed.

If you have any questions about the latest technology in plumbing, the staff at Scott English Plumbing can help.

We know the best ways to help our customers save money on their water bills, improve the values of their homes, and make repairs without breaking the bank. Our plumbing experts can advise you on the right systems and fixtures for your home and the most cost efficient ways to install them. Call us at (714) 987-9801 or (949) 293-2037

Plumbers Helping in Impoverished Areas

In the United States, we tend to take our easy access to water and plumbing for granted. One grassroots organization is working hard to give people in those impoverished areas access to clean water and plumbing. Plumbers Without Borders is a non-profit agency based out of Seattle, Washington. The organization’s goal is to provide people in need with safe water and hygienic sanitation so they no longer have to worry about the diseases and suffering that comes from unclean water.

Helping Underdeveloped Nations

Plumbers Without Borders wants the world to know that nearly one in eight people around the world does not have access to clean, safe water. Over 2 million people die from diseases that are caused by unclean water and the diseases that are harbored in it. Of the 7 billion people in the world, about one-third of them live in communities that do not have clean water or healthy sanitation systems which results in those people developing chronic gastrointestinal illnesses that are easily passed on to other people.

Raising Awareness with World Toilet Day

The co-founder of the organization, Domenico DiGregario wants to be able to say that plumbers are necessary to protect the health of people all over the world. He wants to raise awareness about the lack of clean water around the world and he uses annual World Toilet Days to remind people that his organization exists. DiGregario and the other volunteers at Plumbers Without Borders have been sharing their training and knowledge with people in Haiti, Ethiopia, as well as with local Habitat for Humanity projects, too.

Repairing Plumbing in Ethiopia

One project that the organization is proud to have completed was at a hospital in Ethiopia. DiGregorio and Fred Volkers, the other co-founder, worked with volunteer physicians from Seattle in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. They worked together to improve the plumbing in the Zewditu Hospital in the capital city. They also organized a dialysis clinic to help the people in Addis Ababa.

Before they upgraded the plumbing in the hospital, the conditions were deplorable and unsanitary. The faucets in the operating room did not work which meant the doctors in Addis Ababa used water buckets to clean their hands before they performed surgery. No hospital in a developed nation with running water and clean sanitation would permit conditions like those in Addis Ababa. When the group visited dialysis clinics in Addis Ababa, they noticed problems with the drains of the dialysis machines. Once they figured out the backflow problems with the machines and the drains, they not only fixed the problem, but they also taught the employees what to do when other problems arose.

Giving Time and Training in Haiti

The group is dedicated to fixing plumbing problems and empowering people in impoverished, Third-World countries to help themselves. When the group visited Haiti, they trained student attending Haiti Tec in Port au Prince so they could install water purification systems and do other plumbing work when needed. In order to get the plumbing devices needed in Port au Prince, Plumbers Without Borders worked with the non-profit group World Water Partners out of Europe. They also worked with Seattle University to develop the techniques to train the young Haitians.

Providing Safe Latrine Pans

Plumbers Without Borders also works with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to install hygienic latrine pans. These pans were developed to prevent diseases from spreading in areas that use open-air latrine pits. The pans have been installed in homes in Haiti and local families want more installed. Communities that lack toilets not only have problems with diseases, but with issues related to the privacy and safety of women and girls who have to relieve themselves in these open pits.

It is inspiring to see plumbers caring about the health and wellness of people living in underdeveloped nations. For more information or to donate time or money visit their website: Plumbers Without Borders.

New Trends in Plumbing

Trends come and go in nearly every area of our lives. When most people hear the word trend, they think first of clothing. In your lifetime, you may have worn every trend from bell-bottom jeans to power suits to grunge. Trends are not restricted to clothing, though. Even plumbing is affected by trends. It may be best, when it comes to plumbing, to think of these new ideas as innovations rather than trends. After all, indoor plumbing isn’t likely to ever go out of style. Thanks to technology, though, we now have access to even better plumbing features that can make our lives a little bit easier. Check out these new trends in plumbing.

Green Plumbing Options

Most of the current trends in plumbing are related to making plumbing more earth-friendly. Obviously, water conservation is a major issue. Your choices in plumbing fixtures can help you to reduce your water consumption, which positively impacts our global water supply as well as your pocketbook.

Flushing the toilet uses a lot of water. You probably don’t want to stop flushing your toilet, but you can switch to a high-efficiency toilet (HET) to save water instead. In the past, HETs got a bad rap. They didn’t use much water, but they also didn’t do a very good job of flushing. Fortunately, that has changed. Today’s HETs are far superior to their predecessors. These new HETs have much better flushing power so that they get the job done.

There are four main types of HETs. The most common type is the pressurized flusher. These toilets are unique because, instead of using gravity to flush, they use highly-pressurized water. Even though they use pressurized water to flush, they use much less water than traditional toilets. A traditional toilet uses about seven gallons of water every time you flush it. An HET is required by law to use less than 1.28 gallons per flush. They drastically cut the amount of water that is used to flush the toilet, and they still provide excellent performance.

An HET is not the same toilet as a low-flow toilet. Many people are resistant to using any type of water conserving toilet because they’ve had a bad experience with a low-flow toilet. It is true that the old low-flow toilets were less than ideal. Today’s high-efficiency toilets are completely different and much more reliable.

One thing that you should be prepared for with high-efficiency toilets is that they are a bit louder than a traditional toilet. An HET uses a pressurized burst of water to flush the toilet instead of relying on gravity, so they do make a bit more noise when they flush than you are probably used to hearing. This minor drawback is easily offset by the fact that an HET can save you 40,000 gallons of water per year over a traditional toilet. Most users find that they adjust to the new flushing sound quickly and that it is a worthwhile trade-off for the water savings.

High efficiency toilets are one of the major trends in plumbing today, and for good reason. Installing an HET is inexpensive, and it can reduce your water consumption by 40,000 gallons a year. If you would like to learn more about how you can take advantage of new trends in plumbing by installing a high-efficiency toilet, contact Scott English Plumbing today. Scott English Plumbing can handle all of your plumbing needs, from routine installations to emergency plumbing problems. We’re available 24/7, so call Scott English Plumbing whenever you need plumbing help.

Energy Efficient Plumbing

Outdated plumbing fixtures can cost you a bundle in terms of both water and power. They use significantly more water than we now know is necessary, and fixtures like dishwashers and washing machines can also eat up your electricity. Over the last few years, significant improvements have been made that allow you to get the function and reliability that you need while drastically cutting down on energy and water consumption. Check out these energy efficient plumbing options.

High-Efficiency Dishwashers

How often do you run your dishwasher? Every day? More than once a day? The average sized family likely can’t go more than a full day or two at the most without running a load of dishes through the dishwasher. If you have an older dishwasher, you could be using tons of water and power every time you run a cycle of dishes. A dishwasher from 1994 or earlier can cost an extra $40 per year in terms of power costs alone versus an Energy Star certified model. An Energy Star certified dishwasher will also save around 1,300 gallons of water over its lifespan.

In addition to upgrading to an Energy Star certified dishwasher, you can also save on water and power by only running the dishwasher when it is completely full.

Low-Flow Faucets

Low-flow faucets can be used in any sink in your home, whether they are located in a kitchen or bathroom. A low-flow faucet reduces the volume of water that is released by the faucet, which helps to cut down on wasted water. Low-flow faucets can actually cut down on water consumption by 30%. Look for Water Sense faucets, which are produced in partnership with the EPA. Water Sense faucets cut the flow of water from the faucet from 2.2 gallons per minute to 1.5 gallons per minute. This simple change can save, on average, 700 gallons of water per year.

Another water-saving option is to install aerators in your existing faucets. An aerator is a small, inexpensive piece that is installed directly into your current faucet and reduces the flow of water.

Low-Flow Toilets

Low-flow toilets get a bad rap, but the truth is that current models are far superior to the models of years ago. Today, a low-flow toilet can save you many gallons of water with every flush, yet still provide reliable service. Your toilet uses more water than any other plumbing fixture in your house. In fact, it accounts for as much as 1/3 of your total indoor water use. By switching over to low-flow toilets, you can cut your water consumption by anywhere from 20-60%, depending on the age of your current toilets. That’s equivalent to as much as 13,000 gallons of water per year. In terms of dollar savings, that is equal to over $2,000 over the lifetime of the toilet.

There are several different types of low-flow and high-efficiency toilets on the market. The most popular variety is the pressurized flush high-efficiency toilet. This model relies on pressurized water instead of gravity to flush the toilet. It provides excellent performance while drastically cutting down on water consumption. A traditional toilet uses around seven gallons of water per flush, while a pressurized flush high-efficiency toilet uses less than 1.28 per flush.

If you would like to cut down on water and energy consumption in your home, contact the pros at Scott English Plumbing. We will help you to select fixtures that will provide you with the reliable performance that you need while cutting down on energy and water consumption. Call Scott English Plumbing today for energy efficient plumbing installation.