Posts Tagged ‘Altadena’

San Gabriel Plumbing Tip: What Causes Discolored Water?

Monday, October 1st, 2012

In Los Angeles, water discoloration can be troubling, because it makes it seem like your water is unclean. While sometimes discolored water can be cause for concern, other times it has pretty mundane origins.

Check out these common causes of discolored water:

  • Yellow/brown/reddish water is usually caused by rust, either in the water mains that run from the waiter supply or the pipes in your San Gabriel home. If the water is only discolored momentarily when you first turn the water on, it is probably rust in your pipes that gets flushed out quickly. If it persists longer, it may be rust that was stirred up in the water mains. Turn a few of your cold taps on for several minutes, or just turn the tap off and wait about thirty minutes.
  • Water that appears white or cloudy often does so because of trapped air bubbles. Air that is under pressure in your pipes gets released when you turn the tap on, which causes tiny bubbles, just like in a bottle of soda. This has no effect on your water’s quality. The discoloration should dissipate after standing for a few minutes.
  • Sometimes water appears to have a greenish hue, especially when standing under fluorescent light. This is sometimes due to tiny copper traces from the piping in your San Gabriel home, or — depending on the climate — seasonal algae blooms in the local water supply. Either way, this green color is usually harmless.
  • Blue water can occur for a few reasons. One is severe copper corrosion in the plumbing system, which leeches into the pipes. A second cause can be toilet cleaner. If you use a cleaning product in your toilet tank, sometimes that can cause your tap water to turn blue. If you suspect this is the case, do _not_ drink that water and immediately call a local professional. The chemicals in such cleaners can be toxic and hazardous to your health.

Keep in mind that those are some of the most common causes of discolored water. There can be others, and if you are unsure, you should have the situation checked out by the plumbing professionals at Ace Pelizon Plumbing.

For any assistance with your home’s water, contact Ace Pelizon a call today!

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How to Find, Test For, Remove & Prevent Mold in Los Angeles Bathrooms

Monday, June 4th, 2012

No one wants mold in their Los Angeles bathroom Plumbing. It’s ugly, it’s off-putting and it can be hazardous to your family’s health. In order to sniff out mold, get rid of it and prevent it from growing in the first place, read this guide.

Looking For Mold

One of the worst things about mold is that its favorite places to grow are usually dark, moist and close, so the places where mold can be the most prevalent are among the least obvious spots in your bathroom. If you suspect you have a mold problem, look in some of these common places where mold likes to hide:

  • Behind floor trim
  • In wall cavities
  • In the ceiling, especially over the tub or shower
  • The back side of bathroom wallpaper
  • Inside vanity cabinets

If you can see a visible outgrowth of mold around any of these areas, chances are it goes deeper into the recesses of one of these hiding places.

Is It Mold?

Just because you see something that looks like mold does not necessarily mean that it is mold, or if it is, that is is harmful. While some mold is toxic and poses health problems, there are many species of mold that are harmless and are simply an aesthetic concern.

To be sure whether the growth you are seeing is mold, have it looked at by an expert. The only absolutely sure way to identify mold is lab analysis, but a trained professional can tell with a high degree of certainty whether the specimen is mold just by visual inspection.

Getting Rid of It

This small plumbing repair of mold outgrowths, you can usually kill them off with a bleach solution. Spray the affected area with solution, let it sit for a few minutes and wipe it away. It may take a few applications to get all the spores, but the bleach is lethal to mold.

However, as pointed out above, even a small crop of mold can be evidence of a larger, hidden problem. It is best to have your bathroom and even other parts of your homes inspected for mold and have it removed by a licensed professional.

Mold Prevention

Mold is resilient, and able to find a place to hide just about anywhere. You can do some things to prevent a mold problem in your home, though. Keep your bathroom dry as much as possible. Clean up any water on the floor and make sure your ventilation fan is working properly. Clean vents regularly. Clean all surfaces regularly with commercial cleaner to discourage mold growth. A clean, dry bathroom is not hospitable to mold.  If you need any help with restricting mold growth please call Ace Pelizon Plumbing.

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How Can I Prevent Clogged Drains in My Alhambra Home?

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

One of the most frustrating plumbing issues any home owner will encounter is a clogged drain. Not only are clogged drains a nuisance, they are largely avoidable, so it becomes that much more frustrating when it happens since you know that you could have taken preventative measures long before the problem occurred. To help stop your drains from clogging in the future, here are some useful preventative tips:

  • Set Cooking Grease Aside – Cooking grease is thick, viscous and clings to the sides of almost all types of pipes. So, instead of pouring it down your sink and hoping it clears out on its own, pour it into a coffee can and set it aside. There are a number of places where you can recycle old grease.
  • Flush Garbage Disposals – When you use your garbage disposal, it is imperative that you flush cold water through the system at the same time. Without water to flush the food particles through the pipes, anything ground up in the disposal will become stuck and with the application of grease or other food particles can easily become a thick clog.
  • Pour Boiling Hot Water Down the Pipes – At least once a week it is a good idea to pour 2-3 quarts of boiling water down your sinks and bathtub to loosen any pre-clogs that have formed. Things like soap, grease, food, and hair can all be dislodged by an application of hot water on a regular basis.
  • Taking Care with Your Toilet – A toilet is not designed to flush anything that will technically fit down the hole. Even for paper products that seem to be flushable, take care in what goes into the toilet bowl. Paper towels, garbage, and wrappers should not be flushed or they are likely to cause bathroom plumbing damage.
  • Use Strainers – Install strainers on all of your sinks, including the ones in your bathroom. A simple strainer will catch excess bits of food, hair, and other grime that has a habit of falling down the drain and getting flushed along with the dishwater or during a shower.

With care, your drains will remain clog free and never require the services of a snake or a plumber. If you do get past the point of no return, do not panic just yet – there are a number of steps you can take to remove a small clog without chemicals or professional help. However, if the clog refuses to budge or begins to backup, know when to call Ace Pelizon Plumbing.

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How to Get Lime Out of Your Pipes (and Your Teapot): A Guide from Altadena

Friday, November 18th, 2011

Lime deposits are what cause that white, chalky, filmy residue that you see on faucets, shower heads and tiles in your Altadena home. Aside from being unsightly, lime deposits can also cause damage over time. Lime builds up inside the plumbing of your home, slowly degrading your pipes. Below are some tips to get rid of lime in common trouble spots.

Pipes

Lime most often builds up in pipes that carry hot water, since the water heater dissolves the lime in the water. The lime is then deposited on the inside of the pipes when it cools. Here are some steps to clear out the troublesome lime from those pipes:

  1. Turn off your water heater and drain it so it is about half full.
  2. Remove the pressure valve, being careful to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
  3. Pour solvent into the heater through the open valve. There are commercial products available specifically designed to break up lime deposits, but white vinegar can be used as a cheaper and greener alternative.
  4. Replace the pressure valve, turn the heater back on and allow it to fill all the way.
  5. Turn on hot water faucets throughout the house. Let the water run until it runs clear or doesn’t smell of vinegar, depending on which solvent you used.

Kettles & Coffeemakers

Mineral deposits in a kettle or coffeemaker can cause your morning beverages to taste bitter. To clean them out, try these techniques:

  • Put 2 tablespoons of water softener in your kettle and fill it with water. Bring to a boil and rinse thoroughly. Alternatively, you can use a 1:1 ratio of vinegar and water, then let it sit overnight after boiling.
  • Fill your coffeemaker’s reservoir with water plus 2 tablespoons of water softener. Or, fill it entirely with white vinegar. Either way, run it through once that way, then a few more times with pure water to rinse.

For more obvious deposits, like faucets and tiles, usually a combination of hot water and either lime remover or white vinegar will do the trick. You can get more instruction on removing lime scale at HowToCleanStuff.net.

Those are the tried-and-true methods for making your pipes last by keeping lime at bay. Some plumbers will swear to you that putting magnets on your pipes will prevent lime from building up. Data to support that is inconclusive at best, although it can’t hurt to try.

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