​Drinking water on planet earth is not necessarily infinite, yet. And it may never be. There are some amazing businesses that are creating new ways to desalinate ocean water, like Energy Recover Inc. (http://www.energyrecovery.com/), but unfortunately have nowhere near the capacity to support entire countries and large populations. I remember when I was much younger, the drought in the 1980's and how harsh it was. The famous line came out of that time, “if it’s yellow, let it mellow, if it’s brown, flush it down.” Lawns went un-watered and lakes, ponds, and reservoirs, were depleted greatly. It was very scary. Since that time, we have not had a drought nearly as bad. But that does not mean it is a good idea to take long showers, let your faucet run while you are brushing your teeth or shaving, or doing any other number of things where you are not conserving water. It is quite possible, and in fact predicted by meteorologists, that California, all of California, will become a dessert, and droughts will be very common. Water will be an extremely valuable resource, and those with it will hold the power. We, as individuals, can conserve water now and perhaps have an impact on that scary prediction. If not for you, do it for your children or grandchildren, because they will be the ones that are affected. Santa Rosa Plumbing Service values the future of Santa Rosa, and the world for that matter, and that is why we will continue to be conservative with water and pass on the good word to others.

What can you do as a person, homeowner, or business owner, to conserve water? Here is a list of a few simple things you can do to help.

1. This one is simple; turn off the faucet while you are brushing your teeth. Do not let is run. This one kind of drives me crazy. So simple and saves a ton of water over time.
2. Do your laundry when you have a full load. A lot of the new washing machines measure the fullness of the washing chamber and are much better at conserving water.
3. There are such things as a low flow shower head. Call a plumber in Santa Rosa for a quick install and you will be saving more water in no time.
4. Fix leaks the moment you notice them. You may think a small drip from a sink, or a running toilet is no big deal. This Santa Rosa Plumber is here to tell you that it is a very big deal, especially because small leaks turn in to big leaks. Plus, small leaks over time add up in to a large volume of water loss.
5. Install low flow toilets. Santa Rosa Plumbing Service provides this service to all of Sonoma County. It can be installed in a few hours, no problem.
6. Water your lawn when the least evaporation occurs; dusk is the best time because the sun is not present, and the water can rest and absorb into the soil.
7. Here’s a great tip I learned from one of our Santa Rosa customers. Buy an old wine barrel and allow it to collect rain. You can then use that water to feed your flora.
8. You can also do something like the wine barrel with you storm drain runoff. You’d be amazed at the amount of water you can collect.
9. Be cognizant of your water usage on a monthly basis. This way you are able to identify potential leaks. For example, one month you ended up using 3000 more gallons than the previous month, with no reason for it.
10. Spread the word in your inner circles. Do not be afraid to speak your mind. Everyone needs water. There is not much you can argue about when you are talking about conserving this most precious resource.

Santa Rosa Plumbing Service values water conservation. We only install environmentally friendly appliances. If you need a new washing machine, toilet, shower, bathtub, or any other fixture that has water running through it, this plumber has you covered.
I hope that you have found some of this information valuable, and we sincerely hope you can put some of these measures into practice. Let’s protect our planet and the living things on it; one way to do that is to conserve water. For more information, you can visit our website at http://santarosaplumbingservice.com. Thank you from Santa Rosa Plumbing Service, stay safe out there. 

Yesterday I had the unfortunate opportunity to tell one of our customers that they will need a complete overhaul of their plumbing in the Santa Rosa home. I crawled under their home and saw several locations with slow drips, a lot of rust, and some lousy patch jobs that were done by a previous plumber. Granted the home was built in the 1960’s so new pipes would be a necessity at some point in the near future, nonetheless, there are things we can do as homeowners to improve the life of our plumbing. By the way, a complete overhaul of plumbing on a two story, 4 bedroom 3 full baths, was estimated at $26,000. That’s a big bill!
Our plumbing is working all day long. Whenever you wash a dish, brush your teeth, poop, shower, water your lawn, etc., your plumbing is in use. The more you use something, the more it wears down. Nothing lasts forever. That goes for your plumbing too. As pipes age, they can thin out, leak in different areas, and even at times explode and burst. The hardness of your water, whether there are a lot of deposits like calcium in your water, can also have a deleterious effect on your pipes by wearing them down from the inside out. But there is something you can do to improve the life of your plumbing.
So, what are some things you can do to improve the longevity of your pipes?

• Make sure your water pressure stays at 85 psi or below
  • The higher the inner pressure on your pipes the more stress they feel opening opportunity for your pipes to burst. Plus, with higher water pressures and hard water, internal damage is increased quite a bit.
• Don’t use chemical drain cleaners because they eat away at the interior of your pipes
  • Chemical drain cleaners are great at ameliorating clogs, but once the cleaners removed the clog, they then begin eating away at the inner walls of your pipes. Over time, your pipes become quite porous and more apt to leak and burst. Plus, chemical drain cleaners are terrible for the environment. Call a Santa Rosa Plumber instead.
• Fix a leak when you find it
  • A leak is a leak is a leak. Small leaks are just as important to fix as the big ones because small leaks can transition to big leaks in no time at all. Over time with small leaks, it eats away at the fittings and connections, and as the leak grows, pipes become more and more worn down.
• Spend money on an annual or semi-annual maintenance program for drain cleaning
  • Hire a professional Santa Rosa Plumber to maintain your pipes. Your plumbing over time gets debris and gunk that adheres to the internal walls of your pipes. No way to avoid it. Cleaning out your pipes however frequent this is, this Santa Rosa Plumber recommends drain cleaning on an annual basis, will help you to avoid slow drains and clogged drains.
• Only flush things down the toilet that are supposed to go down the toilet
  • Don’t think there is much to say about this because this topic gets beaten to death. If you have young children, keep your toilet seats in the closed position. Debris buildup in your pipes creates bottlenecks and potential areas of increased pressure, which as described before is o good for your pipes. 
• The moment you notice a drain that is draining slow, do something about it.
  • Slow drains are a sign that there is something wrong with your plumbing. There is a clog or choke-point somewhere in your plumbing. Clogs increase the pressure in your pipes, which is something you want to avoid.

After reading this, if you noticed that pipe pressure is a common theme, then you are a smart cookie. Pressure is the biggest factor related to our plumbing’s longevity. The higher the pressure, the quicker our plumbing will need to be replaced. And if you need to replace your plumbing, be sure to give Santa Rosa Plumbing Service a call. We will provide you with a free consultation and work up a plan to remove and replace your plumbing while minimizing the impact to your daily life. We know how important a hot shower is in the morning for you or being able to wash your dishes and clothes. Santa Rosa Plumbing Service prides our self on providing the best plumbing solutions in the city of Santa Rosa. Give us a call today. You can also find us on the web at http://santarosaplumbingservice.com. 

Are you in need of a water heater repair Santa Rosa pro? Santa Rosa Plumbing Service receives a ton of calls from customers that have an outdated, traditional water heater that is not functioning properly, or at all. And even though you do not see your water heater as often as the dishwasher, washing machine, or garbage disposal, it is arguably one of the most important appliances in your home. I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t like to take a cold shower. When a water heater is not functioning, due to its manufactured simplicity, there are only so many things that can be wrong with it. For example, water may be leaking from the top or bottom, no hot water, limited amount of hot water, water is too hot, water takes a substantial amount of time to reheat, low pressure, it’s making weird noises, the water  coming out is dirty or rust colored or has a foul smell. Any of these issues may have you thinking is it time to find a water heater repair Santa Rosa specialist, or purchase a new water heater? And if you are going to purchase a new water heater, do you buy a tankless or traditional water heater?
Typically, the cost to install a water heater is anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000. The cost of a tankless water heater can range anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 and the cost for a traditional water heater is anywhere from $300 to $1,200. So anyway you cut the cake, if you are buying a new water heater you are looking at a fairly substantial expense. It may make sense to call a Santa Rosa Water Heater Repair service to get an estimate on water heater repair of your current appliance.
Let’s say you decide you want something new and do not want to call a water heater repair Santa Rosa specialist. Now you are confronted with another choice; how do you decide between a traditional water heater and tankless water heater?
Let’s start with a little education on the difference between the two types. Your normal, run of the mill water heater stores and heats up anywhere between 30-50 gallons, and this water is used anytime you require the hot water in your house (laundry, showers, dishwasher). The tank will refill and once again will heat the water. The tankless water heater uses electricity or gas to heat the water instantaneously whenever you require it.
Now that we have the difference between the two out of the way, let’s do the good old Ben Franklin T Chart, pros and cons. Traditional water heaters are cheaper and easy and inexpensive to replace. If you need a water heater repair Santa Rosa pro as well, often times they are cheaper to fix. Some negatives about traditional water heaters are that they often times come with a higher utility bill; heating and reheating water comes at a cost. They are cumbersome and quite large, can run out of hot water and typically last anywhere between 10 and 15 years. Tankless water heaters, on the other hand, are less expensive in the long run in regards to energy usage, take up very little space, can last up to 20 years and longer, and hot water is instantaneous. The downside is they are quite expensive ad if you are changing from a traditional heater, often there is quite a bit of work involved in making your home tankless water heater ready.
You may be thinking, I am just going to call a water heater repair Santa Rosa pro to come fix my traditional water heater, right? It is definitely not an easy choice to make. You need to take in to consideration your budget, what you can afford, how much water you are using, and the space these heaters take up. And in case you were wondering, Energy.gov states that a tankless water heater can save you about $100 in energy cost per year, which over time can easily make up for the higher initial cost, if you are planning on being in your home for a considerable period of time.
Let’s talk water heater repair. The average cost if you were to contact Santa Rosa Plumbing Service would be between $244 and $576 to repair your water heater. The total cost of calling a water heater repair Santa Rosa pro is directly related to the age of the water heater, the type, the problem  (is the gas supply part of the problem?), and if plumbing or electrical work is needed.
As a water heater repair Santa Rosa specialist we have a rule of thumb that we go by and suggest to our customers. If the water heater is 7 years or older, and depending on the water heater problem of course, we recommend that you replace your water heater with a new, traditional one. The cost to benefit ratio is in favor of purchasing new.
I hope you have found this information useful. Fixing and buying a new water heater is a substantial expense and not an easy decision. If you are a new homeowner, plan on living in your home for a considerable period of time (10 years or more), and can handle the tankless water heater cost, then we recommend going that route. If your traditional water heater is older than 7 years, we recommend purchasing a new one, and if less than 7 years, give a water heater repair Santa Rosa specialist a call. We here at Santa Rosa Plumbing Service would be more than happy to help. We are just a call away!
Also, for more information, visit our water heater repair page, which is one of the jobs we specialize in.

Over the last week, this Santa Rosa Plumber has received several calls related to slow draining water either from a sink, bath, or shower. The drains have not become completely clogged but there is an obvious obstruction prohibiting water from draining at a normal rate. Most of the time the obstruction is a buildup of materials like hair, soap, and grease. Over time these things build up layer upon layer until eventually there can be a complete obstruction at which point you have a pretty big plumbing problem and need to call a plumber in Santa Rosa. Well, I want to help you avoid the plumbing problem before it becomes a plumbing nightmare. So how do we unclog the shower drain? You may think this sounds crazy but use the plunger that is sitting right near your toilet.  And this is how you use a plunger to unclog your shower drain: You want to make sure you have a tight seal so that plunger creates powerful suction. I suggest using Vaseline. Put a decent amount of Vaseline on your finger and place it on the entire circumference of the rim of the plunger. This will help form a tighter seal. You then want to fill the shower with enough water that the head of the plunger is submerged in the water, which will also help create downward pressure on the plunger and an improved seal. Now you are ready to plunge, and plunge like you have never plunged before. There is a good chance you will be able to slough off some of the caked up debris. Another useful tip is to run the shower with very hot water prior to plunging, which will help loosen the oil based materials that are building up in your pipes.
Clogged or slow draining sinks for the most part have the same buildup of debris as your shower or bath. The plunger can also be used in this situation but may not as effective due to the contour of your sink. Baking soda and vinegar have been effective in the past, or a plumber’s snake, which is always effective. With the plumber’s snake sometimes it does take a professional Santa Rosa  plumber to effectively clear the drain. And then there are chemicals. I personally like to avoid chemicals but sometimes it might be the only option. When using chemical you want to make sure you are dressed in appropriate protective equipment, which includes gloves and goggles. Be sure to follow the directions because these chemicals can be quite destructive. One thing to be aware of as well with chemicals is that if you over use them they can potentially damage your drain pipes, which could turn into a busted pipe anywhere along its route. If it bursts under your house you have a real big plumbing emergency on your hands and will need to call a plumber in Santa Rosa right away.
I hope you, the reader, have found some of this information useful. As I mentioned before we have received quite a few calls recently about clogged drains, sinks, showers, and baths, and our hope is to reach you before you need to reach out to us. Of course, Santa Rosa Plumbing Service is just a phone call away. If you need a Santa Rosa plumber, give us a call at 707-289-6500. We look forward to hearing from you.

The life of a plumber…  
Sadly, most of you will only have an opportunity to meet me when sh*t hits the fan, literally. A large percentage of the customers that I provide plumbing services for are in need of somewhat emergent repairs. For example, the toilet or sink is clogged and water is flooding the floor, or the water heater went out, and there is no hot water! You’d be amazed to see how people react to not having hot water for their morning shower. No matter how many times I express the need for bi-annual plumbing inspections, my words often fall on deaf ears. I think people in general, and our society, believe that plumbers are only needed when something goes wrong or you are looking to remodel a bathroom, install a sink, or install a new water heater. This could not be farther from the truth! I like to compare plumbing and the role of the plumber to let’s say going to see your doctor for your annual checkup. Much like your plumbing, we as human beings also have plumbing. When you go to your doctor they run several tests, perform a physical exam, and sometimes perform blood work to get a better idea of what is going on inside you. Much like a doctor visit, the plumber also performs tests like taking a tiny camera and looking in to your drains and sewers and examining for the potential for these drains to back up and get clogged. We also like to investigate and confirm that appliances and fixtures are up to code and performing appropriately. It is extremely important to look at the water heater to make sure there are no safety issues because yes, a water heater can explode if there is a gas leak or a problem with the pressure release valve. I know! Scary right!
So all this said, what can you the homeowner or business owner do? Well, it’s quite simple, call a plumber! Having a plumbing inspection is not too expensive especially when you compare it to having a plumbing emergency where water damage becomes a real issue and your safety could be jeopardized. Most plumbers recommend that you have your plumbing inspected at least every two years, and we here at Santa Rosa Plumbing Service agree with that recommendation.
Ultimately, we would like to see much less emergencies in our day to day work. Not only will it benefit you by hopefully avoiding such emergencies, and saving you money, time, and headaches, it will also benefit us, because we like to meet people when they are not dealing with an emergency plumbing situation; we find that people are much happier during an annual plumbing inspection rather than a plumbing nightmare.
If you would like your plumbing inspected by Santa Rosa Plumbing Service, give us a call at 707-289-6500. We service all of Sonoma County and most of Marin County. We use nothing but the best products purchased from http://www.pacesupply.com/. We also enjoy using https://www.15000inc.com/ when we need to get creative with our water saving and conservation techniques.  We look forward to meeting you in a not-so-sh*tty situation. 
Out of state and found this blog and still need a plumber. Not a problem. Check out ​http://www.usaplumbing.info/