Home plumbing and water heater guides

Each guide takes one problem in a Golden Hills house and walks through the cause, the checks you can make yourself, and what a licensed plumber should look at next. Read one before you call us and you will know which questions to ask and which part of an estimate deserves a second look.

No hot water from a tank water heater When the showers run cold, the cause is usually one of a handful of parts on a gas or electric tank. Here is what you can safely look at, what a licensed plumber checks next, and how to weigh repair against replacement.
Water heater leaking: finding the source and what to do Not every puddle under a water heater means a new tank. Finding where the water comes from tells you whether you are looking at a fitting, a valve or the end of the tank's life.
Why your water heater's relief valve is dripping The temperature and pressure relief valve is the last line of defense on a water heater. When it drips or discharges, the valve is usually doing its job, and the real question is why.
Tank or tankless: choosing a water heater for your house Both types can serve a Golden Hills household well. The better choice depends on how you use hot water, what your gas line and venting can support, and how much maintenance you are willing to do.
Tankless water heaters and hard water: keeping scale under control Tankless units heat water in a narrow heat exchanger, and the minerals in Fullerton's water can coat it over time. Regular descaling is the maintenance that keeps them working.
A safe water heater installation: strapping, venting and permits A water heater is a gas or electrical appliance holding gallons of hot water under pressure. These are the details that separate a safe installation from a quick swap.
Popping and rumbling water heaters: sediment and flushing A tank that pops, crackles or rumbles while heating usually has mineral sediment on the bottom. Flushing can help on a younger tank; on an older one it may stir up more trouble than it solves.
Finding a hidden leak with your water meter A higher bill with no visible water is a reason to test, not guess. Your water meter can tell you whether water is leaking and help narrow down where.
Slab leaks: warning signs and repair options Many Fullerton houses sit on concrete slabs with water lines running underneath. When one of those lines leaks, the clues are subtle, and the repair choice matters as much as finding it.
Running and leaking toilets Toilets fail in a few predictable ways. Some fixes are simple parts inside the tank; a leak at the base or a rocking bowl needs more care because water may be reaching the subfloor.
Dripping faucets and the shutoff valves beneath them A drip at the spout is usually a worn cartridge or washer. The harder part is often the small shutoff valve under the sink, which may not have been turned in years.
Low water pressure: one fixture or the whole house? The single most useful question with low pressure is where it happens. One weak faucet and a weak whole house have very different causes and fixes.
Water hammer, high pressure and pressure regulators Pipes that bang when a valve closes are more than a nuisance. They often point to high water pressure or loose piping, both of which add wear to every fixture in the house.
Galvanized pipes and when to consider repiping Many older Fullerton homes have galvanized or early copper supply lines that have been patched over the decades. Repiping is a big decision; here is how to tell whether it is time and what the main choices are.
Slow drains throughout the house: roots and old sewer laterals One slow sink is usually a local clog. Several slow drains, gurgling toilets or water backing up into a tub point further down the line, to the sewer lateral that carries waste to the city main.
Hiring a licensed plumber in Golden Hills and Fullerton Most plumbing problems can wait the short time it takes to check who you are hiring. A license lookup, a written estimate and a few direct questions protect you more than any advertisement.