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Freezing winter weather can leave a home afflicted with frozen pipes. In order to avoid this annoyance and the costly repairs it brings, practice a few preventative strategies. First, you should know where exactly the problems lie. Any exposed pipes in unheated areas have the potential to freeze. This includes pipes in a crawl space, those located in exterior walls, and any plumbing that appears outside of your home.

Drain and Disconnect Your Hose

Frozen water hoses can create a problem, as they will contribute to the freezing of water further up the pipes. Since most yards do not require watering throughout the winter, simply disconnect your hose and ensure it has been emptied of water.

Insulate and Drip Spigots

Outdoor spigots represent another easy area for the cold to affect. If your spigots lack insulation, wrap them in protective material for the winter. In anticipation of particularly hard freezes, you can set your outdoor spigots to drip. The simple passage of water through your pipes will often prevent a freeze.

Install More Insulation

Perhaps the most damaging results of frozen pipes occur when those in your walls burst. This can create extensive damage, and creates the conditions necessary for the growth of mold. If you have problems with frozen pipes in your walls, you probably have inadequate insulation. The installation of more will not only protect your pipes, it will also lower your monthly energy bills.

On Call Plumbing provides all the services you need for the prevention and repair of frozen pipes in Santa Clarita, CA. To learn more or schedule work, give us a call today at 661-201-6016.

Hard water can cause serious problems with your plumbing system, as well as any appliances that use water on a regular basis. If you think your home is suffering from a bad case of hard water, contact On Call Plumbing at 661-201-6016. We offer a variety of options to install a water softener in your home.

Is the Water in Your Home Hard?

Oftentimes homeowners are unaware of the hard water problem in their house. Here are some simple signs that the water coming out of your pipes contains extra minerals.

Calcium Build Up
Calcium or limescale build up is the number one sign that there is a hard water problem. This build up occurs where there is constant water flow. Places that commonly experience this problem are faucets, coffee pots, and the ice dispenser in the door of the refrigerator.

Soap Scum Build Up
Another significant indicator of hard water is a buildup of soap scum in your shower or bathtub. The minerals in the water bond with the soap molecules and allow them to stick to the tiles and glass around your shower.

Water Stained Dishes
If you pull your glasses out of the dishwasher and notice water spots on the glass, it could mean you’re washing your dishes with water hard water.  You might also notice water spots on your flatware and will sometimes even leave behind a sandy residue on your clean dishes.

Contact Our Office

If you notice any of these symptoms in your home, call our office and schedule a consultation to find out if a home water softener is the best solution for you and your family.

Because our toilet is such a fundamental plumbing system, it is important to get repairs when needed. Unfortunately, it can be hard to tell when repairs are needed when you don’t know what signs to look for. When you need toilet repairs, there are a few tell-tale signs to look out for. Below are four signs you need your toilet repaired.

The Toilet is Always Running

If your toilet is running constantly, it will need to be looked out. After you flush your toilet, it shouldn’t need to run after about a minute. There could be something wrong with the flapper, but a professional plumber will be able to diagnose the problem.

Your Toilet Frequently Clogs

Toilet clogs are pretty common and can usually be fixed with plunging the toilet. However, if you are experiencing clogs every week or even every day, there is a problem with your toilet that needs to be addressed ASAP. A homeowner who tries to plunge the problem away could actually make things worse.

There is Standing Water Around the Toilet

Standing water around your toilet means that there is a leak someone. Either it could be sealing or there is a crack in your toilet that you can’t see. Regardless of where the standing water is coming from, a plumber can identify where the leak is coming from and put a stop to it at once.

The Toilet is Having a Hard Time Flushing

Is the handle preventing you from flushing the toilet or is it not filling with water? When you are having trouble flushing your toilet, call a local plumber to take a look at your toilet right away.

These are the most signs you need your toilet repaired, and if you need toilet repairs or installation in Santa Clarita, CA, please call On Call Plumbing today at 661-201-6016.

Sewer line issues can create major trouble for your plumbing. In fact, when you consider the messiest and most disruptive type of plumbing repairs, a sewer line problem lands near the top. You always want to take care of sewer line problems before they get out of hand. Pay attention to the following symptoms, and do not hesitate to call for service.

Slow Drains

All of a home’s drains empty into the sewer line. A clog or obstruction in this line will therefore create repercussions around the house. If you have multiple drains that run slowly, you may have identified a sewer line problem. Clogs in the sewer line will always require professional repair. Do not let them worsen, and call for assistance today.

Bad Smells

If waste begins to back up within your sewer line, you may experience bad smells around your house and yard. Sewage and methane simply have no escape in the event of a totally clogged sewer line. A significant problem, this level of obstruction should receive attention immediately.

Yard Patches

Odd patches within your yard can indicate sewer problems beneath the surface. A leaking sewer line will act as fertilizer for your grass and surrounding vegetation. If you notice inordinately green patches in your lawn, then you probably have a sewer line issue. A sudden appearance of pests, including rodents and insects, can indicate a similar problem.

At On Call Plumbing, we exist to serve any plumbing-related issues. If you have a sewer line problem in Santa Clarita, CA or surrounding areas, give us a call today at 661-201-6016.

Welcome to summer in the west: bright, hot and dry. It can be hard to escape the heat and even

harder to cool off once a hiding place is found. Why not install an evap cooler in Santa Clarita, CA? In the midst of the hot summer, family households and residential homes across the United States have their air conditioning units on full blast most of the day. Energy prices skyrocket while poor a/c units struggle to get the job done.

The worst thing is that the overworking of these a/c units normally causes annoying breakages in the middle of a hot summer. It’s definitely something to avoid, especially when repairs can be costly, tedious and laborious. The best way to tackle this problem is to look alternative cooling options. Don’t rely on central air to cool your apartment or living space.

Save Money With An Evap Cooler in Santa Clarita, CA

Swamp coolers are great because they’re portable, easy to fix and install and cheap to operate. Not to mention, evap coolers can be repaired by On Call Plumbers in Santa Clarita, CA and surrounding areas.

Pull the evap cooler out of storage and use it to save money on your electric bill.

One thing to know about swamp coolers: The drier the air is the better they work.

This means our Californian citizens can enjoy the best of summer cooling with evap coolers in Santa Clarita, CA from brands such as Tradewinds, Aerocool and Champion.

If household members have wondered about having wall units installed, they should call On Call Plumbing in Santa Clarita, CA today. We offer repairs and installation to get residents out of the hot, dry air quick! For installation, call 661-201-6016.

We all understand how a burst pipe can spell major trouble for any property. It’s an unexpected and, most certainly, unwelcomed occurence that no one wants to deal with. Although there are some precautionary steps that a property owner can take to ensure that their plumbing systems stays in decent shape, there are some causes that are just inevitable. Check out some of the most typical causes for a burst pipe that you just can’t always avoid.

• Collapsed pipes: This can contributed to changes within you environment, like construction. There can be a shift in the soil that can cause excess pressure to be put on your pipes. And after a short while, that extra weight can cause your pipes to cave in and burst.
• Deterioration or Corrision: Especially with older plumbing systems using more outdated materials, such as steel, can experience corrosion after years and years of use. The best way to stay ahead of the curve with this issue is to have regular maintenance scheduled for your plumbing system.
• Tree Roots: Many are surprised by this cause, but the truth is that it’s one of the most common. By nature, tree roots grow in the direct towards flowing water, even the water flowing through underground pipes in to your home or business. If there happens to be even a small leak, tree roots will seek it out, wrap around that pipe, which causes it to burst.

In any case, if you’re facing a burst pipe issue, be sure that you contact one of our professional plumbers immediately. On Call Plumbing is just one call away providing oeach of our customers with assistance for the regular plumbing problems, as well as emergency plumbing issues. Give us a call anytime at 661-201-6016.

At On Call Plumbing, we believe in preventative maintenance. Hydro jetting services provide a quick way to clear out your pipes and prevent clogs. Over time, your pipes collect plenty of hair, grease, and oil. If you’d rather not visualize everything that can get caught in your pipes — not to mention your sewer line — consider hydro jetting as a painless solution.

Benefits of Hydro Jetters

A traditional drain snake can only clear out portions of clogs, which leaves them primed for resurgence. A hydro-jet blasts highly pressurized water through your pipes, cleaning them totally out. Slow-building clogs of compacted matter can also prove too tough for drain snakes. Hydro jetting does not simply poke debris farther down the line; it completely obliterates build-ups. The process comes with major benefits for your pipes.

• Effectiveness: Hydro jetting will completely clean out a pipe. Other methods may work for small clogs, but fail at the bigger jobs. Hydro jetting will clean out any and all clogs, including tree roots.
• Versatility: Building upon the last point, hydro jetting can serve as your one-step solution for both commercial and residential lines. From small clogs to larger obstructions, a hydro jetter’s highly powered jet of water will ensure clean lines.
• Budget Friendly: As both preventative maintenance and clog solution, hydro jetting services can save you money. The total clean accomplished through hydro jetting means you don’t need additional services in a few weeks or months. The process is also fast, which saves on hourly work charges.

Contact Us Today!

For any and all plumbing problems in Santa Clarita, CA, call your local experts at 661-201-6016. At On Call Plumbing, we’re available 24/7 to service all of your plumbing needs.

Many homes use hard water as the main source for their daily use. Hard water is mineral laden, picking up natural minerals as it travels into and through your pipes. While many purport the health benefits of hard water, it can cause more harm than good to your home in the long run. Due to its nature, hard water can cause corrosion in your plumbing, among other issues. Water softeners work to stop these issues, restoring your water to its best. What can water softeners do for your home?

The Benefits of Water Softeners

#1 Better for Your Appliances

Hard water can significantly shorten the life of your appliances by mineral build up in the appliance itself. Water softeners remove the ability of that mineral content to build up in the system, keeping it from wearing down your appliance parts. This means your appliances, such as your dishwasher and washing machines, can enjoy a long life and won’t require as much repair.

#2 Healthier Plumbing System

The minerals within hard water can build up in your pipes. While this in itself is harmful, it can cause a bigger problem by causing wear and corrosion. Instead of a pipe cleaning, you may find yourself needing to have full plumbing replacement! Water softener’s reduction of minerals in your water will prevent corrosion.

#3 Easier Water Heating

Hard water’s mineral content makes it harder for your water heater to heat it. Softened water has less or no minerals, meaning it can heat quicker. This means that you no longer have to wait as long for hot water for cleaning or baths.

#4 Cleaner Dishes and Clothes

Minerals in hard water prevent soap from foaming and bonding correctly. This is evidenced as a soapy scum on top of the water you use. This also means that your dishes and clothes are less clean with hard water. Water softener allows your soap to work as intended.

Interested in more information on water softeners for your home? On Call Plumbing is your local expert plumbing company in Santa Clarita, CA. Call us today at 661-201-6016 to speak with one of our skilled plumbers about your water softener needs. 

Your garbage disposal is probably your most used major kitchen appliance. If it’s the most used, it might also be the most abused! If you aren’t paying attention to the basic rules of garbage disposal maintenance and care you may be faced with a garbage disposal emergency soon. Read on to learn some basic guidelines for garbage disposal care that can prevent major emergencies.

When in Doubt Throw it Out!

You may think that your handy disposal is game to handle just about any food or household waste, but that’s just not true. There are lots of things that can go down your disposal, but there are also quite a few that can and will damage your disposal. Here’s just a small list of things that should NEVER go down your disposal:

• Bones & Fruit Pits- if you’ve bitten into a bone or fruit pit you know how hard it is! Don’t subject your poor disposal blades to the same treatment!
• Fat & Grease- Though your leftover fat and grease may seem harmless, but it builds up and becomes a major issue on your disposal blades.
• Starchy foods- It may seem very easy to dump your pasta water and leftovers down your drain, but the gluten can cover the blades in your garbage disposal and create a sticky film that will dull the blades on your disposal.

Keep it Fresh?

There are lot of do-it-yourself tips for how to keep your garbage disposal functioning perfectly, unfortunately not all of them should be followed! If you’ve ever thought that grinding up gravel or fruit pits to “sharpen” your garbage disposal blades, then stop. The best way to sharpen your disposal blades is to have them professionally serviced. However, if you’re looking to freshen-up your garbage disposal then you can use the following tips:

• Sprinkle some ice cubes with baking soda.
• Use citrus juice or vinegar
• Run the disposal with hot water and kosher/rock salt.

The above options will help clear/clean out your garbage disposal without causing damage to the blades.

If you need garbage disposal repair or replacement call the experts from On Call Plumbing at 661-201-6016.

There is a number of reasons you might decide not to call a professional plumber when you are having plumbing issues. “It’s not a big deal”, “I can fix it myself” or “It will go away on its own” are common reasons for not contacting a plumber. However, ignoring small problems can lead to bigger plumbing problems. Here are four reasons you should call a professional plumber for your plumbing issues.

We Have the Experience: Professional plumbers are certified and licensed to handle any type of plumbing problem you have. A plumber has seen and done it all and will be able to repair or replace your plumbing systems in no time.

We Have the Proper Tools: In addition to having the knowledge to fix plumbing systems, a professional plumber has all the necessary tools to do it. A plumber has all the equipment to take care of your problem.

We Will Save You Money: The point of doing a plumbing repair yourself is to save money. Unfortunately, if something goes wrong while you are trying to repair your plumbing issue, you could be spending more money in the long run.

We Will Save You Time: There are a ton of online DIYs and videos that explain how to fix or replace a plumbing system. If you’ve never done that type of plumbing repair before, it can take longer than you anticipated. A licensed plumber will be able to repair and install plumbing in a short amount of time.

If you are needing residential or commercial plumbing in Santa Clarita, CA, give the professional plumbers at On Call Plumbing a call at 661-201-6016 today!