Prepare Early For Heavy Rain in Orange County
Here in Orange County, California, we have mild winters, so we don’t have to worry about preparing our homes for cold weather. It’s not likely our pipes will freeze or that we’ll need to stock up on snow shovels. However, though winter in Southern California doesn’t mean snow and ice, it definitely means rain. It won’t be long now before our rainy season starts, so don’t let it sneak up on you. It’s important to get your area drains inspected to 
ensure they are clear of roots and debris. If your drains aren’t clear, you could end up with a lake in your backyard after the first heavy rain. Even if the water doesn’t build up to that extreme, you could still have problems. If there are any areas of standing water around your home, the water can potentially seep into walls creating mold or water damage issues. Additionally, if your property slopes and you don’t have proper drainage, you may lose topsoil and shallow-rooted plants and bushes during rainstorms that last several days.
To prevent these problems, it’s best to have your area drains checked by a State licensed plumber now in the fall. That way, you won’t be caught helpless during our first big rain. Like they say – an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
New CA Law Requires Carbon Monoxide Detectors in Orange County Homes
Carbon Monoxide is the leading cause of unintentional poisoning deaths in America, claiming more than 400 lives each year. It’s an odorless, tasteless, and invisible natural gas that can lead to brain damage and even death. It’s produced whenever fuel such as natural gas, oil, kerosene, wood or charcoal is burned and can be produced by common household appliances. Often called the “invisible killer,” it’s difficult to detect and can kill quickly. So, how can you protect your family from this odorless natural gas? Well, do you have a carbon monoxide alarm in your home? If you don’t, now is the time to get one. A new law in California requiring the devices in single-family homes went into effect on July 1, 2011. Smoke detectors have been mandatory in residences for a while, but now there’s a new requirement to have carbon monoxide detectors as well. Homeowners who fail to install the devices will receive a 30-day notice. If they fail to comply, they face a maximum fine of $200 for each offense.
Where can I get one?
- Carbon Monoxide detectors are affordable and widely available at most hardware stores.
How many do I need?
- You should install one in every room of your home, including the basement and garage.
Who needs to comply with this law?
- All single-family homes that have an attached garage, fireplace or a fossil-burning heater need to comply.
The State Air Resources Board, a regulatory board at the California Environmental Protection Agency, estimates that carbon-monoxide poisoning causes 30 to 40 deaths every year in California, and about 175 to 700 emergency room and hospital visits within the last three years in California. Fortunately, carbon monoxide detectors make it easy to prevent this danger to your family. It’s also important to get an in-house plumbing inspection before winter hits to check for proper venting of all natural gas burning appliances by a State licensed plumbing contractor. This, along with a carbon monoxide detector, will help ensure your family is safe from carbon monoxide exposure.
What Not to Put Down Your Drain
Many citizens of Orange County, California lead very busy, fast-paced lives. Family and career responsibilities take up much of our time. So, when we cook or clean, we use convenient products that allow us to get the job done quickly and get back to family and work. However, a problem arises when we need to dispose of those products quickly. If they are liquid, our first thought may be to pour them down the sink. However, the products that make life convenient aren’t always healthy for our plumbing or our environment. So, pouring waste products down the drain can often create big problems. Here’s a quick a guide for what you shouldn’t put down your drains.
- Cooking grease and oil – Grease is one of the most common unsafe products people dispose of by drain. When you’re done cooking your grease, it’s in liquid form. However, sometimes people forget that grease becomes solid once it cools. If you dispose of grease down your drain, you may be setting yourself up for a bad clog.
- Toxic household cleaners – If you have left-over household cleaners you’d like to get rid of, it’s unwise to dispose of them down the drain. Corrosive materials such as pesticides, solvents and other cleaning chemicals can cause significant damage to your plumbing system. They also enter either a septic system or a municipal sewer system, which may corrode plumbing or collect in a trap, releasing toxic fumes through sewers.
- Motor oil – Used motor oil is possibly the biggest “no-no” for drain disposal. Pouring motor oil down your drains can harm your plumbing and contaminate Orange County’s soil and water table.
If you are unsure of whether a substance is safe to put down the drain, err on the side of caution and consult a reliable resource. The Waste Management of Orange County website provides information on how to dispose of hazardous waste. You can even take many products there to be disposed of correctly free of charge. Additionally, if you are unsure of what to do, feel free to call us at Barker and Sons Plumbing. We’re Orange County plumbers, so we are familiar with the do’s and don’ts of your plumbing system.
The Benefits of Bio-One for Fixing a Clogged Drain
BioOne is an inexpensive, non-caustic, friendly bacterial solution that naturally digests oil, grease, and food wastes into water and carbon dioxide. It is a “hungry bacteria” that is perfect for clogged pipes and safe for septic systems, even locally in Orange County, California. The bacteria actually feed on the waste and gunk in your pipes and eliminate it, preventing backups and expensive plumbing damage. Because it is naturally occurring, it is safer and healthier to use around your family and won’t damage the pipes with caustic chemicals. Many cleaners just emulsify grease and oil, which is in violation of many local regulations. BioOne literally consumes and digests grease and oil and improves wastewater quality.
Although you may think regular, run-of-the-mill drain cleaners work perfectly fine, you may notice a slight burning sensation when using the sink or bathtub after treatment. Chemicals in these caustic cleaners often splash up and leave a residue. In addition, they lose effectiveness as they go down the pipes, or damage the pipes themselves. BioOne is completely “green” and safe, with no harsh chemical fumes or residue. It’s a natural way to keep drains clean and odor free, and to keep your pipes healthy and maintained.
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