Jorge Ortiz

Direct Answer: Most repairs, like clearing a clog or swapping a faucet cartridge, need no permit. Replacing a water heater, adding a fixture, repiping, or altering gas or drain piping almost always does. Almost every week, someone asks me some version of the same question: do I really need a permit for this? Usually they

Direct Answer: Walk your property in October: find and turn the main water shutoff, test the sump pump with a bucket, clear yard drains, and camera the sewer lateral before storms start. Every year around late October my phone starts doing the same thing. The first real storm rolls through, and by the next morning

Direct Answer: Sometimes. Photos work well for visible problems like a leaking water heater, damaged fixture, or corroded valve. They cannot diagnose slab leaks, sewer line damage, or hidden leaks inside walls. Your water heater starts dripping on a Tuesday morning and you are already late for work. Before you commit to a service visit,

Direct Answer: Cierre la llave principal de agua, contenga el derrame, tome fotos y anote la hora en que empezó. Si huele a gas, salga del inmueble y llame desde afuera. La llamada casi siempre empieza igual. Alguien en Watsonville o en Santa Cruz me describe agua saliendo por donde no debe, y la voz

Direct Answer: If you smell gas, leave the building right away. Do not touch light switches, use a phone inside, or open the garage door. Call for help from outside, away from the house. Most plumbing problems give you time to think. A slow drain, a running toilet, even a water heater that quits on

Direct Answer: La tubería galvanizada se oxida por dentro. Si nota presión baja en toda la casa, agua color óxido al abrir por la mañana y fugas pequeñas en puntos distintos, ya está fallando. La llamada casi siempre empieza igual. Alguien dice que la regadera ya no tiene fuerza, que el agua sale color óxido

Direct Answer: Hard water leaves calcium and magnesium scale inside faucets, showerheads, and water heaters. That buildup restricts flow and wears out parts early. A water softener treats the whole house at the point of entry. You wipe the white crust off the faucet. A week later it is back. Most homeowners in Watsonville and

Direct Answer: Pruebe la bomba vertiendo agua en la base hasta que arranque sola, revise que la descarga esté libre y salga lejos del cimiento, y confirme que el flotador se mueva sin trabarse. El agua no avisa. En Watsonville y en la parte baja del Valle de Pájaro, las primeras tormentas fuertes suben el

Direct Answer: Check your sump pump in summer, not during a storm. A pump that ran hard all winter has new wear on the float switch, check valve, and discharge line that only shows up under load. Most homeowners I talk to think about their sump pump exactly once a year. It happens in the

Direct Answer: El agua dura deja minerales que forman una capa de sarro en el fondo del tanque. El quemador tiene que calentar a través de esa capa, así que el calentador trabaja más y dura menos. Usted abre la llave de la regadera y el agua caliente se acaba antes de que termine de