Good news! Cal Coast Plumbing is growing, and fast! We are looking for the very best plumbers to service the East Bay area for our amazing clients! We are looking for people who:

-Have service plumbing experience
-Have high levels of integrity
-Want to grow and enjoy their work
-Want to make 60-100k per year
-Love working with people

Is this description fits you please email me your resume at aaron@calcoastplumbing.com and we will call you to set up an interview.

You’re a plumber — what do plumbers make? This comes from a lawyer diverting attention away from answering someone who was giving him a good-natured ribbing about lawyers’ fees! Not that I haven’t heard this tired old saw a million times, but it’s one often deflected (by plumbers) by telling the joke about the time a doctor complained about his plumbing bill. (I’ll tell you what we plumbers make later.)

We make water flow uphill and sewage too — if we use a pump, but we make them remain separate from each other by not making cross connections. We make mankind healthier by installing safe sanitary plumbing systems. We make ourselves go through continual training in order to keep up with changes to the plumbing codes and learn about new plumbing products. We, as have the plumbers before us, make it so easy for maintaining the welfare of humankind that our work has too long been taken for granted.

Prior to plumbers making plumbing safe and sanitary, contaminated water was the leading cause of death — up to and including the early 1900s. We make efficient use of potable water resources by offering our customers the benefit of our advanced training in the proper design of plumbing systems. We make a myriad of choices while sizing pipes so that hot water is delivered as quickly as possible to all points of use without pressure-issues that can cause imbalances leading to other issues, like scalding. We make suggestions promoting WaterSense (www.epa.gov/WaterSense) faucets that use less water more efficiently while not sacrificing performance, and toilets that use a fraction of the water, potable water at that, than did previous models. We make custom-tailored drainage systems that perform flawlessly while transporting the unmentionables you would never want to deal with — at any cost. We make stoppages go away without ruining your carpets, linoleum or kitchen cabinets. And if we make a mess in the process, we clean it up without making anyone ask.

We make fire and electricity behave within containers called water heaters, boilers, furnaces and heat pumps. We make complicated equipment behave efficiently by utilizing thousands of hours of training and we make adjustments to efficiency using highly sophisticated testing instruments to adjust combustion so that the money you make isn’t wasted. We make decisions, with our customers input, regarding which components best fit their needs, wants, desires and budgets. We make appropriately-designed ductwork systems so that air is delivered where it is needed efficiently and quietly and do so using techniques and well-established programs and training/certifications obtained from organizations we make it our business to join, like ACCA (www.acca.org) that build upon the Manual-J heat loss/gain calculations called Manual-D and Manual-N in order to create a system that is unique to that structure.

We make inverter heat pumps integrate seamlessly with buildings’ systems and make the designs that take full advantage of their potential to conserve energy. We make people comfortable by installing hydronic and electric radiant heating systems that provide synergy between man and comfort. We make the choice to invest in advanced training from organizations like the Radiant Professionals Alliance (www.radiantprofessionalsalliance.org), so that the designs we make squeeze every last drop out of the potential ECV (Energy Conservation Value) for peak ROI (Return on Investment).

We make geothermal systems that can be integrated seamlessly into older pre-existing mechanical systems or new construction. We make indoor environments healthier by improving IAQ and suggest you visit www.healthyheating.com to gain some insight into the depth of knowledge available.

We make the sun heat domestic hot water, supplement heating systems and make electricity. But before we do, we make a full-blown report using tools and programs, so that our customers can understand the cost-to-benefit ratio. By making an investment in advanced training to obtain my listing as a Pennsylvania Sunshine certified installer (whose work is subject to scrutiny and review), my customers are eligible for state incentives.

We make well water rise up from aquifers using advanced ECM motor-driven variable-speed pumps that conserve energy and allow customers to dial-in whatever water-pressure they want, eliminating pressure-swings. We make that well water safe to drink by filtering out sediment, killing bacteria, neutralizing acidity and by turning hard water soft.

We make utility companies cry by reducing our customers’ bills, so much so that utilities have sent their personnel out to determine why consumption has fallen so dramatically.

In short, we make toilets to flush without erupting their contents; drains to carry away human waste; faucets to flow hot or cold water that’s safe to drink; comfortable heating and air conditioning systems that operate using far less energy; indoor environments healthier; fire and electricity safe to use; and a safe environment for you and your families. What do you make?

For original article see:

http://contractormag.com/yates/what-do-you-make

The 140 gallons a day toilet
Recently I was asked to look into a water issue. The homeowners had received a water bill and not only was the charge extremely high but the amount of water shown to be used was also staggering. Now there are two people that live in this home and they both work and they assumed it had something to do with the toilet. Before I even went over I asked them to read their meter for a few days to see the actual amounts that were being used during their work absence. If they were using any amount while they were at work, something was leaking.
They agreed and were astounded. In their absence, 140 gallons a day was going somewhere. But first lets look at the toilet itself.

You probably have a fair understanding of a toilet but the short easy version goes like this. When you flush the toilet the flapper that seals the water in the tank is released into the bowl and the “siphon effect” is created.

Once this happens the flapper falls back on the hole and water starts to refill the tank and when the water level raises the float to a set level the water is shut off.

My first step was to shut off the supply line and even when turned off the water still flowed into the tank. This isn’t the problem but needs to also be fixed. More than likely the inner mechanism is corroded.

I next wiggled the entire toilet and it rocked a bit side to side on the floor. That meant that the bolts that attach the toilet to the floor were loose and needed to be tightened. Done.
I then turned my attention to the tank as it was also very loose and should be secure. Now the tank has 2 bolts that hold it to the toilet with a rubber seal between the two units. You can see this from the photo below and as you’ll also notice the bolts are rusted and I wasn’t able to tighten them.

The added issue here is that the tank is not properly seated to the toilet bowl and is on an angle. Without being able to tighten the bolts, I moved on to the flapper which I assumed from the beginning was the culprit.

The flapper in this case was old and needed to be replaced but because of the angle of the tank, it couldn’t seat properly and was allowing water to seep through constantly.

How much water does a bad flapper waste?
Depending on the extent of the leak, a warped or poorly fitting flapper can waste up to 200 gallons of water a day and may cost you hundreds of dollars a year. http://www.toiletflapper.org/

The solution was:
1. Purchase and install a new supply line shut off.
2. Drain the tank and replace the bolts as well as install a new seal between the tank and bowl.
3. Install a new flapper.

This was not a major job and these three little changes, to this one toilet, will save 4200 gallons per month or over 50,000 gallons a year. That is a great deal of water and if you multiplied that by potentially thousands of homes, it really adds up. Don’t put off fixing those “little” leaks it costs you and wastes water.

for original article:

http://www.thebuildingblox.com/2012/03/140-gallons-day-toilet.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FAUVOs+%28BuildingBlox%29&m=1

Is it important to get a price before a plumber comes out?

It’s an important question most homeowners ask themselves before they call for plumbing work on their home, and they should. Many companies either charge a minimum ongoing rate (think of a stop watch that has started as soon a they leave their office to come to your house) or a flat fee of some sort just to come to your doorstep. Many homeowners ask this question out of fear of the unknown. Just check out this video of a hidden camera operation taken in Denver of plumbers who come out and try to justify their minimum charge.

To eliminate this fear for people who are not familiar with our Cal Coast Plumbing plumbers, we have decided to waive our standard $68 assessment fee and will for free come to your home and diagnose the problem. As you can see from the video above, its nice to have an honest technician come out and give you an honest assessment, like the plumber in the video who didn’t charge because he didn’t do any work. If you are looking to get some plumbing done at your home but are not comfortable paying over $100 just to get someone out to your home, call us and we will get someone out at no charge to diagnose exactly what your issue is in an honest and straight forward manner. In most cases our technicians are able to give the homeowner options on repairs, replacements and upgrades to their home as well so that you, as a homeowner, don’t feel stuck!

Call us to schedule an appointment or for more information!
Also remember we are Diamond Certified Company which ensures quality!

-Aaron Eddy
925-462-1090

If you use Kudzu and live in the Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin area and have used us to fix your plumbing or have had one of our plumbers out to install an upgrade at your home or perform a tune up, feel free to see us here!

As always we love to hear from you all on how we are doing, its how we get better and how we understand what you all are really in need of! So please feel free to use services like Kudzu, or Yelp or Yahoo or Google and review up there, or even better, call us up and let us know! Thank you so much!

Whats new with our Club Membership?
After listening over the last year to all of our clients feedback we have decided to make a few upgrades and changes to better suit your needs as a homeowner looking for a low cost, low maintenance way to keep your home and plumbing safe and up to date!

We have changed the name from ‘Diamond Club Membership’ to just our ‘Club Membership’. We did this to reduce the confusion we were receiving about our reward for being a Diamond Certified Plumbing Company and also having a “Diamond Club Membership” with the plumbing in your home. As you can tell its easy to get the two confused. So from now on we will have a “Club Membership” with Cal Coast Plumbing Co.
Front Of The Line Service is now also “Same Day Service” where as a Club Member with Cal Coast Plumbing you are guaranteed same day service as when you called when requested. If you don’t need same day service or don’t want same day service we will work with the next available time that works with you and your plumbing needs.
$100 towards upgrades of energy efficient products! This is one we are very proud of. Each year when you receive your whole home tune-up and inspection from our Diamond Certified plumbers, we are offering you a $100 credit towards any energy efficient product you want from a list of certified products for your home. An example may be a new toilet you have been wanting to get installed. Well as long as Cal Coast Plumbing provides that toilet you will get not only $100 from Cal Coast Plumbing AND your 20% discount, but you will also get any local or regional rebates for High Efficiency Products when available! So $100 (energy credit) + $100 (possible rebate) + 20% discount with your membership! Areas such as Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, San Ramon, Danville, Alamo all have Plumbing rebates available.
The fourth change is a change we are making out of high demand. This change goes to how you pay for your Club Membership. Many people have been commenting on how they don’t want charges coming out of their credit card. Well there is good news! We can now take withdrawals from authorized bank accounts through our secure online merchant so you no longer have to deal with CC fees as well as changing or canceling credit cards. Also the credit we are applying to your account will now no longer accrue for new and changing members. Instead of using the accrual method we have now decided to give $100 towards energy upgrades, making the membership essentially pay for itself!

If you have any questions regarding these changes please contact me.

Aaron Eddy

-Cal Coast Plumbing Co,

925-462-1090

Here is an example of some general return on investments for high efficiency toilets installed by a plumber at Cal Coast Plumbing for people who live in the Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, San Ramon, Danville and Alamo areas.

5 Year Return On Investment on High Efficiency Toilets

Congratulations to Melanie Y. of Pleasanton, CA on being one of our top 10 water savings customers this last year, saving hundreds on utilities! Melanie and her family decided to invest in water efficient products that not only improved the plumbing and look of their home, but also have nearly paid for themselves in water savings in little over a year! Melanie decided to replace her old toilets with new high efficient toilet and is saving about a gallon of water every flush on all 3! We are proud of her plumbing decisions and we are proud to be her plumber. Here is Melanie with her bottle of wine and certificate!

Melanie accepting her award for water savings from Cal Coast Plumbing

“Do I need to replace my waste piping?”
“When do I need to replace a waste line?”
“Do roots really break my piping?”
“What is an offset?”

All these are pretty much asking the same question. Generally the story goes that a plumber came over to your home because there was a backup and after they cleared the line they sent a video camera down to make sure everything was ok. Oops! As if having backed up plumbing east bad enough now the plumber telling you that your waste line needs to be replaced? Can it really be??

Well there are many factors and questions that go into whether or not a waste line needs to be replaced.
One of the major questions you should ask is “how old is my waste line and how much do I want to out into it?”
Also the question of what is causing the break needs consideration. Think of repair vs. replace as a sliding scale of investment for your line. If, for instance, your waste line to your home is 10 years old, there is a slight offset in the line and no other problems, maybe a spot repair is more cost effective than pipe bursting. Now on the other hand say your home was build in the 1950′s, there are several offsets including root intrusion, then we are probably further down on the replacement aspect of the scale. In the end it’s down to how much investment you want to put in vs. what the problem is. Obviously for one time permanent fixes we suggest pipe bursting replace – its a no hassle one time fix all solution that can be done on the lower side of $4k-$7k. On the other hand we have many customers that we suggest, and are very happy to have a spot repair on a good line and will last for 30 more years.

In the end the most important aspect is get the data (age of line and cost of repairs) and a plumber who you trust to do your plumbing and who’s relationship you trust in the long term. If you pick a plumber with up front straight forward pricing like ours, the decision usually becomes and easy, worry free one. Feel free to email is with any questions or call us.

-Aaron Eddy
925-462-1090

We are listed in San Jose Plumbing Contractors Directory at LocalWin.com