Plumbing questions answered

• Saving money and your plumber. Help to stomp out fraudulent sales practices.
• 5 things your plumber won't tell that can save you money and frustration
• Why a free in home estimate. Why it really is the way to go.
• Drain cleaning and rooter work. Cabling - Hydro-jetting
• Rusty water - low water pressure. why you can't take a decent shower.
• Bathroom faucet - kitchen faucet - Moen - Delta - Kohler - My opinions on them.
• Waterheater - tank and tankless. Not all are everything they say they are.
• Slab leak - leak under concrete. Pipe relining versus repiping.
• Video Diagnosis. See the problem and determine if you really need the piping replaced.
• How long does a water heater tank last? The crazy thing about replacing them.
• Do you work on septic tanks - cess pits?
• What is a whole home inspection?
• Why don't you quote over the phone?
• Guarantees - warrantees - our promise
• Do you offer services agreements?
• Money saving coupons

Saving money and your plumber. Help to stomp out fraudulent sales practices.
At some time or another, every homeowner will need the expertise of a seasoned plumber to solve a problem within the home. There are a few common mistakes that many homeowners make when hiring plumbers that are easily resolved. One involves comparing plumbers by their hourly rates or flat rates quoted over the phone and the other involves the failure to find out if you really need a plumber before calling. Both situations can be dealt with in a way where you will save yourself money on your next plumbing call.

When it comes time to call a plumber, many homeowners make the mistake of selecting a plumber based on their quoted hourly rates. This is not the best way to shop around for a plumber because hourly rates are always (I really do mean always) misleading. A better path to take would be to select a plumber based on customer satisfaction, warrantees, guarantees and longevity. Bear in mind that 20% of all plumbing companies (1 in 5) that start this year will be out of business next year and that fewer than 1 in 20 will last 20 years in business given a normal economy.

Here are some reasons why hourly rates are fraudulent by nature.

1. Experienced plumbers are going to charge a higher hourly rate. They have clientele that know that they know what they are doing and they are generally busy year round. The majority of plumbers are like teachers, they suffer burn out and decide on a career change within a few years. After all, how would like to be telling someone that that have an unexpected large expense. I have been personally ridiculed many times with people telling people telling me that I ruined their Christmas and that their children won’t get any presents because of me. Really, as if I am the one that has been using their plumbing trouble free for the last twenty 40 years and I wore out that copper piping. Hourly plumbers are now the minority and are generally plumbers with little to no experience in dealing with the public. How many times can you name that you let someone into your home to perform some sort of work for you and not give you a price for it? Are you going to let the carpet cleaner clean your home for an hourly rate? If he was slow or didn’t have another job lined up wouldn’t the job take all day, after all, he would be losing money by working hard for you, wouldn’t he? Virtually all plumbers are flat rate, up front price, contract price or whatever other special designation they have for it. Never engage in a contract for work to be performed that is open ended. You are asking to be abused. It will amount to a level of importance. What do you think is more important to your plumber? Your ability to pay your bills or his ability to pay his bills? Hourly is a method of financial destruction for the homeowner.

2. At first you may be alarmed by the high cost of plumbing work, but it is important to keep in mind that an experienced plumber knows how to resolve a plumbing issue in the most cost-effective way. Not just for you, but for him. They have the proper experience under their belt to know what the best solution is and how to permanently resolve it on the first try, if they didn’t, they would be charging hourly and learning how to resolve the problems on your dime. You usually end up saving yourself money by paying a fair flat up front rate for a more experienced plumber who will take care of the problem on the first try. If the problem isn’t resolved the first time or things go wrong, it won’t be you picking up the tab, it will be the plumber.

3. Homeowners sacrifice their time to meet a plumber on a scheduled day and time. You may be losing money for having to miss work, or you may have had to cancel important plans in order to get your plumbing problems solved. It shouldn’t be a surprise that a plumber shows up when they say they will, yet that is normal. Take this into consideration when you get estimates. Mr low bidder is cutting corners somewhere and the only significant place that a service based company can cut corners is on service. It may take weeks or never to get that low ball bidder to perform warranty work for you.
   

All plumbers charge customers in order to compensate for driving time. Hourly or flat rate makes no difference. The average service plumber only bills out about 5 hours a day. The rest of the time is spent behind the windshield. That means that he has to bill out enough in 5 working hours to pay for 8 working hours. For up front pricing the price is what is and you are aware of it before the job starts. For hourly billing plumbers they can make up for it by hidden charges like tool use charges, truck operational charges (TOS), environmental charges, shop charges, mileage charges or any other number of bogus add on charges designed to inflate the actual amount billed in relationship to the stated hourly charge. After all, when you called for a quote on their per hour charge did you ask how much it was going to cost to have the truck on the job? How much was it going to run you to use the sewer machine? Did you ask for the charge to use the sawzall, drill, vice, vacuum, jackhammer or other? To use hand cleaning rags? What about drop cloths? These are all extra charges to that $60 an hour plumber. You should be cautious.

Plumbing improves the quality of you and your family’s life in your home. You'll should want to make sure that you are choosing the right plumber for your home and your budget.
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5 things your plumber won't tell you.

1. "There's an old saying: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Water is the single most common cause of household damage with average mold claims exceeding $25,000. The most common occurrences of flooding are from washing machines overflowing and water heaters bursting. 30% of the claims came from appliances malfunctioning and 62% came from the plumbing system failing. The rest was rain and natural disasters.

Homeowners buy insurance to cover fire and flood, yet the damages caused by leaky toilets, water heaters not equipped with safety drain pans and general lack of maintenance cause exponentially more overall damage than fire and flood insurance ever even thought to cover.

Since plumbing pipe breaks and water heater bursts are now all but eliminated from your insurance coverage (If you didn’t already know this, your insurance company, nearly all of them, dropped your coverage and the most commonly used portions of your insurance policy. Sneaky and trouble is they didn’t tell you. These breaks are now referred as “maintenance” and maintenance is specially excluded from you policy.)

Some easy cautionary measures need to be taken on your part to safe guard your home and arm yourself, not only against the damages caused by lack of maintenance, but from your insurance carrier who may deny a claim stating your haven’t been maintaining your home.

Invest in a maintenance agreement with your plumber. We call ours a USA or Ultimate Maintenance Agreement. This agreement can dramatically lessen your risk of a plumbing disaster by catching problems in the ounce stage fo development rather than you finding them in the pound stage of payment. This yearly maintenance will also give you proof, when the insurance adjuster comes visiting, that you have been proactive with the maintenance of your home.

2. "I'm not really a plumber or let me call a plumber." That is the picture of incompetence. You call a plumbing company to get stuck with some junior novice that only knows how to rooter clean a drain. Nearly all of the major drain cleaning companies, you know rooter this, rooter that hire recruits off the street with little to no experience and train them to clean drains, change toilet flappers and up sell you on drain cleaning chemicals and bio-anything tablets, powders and concoctions designed to increase their bottom line. Calling one of these companies is hardly better than a handyman. Sure, they can do some things, but that technician in your home will need to call the shop to get someone out to find and repair a real problem. They just don’t have any experience and know how to properly repair your home. If their logo is “and we are plumbers too” you can bet that you are not getting a plumber. You will get a bill though.

Any company with the term “rooter” in their name is trying to get name recognition from….I can’t tell you who they are because their name is trademarked and they do scour the net looking for infringements so that their attorneys can keep busy, but I am sure that you can guess who they are. Chances are good that this company, the name game company, is a start up today and will be a bankrupt tomorrow. Most likely a former employee who thinks they deserve more money at your expense. About 20% of plumbing companies go out of business each year so, if you want the job done correctly at a fair price, use a company that has been around for at least 10 years and doesn’t advertise plumbing as a sideline to their main business. Heck, there is one plumbing company in Irvine that operates out the back of a pizza parlor. When his employees are not making and delivering pizzas, they do plumbing. Think of where those hands were before asking for some extra mozzarella on that pie.

3. "My helper will be over in a minute." It is common for plumbers to have apprentices and helpers on the job, but not alone. Plumbing is required by law to be performed by a licensed firm and leaving a 6 month helper on the job to perform that re-pipe or change out that water heater is something that is not supposed to happen. A licensed plumber is required to safeguard your family and your home. Helpers are fine, but if you want the new piping to hold water you should insist that the journeyman stay on the job. Helpers are for digging, carrying, holding and running for parts, not welding your piping together under your valuable home unsupervised.

4. "I’m the plumber, not the maid. I don’t clean up." Plumbing involves quite the mess from time to time. Sometimes when a plumber shows up the home is already a mess and sometimes during the course of the job a mess is created. We can what is required and we always clean up after our selves. We promise that your home will be as clean or cleaner when we leave as when we arrived. If your plumber doesn’t clean up, are they really doing you a favor. Isn’t the plumber supposed to make your life easier, rather than more difficult? If your plumber fails to clean up that adds expense to the job. Who is going to pay for the clean up if he leaves a mess. You do.

5. "The guy that drives the family van or a pickup truck does things cheap. Think again." The truck of a well-prepared journeyman plumber will have a vast array of tools and materials in it. The suspension of a family van could never hold the parts needed. The pickup truck simply lacks room and quickly becomes disorganized. These types of plumbers tend to make many trips to the supply house, all on your dime. Larger trucks, like the ones we have here at The Empire Family of Services are really warehouses on wheels. They have nearly every service part needed and this minimizes the number of trips to the supply house and that saves you money, time and aggravation. Many plumbers start their companies in small trucks and, typically, within the first year of operation, they switch it out to the larger truck because of convenience, so if your plumber shows up in something that looks like it should be driving the kids to soccer practice, chances are he just started his business and he doesn’t know what he’s doing.
A good plumbing company will have someone answer the phone with a live non-recorded voice during all business hours and they will ask you a series of questions to determine the scope of the work. This enables the plumber to be properly stocked for the work that your home improvement entails. Even a semi-truck isn’t big enough to handle all plumbing parts and tools.
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Why a free in home estimate. Why it really is the way to go.
We offer free estimates because it is what our clientele said they wanted. We have always offer free estimates for just about anything provided that we didn’t have to diagnose the issues, trace out the problems and break out our tools.

But, we do not offer free diagnostic services. There were just too many handyman and homeowners that abused this. They would, and still do, call us out to find out what was wrong with their plumbing systems. Where the water was coming from and why those pipes are banging in the wall? We would diagnose the problem and let them know how we were going repair it and they said thank you. They then proceeded to use our advice to fix the problem. It was driving up our expenses and it was hurting our base of clientele.

We will still give you the benefit of the doubt and send someone out to check out your home for a free estimate. Once the plumber gets there it will be up to him to determine whether or not the job entails more than just taking a look and referencing the proper scope of work and a price for the work. Many times in order to properly diagnose a plumbing problem we will need to open up walls, use leak detection gear and video camera work. We may utilize as much as $100,000 worth of tools and equipment before coming to the proper fix for your situation.

Since everything we do is upfront, honest flat rate pricing you will be in charge and you will determine exactly what scope of work you will be investing in, long before you ever are committed to spend a penny.
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Drain cleaning and rooter work. Cabling - Hydro-jetting
Maintaining the drains, sewers and vents in all structures containing plumbing, without regard to its age, is required to safeguard your home against flooding, mold, mildew and wood rot. Newer homes rarely have stoppage issues because the materials that are used are impervious to rust and rust buildup. Cast iron drain lines have an inner layer to protect them from rusting just like water heater tanks do. Once that inner layer starts to give way, the inside of the piping becomes coarse and stoppages start to build in the piping.  Older clay and cast iron pipes can crack, break, separate, corrode and can move in the soil affecting the slope of the sewer line. These problems lens themselves to repeated stoppages and open you and your family up to dangerous situations involving hazardous and contaminated waste. No one wants a stoppage overflowing down the walls or onto the floors.

Cabling the sewer line is merely putting a rotating cable, a giant spring, down the sewer line and moving it back and forth while it breaks up the stoppage. Water is then flushed through the system as the cable is brought back to the machine for storage. This has been the way to clean drains for many years, but it only does cleaning so good. The cable does not get everything and backups will occur more frequently if everything is not removed from the drain system.

Roots in the line are another matter. Once roots get into the line they are going to keep growing. Cabling the line is like getting a haircut. It only cuts off the tips of the roots and they then rapidly grow back. I am not very fond of chemicals and neither is the EPA. If the chemical drain cleaner is strong enough to kill roots, what is it doing to the person handling the chemicals and what is it doing to your sewer system. If you have roots in your line you might want to try pouring some rock salt in the line. Flush it down the toilet, put it is the cleanout or pour some it down the patio drains. Use only about a cup once a month and let it sit in the line an hour or so before using the line. There is no need to flush the system afterwards. The salt will simply dissolve in the water and clean itself out. For area drains, make sure that the drain does not empty into a planter as the excess salt will kill the vegetation.

What is a Hydro Jetter?
Hydro Jetting (Hydro Scrubbing, Scouring) is a process in which your sewer and pipes are cleaned thoroughly by streams of very high-pressure water leaving the nozzle of long hose, up to 1000 feet long at pressures up to about 4000 psi.  Different pressures are used for different size lines. 2” kitchen lines are usually between 800 and 1200 psi while storm drains are between 1200 to 4000 psi depending upon the size of the line and the volume of water the jetter puts out. Very powerful sprays, yet gentle enough not to damage your piping.

How does Hydro Jetting work?
Hydro Jetting is performed through an opening called a cleanout. On the end of the hose is a brass or stainless steel nozzle that shoots water backward and outward. This action pulls the hose down the sewer drain system and scrubs the pipe clean. The first pass going down the pipe is normally quick as this is designed to punch a hole in the stoppage to allow the water and sewage to drain. When the hose is dragged backwards the pipe is scrubbed clean by the powerful jets and the debris flows away safely and neatly.

When should I Hydro Jett the line?
Hydro Jetting is the solution for lines that get clogged with grease, sand, dirt or even leaves. A sewer cable only breaks up the debris in the line and has no power to actually clean or scrub the inside of the pipe. Many times a return visit from a stoppage in the same occurs after cabling. Hydro-jetting resolves that problem.
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Rusty water - low water pressure. Why you can't take a clean high pressure shower.
Rust is oxidized iron. It is the result of your plumbing system breaking down. Tap water turns reddish brown from the iron particles leaving the galvanized steel pipe. Corroded pipes are common in Southern California as older homes age. As the rust builds up in the piping it can slow the water flow to a trickle causes poor water volume at the shower head. It is rare for a newer home to have rusty water as they are usually piped in copper or cross linked polyethylene.
 
Iron occurs naturally in some drinking water sources, typically well water. If the water is exposed to air before coming out of the tap, it, too, may turn rusty after sitting for a length of time. Pour a glass of water and hold it up to sunlight. Are there little things floating in your water? It could be mineral deposits.

Is rusty water dangerous? Though rusty water looks terrible, tastes gross and stains clothing, sinks and bathtubs, it is not a health concern in otherwise healthy people. By itself, rust in water is not an indication of harmful bacteria, lead or other serious hazards. The EPA has set limits for iron content in the water, but these limits are for cosmetic and taste reasons, not health concerns.
 
The problem is in the pipes in your house (or apartment building), not the municipal water supply. If rust appears only in hot water then most likely replacing your water heater will resolve the problem. If rust appears all over the home, you may want to consider repiping it, we give free estimate for repipes, or at least a water filtration system at the point you drink water. Normally this is the kitchen area.

A sudden appearance of rusty water most often occurs after a water main breaks, a fire hydrant is exercised or someone was banging on or working on your plumbing. The plumber that fixed your pipe leak didn’t bring a bag of rust and put it in your piping. The rust merely broke loose.
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Bathroom faucet - kitchen faucet - Moen - Delta - Kohler - My opinions on them.
Moen, Delta, Price Pfister, Kohler and many other brands of faucet are available today, so which one is best and which one is worst?

Stay away from low priced faucets, off brand name faucets and plastic faucets. These faucets should have some weight to it and you should know the brand name as it has been advertised for many years. The plastic faucets break and can flood the home. Off brand faucets or faucets only sold in exclusive high-end show rooms that are typically advertised as being in Europe for the last 50 years I cannot recommend. When they experience problems, where do we get parts? So you purchase a high end faucet for $500 and it looks very good, lots of brass and it’s heavy. It comes with a lifetime warranty on the internal ceramic cartridge so you feel assured that the faucet will last. The faucet ends up breaking in a couple of years and the cartridge replacement is nowhere to be found. The store where you bought it no longer carries the faucet and so then you ask your plumber to find it. What you really did was buy a throw away faucet. Once it breaks, you gotta change it out. Don’t go that route.

Most of your faucets in the home are going to cost between $80 and $500, but that doesn’t mean you cannot go wild and spend a couple of thousand dollars. The higher end faucets usually have to be ordered, and it can take as long as 8 weeks to receive them.

So, which one is best? That is up to you. You should feel assured that if you recognized the brand name and your prices are in the range I gave you, you have a good quality faucet and the faucet is very unlikely to break down. Those faucets are putting us plumbers out of the business. Pick the one that matches or compliments your home. I have Kohler widespread brushed nickel King George style in my bathrooms and a Moen single handle chrome pull out in my kitchen sink.
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Waterheater - tank and tankless. Not all are everything they say they are.
Tank less water heaters are all the rage and people love them, but they have their fair share of problems. Whether you are installing a Noritz, Takagi, Rinnai, Bradford & White, Rheem, Paloma or Bosch the problems that occur are normally from the installation, not the product.

First, lets dispel a few myths about tankless water heaters. Do they save you money or a tank type? Yes and no. They do save you money on your gas bill, but they cost more to maintain and, unlike tank type, if you ignore that maintenance you are nearly guaranteed problems. It is a wash whether you save money after paying more for the installation and product and more for the maintenance each year, but that really is not the primary reason people buy these. People buy them because they are cool, look neat, provide endless hot water and don’t take up any floor space. Great qualities and I certainly recommend only installing tank less water heaters in new construction. The cost of a couple square feet of floor space offsets the added initial investment.

The problems are primarily caused by improper installation and the number one reason related to improper installation is sizing the gas line. The average household tank less heater uses just under 200,000 btu’s of gas (200 cubic feet per hour). The average tank type heater uses about 40,000 btu’s of gas (40 cubic feet per hour). At five times the gas flow the gas line to the heater needs to bigger almost every single time. If the line is less than 20 feet long then the gas size should be ¾” and if it is longer is should be 1” for nearly all homes. Improper sizing of the gas line will lead to poor performance.

Gas line sizing is followed by an improper gas flex line to the unit. The normal gas flex line that you see installed on your furnace or your water heater is not large enough to handle the increased gas flow. These should be hard piped to the unit or a very short properly rated gas flex can be used.

The electricity to the unit is run from a lighting circuit and is typically plugged in with an appliance cord. If the tank less is installed outside exposed to the elements then the cord plugging it in needs to be rated for permanent exterior use. It needs to be piped in with seal tight or EMT conduit, not an extension cord. The lighting circuit can interfere with the flame rectification circuit. I know, what does flame rectification mean? This is a process whereas electricity is bridged through the natural gas flame and is either picked up on a rod or the grounding system of the burners. The rectification is the changing of the current from alternating current to pulsating direct current. The only way the circuit board can sense direct current is if there is a natural gas flame. This is the method that the circuit board verifies that the gas is on fire or proves the flame. Thermocouples are not used as they are to slow.

Tankless water heaters require the use of a filter for calcium or a soft water system to protect the heat exchanger from plugging up with calcium. When water heats up the calcium and mineral molecule start to bind to together and stick to the sides of the heat exchanger. This can cause overheating problems in the unit, low water flow and plugged faucets in the home. The calcium in the water will flow through the home and get stuck in the tiny holes of the aerators in your faucets.

Tankless water heaters do not provide instant hot water to your faucets. They provide nearly instant hot water at the heater, but you will still have to dispel the cooler water in the home’s piping before having hot water at the fixtures just like you did with your old tank type water heater.
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Slab leak - leak under concrete. Pipe relining versus repiping. What is a slab leak?
It is an industry term that refers to any leak in the potable water system underneath a concrete foundation. Slab leaks are typically found in copper piping, soft rolled in place, in homes 10 years of age and greater.

Pinhole Leaks.
Slight cracks, bend irregularities, kinks, nicks from rocks that protrude into the piping cause sections of the copper piping to wear out from the water turbulence. Slab leaks can also be caused simply from age. Copper piping will not last forever. The typical time period that passes before a home is required to be repiped is 20 to 30 years.

Acidic soil can eat away the copper. Old dairy fields that are now housing tracts are a primarily culprit. The soil attacks the cooper and eats holes in it. Aggressive water also is to blame. Well water mixed into the metropolitation water district feeds as supplements can also be aggressive. This water tends to eat away at the internal surface. The hot water line usually wears out first as it moves more in the slab. The expansion and contraction of the piping caused by the constant heating and cooling process of the water wears it out.

How do you fix a slab leak?
First you have to locate it. This involves some very sophisticated equipment that sends a radio single down the piping. The piping is then mapped out in the home. Once we know where the piping is we can start a process of elimination, is it hot water, is it cold water, is it nearer to one side one the home or the other.

Once the leak is located, the manifolds are located in the walls to isolate that portion of tubing. There should be no tees or elbows under the concrete. Manifolds are located in the walls to take the place of these tees or branches. Once we isolate the line and know where the leak is you are given a choice. The choices are either reroute the line, repipe the home or open up the floor and fix the leak. It is your choice and we will make the recommendation. Often the leak is repaired and the home looks good as new afterward without concrete damage. You don’t need to replace your flooring.

When copper is repaired under the slab it must be brazed with silver bearing solder. This is a much stronger joint than normal solder and is a code requirement. The picture shows a “G” coupling installed by another company. These are not code approved for any installation within the foundation of home. They can never be buried or covered up and, frankly, it is more of a handyman repair than a plumbing repair. That line will leak again, guaranteed. Those coupling must never be used. If your plumber breaks out one of these, send him packing because that is not a repair.
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Video Diagnosis. See the problem and determine if you really need the piping replaced.
The smell may the first thing that alerts you to a problem. Fortunately, we have the latest video detection gear that we use to see any problem within your home’s or business’s sewer system. You will be able to see the problem and evaluate the situation for yourself. Seeing is believing. Never guess at what the problem. This service is so valuable that if you have us clean or clear a sewer in your home or business you may have the sewer or drain line video inspected for free. Just tell my plumber “Jim” said it was okay.

How long does a water heater tank last? The crazy thing about replacing them.
Most tank type water heaters here in Southern California last 10-12 years. If you fail to maintain them, drain them every year to prevent the calcium and mineral buildup in side, they usually do not last as long. The calcium builds up in the bottom of the waterheater tank and insulates the metal base from the water. The burner underneath then overheats the metal day in and day out causing it to expand and contract more than it is designed to do. This breaks the glass finish and causes the tank to rust through and crack. The crazy thing about water heaters is that just about everybody waits until they leak and cause water damage to their home before changing them out. Water damage, mold and mildew, now averages over $25,000 per occurrence according to the insurance industry. It is just crazy to wait until the heater is leaking to replace it. You should change your water heater out every 10 years, before it starts to leak and give you devastating problems.

Do you work on septic tanks - cess pits?
Yes work on septic tanks, cesspits and leech fields. We also install new sewer lines tying into the city and county mains.

What is a whole home inspection?
Why don't you quote over the phone?

Do you offer services agreements?
Yes, we offer service agreements. They are called an Ultimate Service Agreement or USA for short. Why Invest, even a small amount, in an Ultimate Maintenance Agreement?

1. You deserve it! Let us handle the required routine preventative maintenance for your heating & cooling system. You work hard all week and you should not have to work at home as well.

2. Over 90% of all breakdowns are caused by a lack of proper maintenance. We can solve these problems.

3.  A well-maintained home is more comfortable.

4. Regular, small repairs keep costs from becoming larger saving you money.

5. A well-maintained home sells more readily and usually brings a higher price, making you money.

6. We can lower your utility bills, saving you money.

7. Never an overtime charge. Just one more part of our Total Satisfaction Guarantee. You deserve it!

8. Priority customer status. We are making sure that your valuable time is never wasted.

9. Emergency Service Today or You Don’t Pay. (Within 24 normal working hours or the service diagnostic charge is free). One more part of our Total Satisfaction Guarantee.

 10. Manufacturer’s warranties are typically voided if the breakdown occurs due to lack of maintenance. We are working to enforce your warranty so you never pay twice for the same repair. This saves you money.

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*For complete warranty and guarantee details see your invoice or give us call at 1-877-247-6426. Guarantees are in writing on each invoice.
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What is important to you when you choose a plumber?Are you choosing the person that comes to your home or are you choosing the company? Are making your buying decisions on cheap prices or are you making them based on competence, care and expertise?

How did we do?
We are striving for perfection and we cannot accomplish that without your input. Please let us know. Drop us an email depicting the good the bad and ugly of that service visit you just had. If you want to remain annonymous that is okay as well.

email us @ info@myorangecountyair.com

Your plumbing system is the key to keeping your home safe and sanitary. Properly working drains and sewers are essential parts of our society. We can help you with your part, your home.

Often it's your nose that catches the problems first. Sometimes it can be spongy floors or water seeping out from under cabinets. Don't let these problems become large and costly. Give us a call and let help you by performing a whole home inspection.

One of the ways we weed out the bad plumbers is by performing criminal background checks and civil background checks. You be safe with Empire. we won't let a criminal into your home.

Most people don't think about efficiency when talking about plumbing and that is a mistake. Water heaters consume far more gas when the sediment is built up into the bottom of the tank. Circulating pumps that are not set correctly can add hundreds of dollars in electrical bills needlessly. Leak free plumbing costs nothing. Leaky plumbing can cost you and your family many thousands of dollars in damage. Our leak detection gear will help up locate those problems so your plumbing system is as efficient as it can possibly be.

If we are so much as one minute late for our service call appointment we will waive any minimum fee. That is a promise. Your time is valuable and we will do everything we possibly can to repect that value.

Approved member of the Better Buisness Bureau.

Recognized for outstanding service. We are members of the California League of Homeowners.

The only thing keeping us from helping you is your phone call. Give us a call toll free @ 1-877-247-6426

Guarantees - warrantees - our promise
Over the years what we have learned about what people want is that people want peace of mind. They want to know that when they choose us as their plumber that we’re going to deliver exactly what it is that we say we’re going to deliver. That there’s no chance that you’re taking a risk, that there’s no chance that you could be making a mistake in choosing us, that there’s no way that you can lose in choosing us to perform these services for you today. Because of this need for Peace of Mind we offer rock solid guarantees.

100% Satisfaction Guarantee*
What our 100% satisfaction guarantee says is that if you are not 100% satisfied with what we’ve performed, then we’ll make any modification necessary, any modification required, to gain your 100% satisfaction, up to and including replacing the equipment or refunding your money, all of your money. It’s not just our goal, 100% Satisfaction; it’s your right as a consumer. If you’re not satisfied, were not satisfied.

Water Comfort Guarantee*
What our guarantee says is that if we provide and install a water heater for you it is going to do just that, heat your water. It will be large enough to take that long shower and it will be able to maintain multiple showers at the same time. We will not under size your heater, tank or tankless, in order to appear to be more competitive. It simply costs to much to redo jobs when they are not installed or sized correctly the first time. We are the only company in town that guarantees that our systems will do exactly what we say.

No Lemon Water Heater Guarantee*
If your tank, the main component of your water heater that we provide and installed, fails for any reason during the first ten years of ownership we will replace that entire water heater at no charge to you. this includes new flex lines, temperature pressure relief valve, shipping and handling charges and of course labor. Your only requirement is that you must allow us to maintain it each and every year. No one deserves a lemon.

No Lemon Faucet Guarantee*
If any interior faucet that we provide and install fails in the first ten years of ownership we will either repair it or repalce it at no charge to you. This includes code required upgrades. Your only obligation is that we maintain your plumbing system each year. No charge means absolutely no charge. No other company offers this rock solid guarantee.

Property Protection Guarantee*
If anything is accidentally damaged, a professional will repair it. We’re not going to be driving down to the Home Center parking lot and pick up someone to bring to your home. You will have a properly licensed, a properly insured and properly bonded professional perform the repair. Once the repair is done to your satisfaction, then and only then do you have to make your investment in your new Home Plumbing System. With a guarantee like this do you think that we will be sloppy or do you think that we’ll Treat your Property Carefully? We're the only ones making this kind of guarantee.

365 Day Test Drive*
We want you to test drive your New Home Plumbing System through all four seasons to make sure that it meets and exceeds all of your expectations. You’ll be using your new Home Comfort System through the cold and clammy winter season, you’ll get to drive through the sneezing, sniffling asthma season, spring, you’ll get to cruise through the hot and muggy "I can’t sleep at night" summer season and finally your going to be able to triumph through the cold and flue season, fall. After you’ve passed through all of these seasons only then do have to make a decision. If you're not satisfied with the performance of the system, if for any reason or if for no reason whatsoever you are not satisfied with this system, give us call and we will refund 100% of your investment and we’ll give you interest. Why do you think no other company will give you this type of guarantee?

10-10-10 Guarantee*
If we perform the maintenance on your new plumbing system that we installed for the first 10 years then you will have no out pocket repairs costs whatsoever. If anything breaks, we'll fix it or replace totally at our expense. You may never pay for a repair again. Isn't that peace of mind.

On Time Guarantee*
Calling The Empire Family of Services, Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical, is easy and On Time. If we don't make our appointment time because of us, your minimum service fee is waived. The minimum service call is free. You shouldn't have to be left waiting for the plumber to arrive. We're Always On TIme, Guaranteed.

We work with many finace companies to ensure that you get the most favorable fiancing possible. With approvals in minutes you can have your plumbings become a thing of the past and you can afford it because it will only require an investment of pennies a day.

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