Peter Levi Plumbing Inc.

How Green Are You Being With Your Water?

We all know that our municipalities work hard to provide safe drinking water. However, they are not able to remove all of the chemicals that are harmful to us. In 2009, The Environmental Working Group reported on their 3 year study of water municipalities in regards to drinking water quality. Sacramento, California came in as the top California city at number 18. Eighteen!

This information is not a surprise to many of us - that's why we drink bottled water, right? To be safer with our bodies and our children's bodies. The problem is that only 1 in 6 plastic water bottles are recycled. So what's a better alternative?

Water filters provide a way for you to be green with yourself and your environment. The Environmental Working Group published an article on March 4, 2013 called "Finding A Water Filter That Works For You" because they believe water filters are a better environmental solution. Here at Peter Levi Plumbing, we provide filter solutions for you and your family. We work with Plumber's Choice Home Water Solutions to ensure that your whole house has clean, good-tasting, chemical-free water. That means that not only the water you drink and cook with is safe, but the water you absorb through your skin when you bathe and the water you wash your clothes in won't leave contaminants behind.

So now how green are you being with your water? No more bottled water needed, so no more plastic water bottles in the environment.

"My water feels, tastes, and smells cleaner - even though I live in Marin County. I can feel the difference when I shower after a tennis match. My clothes rinse cleaner when I wash them. And, of course the water I drink tastes better than any bottled water I've had before." Peter Levi commented on his whole-house filter.

Peter Levi Plumbing is excited to be able to help our customers have better water for their homes. 

Employees Earn Training Certificates for American Standard

Here at Peter Levi Plumbing, Heating, & Cooling we encourage our Employees to take any courses and classes they can to advance their knowledge. Recently, American Standard offered a course on Modulating Furnace and Communicating Service. Two of our Employees, Peter D Levi and Hiram Smith chose to take the class. They both earned a Certificate of Completion in the course. Kudos to Hiram Smith and Peter D Levi!

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We LOVE our SF Giants!!!!

Tips for Dealing with Your Home's Smelly Drains

Drain odors can be unpleasant and pervasive, affecting your indoor environment and reducing the enjoyment of your home. Drain odors have a few different causes, and most can be eliminated with regular cleaning and maintenance by your plumbing company. Depending upon the type of drain that is affected, you may want to use different methods for cleaning and eliminating odors. Here are a few tips for dealing with smelly drains:

Clean the Drain
Refresh your drains by performing a weekly and monthly cleaning. Once a week, you can use a small concentration of baking soda and vinegar to absorb odors. The fizzing action will actually scrub the inside of the drain pipe itself. This is also useful for garbage disposals. On a monthly basis, consider freshening your garbage disposal by putting ice cubes and lemon rinds into the sink drain, and then operating your disposal with cold water for a brief period. This not only kills bacteria and helps to get rid of odors, but it can sharpen the blades as well.

Bathroom drains need somewhat different attention. Tub drains especially can become clogged with hair and soap residue. If your drain is operating slowly as well as producing an older, consider having your plumber perform a cleanout. Take precautions to prevent hair from entering the drain.

Avoid Grease
Kitchen drains are especially vulnerable to grease accumulation. Grease not only affects the overall flow of the drain, but it captures other material like food particles which eventually rot and produce a foul odor. By appropriately disposing of grease and oil, you can avoid many clogging and odor issues that would otherwise affect kitchen drains. It’s a good idea to use your disposal with cold water initially, as hot water can encourage fatty deposits in food to melt and stick the sides of your drain pipes.

For more tips on eliminating odors from your drains, or to have yours professionally cleaned, call Peter Levi Plumbing (415) 814-6900. We can give you the information you need to enjoy odor-free drains and avoid clogs, so call us or head to our website today to learn more about our plumbing repair and maintenance services.

What Is the Best Plumbing Pipe for Your Home?

Homeowners have a couple of choices when it comes to the piping inside their home, with copper and PEX being the most popularly-installed types. Copper has a long history and an equally long lifespan, while PEX piping is still relatively new.

This video explores the characteristics of these pipes. It is known that copper can last 50 years or more, while PEX piping may have a similar lifespan. PEX piping does have a few important advantages over copper, including its flexibility, ease of installation, and color-coding capabilities. PEX is also much more economical, in that it is around half the cost of copper and experiences less heat loss for energy savings.