Orange County Affordable Plumbers

Are you looking for affordable plumbing repairs in Orange County?
What about affordable plumbing in Mission Viejo?
Ever consider hiring a CHEAP PLUMBER as advertised in http://www.craigslist.com ? I hope not ..... what exactly do you think you might get when the "plumber arrives"? May I suggest calling 877-HEY-SPLASH and let http://www.SPLASHplumbing.com send a qualified, licensed AND insured plumber out to your Orange County home or place of business.

Are we cheap plumbers? Nope ..... just affordable. As I mentioned in previous blogs, our philosophy is simple "We have to afford to pay our Technicians enough to live in the areas they service". This ALWAYS benefits the client and Technician alike.

Mission Viejo Plumber

I believe I have posted blogs about this in the past.... But nevertheless "Here it goes".

As I "man the phones" here in the office it amazes me how many people call in looking for prices and are willing to compare our rates to a competitor as far away as Corona!

My question is "Why would you hire a plumber to work on your Mission Viejo home when he is 50 miles away?"
Now I understand that our office is not exactly in Mission Viejo .... but come on!!!!!
We have Technicians that live in Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Buena Park, Orange and other surrounding cities - we truely access and serve Orange County with some of the best plumbing service around!!

Here's an example of what I am talking about.

Last month I had a new client call in and request a quote for a water softener system for his Ladera Ranch home. As I arrived for our afternoon appointment I was greeted by the Owner and he was in "panic mode". Ironicaly, a leak was coming from the upstairs Master bathroom just as I arrived and our attention quickly went from the quote to the leak.

I was quickly able to diagnose what I thought the source of the leak was and guess what? Turns out he had contracted a plumber from Chino Hills to come out and install some new toilets for him AFTER the new tile was put down .... approx 9 months ago. Wel'p they did not extent the closet flange up to the new tile height and tried to just "stack gaskets" to make up the gap. Needless to say this is not a code compliant method of installation but rather a way to "cheat".

I suggested to the client he should try and call the company he originally hired to come out and warranty any installations. He did and guess what? "Sorry sir ..... it is late in the afternoon and our Tech's live in Chino .... we can't get there for a day or two!"

Although that did not surprise me and this was a painful lesson for this Owner. He did admit that "the price was great and they did great work ..... but now I guess I got what I paid for ...... lowsy service and follow through"

Now don't think for one second we did not help this guy out ...... of course we did. With one push o f button, one of our Technicians was onsite in 30 minutes! That's because we live and work in the areas we service!

To any and all people reading this blog, please consider situations like this when making decisons to hire companies outside of your (or their) area!

Talk to ya soon!

Leaking Shower Valve Repair

Do you have a leaking shower valve in Mission Viejo that needs repair?

http://www.SPLASHplumbing.com is the website you need to click on! Give us a call 24hours 7 days a week for prompt plumbing service or repair to your leaking shower valve.

We service almost every make and model of shower valve ... there is not we have not seen!

MIXET Shower valves seem to be everywhere in Southern California .... especially South Orange County. Although unlikely to find one of them in one of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" house, I'll bet you might have one. Common problems you ask?

1. Plastic handle strips and you can't turn the water on.
2. Plastic temp. control handle strips and ..... you only got cold water .... BUUURRRRR
3. Internal cartridge seizes....... no water at all!

Our recommendation .... call 877-HEY-SPLASH and let one of our Technicians install a new code compliant shower valve for you today!

Don't have a MIXET .... do you live in Laguna Niguel and have a quality HARDEN shower valve? Wel'p we can fix thise too! Good luck finding the trim though!

For those in Laguna Hills .... do you see MOEN on the knob that keeps breaking off in your hand? Call us for fast friendly repairs!

Best Plumber In Orange County

Is this actually a title a company can have?

If there is a contest out there for this crown....... I want to enter!

What would you win?

1. A big ol' cup with sparkles?
2. A bumper sticker?
3. An award?

I'm not too sure .. but I will say that http://SPLASHplumbing.com is one of the best plumbers in Orange County.

We offer 24 hour 7 day a week service! We specialize in ....... plumbing! Not HVAC - Electrical - and Plumbing ...... just plumbing!

Try us out .... I like to say to most of our new clients "you have tried the rest , now use the best"!

We can be reached at 949-642-7900 or 714-688-0804 and for those that have a hard time remembering #'s 877-HEY-SPLASH

We look forward to an opportunity to earn your business!

Cheap Plumber in Irvine

I cannot believe how many people call up http://splashplumbing.com/ looking for a Cheap Plumber in Orange County ...... I have posted other blogs about this and it still cracks me up.

If someone is looking for a Cheap Plumber in Irvine, they actually "google" that heading: Cheap Plumber in Irvine - I am surprised at the results, a lot of junk to say the least!

But guess what ...... we pop up in the search results .... why you ask? Quite frankly Splash Plumbing wants to make sure we bring some relief and positive results for those searching this way. Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not.

We at Splash Plumbing don't consider our company to be cheap ... this would indicate ..... well ... cheap. Splash Plumbing is however, afforable. We provide VERY affordable plumbing service for Orange County.

Our affordable plumbing service also includes Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo, Rancho Mission Viejo (any other viejo you can think of) Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Niguel ..... and as a reminder, we do not offer CHEAP service. If you want cheap plumbing service, may I suggest searching over on http://craigslist.org/ and try one of the 1000 unlicensed "cheap plumbers" looking for work!

Something to consider when hiring any contractor:

1. Are they licensed?
2. Do they have insurance?
3. Are they bonded?
4. Are they reputable and do they have references?
5. Do they have the right equipment? (or any equipment at all)

Another PRIMARY thing to consider when hiring a plumber or contractor..... and this is something that we take very seriously. Our philosphy is simple "Splash Plumbing is dedicated to providing affordable plumbing service in Orange County while finding the proper balance in making sure our Technicians can be compensated enough to live in the area they service"

I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Mission Viejo Water Heaters

Do you have a water heater in Mission Viejo that needs to be replaced?
Laguna Hills, Ca. water heater repair and replacement are very common as well.
What about the rest of Orange County, Ca. water heaters repairs or installation? If you like to take a nice hot shower, I would assume you have a water heater!

Guess what? http://splashplumbing.com/ professionally installs residential, commercial and industrial water heaters in Orange County ..... and we are always sensitive to our clients needs especially when it comes to prices! As of July 1st, 2010, all water heater manufacturers raised their prices almost 15% in some cases!

OUCH!!!! What does this mean to you? Unfortunetly this means that all plumbers in Orange County will be raising their prices as well. Here at SPLASH Plumbing we were able to negotiate with one of our primary vendors to hold the increase until August 1st .. so those of you that hired the affordable plumbing service we offer here at SPLASH to install your new water heater ...... "you lucked out"!

We will keep you posted with any other major increases in the future.

One final thought ...... if you are reading this blog and you are considering replacing your water heater in Mission Viejo, repairing your water heater in Laguna Beach or installing a 50 gallon water heater in Laguna Hills, may I suggest letting us provide you with a quote to install a tankless water heater?

Tankless water heaters in Orange County are very popular and offer great benefits! Please click here http://splashplumbing.com/ or call us at 949-642-7900 to schedule an appointment.

And remember at SPLASH Plumbing ...... "If water goes through it, we do it" ...... we are your 1 stop shop for affordable plumbing repairs in Mission Viejo and all of Orange County!

Affordable Plumber in Orange County

The last week before the 4th of July weekend, most of our office staff was on vacation and I had the task of answering the phones and dispatching all of our qualified plumbing Technicians.

I was surprised to hear most of you wanted an "Affordable Plumber in Orange County" .... it was almost like you were surprised to find one! That's right ..... http://SPLASHplumbing.com is your Affordable Plumber for Orange County, Ca.

We service Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita as well as Newport Beach and Newport Coast.
Just because you live in Newport Coast does not mean you pay more!
Shocking you say? Believe it our not, we have clients in Newport Coast that have chosen us over and over again because we are honest and upfront........ primarily because they have shopped around for affordable plumbers and found that when calling from their office in Santa Ana, they got a different prices if they asked for plumbing service in Santa Ana vs. affordable plumbing service in Newport Coast.

Splash Plumbing is proud to offer, honest plumbing at fair plumbing rates for all people who live in Orange County. See what some of our clients have to say ... click the link below

http://http://splashplumbing.com/testimonials.shtml

Something to consider ... if you are looking for a CHEAP plumber in Orange County..... what exactly are you expecting to get?

Cheap Plumber In Mission Viejo

Are you looking for a Cheap Plumber in Mission Viejo? How about a Cheap Laguna Niguel Plumber or even Laguna Beach?

When you "Google" this and actually hire a company that is proud of the fact that they are "cheap" and advertise this way ...... what type of quality does the consumer get? They get what they paid for that's for sure.
Cheap plumbing results in poor quality!

Splash Plumbing offers some of the best plumbing service in Mission Viejo and surrounding areas like; Lake Forest, drain clearing in Laguna Beach, tankless water heater service in Laguna Niguel and water heater repair in Newport Beach. We cover most of Orange County and our plumbing service is the most affordable around.

A heading like "Affordable plumbing in Mission Viejo" is what I would prefer to advertise with.

Does anyone have any comments?

Tankless Water Heater Service

With so many people "going green" in California it seems simple enough to choose to install a tankless water heater right?
That's what I did, and I have no regrets what-so-ever! As I mentioned in a previous post, I installed a NORITZ tankless water heater in Mission Viejo. After all I am a Mission Viejo Plumber and complete plumbing in Mission Viejo!

Something to consider when istalling these units. Whether you install a Tankless Water Heater by NORITZ, RHEEM tankless water heater, BOSCH unit or even a Rinnai Tankless water heater in your Orange County home, they all require periodic maintenance.

What kind of maintenance you ask? Tankless water heater serivce in Orange County is very important and our tankless water heater service we offer here at SPLASH Plumbing is very thorough and effective. Depending on the brand of unit you have, we run a diagnostic of the electrical componants, descale the heat exchanger(s) and much much more!

Stay tuned for "bloggage" within this post.



Well I'm back !!! 7-05-10

I see that no one replied to this post
Do you have a NORITZ tankless water heater http://noritz.com/
Check out their website to confirm the maintenance you will need to comply with warranty requirements.

Hiring Unlicensed Contractors

I recently had to go to the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) to look up some information on a contractor. I have been there before, but it is a very interesting site. There is a lot of good information here with ways to check to see if your contractor has a license in good standing.

I have heard people ask, “Why do I care if my contractor is licensed? If the guy can do the work, isn’t that the most important thing?” Well, yes and no!

Yes, it is definitely important that your contractor is able to do the work, and do it well. That is actually one of the reasons to hire a licensed contractor. In order to get a license, the contractor has to be able to demonstrate that he has enough experience in his field (electrician, plumber, carpenter, etc.) to meet the state requirements. I am sure there are ways around this, but no one is looking to see if the un-licensed contractor knows how to do the work!

A licensed contractor is much more likely to have spent the time learning his trade. He had to spend a lot of money setting himself up in business and you don't do that unless you can do the work that keeps you in business.

Also, did you know that hiring an un-licensed contractor opens YOU up to all kinds of liability?

When you hire your brother-in-law to put a new roof on your detached garage, and he’s not a licensed contractor, but (maybe) he works in that field, you have just hired an employee in the eyes of the state! This means that YOU are now responsible for payroll taxes, social security and workman’s compensation insurance! If you don’t take care of these, the state may end up fining you for the taxes and, if he falls off your roof, you could end up paying him for the rest of your life!

Take a look at this link on the Laguna Niguel city website. There are three actual cases outlined here.

Another reason to only hire a licensed contractor is that he can pull permits. If you have work done in your home that requires a permit be pulled, and you do not have a permit pulled, you, as the homeowner, are subject to fines from the city. If the licensed contractor does not pull the permit, he is usually liable. If it is an unlicensed contractor mot only are you on the hook for the fines, but see above! Take a look at this notification from the CSLB.

To sum it up: you might pay more up front to have a licensed contractor do work for you, but you might pay a lot more in the long run for an un-licensed contractor. It’s your money, and therefore it’s your choice.

Noritz vs. Navien; Round 2!

Well, at least I know that SOMEONE is reading some part of this blog!

I received an anonymous comment about the blog I posted (was it only yesterday?!) entitled "Noritz vs. Navien". The commenter was not happy with my blog.

He or she (it was anonymous, after all) told me that, for him (I will make this assumption), the site loaded right away. He also told me that Navien is located very near to us and that we obviously didn't know this (I am paraphrasing).

Let me say that we were not trying to offend, just report an experience that we had. If the person who commented would like to respond... what's the opposite of anonymously?

(I looked it up and the opposite of anonymous is identified.)

Anyway, if you will give me a place where I can e-mail you, or even call you, I will do so, and we can discuss this issue. I was only reporting an experience that we actually had, I was not saying that Navien stinks and Noritz is great.

I appreciate someone telling me what they think, pointing out when they disagree, etc. That's called conversation, and I enjoy it. If you wish to continue the discussion, either through commenting on this blog, or any other method, I would invite that.

I hope this came out friendly and inviting. I was not trying to chastise or insult in any way.

Take care!

Rebates from the State of California

Splash Plumbing has recently learned that you can now get a rebate from the state of California for installing high-efficiency fixtures in your home.

The rules are strict, and it is for a limited time, but here is the gist of it.

- You have to go to http://www.bewaterwise.com/
- Click on “Rebates” at the top of the page
- Click on “Residential Water Customer Rebates”
- Click on “Qualifying Products” to see a list of products

We have included a link to this page here, for your convenience.

- You have to fill out the proper form
- You have to send in the form, the sales receipt, and a copy of your water bill
- You have to have it postmarked on or before 5/31/10
- Your purchase must have been made between 9/21/09 and 5/31/10

Some of the items that qualify are:
* High-efficiency clothes washers
* High-efficiency toilets
* Weather-based irrigation controllers
* Rotating irrigation sprinkler nozzles
* Synthetic turf

As a plumbing company, we will focus on the toilets.

Click this link to see the 18-page list of qualifying toilet models.

If you wish to buy it yourself, we can install it for you. Or, we can do all the work. Just contact us and we can buy it, bring it to you, and install it!

According to the website, rebates for toilets start at $50.00!

So, the benefits are:
- You save money on having a new toilet installed
- You save money on your water bill
- You have a brand new toilet that looks good and works well
- You have a brand new warranty!

The rebates are first come, first served, so don’t wait too long. As soon as they run out of the money they allocated to this program, they will no longer be paying rebates.

If you need a new toilet, or have any other plumbing needs, contact Splash Plumbing today! We service all of Orange County, 24-hours a day. We handle residential, commercial, industrial, and restaurant plumbing. We say:

"If Water Goes Through It, We Do It!"

888-HEY SPLASH

The Name Game!

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

Ah, Shakespeare! You gotta love him! He really summed it up in this line from Romeo and Juliet!

So, why am I quoting Shakespeare? Because AB&R Plumbing is changing to Splash Plumbing!

It's only a name change, though. We still have the same great people, the same excellent service, the same affordable prices. We still offer 24-hour a day service to all of Orange County, CA.

So why did we change our name? AB&R Plumbing stands for Advanced Backflow & Rooting Plumbing. It's long and cumbersome, and it makes people focus on the backflow and rooting part, instead of the plumbing.

With Splash Plumbing, you'll think of plumbing - ALL plumbing - not just one or two things we do, it's a little more catchy, it looks better on our trucks, you'll be able to remember our toll-free number more easily (I can't even remember the one for AB&R!!).

C'mon, if you see a big white truck roll by, with Splash Plumbing on it, and it says
888-HEY-SPLASH

aren't you going to remember that?

And giving someone my e-mail address was terrible with AB&R...
"It's A-B, then spell the word "and", a-n-d, then R, Plumbing, dot com".

Now, with Splash Plumbing, it's, "at Splash Plumb dot com." Easy!

We're still making changes, so the website and this blog will say AB&R for awhile. Soon, though, it will be Splash Plumbing all the way! (And, if you go to http://www.splashplumbing.com/, it will take you to the AB&R website, until we change it!)

So AB&R Plumbing is now Splash Plumbing. Same great people and services, just the name has changed.

Noritz vs. Navien

Hey …. It’s “Dan the Plumber” blogging again!

Here at Splash Plumbing, you know we are fans of Noritz tankless water heaters, and have installed many of their models in Orange County cities like Laguna Beach, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, and Costa Mesa.

Splash Plumbing is a full service “affordable plumbing” company, and we pride ourselves on keeping up to date on plumbing technology, especially when it comes to tankless water heaters. But, when I received a phone call from a potential client in Laguna Beach, asking for a Navien Tankless Water Heater, I was stumped. I never heard of them... how embarrassing is that?

Here I thought we were one of Orange County's best tankless water heater installers and I did not even know of this manufacturer… What a shot to my ego!

As I spoke with the caller, I explained that we only install Noritz Tankless water heaters and while I was doing so, I looked up Navien Tankless Water Heaters on the internet. Indeed, I did find them at http://www.navienamerica.com/, and thought I could surf their website while talking to the caller… at least that is what I thought (with good intentions).

It literally took 3 minutes to load their HOME PAGE! What do you think I was doing while the remainder of their site was loading? Yeah that’s right, I opened a new tab on my browser and went straight to http://www.noritz.com/ and directed MY NEW CLIENT to do so as well.

The Noritz website loaded in 3.5 seconds, I was able to show my client the model I had picked out for her Laguna Beach home, and an agreement was made!

Well the deal was made, Splash Plumbing has a new client, and there is another Noritz tankless water heater installed in Laguna Beach. Whatever happened to http://www.navienamerica.com/ you ask? Honestly, their website did not fully load and from what I saw, I was not impressed.

Here are the primary reasons why we select Noritz Tankless Water Heaters for all of our clients in Orange County:

- HUGE selection
- Versatile installation
- Availability
- Stainless Steel tankless water heaters
- Direct contact to our manufacturer
- Outstanding customer support
- Gi-nor-mous (yes… it’s a word) showroom for our clients to visit!
- Fast, clean and informative website

There you have it. As far as we are concerned, Navien Tankless Water Heaters still seems to have a lot of work to do in comparison to Noritz Tankless Water Heaters … but then again, that’s only my opinion.

Oh, how is my personal Noritz Tankless Water Heater, that I installed in my Mission Viejo home working? With 4 women in my house, I still have lots of hot water!

“Nowadays, everyone has something to say!”

I overheard this complaint the other day, while drinking my coffee. I was lucky to have the time to sit and listen to the explanation that followed.

To sum it up, apparently, this man’s complaint was that everyone talks, but very few people actually say something! As I thought about it, I realized that it was true.

Everyone you hear, whether on the news, award shows, American Idol, or anyplace where people are saying things live, they all seem to be talking in sound bites. They are all saying something that can be quoted.

When was the last time you saw someone interviewed and they said something that you thought came from the heart?

When was the last time a politician said anything that didn’t sound like a speech writer wrote it?

Most of the people whe see and hear on TV and radio either seem to be attacking justifying or making an excuse. (At least, that's what it seems like to me.)

It’s so hard to listen to people who talk, who aren’t really saying anything.

So, why did I bring this up? I’ll tell you…


On our website, we have a page for “testimonials”. I really like that word, because it has the same derivation as the word “testimony”. It always seemed to me that, when you give a testimonial, you need to tell the truth.

Not very many people go to our website and give us a testimonial, but some do. It’s much more likely that someone will call to tell me if they liked – or disliked – our service, but I have also received e-mails and, once, an actual letter!

So, what are people saying about our service? Here are a few examples:


“Our company has depended on the honest diligent work of AB&R Plumbing, Inc. many times over the last 6 years. We find their service to be exact, dependable, and they have always made themselves available to help us when emergencies erupted.I would best describe AB&R Plumbing, Inc. as being of excellent work ethics, knowledgeable and trustworthy”

That one is right on our website. Another says:

“AB&R Plumbing is phenomenal. After suffering through numerous bad plumbers who performed shoddy work and less-than-perfect repairs, AB&R was a savior. Its plumbers have consistently proven to be skilled, reliable, honest and professional in all aspects of my plumbing issues.
From menial tasks to difficult-to-repair problems, AB&R has always come through for me. Odd as it may seem to be so effusive about a plumbing company, I’m sure I’m not the only super satisfied customer to sing praise. This company deserves all the accolades.”

Again, this one is on our website.

Some testimonials that are not on our website are:

“Just wanted to let you know that Juan M. is the man! He did a fantastic job fixing the plumbing issue on our rental property. Coming out on a holiday and crawling through mud so our tenants could have water was commendable. We really appreciate the fine job he did!”

That was a homeowner in central Orange County. We went out just after midnight on Thanksgiving morning!

Another one that is not yet on our website…

“AB&R plumbing was recently referred to me by one of our material vendors. They did an amazing job of installing a Noritz tankless water heater at my Anaheim Hills home. They were friendly, tidy and efficient. I have already referred them to friends for after hours emergencies and they have also been impressed by AB&R’s clean work. We will definitely be using them on our projects in the future.”

This one came from a construction company VP.

One of my favorites, that will soon be on our website is:

"I have been in building maintenance for many years and have worked with many plumbing companies. I have found AB&R to truly be the most helpful, responsive and reasonably priced company out there. They listen to me and my needs, they have responded quite well in emergency situations. I have full confidence in their abilities and their professionalism. I won't use anyone else."

Can you tell why this is one of my favorites? This is from the head of maintenance at a retirement community in south Orange County.

So, have people ever said bad things about us? Sometimes, but even when they do, we can usually discuss the situation with them and make them happy. Our philosophy is that it’s all about the relationship. Our customers are a huge part of our business (because, if we didn’t have them, we wouldn’t be in business)!

At AB&R Plumbing, we can handle almost anything that has to do with plumbing. From clogged drains, to leaky pipes, to backflow tests and repairs, to gas leaks, to water heaters… We even install and service softeners and reverse osmosis systems!

We have spent many hours working on our price book, trying to give you the most “bang for your buck”. We didn’t cut quality, just costs!

If you need a plumber, anywhere in Orange County, give us a call today. We will make the right repair, at an affordable price, and you will like our plumbers!