Ramona's Plumber, Ramona, CA

New Website: DIYplumbingAdvice.com

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Tues 29 Dec, 2009 20:00:00 PDT

Announcing the launch of DIY Plumbing Advice. Podcast, video, and Frequently Unasked Questions content has been moved from RamonasPlumber.com to diyplumbingadvice.com to support more content in an easier to navigate format.

My YouTube channel, youtube.com/ramonasplumber has not changed and will continue to host new videos as they are released.

What not to say to a plumber

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Sun, 15 Nov, 2009 22:00:00 PDT

Greg speaks frankly about how to get the business relationship with a prospective plumber off on the right foot, with solid advice on what NOT to say to a plumber.

Duration: 8:41

Toilet Leaks

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:00:00 PDT

Greg shows how to diagnose a toilet leaking from the tank into the bowl. Some people describe this as the tank "flushing itself" - but, it's really not (it's the toilet filling itself over and over). He uses a blue dye to show if the tank really is leaking and a few spots of where the trouble could be and what to do about it.

Duration: 6:00

Clearing a Sink Drain

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Thu, 28 Sep 2009 17:00:00 PDT

Greg shows how to remove a sink stopper and then clear a bathroom sink drain without any chemicals, using a shop vac technique. This also addresses any smelly drain conditions.

Duration: 5:06

Clearing a Bathtub Drain

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:00:00 PDT

Greg demonstrates how to clear a stopped up bathtub drain with a shop vac.

No No harsh chemicals - no chemicals at all!

Duration: 4:42

Fixing a smelly shower

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:00:00 PDT

Greg demonstrates how to clear a stopped up bathtub drain with a shop vac.

No No harsh chemicals - no chemicals at all!

Duration: 2:54

Joining PVC pipe - with solvent

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:00:00 PDT

Greg demonstrates how to properly cut and join PVC pipe the right way. This video focuses on primer and solvent slip joints. Threaded joints, unions, and other related subjects will be covered in a future production. That only takes a few seconds, but what is equally important is showing you the common mistakes and why some joints go bad (and can cause a lot of damage in the process).

This version is an extended version of the video on YouTube (due to YouTube video time limits), with additional examples of the mistakes to avoid.

Duration: 11.35

The Dishwasher Air Gap

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:00:00 PDT

Greg demonstrates the dishwasher air gap and explains what it is, why you need it, how to tell if it is clogged and three easy ways to unclogg it.

If you ever have a water coming out of the air gap (little knob that sits at the edge of your sink), or your dishwasher drains pooly, this video is for you!

No undersink crawling needed, no exotic tools either - in fact, start with a simple roll of paper towels!

Duration: 7:05

The water cycle: An overview

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:00:00 PDT

This podcast provides a general overview of water, the water cycle and human use of it. Where it comes from, how does it get to our homes, where does it go, and what it it's life cycle.

We'll touch on what is considered to be waste water.(the definition may surprise you), and the distinction and different treatment of storm water, and household waste water, as well as drain venting.

Well water and city water.

Also: Pressure regulation: which includes pressure reduction or boosting. Did you know that high water pressure is the largest cause of plumbing problems? .

Should you be alarmed about "toilet to tap?" What about pharmacutical residues in waste water? I'll give you some perspective.

Part of the Responsible Plumbing Issues series

Duration 22:45

Water Reuse: An introduction

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:00:00 PDT

Greg provides an introduction to water reuse around the home. What water reuse means, different types of reuse, what water can and should not be resued and an overview of some typical reuse setups.
Duration 14:17

Why NOT to use a plunger to clear a toilet clog

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 1:30:00 PDT

Listen to why Greg doesn't carry a plunger in his plumbing tools. Did you know it can make a clog worse, damage your toilet, and even lead to illness? Listen in...

Plumbing Stories:Chickens and Dried Fish: A Plumber's Adventure

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Thu, 17 Apr 2009 23:00:00 PDT

Not everyone keeps chickens in a hen house, or dries their fish where you might expect. Folks from different cultures can be, well, different!

Greg describes some unusual chicken lodging and an adventure to reach the area under one home's sink

New Tools Page

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:00:00 PDT

A Tools page is now available.

The tools pages list a wide varitety of plumbing tools from the very common, to the strange proprietary tools for just the right faucet that let the professional do the job quickly and efficiently.

The tool list, includes photos of each tool, and a description of its use. Check back occasionally, as this page will continue to grow in content and functionality.

How to Clear a Toilet Clog

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:00:00 PDT

Greg shows how to clear a clogged toilet using a closet auger.

Using this inexpensive tool (about $35 at the home store), and a little practice you can save hundreds of dollars in plumbing service-call costs with each use. For this video, Greg created a clog in a toilet drain using paper towels. During the unclogging process there is some rust colored water visible in the bowl - That IS rust from the auger itself, not anything nastier that that.

Greg also talks about how to diagnose if the plug is in the toilet, or farther down the drain; he talks about the closet auger and demonstrates its use; and how to check for a common reason the toilet clogged in the first place.

Repairing Roots in the Toilet Drain - Part 1

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:00:00 PDT

A two part video, also available on YouTube. Greg repairs a toilet drain that was clogged with tree roots. The clog, along with a flapper valve malfunction caused the house to flood. The entire process is clearly shown, including showing what the problem way, toilet disassembly, removal of the "root monster," toilet replacement, and how to prevent this from ever occurring again.

This is part 1. This episode covers application of the root killer, replacing the toilet and applying silicone grease to the flush lever to prevent future probelms with that mechanism.

(revised link)

Repairing Roots in the Toilet Drain - Part 2

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:00:00 PDT

This is part two. This episode covers explaining the problem, disassembling the toilet and removing the roots.

(revised link)

Proper Dishwasher Loading

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:00:00 PDT

Greg talks about things to consider when loading your dishwasher. His recommendations will allow you to use the energy-saving settings and still get your dishes clean!

Saving water inside your home.

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:00:00 PDT

Greg talks about water saving shower heads that really work, and other ways to save water in side the home without giving up anything.

Saving Water on your lawn and irrigation system

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:00:00 PDT

Learn about "the white elephant" in your yard. Water auditing, new irrigation controllers that may allow you to skip water rationing restrictions, and how to save 15-20% on your water bill.

Plumbing Stories: The Hydrogem Bomb

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:00:00 PDT

No, not that kind of hydrogen bomb! But, how did the same gas that blew up the Hindenberg end up in the pipes?Greg tells the story.

Plumbing Stories: The Rat in La Jolla

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:00:00 PDT

Greg tells a short story about an enounter with a rat, and how he learns the true definition of "hideous!"

Plumbing Stories: A Kilo of Pot

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:00:00 PDT

Greg tells a short story about a story about what's under the bathroom sink!

Plumbing Stories: The Clairmont Mesa Shower Drain

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:00:00 PDT

Greg tells a short story about what happens when water comes UP the shower drain instead of down!

Plumbing Stories: J-19

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:00:00 PDT

Greg tells a short story about a customer he refers to as simply "J-19"

Plumbing Stories: The case of the vibrating pipes

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:00:00 PDT

Greg tells a short story about a customer with a mysterious vibrating pipe issue. It stumped other plumbers, but not Ramona's Plumber!

Tankless Water Heaters

greg@ramonasplumber.com (Greg Chick) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:00:00 PDT

Ramona's Plumber Greg Chick talks about tankless water heaters.
What they are, as well as how they last longer, save money, and perform better over conventional tank water heaters.