Plumbing Services Archives - Page 5 of 5 - Marin Plumbing - Best Plumber serving Marin and Sonoma Counties

Reverse Osmosis or Carbon Water Filter System Installer

November 11, 2020 by BrianCooke Leave a Comment

If you are considering a reverse osmosis or carbon water filter system, I can help with installation, maintenance, and repair.

The first thing I’ll want to know is where you’re at with water filtration. Are you just learning about your options or have you already purchased a unit? Having dealt with these systems regularly over many years, I can offer assistance at any stage, from helping choose the best water filter system for your needs, to replacing the wrong type of system that is corroding your pipes.

I’ve installed and serviced many different makes and models of reverse osmosis and carbon water filter systems. I am the designated Bay Area Installer for Radiant Life® but I regularly recommend and install other types of filters such as Hydrotech, Everpure/Pentair, Bodyglove, or Watts. What matters most is that the choice meets your needs and budget, sometimes the best deal for you can be found at Home Depot, Costco, or on Amazon.

Types of Water Filtration Systems

Carbon Filter Water Filtration

Carbon filters are usually the least expensive choice and are perfect if your primary concern is bad taste or odors of your tap water. Activated carbon filters are the most common in household use because larger particles get caught on the surface of the charcoal, and the carbon absorbs 85% to 99% of other undesirable substances like lead, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and chlorine.

Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System

A good reverse osmosis water treatment system goes a step further than carbon filters can. They filter water at a molecular level – down to 0.0001 Microns. Reverse osmosis removes nearly 100% of everything but water. Notably, it removes some things that carbon can’t like viruses, arsenic, fluoride, and certain parasites.

Whole-Home Water Filtration System

Whole-home or whole-house water treatment systems are not very common in Marin County. These systems are usually used in areas using well water or with particularly hard water. These systems treat all the water coming into your home. In Bay Area municipalities, these systems are used by those who wish to shower with filtered water and can afford the hefty price tag and regular maintenance. I am happy to discuss this option with you.

Point-of-Use Systems

The most common water filtration systems I install are point-of-use systems that deliver clean water to a single spigot, usually at the kitchen sink. These can be carbon filter or reverse osmosis systems. They are typically (but not always) installed under the sink.

Why Do You Need One?

If you’re still reading this, you probably don’t need to be convinced why you need a water filtration system. Typically though the most common reason is simply to make water taste better. Health concerns, economy over bottled water, and eliminating plastic bottle use are other reasons people install water filtration systems.

My Promise to You

As a plumber in Marin County for over 30 years, I know your time is valuable. That’s why my clients value my attention to detail. You can rely on me to get the job done right the FIRST time. The last thing busy people want is to have to make arrangements to fix an improper installation. That’s why I always use the best materials, best practices, and go the extra step to test everything thoroughly. My work is guaranteed.

Premium Service

Doing installations right the first time requires just a little extra effort, but that can save time, mess, and frayed nerves. Marin Plumbing is known for top-teir service. It’s my hope that my customers sleep a little better knowing that I installed their new water filtration system.

What Makes Marin Plumbing a Premium Service?

Marin Plumbing is owned and operated by me, Brian Cooke. When you hire Marin Plumbing, I will be the person who schedules your appointment and I will be the one who shows up at your door. I have been a plumber for over 33 years. I started the company in 1991 because I felt that customers in Marin County needed a plumber with higher professional standards.

You deserve a plumber who shows up on time and goes the extra mile to finish the job quickly. You deserve a plumber who maintains the highest levels of cleanliness both in terms of personal appearance and equipment.

Let’s face it you don’t want a plumber who brings other people’s STUFF into your home. You also deserve a plumber who can communicate clearly the options you have for repair and alert you to upcoming problems. I don’t claim to be clairvoyant and predict every future leak, but I have been around long enough to spot the telltale signs of future problems that you should be aware of.

You also deserve a plumber who upholds the highest levels of integrity. I will clearly explain all my charges and your options before I start work, and you will never be surprised by my bill.

Call me to discuss your options for water filtration 415-883-1243.

Water Heater Repair, Replacement and Installation

October 21, 2020 by BrianCooke

If you need water heater repair, water heater replacement or installation, I can help!

Often when I get asked to repair a water heater, the water heater is past its expected useful life (or approaching it). I’ll give you an honest assessment of whether it is best to repair or replace your existing water heater.

The choice of water heater repair or water heater replacement depends on several factors. It’s not just the age of the water heater, but also how much labor is required for repair and how well the water heater was installed in the first place.

Water heaters have improved a lot in recent years. New water heaters can save you a ton of money on your energy costs depending on how old and inefficient your current water heater is.

You don’t want to pay me to fix a water heater that is on its last legs only to replace it a few years down the road. Often times, the energy savings of installing a new water heater, can pay for itself in energy savings over just a few years.

As much as you may enjoy my smiling face, I think my customers appreciate me more the less they see of me. It’s kind of sad 🙂

I promise to present you with an assessment of your choices from the quickest fix to the option that makes the most sense long-term (and also any possibilities in between).

I feel I owe it to you to give you the benefit of my years of experience in water heater repair, replacement, and installation. You’ll get my best recommendation as to the best course of action for your situation. Sometimes you just need a professional to tell you when a replacement water heater is better than a repair.

New Water Heaters Can Often Save Money

Especially in the San Francisco Bay Area where electricity costs 59.7% more than the national average and natural gas is 70.3% more than the national average, It makes sense to consider the monthly cost of your current water heater vs. a more efficient replacement.

Marin County Electric Water Heater Rates

Source: https://www.bls.gov/regions/west/news-release/averageenergyprices_sanfrancisco.htm

Oh, and the other thing you should know is that many times when people call me to come look at their water heaters, it’s far too late. Very often, by the time your water heater gives you problems, it’s toast. Either because it is rusted through or the repair would cost far more than it’s worth.

I am Brian Cooke, I started Marin Plumbing in 1991 and was a plumber for several years before that. When you call Marin Plumbing you will always get me. That’s how I can guarantee top levels of service. There aren’t a lot of plumbers with over 33 years of experience. I offer the highest professional standards in terms of reliability, speed, cleanliness (both personal appearance and equipment), as well as a reputation for clear and thorough communication about your plumbing issues and the range of options for fixing them.

Let’s face it you don’t want a plumber who brings other people’s STUFF into your home.

Water Heater Installation / Replacement

Water Heater installation is a racket. Big box stores sell you a water heater and offer to install it cheaply. For many homeowners, cheap winds up expensive. Why,? It’s so easy to believe that a water heater installation is a simple process. But problems along the way result in additional costs that are not covered by the “standard installation” fee. Often you can incur additional costs (and hassle) down the road to cover shoddy work or fix items that should have been replaced at the time of installation.

With Marin Plumbing you get top-quality full-service water heater replacement. No surprises, no hassles, no do-overs, no dangerous mistakes.

You CAN cut corners and pay any handyman to rip out your old water heater and shove in a new one. You may even get lucky and get it done without additional costs, delays, or permit violations.

Marin Plumbing GUARANTEES a quality, premium installation at a fair price. One and done!

Our full-service water heater installation covers everything:

Diagnosis

First, I will make sure you really NEED a new water heater. It could be something much easier to fix.

Detailed Assessment & Specification

Most people think water heaters are standard. Replace the old water heater with one of the same capacity and that’s it. The truth is that newer water heaters are bigger than older ones.

Whaaat? Doesn’t technology make everything smaller? You’d think so but the energy-saving standards require more insulation. That’s just physics.

So first, I measure your space, not only for height and width but also taking into account where the existing water and gas lines are. Based on this, I locate a water heater that will actually fit without additional (and costly) pipe rerouting.

I also double-check the type of fittings used to ensure that I have all the proper connections on hand when I arrive to install your new water heater without delays.

I also assess any issues I may encounter related to physically removing the old water heater from your home and bringing in a new one. Including door sizes and any precautions needed to protect interior floors and carpets.

Permitting

Most homeowners don’t know that all water-heater replacements require a permit and inspection. This is for your safety because a poorly installed water heater can cause all kinds of issues with gas, fire, venting and flooding. In some cases, it’s possible to perform an emergency installation and get the permit the next day. In either case, I will handle all the permitting and specifications for you.

Purchase, Pickup & Delivery

I’ll locate, purchase pick up and deliver your water heater and all the needed connections and valves.

Comprehensive Installation

In addition to reinstalling your water heater, I’ll replace all water and gas shut-off valves, hot and cold water connections, gas connections, flue, grounding wires (for lightning strikes), earthquake strap. This is the best time to change or add these items.

Meet with Inspectors

Once the work is completed, it must be inspected by a building inspector. I will meet with the inspector to answer any questions they may have. My promise is to install to code to pass inspection.

Provide Clear Instructions

When I’m done, I’ll go through everything you need to know about your new water heater and all safety information. I’ll also give you the signed permit for your files.

Removal and Recycling

I remove your old unit taking extra care not to drip rusty water on your floors & carpet or put dings in your walls or doors. I always take the old water heater to a scrap metal recycler rather than the dump.

Saving Money

You are welcome to participate by completing any of the steps outlined above if you need to save money. Some homeowners prefer to shop for and pick up their own water heater, go to city hall and pull their own permits, meet with the inspectors or haul the old water heater to the dump. I’m very flexible and open to you doing whatever you are comfortable with.

But, most of my clients prefer my comprehensive service. I do everything necessary to ensure a smooth, fast, legal, and safe installation that will last for years. And I guarantee it.

New Water Heater Installation

I can also help you with new installations. Whether it is new construction, remodels, guest cottages or an ADU, I can help from specification to installation.

In the interest of transparency, Marin Plumbing provides premium plumbing services. I am known for being the cleanest, most professional, most communicative, and thorough plumber in Marin county. I will probably not be the cheapest option but by doing the job right the first time and using top quality components, I save my clients many thousands in the long run. I’m also the guy you are most comfortable having in your home or place of business.

So if you have a water heater repair, replacement, or installation, call or text me at 415-883-1243 and I’ll get back to you as soon as I am able.

I Fix Leaky Faucets In Marin and Sonoma counties.

October 7, 2020 by BrianCooke Leave a Comment

I fix leaky faucets throughout Marin and Sonoma County. While it is true that many homeowners can fix leaky faucets on their own simply by replacing a washer. Sometimes it is more complicated than that. Many homes in Marin and Sonoma county have older pipes, fittings, and fixtures. Sometimes it’s impossible to fix leaky faucets. Replacement is the only option. Or sometimes a faucet appears to be leaking but is actually a nearby connection.

Whenever the simplest fix is also the best long-term solution, that is the course I’ll take. Since my minimum is one hour, I’ll also see if there are other minor repairs I can fix while I’m there. But sometimes, a leaky faucet is a symptom of some greater problem,

I promise to present you with an assessment of your choices from the quickest fix to the most thorough (and also any possibilities in between).

I feel I owe it to you to give you the benefit of my expertise. Not just fix the leaky faucet without communicating any underlying causes that you should be aware of.

Especially in Marin and Sonoma Counties, your home is probably your single largest investment. Even problems as simple as a leaky faucet can wind up causing major damage. That’s why you want a highly experienced and communicative plumber. The quickest and cheapest fix is not always financially beneficial in the long run.

Marin Plumbing is owned and operated by me, Brian Cooke. I have been a plumber for over 33 years. I started the company in 1991 because I felt that customers in Marin County needed a plumber with higher professional standards.

Let’s face it you don’t want a plumber who brings other people’s STUFF into your home.

You also deserve a plumber who can communicate clearly the options you have for repair and alert you to upcoming problems. Not that I claim to be clairvoyant and predict every future leak, but I have been around long enough to spot the telltale signs of future problems that you should be aware of. You also deserve a plumber who upholds the highest levels of integrity. I will clearly explain all my charges and your options before I start work, and you will never be surprised by my bill.

Fix Leaky faucet story

Here’s the kind of stuff I run into all the time.
A client had tried to fix a leaky faucet in their kitchen on their own by replacing washers, but the problem persisted. So I came out to take a look. The fixture looked fine and the connection to the faucet seemed to be ok.

A leaky faucet is usually a fairly easy problem to fix. So this leak seemed suspicious. What was causing it?

It turned out that there was excessively high water pressure throughout the house. This could lead to leaks in any fixture in the home. A major leak in an upstairs fixture could cause major damage. I offered to fix the immediate problem by installing a pressure regulator valve to protect the home from future leaks. Then if the faucet was still leaking I could fix that too. I also did a quick inspection of all the plumbing fixtures in the home to see if any had already started to fail. I detected a tiny leak in an upstairs bathroom sink and fixed it before it could cause any damage.

In the interest of transparency, Marin Plumbing provides premium plumbing services. Online reviews for Marin plumbers consistently call me the cleanest, most professional, most communicative, and thorough plumber in Marin county. I will probably not be the cheapest option in the short term but by doing the job right the first time and spotting early warning signs, I save my clients many thousands in the long run. I’m also the guy you are most comfortable having in your home or place of business.

So if you have a leaky faucet fixed, call or text me 415-883-1243 and I’ll get back to you as soon as I am able.