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Programs from the CARES Act that Keep Small Businesses Running

Many small businesses, like Best Service Plumber, are essential to the economy while others are not. However, with more people out of work, even businesses that still operate can experience troubles. To ensure that people who work for these companies still get a paycheck, the federal government has allowed for up to $349,000,000,000 in loans to keep small companies running. Find out more about this and if your business qualifies.

How Long Are Loans Available?

The Small Business Administration (SBA) will only offer these loans to businesses between February 15, 2020, and June 30, 2020. If you have a business with fewer than 500 employees, you need to calculate the loan amount that you need to keep your workers paid. The maximum loan that you can take out is 250% of your total payrolls for February 15, 2020 through June 30, 2020. If you use the loan to continue to pay your workers, you may qualify to have the loan amount completely forgiven.

You have to fill out the loan application and file it sooner rather than later. There is a cap on the amount of funds available, and once it goes, you cannot get SBA loans under this program any longer.

How Can the Public Help?

Whether you work for a small business or not, these businesses play a critical role in the economy of most cities and states. Patronize small businesses whenever you can. While SBA loans can help, maintaining a customer base through this trying time is just as important to small businesses.

Patronize local restaurants by choosing takeout or buying gift cards from them. Choose mom-and-pop shops instead of big-box stores for your groceries and other needs. Find services that have local owners and workers, such as Best Service Plumber.

If you have a plumbing problem or an emergency that needs immediate attention, contact us 24/7 at 951-520-8557.

How the Southern Coronavirus Affects Small Businesses and What to Do About It

COVID-19 has taken over the collective consciousness of the American population. In addition to stay-at-home orders in most states, many businesses have suffered, too. People have to stay at home, non-essential businesses have to close, and the stock market has dropped. Combined, these things have led to a national recession and hard times for small businesses. As a small business ourselves at Best Service Plumber, we understand how tough times are now, but we’ve learned something that can help other small business owners, too.

How the Paycheck Protection Program Can Keep Your Workers Employed

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a loan and loan forgiveness option for small businesses. Briefly, if you have 500 or fewer workers, you can apply for this loan starting on April 3, 2020. The loan allows you to rehire workers you have laid off and to pay salaries for your employees between February 15, 2020, and June 30, 2020. The sooner you apply the better because the funds have a limit of $349 billion.

The loan has deferred payments for six months, and if you use it for qualified reasons, such as keeping your workers paid, you can get full forgiveness.

How to Apply for PPP

If you want to get this benefit for your small business, you need to apply through a Small Business Administration (SBA) approved lender. Discuss terms with the lender for more specific information that pertains to your business.

Keep Small Businesses in Your Area Going

Help other small businesses in your area to stay open by patronizing them whenever you can. If you have a plumbing emergency, for instance, contact us at Best Service Plumber instead of calling a national company. Choose local grocery stores and visit hometown restaurants for takeout meals. Only by working together and supporting each other can small businesses and the economy get through and emerge ready for growth on the other side of this temporary recession.

When to DIY and When to Call a Plumber

For some people, a plumbing problem means a trip to the hardware store to try to do it themselves. Unfortunately, this often results in even more costly repairs when the homeowner does not correctly fix the issue. Don’t make this mistake. There are certain situations when trying a DIY solution is valid. Otherwise, if you are in Southern California, CA, have Best Service Plumber’s number handy to call us when you need a professional solution.

Plumbing Repairs You Can DIY

Your home should have one piece of plumbing service equipment inside it – a plunger. Using a plunger for clogged sinks or toilets can save you on calling a professional to fix the problem. Avoid using harmful drain cleaners, though. If these do not work, the harmfuls can harm a plumber who may need to open the drain to remove the clog.

One other repair that you can do is to replace a washer or aerator in a dripping faucet. Usually, you only have to remove to end of the faucet where the water come out and change out the washer or aerator.

If either of these DIY options does not fix the problem, though, it’s time to call in the experts.

When to Call a Plumber

Obviously, you want to call us for any plumbing emergencies you have such as broken pipes or water flowing into your home. For these types of services, use the 24/7 emergency phone number to get plumbers to your home quickly.

Other services and repairs that also require plumbing experts include fixture installation, leak detection, and removing drain clogs that you cannot. You want a plumber to install your toilet, faucets, or water heater because if not done properly, these plumbing parts could leak or not work as expected. Many leaks, especially those inside your slab, require high-tech equipment to find and fix. Lastly, drain clogs may need high-pressure water jetting that only plumbers can provide. 

Be a Smarter Homeowner by Knowing When to Call for Plumbers

When you know when to do a plumbing repair yourself and when to call in the experts, you become a smarter homeowner. Our experts at Best Service Plumber in Southern California – a Plumbing Concepts Company – can help you to protect the investment you’ve made in your home. Keep our phone number 951-520-8557 at hand to call us when you need professional service and repairs.

What Counts as a Plumbing Emergency?

Does that leaky faucet or running toilet really count as an emergency? Knowing whether you have a plumbing emergency or a standard repair could save you money. Regardless of the type of service you need, if you are in Southern California, CA, you can trust our professionals at Best Service Plumber – a Plumbing Concepts Company – to help you when you need it.

Can You Control the Problem?

The most important question to ask is whether you can stop damage to your home and wait for office hours to call for standard service. Some plumbing problems such as burst pipes or overflowing toilets cannot wait.

If you have to shut off the water to your whole home to stop a broken pipe from causing a flood, you have an emergency on your hands. Until you have a plumber fix the problem, you will not be able to use any of the fixtures in your home.

However, if the issue happens and you can take your family out of the house over the weekend, you can consider calling for standard service. Since not everyone has the luxury of going to a relative’s home or taking their family to a hotel, we offer emergency service for nights, weekends, and holidays outside our normal operating hours.

Don’t Let a Plumbing Emergency Ruin Your Home

If you have a real plumbing emergency, call us at Best Service Plumber – a Plumbing Concepts Company – as soon as it happens. We offer 24/7 emergency service as a courtesy to you, our customer. It’s our way of helping you to protect your home from extensive damage that can occur from flooding, overflowing drains, or leaking pipes. If you are in Southern California, CA, call our phone number 951-520-8557 at any time of the day or night and we can help you to determine if you need plumbers to come out to your home now or during regular service hours.

Be Water Wise: How to Reduce Your Water Use Around the House

It seems that California has droughts plaguing it regularly. Even when there aren’t drought conditions that require you to cut back on your water use, you can still be water wise. Using less water cuts down on your utility bills. It also can help the rest of those in the area by ensuring that everyone has enough of the limited water supply for their needs. The best part about these water wise tips is how little you have to change your lifestyle to integrate them.

Cut Back on Total Water Use

The total amount of water you use is most likely more than you need. You have several means to cut back on water use. Installing low-flush toilets and low-flow showerheads reduces the amount of water you use in your bathroom, without requiring you to shorten showers or skip flushing.

When washing clothes, choose the smallest water load possible, or fill the washing machine with more clothes to reduce the number of washes you do each week.

In the garden, water your plants individually with a watering can. You won’t overwater the plants, ensuring that they stay healthier and you use less water than indiscriminately using a sprinkler in your yard.

If you suspect leaking pipes in your home, have the leaks detected and repaired as soon as possible. The longer you let the leak happen, the more water your home wastes and the more money you will spend on your water bill.

Use Gray Water and Rainwater

Let Mother Nature provide some of your water. For watering your garden, capture and reuse rainwater in a rain barrel. These containers have a special design to keep insects and wildlife out while holding the water until you need it for your yard.

Gray water is the name for water that typically goes down the drain. It is not drinkable, but you can use it for watering your yard. Examples of gray water include the water you use to rinse fresh produce or the water that goes down the drain while you wait for hot water.

Let Us Help

For some of these water reduction tips, you will need the help of an expert. Let us know at Best Service Plumber – a Plumbing Concepts Company in Southern California, CA – how we can help. Our plumbers can repair leaks and install water-efficient fixtures in addition to our other residential plumbing services. You’re not alone in your quest to reduce your water use. Our plumbers are in your corner to help you with this endeavor.

Is Your Home Wasting Water? Here Are Some Efficient Fixtures

The amount of water your plumbing fixtures use could contribute to waste. Did you know that older homes may have fixtures that use almost twice as much water as currently required by the Energy Policy Act of 1992? For example, prior to this act, showerheads could use up to 5 gallons per minute, while those sold after 1992 had a limit of 2 gpm. If you have an older home that you want to make more water-efficient, call us at Best Service Plumber – a Plumbing Concepts Company in Southern California – for installation of new fixtures in your kitchen and bathroom.

Water Efficient Fixtures

Almost every part of your home that handles water has a more water-efficient model. For instance, low-flow showerheads offer 1.6 gpm. Low-flush toilets with dual flushes give you the option of using low-flow or a higher water amount for extra flushing power.

To be more energy-efficient, you can also consider tankless water heaters. These designs heat water on-demand, so you don’t have to waste gas or electricity maintaining hot water inside a tank.

Professional Installation Is Key

When you replace your older less-efficient plumbing fixtures with new models, the installation process is critical. Without correct installation, the new fixtures may leak, reducing their efficiency.

If you need new plumbing fixtures installed, contact us at Best Service Plumber – a Plumbing Concepts Company – to get the job done well the first time. With the knowledge and tools to do the installation properly, our plumbers ensure that you don’t need to worry about the finished product. Your newly installed plumbing fixtures can help lower your water bills while reducing your home’s impact on the environment.

Think Tasty Tap Water Is Impossible? Think Again

The tap water in your home does not have to taste like it came from a tap. With a water filtration system, you can get flavorful water that tastes like it came from a bottle without the wasted plastic of single-use water bottles. To get whole-home filtration, you need the help of our professional plumbers at Best Service Plumber in Southern California, CA.

Why Filtered Water Is Better

The water that comes from your tap is technically drinkable in that it won’t make you sick. But this water does not always taste good. If you have hard water, the tap water can also cause problems with your plumbing by leaving behind damaging mineral deposits in your appliances. Since hard water has dissolved minerals that make it harder for soap to create suds, you will waste more water for washing clothes, dishes, and yourself.

A whole-home filtration system can solve these issues and free you from having to buy bottled water for drinking.

Professional Installation of a Whole-Home Water Filtration System

You cannot install a whole-home filter for your water alone. You need a plumber to do the job. Don’t worry. At Best Service Plumber – a Plumbing Concepts Company – we have experts who know how to quickly and efficiently install a water treatment system in your home. You can enjoy tasty tap water and avoid the problems caused by hard water without undertaking any effort yourself. Contact us at Best Service Plumber for more information or to schedule an appointment for your new water system.

Never Put This Down the Drain of Your Southern California Home

Disposing of things like grease from cooking in your disposal, items other than tissue in your toilets, and dental floss in your sink can cause major plumbing and drain issues. Clogs, backed up drains, and other plumbing issues are no fun.

While the plumbing system in your California home is tough, it does have its limits. Here are some tips from the pros at the best plumber service in Southern California, Plumbing Concepts, of things you should never put down the drain in your home.

Things to Avoid in Your Drains

• Diapers and Hygiene Products – Neither of these items can properly flush in a toilet. They will get stuck and a professional plumber will need to be called. Not only can these items get lodged inside your toilet, but they can also clog the plumbing outside of your house, which can be costly.
• Hair – Although a small amount of hair is ok for your drains, the problem is that it builds up each day and can become a major issue. Both hair as well as dental floss can stick to pipes and cause costly repairs, so it is best to avoid brushing your hair directly over the sink if possible.
• Oil and Grease from Cooking – It is so easy to pour oil and grease from food directly down the drain in your kitchen, but it is important to avoid this habit. Oil and grease can adhere to the sides of your pipes and harden, resulting in major drain clogs.
• Paper Products – While toilet paper is designed specifically to dissolve in water, other paper-type items like cotton balls, paper towels, and napkins cannot be safely flushed and can cause a plumbing blockage.

The experienced professionals at Plumbing Concepts in Southern California, CA can help with your drains and plumbing needs. Call us if you think you may have a drain issue, and we will promptly arrive to offer the best service plumber in Southern California!