All-Calls Sunday! | Hour 3

into an extraordinary home. Whether you are listening to us on the local broadcast right here in southern California, or streaming us digitally from wherever across the globe here or anywhere else, or if you joined in for another episode of the House Whisper on demand podcast, I am just so very glad that you are here. We are doing an all calls weekend and nothing but your calls today, and I want to get back to the phone so we can get as many calls in as possible. Lydia, welcome home, Good.

gas supplied to the water heater. I literally it could be you know, one of ten different things or a couple of different things. And I know it's only a couple of years old, but you said you were having the issue right from the get go. So it is time to have somebody take a serious look at the water heater because that is not normal and that's not

related to the house. Quite often, the reason I asked the question is that quite often, when it comes to tankless water heaters, a homeowner will pick one out for themselves, or a plumber will pick one out or plumbers usually don't make this mistake, but they'll pick one out that

is undersized for the home. Undersized meaning that you know, the idea of picking a tankless water heater is all about how many hot water things do you want running all at the same time, and that therefore you get a water heater that's capable of that kind of an output, so that if you're taking a hot shower and then somebody starts doing the dishes, running the dishwasher, and the laundry, that that water heater has got enough hot running through it that it can supply to all of them without

the temperature dropping. Typically, when a tankless water heater is dropping in temperature right in the middle of something, it's because another faucet has been turned on, and therefore now it's having to share its hot water load with another fixture, and the water heater isn't big enough sized enough for volume to be able to handle. It's problem with the selection of the water heater. But in your case, no other hot water is running anywhere else in the house

and it's still losing temperature. That's a problem with the water heater itself. Now, very quickly, let me answer your other question and the question of because it's a completely separate issue. Tankless water heaters are endless hot water. They are not instant hot water because the hot water still has to travel the distance from the water heater to get to the faucet that you know, or the shower

head that is being used. And so yeah, there are ways of getting around that recirculation pump bridge valve underneath the furthest sink away from the water heater in the house. But just so people know, and it is true to a certain degree, some old schoolers are like, I'm not going for that tankless thing because my old tanked water heater delivered hot water faster. Well, technically, it doesn't deliver hot water faster. The water moves at the same speed

from the water heater to the fawcet. But a tanked water heater is sitting there heating water all day long. So therefore that heat travels a little bit further down the pipe because it's constantly heating it, whereas a tank less water heater only heats on demand, and because it's not doing any heating of the water, the hot water in the water lines in between the water heater and the fawcet have a chance to cool down further, so

the water's traveling at the same speed. The hot water is taking just as long to get there, but residual hot water from a tanked water heater is a little closer to the faucet. This is absolutely true. But that's something that you can overcome design wise with a recirculation pump, a research pump at the very very end. They're not very expensive these days, and they'll help draw that hot

water in throughout the rest of the house. That's something to consider, Lydia, when you're having a plumber look at the situation. But most importantly, what's happening to you with this ducking of water temperature in the middle of a shower when no other hot water is being used in the house. That's a problem with the water heater itself, and somebody needs to take a look at it. Lydia, thank you for your question and your call. Awesome, Awesome. This is why we do this because we just hit

a full gambit across the board. More of your calls when we return. You are Home with Dean Sharp, the House Whisperer on KFI.

who's listening understand a little bit more about their home. So, residential water pressure should ideally fall in the sixty to eighty psi range. Sixty to eighty, So that's the optimum range. Okay, below sixty, it's not going to hurt your house, but you know, everybody's going to be like, what the heck is wrong with my water? Why is it clogged? Right? So,

we all like nice water pressure in our lines. But above eighty psi, and here's the key, above eighty ps i, it puts a strain on the fittings in your water system, the fittings of the pipes themselves, and even more important than that, which you know, there are systems that, if they're well built and well put together, could withstand a heck of a lot more pressure than that. But more

important than that, uh is all of your appliances. The interior guts of the washing machine and the dishwasher, and the water based appliance is like your water here. None of them are rated to have more than eighty PSI sitting in the term right, So we just don't want to do that. We don't want to damage. We don't want to you know, I don't want to blow out the ice maker line to the refrigerator or anything like that. So, yeah, we got to get your water pressure down, all right.

So I recommend dating for the house just to bring the pressure down. No, there are no such things. But here's the simple it's a simple things. Okay, every home has a pressure regulator on the main line going into the house. And I would say, well, okay, then then it's time to get yourself one, my friend. UH, A pressure regulator valve, all right, And it's and it's almost always located right where the main water cutoff valve is,

right before the water lines enter the house. I'm not talking about the meter out in the you know, on the h in the sidewalk out there in the little concrete pit. I'm talking about the irrigation and UH and water control valves, the gate valves right before water enters your home, right then and there, that is where we want a pressure control valve. We don't have to have a pressure regulator uh on the irrigation lines for your home, because they don't hold pressure. They're empty lines.

you call a plumber and stall. Listen, I need you to install a pressure regulator right here at I would say, and I don't have a scientific this is not a scientific at scientifically accurate statistic. This is just my you know, empirical experience. But I would say probably eighty percent of the homes of the folks who are listening to me right now have a worn out pressure regulator. They wear out, okay,

over time, uh and so, and that's why. So once originally it was doing its job holding back the pressure and reducing it, and now it has just given out, and as a result, we've got too high pressure in the house.

a wall mounted water spigot somewhere. Okay, now I'm not talking about out in the yard. You can't trust those. If you've got a water spigot and you know, hooked up to a hose out in the yard somewhere, it's very likely that that is part of the irrigation system

and not pressure regulator. But if you on the outside of your house anywhere on the outside of your house, if you've got a just a hose spigot coming out of the stucco or the siding on the house, that is very likely part of the house water line system and it's regulated. And a water pressure test valve, I mean a gauge is like a ten dollars item at the hardware store and it screws onto the end of the hose bib just like a hose, and then you just turn on the hose bib and you wait to

see where the needle goes. And that's how you can pressure test your own water. And everybody can check that out for themselves. So, my friend, it's time for a pressure regulator and bring that out and take that expertly installed water heater of yours and make sure that has a long, healthy life.

tell you this. Yes, there are companies out there that that make big claims about all natural termite treatments versus you know, and they kind of stake their claim on the idea that you know, we use non toxic, you know, all natural stuff, and the other guys, you know, use the nasty stuff and so and it can all be so a couple of things. When it comes to termite control, it is a toolbox. It's a toolbox. There is no zero,

no silver bullet out there. I like termite or pest control companies that offer me a variety of choices based on and you know, they've got a lot of tools in their toolbox, based on what actually has to happen. Now. Orange oil. Orange oil is an essential oil. It's extracted from oranges, right, It's got a lot of benefits. You know, the toxicity is low, Okay, it is effective against insects

besides termites, carpenter ants and beetles and things like that. Right, you don't have to take out items like plants or pets from the house. Right, you don't have to leave your home. But orange oil, now there's downside. The downside, or I should say the limitations of orange oil is that it's localized. Orange oil is a localized treatment. Okay,

it's not going to affect undetected infestations anywhere. It can be expensive the more you treat with orange oil, and it doesn't leave any residue behind to speak of, So it doesn't offer long lasting after the treatment protection for things to prevent things from coming back. Now does that mean it's not useful. No, it has its uses. And if it's just a localize infestation and we feel like we've got control of it, orange oil would be a great option for that because it's convenient. But this is

something actually that happened to while back. I'm reading off of a website here that after all of these claims for orange oil treatments became so popular, the California Structural Pest Control Board reminded gently pest control companies don't confuse in misinformed customers. Orange oil is yet another localized treatment tool against the elusive drywood termite. It is not an

alternative to all encompassing methods of treatment. That's just to say, it's just one of the tools in an exterminator's tool belt. There are other natural treatments. Some of it goes by the brand name Ultraset, others know it as tree bark treatments. But it's a formulation that is a completely harmless doesn't leave it any residue, but it actually can provide lasting protection. It is a version of a substance found in a certain kind of tree bark, the Rhianna speciosa tree bark,

and basically termites like it. They eat it and it paralyzes their jaws so that they can't eat, and then the entire colony ends up starving and boom they go out that way. There are just so and then there's tenting treatments, which would mean that you guys, yeah, have to protect your valuables and move out of the house. And there's also now this is another thought that you might want to take into concern. I'm just trying to broadbrush the whole thing. There are home whole house heat treatments,

heat treatments for insect and infestations. Now what that means is that instead of using a chemical or a fog to penetrate the walls for the whole house, they're going to ask that you guys be out for the day. They're going to come in in the morning. They're gonna seal up the house. They're gonna remin move things that can melt at one hundred and thirty degrees or so, protect those things like candles and various things like that.

And then while you're out, just for about eight hours, while you're out doing something else for that period of time you're not gonna be at renting a hotel room, they will heat treat the house. In other words, they'll raise the overall temperature of the entire house, including all the walls and the studs and everything. And that raising of the temperature and holding at that level for a certain period of time will also kill off insects and

termites inside. Now, again it doesn't leave a residue behind, so it doesn't have a future preventative residual effects. But it's a way of treating the whole house as an alternative to tentting. That doesn't mean that you have to move out for three days. So again, everything has its advantage. Everything has its limitation. It's really a question of finding and in your case, and here I'm gonna leave you with this because then I got to hit the road.

Here in your case, joyce the advice I'm gonna give to you for both this situation and every other kind of homeowner DIY situation you find yourself in, the best thing you can do is to look around, find two or three or even four, take your time, find four reputable companies, have them all come out and give you free estimates and diagnosis. That way, you're getting a sense of everything that everyone is offering. And I believe most of the time, not always, but most of the time,

you'll start to see a consensus form. You'll start to see two or three of these companies say, you know what, you really can handle this. Look, I think your problem is localized, or you're going to find two or three of them is kind of shaking their heads, thinking, wow, you know it really would be best to tent this

place and then look at your alternatives. So, whether it's this or calling the plumber or the carpenter or whatever, two three, sometimes even four free estimates to give yourself the info you need to make the decision.

induce the leak again in order to test it out. Okay, But as a general principle, just as a general principle, here's what you're Here's the or, I should say, the trickiness about finding a roof leak, and that is that wherever by the time water ends up on the dry wall in our ceilings or running down our wall down below, it could have traveled a good distance to get there.

So I don't have great news for you in that regard, because number one, the water has to get through your roofing material and then it slides down underneath the underlayment we talked about earlier on the show today, the builder paper, the roofing paper. Now, at what point does it slide down underneath? If the water gets under the shingles, it may move a ways down the roof before it actually finds a crack or an opening in the roofing paper,

or maybe it moves through a flashing air. It's hard to tell exactly where on the roof exactly it's leaking based on when it comes through. It could also run on the plywood sheathing of your roof for a while before it then soaks down in starts dripping through the rafters, And it can run down a rafter for a while before it drips down onto the ceiling joist. So the general rule is this, wherever you find the water dripping down through the ceiling or on the wall, start there

and track up the roof. Okay, it's definitely not coming from lower down on the roof, that's for sure, but definitely literally anywhere between that point and the very top ridge of your roof, okay, and several feet in both directions left and right as you track up. That's what

you want to be looking for now. If you don't want to induce leaking again, and I would understand why, But then what you're going to have to rely on is getting up there and closely examining the rafters and the plywood to see if you can't see evidence of water dried water lines, and sometimes, and it's not uncommon, sometimes that works out really well because there's so much stuff material in the building, paper and so on, that when the water drips down, it's a little dirty and

it leaves a little trail behind. So if you can find some drip lines, that's a clue. If you can actually induce the leak again and see some water running from somewhere, obviously, that's a clue. But always look up from the leak from where it's coming through up to the ridgeline, and if all else fails, coul a ruffer and let him take a look at it. All right, Alex, I hope you appreciate the answer, and good luck finding the leak. All right. I'm going to leave you with

this thought. Today, you know, we have a new pope, Pope Leo, and Pope Francis died just a few days ago. And before that, of course, he was hospitalized quite a bit. And when that was happening, about the time that was happening, there was a meme, I don't know what you would call it, a note, a note that Pope Francis supposedly wrote from his hospital bed that was circulating around social media. I think it still is, actually in various forms, and somebody sent it to me and I read it and

I thought it was lovely. I had some really lovely thoughts to it. Now I wanted to check it out before I shared it with you. And of course it turns out, according to snopes dot com and some other sources, that there's really no evidence that the Pope Francis actually wrote this. So I'm just I'm entitling this not Pope

Francis's hospital note. But here's the thing. I don't know why we lean on authority to give some validity to things that are just true anyway, So but people do, and so somebody felt the need to attribute it to Pope Francis. I do not feel the need to attribute it to Pope Francis, letting you know, as far as we know, he did not say these things. But I really appreciated the person who shared this with me, and I appreciate the thoughts, so I'm gonna share it with you.

It is essentially called lessons from loss, and it goes like this. The walls of hospitals here more honest prayers than most churches. They have witnessed, far more sincere kisses than those in airports. It is in hospitals that you see a homophobe being saved by a gay doctor, or

a privileged doctor saving the life of a beggar. In intensive care, you see a Jew taking care of a racist, a police officer and a prisoner in the same room receiving the same care, a wealthy patient waiting for a liver transplant ready to receive the organ from a poor donor. It is in these moments, when the hospital touches the wounds of people, the different worlds intersect, according to maybe a divine design, and in this communion of destinies we

realize that alone we are nothing. Now the absolute truth of people, most of the time, only reveals itself in moments of pain or in the real threat of an irreversible loss. Loss is the place where human beings remove their masks and show themselves as they truly are, in their purest essence. This life will pass quickly, don't we know it. Don't waste it fighting with people. Don't criticize your body too much, don't complain excessively, don't lose sleep

over the bills. Don't worry too much about keeping the house spotless, but make sure to hug your loved ones. Material goods must be earned by each person. Don't dedicate yourself to accumulating an inheritance. You are waiting for too much. For Christmas, for Friday, for next year, for when you have money, for when love arrives, when everything is perfect, but perfection does not exist here. We are given an opportunity to learn. So make the most of this life,

and do it now. Respect yourself, respect others. Walk your own path, not the path that others have chosen for you. Respect, Do not comment, do not judge, do not interfere. You love more, you forgive more, embrace more, and live more intensely, and let everyone else make their own choices. I think those are pretty good thoughts, and to them, of course, I would add, get out there and get busy building yourself a beautiful life. Thanks for joining us on the

program today. We will see you right back here next weekend. You're listening to Dean Sharp the House Whisper on KFI AM sixty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio This has been Home with Dean Sharp, the House Whisper. Tune into the live broadcast on KFI AM six forty every Saturday morning from six to eight Pacific time and every Sunday morning from nine to noon Pacific time, or anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app