Advice
What we've learned in 16 years of Bay Area homes.
Straight answers on the things that actually break — and on the rule changes coming for Bay Area water heaters and furnaces.
HVAC · August 18, 2026
The Bay Area is phasing out gas water heaters and furnaces. Here's what it actually means for your home.
BAAQMD Rule 9-6 phases out NOx-emitting gas water heaters and furnaces on replacement. Your working unit is fine — but the next one you buy probably won't be gas. Here are the dates, the exemptions, and what to check before you're forced into a rush decision.
Read it →Home systems · August 11, 2026
Nine warning signs in your plumbing, heating and electrical worth acting on early
Most of the expensive jobs we do started as something small and ignorable months earlier. Here's what to watch for across all three systems — and which ones mean stop what you're doing and call someone.
Electrical · July 28, 2026
Can your panel actually take a heat pump and an EV charger?
The most common electrical question we get on the Peninsula, and the one most often answered wrong. What a load calculation checks, when 100A is genuinely fine, and the options when it isn't.
Plumbing · July 14, 2026
How to stop drain clogs before they start
Recurring clogs are almost never bad luck — they're a pattern. What actually causes them in Bay Area homes, why chemical drain cleaner makes things worse, and the small habits that prevent the emergency call.