Guides from a licensed electrician and plumber
Electrical and Plumbing Guides for Los Angeles Homeowners
These guides answer the questions people ask us on the phone and at the door. Does a Federal Pacific panel really have to go? What does a tankless heater need behind the wall? How do you tell a hidden leak from a high bill? A+ Electric & Plumbing writes them, a licensed electrician and plumber (CSLB #942404) working across Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, with the sales pitch left out.
Electrical and Plumbing Permits in Los Angeles: Which Jobs Need One and How the Process Works
Electrical and plumbing permits in Los Angeles: which jobs need one, express permit or plan check, who pulls it, what inspectors check.
Read the guide · September 18, 2026 PlumbingHard Water in Los Angeles: What It Does to Your Plumbing and What Actually Fixes It
Hard water in Los Angeles scales tankless heaters, clogs aerators and wears out valves. See what fixes each problem, in plain English.
Read the guide · September 17, 2026 PlumbingHow to Shut Off the Water Main in a Los Angeles Home, and What to Do When the Valve Sticks
Shut off the water main fast: where LA homes hide the house valve, how the curb meter box works, burst-pipe steps, stuck gate valves.
Read the guide · September 16, 2026 ElectricalTenant Improvement Electrical Work in Los Angeles: Scope, Permits, and What Old Buildings Hide
Tenant improvement electrical work in Los Angeles: scope by business type, Title 24 lighting controls, LADBS permits and inspections.
Read the guide · September 15, 2026 PlumbingGarbage Disposal Not Working? What a Hum, Silence, or a Leak Is Telling You
Garbage disposal not working? A hum is a jam, silence is a power fault, and a drip from the bottom means a new unit. Los Angeles help: (818) 421-5290.
Read the guide · September 14, 2026 ElectricalLandscape Lighting Installation: How to Get a Low-Voltage System Right in a Los Angeles Yard
Landscape lighting installation for LA yards: transformer sizing, wire gauge, fixtures, controls, and the GFCI outlet it plugs into.
Read the guide · September 11, 2026 ElectricalBreaker Keeps Tripping? What the Pattern Tells You Before You Reset It Again
Breaker keeps tripping? Read the trip pattern to tell an overload from a short or ground fault, what to reset, and when to stop.
Read the guide · September 10, 2026 PlumbingWhy Your Drain Keeps Clogging, and What Actually Fixes It
A drain that keeps clogging is a symptom: grease, hair, or roots in an old clay lateral. When to snake, jet, or camera the line.
Read the guide · September 9, 2026 ElectricalIs a Whole House Surge Protector Worth It in Los Angeles?
Whole house surge protector: what a panel device does that strips cannot, why LA surges are not lightning, code, ratings, lifespan.
Read the guide · September 8, 2026 ElectricalWhy Electricians Replace a Federal Pacific Panel Instead of Repairing It
Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels: why Stab-Lok breakers fail to trip, what the label says, and what replacement involves in LA.
Read the guide · September 4, 2026 PlumbingTub to Shower Conversion: What Changes Behind the Wall and Under the Floor
Tub to shower conversion plumbing: 2-inch drain, anti-scald valve, pan flood test, LADBS permit, and the wiring that rides along.
Read the guide · September 2, 2026 PlumbingSigns of a Hidden Water Leak, and the Two-Minute Test That Confirms One
Signs of a hidden water leak: the meter test step by step, warm floors, musty smells, high bills, and how acoustic detection finds it.
Read the guide · September 1, 2026 ElectricalSmoke Detector Requirements in California: Where Alarms Go, and When They Must Be Hardwired
Smoke detector requirements in California: which rooms need alarms, when hardwired units apply, CO rules, and what inspectors check.
Read the guide · August 31, 2026 ElectricalDo You Need a Panel Upgrade for an EV Charger?
Need a panel upgrade for an EV charger? The NEC 220 load math in plain English, cheaper middle paths, LADWP rebates and permits.
Read the guide · August 28, 2026 PlumbingTankless vs Tank Water Heater: Which One Fits a Los Angeles Home?
Tankless vs tank water heater for an LA home: hard water, gas line upsizing, venting, the 120V outlet, and a decision table.
Read the guide · August 26, 2026 Homeowner guideOne Contractor for Electrical and Plumbing: Why It Matters on Real Jobs
One contractor for electrical and plumbing keeps a tankless, generator, or remodel job on one schedule. How to verify C-10 and C-36.
Read the guide · August 24, 2026 PlumbingWhy Is My Toilet Leaking at the Base, and What Is the Right Fix?
Toilet leaking at the base? Rule out condensation and the supply line, then the real causes: wax ring, closet bolts, cracked flange.
Read the guide · August 21, 2026 ElectricalTesla Wall Connector vs NEMA 14-50: Which Should You Install?
Tesla Wall Connector vs NEMA 14-50 outlet: 48-amp hardwired or 32-amp plug-in, breaker sizing, GFCI rules, and permits in Los Angeles.
Read the guide · August 20, 2026 PlumbingIs Your Water Pressure Too High? The 80 psi Rule and the Fix
Water pressure too high? California caps homes at 80 psi. Learn the symptoms, how to test at a hose bib, and what a regulator does.
Read the guide · August 18, 2026 ElectricalRecessed Lighting Installation: Layout, Fixture Choice, Title 24 and Permits for Los Angeles Homes
Recessed lighting installation in Los Angeles: wafer lights vs IC-rated cans, spacing by ceiling height, Title 24 and LADBS permits.
Read the guide · August 17, 2026 PlumbingEarthquake Gas Shutoff Valve Requirements: What Los Angeles Homeowners Must Know
Earthquake gas shutoff valve requirements: when the City of LA requires one, certified models, seismic vs excess-flow, reset, permit.
Read the guide · August 14, 2026 PlumbingSewer Camera Inspection Before Buying a Home in Los Angeles
Sewer camera inspection before buying a home in LA: what the scope finds in 1920s-1950s clay laterals, who pays, and escrow timing.
Read the guide · August 12, 2026 PlumbingBackflow Testing in Los Angeles: Who Needs It, When, and What the Tester Checks
Backflow testing in Los Angeles: who gets the yearly LADWP notice, RP vs DC vs PVB assemblies, deadlines, common failures, and repair.
Read the guide · August 11, 2026 ElectricalElectrical Safety Inspection Checklist: What a Real Inspection Covers in an Older LA Home
Electrical safety inspection checklist for older LA homes: what gets checked, from panel brand to GFCI outlets, and when to book one.
Read the guide · August 10, 2026 ElectricalKnob and Tube Wiring: What Los Angeles Homeowners Should Know Before Escrow Closes
Knob and tube wiring in LA homes: how to spot it, the insulation hazard, insurer questions in escrow, and rewiring in stages.
Read the guide · August 7, 2026 ElectricalWhole House Fan vs Air Conditioning: What Works in the San Fernando Valley?
Whole house fan vs air conditioning in the San Fernando Valley: the evening flush, attic venting, sizing, and the circuit it needs.
Read the guide · August 5, 2026How to use these guides
Each guide starts with the short answer. Then it works through what we actually see in Valley and eastside homes. That means the panel brands that fail, the gas lines that starve a tankless unit, and the clay sewer laterals that roots find every winter. Where a job needs a permit, we say which office handles it and what the inspector looks for. Where a decision has a trade-off, we lay out both sides instead of steering you toward the bigger ticket.
Every guide links to the matching service page, and that is where the current price ranges live. We keep the numbers in one place so they stay accurate.
When a guide is not enough
No article can diagnose a breaker that trips under load, a wet spot with no obvious source, or a gas smell. For those, a live person answers (818) 421-5290 around the clock, and a licensed tech looks at the real thing. Estimates are free, and the price is in writing before we start. You can also browse the electrical and plumbing service pages. The service areas page shows whether we cover your neighborhood.
Get a free estimate
Tell us what's going on and a licensed tech calls you back fast, with the exact price before any work starts. Electrical and plumbing, one team.
Estimates for quoted work are free. Troubleshooting or diagnosis may carry a $100-$250 service call, credited to your repair when you approve the work.
- Exact price in writing before we start
- Licensed, bonded & insured (CSLB #942404)
- One team for electrical and plumbing
Prefer to talk? Call (818) 421-5290, answered 24/7.