January 25, 2025 • 26 mins
It's an all-calls week, as Dean is here to take all types of home related questions such as design, construction or DIY situations surrounding your home. Dean talks about the future of homes that burned down due to the recent wildfires that affected Southern California. Dean talks about water heaters and water pressure psi levels and how to book a house consultation with him.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
KF I AM six forty. You're listening to Dean Sharp
The House Whisper on demand on the iHeart Radio app.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
AM I Am six forty and live streaming.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
In HD everywhere on the iHeart Radio app. Welcome home,
my friend. I am Dean Sharp the House Whisper. I
design custom homes. I build a few custom homes. And
today and this weekend, most importantly, I am your guide
to better understanding that place where you live. Today on
(00:37):
the show, oh you know what we're gonna do today,
we're taking calls. It's an all calls weekend. I'm calling it.
I'm calling it because we have spent the last eight
years talking about fires. No, that's a little extreme, but
it's been it's been a few weeks, has it not
(00:58):
here in southern California, and we have all it's been
all hands on deck talking about information that you need
in regarding the wildfire events here in southern California. And
of course they're not over, and of course the devastation
that they've left in their path is far from over,
(01:22):
is just beginning in its implications, and of course our
hearts continue to go out to the tens of thousands
of people who have been affected by these fires and
all that that entails, and rest assured. In the weeks ahead,
we will be continuing to address these issues at the
(01:46):
appropriate moments and to help you. If you have been
victimized by these fires or are looking to make sure
that your home is not victimized by future fires, We're here.
I am here to help you through all of that.
But this morning, this morning, and tomorrow, let's just take
(02:08):
a breath. The wind events have come to a close
for now. There's no foreseeable wind events in the future.
The major fires that have been threatening us, we have definitely,
without question, turned a corner on them. Quick update on
that status. The Palisades Fire has not gained any ground
(02:32):
in days and days and days. It is currently seventy
nine percent contained the Palisades Fire, and that is really
really good news. The Eaten fire out in Altadena ninety
five percent contained as of this morning, again having not
gained any ground in the several days. The Hues fire
(02:55):
out by the Lake Castake is eighty seven percent contained.
And of course there are a couple other fires on
the map. Technically, the Lagunafire, which sprung up in the
camer Rillo area already ninety percent contained, no wind events
(03:15):
in the immediate future, cold weather starting in here for
southern California at least, weather in the forties and fifties,
and rain rain on the way. So what does that
mean for us? It means that we're just going to
take a breath, that's all. And I want to take
a breath with you. And of course if you want
(03:36):
to talk about fire related things, absolutely, but also anything
else regarding your home design, construction, DIY concerns, whatever the
case may be. The number to reach me eight three
three two, Ask Dean eight three three. The numeral two
(03:56):
Ask Dean eight three three two Ask Dean. Producer Richie
is standing by. The phone lines are open. He is
ready to take your calls. So give me a call.
Let's talk. Let's let's fill the morning up with with
uh as as just as much deep breath as we can,
(04:18):
because you know what, we've earned it, you have absolutely
earned it. Here is our awesome team. Sam is on
the board. Good morning, dam Good morning Dean. How's it going, brother? Good?
You got our our not filled live studio audience under
control there. It's really hard to wrangle them in, but
we're doing our best. Sounds good, sounds good. I'm sorry, babe,
(04:45):
what what was that? Oh? You need volume? Okay, all right,
all right, I got you, I got you. Boom. Eileen
Gonzalez at the news desk. Good morning, Eileen, Good morning, sunshine.
How's it going good? Good? You know what? Just feel
I'm a little relaxed. It's gonna be a relaxing morning,
I hope here, and we're gonna have as much fun
(05:05):
as we can here on the program. And it's just
gonna be Uh, it's gonna be good. I hope it
stays cloudy and the rain comes as soon as possible.
I'm looking forward to that rain for sure. Yes, thunderstorms tomorrow.
Oh that would be. That would be glorious. Yeah. I'm
from Texas. I love thunderstorms. Thunder uh. Sitting across the
(05:27):
table from me, my better half, my does that look
at her? Good Lord, my best friend in all the world.
Tina is here. Welcome home. I turned your mic on.
I know that was the last minute thing. I'm like, well, wait,
you have a beagle with you. Do you have a
(05:48):
cup of coffee?
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Yep?
Speaker 1 (05:49):
I have my coffee. All right, y'all, here's the thing. Yeah,
you know, if you just want to hear me yack
all morning, then that's fine. But it's time to pour
yourself a cup of coffee and dial that phone. Let's
talk about your house. Eight three three two Ask Dean.
There are zero calls on the board right now. By
(06:12):
the time we come back from the break. Let's hope
that we've got some I've got things to talk about.
Of course when do I not? But I'd much rather
talk to you about your home now. Is your shot,
especially after all of this time that we've spent on
fire coverage, and the fact that it's Saturday morning and
(06:32):
that it's early. Traffic is very light here on the
phone waves. Oh, there's one call coming in, but there
is room for you. Eight three three two ask Dean.
We're gonna get to it, can't by Dean Shark the
house whisper. Hey, whether your home is a condo, a cottage,
or a castle, it matters not. I am here to
(06:56):
help you take it to the next level. We're taking
calls this morning. Just I hope you have a warm
beverage near you. I hope you are warm and comfortable
on this dark, cool Saturday morning here in southern California
or wherever you are listening to us from, and we
(07:16):
are just taking a breather from all of the trials
and tribulations and just taking calls as we do from
time to time. The number to reach me eight three
three two. Ask Dean eight three three the numeral two,
and then you just spell out ask Dean eight three
three to ask Dean. Phone lines are open. Producer Richie
(07:38):
standing by anxious. He is so anxious to take your call.
All right, let's go to the phones. I want to
talk to Richard. Hey, Richard, welcome home, Good morning.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
I just had a question on whether the foundations that
are left after a home fire can be reused.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
That is a really really good question. Is that just
a curiosity or do you have a foundation that is
in question yourself?
Speaker 4 (08:13):
It's a curiosity professional and personal.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
So okay, I got you. Well, there are always exceptions
to every rule, so I'll just start by saying that,
and there is a I'm sure there are a handful
of foundations out there that might be salvaged from this disaster,
(08:40):
even though the house above them was burnt to the ground. However,
I think the proper expectation is that to know the
foundations underneath the house when it has burnt to the ground,
especially in a mass fire event like this, are very
(09:02):
very likely not going to be saved. And there's a
couple of reasons why. Number one, there is no it's
not it has nothing to do with the fact that
that you know, they didn't catch on fire. But if
you take a look at concrete, concrete is actually not
affected by flame per se, but concrete is affected by
(09:26):
high heat. And when an entire house is burning to
the point where it's all coming down, the heat inside
that zone is intense. You know, fifteen hundred degrees plus
is easily easily achieved. And when you think about the
components of concrete, concrete is a is a recipe. It
(09:51):
is a cement that is the actual you know, adhesive
binder in concrete cement portland cement. And then you've got
large aggregates like gravel three quarter inch gravel and sand
and it's the sand inside the concrete that at high
(10:14):
temperatures turns to glass. As we all know, if you
melt sand down, you can turn it to glass. So
there is a there's a process that when concrete is
exposed to extreme heat in which the concrete actually becomes siliconized.
It actually, even though it looks the same as it
did before, it has actually changed its chemical structure and
(10:39):
it's become more brittle. The sand, which originally was a
fine aggregate inside the cement, is now a glassy component
inside the cement. So that's one reason why a lot
of the foundations, most I would say, of the foundations
in the houses that are burnt down, are not going
(10:59):
to be reused. And the second reason is that under
again that high heat any lines of value that are
running underneath that concrete, like plastic abs, drain lines coming
off of toilets and sinks and so on, any electrical lines,
even though the conduits themselves probably were unaffected, but those
(11:24):
conduits heat up, the conductors inside those conduits will absolutely
have to be tested and replaced. And the chances are
the damage of the lines that are running underneath the
slab are such that we'd have to even if the
slab was in perfect shape, we'd have to saw cut
the slab open in order to run new lines, or
(11:46):
you know, we wouldn't be yanking out the old ones,
we'd just be running new lines. And by the time
we have dealt with the fact that the slab has
changed its chemical composition somewhat, and we've got to make
a lot of saw cuts in it in order to
get new drain lines or pull old ones out of
the way. Now we've pretty much messed up this slab
(12:08):
in extreme So that's why I'm saying, by and large,
it will be more cost effective and wiser from a
structural perspective to just pull most of those slabs, scrape
the lot, and restart from new. Does that help understand
the situation?
Speaker 4 (12:27):
Certainly?
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Guys? All right, Richard, thank you for your call, Sir,
appreciate it. First call of the day. Fire question. But
you know what, a very very pertinent one, very very pertinent,
because a lot of people are like, well, at least
we've got the slab. Oh, I wish I could tell
you that was the case. I wish I could. All Right, y'all, listen,
we've got some calls on the board. There's still room
(12:49):
for you eight three three two ask Dean. We will
get back to our all calls Saturday morning.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Can't Fine AM sixty Live streaming in H to D
everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. Deans Sharp the House whisper
here for you on this chilly Saturday morning here in
southern California. I hope you are warm and comfortable wherever
you are across this great nation of ours as you
(13:26):
listen to our program. Thanks for joining us here on
the program. We are just taking a breather from all
of the craziness and just enjoying each other's company. This morning,
I'm taking calls and I want to get back to
the phones as quickly as I can. Let's talk to John. Hey, John,
(13:47):
welcome home.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
Good morning Dan.
Speaker 5 (13:52):
I'm calling you from San Diego, and my story is.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
To save a few dollars. I installed my own water
heater right and in so doing, I read the instructions
and one of the things that I remembered was the
water pressure. They recommend maximum eighty pounds per square inch
(14:20):
pressure in the water lines. Well, I installed the water
heater and I had the city come out and test
my pressure and it's up around eighty six eighty seven.
And I'm concerned about that. If what are the average
(14:42):
home water systems of piping and everything, how much more
than eighty can be tolerated. And what could I do
about it to lower that water pressure?
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Okay, great question, and kudos for reading the instr diductions John,
Good job, my friend.
Speaker 5 (15:03):
I learned how to read a long time ago.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
All right, So so so, so okay, first of all, okay,
water pressure around eighty five eighty six, you know you
don't have an emergency concern on your hand, okay, because
it's just you know, it's just it's just etching over
(15:30):
the the you know, the upper limit.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
However, you are right to address it. You should address
everybody should know this. This is why that's why I
take calls, all right, because not only am I gonna
answer John's question, but it should help everybody who's listening
understand a little bit more about their home. So, residential
water pressure should should ideally fall in the sixty to
(15:59):
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,
(16:20):
but above eighty psi and here's the key. Above eightypsi.
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
(16:41):
heck of a lot more pressure than that. But more
important than that is all of your appliances, the interior
guts of the washing machine and the dishwasher and water
based appliance is like your water here. None of them
are rated to have more than eighty psi sitting in
(17:05):
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. Uh
so I recommend sattin for the house just to bring
the pressure down. No, there are no such things. But
here's the simple it's a simple fix. Okay. Every home
(17:28):
has a pressure regulator on the mainline 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
(17:51):
the water lines enter the house. I'm not talking about
the meter out in the you know, on the uh
in the sidewalk out there in the little concrete. I'm
talking about the irrigation 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
(18:13):
don't have to have a pressure regulator on the irrigation
lines for your home because they don't hold pressure. They're
empty lines. You know, the sprinkler system is empty until
you activate it and then and then they fill up
with water and then they irrigate your house, and then
you turn them off and they drain out again. They
don't hold pressure twenty four seven three sixty five. But
(18:36):
the rest of the pipes inside your house do, always
standing water there under pressure. So the point being, pressure
regulators are not expensive in the long run of all,
you know, a lot less expensive than your water here.
We're talking about two or three hundred dollars at the most.
And if you don't if there isn't a union hook
(18:59):
up there to detach the existing one. If you don't
actually have one, then you need to get one. You
can find them at any plumbing supply place, find them
at the big box stores. Make sure they're sized right
to your line. And if you don't feel confident, like well,
how am I going to hook this up? Then yeah,
you call a plumber and stay listener. I need you
(19:20):
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
(19:43):
right now have a worn out pressure regulator. They wear out, okay,
over time 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.
Speaker 5 (20:04):
So everybody would be the lifespan of a regulator.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
You know, it's impossible for me to tell you, but
I will tell you this. I haven't seen many that
are over twenty twenty five years old that are still
doing their job. Okay, Oh, I don't know. You know,
I can't tell you that for certain. All I know
is that you know if you suspect that you've got
high pressure, and if you haven't ever checked the water
pressure on your house, you should. Most people, by the way,
(20:30):
can test this themselves because most homes. Most homes have
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're hooked up
to a hose out in the yard somewhere, it's very
(20:51):
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 pigot coming out of
the stucco or the siding on the house, that is
very likely part of the house water line system and
(21:12):
it's regulated. And a water pressure test valve I mean
gauge is like a ten dollars item at the hardware
store and its it screws on to 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
(21:34):
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 has a long,
healthy life.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
I did a good job on it for the first time.
And you know, there's another thing that.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
I learned that I think other people should be aware
of and these water heaters is the anode rod. Yes,
I'm thinking to change that every four years.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
It is not at all a bad idea, my friend.
You know what, when we come back from the break,
I'll mention that to everybody. People right now are like,
what the heck is an anode rod. We'll talk about
that on the other side of the break, but I've
got to go right now. John, Thank you for your call,
my friend. Good luck. It's no big deal. You're going
to get your pressure under control, bring it down to
(22:35):
about seventy PSI once that new regulator is in and
happy water, happy house, happy life. There you go, Thanks John.
All right, we'll be back with more of your calls. Hey, fine,
Jean Sharp the house whisper welcome home. We're taking calls
this morning. Let me give the number out. I went
(22:55):
a little long in the last segment here, so we're
going to make up for that now. But I'm going
to give the number out, and when we come back
from our top of the hour break, we will be
right back with the phones. The number to reach me
eight three three two. Ask Dean eight three three the
numeral two. Ask dean A three three two, Ask Dean.
(23:17):
If you're on the line right now, you hang in there.
I'm gonna get to you. And those of you who
haven't called yet, give me a call. A three three
two as dean. All right, very quickly. Because I promised
John that I was gonna talk about this, uh, and
I keep my promises. Uh. What is a water heater anode?
Speaker 3 (23:36):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (23:36):
People are like, oh great, just another thing to learn
about my house. No, no, no, it's fine, it's fine. Yes,
every water heater has an anode, and technically it's referred
to as a sacrificial anode. It is a metal bar
that is hanging inside your water heater. You can access
it from the top of the water heater. If you've
(23:56):
ever looked on the top of your water heater. There's
on the flat part at the top of the tank.
This is for tanked water heaters, not tankless. If you
look at the top, there's a big nut up there
and it looks like wow, what would ever happen if
I unscrewed that thing, Well, you would find that that
is attached to the sacrificial anode. And what does it do?
(24:17):
It's very very simple. The inside of your water heater
tank is made out of steel, and steel is subject
to all sorts of corrosive elements that are found in water.
In other words, eventually your water heater will rust out
and corrode because of minerals in the water. And what
the sacrificial anode does is it sacrifices itself to those
(24:42):
minerals so those minerals don't have to cling to the tank.
And it does it very simply. Sacrificial anodes are usually
made out of magnesium or aluminum, and they are a
softer metal and they attract those corrosive elements in the water,
and the corrosive eye in the water, they are literally
attracted to them first. So while the anode is there,
(25:06):
all of those elements in the water are going to
it corroding it. That's why it's called the sacrificial anode
and not clinging to the tank of your water heater.
When the sacrificial anode is fully sacrificed, meaning when it's
literally been corroded away, then those elements, those corrosive elements
(25:28):
will start attacking the steel tank. And depending on the
hardness of your water and the condition the mineral content
in your water, sacrificial anodes should be checked and replaced,
well replaced. They should be checked every couple three years.
In my opinion. They should be opened up and checked
to see if they are still there, and quite often
(25:51):
will undo that expecting to find you know, it starts
out as like a three or four foot rod. You know,
if we find two feet of it left, that it's great.
But quite often we open it up and find just
the nub on the inside. The rod is gone. It's
been ten years and there's no more rod. Fortunately, they're
inexpensive and they're easy to replace. And so there you go.
(26:14):
The more you know, all right, more of your calls.
When we return. You are listening to Dean Sharp, the
House Whisperer on KFI.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty
KF I AM six forty. You're listening to Dean Sharp
The House Whisper on demand on the iHeart Radio app.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
AM I Am six forty and live streaming.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
In HD everywhere on the iHeart Radio app. Welcome home,
my friend. I am Dean Sharp the House Whisper. I
design custom homes. I build a few custom homes. And
today and this weekend, most importantly, I am your guide
to better understanding that place where you live. Today on
(00:37):
the show, oh you know what we're gonna do today,
we're taking calls. It's an all calls weekend. I'm calling it.
I'm calling it because we have spent the last eight
years talking about fires. No, that's a little extreme, but
it's been it's been a few weeks, has it not
(00:58):
here in southern California, and we have all it's been
all hands on deck talking about information that you need
in regarding the wildfire events here in southern California. And
of course they're not over, and of course the devastation
that they've left in their path is far from over,
(01:22):
is just beginning in its implications, and of course our
hearts continue to go out to the tens of thousands
of people who have been affected by these fires and
all that that entails, and rest assured. In the weeks ahead,
we will be continuing to address these issues at the
(01:46):
appropriate moments and to help you. If you have been
victimized by these fires or are looking to make sure
that your home is not victimized by future fires, We're here.
I am here to help you through all of that.
But this morning, this morning, and tomorrow, let's just take
(02:08):
a breath. The wind events have come to a close
for now. There's no foreseeable wind events in the future.
The major fires that have been threatening us, we have definitely,
without question, turned a corner on them. Quick update on
that status. The Palisades Fire has not gained any ground
(02:32):
in days and days and days. It is currently seventy
nine percent contained the Palisades Fire, and that is really
really good news. The Eaten fire out in Altadena ninety
five percent contained as of this morning, again having not
gained any ground in the several days. The Hues fire
(02:55):
out by the Lake Castake is eighty seven percent contained.
And of course there are a couple other fires on
the map. Technically, the Lagunafire, which sprung up in the
camer Rillo area already ninety percent contained, no wind events
(03:15):
in the immediate future, cold weather starting in here for
southern California at least, weather in the forties and fifties,
and rain rain on the way. So what does that
mean for us? It means that we're just going to
take a breath, that's all. And I want to take
a breath with you. And of course if you want
(03:36):
to talk about fire related things, absolutely, but also anything
else regarding your home design, construction, DIY concerns, whatever the
case may be. The number to reach me eight three
three two, Ask Dean eight three three. The numeral two
(03:56):
Ask Dean eight three three two Ask Dean. Producer Richie
is standing by. The phone lines are open. He is
ready to take your calls. So give me a call.
Let's talk. Let's let's fill the morning up with with
uh as as just as much deep breath as we can,
(04:18):
because you know what, we've earned it, you have absolutely
earned it. Here is our awesome team. Sam is on
the board. Good morning, dam Good morning Dean. How's it going, brother? Good?
You got our our not filled live studio audience under
control there. It's really hard to wrangle them in, but
we're doing our best. Sounds good, sounds good. I'm sorry, babe,
(04:45):
what what was that? Oh? You need volume? Okay, all right,
all right, I got you, I got you. Boom. Eileen
Gonzalez at the news desk. Good morning, Eileen, Good morning, sunshine.
How's it going good? Good? You know what? Just feel
I'm a little relaxed. It's gonna be a relaxing morning,
I hope here, and we're gonna have as much fun
(05:05):
as we can here on the program. And it's just
gonna be Uh, it's gonna be good. I hope it
stays cloudy and the rain comes as soon as possible.
I'm looking forward to that rain for sure. Yes, thunderstorms tomorrow.
Oh that would be. That would be glorious. Yeah. I'm
from Texas. I love thunderstorms. Thunder uh. Sitting across the
(05:27):
table from me, my better half, my does that look
at her? Good Lord, my best friend in all the world.
Tina is here. Welcome home. I turned your mic on.
I know that was the last minute thing. I'm like, well, wait,
you have a beagle with you. Do you have a
(05:48):
cup of coffee?
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Yep?
Speaker 1 (05:49):
I have my coffee. All right, y'all, here's the thing. Yeah,
you know, if you just want to hear me yack
all morning, then that's fine. But it's time to pour
yourself a cup of coffee and dial that phone. Let's
talk about your house. Eight three three two Ask Dean.
There are zero calls on the board right now. By
(06:12):
the time we come back from the break. Let's hope
that we've got some I've got things to talk about.
Of course when do I not? But I'd much rather
talk to you about your home now. Is your shot,
especially after all of this time that we've spent on
fire coverage, and the fact that it's Saturday morning and
(06:32):
that it's early. Traffic is very light here on the
phone waves. Oh, there's one call coming in, but there
is room for you. Eight three three two ask Dean.
We're gonna get to it, can't by Dean Shark the
house whisper. Hey, whether your home is a condo, a cottage,
or a castle, it matters not. I am here to
(06:56):
help you take it to the next level. We're taking
calls this morning. Just I hope you have a warm
beverage near you. I hope you are warm and comfortable
on this dark, cool Saturday morning here in southern California
or wherever you are listening to us from, and we
(07:16):
are just taking a breather from all of the trials
and tribulations and just taking calls as we do from
time to time. The number to reach me eight three
three two. Ask Dean eight three three the numeral two,
and then you just spell out ask Dean eight three
three to ask Dean. Phone lines are open. Producer Richie
(07:38):
standing by anxious. He is so anxious to take your call.
All right, let's go to the phones. I want to
talk to Richard. Hey, Richard, welcome home, Good morning.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
I just had a question on whether the foundations that
are left after a home fire can be reused.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
That is a really really good question. Is that just
a curiosity or do you have a foundation that is
in question yourself?
Speaker 4 (08:13):
It's a curiosity professional and personal.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
So okay, I got you. Well, there are always exceptions
to every rule, so I'll just start by saying that,
and there is a I'm sure there are a handful
of foundations out there that might be salvaged from this disaster,
(08:40):
even though the house above them was burnt to the ground. However,
I think the proper expectation is that to know the
foundations underneath the house when it has burnt to the ground,
especially in a mass fire event like this, are very
(09:02):
very likely not going to be saved. And there's a
couple of reasons why. Number one, there is no it's
not it has nothing to do with the fact that
that you know, they didn't catch on fire. But if
you take a look at concrete, concrete is actually not
affected by flame per se, but concrete is affected by
(09:26):
high heat. And when an entire house is burning to
the point where it's all coming down, the heat inside
that zone is intense. You know, fifteen hundred degrees plus
is easily easily achieved. And when you think about the
components of concrete, concrete is a is a recipe. It
(09:51):
is a cement that is the actual you know, adhesive
binder in concrete cement portland cement. And then you've got
large aggregates like gravel three quarter inch gravel and sand
and it's the sand inside the concrete that at high
(10:14):
temperatures turns to glass. As we all know, if you
melt sand down, you can turn it to glass. So
there is a there's a process that when concrete is
exposed to extreme heat in which the concrete actually becomes siliconized.
It actually, even though it looks the same as it
did before, it has actually changed its chemical structure and
(10:39):
it's become more brittle. The sand, which originally was a
fine aggregate inside the cement, is now a glassy component
inside the cement. So that's one reason why a lot
of the foundations, most I would say, of the foundations
in the houses that are burnt down, are not going
(10:59):
to be reused. And the second reason is that under
again that high heat any lines of value that are
running underneath that concrete, like plastic abs, drain lines coming
off of toilets and sinks and so on, any electrical lines,
even though the conduits themselves probably were unaffected, but those
(11:24):
conduits heat up, the conductors inside those conduits will absolutely
have to be tested and replaced. And the chances are
the damage of the lines that are running underneath the
slab are such that we'd have to even if the
slab was in perfect shape, we'd have to saw cut
the slab open in order to run new lines, or
(11:46):
you know, we wouldn't be yanking out the old ones,
we'd just be running new lines. And by the time
we have dealt with the fact that the slab has
changed its chemical composition somewhat, and we've got to make
a lot of saw cuts in it in order to
get new drain lines or pull old ones out of
the way. Now we've pretty much messed up this slab
(12:08):
in extreme So that's why I'm saying, by and large,
it will be more cost effective and wiser from a
structural perspective to just pull most of those slabs, scrape
the lot, and restart from new. Does that help understand
the situation?
Speaker 4 (12:27):
Certainly?
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Guys? All right, Richard, thank you for your call, Sir,
appreciate it. First call of the day. Fire question. But
you know what, a very very pertinent one, very very pertinent,
because a lot of people are like, well, at least
we've got the slab. Oh, I wish I could tell
you that was the case. I wish I could. All Right, y'all, listen,
we've got some calls on the board. There's still room
(12:49):
for you eight three three two ask Dean. We will
get back to our all calls Saturday morning.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Can't Fine AM sixty Live streaming in H to D
everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. Deans Sharp the House whisper
here for you on this chilly Saturday morning here in
southern California. I hope you are warm and comfortable wherever
you are across this great nation of ours as you
(13:26):
listen to our program. Thanks for joining us here on
the program. We are just taking a breather from all
of the craziness and just enjoying each other's company. This morning,
I'm taking calls and I want to get back to
the phones as quickly as I can. Let's talk to John. Hey, John,
(13:47):
welcome home.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
Good morning Dan.
Speaker 5 (13:52):
I'm calling you from San Diego, and my story is.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
To save a few dollars. I installed my own water
heater right and in so doing, I read the instructions
and one of the things that I remembered was the
water pressure. They recommend maximum eighty pounds per square inch
(14:20):
pressure in the water lines. Well, I installed the water
heater and I had the city come out and test
my pressure and it's up around eighty six eighty seven.
And I'm concerned about that. If what are the average
(14:42):
home water systems of piping and everything, how much more
than eighty can be tolerated. And what could I do
about it to lower that water pressure?
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Okay, great question, and kudos for reading the instr diductions John,
Good job, my friend.
Speaker 5 (15:03):
I learned how to read a long time ago.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
All right, So so so, so okay, first of all, okay,
water pressure around eighty five eighty six, you know you
don't have an emergency concern on your hand, okay, because
it's just you know, it's just it's just etching over
(15:30):
the the you know, the upper limit.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
However, you are right to address it. You should address
everybody should know this. This is why that's why I
take calls, all right, because not only am I gonna
answer John's question, but it should help everybody who's listening
understand a little bit more about their home. So, residential
water pressure should should ideally fall in the sixty to
(15:59):
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,
(16:20):
but above eighty psi and here's the key. Above eightypsi.
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
(16:41):
heck of a lot more pressure than that. But more
important than that is all of your appliances, the interior
guts of the washing machine and the dishwasher and water
based appliance is like your water here. None of them
are rated to have more than eighty psi sitting in
(17:05):
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. Uh
so I recommend sattin for the house just to bring
the pressure down. No, there are no such things. But
here's the simple it's a simple fix. Okay. Every home
(17:28):
has a pressure regulator on the mainline 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
(17:51):
the water lines enter the house. I'm not talking about
the meter out in the you know, on the uh
in the sidewalk out there in the little concrete. I'm
talking about the irrigation 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
(18:13):
don't have to have a pressure regulator on the irrigation
lines for your home because they don't hold pressure. They're
empty lines. You know, the sprinkler system is empty until
you activate it and then and then they fill up
with water and then they irrigate your house, and then
you turn them off and they drain out again. They
don't hold pressure twenty four seven three sixty five. But
(18:36):
the rest of the pipes inside your house do, always
standing water there under pressure. So the point being, pressure
regulators are not expensive in the long run of all,
you know, a lot less expensive than your water here.
We're talking about two or three hundred dollars at the most.
And if you don't if there isn't a union hook
(18:59):
up there to detach the existing one. If you don't
actually have one, then you need to get one. You
can find them at any plumbing supply place, find them
at the big box stores. Make sure they're sized right
to your line. And if you don't feel confident, like well,
how am I going to hook this up? Then yeah,
you call a plumber and stay listener. I need you
(19:20):
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
(19:43):
right now have a worn out pressure regulator. They wear out, okay,
over time 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.
Speaker 5 (20:04):
So everybody would be the lifespan of a regulator.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
You know, it's impossible for me to tell you, but
I will tell you this. I haven't seen many that
are over twenty twenty five years old that are still
doing their job. Okay, Oh, I don't know. You know,
I can't tell you that for certain. All I know
is that you know if you suspect that you've got
high pressure, and if you haven't ever checked the water
pressure on your house, you should. Most people, by the way,
(20:30):
can test this themselves because most homes. Most homes have
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're hooked up
to a hose out in the yard somewhere, it's very
(20:51):
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 pigot coming out of
the stucco or the siding on the house, that is
very likely part of the house water line system and
(21:12):
it's regulated. And a water pressure test valve I mean
gauge is like a ten dollars item at the hardware
store and its it screws on to 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
(21:34):
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 has a long,
healthy life.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
I did a good job on it for the first time.
And you know, there's another thing that.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
I learned that I think other people should be aware
of and these water heaters is the anode rod. Yes,
I'm thinking to change that every four years.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
It is not at all a bad idea, my friend.
You know what, when we come back from the break,
I'll mention that to everybody. People right now are like,
what the heck is an anode rod. We'll talk about
that on the other side of the break, but I've
got to go right now. John, Thank you for your call,
my friend. Good luck. It's no big deal. You're going
to get your pressure under control, bring it down to
(22:35):
about seventy PSI once that new regulator is in and
happy water, happy house, happy life. There you go, Thanks John.
All right, we'll be back with more of your calls. Hey, fine,
Jean Sharp the house whisper welcome home. We're taking calls
this morning. Let me give the number out. I went
(22:55):
a little long in the last segment here, so we're
going to make up for that now. But I'm going
to give the number out, and when we come back
from our top of the hour break, we will be
right back with the phones. The number to reach me
eight three three two. Ask Dean eight three three the
numeral two. Ask dean A three three two, Ask Dean.
(23:17):
If you're on the line right now, you hang in there.
I'm gonna get to you. And those of you who
haven't called yet, give me a call. A three three
two as dean. All right, very quickly. Because I promised
John that I was gonna talk about this, uh, and
I keep my promises. Uh. What is a water heater anode?
Speaker 3 (23:36):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (23:36):
People are like, oh great, just another thing to learn
about my house. No, no, no, it's fine, it's fine. Yes,
every water heater has an anode, and technically it's referred
to as a sacrificial anode. It is a metal bar
that is hanging inside your water heater. You can access
it from the top of the water heater. If you've
(23:56):
ever looked on the top of your water heater. There's
on the flat part at the top of the tank.
This is for tanked water heaters, not tankless. If you
look at the top, there's a big nut up there
and it looks like wow, what would ever happen if
I unscrewed that thing, Well, you would find that that
is attached to the sacrificial anode. And what does it do?
(24:17):
It's very very simple. The inside of your water heater
tank is made out of steel, and steel is subject
to all sorts of corrosive elements that are found in water.
In other words, eventually your water heater will rust out
and corrode because of minerals in the water. And what
the sacrificial anode does is it sacrifices itself to those
(24:42):
minerals so those minerals don't have to cling to the tank.
And it does it very simply. Sacrificial anodes are usually
made out of magnesium or aluminum, and they are a
softer metal and they attract those corrosive elements in the water,
and the corrosive eye in the water, they are literally
attracted to them first. So while the anode is there,
(25:06):
all of those elements in the water are going to
it corroding it. That's why it's called the sacrificial anode
and not clinging to the tank of your water heater.
When the sacrificial anode is fully sacrificed, meaning when it's
literally been corroded away, then those elements, those corrosive elements
(25:28):
will start attacking the steel tank. And depending on the
hardness of your water and the condition the mineral content
in your water, sacrificial anodes should be checked and replaced,
well replaced. They should be checked every couple three years.
In my opinion. They should be opened up and checked
to see if they are still there, and quite often
(25:51):
will undo that expecting to find you know, it starts
out as like a three or four foot rod. You know,
if we find two feet of it left, that it's great.
But quite often we open it up and find just
the nub on the inside. The rod is gone. It's
been ten years and there's no more rod. Fortunately, they're
inexpensive and they're easy to replace. And so there you go.
(26:14):
The more you know, all right, more of your calls.
When we return. You are listening to Dean Sharp, the
House Whisperer on KFI.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty
Home with Dean Sharp News
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