A homeowner's handbook · inland North County San Diego
Water and Plumbing in North County San Diego
North County plumbing and water, set out as a homeowner's handbook: seven numbered chapters on the hard water, hillside pressure, leaks, backflow tests, water heaters, watering rules, wildfire and wells of houses in inland North County San Diego.
Revised · 7 chapters · 26 sections · glossary · index · each figure traced to the district, code or agency that published it
How to use this handbook
Begin with chapter 1, Start here, which holds the figures that shape local water in §1.1 and the checks worth doing in a new-to-you house in §1.2. After that, go straight to the chapter for the job in front of you. Each section opens with a one-paragraph summary, then numbered steps or tables, notes in the margin and a list of the district reports, code sections and agency pages it was checked against.
Words with a dotted underline are defined in the glossary, and the index finds a topic by name when you don't know which chapter holds it.
Contents
1 Start here
The figures that shape local water, and the checks to make in a house that is new to you.
2 Hard water
Hardness by district, who supplies your tap, softeners, and chloramine and carbon filters.
3 Water pressure
Why hillside houses see high pressure, the 80 psi limit, regulators, expansion tanks and the gauge test.
4 Leaks and repairs
Meter tests, toilet and faucet leaks, slab leaks, the main shutoff and hiring a licensed plumber.
5 Irrigation and backflow
Yearly backflow tests by district, watering slopes and groves, and the rebates on offer.
6 Water heaters
Scale in hard water, the 120°F setting and the relief valve, earthquake straps and replacement permits.
7 Drought, wildfire and wells
Watering rules by district, water and wildfire preparation, and testing a private well.