About the area
Where El Porto sits
Wikipedia places El Porto between 38th Street and the El Segundo border at 45th Street, with Highland Avenue as its main street and El Porto State Beach on the west. Crest Drive runs along the Chevron refinery fence on the east. North of 45th Street, Highland turns into Vista del Mar Boulevard.
George Peck subdivided the land in 1911, with lots measuring 30 by 90 feet that sit between a street and an alley. Manhattan Beach annexed the area in November 1980. That layout still shapes how crews reach a building today.
What the housing looks like
City-Data's estimates, based on census data, count about 1,070 housing units in El Porto. Only about 21 percent are detached houses. Roughly 46 percent sit in two-unit buildings and about 19 percent in buildings of three or four units. Treat these as approximate, since the neighborhood is only about 0.15 square miles.
The California Plumbing Code is the standard a repair is measured against. That mix is why we ask different questions here. A duplex can share a wall, a water line or a drain stack, so a problem in one unit can show up in the other.
What helps when you call from a small building
Say which unit
Give the unit, the street number and whether the entrance is on the street or the alley. The alley side is common here.
Find the shutoffs
Some buildings have one main for every unit, and some have a valve per unit. If you do not know, tell dispatch before touching anything.
Landlord or tenant
Say who you are. If you rent, send the landlord's name and number so the visit can be approved quickly.
Mention the neighbor
Water coming through a ceiling or a wall tells us the source may be next door. Photos of the stain help.
Problem in an El Porto duplex or rental?
Call, give the unit and the street, and tell us whether the water is still running.
Jobs that suit small multi-unit buildings
- A backup that affects more than one unit.
Two units draining slowly can mean a shared line. See drain cleaning, and sewer camera inspection when the cause is unclear.
- A water leak you cannot trace.
A stain on a ceiling or a meter that moves after fixtures are off calls for leak detection.
- A shared water heater.
One tank serving several units is a water heater repair first, and a replacement if it has failed.
- A pipe that has let go.
See burst pipe repair, and close the valve for the affected unit first.
Address tip
Give the street address, not just the ZIP
City-Data lists ZIP codes 90245 and 90266 for El Porto. The 90245 ZIP is also El Segundo's, but El Porto is inside Manhattan Beach. A shared ZIP does not put two places in the same city, so we go by the street address.
If your mail shows El Segundo, tell dispatch that the house is in Manhattan Beach's El Porto. It avoids sending someone to the wrong side of 45th Street. For the town to the north, see plumbing in El Segundo. For utilities at a specific address, ask the City, because we make no claim about particular streets.
Sources: Wikipedia, El Porto, Daily Breeze, El Porto retains its own identity, City-Data, El Porto profile
On the map
El Porto in Manhattan Beach
FAQs
El Porto plumbing questions
El Porto is part of Manhattan Beach. Manhattan Beach annexed it in November 1980. Its northern edge at 45th Street meets El Segundo, and some addresses carry the 90245 ZIP, so go by the street address when you call.
It can. Buildings of two to four units can share a wall, a stack or a water line. If water shows on a ceiling or a shared wall, tell us and send photos of both sides if you can.
You can call to describe the problem. Many leases require the landlord's approval before work, so tell us who the landlord is and we will ask for the number we need.
It depends on the building. Some have one main for all units, and some have a valve for each unit. If you cannot find either, tell dispatch before you try to force a valve.
Lots here sit between a street and an alley, so tell us which side has the entrance. That decides where the crew parks and how they get tools to the door.
Back to Manhattan Beach plumbing and the nearby towns we serve.