PLUMBING
For more than two decades, Ability Plumbing Service and Repair has served homes across San Diego County with expert, reliable plumbing solutions. Founder, Owner, and CEO Michael Sottile leads a team of skilled plumbers that provide exceptional workmanship in each and every one of their jobs. This family owned business is more than just a plumbing business, though. It’s a family owned, community centered passion project built on stories of perseverance, fueled by the purpose of helping others, and rooted in core values of faith.
PERSERVERENCE
Michael is a high school dropout, though his story is not exactly the one you might expect. In about the 9th grade, he knew quickly that high school was not going to be for him. The way education was structured at the time – sit down, be quiet, pay attention — did not pair well with his boundless energy and desire to be busy with hands-on work. “8 hours of school every day just didn’t fill my soul,” says Michael. Instead, he began working at Italian family restaurants when he was 14. Soon after, he connected with a family member in the construction plumbing business. It was then that he began learning the plumbing trade during by day while continuing to work at restaurants by night.
Michael shares that his family wasn’t exactly poor growing up, but they were working hard to support 5 kids, one of which had special needs. One day he was picked on at school for his off-brand shoes. When he went to his mother later that evening to ask for new ones, she said something he will never forget: “Honey, your father and I can provide what we can provide for you, but you can go get whatever you want in life. You can go get those shoes, you just have to work for it.“
So he did. He began knocking on neighbor’s doors, asking them to pull their weeds, take out their trash, and paint their fences for cash. Soon, Michael could buy whatever pair of shoes he wanted. Since then, he has been an aspiring business owner and an endlessly hard worker, learning more from his mothers advice and his own perseverance, dedication, and gusto than he had ever been able to learn in the traditional structure of the school classroom.
In his 40’s, Michael ran into one of his old teachers. When she told him that he had been “her biggest pain in the butt,” in school, he told her about his self-taught skills and his successful multimillion dollar business. The lesson? There is no one way to be successful. You get out of life what you put into it. If you put nothing, you will get nothing. Michael says that’s why it’s better to try and fail than to never try at all. You can be anything as long as you work hard and put your mind to it.
FAITH
Ability Plumbing’s core values are rooted in faith. Literally. That’s F.A.I.T.H. Here’s what we mean:
F - Family
A - Assurance
I - Integrity
T - Trust
H - Honor
Family: From employees to customers, Ability Plumbing strives to treat every family they meet as if they were their own. Assurance: Staff members provide customers with informed guidance and helpful options to choose from so they can make the best decisions possible. Integrity: from start to finish, Ability’s plumbers always complete jobs thoroughly and honestly. Trust: They build trust by doing quality work, doing what’s right, and always doing what they say they are going to do. And finally, Honor: When all of these things happen, the Ability Plumbing team can walk away from their finished projects with a sense of honor and pride in their work.
HELPING OTHERS
One thing Michael loves about residential plumbing in particular is the opportunities where he sees someone in distress over a plumbing situation, is able to help calm the distress and fix the problem, then see them come out on the other side. Opposed to commercial plumbing where you don’t get to meet the people you are working for, this personal connection to helping people solve problems in their home motivates him.
Michael also takes the idea of “looking out for people” very seriously. He makes it a priority to take great care of Ability Plumbing’s employees and customers alike. While they may not be the cheapest company in town, they are a company that uses their income to support their staff members, their staff members' families, and community members any time and every time they can. Whether it is providing services to a community member struggling to make ends meet, supporting an employee's child with disabilities, helping employees afford medical care for their loved ones, or donating to local charities — when you work with Ability Plumbing you are part of that network of care.
Michael says, “When I was first starting out, I thought it was the money I was looking for. Then, the money came and the happiness didn’t. What I learned is that it’s helping other people that gives me my true fulfillment in life. I believe we are all here to uplift each other and encourage each other rather than lying in despair and confusion. The plumbing industry has helped evolve me into the person I was divinely created to be. I know it’s only going to get better from here.”
At the end of the day, Michael and the Ability Plumbing Team are more than just your average plumbing company. They have a rich story built on dedication to the craft, trusting in themselves and their community, and always doing the right thing. If that’s the kind of business you prefer to support, the Ability Plumbing team is the right one for you.
Practical Tips for Home Plumbing Maintenance
While plumbing maintenance isn’t always at the top of mind for most home owners, it is essential for planning for the future. Not only will these tips save you money in the long run, but also time, heartache, and the potential for a big mess.
- Set aside a fund for plumbing problems. It’s not a matter of if they will happen, it’s a matter of when. Having a plumbing emergency fund set aside will help you manage any disaster situations that arise unexpectedly.
- Get your water heater flushed. Doing this a minimum of once per year protects your family, home, and plumbing system from buildup, bacteria, algae, and other contaminants, while promoting the longevity of your water heater.
- Monitor your pressure regulator. Making sure the water pressure in your home is not too high and not too low will prevent long term damage to your fixtures. Water is strong enough to shape the Earth over time, so it is strong enough to shape (and damage) your plumbing components over time, too.
- Schedule regular checks with a trusted plumber. Once per year, have a plumber come to flush your water heater and perform a whole home safety inspection to help keep you ahead of the curve, keep your home safe for you and your family, and detect problems before they get serious.
These tips can help you prevent disastrous plumbing issues, prolong the lifespan of your plumbing fixtures, and give you peace of mind to sleep well knowing your home plumbing is well cared for.
“When I was first starting out, I thought it was the money I was looking for. Then, the money came and the happiness didn’t. What I learned is that it’s helping other people that gives me my true fulfillment in life."