It’s usually not a good day if you have to call a plumber. Indoor plumbing is one of the great luxuries of the modern age, and perhaps the most taken for granted. When it goes wrong no one can stay in a good mood. Whether it’s replacing your water heater, a clogged drain, or even looking into sewer replacements, a call to the plumber may not be something you look forward to but is absolutely necessary.
Can I Call a Plumber to Fix This Problem?
It’s a good idea to get plumbing problems fixed as soon as you notice them. Water troubles have a tendency to worsen over time, probably because our homes are designed to have water pooling only in designated areas. Here are the three most common problems plumbers fix.
Clogged Drains: A Gross Job, But Someone’s Gotta Do It.
You know what it means when the bathroom sink has slow drainage, or if the water begins to pool on the floor of the shower. You’re going to need a plumber to take a sewer snake to the drain to remove the source of the clogging. While drain cleaning is one aspect of problems in the bathroom pipes, it is a slower and less obvious problem that can cost you money.
Leaky faucets may only drip a few drops at a time, but that water will quickly add up over a week, a month, and a year. It is estimated that even one drop each second can add up to more than 3,000 gallons over the course of a year. Some homeowners have found that they can save up to 10% off of their water bill just by getting small leaks fixed. A small adjustment to a faucet or the pipes under the sink is much easier, and less expensive, than sewer replacements so it pays to get this problem checked out.
Replacing Your Old Hot Water Tank: Have You Thought About a Tankless Unit?
It is important to note that a tankless water heater is not a miracle worker. Water may not be delivered to the faucet faster, in fact hot water may take a little longer to be delivered than you are used to. The perk of the tankless water heater is that you don’t have a big tank of water just sitting around in the garage or a storage cabinet. A tankless heater also does not rely on a pilot light or gas to keep it hot. Some homeowners may have seen a difference in their monthly heating bills after having the new tank installed.
Sewer Replacements: Yes, You Might Need That Hole in the Ground.
You may not be aware, but homes built before the 1970s where not built with quality sewer lines. Very often, contractors used Orangeburg, a pipe made of wood pulp and resin. As you might suppose, this compound does not hold up well over time, and is no match for wandering tree roots. Sewer replacements are a usually a good idea for homes over 40 years old.
Sewer replacements are expensive. Professionals will need to complete an assessment, dig down to get to the pipes, do the repair work, and then refill the hole. You may need to spend some money on landscaping the area. The process may add up to as much as a renovation. But the alternative is improperly working pipes. Your plumber will be able to make a suggestion for how to proceed with the process if your home needs pipe repair.
Plumbing issues are the least glamorous home improvement job. But we love our indoor plumbing. If you have a leaky faucet or two, it pays to have it fixed. If your hot water heater is ancient, perhaps a new tankless water heater could be a good replacement which might save you money over time. But if your pipes need to be replaced, you’ll want to make the investment to have them switched out. It will be an expense, but the alternative is an eventual breaking down of your indoor plumbing. Don’t say goodbye to hot showers. Call a plumber about your plumbing issues when they occur.
