Most of your home’s plumbing is hidden from view, so many homeowners don’t really think about how it all works together, and what affects the flow of water and waste. They also may not think about how plumbing systems age, and when maintenance, repair, and replacement can be a timely preventive strategy to avoid leaks, emergency calls, and cleanup. At Craig’s Plumbing of Henderson, NV, we have decades of experience working on area homes and businesses, and we know what to expect as time passes. Part of our skill as plumbers is taking the whole home as a single picture, and recognizing when problems in one area, such as drain pipes between floors, can affect another area, such as sink backups. The same goes for recognizing that leaks in different areas of the house may not be a coincidence, especially if you have cast iron pipes of a certain age. If you want to get ahead of your home’s plumbing needs, we’re the plumbers to call to make sure the job is done correctly and safely.
Water Supply and the Pipes in Your Walls
From the city supply running down the street to the pipes in your home to all your sinks, showers, and toilets, everything is under pressure. Usually, the pressure is in the right range for your home, providing nice showers but not damaging your appliances. If for some reason your supply is higher than normal, you’ll have a pressure regulator on the way that will need servicing every few years. From there, you may have a water softener or filter system, improving your water quality for drinking, but also helping to avoid the problems with soap and shampoo that hard water can produce. Hard water also causes increased corrosion in your pipes and appliances, shortening their lifespan. When the pipes in the walls begin to corrode or break down, usually after decades of service, it’s important to tend to them quickly before costly leaks appear, requiring locating and repair, then additional repairs to walls and ceilings.
Drain Pipes from Your Sinks and Toilets, and Your Sewer Pipe
Drain pipes use gravity to allow your wastewater and the material it contains to make the trip from upstairs down to the basement and out the sewer line. As you can imagine, these pipes get pretty messy inside over the years and can get significantly constricted over time with accumulated waste and other materials. The slower the water flows, too, the less force it has to keep everything moving down and out, and further accumulations and clogs can happen. You may notice that you’re getting more frequent sink clogs and toilet backups over time, and the pipe restrictions could be why. If you have emergency plumber calls, some of the clogs will be addressed to get the flow going better.
Slow sinks in several locations could indicate issues in the main drain pipes. A drain cleaning service performed once a year or so can restore your pipes back to full inside diameter and get things flowing fast. The plumbing service performing this service will also usually perform a video inspection to identify clogs in the line and their location, and at the same time, you’ll get information about the state of your pipes. Like the water supply pipes, some types can decay or corrode and wear out, leading to the risk of unsanitary leaks. Corrosion also encourages material to cling to its rough surface on the inside of your drain pipes. Drain cleaning service often uses high-powered water to flush out the lines, but if there are signs of pipe trouble, the plumber will be extra careful not to damage the pipes.
Sewer pipes can be cleaned by the plumber just as the rest of the home’s drain pipes were. A quick inspection by video camera will determine what kinds of clogs exist in the sewer pipe, and they can be quite big from accumulated flushed material and other matter over time. Hydro-jetting blasts are excellent for removing these large clogs. If video inspection indicates that the pipe is damaged, however, it is probably time for repair or replacement. In the past, damaged sewer lines were always replaced in an elaborate process including digging the length of the pipe and rerouting traffic around workers as they connect the new one to the city sewer. Now, in many cases the process can be simplified, leading to an easier pipe replacement, relining, or even just a repair, all of which have life expectancies close to that of a pipe replacement.
Water Softening and Heating Equipment
If your plumber visits for a brief maintenance tour of your water softener, filter, and hot water heater equipment, it will help these devices to last longer. The plumber will clean them out if needed, and replenish consumables. Even the hot water heater has a consumable, the anode rod, which sacrifices itself to keep the water from corroding the tank. A check of the pressure relief valve is a good idea, too.
Scheduling Maintenance and Repairs to Avoid Trouble
This tour of your home’s basic plumbing gives an idea of how a plumber sees your home’s pipes and equipment. Each lasts a particular amount of time, subject to maintenance, water quality, use, and other factors. Rather than waiting for problems to arise and calling for emergency help, it’s usually possible to plan repairs and replacements on a reasonable schedule and keep your life in order.
Whole-House Plumbing Experts in Henderson, NV
When you need a Henderson, NV plumber who’s thinking about the big picture, Craig’s Plumbing is the one to talk to. We fix your emergency leaks, overflows, and water loss, and we’re also here for you when it’s clear your home needs some general plumbing attention. We are clear when we explain what we find is wrong, and straightforward about the cost. Give us a call or your urgent repair needs, and get to know us with an appointment for your general plumbing care.
