One of the jobs our plumbers do is whole-house repiping. This is a major undertaking because it removes all the old pipes in a house and replaces them with new material. This is the best way to upgrade an older home with deteriorating older pipes made from cast iron or galvanized steel. Once these pipes are replaced with copper and plastic pipes, the home will enjoy a better plumbing system overall.
But there are steps you can take now that will help your home’s pipes live longer and put replacements far in the future. Some are simple habits. Others require working with a professional plumber. Count on us for whatever plumbing assistance you need.
Keep store-bought drain cleaners out of the drains
The most harm a homeowner can inflict on their own plumbing—and which many unfortunately do on a regular basis—is pouring bottles of chemical drain cleaners down clogged or slow drains. These products don’t “clean” drains in any meaningful sense; they’re mixtures of acidic chemicals that eat through blockages. They also eat through pipe material! The residue from these chemicals can remain in pipes long after they’re used, causing continual damage. Please call professionals for drain unclogging if you need it and leave these bottles of acid on the store shelves.
Schedule regular drain cleaning each year
Let’s talk about real drain cleaning. You can call a professional plumber to arrange for this service. The plumber uses tools such as hydro-jetters to applying powerful scouring to the interior of drains. This removes most debris along the walls without damaging the pipes. When you have pipes easily transport waste out of the house, the pipes will suffer less wear. You’ll enjoy fewer clogs as well.
Adjust high water pressure
Low water pressure is annoying, and most homeowners will call a plumber for assistance when they notice it. But high water pressure is also a problem, even if it may not seem like one. High water pressure damages pipes, specially at connection points, and creates leaks. It can also cause damage to appliances connected to the plumbing system. A plumber can test your household water pressure. If the pressure is more than 85 psi, that’s too high. Ask your plumber to install a pressure regulator onto the water main to lower the water pressure to a safe level.
Never procrastinate on leak repair
We often say there’s no such thing as a “minor” leak—and this is a good example. A small leak will start to create a larger leak, and over time you’ll end up with a much worse problem. The wear on the pipes increases until you aren’t looking at fixing a leak, but an extensive pipe replacement. At the first warning signs of a leak (such as stains appearing on the walls or ceiling) call a plumber for leak detection and repairs.
When you do need plumbing repairs in Colton, CA, whether to replace a few pipes or to perform whole-house repiping, we’re the local professionals to call. We’ve been family-owned since 1947, and we promise never to leave a job until a customer is 100% satisfied.
Like our shoe covers, our customers are the coolest! Call A-Avis Home Services Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. for your HVAC needs!