7 Guides to Make Your Home’s Plumbing Seem Less Scary
Trying to understand your home’s plumbing may feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t need to be. And the best part is, it doesn’t take much to go from clueless to home plumbing aficionado. Instead of getting spooked by your home’s plumbing, use the 7 guides below to gain valuable knowledge and skills.
1. Smelly plumbing? Conquer common odors
Whether they come from the sink, toilet, shower or garbage disposal, plumbing odors can have you plugging your nose and searching for a solution. In What Smells? A Guide to Common Plumbing Odors, we cover everything from conquering sewer gas smell in the bathroom to what you should do when your tap water smells like sulfur. Instead of masking smells with scented sprays and candles, you can use the tips in our article for real solutions.
2. What historic home owners need to know
If your home was built decades ago, its plumbing looks a lot different than it would for a new construction home. With the unique challenges facing older homes, homeowners need to be prepared. The two guides below can help you solve the mysteries of your home’s plumbing and be on the lookout for age-related problems with pipes and fixtures.
Common problems with old plumbing
Historic charm is one of the main draws for homeowners looking to purchase an older home. But, that charm doesn’t apply to a home’s outdated plumbing. Rusty pipes, leaky fixtures, sketchy repair histories, and old technology are just a few of the headaches a historic home owner can expect to encounter. Instead of being surprised when problems pop up, you can prepare ahead of time with our guide to the 6 Plumbing Problems You May Encounter in an Older Home.
A guide to Orangeburg Pipes
If your home was built between the 1940s and the 1970s, your pipes may be a ticking time bomb. Orangeburg pipes are a sewer pipe commonly found in older homes, and they are prone to deterioration over time. In fact, Orangeburg pipes have a lifespan of no more than 50 years—meaning most homes with Orangeburg pipes have installations that are either already malfunctioning or about to malfunction.
A complete sewer line replacement is the only way to fully address Orangeburg pipe problems, but there are ways you can buy some time if a full replacement isn’t in your budget. By staying aware of the common problems associated with Orangeburg pipes, including slow drains and sewer smells, you can take steps to prepare for a full sewer line collapse. You’ll find everything you need to know about Orangeburg pipes in What Are Orangeburg Pipes? A Guide for Homeowners.
3. Common mistakes you might make on plumbing repairs
Tackling small plumbing jobs on your own can be a great way to save time and money—as long as you know what you’re doing. Common mistakes here and there can quickly turn small problems into big ones, even for the handiest homeowners. That’s why we put together a guide to Common Plumbing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. You’ll find information about everything you need to conquer small plumbing repairs, including what tools you need and how you can avoid common blunders like mismatching pipes, performing work without a permit, and not knowing when to call a professional.
4. What to do about low water pressure
There are few things more frustrating than getting into the shower or turning on the tab and encountering low water pressure. This common problem has causes that range from easy fixes to expensive headaches. The first step is to narrow down what’s happening, which you can do with the help of our guide, How to Troubleshoot Low Water Pressure in Your House.
If the water pressure is limited to the shower, there’s another set of solutions you can try. From blocked showerheads to water heater problems, we cover all that and more in Plumbing Frustrations: Water Pressure Dropping in the Shower.
5. Plumbing fixes homeowners need to know
You don’t need to be a skilled handyman to master basic plumbing fixes that can save you time and money and prevent damage to your home in the case of emergencies. We outlined the 3 Plumbing Fixes Every Homeowner Should Know: How to shut off the water, how to fix a dripping faucet, and how to clear clogs without a plunger.
6. Top questions you should be able to answer about your plumbing
You might not think much about the inner workings of your home’s plumbing system. But, “out of sight, out of mind” won’t get you far when problems or plumbing emergencies arise. After all, it’s always better to be in the know than to be caught off guard. Get yourself in the plumbing loop with our guide to the Top 4 Things to Know About Your Home’s Plumbing.
7. Hard water information and solutions
If you’ve ever scrubbed at stubborn soap scum or faced the frustrations of cloudy spots on dishware, you’ve dealt with the effects of hard water. Hard water is water with a high mineral content, and is measured in terms of GPG, or grains per gallon. A GPG value of 61 or higher indicates hard water. Central Arizona, including Phoenix, averages a GPG value of 61-120, indicating significantly hard water.
Along with inconveniences like soap scum, dry or itchy skin, and frizzy hair, hard water can cause problems with major appliances, like your water heater. For all things hard water, turn to our guide, Hard Water 101.
If you’re tired of hard water, water softening is a solution. You can learn about all the pros and cons of water softening in our guide, The Hard Truth About Water Softening.
Turn to Chas Roberts for all the plumbing knowledge you need
Whether you’re wondering how to safely unclog a drain or troubleshooting a recurring leak, we want to be your plumbing knowledge go-to. Our resource center is full of plumbing tips and how-tos, and our expert plumbers are available to assist with everything from repairs and maintenance to plumbing emergencies. Contact us to get started.
