Rentmeister Total Home Service Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Plumbing’

What Counts as a Plumbing Emergency?

Monday, February 6th, 2023

Professional plumber doing reparation in kitchen home.

You can’t predict when a plumbing emergency might pop up. That’s what makes it an emergency. But it is possible to watch for signs that you have plumbing issues and stay ahead of emergencies. Of course, it’s always possible that surprises will pop up. After all, a majority of your home’s plumbing isn’t visible because it’s inside your walls, ceilings, and in the foundation of your home.

And plumbing emergencies never happen at a convenient time. You may come home to find a leak that is out of control, or go to turn on your water and find out that it’s not working. If you need assistance with your plumbing in Salt Lake City, our team is here to help. In the meantime, you can read on to learn the difference between a plumbing emergency and a less serious plumbing problem.

Tags: Plumbing, Salt Lake City
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It’s Time to Call a Plumber When…

Monday, January 13th, 2020

There’s definitely something funky going on with your home’s plumbing system … but you’re not exactly sure if the problem you’re facing is substantial enough to call a plumber. You might feel like you’re alone in this gray area, but we meet many homeowners who are unsure about when to call us.

You don’t want to wait until it’s too late and you’re struggling to get your home back in shape. You always want to remain proactive with your plumbing. But we also understand how it can be hard to draw the line. That’s why we’ve compiled the best possible list for you below about when to reach out to us. If you need a plumber in Layton, UT, you can get in touch with the professionals on our team today. We’ll be out to your home in a flash to handle any problem you’re having.

Tags: Layton, Plumbing
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One Winter Plumbing Problem You Definitely Want to Avoid

Monday, October 8th, 2018

Our temperatures here in Salt Lake City get extremely cold in fall and winter. Although we’re still early in the fall season, temperatures are starting to cool off quickly. You can never be too prepared when it comes to your plumbing system, and one problem you definitely want to avoid this season is frozen pipes due to the cold weather. These are problems homeowners in the area are all too familiar with. If you need Salt Lake City, UT plumbing for either of these problems, our team at Rentmeister Total Home Service can help.

Tags: Burst Pipes, Frozen Pipes, Plumbing, Prevent Frozen Pipes, Salt Lake City
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Are You Ready for a New Water Heater?

Monday, May 7th, 2018

Water heaters are built for durability. They’re made to last even with the massive amount of demand placed on them daily. Routine maintenance and prompt repairs can extend the life or you water heater even more, but sooner or later the system won’t be able to keep up.

If your water heater is nearing the end of its lifespan, it’s a good idea to know about it beforehand so you can start making plans for a replacement system. Otherwise, you just might find yourself without hot water one morning. Nobody wants to face that bright and early in the morning. As experts in Bountiful, UT plumbing services, we’re happy to share with you some of the signs you should watch for that indicate you’re in need of a water heater replacement.

Tags: Bountiful, Plumbing, Water Heater Replacement, Water Heater Upgrade
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How Formicary Corrosion Affects the Pipes in Your Home

Monday, July 20th, 2015

As you’re probably already aware, the pipes in your home are largely made of copper. That is, as long as you have a home younger than 50 years or so. Copper pipes are used because of their resistance to things like oxidization. They can last quite a long time, if properly cared for. However, there is one thing that they are particularly vulnerable to: formicary corrosion. Read on to find out more about how this affects not only your plumbing, but possibly your air conditioning as well.

Tags: Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Salt Lake City
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Why You Should Consider Installing a Water Softener in Your Home

Monday, April 20th, 2015

Before the water that you use every day is piped into your home, it is put through a rigorous treatment procedure by the city. Harmful chemicals and minerals are removed, after which the clean water is piped into your home to be used. This treatment process, while effective for making your water safe to drink, is unfortunately ineffective at preventing one big problem: hard water. Let’s take a look at what hard water is, what it can do to your plumbing system, and how you can stop it.

Tags: Hard Water, Plumbing, Water Softeners
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Do I Need to Schedule Whole-House Repiping?

Monday, April 6th, 2015

The material of the pipes in home plumbing has undergone significant changes over the last century. At the turn of the last century, the dominant metal for pipes was cast iron. Eventually, more durable galvanized steel replaced it. After 1970, copper became the most common type of metal. Then different kinds of plastic (PVC, PEX, CPVC) joined with copper piping to form the basis of most contemporary residential plumbing systems.

If you live in an older home, you may need to think about arranging for a whole-house repiping job to replace aging and outdated plumbing. This is a large task, but if you call on experienced plumbers, like those at Rentmeister Total Home Service in Salt Lake City, UT, the work will go smoothly and get done in the shortest time possible. After that, you can enjoy hardy new piping that will provide you with few problems for decades to come.

When whole-house repiping is necessary

Was your home built pre-World War II? Then it almost certainly has either galvanized steel or cast iron plumbing (unless a previous owner had it repiped). If this is the case, then you shouldn’t hesitate with arranging for whole-house repiping. Even if you aren’t currently experiencing serious plumbing issues, the pipes are likely already suffering from corrosion damage that will one day put all of the plumbing at risk. If you are in doubt about the condition of the plumbing for a house of this vintage, please call a professional plumber to inspect the piping and tell you what work needs to be done.

If your home was built after the war but before 1970, you should take a tally of how often you have needed to schedule plumbing repairs during the last few years. Are clogs becoming more common? Do you need to have leaks fixed on a regular basis? Have you experienced drops in water pressure? These problems are all signs of decaying plumbing. A skilled plumber will tell you if you need only a few pipes replaced or if it is time to invest in a full repiping.

If you have any questions about repiping and what it involves, don’t hesitate to give us a call. Our skilled plumbers have many years of experience with whole-house repiping as well as smaller plumbing repairs, and they can guide you toward the best solution to meet your needs.

Call Rentmeister Total Home Service, where we have provided high quality plumbing installation, replacement, and reapirs for more than 60 years.

Tags: Plumbing, Repiping, Salt Lake City
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Signs That You Have a Drain Problem

Tuesday, March 10th, 2015

There are few home maintenance problems that are more frustrating than plumbing problems, and one of the most common of those is drain problems. Most homeowners don’t really think about the drain cleaning in their homes until they become clogged or develop some other issue.

While a clog is a pretty obvious sign that you need plumbing repair, there are other signs that you’ve got a drain problem. Let’s take a look at some of the other signs that you have a drain problem.

Slow Drainage

Contrary to what a lot of homeowners believe, clogs are not things that suddenly occur without warning. In fact, the debris that causes clogs tends to build up slowly, first accumulating on the inner walls of the pipe and then building towards the center. If you want to cut down on the number of clogs you have to deal with, pay attention to the rate at which your drains work. If you notice a drain start to work more slowly than it usually does, that’s a good sign that a clog is forming in the pipe. You should then take steps to get rid of the clog before it can completely form. Pouring boiling water down the drain often does the trick.

Sewer Smells

You plumbing system is designed to prevent anything from the sewer from coming back up the pipes and into your house. This includes sewer gases, which are actually vented through the house and out into the air. On occasion, however, a portion of this venting system can fail, causing horrible smells to come up through your drain and into your home. If you notice terrible smells coming from your drain, it is likely caused by a venting failure. This could be because of a vent valve becoming stuck, or even the exhaust pipe becoming blocked by something. Either way, if you notice bad smells coming out of your drain, you should call a plumber as soon as possible.

If you think you may have a drain problem, call Rentmeister Total Home Service. Our plumbers serve all of Salt Lake City.

Tags: drain claning, Plumbing, Salt Lake City
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Why You Should Install Low-Flow Faucets for Your Home

Friday, August 15th, 2014

Your water bills account for a large part of your monthly utility bills, and chances are that they are higher than they should be. You can lower your water bills with careful water conservation methods, such as reducing shower times and collecting the lukewarm water from taps while waiting for the hot water to arrive. But one of the best ways to lower water use in your house is to have low-flow faucets installed in the bathrooms and kitchen. These water-conserving fixtures provide a long-term solution that will save you money for many years without requiring a sacrifice in performance. Professional plumbers must do the work to install these faucets for your home to make sure that they work the way they should.

Tags: low-flow fixtures, Plumbing, Salt Lake City
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Steps to Take When You Detect a Plumbing Leak

Thursday, June 12th, 2014

Plumbing leaks are fairly commonplace, but that doesn’t negate their severity. If left untreated a leak can destroy drywall and other portions of your home, as well as putting strain on the plumbing system and costing you a great deal in monthly water bills. Even a minor leak can become a big headache if you aren’t careful. The good news is that in a big town like Salt Lake City, plumber services are on call to handle the problem professionally. You should always let a plumber repair the leak itself – it will ensure that the job is done right – but there are still some steps to take when you detect a plumbing leak.

The first thing you need to do is determine if the leak is in your household or if it stems from the larger water system. If it does, then it’s the city’s problem and you shouldn’t need to retain a plumber to deal with it. The secret to doing that is your water meter. Read the meter and then refrain from using any faucets, toilets or other plumbing fixtures for at least two hours. Then check the meter again. If it has dropped at all, the leak is coming for your property any further steps must be taken. Otherwise, call the city and inform them of a leak in their system, near your home.

Once that’s complete, you need to determine if the leak affects the whole house or just one fixture. If you can’t pinpoint the exact location of the leak, check the nearest affected fixture, then check other fixtures in the house to see if they’re affected the same way (such as with lower water pressure). If they are, you should shut off water to the entire house and call a plumber. If you can definitely track the leak to a single fixture, however, you’ll probably be okay just shutting off water to that fixture.

In any case, you should call a plumber immediately upon completion of the steps to take when you detect a plumbing leak. If you’re looking for a plumber in Salt Lake City, the experts at Rentmeister Total Home Service are standing by to help. Give us a call today!

Tags: Plumbing, Salt Lake City
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