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.
Rentmeister Total Home Service Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Plumbing’
How Formicary Corrosion Affects the Pipes in Your Home
Monday, July 20th, 2015Why You Should Consider Installing a Water Softener in Your Home
Monday, April 20th, 2015Before 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.
Do I Need to Schedule Whole-House Repiping?
Monday, April 6th, 2015The 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If you live in an older home, you may need to think about arranging for a whole-house repiping job to replace aging and outdated plumbing.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.
Signs That You Have a Drain Problem
Tuesday, March 10th, 2015There 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.
Why You Should Install Low-Flow Faucets for Your Home
Friday, August 15th, 2014Your 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.
Steps to Take When You Detect a Plumbing Leak
Thursday, June 12th, 2014Plumbing 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!
3 Common Sources of Plumbing Clogs
Thursday, June 5th, 2014If you’re a plumber in Salt Lake City, clogs in the pipes are practically a daily issue. We’ve seen every conceivable source of clogs in kitchen and bathroom plumbing, and we can spot the culprits fairly readily when they show up. That’s one of the reasons why you should always call a professional plumber rather than trying to treat clogs yourself: we can apply the right tool for the job rather than taking a one-size-fits all approach (like a store-bought cleanser) and hoping for the best.
Here are 3 common sources of plumbing clogs to give you an idea of the variety of causes for this seemingly simple problem.
- Hair and soap. Human hair is surprisingly strong and when soap suds solidify in the pipes, they can become extremely viscous. Put them together and you have a recipe for disaster: a gummy, glue-like mixture that can stop pipes up as sure as putting a plug in the drain. A good drain catcher in your sink or shower can help prevent these kinds of clogs, but a plumber can usually clear them up quickly if they do occur.
- Food particles. Food particles can include obvious culprits like peach pits and bones, which should never be thrown down the drain. But they can also include things like potato peelings, which are very fibrous and tough. When they get caught in the drain, you usually need a mechanized snake to deal with the issue.
- Hot grease or fat. This is perhaps the most insidious source of plumbing clogs you can find. When grease or fat is in liquid form, it seems perfectly natural to pour them down the drain. But they will solidify once they’re in the cool pipes, and can easily form a blockage.
If you’re looking for a plumber in Salt Lake City to deal with common sources of plumbing clogs, then the experts at Rentmeister Total Home Service are standing by to help. We have the tools to handle most any kind of clog, as wells as the experience to treat it right the first time, every time. Give us a call today to set up an appointment. You’ll be glad you did!
3 Tips for Installing New Bathroom Plumbing
Monday, March 31st, 2014A bathroom remodeling project can be very exciting: adding grace and beauty to your home while bringing a few practical changes along as well. With the right plumber or home remodeler, the process can move smoothly and efficiently, and here in Salt Lake City, plumbing services are readily available to help you. The more preparation you can do – both with your contractor and on your own – the better the project will be.
3 tips for installing new bathroom plumbing that are sure to help you out.
- Plan your layout carefully. Space is always at a premium in your bathroom and while aesthetics matter, you also need the area to function on a practical level. That means adequate counter space for all of your toiletries, and a toilet and shower/bathtub placed to make the best use of the space. It helps to construct a formal diagram of the available space with your plumber, then prioritize your needs to ensure that the most important aspects of the project are met.
- Think about water lines. Any piece of plumbing in the new bathroom will likely need water lines connected to the remainder of your home’s system. Those lines have got to be placed somewhere. In most cases, they’ll simply be run through the walls, but if you plan for anything unusual, you’ll need to account for how the water will get to and from it.
- Prioritize. You probably have an ideal image of what your new bathroom will look like. You need to balance that image against the hard contours of reality that any project like this presents. As intimated earlier, prioritizing can be an excellent way to fit your project within the parameters of space, money and time set aside for the project. Rank your wishes and needs from most important to least important and plan accordingly. If cuts need to be made, that will allow you to do it as smoothly and painlessly as possible.
Here in Salt Lake City, plumbing projects can be performed by the experts at Rentmeister Total Home Service. We can provide strong tips for installing new bathroom plumbing, as well as helping you plan for and execute an ideal remodeling plan. Call us today for a consultation!
Are Tankless Water Heaters a Worthwhile Investment?
Thursday, December 19th, 2013Most people think of water heaters as the traditional tanked models, standing in a corner of their basement of some similar location. They’re reliable and safe, which makes them very popular, but they’re not the only options out there. Tankless water heaters are small units installed near your sink, which instantly heat the water to its required temperature. Here in Salt Lake City, UT, plumbing services providers can install such a system in your home. But are tankless water heaters a worthwhile investment? As is often the case, it depends on your circumstances.
The up-front investment is more than traditional tanked water heaters, especially if you’re installing multiple tankless water heaters in your home. On the plus side, they can save you a great deal of money on monthly costs – up to 50% according to the U.S. Department of Energy – as well as improving the resale value of your home. They avoid the loss of heat that tanked heaters sometimes experience because they heat the water instantaneously, which means they waste less energy than tanked models do.
That efficiency, however, depends on how much water you tend to use. Ideally, homes that use less than 41 gallons of water a day tend to save the most with tankless water heaters. If you use more than that, the savings dip, cutting down on the advantages tremendously.
In simpler terms, if you have numerous members of your household, you’re not apt to save a lot on tankless water heaters. Similarly, if you don’t intend to keep your house for more than a few years, you’ll have to rely on improved resale value to recoup the initial investment. On the other hand, if you have a small household and/or you intend to keep your house for some time, a tankless water heater could be a good option. It also makes a worthwhile investment for second homes or vacation homes that you won’t be occupying every day.
Are tankless water heaters a worthwhile investment? In Salt Lake City, UT plumbing services like Rentmeister Total Home Service can help you find an answer, then perform installation with courtesy and care. Call our Salt Lake City plumbing service specialists today to make an appointment.
Common Plumbing Upgrades
Wednesday, September 11th, 2013It’s a fact that you wouldn’t be able to carry out many different daily tasks if it wasn’t for your plumbing system. Many homeowners ask us about what they can do to make sure that their plumbing works well and that it works consistently. Here at Rentmeister Total Home Service, we offer a large range of Bountiful, UT plumbing services and we wanted to share with you some of the most common plumbing upgrades that we perform. Read on below and then give us a call if you’re interested in improving the operation of your plumbing system.
Bountiful, UT Plumbing Upgrades
Here are a few plumbing upgrades that you may want to consider for your home:
- Replace your pipes – Many homes still have the original pipes that were installed when the house was built. If this is the case for you, you may have galvanized steel pipes that are likely very old. Replacing them could help you head off any impending problems that might be forming in your system. Steel pipes are susceptible to rust, corrosion and leaks.
- Get your drains cleaned – Another great way to keep your home’s plumbing system work well is to get your drains regularly cleaned. It’s inevitable that your drains will eventually star to form clogs and by having them cleaned you could prevent those clogs from causing your home any real damage or inconvenience.
- Consider water treatment – While the water that comes from your local utility is safe to drink, it might contain excess minerals and trace amounts of chemicals in it. Both of these things can, over time, cause health concerns as well as damage your appliances and plumbing. A water treatment system is designed to remove those impurities from your water so that you’re left with cleaner water.
- Backflow device – If your home has backflow problems, it could mean that harmful waste water is getting back into your home. A backflow device prevents this from happening by automatically shutting off the pipe.
For any Bountiful, UT plumbing services that you need, call us here at Rentmeister Total Home Services.