Tempe Plumbing Tips For Homeowners

Maintenance matters in Tempe because the plumbing is sixty years old, the water is hard, and a lot of this housing is used far harder than it was built for. Salt River Project supply lays scale into your water heater and every fixture continuously, the galvanized in the walls has been corroding from the inside since the 1960s, and summer heat adds load to anything in a garage. If you own rental property here there is a fourth factor, which is that problems go unreported for entire semesters.

Know Where Your Main Shutoff Is

Every homeowner in Tempe should know exactly where their main water shutoff valve is and confirm it actually turns. In an emergency every second counts. If you cannot locate it or it is corroded and stuck have a plumber address it before you need it. It is one of the simplest and most important things you can do to protect your home.

Watch Your Water Bill Every Month

Watch the water bill month over month on any Tempe property you own, because on slab construction it is usually the only warning before a leak reaches the flooring. Escaping water moves through the fill and never appears on the surface in a climate this dry. On rental property the bill is often the only monitoring you have, since tenants do not report what they do not pay for, and a vacant summer means nobody is there at all. An increase on an empty house is a clear signal.

A sudden increase with no change in usage almost always means a hidden leak. Our leak detection service in Tempe finds the source fast before water damage compounds.

Do Not Ignore Slow Drains

Drain maintenance in Tempe has to account for old pipe, hard water, and heavy use at once. Sixty year old cast iron has rough narrowed interiors and mineral deposits on top, so anything greasy or fibrous catches where it would flush straight through modern PVC. The kitchen line on a heavily occupied rental takes far more grease than a family home, so clearing it proactively is the cheaper approach. Outside, mature landscaping means established roots, and a camera inspection every few years is worthwhile.

A slow drain is the earliest warning sign of a blockage building. Clearing it early costs far less than clearing a full backup. Our drain cleaning team serves Tempe and Maricopa County.

Flush Your Water Heater Once a Year

Flush your water heater every year in Tempe, and consider a softener ahead of it, because hard Salt River Project water lays sediment down fast and summer heat compounds it. That layer sits between the burner and the water so the unit runs longer and hotter for the same result, costing you every month. A tank serving five or six tenants is already working beyond what it was sized for, and on rental property where the flush never happens those fail years early. Rumbling when it fires means it is overdue.

An annual flush extends tank life and keeps energy costs down. Learn more about water heater maintenance in Tempe.

Never Put Grease Down the Drain

Grease cools and hardens inside your pipes regardless of whether you run hot water with it. Over time it builds up and catches everything else that goes down. Use a container and throw it in the trash instead. This single habit prevents a significant percentage of kitchen drain calls we get in Tempe.

Check Under Sinks Regularly

Under sink leaks in Tempe start at the connections nearly every time. Hard water leaves scale on angle stops, supply fittings, and P trap joints until they no longer seat cleanly, and in these 1950s and 60s homes the shutoff valves are frequently original and seized solid. On rental property this is worth checking between every lease, because a cabinet leak that runs unreported through a whole academic year does far more damage than the part costs. Work the shutoffs so they do not seize completely.

A quick check every few months catches small drips before they become cabinet damage or mold. If you find a leak our pipe repair team in Tempe can fix it fast.

Know When to Call a Pro

The DIY line in Tempe sits at the slab and at the shutoff valve, and both are tighter here than in a newer market. A flapper or an aerator is fair game and in this water you will do them often, but a stop that has not turned in fifty years on original galvanized will frequently shear rather than close. Anything under the concrete means excavating caliche, which is not a weekend job. If you own rental property, inspecting between leases is worth more than any repair skill.

Some things are worth attempting yourself — a running toilet flapper, a slow drain you can snake. Anything involving your main line, water heater, or pipe repair behind walls is a job for a licensed plumber. Call PRO Plumbers of Tempe in Tempe any time you are not sure.

Call PRO Plumbers of Tempe Now
(480) 631-3942