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Plumbers Help Safeguard Your Home | Memorial City, TX
Many of us tend to use the plumbing fixtures in our homes without a second thought. It’s easy to forget about the parts we can’t see inside walls or underground. Even washing machines, hot water heaters are frequently located in basements, garages, and other locations that don’t get a lot of daily attention. We certainly notice when our plumbing isn’t working though. Depending on the specific issue, plumbing issues can severely disrupt household routines or businesses. Plumbing issues can slow down anyone’s day. If you’re having issues at your business, these issues can make it difficult to carry on business as usual. Homeowners in Memorial City, TX can reduce the risk of surprise problems by keeping plumbing infrastructure in good shape. The easiest and most efficient way to do this is to schedule regular maintenance with a professional plumber.
Water Pressure
Although it may sound surprising, water pressure is actually one of the most common plumbing issues for homeowners. Water pressure is important, and the effects of excessively high or low pressure go beyond inconvenience. Most people are familiar with the irritated feeling that arises when turning on the taps produces a thin, weak, stream of water. Extremely low water pressure can make routine tasks, such as showering or washing clothes, much more difficult. To make matters worse, it can be difficult to figure out why the water pressure isn’t right. Excessively high pressure can do a lot of damage to connections between pipes, washing machine and hot water heater hoses, boilers, and faucets.
Consistent high pressure can also lead to reduced functional lifespans of hot water heaters and water filtration systems. The pressure speeds up the effects of wear and tear. Damaged pipes and other plumbing components can cause burst pipes, leaks, cracks, flooding, high water bills, and even damaged appliances. High pressure affects every pipe, fixture, and appliance it comes in contact with, and potential damage increases over time. A pinhole leak or a barely noticeable hairline crack can expand rapidly, especially if there’s no reduction in pressure. It’s always best to call a plumber at the first sign of high water pressure to address the situation immediately.
Appliances
Washing machines, dishwashers, garbage disposals, and other appliances are fairly large purchases and they’re usually expected to last for 10 to 15 years. Unaddressed high water pressure can significantly reduce the expected lifetime of these appliances. Regular maintenance visits from a professional plumber is an opportunity for them to monitor your water pressure over time and catch problems before any collateral damage occurs. Water bills can come as a shock if homeowners don’t notice a jump in water pressure. Higher pressure forces more water out of fixtures, even though that extra water isn’t needed and simply runs down the drain.
Municipal Water Pressure
Your plumbing professional can explain ideal water pressure values for your home, but 50 psi is an average water pressure value across most of the United States. Residential water pressure usually shouldn’t rise above 80 psi. Just as an example, water flowing at 50 psi generates 30 gallons during the same period of time that a pressure of 150 psi generates 56 gallons. That’s a fairly large difference, and it quickly adds up every time you turn on a faucet, take a shower, flush the toilet, wash dishes, or run a load of clothes through the washer. Homeowners also shouldn’t forget about outdoor use such as watering a lawn or garden.
Municipal water sources generally set an average water pressure. This means that water delivered to individual homes and businesses should have consistent pressure. However, lots of things can alter water pressure on the way to, or inside, individual homes. Sometimes homes very close to supplies receive water at excessively high pressures. There’s very little homeowners can do about this, but a plumber can install equipment that moderates pressure as the water flows into the house.
Although water pressure may be outside of a homeowner’s control at times, there’s usually some sort of solution. Your plumbing professional can inspect the plumbing infrastructure throughout the home to find defects and weaks spots as well as perform repairs. A professional plumber can also identify opportunities to reduce water pressure and lessen the impact on plumbing fixtures.
Interventions
Sometimes replacing narrow pipes with wider pipes can fix pressure problems because water flows at higher pressure when it’s constrained in a very small space. Wider pipes let the pressure dissipate slightly. A pressure-reducing valve for the stop tap modifies pressure at the point municipal water enters pipes that supply individual houses. These valves only alter water pressure, they don’t have any impact on the flow rate. Any reduction of water pressure, even if it’s only 10 psi, can save thousands of gallons of water each year. This is a great opportunity to lower water consumption and bills without changing any daily routines. Although homeowners can install these pressure-reducing valves themselves, it really isn’t recommended.
A plumber can figure out the appropriate size and settings and make sure the valve is installed correctly. Installation may go smoothly, but there’s no way to predict every potential complication that could arise. Professional plumbers have the tools, education, and experience to identify potential problems in advance or during the process. It’s much easier to consult a plumber right from the start, although you can also call if a DIY project was already attempted and didn’t go well.
Contact bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of West Houston in Memorial City, TX, to schedule an appointment or consultation. A team of professional plumbers is always ready to handle maintenance, repairs, upgrades, and installations. Bluefrog provides a wide range of services for commercial and residential clients throughout Memorial City, TX.
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