How To Avoid A Plumbing Emergency

It is a basic fact that if your plumbing system is not regularly serviced or routinely maintained you are 90% more likely to suffer breakdown, failure or blockage.

Most Tacoma homeowners will admit to ignoring plumbing problems until they develop into an emergency. But potential emergencies can be alleviated with a simple servicing and maintenance agreementthat is tailored to your Tacoma plumbing system.

If you want to avoid the stress and expense of a plumbing emergency then make sure you employ a regular servicing and maintenance agreement with your Tacoma plumbing company.

Rooter-Man of Washington is able to provide maintenance agreements for homeowners throughout the Tacoma area. Please feel free to call us at 866.700.5435 or complete our online request form.

Federal Way Plumbers

Rooter-Man of Washington services the Federal Way area. If you have a leak that need to be fixed, a clogged drain that you can’t use or sewer backups in your Federal Way home and you don’t know what to do, our expert Federal Way plumbers are here to help. We understand that when you are having a plumbing problem, all you want is for the problem to be corrected and your Federal Way home to get back to normal as soon as possible.

If you have any plumbing problems, please call us today at 866.700.5435 or complete our online request form

Types of Plumbing Pipes

Plumbing is part of many remodeling projects, whether the plan is to install a small clean-up sink in a garage or the project is a bathroom addition or a complete kitchen or bathroom remodel. Whether you are doing the remodel yourself or you are hiring a contractor, you will need to make some decisions about pipes. If you have a contractor, s/he will be able to guide you in choosing the most appropriate pipe for your project.

There are many types of pipe, and some are more appropriate for specific jobs than others. To help you with the decisions, here is an overview of the main types of pipe used in residential remodeling.

Plastic Pipe

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) can be used only for cold water. PVC is most often used to carry water from the main supply to a home. If you decide to use PVC, be sure that the pipe you choose is approved for drinking water.

ABS (acrylonitrite-butadiene-styrene) is use for waste removal, drain and venting, primarily in bathrooms. It is a rigid plastic pipe that can be connected to several kinds of metal pipe. If you are considering this kind of pipe, you will need to check with your contractor or your local building codes office because ABS is not permitted in some localities.

PEX can be used to carry both hot and cold water. It is often used for interior water pipes in residential plumbing.

CPVC (chlorine-polyvinyl-chloride) is generally used to carry hot water, and is often used as a substitute for copper pipe.

Metal Pipe

Cast Iron is used in some parts of the country for drainage. It is very strong and very durable. The challenge in using cast iron is that it is hard to cut and it is very heavy. If your project involves replacing cast iron pipe, a good choice is PVC because it can be joined with cast iron.

Copper is a good choice for both hot and cold water supply lines, and is very corrosion-resistant. It is light and durable, but costs more. If you are replacing copper pipe, a good choice is CPVC.

Galvanized steel is not used much today because it will corrode over time and because it is hard to work with. It was used in the past for water supply lines.

If you are doing the plumbing work yourself, you might want to use plastic pipe because it is easier to work with. The key to using plastic pipe, which is also less expensive, is to wrap plastic pipes tightly to prevent the escape of noise because plastic pipe can be very noisy.

With this information, you should be able to make some informed choices about the type of pipe best suited for your specific project needs.

Do You Have Clogged Pipes?

Part of remodel planning for any room in your home that has pipes and faucets is to determine whether you have clogged pipes that need to be cleaned or replaced. Pipes can collect mineral build-up or rust over time. In some cases, this corrosion or mineral build-up can reduce the interior size of the pipe by half, restricting water flow. If this is the case, you probably should replace these pipes as part of your remodeling project. It will cost less to do all of the needed work on a room at once. It also makes a world of sense to fix the pipes before you install new plumbing fixtures, cabinets and flooring.

So how do you know if you have clogged pipes? The best way to make a preliminary decision is to evaluate the flow of water through your pipes and out the faucets. It is not unusual for homeowners to confuse water pressure and water flow. The water pressure should be consistent in all parts of your house. Water pressure should also be the same in your Tacoma area home as in other homes around you. Water pressure should also be the same at all times of the day and night. It is the flow of water through the pipes that is affected by corrosion or mineral build-up inside the pipes.

Check the flow of water – the amount of water coming out of the faucets – in several parts of the house. This should be the same, for example, in all faucets in the house. If you find that the flow of water from a specific faucet is less than other faucets, you need to do some further investigation. If you have noticed that the flow of water through faucets in your neighbors’ homes is much greater than yours, you should do further investigation.

Without adequate water flow – no matter what the water pressure – whirlpool tubs, spa showers, and even toilets will not work properly. It is important then to check the pipes before your install new plumbing fixtures.

If you will replace pipes, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Plastic pipe is usually easier to work with than metal pipe

PVC pipe can only be used for cold water. Be sure the PVC pipe you choose is approved for drinking water, if appropriate

ABS pipe can be connected to several kinds of metal pipe, but is used mainly in bathrooms for waste removal and drains.

PEX can carry both hot and cold water, and is a good choice for interiors

CPVC is mainly used for hot water; it is a good substitute for copper pipe

Galvanized steel was used for water supply lines, but it is susceptible to corrosion and mineral deposits. This might be what you are replacing

Clogged pipes cause reduced flow of water into and through faucets, shower heads, etc. Replacing old, clogged pipes will increase water flow in general. It will also improve the working of dishwashers, washing machines, spa showers, whirlpool tubs, and more. The most cost efficient time to replace clogged pipes is during a remodel.

Pierce County Plumbers

As a professional Pierce County plumbing company, Rooter-Man of Washington provides only the best in responsive plumbing solutions to all Pierce County homeowners.

Rooter-Man is a locally owned and operated family business with over 30 years of experience. Our plumbers have seen everything that can happen to a home in the Tacoma area, and our professional, courteous and qualified to fix any plumbing problem you may have. We service all of your plumbing needs from clogged drains to water heater installation.

Towns We Provide Plumbing in Pierce County

Auburn, WA | Bonney Lake, WA | Buckley, WA | Carbonado, WA | DuPont, WA | Eatonville, WA | Edgewood, WA | Enumclaw, WA | Fife| Fircrest, WA | Gig Harbor, WA | Lakewood, WA | Milton, WA | Orting, WA | Pacific, WA | Puyallup, WA | Roy, WA | Ruston, WA | South Prairie, WA | Steilacoom, WA | Sumner, WA | Tacoma | University Place, WA | Wilkeson, WA

If you are looking for a Pierce County plumbing company please call us today at 866.700.5435 or complete our online request form.

King County Plumbing

Rooter-Man of Washington is pleased to be a King County plumbing company that provides all types of plumbing repairs and installations for King County homeowners.

From routine service to expert repairs and new installations, we do the job right, on time, and usually with just a single visit to your King County home.

Towns We Provide Plumbing in King County

Algona, WA | Ames Lake, WA | Auburn, WA | Baring, WA | Beaux Arts Village, WA | Bellevue, WA | Black Diamond, WA | Bothell, WA | Bryn Mawr-Skyway, WA | Burien, WA | Carnation, WA | Cascade-Fairwood, WA | Clyde Hill, WA | Cottage Lake, WA | Covington, WA | Des Moines, WA | Duvall, WA | East Hill-Meridian, WA | East Renton Highlands, WA | Eastgate, WA | Enumclaw, WA | Fall City, WA | Federal Way, WA | Greenwater, WA | Hobart, WA | Hunts Point, WA | Inglewood-Finn Hill, WA | Issaquah, WA | Kenmore, WA | Kent, WA | Kingsgate, WA | Kirkland, WA | Lake Forest Park, WA | Lake Marcel-Stillwater, WA | Lake Morton-Berrydale, WA | Lakeland North, WA | Lakeland South, WA | Lea Hill, WA | Maple Heights-Lake Desire, WA | Maple Valley, WA | Medina, WA | Mercer Island, WA | Milton, WA | Mirrormont, WA | Newcastle, WA | Normandy Park, WA | North Bend, WA | Pacific, WA | Ravensdale, WA | Redmond, WA | Renton, WA | Riverbend, WA | Riverton-Boulevard Park, WA | Sammamish, WA | SeaTac, WA | Seattle, WA | Shoreline, WA | Skykomish, WA | Snoqualmie, WA | Tanner, WA | Tukwila, WA | Union Hill-Novelty Hill, WA | Vashon, WA | West Lake Sammamish, WA | White Center, WA | Woodinville, WA | Yarrow Point, WA

If you are looking for a King County plumbing company, please call us today at 866.700.5435 or complete our online service form.

Welcome To The Tacoma Plumbing Blog

Never again will you have to worry about finding a competent, professional Tacoma plumber to take care of your dripping faucets, stopped drains, hot water problems, backed up sewer, or other plumbing problems. Rooter-Man will be there in short time to quickly take care of the situation with comfort and ease.

I personally want to make every service call, whether emergency or not, a comfortable and pleasurable experience. I realize that most service call situations are anything but pleasurable, but you can feel at ease when you know a Rooter-Man plumber is on the job.

This plumbing blog will provide you with home plumbing tips including drain cleaning, energy efficient savings, and home plumbing tips for your Washington home. And if you ever have an emergency, please make sure to contact us today.