When Residential Plumbing Repair Might Be Necessary

Indoor plumbing could rank as one of the best inventions ever — until there's a problem with your plumbing. Whether it's no hot water, the toilet is clogged again, the garbage disposal stinks, or a drain is backed up, plumbing problems are no fun at all. What follows are some residential plumbing repair and troubleshooting tips for common plumbing problems you may encounter.

Residential Plumbing Repair: Intermittent Hot Water

It's happening again: You're taking a shower and the hot water goes off and on — or there's no hot water at all. Before you start to worry about a water heater repair bill, check the circuit breaker to see if a breaker has tripped.

Next, if you have a gas-burning water heater, make sure the gas is turned on to the water heater. For electric water heaters, you may have a broken dip tube or heating element. You'll need to call your plumber for those issues.

Residential Plumbing Repair: Clogged Shower Drain 

Shower drain clogs are a common plumbing issue. Many items and factors can contribute to shower drains getting clogged, such as soap scum, hair, mineral deposits, and small items (that missing shampoo cap!). Shower clogs are generally more difficult to remedy than a clogged toilet or kitchen sink. If you can't get rid of the clog with an plumbing auger or plunger, you may need to call a plumber.

Residential Plumbing Repair: Leaky Toilet

A leaky toilet is another common residential plumbing repair. If water is leaking from under the toilet, you have a worn out O-ring, which may be accompanied by sewage odors. Another common leak is at the gasket connection of the toilet tank and toilet. The bolts and gaskets holding the tank to the toilet could be leaking water.

If you are experiencing any of these plumbing problems, locate the water shut-off valve behind the toilet and turn it off. Then, call your trusted plumber, because all of these issues should be handled by a pro.

If you need a professional plumber for residential plumbing repair in your Broken Arrow home, contact us at Air Assurance.

Pros/Cons of Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless water heaters are becoming a popular alternative to water heaters with conventional hot water storage tanks. Their unique design and ability to provide near-instantaneous hot water makes them a compelling option for homeowners looking to replace their existing water heater. As with any other type of appliance, a tankless water heater has its share of benefits and drawbacks to consider.

The Pros

It’s no secret that tankless water heaters offer several advantages over their conventional counterparts. For starters, these water heaters can be up to 34 percent more energy efficient than a traditional water heater if your home uses 41 gallons of hot water or less on a daily basis. A typical tankless water heater also offers a longer lifespan than its traditional counterpart. Whereas a typical conventional water heater offers a lifespan of up to 15 years, you can get up to 20 years out of a tankless variant with proper care and maintenance.There are plenty of other advantages to consider:

• Tankless water heaters provide near-instant hot water for ordinary washing, bathing and other household activities.

• The tankless design of demand-type water heaters takes up significantly less space than a conventional water heater. As a result, these units can be placed in areas where conventional water heaters can’t go.

• Tankless water heaters consume up to 50 percent less energy than their conventional counterparts.

• Unlike with a conventional water heater, you won’t have to deal with sediment issues.

The Cons

Although tankless water heaters offer a broad range of benefits, there are a few downsides associated with these appliances:

• Tankless water heaters usually carry a higher purchase price than their conventional counterparts. This can be a sticking point for homeowners on a tight budget.

• Demand-type water heaters that still utilize a standing pilot light may consume more energy than those with electronic ignition.

• In some cases, tankless water heaters may not be able to offer the consistent flow rate of a large conventional water heater.

Still interested in having a tankless water heater installed in your Broken Arrow home? Then contact the seasoned experts at Air Assurance today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about tankless water heaters and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “typographyimages/Pixabay”