Category: Plumbing

When you buy an old house, you may feel you have gotten a great bargain—until you begin working on the plumbing, that is. Then you may discover that your plumbing system needs work or that it may not be up to code.

We’ll discuss some of the factors you must consider when upgrading the plumbing system in an old house. Here’s what you may need to consider:

• What are your existing pipes made of?
• Is your pipe system configured optimally?
• Does your house have vents installed near drains?
• Are your plumbing fixtures water-conscious?
• Is the water pressure too low?

Updating plumbing in old houses may seem like a daunting task, but you should be able to do it easily and without breaking the bank with these tips.

Upgrade Your Pipes to a More Modern Material & Configuration

Sometimes, the only problem with the plumbing in an old house is the type of pipe and fittings used. In this case, you can simply follow the old plan, but you must replace all old plumbing with modern pipe and fittings. Pipe replacement is pretty easy to do and something you should hope for. Generally, when this is the case, you will simply need to use larger pipes of more modern material.

Many old houses still have lead pipes to carry waste away from the house. Additionally, in older houses, the waste pipes of the tub and sink are connected to the waste pipe of the toilet. Today, lead pipes are unacceptable for any application and must be replaced with PVC or copper pipes.

You must also ensure that the waste pipes of the tub and sink are connected to the main drain line of the house. While it is possible to make working repairs by simply following the old layout of the pipes, in some cases it wouldn’t be up to code. In such cases, you must reconfigure the layout of the pipes.

Have Vents Installed Near Drains to Meet Building Codes

Many old houses don’t have vents installed near drains. This is a situation that has to be corrected to meet building codes. Vents help used water drain away quickly. They also stop sewer gases from rising into the dwelling. You must check local building codes to determine exactly how close to the drain your new vents must be.

Choose Water Saving Toilets & Fixtures

When planning how to replace the plumbing in an old home, be sure to keep water conservation in mind. Replace old fixtures such as toilets, showerheads, and faucets with models that are designed to save water. Be sure to do it right and invest in the highest quality of fixtures and materials you can. Doing so will save you time and money and the aggravation of frequent repairs in the long run.

Replace Old Lead Pipes with Copper

When you update the plumbing in an old house, one essential aspect you must consider is the types of materials you’ll use for your piping. If your home has any lead piping, you must get rid of it immediately. Replace them with copper, galvanized steel, or PVC. These are not only healthier options, but they’re also durable and don’t taint the flavor of your drinking water.

The best material for water lines is copper. The only caveat is that it tends to freeze easily and should, therefore, be covered with insulation. For wastewater, you’re better off using (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) ABS. It is the sturdiest and will last the longest. Some people like to use PVC for everything, but this isn’t a good idea for wastewater. PVC isn’t strong enough to withstand the test of time, and it tends to leach plastic into the water, so it is a poor choice for bringing water into the home.

Be Strategic in Laying Out Your New Plumbing System

Be sure to take the time to plan your plumbing system well. Remember that a good plumbing system doesn’t just bring water into the house and carry waste away. It must do it efficiently, quietly, and in a dependable way.

A poorly planned system can cause problems like temperature and pressure fluctuations in the shower when water is used elsewhere. It could also lead to frequent clogs and backups due to insufficient drain pipe size. Before updating the plumbing in your home, take the time to understand plumbing best practices, especially regarding old houses. Follow the tips presented here, along with local codes and ordinances, and you’re bound to install your plumbing system properly.

When repiping a house, you must be careful not to damage essential features or structural elements. Examples include plasterwork, beams, or even flooring. This is one of the reasons you must enlist the help of a professional plumber.

If you’re in the Coachella Valley area, give KC’s 23 ½ Hour Plumbing a call at 760-327-8718. We’ll be more than happy to help you update the plumbing in your old house.

If you live in an older home, hidden leaks are inevitable. You may not see where the leak is, but your water bill will undoubtedly tell you that something’s wrong. As difficult as it may be to find them, professional plumbers have some tricks to detect hidden leaks.

How do plumbers find hidden leaks?

Signs You May Have a Hidden Leak

Before we dive into how plumbers find hidden leaks, let’s quickly see how you can tell there’s a hidden leak in your home. A few tips include:

• Monitor your water meter. If it’s still running after turning off all appliances, you probably have a leak.
• Check your water bills for sudden increases.
• There’s a reduction in your water pressure.

By carefully observing these and other signs, you’ll be able to quickly notice when you have a hidden leak in your plumbing system. While some indicators will help you locate the source of the leak, others won’t. Finding the leak will require professional knowledge, experience, and expertise.

Common Types of Plumbing Leaks

There are many different types of plumbing leaks you may encounter in your home. Each results in different signs and causes various types of water damage. Here are the most common ones you must look out for:

• Pipe leaks under sinks or behind drywall
• Slab leaks (also called foundational leaks)
• Toilet leaks
• Water heater leaks

Many of these leaks, especially slab leaks, can be pretty difficult to detect, and that’s why you must enlist the help of professionals before the water damage becomes extensive.

How Do Plumbers Find Hidden Leaks?

Now that you’ve ascertained that there’s a plumbing leak in your house, it’s time to find it. Here are some tips plumbers use to find hidden leaks:

A Thorough Inspection

While it may seem like a basic method, the first step to detecting hidden leaks is to conduct a thorough inspection of the plumbing system and the fixtures and appliances attached to it.

The Green Grass Test

One of the easiest ways to detect a hidden leak is to check for patches of grass that are greener than the rest of your lawn. These sometimes appear in conjunction with small puddles of water in the same place. Digging in that area will help reveal where the hidden leak is.

Discolored Walls

Another tell-tale sign of a hidden leak is a discolored wall or ceiling, peeling paint, or bulging wallpaper. These are signs that there’s water leaking in or near the walls. An expert plumber will be able to use these signs to trace the leak.

The Sound Test

If you don’t find any surface or fixture leaks, one method that can help you find hidden leaks is the sound test. You can either listen for a hissing sound or the sound of dripping water. Because this can sometimes be difficult to do, plumbers use sound detection equipment to pinpoint the source of a leak accurately.

Water Leak Detector

At KC’s 23 1/2 Hour Plumbing, we use state-of-the-art water leak detection equipment to pinpoint exactly where your pipes need attention. This minimizes the excavation required to repair the pipes.

Reasons to Trust the Experts at KC’s 23 1/2 Hour Plumbing

Why should you trust us to detect and fix your leaking plumbing? One reason is that we’ve been in the business for over 50 years and understand plumbing better than most in the industry.

Besides plumbing, our over 50 years of experience has also taught us that each customer is different. Because of that, we have developed a customer-centric and collaborative approach to plumbing that has resulted in very high customer satisfaction rates.

If you suspect a leak in your plumbing but can’t detect it, we’d be more than happy to help. Simply give us a call at 760-327-8718—any time.

When you think about your home’s plumbing, the outdoors might not spring to mind. After all, plumbing problems typically occur inside the home, such as leaky faucets, drain clogs, and so on. Anything outside the house is typically overlooked by most homeowners.

However, when problems occur outdoors with your plumbing, they often constitute plumbing emergencies that need to be resolved quickly. If not, the problems can lead to water damage to your home’s foundation, damage to your yard, and more.

1. Sewer Pipe Breakage

The sewer pipe that runs out of your home and connects to the city sewer system is your responsibility to maintain and repair if there are problems. Some of the more common issues include tree root damage, clogs, cracking, and collapses.

If you notice your yard is constantly wet, and it hasn’t rained nor have you watered it, this is a good indication something is wrong with the sewer pipe if you are connected to your city’s sewer system.

2. Exterior Faucet Leaks

Freezing in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley is an exceedingly rare occurrence. So, you normally don’t have to worry about freezing weather damaging exterior faucets. Yet, the exterior faucets on the outside of your home can develop leaks from normal wear and tear.

The leaks can occur at the fittings that connect the faucet to the water supply line. Leaks can also occur when the hardware inside the faucet starts to wear out and can no longer fully close. Leaks may not seem like a big deal.

However, they can be since the leaking water drips into the ground near the foundation of your home. When your foundation is constantly exposed to wet soil, it can cause it to weaken and lead to cracks, sagging, and fractures.

3. Well Plumbing Leaks

If you have well water, your well plumbing could develop leaks and other problems in different areas from where it pumps water out of the ground and into your home. If you notice your yard seems constantly wet near the well or in specific areas where the water main runs, this is a good sign you have a water leak.

Your well could also have problems with the well pump failing, pressure tank leaks, drop pipe leaks, cracked housings, and others. These plumbing problems can be difficult to notice initially. It is not until they become major problems that you will notice something is wrong.

Ideally, it is a good idea to have your well and well plumbing inspected and checked for leaks annually. This can help you avoid plumbing emergencies and can assist you in finding minor issues before they become costlier repairs.

4. Water Main Leaks

If you have city water, you are responsible for water main leaks from where the water supply line connects to your water meter and runs into your home. Any plumbing issues before the meter are your municipality’s responsibility. So, if the pipes break, crack, or leak, and it is past the water meter, then you will need to call your plumber for emergency plumbing repair service.

5. Underground Sprinkler Leaks

Underground sprinkler systems are great when you need to water your lawn and want even coverage. However, sprinkler heads, pipes, and other parts of the system can get damaged. To avoid water leaks, it is a good idea to do a self-inspection and test of the system monthly. You will also want your plumber to do a more detailed assessment bi-annually.

Maintaining, fixing, and repairing outdoor plumbing is just as necessary as taking care of your indoor plumbing. If you notice plumbing problems with your home’s interior or exterior plumbing in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, please feel free to contact KC’s 23 ½ Hour Plumbing at 760-327-8718 today!

Water heaters are often an afterthought—until they stop working, that is! When it comes time to replace or repair a water heater, however, many homeowners are faced with the decision of keeping a traditional water heater or “upgrading” to a tankless model—but which one is best?

Read on to find out more about each type of water heater and which one is best for you.

Traditional Water Heaters

“Traditional” water heaters produce and store hot water in large tanks and are the most common water heaters found in homes today. However, their large size and associated maintenance costs have caused many homeowners to reconsider their benefits compared to tankless models.

How Traditional Water Heaters Work

Traditional water heaters consist of a large, insulated water tank heated by a burner underneath. An exhaust flue runs through the center of the water tank, providing both exhaust for the burner and a more efficient means of heating the water within the tank.

Cold water is fed into the very bottom of the water tank, where it’s then heated to a comfortable temperature by the burner below. As the water heats, it “rises” to the top of the tank where it’s then sent through a hot water outlet to sinks, showers, and other plumbing.

Though this system may be very simple, it’s quite clever! However, does this clever simplicity make traditional water heaters efficient?

Pros and Cons of Traditional Water Heaters

The traditional water heater’s biggest benefit is also its biggest drawback: heating and holding large quantities of hot water. While having large quantities of hot water available in an instant is certainly convenient—and sometimes necessary—it requires larger amounts of space and fuel. As a result, the “pro” of convenience comes with the “con” of higher water heater costs and space requirements.

Tankless Water Heaters

True to their name, tankless water heaters don’t have the water tanks found on traditional water heaters. Instead, water is heated “on-demand,” significantly lowering water heater costs and space requirements. However, can tankless water heaters match the convenience of their traditional, tank-laden counterparts?

How Tankless Water Heaters Work

Where traditional water heaters heat an entire tank of water, tankless water heaters heat water as it runs through a coil of piping. Here, water enters the piping coil cold and gets heated by a gas or electric heater. As you can probably imagine, this system doesn’t require much space—most tankless water heaters are about the size of a large briefcase!

Pros and Cons of Tankless Water Heaters

Since tankless water heaters don’t need to heat and store a large amount of hot water, they consume considerably less space and fuel than traditional water heaters. However, their slim profiles and fuel savings can sometimes come at a cost: Since they don’t store any hot water, they can only make so much hot water available at a given time. As a result, tankless water heaters are often impractical for large-scale hot water delivery, such as in commercial and industrial facilities.

Which Type of Water Heater Is Right for You?

Choosing the best water heater for you ultimately comes down to how much hot water you need at a given time, as well as the condition and type of any existing water heater you might already have. However, tankless water heaters are quickly becoming the preferred option for most homes and can usually deliver the same quantities of hot water at significantly less cost. Plus, most tankless water heaters last at least 20 years.

For more information on our water heaters and maintenance services, call our Coachella Valley plumbing professionals at 760-327-8718. Our team is available 24/7 and never charges overtime or after-hour fees.