AFFORDABLE PLUMBING SERVICE IN Ann Arbor, MI

What Are the Most Common Plumbing Issues in Ann Arbor?

Michigan is known for its hard water. In Ann Arbor, water averages approximately 129 ppm (or milligrams per liter), which is classified as hard water. As a result, many of the plumbing problems suffered by Ann Arbor residents can be linked back to hard water problems, including sediment buildup in fixtures, pipes, and drains. Other plumbing problems can prove universal – the natural result of high volumes of water moving through a limited system every day.

Clogged Drains

Clogged drains can cause substantial problems throughout your home. When the drain is clogged, water cannot pass through the drain into the sewer or septic tank, which means that your sinks may quickly overfill. Worse, clogged drains may lead to sewage backing up into your home – something that most homeowners want to avoid if at all possible! Sometimes, clogged drains occur because of the material you put down them, including hair or grease, which can pose a significant challenge to your drains. Other times, clogged drains result from sediment buildup over time due to Ann Arbor’s hard water.

Low Water Pressure

Without water pressure, it’s hard to accomplish much of anything. You might have trouble cleaning your dishes or rinsing your hair in the shower. Unfortunately, hard water in Ann Arbor can cause low water pressure throughout your home. If you notice water pressure lessening in your home over time until it reaches a point that proves incredibly frustrating, hard water buildup could be to blame. On the other hand, if you notice a sudden drop in hot water pressure throughout your home, a leak or water line break could be to blame. Contact the Ann Arbor Water Billing Department to learn if a water main break, which should be repaired within a few hours, could have caused the problem with your home. 

Leaking Faucets

Leaking faucets can pose a substantial irritation, whether you’re relaxing and trying to watch TV or you’re trying to fall asleep in the middle of the night. Fortunately, leaking faucets are often a fairly simple fix. Over time, the seals around the faucet degrade, especially when you have hard water like we do in Ann Arbor. By repairing or replacing those seals, you can get your faucet back to normal and avoid the waste that comes from water steadily dropping out of your faucets. 

Pipe Leaks

Ann Arbor residents are no stranger to leaks. A small leak in a pipe can send your water bill skyrocketing. A larger leak may result in considerable damage throughout your home. If you notice water leaking, especially if it pools in the floor, addressing it quickly can help you reduce further water damage and lower the risk that you will develop mold. 

Frozen Pipes

In the middle of winter, Ann Arbor can see incredibly low temperatures, including many days when the average low temperature dips down into the teens. As a result, exposed pipes can quickly freeze. Properly insulating pipes and keeping water running on those cold days can help many Ann Arbor residents reduce the risk of frozen pipes. However, if your pipes do freeze, it’s critical that you have them evaluated by our experts to ensure that you don’t have leaks or cracks as a result. 

Lack of Hot Water

All too often, you discover that your water heater has gone out as you step into what should have been a hot shower. Worse, that lack of hot water often occurs during the coldest times of the year. Damage to your water heater often occurs over time. You may notice the overall quality or duration of your hot water degrading over time, especially if that decrease occurs as a result of sediment buildup left behind as the city’s hard water moves through your water heater and corrodes the tank. In other cases, however, loss of hot water may occur abruptly, and you may need a fast repair to make your showers comfortable again. 

How Does the Water in Ann Arbor Affect Your Plumbing?

The hard water throughout Michigan may mean that residents face additional sediment buildup, which can increase the risk of leaks and cracks in the pipes as well as increasing the odds that you will suffer from low water pressure or even water heater damage. Maintaining your usual plumbing maintenance can go a long way toward ensuring that sediment buildup does not cause more serious problems throughout your home. 

How Much Does Plumbing Usually Cost in Ann Arbor?

The cost of your plumbing job will depend heavily on the specific type of work you need to have done and when you need to do it. Most repair jobs in the area fall between $150 and $900. Take a look at some of these cost factors to help give you a better idea of the cost you should anticipate for your plumbing project. 

Is your plumbing project an emergency?

If you need to fix a leaking faucet, chances are, it isn’t an emergency. While annoying, a leaking faucet usually won’t cause extreme damage to your home or leave you struggling to pay your water bill at the end of the month.

On the other hand, if you notice water gushing out of a broken pipe, you may need to call us for emergency plumbing services. Inevitably, plumbing emergencies seem to occur at the worst possible time, so you may find yourself needing to bring in our emergency plumbers to take care of those repairs. You will pay a premium for emergency plumbing services–but our plumbers can help restore water to your home and help you avoid further expensive damage. 

How extensive is your plumbing job?

The more extensive your plumbing job is, the more expensive it will be. Extensive plumbing jobs, whether you need to redo a long section of pipes, put in the plumbing for an addition to your home, or clear a major clog that has become a serious problem for more than just the immediate drain, can leave you with a higher plumbing bill. Contact MrBluePlumbing to get a free estimate of the extent of your plumbing needs and how they will impact your costs. 

Does your plumbing job involve specialized equipment or training?

At MrBluePlumbing, we have plumbers who are experienced and trained to manage a variety of plumbing projects and needs. Many projects, however, simply require more specialized tools and attention than others. If your job requires a great deal of tools or specialized materials, or you need multiple pieces to help accomplish your project, your plumbing job may cost more than if you simply need to replace a seal or a small section of pipe. 

Can Better Plumbing Save You Money in Ann Arbor?

Better plumbing can go a long way toward decreasing many of the overall costs of homeownership in Ann Arbor. First and foremost, leaks can prove incredibly expensive. The longer a leak goes on, the more damage it can cause to your property. Water damage can cause issues with your walls and flooring, then, over time, lead to substantial mold buildup. Addressing those leaks promptly, on the other hand, can make it easier to prevent further damage to your home.

In addition, Ann Arbor residents often discover that a water softening system can make a big difference in their homes. A water softening system helps filter out some of the high levels of calcium and magnesium in your water, which are what cause the hard water problem. Then, softened water moves through your pipes. As a result, you will be less likely to experience buildup in your fixtures and pipes, which may mean that you need to repair or replace them less frequently. Calling in our experts to address that challenge in your home as soon as possible can help you cut repair costs.

When Should You Call the Water Utility Company in Ann Arbor vs Hire a Plumber?

In general, as the homeowner, you are responsible for anything that occurs past the meter in your home. The city, on the other hand, is responsible for anything that occurs on the other side of the meter.

Sometimes, you may have a hard time figuring out exactly where a leak comes from. You may see a huge puddle of water in your yard, or even in the road leading up to your yard, but have little idea where it comes from. Do you need to call our plumbers or the Ann Arbor Water Utility Company?

Often, determining whether you need to call us or the water utility company is as simple as looking at the water meter. Go inside and shut off all sources of water to your home. Then, take a look at the meter. If it’s still counting, especially if it’s counting rapidly, chances are, you have a leak somewhere – and that means that the problem may be with your pipes, not the pipes controlled by the city. On the other hand, if you notice that the water meter isn’t moving despite an obvious leak, chances are, the city will need to come out to deal with it. Report the problem as quickly as possible, since the city will need to address those challenges promptly to prevent waste and leaks. 

When Do You Need Permits for Plumbing Service in Ann Arbor?

When you need to do residential plumbing work, in general, you will need a plumbing permit for tasks involving drain waste, water distribution, or your water heater. This may include a variety of tasks, including work on sump pumps and sewage ejectors. You may be able to conduct minor repairs without a plumbing permit. However, if you plan to do extensive plumbing work on your home, you should expect to need a permit, which may take 24 to 48 hours for approval.

Permits work to help protect you and make sure that the quality of the work done is up to standard. However, they can slow down the plumbing project if they aren’t filed properly. At MrBluePlumbing, we can help you understand Ann Arbor’s extensive permit requirements and how they may impact your plumbing project.