AFFORDABLE PLUMBING SERVICE IN Bismarck, ND

What Are the Most Common Plumbing Issues in Bismarck?

Bismarck is a modern Midwestern town with a diverse population. We see folks around here deal with all sorts of plumbing issues. While the normal, everyday plumbing problems that everyone deals with occasionally like leaks and clogs are also common in Bismarck, there are a few problems that we see pop up more frequently in Bismarck than in other cities.

Reduced Water Flow

Our water is fairly hard here in Bismarck, with 2020’s water report showing hardness of 118 ppm. This can cause buildup over time in plumbing. Left untreated, accumulated minerals in pipes, valves, and fittings can restrict water flow. This can gradually reduce the water pressure you get from your fixtures over time and cause pressure to build up which, if left untreated, can eventually lead to leaks as the pressure reaches critical levels and tries to escape.

Fixture Replacement

Our hard water can also contribute to the deterioration of fixtures over time as scale settles on them over years. This creates an unattractive film but also can restrict water flow and normal functionality for your fixtures as scale accumulates. Since newer fixtures utilize new technology and materials to be more durable and more efficient, this leads many folks in Bismarck to update fixtures before problems get serious since the increased efficiency will save them money over time. Proactively replacing fixtures prevents potentially costly emergency replacements.

Corroded or Dilapidated Pipes

Our community has a lot of history, but for those who live in older or historical homes in the area, this could cause some problems for their plumbing system. Plumbing components typically only have a lifespan of 3 to 4 decades at best, and older homes that haven’t had their plumbing updated may pose a significant threat to both the health of inhabitants and the health of your plumbing’s functionality.

Aging pipes can lose their protective coatings as they age. This could cause them to corrode or rust, not only weakening their durability and ability to withstand the stress of water under pressure, but also potentially releasing harmful materials like lead into drinking water. Lead is a serious health hazard for anyone exposed to it, which is why many residents of Bismarck will prioritize renovating older plumbing systems before they start to exhibit problems.

How Does the Water in Bismarck Affect Your Plumbing?

As mentioned above, our water is relatively hard here in Bismarck. Hard water is caused by small mineral particles coming from the city’s source in the Missouri River. While our water treatment plant removes harmful contaminants, these minerals can’t be easily removed. Though they pose no threat to the health of people who drink our water, they can cause a few problems around the home.

Most people are familiar with hard water leaving an annoying film on clean dishes or contributing to soap scum in their shower, but it also can wreak havoc on your plumbing over time. The small particles in the water can collect in pipes over time, eventually leading to reduced flow, clogs, and even leaks if they cause pressure to build up too much. The hard water can also accumulate stubborn scale on fixtures. This can be hard to remove and diminish the beauty of your fixtures, but also can reduce their functionality over time as minerals build up in valves and faucets.

Our water report also regularly shows that our water is incredibly alkaline compared to other cities. With the most recent water report showing Bismarck’s water supply at 9.18 pH, this alkalinity can also affect your plumbing over time. Alkalinity in our water is caused by decaying organic matter and various minerals in our rich soil that affect Missouri between its headwaters and our collector well by Memorial Bridge. Water with this high of pH often causes a lot of the same problems within plumbing over time that hard water does, which can double those effects on people here in Bismarck.

How Much Does Plumbing Usually Cost in Bismarck?

Plumbing can be relatively affordable in Bismarck. Often labor for plumbing falls just under the national average here, and simple jobs, like leak repairs and clog fixes, may cost as little as $100 to $200 for service. More complex work can reach above $800 in some cases. Several factors could increase the cost of a job, however, depending on the specific circumstances that each unique job presents.

Materials

Your bill for plumbing service will usually be calculated based on the labor devoted by our plumber and the cost of materials used. While typical, everyday components won’t add much expense to the cost of plumbing, materials for an entire job can add up to increase costs. Specialized or rare components can add significant costs as they may be more costly to import or have manufactured. Our plumbers have a good supply of the usual components that most jobs will require readily available to try to keep costs low, but the expense of materials can still add to the net cost of plumbing service.

Scale of the Job

It’s pretty self-explanatory that a larger job has larger costs. Plumbing systems are complex, and large changes to one part of your plumbing will often affect other plumbing in your system, meaning that jobs with a larger scope may require much more planning and adjustments to other plumbing to prevent new work adversely affecting existing plumbing. Smaller jobs like simple repairs may require just a few hours of labor, but complicated work like entire plumbing system overhauls may take many hours of planning and sophisticated engineering to execute correctly and safely, and thus will result in higher costs.

Unexpected circumstances

Often routine plumbing can expand its scope during work as we get in and find other serious problems and vulnerabilities with your plumbing system. Our responsible, certified plumbers won’t ignore dangerous issues in your plumbing systems like corroded pipes or potentially risky code violations. As these problems may cause extreme costs later on, it’s very worth it to fix them now. These unexpected problems, however, may change the scale of a job enough to add costs as the job grows as these new issues are discovered.

Can Better Plumbing Save You Money in Bismarck?

In the vast majority of circumstances, better plumbing is a sure way to save money over time. Plumbing is an essential part of the infrastructure that makes your house function, and plumbing problems that get out of control can cause huge problems for your entire house. Making investments into a healthier plumbing system prevents the cost of repairs down the line, and protects you from costly emergencies that can irreparably damage your home and possessions.

It’s important to remember that the best way to save money with plumbing is to get the work done when it needs it without procrastinating. If your plumbing needs repairs, putting them off could cause problems to get worse. Pressurized water running through your lines is persistent and will eventually exploit weaknesses in your plumbing. Low flow could turn into no flow, small leaks could turn into bursts and major flooding. Plumbing problems will grow more costly as the damage spreads from even the smallest issues, and taking care of these problems right away will always prevent higher costs down the line.

There are numerous proactive ways that people here in Bismarck make responsible investments into the plumbing on their property to save money as well, such as:

• Replacement of outdated or old pipes
• Addition of water softening systems to reduce hard water’s impact on plumbing
• Installation of more efficient fixtures

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

Our water utility here in Bismarck does a great job at ensuring that our water grid continues to pump consistently into every home and business in town, but problems can sometimes happen. The utility company, however, is not responsible for any issues that happen on your property after your connection to the main. Calling the water company in the event of a plumbing problem could be useful to determine if there’s a problem in the city’s water system that they are working on, but if the problem happens within your plumbing, the utility company will not be able to help you.

Checking with the utility company can narrow down where a problem lies if you have no water across your entire home, but for many issues, you should not procrastinate calling our plumbers, or you’re risking problems escalating. If you detect a leak or flooding anywhere in your plumbing, it’s time to call us immediately. Flooding can be one of the most costly disasters to happen to a homeowner and problems must be addressed as soon as possible to avoid damage to your entire plumbing system and your home.

When Do You Need Permits for Plumbing Service in Bismarck?

Plumbing permits and inspections are typically required for most plumbing services in Bismarck. While typically minor or urgent repairs, such as clogs and pipe repairs, will be able to be done without a permit, our plumbers should be able to shed more light on the regulatory requirements of your exact circumstances. Any plumbing work that requires the replacement, removal, or addition of any components at all will likely require a permit and inspection, however. Plumbing permits are easy to apply for through the City of Bismarck and we can certainly fill you in on any questions you have about the process and your responsibilities.