Contents (Click To Jump)
- 1 What Are the Most Common Plumbing Issues in Temple?
- 2 How Does the Water in Temple Affect Your Plumbing?
- 3 How Much Does Plumbing Usually Cost in Temple?
- 4 Can Better Plumbing Save You Money in Temple?
- 5 When Should You Call the Water Utility Company in Temple vs Hire a Plumber?
- 6 When Do You Need Permits for Plumbing Service in Temple?
What Are the Most Common Plumbing Issues in Temple?
Temple homes range from homes built in the early 19th century to new houses built in the last five years. However, all homes eventually experience plumbing issues. We see many of the routine plumbing issues in the Temple area, including:
- Running toilets.
- Clogged sinks and toilets.
- Water heaters that need replacing.
- Garbage disposals that need a replacement.
- Leaking pipes and faucets.
- Burst pipes.
- Running new water lines for an ice maker.
These are all plumbing issues that we see almost anywhere else. However, there are a few that are specific to Temple. These include:
Replacing Pipes in Older Homes
There are a few homes in Temple that date back to the early or mid-19th century. Some older homes have cast iron or galvanized steel pipes. While these pipes were installed to last decades, they can decay and rust. When this happens, you may notice a metallic taste in your water, or it might look hazy.
Replacing the pipes in your home and yard is a big undertaking in your Temple home. In many cases, the Temple homeowner opts to replace their older pipes with a more budget-friendly material, such as PVC. This white plastic piping material offers long-lasting durability without the expense of cast iron or galvanized steel.
Our team can help you review the available options for your Temple home, so you can find one that fits your budgetary concerns and needs.
Tree Roots in Sewer Lines
Everything is bigger in Texas, and yes, this can include the trees. A few of the trees we most commonly see thriving in Temple include:
- Bur Oak
- Chinquapin Oak
- Crepe Myrtle
- Live Oak
- Pecan
- Red Bud
- Red Oak
- Vitex
Trees spread their roots far and wide to soak up water and other nutrients to grow and thrive. Tree roots tend to be opportunistic and pushy. These tenacious organisms will push their way into the sewer lines in your yard and crack or break them.
When this happens, you may need to replace a section of your outdoor pipes in your Temple yard or all of them. Our team can evaluate the situation and help you decide if you want them all replaced or just a section.
Frozen Pipes
In Temple, the winter temperatures tend to be mild. However, there are always a few nights each year when there’s a hard freeze. Since you’re probably not used to these freezing temperatures, you may wake up to find the water in your pipes frozen.
Frozen water can cause damage to the water pipes in your Temple home. While the frozen water is a problem, the real danger comes when you turn on a water faucet in your and nothing comes out. The water that should be coming out of the tap is building up behind the area of frozen water.
As the water builds up behind the frozen area, it creates a lot of pressure on the pipe, which can cause it to burst. We see burst pipes both in Temple homes and in the yards.
When you wake up after a freezing night, and the water doesn’t run in your faucet, turn it off immediately. Our team can come to your home and thaw the pipes to help avoid a burst water pipe that can lead to additional damage in your house or yard.
How Does the Water in Temple Affect Your Plumbing?
In Temple, the water that comes into your home originates in the Leon River and receives treatment to ensure its quality. You may find that the water in your home is hard water. Hard water means that the water has a high mineral count in it. These minerals include calcium and magnesium.
As hard water makes its way through the pipes in your Temple home, it leaves behind bits of these minerals. These particles can cause lower water pressure in your Temple home or clog the pipes. It can also create hard water stains. Your toilet, showers, sinks, and tubs might have stains that appear like dirt on these surfaces, leaving you with hours of scrubbing or wanting to replace them sooner.
How Much Does Plumbing Usually Cost in Temple?
When you need work done on the plumbing in your Temple home, you worry about the costs. Unfortunately, we can’t tell you exactly how much it will cost to repair your plumbing issue until we evaluate it.
We see plumbing jobs in Temple ranging between $98 and $680 with an average cost of $387. Your plumbing issue can be on a high or low end of these costs depending on a few factors. Here’s a look at some factors that we see most in Temple homes:
Cost Factor: Scope of the Plumbing Issue
It’s going to cost you a lot less money to unclog a sink in your Temple home than to replace the water heater. The scope of the plumbing issue plays a significant role in the final cost of your plumbing problem.
Some jobs require a minimum of time and equipment, while others require days to complete and require material and appliances, such as pipes, garbage disposals, and new faucets.
In some cases, what presents as a minor plumbing issue can become a larger one once we find the root of the problem. Our team can evaluate the issue and define the problem for you to understand the scope of the plumbing problem in your Temple home.
Cost Factor: Location of the Problem
It’s a lot easier to run a line to a new ice maker in your Temple home than it is to repair a burst pipe in the wall behind your sofa. The location of a plumbing issue in your Temple home can require extra work and time to complete.
Some plumbing issues require our team to remove part of a wall or section of flooring, fix the problem, and restore the wall or floor. These larger jobs require additional crew members and other professionals to help restore your Temple home after our plumbers have completed the repairs.
It’s important to note that you might think the issue is in your sink, which is relatively easy to access, but it’s actually in the pipe behind the wall. Our team can evaluate the situation and show you the exact location.
Cost Factor: Permits and Building Codes
The city of Temple requires a permit for any major plumbing repairs and installations. In some cases, the city will waive the permit fee if the repairs are needed because of storm damage. A hurricane or tropical storm coming up the Gulf of Mexico might cause damage to the plumbing in your home.
These permits are required to ensure that the plumbing company and its workers are qualified and meet all building codes. During the repairs, an inspector from the city of Temple ensures the workers have done the job correctly to ensure the safety of your home and the quality of the plumbing work.
Can Better Plumbing Save You Money in Temple?
Of course, better plumbing and qualified plumbers can save you money in your Temple home. Your mother was right; you get what you pay for. With better plumbing, the workers use higher-quality materials and appliances to ensure a longer life, so you aren’t replacing them every couple of years.
When Should You Call the Water Utility Company in Temple vs Hire a Plumber?
It falls to the Temple homeowner to call our plumbers and pay for the services in almost all cases. However, if you notice a water main break or a sewage line close to the street, the water company might be responsible for the repairs. The mainline brings water from the treatment plant to your street and all the homes on it.
As a general rule, if the leak or break is in front of your water meter, it falls to the utility company to affect repairs. Anything past the water meter is the Temple homeowner’s responsibility to repair and finance. Of course, when you notice water pooling or puddling in an area the utility company is responsible for, it’s always a good idea to notify them.
When Do You Need Permits for Plumbing Service in Temple?
Yes, in some cases, you need a permit from the city of Temple when working on the pipes in your home and yard. For small jobs, such as a clogged drain or replacing the faucet on your kitchen sink, you probably won’t need one.
However, larger jobs will require a permit before work starts. While it might seem that a permit is a hassle, the goal is to ensure the quality of plumbing repairs and protect your home. An inspector comes to your home during this job to make sure workers follow the strict building codes.
