AFFORDABLE PLUMBING SERVICE IN Green Bay, WI

What Are the Most Common Plumbing Issues in Green Bay?

Frozen Pipes

Green Bay has four distinct seasons, including a cold winter with average high temperatures in the twenties and thirties throughout the winter. These cold temperatures can result in frozen pipes either because of failed insulation or because of a power outage that lowers the interior temperature of your home. Frozen water expands, which can lead to busted or cracked pipes both inside and outside of the house. If not properly treated and repaired, busted pipes can leak or spray water inside your home, causing extensive water damage. 

Piping

General piping repairs and replacements are plumbing issues during all four seasons in Green Bay. Along with winter freezes, pipes can suffer from old age and excessive hard water mineral buildup from the mineral-rich water in the city. Older homes are built from metals that can corrode and weaken over time. Mineral deposits can also increase the risk of corrosion and cause constriction or inconsistent water pressure inside the pipes. We can replace broken pipe joints and valves or repipe your home to remove worn, malfunctioning, or potentially toxic pipes.

Septic Systems

About 750,000 homes across Wisconsin use septic systems or private onsite wastewater treatment systems (POWTS). Green Bay and the surrounding area are no exception to this continuing trend, and many homes in the area have POWTS instead of connections to municipal sewer systems. These systems require periodic pumping and routine maintenance to keep the septic tanks in good condition. Depending on the soil on your property, you may even have a more complex treatment and dispersal system. If your property uses a septic system, you need a certified plumber like Mr. Blue Plumbing or maintenance service to keep your property’s septic system in safe, effective condition.

The Department of Safety and Professional Services District 5 Wastewater Specialist operates in Green Bay and can be contacted regarding failing systems or eligibility in the Wisconsin Fund for septic system maintenance grants.

Emergency Repairs

Just like any other city, a large proportion of plumbing services are for everyday repairs. This includes fixing leaky pipes, replacing toilets and fixtures, and replacing seized valves or worn washers. Even well-maintained homes need occasional services from professional plumbers to keep appliances, plumbing, and fixtures running smoothly for day-to-day life.

How Does the Water in Green Bay Affect Your Plumbing?

Green Bay Water Utility manages, treats, and distributes the water across the city of Green Bay. Local water comes from Lake Michigan. It’s treated by a filtration facility that removes microbes, inorganic contaminants, chemical contaminants, and potential radioactive contaminants from the source water. The water is also regularly tested to ensure that any trace elements and contaminants do not pose a health risk to residents and that the water has been adequately treated according to EPA and FDA standards. 

However, while the water is safely treated and filtered to remove lead contaminants above regulated thresholds, homes with lead pipes or pipes with traces of potentially hazardous elements may reintroduce inorganic contaminants to the water. Older homes with their original pipes are particularly vulnerable to this risk, as water sitting within the residential pipes can leach the metal into the water flow. We recommend flushing your tap to reduce the risk of exposure during each usage and ultimately having your inspected and repiped as needed to entirely eliminate the risk of lead.

Green Bay’s water is also considered hard water, with a level of 130 PPM. This means the water has relatively high (but safe) traces of minerals like calcium and magnesium. Hard water can leave scale and mineral deposits throughout your home’s plumbing system, including on faucets, inside pipes, along the valves and connection points, and inside water heaters. This buildup can cause potential mechanical issues throughout your appliances and plumbing system if it’s not properly removed.

How Much Does Plumbing Usually Cost in Green Bay?

Plumbing projects and repairs can vary widely in terms of cost, generally between $125 and $900. Simple repairs and tasks that require little time or complication can be very affordable, and plumbing maintenance programs can help reduce plumbing costs over time. Large or complicated projects that involve more parts and labor can cost significantly more. Consider these three factors that most significantly impact the cost of plumbing in Green Bay:

Do You Need Emergency Plumbing Services or Plumbing Repairs ASAP?

Plumbing emergencies tend to cost more, regardless of the specific services or repairs required. This can be because plumbing services are heavily in demand following a storm or widespread disaster that reduces availability. Emergency service calls can also cost more, even from a 24/7 service, if the call is outside of typical business hours; this includes weekends, nights, and major holidays. The less flexibility you have on timing, the more expensive plumbing repairs can be. 

Similarly, if you have a tight deadline for a major bathroom or kitchen renovation, ensuring timely project completion can be more expensive.

What Type of Plumbing Services Do You Need?

This is the single most important factor in determining the total cost of your plumbing services, but it’s also the most difficult to provide a clear answer for. Simple repairs such as replacing a flapper in a leaking toilet or providing basic plumbing maintenance are routine, requires few complex parts, and are relatively inexpensive. But renovations, highly complex repairs, or repairs that require specialized knowledge of outdated plumbing systems (especially for older properties) can cost much more. 

The nature of the plumbing work can also determine whether or not we need to apply for a permit with the city to complete the plumbing work.

How Extensive Is the Plumbing Work?

Bigger projects cost more in terms of parts, labor, and administrative costs. If you have a leaking pipe, our plumber may inspect the issue and discover that entire lengths of pipe have corroded and are about to leak or fail. As more of the plumbing system is involved in the repair project or renovation, the bigger the final cost will become. This applies to repairs, upgrades and renovation projects, and maintenance programs.

Can Better Plumbing Save You Money in Green Bay?

Investing in better plumbing can almost always help you save money in both the short term and the long term. Preventative maintenance and routine repairs can help your home’s plumbing perform better year after year than if you just address plumbing malfunctions as they happen. This can help save you money on emergency plumbing service calls, more extensive repair costs, and even more frequent fixture and appliance replacements. 

One important plumbing task is having our professionals drain your water heater regularly. This removes mineral buildup from inside the tank, which can drastically reduce your unit’s lifespan if it’s left untreated. This is especially important in an area like Green Bay that has hard water.

Along with helping you save money on repairs and emergency services, investing in better plumbing can reduce general water usage (and water waste) in your home. Older appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines, use water less efficiently than today’s eco-friendly appliances. Installations such as low-flow toilets, efficient faucets and showerheads, and even tankless water heaters can further reduce money spent on monthly water and energy bills. Preventative maintenance plans, calling our plumbers at the first sign of developing problems, and upgrading your plumbing system with modern fixtures and materials can all work together to help you save money now and in the future. 

When Should You Call the Water Utility Company in Green Bay Vs Hire a Plumber?

If you’re experiencing a plumbing or water emergency at or around your home, contacting your utility company or our plumbers quickly is important. If you see a broken water main or excessive water pouring from a water supply point off your property, contact GB Water at (920) 448-3483 to report the emergency. Other signs that the municipal water organization needs to be involved, rather than our plumbers, include water outages that also affect your neighbor or poor storm drainage.

However, if a plumbing or water issue is solely affecting your home, our experts can help assess the underlying problem. If your water has a drop in water pressure, has cloudiness, discoloration, or an unusual smell, or is leaking somewhere on your property, that is often a sign of a plumbing problem that you, as the property owner, must respond to. We can arrive quickly at your home to identify the plumbing problem and provide solutions to restore your home’s water and plumbing safely.

When Do You Need Permits for Plumbing Service in Green Bay?

Cities often require property owners or licensed contractors to apply for permits before completing electrical, building, or plumbing projects. This process allows city officials to ensure the modifications to a structure within the city are handled properly with minimal risk of unsafe building conditions and optimal conditions for continued public safety. 

Many sewer and plumbing services that alter the plumbing within a residential structure or involve significant parts or fixture replacements require the plumber to file a permit application with the city of Green Bay. If you hire our plumbers, we will file the permit application and handle the process. As part of the permit, city officials must inspect the finished work. Examples of some common residential plumbing projects that require a plumbing permit include fixture installation or replacing a water heater. However, basic repairs often fall outside of this requirement. When one of our plumbers arrives to assess your plumbing, we can determine if a permit is necessary and handle any resulting application process.