Performance Plumbing Blog: Archive for the ‘Plumbing’ Category

Tips for Keeping Your Water Heater in Top Shape

Monday, February 4th, 2019

water-heaterIf you’re like most homeowners, you probably don’t think very much about how hard your water heater works for you on a regular basis. But, you should. Your home’s water heater is probably the hardest working system in your entire living space. Most water heaters don’t even ever fully turn off—rather, they operate day and night to provide a standing supply of hot water for whenever you need it. At least, this is the case if you have a storage tank water heater.

Generating all of this hot water understandably puts a lot of wear and tear on the system over the years. Therefore, it’s essential that you take steps to help it last as long as it can. In order to get the best return on investment from your home’s water heater, we encourage you to follow the tips below. And remember, even if you have a tankless water heater, it also needs regular care.

Continue Reading

With More Winter Storms Ahead, is Your Plumbing Protected?

Monday, January 21st, 2019

Icicles hanging from a brown pipe. Frozen water and metal surface, winter time concept. selective focus shallow depth of field photoDid you know that it only takes a few hours for a pipe to freeze? Most homeowners don’t realize that, and with plenty of cold weather still ahead for us (especially at night), this isn’t something you should just brush off. First, it’s important to know how to prevent such an incident from happening.

However, if you’ve found yourself already facing this winter plumbing problem and it hasn’t let to a plumbing emergency yet, we still urge you to act quickly and contact a professional plumber in St. Charles, MO, so that it doesn’t turn into an emergency!

Continue Reading

Heed These Signs of Plumbing System Problems

Monday, January 7th, 2019

white pvc pipe with blue cloth tied around itNobody wants to deal with a plumbing problem. But, they’re sometimes inevitable, and what makes them an even bigger problem is they are often hard to detect without professional equipment, and experience. Most of your plumbing system is hidden from view, after all. The problems that typically affect this system are subtle to start, which is part of the reason why we recommend scheduling preventive maintenance at least once a year.

However, you should also familiarize yourself with some of the warning signs that your plumbing system is, in fact, experiencing some sort of problem. This way, on the rare chance that an issue occurs between your plumbing maintenance appointments, you can detect it fairly quickly and contact us right away for repairs.

Continue Reading

Why an Automatic Shutoff Valve is a Good Idea

Monday, December 24th, 2018

bursted copper pipe with water leaking out, 3d illustrationWe get it—if you can avoid calling for emergency plumbing services, you will. Our professional plumbers in Kirkwood, MO are ready for anything of course, since we understand that plumbing problems don’t tend to obey schedules or calendars, nor do they care that you are sleeping or were just about to leave the house on vacation or to go to work. When you need a burst pipe or gushing broken faucet fixed, we’ll be there.

But, let’s talk prevention! Again, you don’t want to be in a situation where you’re calling up a 24-hour service plumber. We’re sure you’d also enjoy having peace of mind about plumbing problems when you can’t call for a plumber because you don’t even know there’s a problem (i.e. you’re away from home when a fixture breaks, spreading water throughout your home). In a case like this, there’s one very important component that will save you from property damage and unnecessary associated costs—the automatic shutoff valve.

Continue Reading

When to Schedule Repiping Services

Monday, December 10th, 2018

copper pipes and plumbing fixturesThroughout the years, there have been many different materials put to use for constructing plumbing pipes. During much of the 20th century, for instance, metals such as galvanized steel (this is steel coated pipes coated with zinc to prevent corrosion) and cast iron were most commonly used in residential settings.

Cast iron was rather quickly found to be ineffective at preventing corrosion, while galvanized steel was replaced around the 1970’s in favor of a more lightweight option—copper. In addition to being lightweight, copper has better corrosion resistance, as does the other two modern types of plumbing pipes you may see: PVC and PEX piping.

Homes today tend to use either one of these plastic pipes or copper exclusively throughout the property. However, if your home is one of the many in our area built prior to the 1980’s, then it may have piping, fixtures, or even elbows and joints made of the outdated material. And if this is the case, by nature there is a very good chance you need repiping. This is a service provided by our professional plumbers in O’Fallon, MO, and could do your home a world of good. But, how much repiping do you need?

Continue Reading

Call for Repairs if You Notice These Plumbing Symptoms

Monday, November 26th, 2018

leaking-copper-pipeWithout the right professional experience or plumbing equipment, problems with your plumbing system can definitely be hard to pinpoint. Most of the system is hidden from view, after all, and the issues that usually impact it are subtle to start. This is part of the reason we stress how important it is to schedule routine preventive maintenance with a professional plumber in St. Peters, MO each year.

However, even with maintenance, you may run into a plumbing problem, which is why it’s so vital for homeowners to know what signs to look for that indicate a problem. This way, if something does happen between maintenance appointments, you can get it managed sooner rather than later, which is always a good thing when it comes to plumbing and water damage! So, what symptoms should you watch for?

Continue Reading

How to Prepare Your Plumbing System for Winter

Monday, October 15th, 2018

PlumberWinter is coming, and you need to be prepared for it. You’re probably already making sure that your heating system is up to the task of keeping you warm this coming season, and that’s good. What about your plumbing system, though? There are still plenty of ways that your plumbing system could break down over the next few months, which means you should take the time to make sure that it is properly prepared as well. The following are a couple of the best ways that you can ensure your plumbing system stays healthy and reliable throughout the cold season.

Continue Reading

Call for Repairs if You Notice These Plumbing Issues

Monday, October 1st, 2018

Pipe-RuptureIt can be difficult to tell when your plumbing system is in need of repairs. A lot of plumbing issues can develop right under your nose without showing any obvious symptoms, until they end up causing some very obvious damage that is too late to stop. That’s why we recommend so strongly that you have preventive inspection and maintenance appointments conducted on your plumbing system at least once a year. While maintenance is helpful, though, it isn’t a guarantee of your system’s health. There are still plenty of ways that problems can develop in the system between appointments. For that reason, you need to familiarize yourself with the signs and symptoms that indicate a need for plumbing repair services. The following are just a few of the ways that you can tell if your plumbing system needs professional repairs.

Continue Reading

Some Tips On Making Your Bathroom Remodel Go Smoothly

Monday, August 20th, 2018

bathroomThe bathroom is one of the most commonly targeted areas when it comes to remodeling services, and no surprise. Considering how much time the average person spends there, and the role it plays in the daily routine, of course you’d want it to be as comfortable as possible! Before you go speeding off to pick out new fixtures and the like, though, we’d recommend taking a look at some of our tips on making sure that your remodeling project goes as smoothly as possible.

Continue Reading

Plumbing Problems and Their Symptoms

Monday, August 6th, 2018

frozen-pipe-rupturePlumbing issues come in many shapes and sizes. Some require immediate repairs, while some can at least wait for an appointment to be made. None of them should be ignored, though. Many plumbing issues can be difficult to detect outside of professional maintenance and repair appointments, which makes it all the more important that you call for repairs when you notice one. So, let’s take a look at some of the common symptoms that indicate your plumbing is dealing with some sort of issue. The faster you can detect issues with your plumbing, the faster you can have it repaired.

Continue Reading