Plumbing Blog & News From Performance Plumbing

Is It Time for You to Upgrade to a Tankless Water Heater?

January 6th, 2020

The time has come—you’ve had your tank water heater for 15, maybe even 20 years, and there is no denying that it’s just not up to the job of effectively and efficiently keeping water inside of it warm. Perhaps you noticed the hot water volume has decreased and family members are going without warm showers—or maybe you even noticed corrosion.

It could even be that you came across this blog post as you’re constructing a new home, and you’re unsure if a tank system or tankless is best for your household.

Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place! Read on as we uncover what makes a tankless water heater different, and how you will benefit from those differences.

“Is Our Backflow Prevention Device That Important?”

December 23rd, 2019

If you’re a commercial business owner or property manager in the greater St. Louis area, then yes, yes your backflow prevention device is really that important.

This device is one that protects the health and safety of residents throughout your community. Regulations do vary on backflow prevention depending on your area, but generally speaking most commercial properties should have a backflow prevention device on their property.

You likely do have one of these systems on your property already, but are you properly caring for it? Keeping the potable water supply safe by doing your part and schedule routing backflow testing is part of your responsibility as a commercial property owner or manager. Read on to learn more!

How to Know If It’s Time to Call for Water Heater Repairs

December 9th, 2019

There are some appliances in your home you only use seasonally, like your air conditioner or heater. Because of their infrequent use, you probably pay a bit of attention to their care—scheduling maintenance and repairs when needed.

There are other systems, however, that become such an everyday part of life that we take them for granted—your water heater is at the top of this list.

It’s very important to pay attention to signs that your water heater is malfunctioning or aging to a point that replacement is near. Except for the case of an aging water heater that may be beyond help, the sooner you call for water heater repairs, the easier and less costly it will be to actually fix this appliance when it’s having problems. But, what should you watch for?

Signs It’s Time for a Drain Cleaning

November 25th, 2019

Have you ever had a bad hair day? Well, imagine how your pipes feel when they have a bad hair day.

We’re talking about hair in your bathroom shower and sink drains—hair, as well as grease, grime, and other particles can all contribute to dirty and more importantly, clogged drains. Without proper care, problems with your drain system can turn into huge hassles and impact your entire plumbing system. Therefore, it’s important to invest in not only regular annual drain cleaning, but to schedule drain cleaning whenever you suspect you need it.

But, how do you know if you need it? Well, fortunately, there are signs you can watch out for. We’ve outlined them below for you. Read on to find out if now is a good time to schedule your drain cleaning.

Tips to Protect Your Kitchen Sink This Thanksgiving

November 11th, 2019

You may not want to think about it quite yet, but Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Are you hosting the meal this year? This means you’ll be doing a considerable amount of cooking, then. We can’t give you much advice in the way of culinary skills, but we can tell you how to treat your kitchen sink during this fun and festive holiday.

There are some important things to be aware of when you’re cooking large meals, regardless of whether or not you have a garbage disposal system or not—but you’ll want to be even more careful about your kitchen sink if you do have a disposal system in place. When you need professional plumbing services, we’re the team to call. In the meantime, keep reading to learn about avoiding common holiday hazards.

Don’t Let the Sound of Knocking Water Heater Haunt Your Home

October 28th, 2019

Knock-knock-knock. “The trick-or-treaters aren’t here yet, it’s too early for that, right?”

Knock-knock-knock. “Oh great, my house is haunted!”

While we can’t solve a haunted house, we can tell you that it’s probably not the cause of those knocking sounds you’re hearing. The knocking may be faint, and it could be otherwise easy to ignore if you just assume it’s coming from outside, but the truth is, it’s very likely coming from your water heater.

And no sound coming from your water heater should be ignored, especially not knocking! This type of sound can indicate issues that can accelerate faster, the longer you let it continue. Keep reading to learn more about what this sound may be and what you should do about it.

“What’s Wrong with My Toilet?”

October 14th, 2019

One of the most common calls we get when it comes to plumbing repairs is in regards to a toilet that won’t stop running. It’s annoying to listen to, first off. But also, it’s going to end up costing you significantly in excess water that you aren’t even using. Soon enough this will reflect on your monthly water bill.

Plus if you have a running toilet, it means you have a toilet you can’t flush! Don’t just use the other toilet in your home for now and put off repairs, call us right away so we can determine what’s going on and fix it for you. In the meantime, we’ve shared some insight below as to what might be going on with your toilet.

Does Your Tankless Water Heater Need Maintenance?

September 30th, 2019

The short answer to this is going to be “probably!” But we promise to elaborate.

When it comes to standard storage tank model water heaters, it’s clear why they need maintenance. They have several moving parts that work together to ensure the water that enters your home is safe for drinking, bathing in, cooking with, and cleaning with. There is one part in particular—the anode rod—that must be visually checked by a professional each year to ensure that the water heater isn’t about to fall victim to rust and corrosion.

But this is all because this type of water heater stores water, whereas a tankless system doesn’t. So does it really need maintenance? Well, if you have hard water in your community and/or your water heater is set to a high temperature, yes, yes it does.

Prepping Your Pipes for Winter (It’s Not Too Early!)

September 16th, 2019

Winters are no joke in Missouri, with temperatures dropping to frigid temperatures. So the question we have for you is, do you know how to prep your plumbing for the change in the weather? Sure, summer’s not even officially over quite yet, but when temperatures turn they do so quickly, and you’ll be grateful for taking precautionary steps with your plumbing.

The thing is, it’s very easy for your pipes to freeze in cold weather. Frozen pipes lead to burst pipes. Our team is here to help with any plumbing repair needs you have, even emergencies, but we’d like to help you avoid problems to begin with, if at all possible! One way we can do that is by alerting you to winter problems and how you can prevent cold weather from impacting your plumbing this year. Read on!

Plumbing Problem vs. Emergency

September 2nd, 2019

Reliable plumbing companies know that emergencies never happen a convenient time, and therefore are there for you when a plumbing problem just can’t wait. As much as we like, sudden leaks, clogs, or other problems don’t make themselves known during “regular business hours.” The plumbing system is integral to your home, and we understand you may not be able to just sit idly by until you can call and schedule an appointment.

But, when is a plumbing problem actually an emergency? When do you need to incur the cost of an emergency after-hours call? That’s a question that can really only be answered on a case-by-case basis, as it depends on the specific circumstances. For instance, a small leak in a single faucet—while over a long period of time will wastewater—isn’t much of a cause for concern. But water spreading across your kitchen floor with no way to shut off the source is a much different problem.

There are a few steps you can take though, to determine if you really do need to call for emergency services: