Gastonia Plumbing Tips For Homeowners

Maintenance in Gastonia is about original plumbing that was modest when new and is now well beyond its intended life. Red clay works on the buried lines from outside, the crawlspaces hide slow leaks, and whole streets tend to arrive at the same problems together.

Know Where Your Main Shutoff Is

Every homeowner in Gastonia should know exactly where their main water shutoff valve is and confirm it actually turns. In an emergency every second counts. If you cannot locate it or it is corroded and stuck have a plumber address it before you need it. It is one of the simplest and most important things you can do to protect your home.

Watch Your Water Bill Every Month

Watch your Gastonia water bill month over month rather than only paying it, because in a mill house it is the earliest sign that old supply pipe has opened somewhere out of sight. Compare the same month year over year too, since summer irrigation shifts the figure.

A sudden increase with no change in usage almost always means a hidden leak. Our leak detection service in Gastonia finds the source fast before water damage compounds.

Do Not Ignore Slow Drains

Drain habits matter more in a Gastonia mill house than in most, because the original lines are small and have less margin than modern ones. A camera inspection of the lateral is worth doing as well, since those lines share an age with every other house on the street.

A slow drain is the earliest warning sign of a blockage building. Clearing it early costs far less than clearing a full backup. Our drain cleaning team serves Gastonia and Gaston County.

Flush Your Water Heater Once a Year

Flush your water heater every year in Gastonia, and take the time to establish what would actually fit in that improvised space before the tank fails. If the unit sits in a crawlspace, look at the outside of it too, since damp air down there works on the fittings.

An annual flush extends tank life and keeps energy costs down. Learn more about water heater maintenance in Gastonia.

Never Put Grease Down the Drain

Grease cools and hardens inside your pipes regardless of whether you run hot water with it. Over time it builds up and catches everything else that goes down. Use a container and throw it in the trash instead. This single habit prevents a significant percentage of kitchen drain calls we get in Gastonia.

Check Under Sinks Regularly

Under sink leaks in Gastonia start at the connection points, and in a mill house the shutoff there is frequently as old as the plumbing behind it. Those valves seize solid over decades, and finding out during an emergency is how a contained problem becomes a whole house shutoff.

A quick check every few months catches small drips before they become cabinet damage or mold. If you find a leak our pipe repair team in Gastonia can fix it fast.

Know When to Call a Pro

The DIY line in Gastonia follows the age of the plumbing rather than the age of the fixture, and in mill housing the plumbing is usually the older of the two. Fixture parts are fine. Original supply pipe and anything buried are not, because both fail when disturbed.

Some things are worth attempting yourself — a running toilet flapper, a slow drain you can snake. Anything involving your main line, water heater, or pipe repair behind walls is a job for a licensed plumber. Call PRO Plumbers of Gastonia in Gastonia any time you are not sure.

Call PRO Plumbers of Gastonia Now
(704) 272-2709