North Charleston Plumbing Tips For Homeowners

Maintenance in North Charleston is worth planning around the age of the neighborhood, because everything here is on a similar timeline. The supply pipe, the laterals, and the water heaters across a given street all went in together, and the high water table works on the buried parts of all of them.

Know Where Your Main Shutoff Is

Every homeowner in North Charleston 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 North Charleston water bill closely, because on slab construction over saturated ground it is realistically the only early warning a leak will give you. Compare the same month year over year rather than month to month, since Lowcountry summer irrigation moves usage enough to hide a slab leak.

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

Do Not Ignore Slow Drains

Drain habits matter in North Charleston given the identical layouts, since the same runs cause the same trouble across the neighborhood. A camera inspection of the lateral is worth more though, because groundwater entry is something no habit at the sink can affect one way or the other.

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 North Charleston and Charleston County.

Flush Your Water Heater Once a Year

Flush your water heater every year in North Charleston and inspect the outside of the unit as well, because humidity works on the jacket, flue, and fittings all year. In a neighborhood where every house went up at once, your tank is on much the same schedule as the neighbors.

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

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 North Charleston.

Check Under Sinks Regularly

Under sink leaks in North Charleston start at the connection points rather than in the pipe, and in this housing the angle stops are frequently original even where the fixture above is new. In this humidity a slow leak also produces mould in the cabinet quickly, so check them regularly.

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 North Charleston can fix it fast.

Know When to Call a Pro

The DIY line in North Charleston is set by the age of what you are touching. A flapper or an aerator is fine anywhere. An original shutoff that has not moved in decades will often shear rather than close, and the slab is off limits because nothing beneath it can be inspected.

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 North Charleston in North Charleston any time you are not sure.

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