Does Your Plumbing System Need an Upgrade? | Insight from Your Trusted San Antonio, TX Plumber
Photo By 4 PM production at Shutterstock
When you think about remodeling your home or making an upgrade, you probably think about new cabinets or appliances in the kitchen or bathroom. The truth of the matter is, the best parts of your San Antonio, TX, home to upgrade are the parts you can’t even see. A lot of homeowners go several decades without upgrading or replacing their plumbing system, which leaves them with old pipes that are more likely to corrode and fail. If you’re debating whether or not to hire a plumber to give your plumbing system an upgrade, check out some of these tips.
Bad Fixtures
The fixtures are the most obvious thing to upgrade if you want your plumbing system to be in better shape. While it’s important to have your water running through good water lines and clear drain lines, the fixtures are what really determine how you use water in your home.
Most fixtures have a fairly specific life expectancy, at which point they tend to fail because of the amount of wear and tear on the components. For example, your water heater is only designed to last about 8 to 12 years, which means it’s on its last leg if you’ve had it for 15 years. If you’ve got any fixtures you haven’t replaced in a long time, you might want to have a plumber do it now to save you time and money in the future.
In some cases, a bad fixture is a result of a problem that’s simply not worth fixing. If you’re going to spend a fortune having a plumber order parts and fix something in your home, it’s generally a better idea to spend a little bit more and simply have them replace it instead.
Pipe Quality
Pipes are another common plumbing upgrade for San Antonio, TX, homeowners. The truth of the matter is, there are a lot of different options when it comes to pipes, and some are a lot better than others. If you’ve got the wrong pipe material in your home, you’re putting yourself at risk for problems that can lead to huge plumbing repair bills.
One of the worst things that can happen to your pipe is a bad leak. The thing is, most homeowners don’t know they have a leak until they notice the effect it has on their monthly water bill. By the time you get a plumber to come look at your home and get the water damage cleaned up, you could be looking at spending thousands.
Lead pipes are particularly dangerous, but they were often used in older homes. If you’ve got lead pipes in your home, you and your family are being exposed to lead that’s leeching into the water in your home. If you suspect you may have lead pipes in your home, have a professional inspect your plumbing system and remove the old pipes if necessary.
Improved Efficiency
If you’re simply tired of dealing with the old plumbing system and fixtures in your home and you want something a little more efficient, upgrading your plumbing system is a good idea. Not only can you have a plumber design your entire plumbing system for efficiency, you can have a leak detector set up on your water meter and have efficient fixtures installed in your home.
Depending on how old your toilet is, it could be using more than twice as much water as it should per flush. Not only does this cost you more on your water bill, it also wastes fresh water that some people are in dire need of. Most plumbers recommend newer low-flow toilets which allow you to flush using less water so you don’t have to feel as guilty about each flush. Some toilets even have different options for solid and liquid waste.
Your water heater is another thing you can really see a difference in when it comes to efficiency. Water heaters have come a long way in the past few decades, which means your old water heater could be costing you unnecessary money. Your plumber can help you find a high-efficiency water heater from one of the top brands so you can spend less on your monthly bill.
Added Features
Upgrading your plumbing system might seem like a lot of work, but it’s also a great opportunity to add some new features to your home. One of the coolest features you can have a professional add is a smart home water shut off valve. With this wireless shut off valve, you can use your phone to shut your water off with the main shut off valve.
If you want to avoid spending tons of money on water repair due to leaks, a leak detection system is exactly what you need. These leak detectors are installed at your water meter and alert you if there’s anything strange going on. You can even connect a leak detection system to your smart phone so you can get notifications as soon as something goes wrong.
When a plumber is upgrading your plumbing system, you can also have them install any new fixtures or other upgrades you might want. Since you’re already having somebody work on your plumbing system, this is a good time to make sure you get all the upgrades you want.
The Best Way
There’s nothing better than having a flawless plumbing system, and the best way to get that is to invest some money. While upgrading may seem like a big investment, you get a lot of bang for your buck and save on plumbing repairs in the future.
If you’re looking for a plumber to help you upgrade your plumbing system or get a problem fixed, bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of San Antonio, TX, can help you out. From maintenance and repairs to upgrades and replacements, we do it all. Give bluefrog a call at (210) 405-4968 to learn more today.
Priority Service