Revealed: 5 helpful plumbing secrets only the pros know
As a Beverly Hills plumbing company, we want to help our customers in any way we can. Whether you live near The Four Seasons Hotel or The Beverly Vista School, we’re dedicated to providing the knowledge you might need to better understand your plumbing. While it may be a cliché, “knowledge is power” applies any homeowner or renter dealing with their plumbing. You can always call the best plumber in Beverly Hills to repair a problem, but you don’t necessarily have to be one of Fiski-it Plumbing’s trained experts to identify issues with your pipes, faucets and drains.
Here are a few things that every resident should know about their plumbing.
Filtration helps your pipes
Most of us are familiar with the common examples of water filtration. Maybe you have a re-fillable pitcher with an internal filter; or perhaps you installed filter in your sink as an alternative to the main faucet. Either way, filtration not only helps protect water for drinking and showering; it preserves your pipes as well. If you install a whole-house filtration system on your home’s water main, it can remove contaminants like lime scale that damage your pipes over time.
Pinhole leaks cause big problems
Pinhole leaks are pretty much what they sound like. They’re tiny holes in a pipe caused by internal corrosion. They’re so small, in fact, that they seem harmless at first. However, they’ve been known to cause homeowner headaches over time. The problem is you can’t see them because pipes are typically located behind the walls. You also probably won’t notice them at first but when you do, it’s usually too late. They’ve probably already caused damage to your walls.
Copper pipes are reliable – until they’re not
Most Beverly Hills homes, like most homes throughout Los Angeles, were built with copper pipes. Copper is used for its strength and durability. But increasingly, people are becoming less enthusiastic about this traditional pipe, as other, more efficient alternatives make themselves available. Copper corrodes over time. It’s not uncommon these days for people to use PVC, as it’s lighter, easier to install, and lasts decades.
Bad odors are a bad sign
Whether you live along Rodeo Drive or Wilshire Boulevard, no one likes the presence of foul smells in their home. When it comes to plumbing, this might simply be the result of a clogged drain, which can be fairly easy to fix. However, in more extreme cases, it could be a sign that your sewer line is clogged. Another explanation is backflow. This term refers to water’s inability to flow away from your home. Something in the line blocks and sends it back up through your pipes. The result is smelly and unpleasant indeed.
Hard water is more damaging than you think
We’ve all heard the term “hard water”, and maybe we’re even vaguely aware that it’s bad, but few of us actually know the real definition. Hard water refers to H2O that contains an excessive amount of minerals. The reason homeowners should be concerned is that, over time, hard water causes mineral deposits that accumulate in your pipes and cause clogs.