When was the last time anyone looked at your plumbing? Not just glancing at the faucet to make sure it wasn’t dripping, or your water heater to make sure it wasn’t leaking on the floor – but crawling under sinks, looking in access panels, checking supply lines and searching for signs of trouble before trouble happens.

We don’t like to think about it, but plumbing problems big and small can pop up at any time. Small problems like a leaky faucet or a running toilet can be annoying and cost money with increased water bills. Big problems like a burst pipe, can be devastating. With water flowing into our houses at 6-12 gallons a minute, a burst pipe while you’re at work or while you’re asleep can pour thousands of gallons of water into your home, creating immense damage. Insurance may cover some of the loss, but the physical and financial distress will difficult.

We go to the dentist, get the oil changed in the car, and make sure our kids have their well-visits at the doctor. An annual plumbing checkup should also be on our list.

At SoCo Plumbers, we regularly perform plumbing inspections for our customers. It’s easy to schedule, and in most cases we can be in and out of your home in an hour. We charge $200 for this service.

We’ll give you a report on things we see that you should address. Minor things can be taken care of while we’re there, and may even be handled at no charge beyond the inspection fee. If we see other things that need to be addressed, we can give you an estimate and fix it the same day or schedule an appointment at your convenience.

The best time to have a plumber in your house is before you have a plumbing emergency. At SoCo Plumbers, we’re here to help you with all of your plumbing needs. Call us at (470) 257-6002.

It can be frustrating when you go to take a nice hot shower and you realize that the water pressure is weak, leaving you annoyed rather than refreshed. You can experience the same low water pressure issue when you turn on the faucet to wash dishes or get ready for bed. When someone calls us to see what they can do about it, we’re happy to fix the low water pressure problem.

The first thing we want to do is figure out if the whole house is affected by low water pressure, one area of the house, such as a bathroom, or even one fixture, such as the kitchen sink.

The easiest problem to address is if the low pressure is affecting just one fixture. If this is the problem, there’s likely to be something caught in the fixture clogging it up. In some cases, you can fix this yourself by unscrewing the screen on the mouth of the faucet. In other cases, debris may have damaged parts inside the faucet. Sometimes we can replace parts in the faucet, but many modern faucets need to be replaced if they have damage from debris.

If your water pressure is low throughout your home, then we need to take a different approach. Every home has a pressure reducing valve (PRV), which regulates the pressure between the street and your home. The water pressure from the street is generally between 110 and 140. That’s too much water pressure would damage your fixtures. The PRV reduces that pressure to so your fixtures function properly.

Sometimes PRVs can be adjusted to improve water pressure and sometimes they need to be replaced. We do not recommend that homeowners try to adjust their PRV on their own. Too much pressure can cause extensive damage. And if adjustment does not work, or if the adjustment screw breaks, you’re you’re going to need the services of a professional plumber.

PRVs generally last about 10 years before they start going bad and need to be replaced. Yes, they can last longer, but their service life is designed for 10 years.

The most serious and expensive issue that can happen if the water service line bringing water from the street to your home is impaired. Over time, the old copper lines that have been traditionally used to bring water from the street to your home can become clogged by sediment, can be crushed by work or construction accidents, or can be damaged by tree roots. If this is the problem with your water pressure the only way to fix it is to replace the water service line between the street and your home. But once replaced, you will enjoy excellent water pressure and not have to worry about this problem for a long time to come.

If you’re not happy with the water pressure in your home, please give us a call at (470) 257-6002. We can fix it.