Plumbing FAQ

Low pressure throughout the whole house (not just one fixture) usually points to one of three things: corroded or scaled galvanized pipes restricting flow, a failing pressure regulator at the main shutoff, or a leak somewhere in the main supply line. If your home has galvanized pipes, the interior corrosion progressively narrows the pipe and the only real fix is repiping. We can test your pressure with a gauge and diagnose the cause in one visit.

Yes — polybutylene (grey poly) pipe fails without warning. The pipe degrades from the inside out due to chlorine in municipal water. By the time you see a leak, the pipe wall is already compromised along its entire length. Homes with poly pipe routinely have multiple simultaneous leaks once failure starts. Additionally, many Florida homeowners insurance carriers now require poly pipe removal as a condition of coverage. If your home has it, we recommend replacing it proactively — the cost is the same whether you wait for the leaks to start or not, but the water damage cleanup is not.

That sound is sediment buildup on the bottom of the tank heating element. As water is trapped under the sediment and heated, it bubbles through — creating the popping or rumbling. It means your heater is working harder than it should and the sediment layer is insulating the heating element from the water. We recommend an annual flush to remove it. If it's been years without maintenance, the sediment layer may have caused early failure of the element or tank. A flush now is far cheaper than an emergency replacement next winter.

It depends on the work. Simple fixture replacements in the same location (toilet, faucet, shower head) generally don't require a permit. Anything that moves existing plumbing, adds new fixture locations, replaces or installs water heaters, or does supply line repiping requires a permit in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Unpermitted work can cause problems when you sell your home and may not be covered by insurance if something goes wrong. We pull all required permits as part of our service — you don't need to do anything.

Repiping a typical 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home in Tampa Bay runs between $4,500 and $9,000 depending on pipe material (PEX-A vs copper), home layout, accessibility, and whether permit and drywall patching are included. PEX-A is usually $1,500–$2,500 less than copper for the same home. We always include permits and drywall patching to paint-ready condition in our estimates. Get a free in-home assessment and we'll give you an exact number — no pressure, no obligation.

A slab leak is a pipe leak located in the supply or drain lines that run under your concrete slab foundation. Signs include: warm spots on the floor, the sound of running water under the floor when nothing is on, cracks in tile or walls, or an unexplained increase in your water bill. Slab leaks are serious — the water can undermine your foundation over time and promote mold growth inside the slab. We use thermal imaging and acoustic equipment to find the exact leak location, then recommend the least invasive repair: spot repair, overhead reroute, or full repipe. We never recommend tearing up flooring unnecessarily.

We strongly recommend against it. Caustic drain cleaners generate heat and can crack older plastic pipes, corrode galvanized steel from the inside, damage chrome drain covers and fixtures, and kill the beneficial bacteria in septic systems. They also rarely solve the underlying problem — they burn through the soft part of a clog (hair, grease) but leave roots, scale, or pipe narrowing untouched. The clog comes back in weeks. Professional cleaning with a motorized snake or hydro-jetter is safer for your pipes and solves the problem completely. The cost difference is minimal.

A well-maintained tankless water heater typically lasts 20+ years. Standard tank water heaters average 8–12 years in Florida's hard water environment. The key word is "maintained" — tankless units need an annual descale flush (especially in hard water areas like Tampa Bay) to prevent mineral buildup from reducing efficiency or damaging the heat exchanger. Tank water heaters need annual sediment flushing and anode rod inspection. Both last longer with maintenance — but tankless has a clear lifespan advantage.

Step one: locate and close the main water shutoff valve to stop water flow. In Florida homes, the main shutoff is typically near the water meter at the street (inside a small green box), or where the main supply line enters the house from outside. Step two: call us at (813) 555-0147 — our dispatcher answers 24/7 and will walk you through any immediate steps while we dispatch a plumber. If there's any electrical risk (flooded area near outlets or panel), stay out of the affected area and call your power company to shut off power to the area. Don't use electrical appliances near standing water.