Pittsburgh Plumbing Tips For Homeowners

Maintenance in Pittsburgh is organised around water arriving where you do not want it. Heavy rain loads a combined system, hillside laterals are long and old, deep basements are what floods, and winter freezes anything running cold. All four give warning if somebody looks before the season rather than during it.

Know Where Your Main Shutoff Is

Every homeowner in Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh water bill month over month rather than only paying it, because century old pipe weeping in a basement gives no other warning and a freeze split that seeps rather than bursts gives none either. Compare the same month year over year to separate a real change from ordinary seasonal variation.

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

Do Not Ignore Slow Drains

Drain habits matter in Pittsburgh, particularly with century old cast iron catching anything fibrous or greasy. The more valuable habit is having the lateral cameraed in autumn, because on a steep lot the excavation to fix a problem is substantial and doing it before the ground freezes is considerably easier.

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 Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.

Flush Your Water Heater Once a Year

Flush your water heater every year in Pittsburgh, ideally before winter, because incoming water is genuinely cold for months and the unit works hardest then. In a century old basement it is also worth establishing what would physically fit and vent correctly before the current tank fails and forces a rushed decision.

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

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 Pittsburgh.

Check Under Sinks Regularly

Under sink leaks in Pittsburgh start at the connection points rather than in the pipe, and in century old housing the shutoffs are frequently original and seized. Cabinets on exterior walls need extra attention through winter, since the lines behind them run coldest and an open door during a hard freeze genuinely helps.

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 Pittsburgh can fix it fast.

Know When to Call a Pro

The DIY line in Pittsburgh is generous on winter preparation and firm on everything else. Draining a bib or insulating an exposed basement run is worth doing. A century old shutoff will often shear rather than close, and a hillside lateral is not something to investigate with a shovel on a slope like these.

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 Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh any time you are not sure.

Call PRO Plumbers of Pittsburgh Now
(412) 899-1861