Corroded plumbing, trees that invade sewer lines, pipes that burst and flood houses, water heaters that leak constantly. Water issues are always a big problem for Arizona homeowners.
In fact, questions about plumbing are second only to those about air-conditioning with the readers and listeners who contact us.
Here are some tough situations as well as possible solutions and preventive measures:
Question: I have leaky water pipes throughout the house. Can I fix the leaks, or do I need to repipe, and how is it done?
Answer: What happens to your home depends on your individual situation. The bottom line is that experienced plumbers can solve your problems, and sometimes pretty quickly. It might be that just a few holes in your pipes need fixing. Your drywall or a part of the floor might have to be opened up for repairs. But those holes can be fixed.
Sometimes there are tougher situations. Extensive leaking can occur in homes built in the 1940s or '50s, when builders used galvanized pipes made from steel or iron coated in zinc. After about 50 years, these pipes begin to rust and corrode. But multiple leaks can occur in much newer homes, too, due to faulty installation or plastic fittings and soldering jobs that fail. Copper used to be considered the gold standard, but it too can have problems that eat away at pipes from inside.
Sometimes the leaks can be repaired by e-piping, a process in which pipes are relined with epoxy coating. Whether you can reline the pipes depends on the age of your home and how badly pipes are leaking.
But in some cases you may need to repipe instead, generally by running pipes through your attic. In homes with flat roofs and no attic, the pipes go over the top of the roof. You need to have proper insulation on those pipes to prevent problems with sun or frost.
Q: How do I get tree roots out of my drain lines? And how can I keep them out after the pipes are cleaned?
A: Professional plumbers can use herbicides to kill roots in your pipes; these are not products that you can buy at a hardware store. These stronger compounds can be used as long as the roots haven't gotten too invasive. But if there are too many tree roots, a plumber may have to cut them out. If you neglect this problem, roots will spread and thoroughly block your pipes.
Once roots are gone, a plumber may also use herbicides to keep roots from coming back. You can chop down the tree as part of a prevention program, but often roots in the ground keep growing. Then you may end up having to replace the old clay or metal drainage pipe involved as well. The problem is that this old piping sweats or leaks, thus attracting tree roots.
One good rule to remember: Don't plant a tree next to a bathroom, kitchen or laundry room. But of course, sometimes the problem isn't your tree; it's that neighbor's tree next door.
Q: Which low-flush toilet works the best?
A: Years ago, I always gave opinions on which brands of low-flush toilets worked best. But now my plumber friends tell me that plumbing manufacturers have perfected their designs so that almost all low-flush toilets work well.
"Back when they first introduced them, there were problems," says Bill Wood of Wood's Plumbing in Tucson. "But by the early 1990s, they were mostly all in pretty good shape. The 1.6-gallon flush is pretty much the standard now. What people complain about now are the power flushes. But eventually, you get used to the noise."
Q: How big a garbage disposal do I need?
A: A 1/3-horsepower is a good size if you're going to give it only light use. But most homeowners prefer a ½- or 1-horsepower model. You can install a new disposal yourself, but most plumbers guarantee what they sell, so you can go back to them if you have a breakdown, instead of working with a manufacturer's guarantee.
One warning: Your disposal can handle many types of food, but your pipes may not be able to cope with waste that has high fiber content. Stick to the small stuff. Clean off most of the waste from dishes into the garbage can; then rinse what's left down the disposal. Even carrot and potato peels can cause a clogged drain. Better to collect peelings in the sink and throw them in the trash.
Always run cold water when grinding with the disposal to move the waste down the drains. Fats and grease congeal and harden in cold water and can be flushed out. But don't run hot water in the drain; it will dissolve fats and grease that later end up coating the drain line.
Q: How do I maintain my water heater? And how long can a water heater last?
A: Water heaters can last 10 to 12 years with proper maintenance. Without that care, they can leak and damage a garage or closet. Once a heater starts leaking, it has probably rusted out and needs replacing.
Once a year, test the pressure relief valve on your water heater and replace it if it works improperly. The role of the valve is to keep pressure from building up inside the water heater causing an explosion.
So when you raise the lever on the valve, you should hear water running out the drain line. If you do, your valve is OK. But if your test lever won't go up or won't reset after you raise it, or if you don't hear water running, call a plumber. If you've owned a water heater many years and have never tested the valve, it might be too corroded to test. Call a plumber.
At least once a year, you should drain the water out of the tank to remove sediment.
Every two to five years replace the sacrificial anode rod inside the water heater. This metal rod — which unscrews from an opening on top of the water heater — is designed to deteriorate in order to protect other exposed metals in the tank. Rods generally last two to five years. Once they get corroded, they can't do their job, and the heating element deteriorates. Be sure to follow instructions from the water-heater manufacturer on how to do this job.
Q: What about tankless water heaters? Would that be a good way to go?
A: Tankless water heaters keep growing in popularity. They're about the size of a briefcase and can quickly produce hot water in your house when you need it. It doesn't happen instantly; you do have to run the water a little before hot water comes out. But they don't leak the way that traditional water heaters do. A tankless unit, with high-powered burners that can be fueled by gas or electricity, can last 20 years.
"Customers love them because getting rid of that old water heater frees up so much storage space," says Linda Stanfield of Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Phoenix.
But if you go tankless, you need to have a water softener installed if you don't already have one. Hard water can damage tankless heaters. And tankless models cost more than traditional water heaters.
Q: How can I prevent a major flood from pipes in my home?
A: Not long ago at a home show, I gave a talk about replacing the plastic water-Tsupply flex lines on all your faucets, toilets, refrigerator ice maker, and washer and dryer with braided stainless steel lines. An important point I made to the audience: Don't use supply lines that have plastic nuts at the end of them; you want to make sure you have brass components at both ends of the lines, because plastic can break and fail. After my presentation, one of my listeners told me he had recently filed a $100,000 insurance claim for water damage when a plastic nut failed on a supply line to a toilet in his home. The mishap had happened after he had left on a one-week vacation.
Those stronger supply lines increase your odds of avoiding a major mess like that. Another preventive measure: Install a whole-house shutoff valve outside on the water line that leads into your house — if you don't already have one. That way you can easily shut off water to your home while you're out of town if you so choose.
Next week: We'll talk about the electrical problems that homeowners face most often in their houses.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona homebuilding and remodeling industry expert for 25 years, Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Rosie on the House radio program heard in Phoenix from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturdays on KTAR-FM (92.3). Call 888-767-4348.