Some people are shocked to learn that they have problems with the plumbing in their new homes. After all, if their brand new appliances are in top working order, why shouldn’t the same be true with their plumbing? Not only this, any plumbing problems need to be seen to right away. Plumbing problems only get worse, and the worse they get, the more expensive they are to fix, and home warranties might not cover plumbing repairs. Fortunately, our plumbers at Davis & Green can help with any plumbing problems that crop up in your new home.
Top New Home Plumbing Problems
Among the most prevalent plumbing issues in a new home are:
- Leaking faucets
- Running toilets
- Water heater problems
- Clogged pipes
- Clogged drains
Leaking faucets seem like mere annoyances at first, but if your home is served by municipal waterworks, you could quickly see your water bills skyrocket. Leaks are also astonishingly wasteful, as what looks like a small leak can waste 30 gallons of water every day. This adds up to 10,950 gallons a year.
Of all the types of faucets that can spring leaks, stem faucets are number one. These are the faucets that have different handles for hot and cold, and turning them on or off causes a threaded stem to rotate. A washer found at the bottom of the stem is compressed to block water when a handle is turned off. It is often this washer that’s to blame for a leak. The seat that the washer is compressed into can also corrode, and the packing that holds the handle in place can also deteriorate. Pipes, of course, can also leak. In new houses, this can be the result of connections not being made properly. In older houses, pipes can simply corrode over time or develop pinholes.
Leaks can also be caused by water pressure that’s too high. You can suspect the wrong water pressure if the faucet only leaks when you turn the handles a certain way or if it only leaks when no other faucet or fixture is being used. Over time, high water pressure can lead to leaking pipes as well as leaking faucets, which is another headache.
A running toilet is one that runs and runs even after it’s been flushed. This means that it is pouring gallon upon gallon of fresh water down your drain. It may mean that the components of the toilet, such as the guide arm, float ball, handle, or trip lever, are at fault, but the problem is usually an easy fix. For example, the float ball may simply have water inside of it, and a fix may be a question of either draining or replacing it. If anything more complicated is going on with a running toilet, our plumbers at Davis & Green can repair it.
New water heaters can be surprisingly temperamental, which is why some plumbers recommend that they be drained regularly for the first couple of months to avoid sediment buildup. On top of this, a lot of things can go wrong with the heater’s components. A heater that’s not delivering hot water may have heating elements that aren’t working, or it’s simply not getting power because the limit switch has been tripped. The heater’s thermostat may also be faulty. Even relatively new water heaters can leak because there’s something wrong with the temperature and pressure relief valve, if they’re too hot, if a valve is stuck, if a connection leaks, or if the bolts on the heating elements come loose.
Clogged pipes and clogged drains often go hand-in-hand. Probably the worst cause of clogged pipes has nothing to do with the new house but is the result of a badly built and badly maintained sewer system. In that case, clogged drains aren’t just a problem for you and your home but possibly for your neighbors as well. This is why assessing the environment with the help of a home inspector is a must well before you put a down payment on the property.
Another reason your pipes may be clogged is that the plumbing contractor just didn’t install them the right way. Davis & Green plumbers are experts at installing drains and can happily repair or replace the ones that weren’t put in right. As for clogged drains, all it takes is for one piece of jewelry to fall into the drain to cause a problem. Even after a few days in the home, the drain will have to ingest hair, soap, dirt, bits of food, and other debris. It might add up to a clog that takes more than a plunger or even a snake to fix. One of our plumbers may need to come in and open up a trap to free it of the gunk that’s blocking your drain. If there’s a problem in the main drain, we might need to use hydro-jetting to blast the clog down to the sewer system.
Other Plumbing Problems
Other plumbing problems that a new home may encounter include noisy pipes. Like clogged drains, noisy pipes may be the result of faulty installation. They can also result from water pressure that’s too high. A water heater, instead of delivering cold water, might deliver water that’s dangerously hot. This, too, is a thermostat problem. Leaks in a brand new water heater are a sign that the pipe fittings are not tight enough or that water is condensing on the pipes. If you have a gas heater and you smell gas, that’s a sign that the connection to the source of the gas is leaking. You will need to immediately shut off the gas supply valve, open the windows, and call our plumbers.
Too many homeowners move into new homes whose plumbing pipes haven’t been insulated against the winter, and winter can get cold around Richmond. The outside temperature doesn’t need to get below freezing for pipes to freeze. This can cause them to leak or even burst. Our plumbers can inspect your pipes and make sure that they are well insulated against the cold weather.
The plumbers of Davis & Green have been proudly serving the customers in Richmond, Virginia, and its environs since 1984. We not only take care of our customer’s plumbing but also provide heating, cooling, electrical, and construction services. We install, repair, and maintain heat pumps, boilers, gas and electric furnaces, ductless mini splits, and radiant heating. We help our customers assess their indoor air quality and correct it if it needs it. We also install and repair backup generations, appliances, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and EV charging stations. Don’t hesitate to ask about our home comfort plan, a maintenance agreement that waives service fees during normal business hours and gives you other money-saving benefits.
If you have recently moved into a newly built home and are aghast to find that its plumbing is not quite up to snuff, don’t hesitate to give our plumbers a call at Davis & Green. Our friendly and professional plumbers are highly qualified, licensed, and have the skills necessary to address any plumbing problem you may have.
