While wastewater treatment plants thoroughly clean our water for reuse purposes, they’re unable to reduce the hardness level. Unless you have a water-softening system to treat your supply, you risk shortening the lifespan of your plumbing system. However, softeners are not suitable for everyone, and mineral deposits clogging the inside of residential pipework is a common issue that leads to plumbing repairs. San Antonio homeowners don’t have to suffer alone. In fact, there are helpful and effective plumbing maintenance services that will ensure your pipes stay in decent condition.
Trust your local plumber at Mr. Rooter Plumbing of San Antonio for efficient, quality services that range from routine maintenance to emergency plumbing repairs. Every home needs a trusted plumber who is fully licensed, and insured, bringing many years of experience providing local clients with dependable plumbing repair services. Mr. Rooter Plumbing is a locally-owned and operated business that performs quality workmanship—a team that goes above and beyond to meet each client’s unique plumbing needs.
San Antonio Plumbing Repair Tools and Inspection
Before we go into detail about the types of plumbing issues that frequently occur in residential properties, it's important to learn about the advanced plumbing tools and equipment our professional plumbers use to inspect, and repair broken pipes. Since you are aware that the majority of your water lines and drain lines are buried inside walls and beneath floors, you need the peace of mind that no digging is required for a simple diagnosis and inspection service.
Plumbing Video Camera Inspection
Every expert plumber wears this tool on them like a wallet. The sewer camera is by far the most cutting-edge tool we have to date. It has an interesting history, spanning from the 1970s to the 1990s, during which technicians spent years perfecting a tool that enables a non-invasive inspection service. Nowadays, video camera inspections can tilt, pan, and rotate inside pipes, enabling your service technician to locate clogs and damages. Combined with acoustic listening equipment, it'll also help us identify and locate leaks from the surface area. Knowing the exact cause of the damage and its location, we'll be able to move forward with the relevant plumbing repair. Video inspections allow plumbers to immediately detect if you have clogged drains or even a tree root intrusion in your sewer pipe.
HydroScrub® Jetting
Once the sewer camera detects a clog caused by accumulated debris or mineral deposits, we utilize our hydro jetting tool to clear your pipe’s interior. It’s a piece of portable equipment with a high-pressure hose connected to a water pressurizer and tank. The average psi used for drain cleaning services starts at 1500 but could go as far up as 3500 psi. Not all pipes or their materials are suitable for hydro jetting, even when settings can be adjusted. It’s important that your local plumber conducts a thorough inspection service first to determine your pipes’ overall health. In most situations, plumbing repairs in San Antonio require HydroScrub® Jetting first before any repair methods can be determined or carried out.
Common Types of Plumbing Repairs in San Antonio
Whether you need plumbing repair in the kitchen, bathroom, or utility room, the most common issues are probably clogged drains, hoses, or leaky faucets. Since these issues come with unpleasant warning signs, it’s hard to ignore them until you deal with them. Frequent plumbing repair services our expert plumbers provide for homeowners include:
Toilet Repairs
Do you have a clogged toilet that keeps backing up again after plunging? Excessive plunging and snaking can easily damage the interior of your drain lines if you’re not careful. Since your toilet is closely connected to your sewer lateral, it’s highly likely that it’s also affected by a clog. Unless your toilet issues are related to faulty parts, such as a worn flapper or a defective flush valve, they are easily replaced. If the inside of your bowl is cracked, you’ll need a toilet replacement.
Faucet Replacement
Faucet leaks are fairly common in Texas. When referring to faucet repair, we prefer going ahead with a full replacement upon agreement with our client. Often, replacing the cartridge valve doesn’t bring you long-term benefits because the device system’s interior is covered in sediments and mineral deposits. The cleaning process itself could cost you more than getting a brand-new set.
Sink Repair
Whether it’s your bathroom sink or kitchen sink, it’s the most inconvenient area to have an issue. From leaks to clogs and foul smells, how can you fulfil your daily tasks if a slow drain is forcing you to take extra time in doing the dishes or brushing your teeth? Our team of experts specializes in sink repair services including sink stoppers, sink sprayers, and much more. Don’t let a clogged sink drain disrupt your day-to-day duties.
Hot Water Heater Repair
Whether you have a traditional hot water tank or a tankless water heater, you will know something is up if you experience a drop in water pressure or fluctuating temperatures. The most common issue is sediment and rust buildup inside the tanks because homeowners don’t frequently flush them or switch out the anode rod. Tankless units that are either gas-fired or electric can also encounter issues, such as corrosion through mineral buildup or problems with gas lines. The best way to prevent early plumbing repairs in San Antonio is to keep up with preventative maintenance.
Drainage Repair
Your home’s drain lines and sewer lateral fall into this category—primarily your sewer. Whatever you wash or flush down your drains will gather in your sewer line before it moves further to the city main located in the street. It’s important that homeowners know that they’re responsible for their sewer’s health and functions. Common drain line repairs our qualified, reliable plumbers do include:
- Toilet
- Sink
- Bathtub, shower
- Washing machine and dishwasher drain hoses.
- P-traps
- Perimeter drains (weeping tile)
- Leaky cleanout (sewer trap)
Sewer Backup
If your plumbing fixtures and drain lines show warning signs like recurring clogs, sewer gas smells, and slow draining, and it’s beyond your ability to rectify this situation, you likely need professional plumbing repair. San Antonio plumbers will get down to the nitty-gritty to diagnose the exact plumbing problem. Although these warning signs signal a sewer backup, you won’t know for sure what exactly caused it. It could be just a clog that efficient sewer cleaning services will fix, but you can’t rule out the possibility of leaky pipes.
Water Lines Repair
Water supply lines are very sensitive in San Antonio, no matter what material it’s made of. Copper and PEX materials are sturdy, durable, and fairly resistant to hard water buildup. But over time, scaling will occur, and scale deposits will begin to narrow the pipe’s interior, leading to a drop in pressure. Luckily, our hydro jetting device is also suitable for supply lines. While water hardness is the main culprit that triggers the need for plumbing repairs, San Antonio plumbers at Mr. Rooter have also noticed that water hammer is a frequent issue. Sometimes, homeowners aren’t aware that they have or need a pressure regulator to manage their flow rate. Hammering sounds in your pipes may also be managed by installing a pressure-limiting valve or an arrestor. Other water line issues include pipe bursts which are not always visible until you see a spike in your water bills.
San Antonio Plumbing Repair Methods
Trenchless Technology
As we have talked about using non-invasive tools and methods for inspection and pipe repair, there is actually an umbrella term, “trenchless.” As a no-digging method, trenchless technology has become a crucial component of modern plumbing. For instance, during a trenchless sewer line repair, we drill two small access points, known as insertion and reception pits, for certified plumbers to access and treat the affected parts of your sewer line.
This method is widely used in both public and private settings, saving time and labour to fix underground pipes. Another huge benefit of adopting this type of plumbing repair, San Antonio city will barely experience any surface disruption. Furthermore, this method helps both plumbers and property owners save money. Back in the day, excavation cost time, money, and labour and even released unhealthy dust into the air, polluting nearby areas.
Nowadays, the trenchless repair method is one of the safest and fastest ways for skilled plumbers and construction workers to repair any underground infrastructure. The two most commonly used trenchless methods are:
Pipe Lining
Back in the 1970s, a British technician invented the so-called CIPP—"Cured-in-Place Pipe" technology, which is a non-invasive plumbing repair method used for rehabilitating damaged sewer lines. The process starts with soaking an inflatable felt tube with epoxy and inserting it into the damaged section via the access hole. As the plumbing provider inflates the lining, it will subsequently cure in place, forming a new durable wall coating, which later becomes the new pipe. While it only takes a few hours to complete the job, the curing process takes about 24 hours. This is how the general term CIPP became "pipelining".
Pipe Bursting
This is another popular trenchless method that uses hydraulics to destroy damaged sections. The device used has an expansion head that executes the bursting process. The replacement section is attached to the head’s back end, and a pulling rod is attached to the front. The head is then pulled through your system, destroying damaged sections and pulling the replacement into place as it goes. The pipe puller is a crucial device attached to the rod’s opposite end; its hydraulic power enables your technician to accurately direct the new pipe into place and secure it once the old one is broken into small pieces.
More Plumbing Repairs in San Antonio
- Water softener
- Garbage disposal
- Slab leak
- Outdoor spigot (hose bib)
- Sump pump
- Backwater valve
- Frozen pipes
- Septic tank
- Plumbing emergencies
- And much more!
How Do You Know You Need Plumbing Repairs?
San Antonio homeowners know their homes the best, and it’s obvious that plumbing fixtures work in accordance with your daily routine, serving its purpose. Any warning signs that disrupt your routine are enough for you to raise an eyebrow and question the source of the problem. Recurring clogs, stinky drains, and rust flowing out of your trap are clear signs that you need plumbing repairs. San Antonio’s pipework systems are most susceptible to mineral buildup. If left untreated, you will experience rust and corrosion and thus, a deteriorating system. Most plumbing repairs San Antonio plumbing technicians do in time can help extend your pipes’ shelf life, but in the worst-case scenario, a replacement is inevitable.
While our goal is to minimize the need for plumbing repairs through regular maintenance, it’s hard to avoid issues that are outside our control. Preventive maintenance protects you from issues that could potentially happen. However, geological and climatic issues like soil shifting and flash floods could lead to costly plumbing repairs no one wants to have a nightmare about.
Need Plumbing Repairs? San Antonio Plumbers Have You Covered!
Whether you're in San Antonio or a nearby community, such as Boerne, Converse, or Universal City, you can count on reliable, professional service from the team of experienced plumbers at Mr. Rooter Plumbing. Pick up the phone and get in contact with us today to schedule an appointment at a convenient time or to chat with our excellent customer service staff and find out more about why we’re considered the top choice for expert San Antonio plumbing service.
Call Mr. Rooter Plumbing of San Antonio today if you are experiencing plumbing issues that need repair in San Antonio.