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When your water heater is working properly, it’s easy not to think about it at all. For most homeowners, water heaters are out of sight and out of mind. But when your water heater malfunctions, it can immediately diminish your quality of life. People in your house will stop bathing. Dishes may pile up. You’ll have a harder time getting your clothes clean. The list goes on and on.

If your water heater is still on the newer side, and certainly if it’s under seven years old, it will typically be more cost-effective to repair than to replace it. But for older units, it might make more sense to get rid of them and spring for something new.

The question is, how do you pick the right water heater for your house? Not all units are created equal, and there are a number of salient factors to consider. Here’s a quick guide from People’s Choice Plumbing.

Different Types of Water Heaters

To begin with, it’s helpful to know the different kinds of water heaters that are available. Some general categories include:

• Conventional water heaters, which are fueled by either electricity or gas, and maintain a tank of hot water that’s ready to deploy.
• Tankless water heaters, which heat up water and supply it on demand rather than storing it in a tank.
• Heat pump water heaters, which essentially move heat from one place to another as opposed to generating heat directly for hot water.
• Solar water heaters, which harness the sun’s energy to heat water.
• Tankless coil water heaters, which use your central heating system to heat water.

What to Consider When Picking a Water Heater

Additionally, make sure you take into account a few of the primary attributes of a new water heater. Examples include:

• Fuel type. Does your home have natural gas lines? Can you save money by choosing gas over electric?
• Size. How many people live in your house and use the hot water? That can help determine the size of water heater you need.
• Energy efficiency. Gas tanks are generally more energy efficient than electric ones, though you can also find electric water heaters that are certified as “green.”
• Location. Where will you place your water heater? Conventional water heaters need to be inside, on a platform. Tankless ones offer you more flexibility.
• Budget. A tankless water heater usually costs quite a bit more than a conventional one.
• Rebates. Some utility companies may offer rebates or discounts when you switch to a tankless water heater. It’s certainly worth checking into!

Find Out Which Water Heater is Right for You

At the end of the day, there are a lot of options to choose from, and many different factors to consider.

So what’s the best way of determining which water heater is right for you?

One step is to contact a plumber who can counsel you, recommending a unit based on the size of your home and your family.

To speak with an expert from People’s Choice Plumbing, reach out today.

Homeowners call plumbers for all sorts of reasons. They call because they run out of hot water. They call because they spring a leak. They call when faucets or fixtures don’t work the way they’re supposed to.

Very few homeowners call plumbers because they’re getting too little water pressure.

In fact, most homeowners love high water pressure, especially when they get into the shower.

So why would anyone ever ask for a pressure reducing valve (PRV) to be installed?

Reasons to Consider a Pressure Regulator

There are actually a number of ways in which homeowners might benefit from PRV installation.

1) A PRV can extend the lifespan of your appliances.

Home appliances aren’t cheap. Generally speaking, you probably want to do anything in your power to prolong their lifespan, and put off replacement. And one way you can do that is through installing a pressure regulator.

Consider your dishwasher. High levels of water pressure can place a lot of strain on your dishwasher and cause it to break down prematurely.

By regulating household water pressure, though, you can minimize that strain, and keep your dishwasher working for a while to come.

2) Pressure regulators can preserve your plumbing fixtures, too.

It’s not just appliances like your dishwasher that become stressed by too much water pressure. Shower heads, faucets, and other fixtures can also undergo strain.

Nobody’s saying you have to settle for a shower head that just trickles out, but there is a happy medium you can reach: Robust water pressure that’s gentle enough on your fixtures.

3) What if your house is connected to a new water supply line?

Imagine that your city hooks you up to a new water supply line, which boosts the pressure coming into your home.

All of a sudden, your pipes, hoses, and appliances may encounter significantly higher psi than anything they’re used to. This can cause them to rupture; indeed, this is the most common cause of household water damage!

The best way to mediate water pressure and avoid this problem is through proactively installing a PRV.

4) A PRV can help you save money.

Last, and perhaps most obviously: By regulating the psi coming into your home, you can potentially decrease your monthly water bills. Even if it’s just by a few dollars, it may really add up over time.

Improved energy efficiency is one of the best reasons to consider having a pressure regulator installed.

Learn More About PRV Installation

Maybe you’ve never put much thought into the pros and cons of a pressure regulator… but the truth is, most homes benefit from having one installed.

Do you have additional questions about PRV installation? Or would you like to discuss having a pressure regulator installed for your home? Either way, we’d love to hear from you here at People’s Choice Plumbing.

We’re pleased to be a trusted provider of PRV installation. To speak with us directly, reach out at your next opportunity.

Among the myriad responsibilities of home ownership, some involve run-of-the-mill maintenance like vacuuming and mowing the lawn and changing the furnace filters. Sometimes, however, bigger problems arise and that’s when patience, determination, and some DIY mojo come in handy. One of these times is when you have a backed up sewer, something none of us want to experience.

A back-up sewer can easily result in serious damage to your home’s walls, floors, electrical systems, and furniture, just to name a few. Let’s take a look at traditional responsibilities in maintaining a sewer system and preventative steps to avoid a homegrown disaster.

A homeowner’s sewer maintenance responsibility

Many homeowners don’t know that they are responsible for upkeep and any repairs of not only their home’s sewer system but that of the lateral—the pipe running between the main city sewer line and the house. The lateral (and its repairs) falls under the ownership of the homeowner, including all parts of the lateral that reach into the street. If the lateral at your property develops a crack or roots from your big maple tree perforate the pipe; repairs are up to you.

But tree roots are not the only culprit inspiring sewer calamities. Interestingly, the number of backed up sewers in the U.S. is rapidly increasing. Here are some of the most common causes:

Old sewer systems

Did you know that America is laced with more than a half-million miles of sewer lines? That’s a lot and the average age of all that piping is over 30. In the frenetic pace of growth and headlong sprawl in our cities and suburbs, increasing numbers of homes are being connected to aging sewer systems which leads to backups, overflows, and flooded basements.

Tree roots

As mentioned above, encroaching tree roots searching for water will find the tiniest crack in sewer pipes and joints, prying them apart as the roots grow. Little cracks become big ones and then come severe water damage and blockages.

Blocked mains

Sometimes blockages happen at a city’s main sanitary line and if not recognized soon enough, backed up sewage can gradually work its way up through the floors of nearby homes and businesses. Look for seepage at floor drains or water flowing into your basement.

Strategies to address a sewer backup

A backed up sewer is a bad thing; it can lead to tremendous structural damage, electrical failures, and disease. The best strategy is prompt attention to cleanup to mitigate further damage and mess:

• Remove and wet-vac the liquid mess
• Flush and disinfect all plumbing fixtures
• Mop the floors and clean walls with a strong disinfectant
• Remove and repair damaged drywall to prevent mold

Preventing sewer backups

Included in your homeowner duties are steps to take to help prevent backups in your home’s sewer lateral as well as the city’s main. Here are some of the most common and effective defenses:

• Proper disposal of paper products

Nearly all of the paper towels, diapers, feminine products, hand wipes, and other related products we use today take decades to deteriorate and are very adept at creating all manner of disarray in sewer lines. Don’t flush these products down the toilet.

• Proper disposal of grease

Cleaning that frying pan by washing the grease down the drain is a bad idea. As the grease cools it solidifies right there in the sink’s drain, sewer line, or city lines and eventually become a damaging clog.

• Replace old lines

If your sewer lines are old and brittle, replacing with plastic pipe will keep tree roots at bay and rigid plastic lines almost never crack.

• Cut the roots

If tree roots continue to present a challenge by infiltrating your sewer lateral, consider cutting the roots yourself or call in a pro.

• Install backwater prevention valves

A backwater prevention valve is a highly effective fixture that is installed into a sewer line in a home’s basement. The valve lets unwanted seepage to exit but not return and clog up the works. Enlist the help of a professional plumber to ensure this complex procedure is done right.

• Illegal plumbing connections are trouble

Never install sump pumps, French drains, and similar flow management fixtures to your sewer system. Not only is it illegal, silt and assorted debris will quickly cause a blockage.