Crown Heating, Cooling & Plumbing Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Plumbing’

Critical Signs It’s Time to Repipe Your House

Monday, September 11th, 2023

Your plumbing is obviously vital to your daily life, cleanliness, and even your health, but it’s out of sight and out of mind. The pipes are in the floor and the walls, so it’s easy to pay them no mind. Over time, your pipes will deteriorate and incur problems.

But repiping a house? Is that really necessary right now? It’s hard to tell, but these are classic (and critical) signs that you absolutely have to pay attention to. If any of these jump out at you, something’s already wrong with your plumbing and needs immediate attention.

Continue Reading

Are Pipes Knocking Loudly a Big Problem?

Monday, January 30th, 2023
PVC-pipe

You hear pipes knocking in your home, and think nothing of it. It’s just some sounds, right? What harm could it do?

Knocking pipes do not spell immediate disaster, but it’s like your plumbing system saying “Hey, I’ve got something coming down the pipeline.” It’s a precursor.

We don’t want to worry you, but you should have some level of concern regarding knocking pipes. Let’s talk about everything you need to know before you call us for repairs.

Continue Reading

When Do You Need to Call a Plumber?

Monday, October 17th, 2022
Leak under sink, woman on the phone calling repair service.

You can DIY some plumbing-related tasks, but at what point do you need to call a plumber? This brief list will help you diagnose your current situation and find out whether you can continue on your own, or if it’s time to call a plumber in Akron, Ohio today.

Continue Reading

Signs You Have a Dying Water Heater

Monday, June 6th, 2022
water-heater-leaking

Do you need a new water heater?

We understand why many people would want to avoid asking this question. Much like having to replace an air conditioner, replacing your water heater is no small job. The system is pricey and the job of replacing it takes a good amount of time.

The reality of it is that if you can’t rely on your water heater anymore, your money is better spent on a replacement system. You can come to our team for this vital plumbing service in Hartville, OH. Just reach out when you notice any of these warning signs.

Continue Reading

Does Your House Need Repiping?

Monday, November 30th, 2020
pipe-decay

Repiping a house is one of the biggest plumbing jobs you may ever need to schedule. But if it’s necessary, it’s also one of the most helpful and important jobs you can have done. Repiping can be done on a smaller scale, but in this post we’re looking at the question of the whole-house repiping, when our expert plumbers remove the outdated pipes from your home and replace them with upgraded material. This will give your whole house a new lease on life and prevent numerous potential future problems with your plumbing in Akron, OH.

So, the big question: Does your home need whole-house repiping?

Outdated Piping Material

To answer this question, you need to know a bit about the types of piping material that may be in your home, depending on its age.

For many decades, the most common metals used for plumbing (in residential and commercial buildings) were lead, cast iron, and galvanized steel. In some cases, clay pipes were used for sewer lines. Although both cast iron and galvanized steel are tough and durable metals, they have drawbacks of eventually succumbing to corrosion after about fifty years. Galvanized steel, which is steel covered with a zinc solution, can also create harmful chemicals in the water because of that zinc solution. Lead pipes are now well-known for creating drinking water hazards that can especially harm young children.

If your house was constructed before 1970, you almost certainly have some of these materials in the plumbing system—and in fact they may make up the entire plumbing system if it was built before 1950. We recommend having plumbers examine the house to check if you have outdated metals that are starting to decay and corrode.

Newer homes may also have problems with a plastic called polybutylene. This gray plastic was used throughout the 1970s and ‘80s as a cheaper substitute for copper but was banned from use in 1996 because it was encountered multiple ruptures. It was installed in over 10 million homes, so if your house was built before 1996 it may have polybutylene pipes.

The Newer Materials

If your home does need repiping, what materials will our plumbers use to make the upgrades? Copper is the metal most commonly used today for plumbing. It’s lightweight and corrosion-resistant (although not corrosion-proof; some types of corrosion still affect it). It’s also difficult for bacteria to grow inside copper pipes because copper creates a biostatic atmosphere.

Plastic pipes are used extensively in indoor plumbing for both hot and cold water lines. The two most commonly used plastic pipes are CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) and PEX (cross-linked polyethylene). PEX is flexible and can be used in tight positions, while CPVC is highly resistant to temperature changes and safe for drinking water. Plumbers will often have different preferences for the type of plastic they use for specific jobs, but you can trust that our plumbers will always see you have the best quality new pipes. 

Talk to our plumbers today if you think you may need repiping for your home. We’ll help you make the right choice for your home’s future.

Schedule your plumbing services with Crown Group Ohio. Comfort Experts since 1963.

Continue Reading