The Top 5 Most Common Plumbing Services

Maybe you’re a first-time homeowner and you’ve never had to call a plumber before, or you’re facing a unique plumbing problem and you’re not sure where to start. One of the most common questions we get is, “What services do you offer?”

While all plumbing contractors offer different types of plumbing services, there are a few staples that most plumbers are going to be willing and able to tackle. Before you spend a bunch of time calling every professional plumbing company in town, take a look at our quick guide that walks you through the top five most common plumbing services that plumbers offer.

Water Heater Services

The home plumbing appliance that usually requires the most service is a home’s water heater. This is because water heaters not only need regular maintenance and checkups, but they are also a crucial part of our day-to-day lives. Washing hands, doing the laundry, running the dishwasher, cooking, taking a quick shower or relaxing in a long bath are all things that use or require hot water.

Water heaters also come in a lot of different options. From tankless water heaters to traditional tanks and so many brands to choose from, most homeowners require an expert opinion when selecting a water heating system for a new build, a replacement or an upgrade.

Because water heaters are so common and regularly utilized, you’re going to have a hard time finding a plumber that doesn’t work on them. While some professional plumbers may just focus on water heater repairs, most plumbers replace and install water heaters, too.

Like any other home appliance, especially one that’s used often, water heaters require maintenance in order to work properly and last for as long as possible. Whether you have this maintenance planned ahead of time on a schedule or you choose to contact your plumber regularly throughout the year, most plumbers perform water heater maintenance to keep your system running in tip top shape.

Sink Repairs

Another plumbing system that forces homeowners to place frequent calls to the plumber? Sinks. We use sinks in many rooms of our house; from the kitchen to the bathroom to the laundry room, we rely on sinks to tackle many of our daily tasks and to stay clean. Because of this, most plumbers are used to working on a wide range of sink-related plumbing issues. However, the sink services plumbers offer may vary.

Kitchen sinks, for example, require much more maintenance than sinks in the other areas of your house. We not only use kitchen sinks for washing our hands, cleaning up fruits and veggies for a meal or topping off a glass of water, we also put all sorts of things down the kitchen drain that we wouldn’t put down the drain elsewhere.

Because we put our kitchen sinks and drains through so much, they’re often susceptible to clogs, backups, leaks and nasty smells that the other sinks in our home just don’t experience as often. Many kitchen sinks also have garbage disposals, which introduces even more potential plumbing problems. Not to worry–most plumbers not only tackle kitchen sink repairs but garbage disposal repairs, too.

Kitchen sinks may go through a lot, but that’s not to say that bathroom and laundry room sinks aren’t vulnerable to plumbing problems as well. From hairball clogs to leaky faucets and cracks in old units, plumbers are likely to repair any sink in your house. And trust us, they’re used to it, too.

While most plumbers will repair the sinks in your home, not all plumbers will do sink replacements or install a new system. There are certainly many plumbing companies out there that do tackle this type of work, it’s just less universally common. If you’re looking for someone to install a new sink, it may take a few more phone calls to hire a plumber that’s right for the job.

Toilet Repairs

Next on the list we have toilets. While toilets may not be used quite as often as sinks or water heaters, they are a crucial part of any functioning household. Plus, they go through a lot of wear and tear.

Common toilet issues that require a plumber include especially bad clogs that homeowners can’t get rid of on their own, leaks from the tank or the base, a slowly draining bowl or a toilet that just won’t stop running. Pretty much any professional plumber will make a house call for these standard toilet troubles.

A lot of things that go wrong with a toilet can be fixed, and the toilet will live on to see another day. However, when a toilet is experiencing problem after problem, it may just be old. Most plumbers will install a new toilet for you, although you may be on your own for the selection process. Similar to sink installs, while you are safe to assume that your preferred local plumber will try to repair your toilet, they may not be in the business of installing a new one.

New toilets also come in all sorts of makes and models at a wide range of prices. You can also get add-ons for your toilet like a bidet. If you’re not sure what to choose for your home or you’re interested in any sort of toilet upgrade, finding the right plumber who is willing to work with you through these processes may not be as easy as finding someone to clear up a clog. But, once you do find the right plumbing partner, it will be well worth it in the end.

Leak Repairs

Leaks can happen all over your home near any plumbing appliance that has water running through it. As we’ve mentioned, sinks and toilets often leak, and your water heater can leak, too. Aside from these appliances, showers, bathtubs, washing machines, dishwashers and pipes are often susceptible to leaks as well.

Some leak repairs are simple and just take the tightening of a connection or the patching of an old seal. However, oftentimes leaks are serious and require the replacement of a plumbing appliance or the pipes that connect the appliances throughout your home and move your water supply from point A to point B.

The appliances we’ve mentioned before are often replaced by plumbers, but not always. Pipe replacing, on the other hand, is a service most professional plumbers offer. Your home’s water lines and drain lines are crucial to it functioning. While replacing pipes is often a timely process caused by more extreme issues, it is a fundamental component of plumbing that all plumbers are prepared to tackle.

Drain Cleaning

We’ve talked about common plumbing appliances and the pipes that connect them, so next we have the place where all of these water lines eventually end up: the drain. From camera drain inspection to drain location, there are a wide range of drain-related services that plumbers offer. The most standard of these services is drain cleaning.

Because of all the junk that goes through them, drains and drain lines are likely to get clogged and backed up. That’s where an expert plumber comes in. Regular drain cleanings or even emergency cleans to get rid of an unexpected clog help keep your home running smoothly and avoid overflow or water damage caused from backups.

At the end of the day, all homes and appliances need their drains cleaned. Therefore, drain cleaning is something pretty much all plumbing contractors do. While their methods of cleaning drains may be different, all of these services will accomplish the same task.

Plumbing Services in Southeast Michigan

We hope this article answers any questions you may have had about services offered by most professional plumbers. If you’re looking for these standard plumbing services in Southeast Michigan, or if you’re interested in learning more, contact Lenox Plumbing!

You can give us a call at 734-294-0959 or fill out a contact form on our website. Our plumbers have more than 40 years of experience between them, making us the top choice in the area for any of your plumbing needs.