Saturday, April 4, 2009

Preventative Plumbing

By Richard Eckly

Many homeowners in and around Los Angeles tend to think of calling a plumber for an emergency as something as painful and annoying necessary as a root canal. But in the same way that root canals are preventable with proper dental care, the need for emergency plumbing can be precluded by proper pipe maintenance. As with all things, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure when it comes to plumbing.

Proper pipe maintenance entails having a qualified plumber inspect pipes every year or so and having them root out clogs from drains, tighten connections, rebalance water pressure, and address any water problems that put stress on pipes - rust, hard or soft water, etc.

By having plumbers in LA come to your home once per year to examine your pipes, perform maintenance, and make any necessary repairs, you can prevent the vast majority of all plumbing emergencies. When you consider that emergency plumbing repair can easily top five hundred dollars, the hundred and fifty bucks or so that it costs to have pipes regularly rooted, drains regularly snaked, fitting tightened, and water pressure rebalanced each year will save you money in the long run - not to mention the annoyance of a plumbing emergency.

There is so much money to be made in emergency plumbing that literally thousands of plumbers in Los Angeles earn six figures each year by performing what is effectively maintenance - pipe snaking and old joint or pipe replacement - to resolve most of the 'emergencies' they are called about.

For the most skilled maintenance plumbers, homeowners should look to a local company that specializes in preventative plumbing. Plumbers in LA who have built careers at local companies have not only spent years apprenticing, they have also spent years responding to emergencies in addition to learning maintenance: hands-on emergency experience gives them the intuition to know what kind of problem is likely to cause an emergency in the future versus what repairs are not absolutely necessary, which will save homeowners money.

While many homeowners view preventative plumbing as an unnecessary expense, most plumbers in Los Angeles will tell you that they even recommend regularly scheduled maintenance to their family and friends because the plumbers themselves know how expensive emergency repair service can be.

For 99.9% of homeowners, the place they call home is their most valuable asset. Shouldn't that asset be protected from possible fire and flood? Properly working plumbing dramatically reduces the likelihood of an electrical fire or flood, which could even help homeowners looking to save money on insurance by buying less coverage.

Beyond the economics of preventative plumbing, consider what an annoyance a plumbing emergency can be if you have any doubts about the necessity of regular pipe care. More often than not, calling a plumber on an emergency basis entails missing work or whatever other activities are planned; not to mention how great the anxiety can get from watching a problem flood the kitchen or basement, or prevent you from being able to bathe because the tub won't drain.

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