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Sometimes homeowners in Saginaw, TX, wonder if they really need a plumber to install or replace appliances or perform repairs. There are many good reasons to call professionals for specialized jobs. People generally do not attempt to defend themselves in court, and most of us avoid seriously diagnosing health issues with Google. Plumbing is not that much different. Providers of professional plumbing services have specialized knowledge, tools, and experience.

Watching videos on YouTube does not make people experts in anything. The person that uploaded any given video may not be sharing the whole story. The uploaded segment could be the 20th attempt or heavily edited. A professional plumber could be standing just out of camera range giving instructions.

There is no way to know if a stranger on YouTube is trustworthy or not. Professional plumbing services are much easier to verify. They want to verify their skills and show potential customers that their homes are in good hands. Licensed plumbers and service providers have certifications, references, and plenty of documentation to give any homeowner peace of mind.

Incorrect Tools

Performing any task with incorrect tools can lead to poor outcomes or injuries. Most homeowners do not have the tools necessary for plumbing services. Even if the tools are available, it takes training and experience to know how to use those tools and decide which tools are best for any given situation.

Faulty repairs and installation ultimately result in more issues. Pipes leak if they aren’t aligned correctly. A toilet that is not sealed correctly may fall over and break. These incidents often lead to calls for emergency plumbing services.

Some plumbing repairs present significant threats to a family’s welfare if they aren’t done correctly. Gas line installation is near the top of the list. A gas leak can lead to explosions or house fires. Heavy appliances can injure someone if they aren’t installed correctly and fall over. Hot water heater installation or replacement should also be near the top of the list. It is easy to forget about the appliances and services we use in our homes every day, but those appliances are not always harmless. Hot water heaters are usually perfectly safe, if they are installed and maintained correctly.

Water Heater Installation

Water heater installation is rarely done without professional plumbing services. A mistake during installation may be immediately obvious, or it may look fine at first and cause progressively worsening problems. Proper installation and maintenance extend a water heater’s functional lifetime and increase safety.

TPR Valves, Temperature, and Pressure

All water heaters need to be replaced eventually. The most important thing is to keep water heater failures from causing a disaster. Water heater explosions can actually happen. Such explosions are thankfully rare, but they are possible. Unrelieved pressure build-up can release enough force to destroy concrete blocks and destabilize support structures in a home.

A temperature and pressure relief, or TPR, valve is supposed to keep both the temperature and pressure inside a water heater at safe, stable levels. Most TPR valve’s vent excess pressure automatically when pressure exceeds 150 PSI or temperature rises above 210 degrees Fahrenheit.

The TPR valve opens and discharges extremely hot water through an overflow tube. Closed valves may go completely unnoticed. Of course, most people do not intentionally close TPR valves. It is usually accidental.

A water heater with a closed valve can accumulate more than 85,000 pounds of pressure. That pressure can not build up inside the tank indefinitely, so it finds an exit. Anything in the path of the escaping pressure is likely to be destroyed, or at least damaged and knocked aside. Incorrect installation or a defective TPR valve can end in an explosion. It is extremely dangerous if people are in the immediate area when an explosion occurs. Although explosions are rare, the consequences are severe enough to make plumbing services a wise choice when it is time to replace a water heater.

Discharge Tubes

Code standards in Saginaw, TX, dictate necessary materials and the installation of discharge tubes. Discharge tubes must extend within 6-inches of the floor or drain pan. An excessively short tube can spray scalding water and possibly injure someone.

Approved materials for discharge tubes include copper, CPVC, polypropylene, galvanized Steel, or stainless steel. Using a non-approved plastic could result in a melted discharge tube. Consulting a plumbing services provider takes the stress of following codes and choosing materials away from homeowners.

Plumbing services help homeowners avoid other problems as well. Poor routing for discharged water or an incorrect connection with the general drainage system could cause backflow to contaminate the hot water supply lines. Discharge tubes should lead only to drains or an indirect waste receptor, such as a drain pan. Discharge can also be routed through a line that leads outside the home. Proper maintenance is important to make sure discharge tubes are never capped, clogged, or knocked out of place.

Knowledge of Hot Water Heaters

Consulting plumbing services in Saginaw, TX to install a hot water heater means the job is done by licensed plumbers with appropriate training and equipment. Plumbers also know the different types of water heaters, including gas, electric, tank, or tankless models. It is also necessary to know the appropriate local or state regulations and building codes. The process may require some knowledge of electricity and carpentry as well.

Replacing Tanks Unnecessarily

All sorts of things can cause a hot water heater to stop working. The problem could be a faulty heating element, anode rod, or other part. Calling for professional plumbing services removes the risk of replacing an entire hot water heater when the problem may be solved by replacing a part.

Choosing and installing a new hot water heater is not a simple process. Homeowners tend to overestimate or underestimate the size of the tank needed. An overly large tank leads to wasted energy and water and excessively high bills.

A tank that is too small could lead to cold showers or choosing to run the dishwasher or washing machine because the household does not have enough hot water to run both on the same day. Plumbing services include calculating the appropriate size for a water heater based on household size, regular daily usage, and budget.

Codes, Regulations, and Laws

Installing a water heater without professional plumbing services also runs the risk of breaking certain laws. Many US cities follow the International Code Council, or ICC models, to standardize worldwide residential and commercial building codes. The state of Texas also requires a permit to replace or install hot water heaters, and the local municipality inspects installation to verify code compliance.

The International Residential Code also includes prohibited locations and accessibility standards for gas and electric water heaters. Water heaters are not allowed in rooms used as storage closets. Any water heater installed in a bedroom or bathroom must be inside a sealed enclosure so combustion air is not removed from living spaces.

An important part of replacing a water tank is purging air from the old heater. The tank is drained through a long hose to a drain outside the home. Opening a hot water faucet on a higher floor prevents a vacuum from forming.

Accessibility standards define the required size of openings to install water heaters and other appliances in attics, rooms, and underneath floors. These standards also mandate a level service space and unobstructed passageways to reach the service space. Service space can not be over 20 feet from an entrance. A local plumbing services provider has experience with all locally relevant regulations.

Water heaters manufactured after April 16, 2015, are taller and wider than older models. Newer tanks must meet government standards for efficiency, which includes improved heat retention. Better heat retention means more insulation is necessary around the tank.

Extra insulation may be enough to make installation in tight spaces impossible. This often becomes a problem while replacing an old model with a new one. Plumbing services take all of these potential problems into account, and trained professionals are much better equipped to devise solutions than inexperienced homeowners.

Texas also requires residential tank water heaters to have corrosion-resistant and waterproof drain pans. The pans must fit prescribed height and width parameters. The tank also needs a drainpipe to run out of the house and close to the ground to accommodate discharged water in case of tank failure.

Installation and Set-up of New Heaters

Water heaters can not tolerate heat, gas or electricity, until the heater is correctly installed and filled with water. Heat application to an empty tank is referred to as dry firing. The heating elements in electric water heaters overheat and burn out if they are not completely immersed in water.

Empty gas water heaters can overheat and crack if they are heated without water. Purchasing a new hot water heater and ruining it before it ever provides any hot water is extremely upsetting. Hiring plumbing services greatly increases the likelihood of having a working hot water heater for the next 18-20 years.

Many plumbers have a variety of skills they use for plumbing services and to install hot water heaters. These skills include knowing how to sweat a soldered joint, use pipe cutters, remove burrs from cut pipe ends, flux joins, and apply even amounts of heat. The melted solder has to flow into a joint to form a water-tight connection.

Plenty of errors during the installation process can have unforeseen consequences. Heat applied to copper tubes is transferred through the copper. A soldered connection too near the top of a water heater can melt dip tubes and other plastic parts.

Using Correct Materials

Incorrect or imperfect materials can cause a lot of problems. PEX plastic tubing seems like an attractive choice for people that do not want to deal with soldering. The pop-on or push-fit connectors seem convenient and easy to use. Flexible PEX tubing is easy to wind around corners and other obstacles.

Flexibility in the case of hot water heaters is a liability. PEX acts like a garden hose when water flows through it, and the material expands and contracts along with temperature changes. The temperature-induced changes often cause back and forth movement, which results in wear and friction when PEX line contacts hard surfaces. Abrasion clips, pipe insulation, and other types of protective materials are necessary to keep PEX tubing intact around corners and areas where it contacts other structures or surfaces.

PEX can also develop kinks that produce pressure and may blow the connectors apart. This situation results in a mess and possible injuries because hot water could end up spraying everything in the vicinity. Water damage to surrounding structures is a risk as well. PEX only looks like an easy option on the surface. Complications can rapidly accumulate until homeowners end up on the phone calling for professional plumbing services to fix the mess and install the new hot water heater correctly. It is vastly preferable to call the professionals in the first place.

Some homeowners have found that their home insurance policies may not cover damages resulting from hot water tank mishaps or other appliance accidents. Many insurance providers will not cover damage caused by a faulty appliance if the appliance was not installed by a professional. Warranties may also be voided if installation or maintenance is not completed by a licensed plumber.

Avoid potential problems and hazardous conditions for your family by hiring plumbing services to replace or install hot water heaters and other appliances. The professionals at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Saginaw, TX, will help you choose appropriate appliances and take care of all the details to install those new appliances safely in your home.