7 Plumbing Upgrades You Might Not Know You Need

Whether you are facing small inconveniences or major issues, innovative plumbing solutions may help you upgrade your plumbing experience. The Raleigh plumbers at Newcomb and Company are here with insight. Take a closer look at 7 plumbing upgrades that you may not know you need.

Plumbing Upgrade 1: Water Pressure Regulator Valve Adjustment

If you could change anything about the plumbing in your home, what would it be? For many homeowners, their first request would be better water pressure. While your low water pressure issues could source from a plumbing leak or an old showerhead (more on these below), one upgrade you might not know about simply requires a regulator valve adjustment.

A pressure regulator valve—also called a pressure-reducing valve—keeps your water pressure at a safe level. This is often required under local regulations, as it protects your home, your water bill, and your plumbing fixtures. However, in certain cases, it may be set to keep your water pressure too low. For a simple upgrade, an expert can check and adjust your water pressure regulator valve to help you boost your water pressure.

Plumbing Upgrade 2: Water Heater Temperature Adjustment

Some home upgrades do not require any large-scale services or new installations at all. One of these popular services is a water heater temperature adjustment. Balancing safety, efficiency, and effectiveness in water heater temperature can be difficult. If you feel like your water heater is not set to be warm enough, an expert can examine the temperature settings and raise it by a few degrees. Why would a water heater be set too low? This happens for a few reasons:

• Your temperature preferences may be different than the last owners of your home. If you haven’t had an expert look at your water heater since you moved in, you may consider having it looked at.
• When preparing to sell a home, during the closing and the touring period, a seller may lower the water heater temperature to avoid paying for energy that nobody is yet using.
• While your brand-new water heater is working powerfully, an expert may set the temperature slightly lower than an older unit might require. As your unit ages, it may need the temperature raised by a couple of degrees.

These are just a couple of examples of situations that might leave you with a low-set water heater. For water heaters that are set too low, this temperature adjustment can make a big difference in your home’s plumbing. If temperature settings are not the source of your water heater troubles, you may need a water heater flush or replacement.

Plumbing Upgrade 3: Water Heater Flush

While not technically an “upgrade,” a water heater flush can upgrade your plumbing experience. By flushing out sediments, a water heater flush can eliminate buildup that may be slowing down your water heater process. Water heater flushes also help protect your unit from the damage that lingering sediments can impose. These services also save you money by expanding the lifespan of your system and requiring less energy to heat your water.

Plumbing Upgrade 4: Tankless Hot Water Heater

Does your shower take forever to heat up? Do you find that you never have enough hot water to go around? Does this leave you juggling showers, laundry, and other hot water schedules?

Water heater issues can be both inconvenient and costly. Thankfully, tankless water heaters sidestep hot water supply problems. Rather than having a large tank of heated water, these fast-acting systems heat the water as you go—providing you with a quick, unlimited supply of hot water. These units also save you money as you spend less energy keeping a large tank of water heated, and you waste less water waiting for your shower to heat up.

Plumbing Upgrade 5: New and Efficient Toilets

Old, running, and inefficient toilets can cost you money and create troublesome plumbing problems. Rather than tolerating these issues, it may be time to replace your toilets. According to the EPA, replacing old and inefficient toilets with new high-efficiency toilets can save you $140 each year in water costs. If you are trying to be more environmentally-friendly, this upgrade can also prevent 13,000 gallons of water waste each year.

Plumbing Upgrade 6: Shower Remodeling

While you use water in your home for cooking, cleaning, and more, the largest percentage of water usage goes towards showering. So when you are considering home upgrades, showers are a great place to start. Shower upgrades can be as small as a showerhead replacement and as large as a complete remodel. If you are looking for better water pressure or lower water bills, a showerhead replacement can make all of the difference. Bigger projects, like a complete remodel, can help you incorporate style, design, water pressure, efficiency, and spacing upgrades into your bathroom.

Plumbing Upgrade 7: Leak Repair and Prevention

Plumbing leaks create a nightmare for homeowners. Upgrading leaky fixtures, old pipes, and other hazards can prevent costly water damage. Fixing leaks can also improve your water pressure and lower your water bills. You can read our full guide to plumbing leaks here.

Newcomb and Company Raleigh Plumbers

The Raleigh plumbers at Newcomb and Company are here for your standard fixes, elaborate upgrades, emergency services, and everything in between. We proudly extend our plumbing services beyond Raleigh to homes and businesses in Knightdale, Clayton, Garner, Cary, Durham, and beyond! Make your appointment with our local plumbing professionals today!