Plumbing Services in Lithonia, GA
Weak showers and banging pipes come back to one question in many Lithonia homes: what is the water pressure doing? The answer points to the right repair, and the same visit can cover drains, leaks and the water heater.
Pressure complaints are among the most misread plumbing problems. A trickle from one faucet and a weak flow at every tap have different causes, and pressure that is too high can do more quiet damage than pressure that is too low. Alpha Plumbing and Sewer sorts out both kinds as part of its plumbing services in Lithonia, along with drains, leaks and water heaters, and a few simple checks narrow most pressure problems down before anyone touches a pipe.
One fixture or the whole house?
Start by checking several taps. If only one faucet or showerhead is weak, the cause is almost always local: a clogged aerator, a showerhead lined with mineral scale, a worn cartridge or a fixture shutoff valve that never got opened all the way. Unscrewing and rinsing the aerator settles many of these. A stubborn valve or cartridge is a job for faucet and valve repair. If every fixture is weak, look at the system as a whole.
Low pressure everywhere
When the whole house loses pressure, the usual suspects are a pressure-reducing valve that has failed on the low side, a main shutoff that is partly closed, a leak on the line between the meter and the house, or old galvanized steel pipe that has narrowed with rust inside. A sudden drop is worth a call to the water provider first, in case of work on the street. A gradual drop over months points to something on the property. A leak on the incoming line is handled through main water line repair, a hidden leak inside the house through leak detection, and pipe that has closed up from corrosion leads to whole house repiping.
Low pressure on the hot side only
If cold water flows well but hot water is weak at every fixture, the bottleneck is usually at or near the water heater: a partly closed supply valve, corroded nipples where the pipes connect, or sediment that has moved into the outlet. With a tankless unit, scale inside the heat exchanger or a clogged inlet screen can choke the flow. These are water heater problems more than pressure problems, handled through gas, electric or tankless water heater service depending on the unit.
When pressure is too high
High pressure rarely gets noticed as pressure. It shows up as pipes that bang when a valve closes, toilets that run because the fill valve cannot shut off cleanly, faucets that wear out early, a relief valve that drips at the water heater, or washing machine hoses that fail long before they should. Usually the cause is a pressure-reducing valve that has worn out and is passing street pressure straight into the house. Thermal expansion adds to it: once a home has a regulator, water heated in the tank has nowhere to go, so pressure climbs with each heating cycle unless a working expansion tank absorbs it.
A gauge screwed onto an outdoor hose bib gives a reading in seconds, and a gauge with a second needle left on overnight records the spikes. Regulator and expansion tank work is covered by PRV service.
Other plumbing calls in Lithonia homes
Pressure is only one of the problems Alpha handles in Lithonia. Hair and soap in a bathroom sink, or grease in the kitchen line, are everyday drain repair jobs; sewage rising in a basement floor drain is a different matter that starts with a look inside the sewer line. A disposal that hums, jams or leaks calls for disposal repair or replacement. If water is spreading across a floor right now, start with emergency plumbing and close the main shutoff while you wait.
Lithonia permits and homeowner affidavits
The city's Building and Permitting Division reviews plans, issues building and trade permits and inspects the work. Its permit checklist calls for a permit when fixture work alters piping, when a new fixture needs piping changes, and when a water heater is replaced. Permits go to contractors or to owner-occupants, who sign a notarized homeowner affidavit.
Water pressure questions from Lithonia homeowners
Why did the water pressure in my Lithonia home drop suddenly?
A sudden drop at every fixture often comes from outside the house, such as utility work or a main break, so check with the water provider and ask neighbors. If their pressure is normal, look for a partly closed main valve, a failed pressure-reducing valve or a leak on the incoming line, especially if you notice a soggy spot in the yard.
Can water pressure be too high?
Yes, and it is more common than people expect. Banging pipes, a dripping relief valve, toilets that run and hoses that burst are typical signs. A gauge on a hose bib gives a quick reading, and the usual fix is repairing or replacing the pressure-reducing valve and checking the expansion tank at the water heater.
What does an expansion tank do?
Water expands as it is heated, and in a house with a pressure-reducing valve that extra volume has nowhere to go, so pressure rises with every heating cycle. An expansion tank gives it room: a small tank near the water heater with an air cushion that compresses as pressure climbs. A tank that is waterlogged or undersized lets the spikes come back.
Find out what your pressure really is
Whether the shower barely trickles or the pipes knock every time the dishwasher stops, call Alpha at (404) 409-4448. A gauge reading is a quick way to begin.