Looking for an affordable (and reliable) plumber in Federal Way? Great! Mr. Blue Plumbing is at your service 24/7. In this guide, we cover common questions for residents of Federal Way, including:
- How Much Does Plumbing Typically Cost In Federal Way?
- Can Better Plumbing Save You Money In Federal Way?
- When You Should Call The Water Utility Company In Federal Way Vs. a Plumber?
- When Do You Need Permits For Plumbing Service in Federal Way?
- What To Expect from Mr. Blue Plumbing During Service Calls?
- And Why Mr. Blue Plumbing Is The Best Plumbing Company For You!
Want a quick pricing quote? Tell us about your project in the form, and we’ll get you connected with our expert plumbers in Federal Way, or continue reading to learn what you should consider when it comes to the plumbing in your home.
What Are The Most Common Plumbing Issues In Federal Way?
Federal Way city is located in the Seattle Metropolitan area and has a population estimate of 96,289 according to the Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Washington.
Federal Way boasts of remarkable infrastructural development. However, this doesn’t mean few areas don’t need patching. In particular, common plumbing issues are plaguing the city. Let’s take a look at the main ones.
1. Sewer Line Clogs
Clogging sewer lines is a common plumbing issue in cities worldwide, meaning Federal Way isn’t exempted. What’s a sewer clog? You could be asking. A sewer clog obstructs sewer lines hindering the smooth flow of wastewater out of homes or business premises.
At the onset, detecting sewer line clogs can be daunting. However, as the problems escalate, you’ll notice wetness around manhole covers. This is usually a sign that the utility hole is full and the wastewater is about to flow out to the surface.
Therefore, it’s a good idea to take prompt action when you notice wetness around your utility hole covers or sewage spills around your home. Moreover, sewage clogs can occur in any part of the sewer line—private and public sewer lines.
If sewer line clogs escalate, they can paralyze an entire neighborhood or section of the city. The sad part is, wastewater from sewer lines poses health risks. So, you want to report to the city utility company or hire a plumber to fix the problem quickly.
Cause of Sewer Line Clogs
The leading causes of Sewer line clogs are objects such as wipes, sanitary towels, plastic materials, and baby diapers. The clogs can also be caused by plant materials like fallen dry leaves that find their way into sewer openings.
How to Prevent Sewer Line Clogs
Sewer line clogs can be prevented, but only when you take the appropriate measures. For example, you can make it a practice to keep plastic materials, sanitary towels, baby diapers, and grease away from sewer line openings. For a start, a proper garbage disposal helps along away.
2. Toilet Clogs
Toilet clogs occur when there is an obstruction in the toilet, preventing water flow into the sewer line. How do you know there’s a clog in your toilet? This should be simple. After flushing, you’ll notice the water backing up to the toilet bowl.
In severe situations, the backups fill the bowl and begin to flow out to the floor. This isn’t a pleasant sight to behold and requires prompt action to fix it. The good news is, toilet clogs are easy to fix. With a simple DIY, you can clear your toilet of any clogs.
However, we understand this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Therefore, we’d recommend you find a professional plumber in Federal Way to help you out with this.
Cause of Toilet Clogs
Toilet clogs can be caused by baby diapers, wipes, sanitary towels, and other plastic materials. Sometimes, they can be caused by a blockage in sewer lines, preventing water flow after flushing.
How to Prevent Toilet Clogs
As a rule of thumb, avoid as much as possible flushing unnecessary stuff down your toilet. By all means, use toilet papers that flush easily and doesn’t need much water. Children can flush down unnecessary objects down the toilet drain. Therefore, you need to keep watch on them.
3. Drain Clogs
Drain clogs occur when there’s an obstruction in drain channels. The clog hinders the flow of wastewater, and many times, this water is forced to backup. Drain clogs can take a while to notice, especially when the problem is building up.
Eventually, the problems explode into a severe situation. Often, this is characterized by odor from the drains, toilet, and kitchen sink backups. The overflow isn’t safe and poses significant health hazards. So, the moment you suspect a drain clog, it’s best to fix it on time.
Cause Drain Clogs
There are several causes of drain clogs. However, the primary ones are unnecessary materials going down the drains. How do we mean? You could be wondering. Wipes, baby diapers, sanitary towels, and human hair are some of the things you should let inside your drains.
Besides, drain clogs are also caused by plant materials like leaves. In favorable conditions, trees thrive and grow to exponential heights. As that happens, leaves drop and accumulate on the surface. Sadly, some of these leaves find their way into drains, accumulate, and cause clogging.
Tree roots can also cause drain clogging when they extend downwards and sideways. They twine around the drains or piece through the pipes. This is more prevalent with plastic drains.
How to Prevent Drain clogs
Preventing drain clogs is simple and yet challenging. It would help if you kept objects such as wipes, sanitary towels, or anything that can cause blockage of drains. You also want to keep your compound tidy, especially when you have trees.
The best practice is to keep garbage in the right places. Also, children can block drainage out of ignorance. So, it’s best to look out for them while also teaching them to be responsible.
4. Kitchen Clogs
Kitchen clogs can be a pain in the flesh. Plus, it can be more frustrating when you have friends over. Kitchen clogs are one common plumbing issue that affects homes in Federal Way. However, it’s more prevalent in homes with relatively large household sizes.
So, what causes the plumbing issue? Kitchen clogs occur when kitchen drains are blocked, and the wastewater can’t freely flow. When it happens, it’s common to see water backing up into the sink area. Moreover, this can be messy and unpleasant.
Remember, this is wastewater flowing back to your kitchen sink. In worst cases, there can be an overflow which in turn wets the entire kitchen floor. Also, the water can pose serious health risks to you and your family. It’s, therefore, best to take care of it on time.
Cause Kitchen Clogs
Kitchen clogs are caused by food remains that go down the kitchen sink. Non-food materials like plastic objects can also cause it.
How to Prevent Kitchen Clogs
The best way to prevent kitchen clogs is by separating solid food remains and disposing them in suitable garbage bags. At any time, you should only allow water to go through the kitchen sink.
5. Plumbing Leaks
Plumbing leak problems occur in various forms. The typical ones to find in Federal Way are faucet leaks, toilet leaks, water pipe leaks, and sewer leaks. According to a United States Environmental Protection Agency study, household leaks account for over 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year.
Think about it! How much money in water bills can you save from 10,000 gallons of water? Pretty much. That’s why you shouldn’t let water leaks plague your home.
Unfortunately, it can be hard to know when there’s a water leak, especially when it’s coming from hidden pipes. However, a sudden change in the water bill should raise the alarm. Water leaks start small but soon escalate to more significant problems when attended to on time.
Causes of Plumbing Leaks
Depending on what’s been affected, we can deduce several causes of leaks. For example, faucet leaks can be caused by faulty washers, toilet leaks by worn-out tank valves, pipe leaks by weak joints, and sewer leaks by sewer line bursts.
How to Prevent Plumbing Leaks
The best way to prevent leaks in your home is to check your plumbing system regularly. Please make it a routine to assess hidden pipes once in a while to find potential leak threats.
Also, when you have toilets or faucets leaks, take prompt action to fix the problem before it grows worse. Some of this can be DIY. However, consulting professional plumbers in Federal Way also helps a lot.
How Does The Water In Federal Way Affect Your Plumbing?
Water in Federal Way is provided by the Lakehaven Water and sewer District. Lakehaven is responsible for supplying water and providing sewer services to communities in South King County, where the City of Federal Way is located.
Homes and business premises are connected to the city’s public sewer lines. All wastewater drains into this sewer lines are directed to wastewater treatment plants in Lakota and Redondo.
The city is committed to maintaining the sewer lines by regularly cleaning the sewer mains. This frees the system of any materials that can cause sewer clogging. Remember, a clog in the public sewer mains can have a ripple effect on private sewer lines.
Also, the city ensures all water is treated and is safe for consumption. Therefore, as soon as the city water gets to your home or business premises, there’s no need for further treatment. This lowers the cost of plumbing for homes.
How Much Does Plumbing Usually Cost in Federal Way?
According to Thumbtack, basic plumbing services cost anywhere between $130 and $150. However, major plumbing services like sewer mains repair cost between $983 and $7375. Also, some plumbers charge by the hour. The fee is between $45 and $165.
Cost Factor 1: Labor Cost and Nature of work
Labor cost varies from one plumber to another. While some charge by the hour, others charge a fixed price. This, together with the nature of work, has an overall impact on plumbing costs.
Cost Factor 2: Plumbing Materials
Minor plumbing materials like faucets cost way less than major equipment like water heaters. Therefore, depending on the nature of the work, the cost of materials will vary.
Cost Factor 3: Location
Easy-to-access sites cost less than hard-to-access sites. So, if plumbers can access your home without struggle, the cost of plumbing may go down.
Can Better Plumbing Save You Money In Federal Way?
Better plumbing helps a long way to save money by minimizing the need to reinstall equipment and hire a plumber in the future. However, it starts by only working with the right plumbers in Federal Way.
When Should You Call The Water Utility Company In Federal Way Vs. Hire a Plumber?
You should call the water utility company in Federal way when the plumbing issue affects the city’s public sewer lines. You can also do so when you have a problem with your water meter. On the other hand, you should hire a plumber when the problem occurs in your private sewer lines.
When Do You Need Permits For Plumbing Service in Federal Way?
It would help if you had permits for plumbing services in Federal Way when indulging in construction activities that involve installation, alteration, and repair of plumbing systems.
