It is important to us to provide you with the best options for your plumbing solution and we prefer to look at your unique plumbing problem in person and provide you with an accurate diagnosis and solution options with fair pricing. As a general rule we are not able to confidently provide you with accurate pricing over the phone.

Replacing a propane or natural gas water heater with a gas tankless water heater is a great option for many customers. Replacing an electric water heater with a gas tankless water heater is an option ONLY if there is already propane or natural gas to the house but is slightly more expensive. Gas tankless water heaters are efficient and are great for continuous hot water as long as they are sized correctly for the home and usage. 

Replacing an electric water heater with an electric tankless water heater is not recommended. On top of the plumbing cost this process usually requires an extensive and costly electrical upgrade due to the power requirements for electric tankless water heaters. Also, electric tankless water heaters are costly to run and tend to have more performance issues.

Tanked water heaters need to be flushed once a year and while they are being flushed we can ensure that they are functioning optimally. Flushing a tanked water heater helps to decrease sediment build up which maximizes the volume of accessible water from your water heater and ensures that a trained professional is checking the unit once a year to make sure your water heater investment is performing as well as possible.

This is a common misnomer. Tankless water heaters do provide CONTINUOUS hot water if they are sized correctly for the home and usage. However, water heaters, tanked or tankless, don’t provide “instant” hot water by themselves unless they have recirculation built into them and they are installed correctly. However, with an existing recirculation line, or a retro-fit recirculation pump and system installed, any water heater can provide “instant” (a few seconds vs minutes) hot water when the pump is circulating.

In the State of Texas, any licensed plumber (not an apprentice) is allowed to work on natural gas. However, only Journeyman or Master Plumbers, holding a special license from the Railroad Commission, are allowed to work on LP (liquid propane) gas lines.

It is a common misconception that garbage disposals have a bunch of sharp rotating blades. The truth is that the inside of a garbage disposal is basically like a cheese grater        (we still don’t recommend putting your hand in there under any circumstances). The rule of thumb to follow with a garbage disposal is not to put anything in it that you can squeeze in your hand and form a semi-solid or solid ball  because that will get stuck on the “grater-like” sides and may cause it to seize up or stop working. Examples are: eggshells, coffee grounds, potatoes, potato peels or fruit peels. If you’re lucky and it escapes the garbage disposal these items may then cause a clog in the drain of your sink.

Also, large quantities of anything semi-solid or solid is not ideal – especially dense foods or bones Eg: your whole turkey carcass from Thanksgiving, a lot of mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese

Remove the peel from a lemon or lime (throw the peel in the trash) and break the flesh into segments and put a couple of segments into your garbage disposal together with a handful of ice and run your garbage disposal for a few seconds while also running water in the sink compartment that has your disposal connected to it. For extreme odors you may need to do this a couple of times.

There are a number of different water treatment systems that may suit your needs

Water Softeners (which use salt or potassium) are used for removing hard minerals (such as calcium) from your water. Hardness shows up in your home in the form of white spots on your dishes, glass or fixtures. Hardness can also speed up damage to your fixtures or appliances. Most water in the Hill Country (even if it is provided by a city) has a readable level of hardness which can be eliminated with a water softener. When you remove hardness your water may seem “slimy” at first but most people get used to it and enjoy the benefits to their home as well as it being softer on your hair and skin.

Saltless Water Softeners or Water Conditioners are not technically softeners. They do not remove the hard minerals from the water but rather alter the chemical structure of the minerals to prevent them from adhering to or building up on your fixtures or appliances. Some people find Water Conditioners and Saltless softening systems satisfactory for minimalizing hard mineral buildup but it is important to remember that the hard minerals are not being removed which means that there will be no noticeable benefit to your hair and skin with a system like this and you may experience some hard mineral build up on appliances or fixtures over time.

Water filtration is used for removing sediment and / or odor or taste from water. This is done with a sediment or carbon filter or, more commonly, an in-line combination of both filters. It is recommended to install Water Filtration systems on any home fed by a well. Water filtration is also recommended in conjunction with your water softener (it is installed in line before the water goes through the softener) to put less strain on your water softener investment. Remember, water softeners only remove hard minerals so they don’t remove sediment, odors or taste which is what a water filtration system does.

Reverse Osmosis is used for producing purified drinking water similar in quality to most bottled water brands. Reverse Osmosis is NOT recommended as a whole house application but it can be installed in a single location (usually a kitchen or bar sink) or in multiple locations throughout your home where drinking water is needed. It can also be run to icemakers in refrigerators or freestanding or built in icemakers.