Plumbing Maintenance Tips for Austin Homeowners

Austin freeze events — like Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 — burst pipes in thousands of homes within hours. The damage wasn't from unusual cold alone; it was from pipes in locations that never needed insulation in a mild climate: outdoor hose bibs, attic-mounted supply lines, and pipes in exterior walls without insulation.

Before a freeze warning:

- Disconnect and drain all outdoor hoses. A connected hose traps water in the hose bib and the pipe behind it.

- Insulate exposed pipes in unheated spaces — attic, garage, exterior walls. Foam pipe insulation is inexpensive and available at hardware stores.

- Know where your main water shutoff valve is. If a pipe bursts, you need to shut off the water immediately.

- Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls to let warm air reach the pipes.

During a hard freeze (below 20°F):

- Let faucets drip slowly — a trickle of water moving through the pipe prevents freezing.

- Keep the thermostat set to at least 55°F even if you're away.

If pipes freeze:

- Do not use a torch or open flame. Use a hair dryer, heating pad, or warm towels.

- Open the faucet before applying heat so steam can escape.

- If you can't locate the freeze or the pipe has burst, shut off the main water supply and call a plumber.

Austin's hard water (200–400 ppm) deposits mineral scale in tank water heaters faster than in softer water areas. Annual maintenance extends tank life and maintains efficiency.

Annual flushing: Sediment accumulates on the tank floor from mineral scale. Flushing removes this sediment. Connect a garden hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the tank, run it to a floor drain or outside, shut off the cold water supply, open the drain valve, and let it run until the water runs clear. This takes 15–30 minutes and is DIY-able with basic tools.

Anode rod inspection: The anode rod is a sacrificial metal rod inside the tank that corrodes instead of the tank itself. In Austin's hard water, anode rods deplete faster than in soft water areas. Inspect every 3–5 years. If the rod is less than half its original diameter, replace it. This is the single most effective thing you can do to extend tank life.

Temperature setting: Set the thermostat to 120°F. Higher temperatures accelerate scale formation and increase the risk of scalding. Lower temperatures (below 120°F) can allow bacteria growth.

Tankless water heater descaling: Tankless units require annual descaling in Austin's hard water environment. Scale builds up in the heat exchanger, reducing efficiency and eventually causing failure. Descaling involves circulating a descaling solution through the unit — a procedure that requires the right equipment and should be done by a licensed plumber.

Older Austin homes — particularly South Austin and North Austin homes built in the 1950s–70s — commonly have cast-iron drain lines. These lines corrode from the inside over decades, creating rough surfaces that trap grease, hair, and mineral scale faster than smooth PVC pipe.

Kitchen drains: Never pour grease or cooking oil down the drain. Grease solidifies as it cools and adheres to pipe walls. Run hot water for 30 seconds after washing dishes to flush soap and food debris through the line. Avoid chemical drain cleaners in cast-iron lines — repeated use accelerates corrosion.

Bathroom drains: Use a drain strainer to catch hair before it enters the drain. Clean the strainer weekly. A slow bathroom drain is usually hair and soap scum in the P-trap or the first few feet of drain line — a drain snake or plunger clears it.

When to call a plumber: If a drain clears and re-clogs within days, the line has buildup on the pipe walls that mechanical clearing doesn't address. Hydro jetting — high-pressure water cleaning — removes this buildup from the full pipe wall. It's appropriate for recurring clogs in older drain lines.

A sewer camera inspection runs a camera through your main sewer line and shows you the condition of the pipe — root intrusion, cracks, offset joints, buildup, and collapse. It's the only way to know the condition of your sewer line without digging.

Schedule a camera inspection if:

- You have mature cedar or oak trees within 20 feet of your sewer line. Root intrusion is a known issue in Cedar Park, South Austin, East Austin, and other established Austin neighborhoods.

- You've had multiple slow drains or backups in the past year.

- You're buying an older home — a sewer camera inspection is a standard part of a thorough home inspection.

- You notice sewage smell in the yard or near floor drains.

- Multiple drains are slow at the same time.

Camera inspection costs $150–$300 and shows you exactly what's happening before it becomes an emergency. If the inspection shows root intrusion, hydro jetting clears the roots. If it shows a cracked or offset pipe, you know the repair scope before it becomes a complete blockage.

The main water shutoff valve.

Most Austin homeowners don't know where their main water shutoff is until they need it — and when a pipe bursts or a supply line fails, finding it in an emergency adds minutes of water damage to the situation.

Locate your main shutoff valve now. In Austin homes, it's typically at the water meter (near the street or sidewalk) or at the point where the main supply line enters the house — often in a utility room, garage, or exterior wall.

Test it. Turn it off and confirm the water stops at all fixtures. Turn it back on. A shutoff valve that hasn't been operated in years can seize — better to find that out now than during a burst pipe situation.

If anything on this list sounds familiar — a drain that's getting slower, a water heater that's over 10 years old, a toilet that runs occasionally, a water bill that's crept up — call us before it becomes urgent.