What Plumbing Services Does a Full-Service Plumber Handle?
Not sure what type of plumber you need? Learn what a full-service residential plumber can handle, from clogged drains and water heater problems to leaks, water pressure issues, water treatment, and underground plumbing repairs.
What Plumbing Services Does a Full-Service Plumber Handle?
When something goes wrong with your home's plumbing, it isn't always obvious who you need to call.
Does a plumber handle a leaking water service in the yard? What about a water softener that isn't working? Can the same company that clears a clogged sewer diagnose low water pressure? What if a drain line is broken beneath the foundation?
For most residential plumbing problems, a full-service plumbing company can diagnose the issue and complete the necessary repair.
At Plunger Pros, we provide residential plumbing services throughout New Braunfels, San Antonio, and the surrounding communities. Our work ranges from everyday repairs like toilets and faucets to sewer backups, water heater replacements, leak detection, water treatment, pressure problems, gas piping, and complex drain repairs beneath foundations.
There are a few services we don't provide, including septic system repair or pumping, irrigation repair or installation, new construction plumbing, and backflow testing.
For most other problems involving your home's plumbing system, however, we're equipped to help.
More importantly, our goal isn't simply to fix what appears to be wrong.
We want to determine why the problem happened in the first place.
Sometimes a clogged toilet isn't really a drain problem. Sometimes low water pressure isn't caused by the city's water supply. And sometimes clearing a backed-up sewer only temporarily hides a much larger problem underground.
That's why proper diagnosis is such an important part of residential plumbing.
Drain Clearing and Sewer Backups
Clogged drains are one of the most common plumbing calls we receive.
The problem could affect:
One sink, shower, or toilet
A bathroom group
A kitchen drain
Multiple fixtures
The entire home
When someone calls Plunger Pros because their main sewer is backing up, we treat it as an emergency appointment and work to get someone there as soon as our schedule allows.
Once we arrive, one of the first things we determine is how much of the plumbing system is actually affected.
If one toilet is clogged while everything else drains normally, we're likely dealing with a localized problem.
If flushing a toilet causes sewage to come up through a bathtub or shower, that's an entirely different situation and may indicate a blockage in the main building drain.
Once we've identified the affected portion of the system, we determine the best access point. Depending on the home and location of the stoppage, that may involve:
Using the main sewer cleanout
Removing a toilet
Accessing drain piping beneath a sink
Using another appropriate drain access point
We then provide the homeowner with options for clearing the line.
Once approved, we use the appropriate drain auger to clear the blockage and restore flow.
But we don't necessarily stop when the water starts draining again.
Why We Camera-Inspect Drains After Clearing Them
Getting the drain flowing solves the immediate problem.
It doesn't necessarily tell us why it stopped flowing.
After clearing a main drain, we can use a sewer camera to visually inspect the piping.
We may find that the stoppage was simply caused by something that shouldn't have gone down the drain.
But we can also discover larger problems such as:
Broken drain piping
Separated connections
Tree root intrusion
Sagging or bellied piping
Heavy buildup
Other visible damage
If we identify a damaged section, we explain what we found and provide additional repair or replacement options when needed.
Our locating equipment can then be used to identify the location and depth of the affected piping so the repair can be planned accurately.
The goal isn't to turn every clogged drain into a larger repair.
It's to make sure we aren't clearing a symptom while leaving the actual problem behind.
A Clogged Toilet That Wasn't Just a Drain Problem
A recent weekend service call in New Braunfels is a good example of why this matters.
The homeowner called because the upstairs toilet was clogged and couldn't be cleared with a plunger.
When we arrived, he also mentioned something important: the other toilets in the house had been experiencing recurring stoppages, although he had been able to clear those himself with a plunger.
We augered the clogged upstairs toilet and restored proper operation.
But instead of stopping there, we inspected the other toilets as well. As a courtesy, we ran the auger through three additional toilets and evaluated their operation.
That's when we noticed something else.
The home did not have a water softener, and significant mineral buildup had developed around the toilet rim and flushing jets. The hard-water deposits were restricting the toilets' flushing performance.
The recurring backups weren't necessarily four separate drain problems.
The toilets were struggling to flush properly because hard-water scale was restricting the jets.
We explained what we found and provided the homeowner with options for addressing the issue.
What originally looked like a simple clogged toilet turned out to have a water-quality component.
That's a perfect example of why we believe diagnosing the cause is just as important as fixing the immediate problem.
Underground Drain and Foundation Plumbing Repairs
Some of the more complicated residential plumbing problems happen where homeowners can't see them: beneath the foundation.
Homes in the New Braunfels and San Antonio area generally don't have basements, so portions of the drainage system are buried beneath the concrete foundation.
If those drains break, separate, sag, or leak, determining exactly where the problem is located becomes extremely important before repairs begin.
Plunger Pros provides services including:
Hydrostatic drain testing
Sewer camera inspections
Hydrostatic pinpoint and isolation testing
Underground drain locating
Tunnel drain repairs
Drain replacement beneath foundations
Hydrostatic Testing
A hydrostatic test determines whether the drain system beneath the foundation can hold water without leaking.
If the water level remains stable during the test, the system passes.
If the level drops, there is a leak somewhere within the tested portion of the drainage system.
A standard hydrostatic test confirms whether a leak exists, but it doesn't necessarily tell us exactly where that leak is located.
That's where additional testing becomes important.
Hydrostatic Pinpoint Testing
Pinpoint testing allows us to isolate different portions of the drainage system and narrow down the location of a failed pipe or connection.
Once the affected area has been identified, we can determine the appropriate repair method.
In many homes throughout our area, that involves tunneling beneath the foundation rather than breaking through the floors inside the home.
Tunnel Drain Repairs
When tunneling is necessary, Plunger Pros oversees the excavation, completes the plumbing repairs, pulls necessary plumbing permits, coordinates required inspections, and has the tunnel/foundation inspected by an engineer.
Once the work has passed the necessary inspections, the tunnel can be properly backfilled.
This allows complex plumbing beneath a foundation to be repaired while minimizing disruption inside the customer's home.
Water Heater Repair, Replacement and Maintenance
Plunger Pros services both traditional tank and tankless water heaters.
Our water heater services include:
Water heater diagnostics
Water heater repairs
Tank water heater replacement
Tankless water heater replacement
Tank water heater maintenance
Tankless water heater maintenance
Anode rod service
Powered anode rod installation
Expansion tanks
Water heater code corrections
Manufacturer warranty replacements
A water heater problem doesn't always mean the entire system needs to be replaced.
Our first step is determining what's actually wrong.
Depending on the system, age, condition, and failure, repairing it may make sense. In other situations, replacement may be the better long-term option.
We explain the findings and available options so the homeowner can make that decision.
Details Matter During a Water Heater Installation
A water heater installation is more than removing one tank and connecting another.
When we install a traditional tank water heater, we use stainless steel and brass fittings where appropriate to help prevent corrosion.
We also install a full-port drain valve.
The inexpensive factory drain valves found on many tank water heaters can make future maintenance difficult, especially as sediment accumulates inside the tank. A full-port drain valve provides a larger opening, making future flushing and draining easier and more effective.
It's a relatively small detail during installation that can make a significant difference later.
Water Softener and Water Filtration Services
Water quality is especially important in New Braunfels and San Antonio because of how hard our water can be.
Plunger Pros installs and services several types of residential water treatment equipment, including:
Water softeners
Carbon filtration systems
Sediment filters
UV filtration systems
Whole-home water filters
For many homes in our area, we recommend combining a water softener with carbon filtration.
They perform two different jobs.
Why We Recommend Water Softeners
A traditional water softener removes hardness minerals such as calcium and magnesium through ion exchange.
Those minerals are responsible for many of the white deposits homeowners see on:
Faucets
Shower heads
Glass shower doors
Dishes
Plumbing fixtures
But hard water isn't only a cosmetic problem.
Over time, scale can affect water heaters, toilet flushing jets, faucet aerators, cartridges, shower heads, and other parts of the plumbing system.
Softening the water helps protect the home's plumbing from that mineral buildup.
Why We Also Recommend Carbon Filtration
A carbon filter addresses a different part of water quality.
Depending on the water supply, disinfectants such as chlorine or chloramine may be present in the incoming water.
Carbon filtration can reduce these disinfectants and other contaminants the filter is designed to address.
This doesn't just improve the water entering the home. Removing disinfectants can also help protect water-softener resin and certain rubber components used throughout plumbing fixtures and equipment.
That's why, when possible, we generally prefer a properly designed softener and carbon filtration combination instead of addressing hardness alone.
High and Low Water Pressure Problems
Water pressure problems are another area where diagnosis matters.
Plunger Pros can diagnose and repair:
High water pressure
Low water pressure
Inconsistent pressure
Water hammer
Failed pressure reducing valves
Pressure-related plumbing problems
In much of our service area, the incoming municipal pressure can be higher than what should be supplied directly to a home's plumbing system.
A pressure reducing valve, commonly called a PRV, reduces that incoming pressure to a safer level.
When a PRV begins failing, the symptoms aren't always the same.
A failed PRV may cause excessive pressure.
But it can also cause extremely low flow.
A San Antonio Home With Almost No Water Pressure
We recently went to a San Antonio home where the customer was experiencing low water pressure.
Initially, the water would come out with reasonable pressure.
After running for a few seconds, however, the flow would drop to almost nothing.
After testing and investigating the plumbing system, we determined the pressure reducing valve had failed.
We excavated the existing PRV and replaced it along with the home's water shutoff valve. We also installed an accessible valve box.
The new PRV was adjusted to approximately 65 PSI, and the homeowner ended up with better water pressure than they had before the failure occurred.
We also installed the PRV with two unions.
The unions allow the valve to be disconnected more easily if it ever needs to be serviced or replaced in the future rather than requiring unnecessary piping to be cut out.
Again, it's a small installation detail that can make future plumbing work easier.
Leak Detection and Water Leak Repair
Not every water leak makes itself obvious.
Sometimes there's water pouring from a pipe.
Other times, the first indication is:
An unusually high water bill
A water meter showing usage when everything is off
Low water pressure
Water sounds inside the home
A wet area in the yard
An unexplained damp area
A fixture that won't stop running
Plunger Pros provides leak detection and repair for many residential water leaks, including:
Water service line leaks
Yard leaks
Mystery water leaks
Fixture leaks
High-water-bill investigations
Plumbing pressure testing
The important part is determining where the water is going before recommending a repair.
A high water bill, for example, doesn't automatically mean there's a broken water line beneath the home.
It could be a running toilet.
It could be an irrigation problem.
It could be a water softener malfunction.
Or it could be a major leak on the home's water service.
Proper testing helps narrow down the possibilities before repair work begins.
Emergency Plumbing Services
Plumbing problems rarely happen at convenient times.
A main sewer backup doesn't care that it's Saturday.
A broken water line doesn't wait until Monday morning.
When we receive calls involving urgent plumbing problems, we do everything we reasonably can to prioritize the appointment and get someone to the home as quickly as our schedule allows.
Common emergency calls include:
Main sewer backups
Active water leaks
Burst piping
No water
Major water heater leaks
Plumbing problems preventing normal use of the home
Our first priority is stopping additional damage or restoring essential plumbing service.
After that, we determine why the problem happened and what needs to be done to correct it.
Everyday Residential Plumbing Repairs
Being a full-service residential plumber also means handling the smaller problems homeowners deal with every day.
Plunger Pros provides repair and installation services for:
Toilets
Faucets
Garbage disposals
Hose bibs
Emergency shutoff valves
Shower valves
Sinks and plumbing fixtures
Toilet installation
Faucet installation
Water piping
Water repiping
We also perform residential gas plumbing, including:
Gas leak repairs
New gas piping
Gas line modifications
A leaking faucet may not be as dramatic as a sewer backup, but it's still part of the home's plumbing system and deserves to be repaired properly.
What Doesn't Plunger Pros Handle?
Being full-service doesn't mean pretending to specialize in absolutely everything.
There are several services we currently don't provide, including:
Septic tank pumping
Septic system repair or replacement
Irrigation system repair or installation
New-construction plumbing
Backflow testing
We would rather be clear about what we do and don't provide than take on work outside our normal scope.
So, What Kind of Plumber Do I Need?
If the problem involves the plumbing inside or serving your home, there's a good chance a full-service residential plumber is the right place to start.
You don't necessarily need to know whether your problem is caused by a PRV, broken drain, water heater component, failed fixture, or underground water leak before calling.
Figuring that out is part of our job.
You tell us what you're experiencing.
We investigate the problem.
We determine the likely cause.
We explain what we found.
Then we provide options for getting it corrected.
That's particularly important because the symptom a homeowner notices isn't always where the actual problem originates.
The New Braunfels toilet call is a perfect example.
The customer thought he had recurring clogged toilets.
The bigger issue was hard-water buildup affecting how those toilets flushed.
What Makes Plunger Pros' Approach Different?
We don't believe plumbing service should simply be:
Problem → Replace Part → Collect Payment → Leave
Our approach is to determine what happened and, whenever possible, why it happened.
If we clear your main sewer, we want to know why it clogged.
If your water pressure is low, we want to determine what's restricting it.
If something is leaking, we want to know whether there's another condition contributing to that failure.
That doesn't mean every service call turns into additional work.
Sometimes a clogged toilet really is just a clogged toilet.
Sometimes a leaking faucet simply needs to be repaired.
The point is to verify instead of assume.
We want homeowners to understand their plumbing system, know what we found, and have options for addressing the problem.
Can Plunger Pros Handle My Plumbing Problem?
If you're having a residential plumbing problem in New Braunfels, San Antonio, or one of the surrounding communities, there's a good chance we can help.
Plunger Pros is a licensed and insured residential plumbing company providing drain clearing, water heater services, water treatment, leak detection, water and drain repairs, pressure diagnosis, gas plumbing, fixture repairs, underground plumbing diagnostics, tunnel repairs, and more.
There are a few exceptions, such as septic systems, irrigation, new construction, and backflow testing.
But for most problems your home's plumbing system can throw at you, we're equipped to diagnose the issue and provide options for getting it corrected.
Most importantly, we don't want to simply put a bandage over the immediate problem.
We want to determine the cause, explain it in a way that makes sense, complete the repair properly, and help reduce the chance that the same plumbing problem interrupts your life again.
That's what Plumbing done the proper way means to us.
Related Plumbing Resources
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Plunger Pros clear clogged drains and main sewer lines?
Yes. We provide drain clearing for individual fixtures, drain groups, and main building sewers. When appropriate, we also perform a sewer camera inspection after restoring flow to help identify what caused the blockage.
Does Plunger Pros repair sewer lines beneath foundations?
Yes. We provide hydrostatic testing, sewer camera inspections, pinpoint testing, underground drain locating, tunneling, and drain repairs beneath foundations. When tunnel work is required, we can also coordinate the necessary permits and inspections.
Does Plunger Pros install and repair water heaters?
Yes. We diagnose, repair, maintain, and replace traditional tank and tankless water heaters.
Does Plunger Pros install water softeners?
Yes. We install and service water softeners and several types of whole-home water filtration equipment. Because of the hard water in the New Braunfels and San Antonio area, we commonly recommend combining a traditional water softener with carbon filtration.
Can Plunger Pros fix low water pressure?
Yes. Low water pressure can have several causes, including a failed pressure reducing valve. We test the plumbing system to determine what's causing the pressure or flow problem before recommending a repair.
Can Plunger Pros fix high water pressure?
Yes. We diagnose high water pressure and repair or replace pressure reducing valves when appropriate.
Does Plunger Pros provide leak detection?
Yes. We investigate hidden and unexplained water leaks, high water bills, water service leaks, fixture leaks, and other residential plumbing leaks.
Does Plunger Pros provide emergency plumbing service?
Yes. For urgent problems such as main sewer backups and active water leaks, we prioritize the appointment and work to respond as quickly as our schedule allows.
Does Plunger Pros work on gas lines?
Yes. We perform residential gas leak repairs, gas piping modifications, and new gas line installations.
Does Plunger Pros work on septic systems or irrigation?
No. We don't currently provide septic repair, replacement or pumping, irrigation repair or installation, new-construction plumbing, or backflow testing.
What areas does Plunger Pros serve?
Plunger Pros provides residential plumbing services throughout New Braunfels, San Antonio, and surrounding communities.
Need a Plumber in New Braunfels, San Antonio, or the surrounding areas?
Whether you know exactly what's wrong or just know that something isn't working properly, you don't have to diagnose the plumbing problem yourself.
That's our job.
Plunger Pros can evaluate the issue, explain what we find, and provide options for getting your plumbing system back to normal.
Plunger Pros
Plumbing done the proper way.
M45279
(830) 356-2141