A Pinellas Park Homeowner's Plumbing Guide

We cross the Howard Frankland Bridge from our West Tampa shop to work in Pinellas Park and its neighbors, Kenneth City, Lealman, Largo and Seminole. A lot of the homes there were built in the same era and the same way, so they tend to have the same plumbing problems. Here's what Pinellas Park homeowners should know.

Know Your Home

Much of Pinellas Park is single-story concrete block homes from the 1960s and 1970s, built on a concrete slab. Many still have their original plumbing, which usually means:

• Cast-iron drain lines running under the slab
• Galvanized steel or early copper supply pipe
• A water heater that may be on its second or third replacement in a garage, utility room or closet

Some homes have been updated, some partly. If you don't know what's in yours, look at the pipes at the water heater and under the sinks, and ask for any records when you buy.

1. Cast-Iron Drains Under the Slab

This is the big one in Pinellas Park. Cast-iron drains in 50 to 60 year old homes corrode from the inside and eventually crack. Under a slab, you can't see it happening. The signs are slow drains in several fixtures, backups into a tub or shower, gurgling, sewer smells, and sometimes damp spots or lifting tile.

A camera inspection shows where the drain has failed, so the repair targets that section instead of guessing. Read more in cast-iron drain pipes in Tampa Bay homes.

2. Old Supply Pipe

Galvanized pipe rusts from the inside and slowly loses pressure, and both galvanized and early copper start leaking at the joints with age. If your water pressure has been dropping for years, or the water runs rusty at first, the supply pipe is a likely cause. See what causes low water pressure. Spot repairs fix a single leak. A repipe with PEX or copper fixes the whole system.

3. Clogged Drains

Kitchen grease, wipes and hair cause most clogs. If one drain is slow, it's usually local. If several drains back up at once, the main line under the slab is the likely problem, and in an older home that brings you back to the cast iron.

4. Water Heaters and Hard Water

Pinellas County's water is hard, like the rest of Tampa Bay, and it shortens the life of tank water heaters. Most last about 8 to 12 years. If yours is leaking, see what to do when a water heater leaks. When it's time to replace, we install standard tanks and tankless units, gas or electric.

Permits in Pinellas Park

Inside Pinellas Park city limits, plumbing permits go through the City of Pinellas Park. Neighboring unincorporated areas like Lealman go through Pinellas County. Water heater replacements, repipes and drain line repairs generally need one. When a job needs a permit, we pull it as part of the job.

A Quick Checklist

• Find your main water shut-off and make sure it turns. See what to do when a pipe bursts.
• Find your sewer cleanout, usually a capped pipe outside near the house.
• Check the water heater's age on its label. Past 10 years, start planning.
• Check what supply pipe you have at the water heater: galvanized, copper or PEX.
• Buying an older home? Get a sewer camera inspection before closing.

Plumbing Help in Pinellas Park

Believe Plumbing serves Pinellas Park, Kenneth City, Lealman, Largo and Seminole. We're licensed (CFC1429476), estimates are free, and we'll tell you honestly what your home needs. See our Pinellas Park plumbing page, including sewer and drain line repair, repiping and water heaters, or contact us.