A Westchase Homeowner's Plumbing Guide: The 25-Year Checklist

Westchase is northwest of our West Tampa shop, a quick run up Hillsborough Avenue or the Veterans Expressway, and we work there and in nearby Town 'n' Country and Citrus Park all the time. Westchase was built mostly from the 1990s through the 2000s, so most homes are now 20 to 30 years old. That's the age when a lot of plumbing parts reach the end of their life at about the same time. Here's what to keep an eye on.

Why the 20 to 30 Year Mark Matters

Westchase homes were built with modern materials: PVC drains and, in most homes, copper or CPVC supply pipe. That's good news, since you're less likely to face the cast-iron drain problems of older Tampa neighborhoods. But the parts attached to the pipes, like valves, hoses, cartridges and water heaters, have shorter lives. Many of those parts are original or on their second round, and Tampa Bay's hard water speeds up the wear.

The Checklist

1. Water heater. Tank water heaters last about 8 to 12 years here, so most Westchase homes are on their second or third. Check the manufacture date on the label. If it's over 10 years old, plan the replacement before it leaks. See water heater leaking and what size you need.

2. Shut-off valves. The small valves under sinks and behind toilets are often original. After 25 years, many won't close fully or start leaking when turned. Test each one. Replacing them is quick and inexpensive, and it means you can stop a leak when you need to.

3. Supply lines. The flexible lines connecting faucets and toilets to those valves wear out too. Replace older plastic or rubber lines with braided stainless steel. Do the same for the washing machine hoses, one of the most common causes of sudden indoor flooding.

4. Toilet parts. Flappers and fill valves wear out in hard water. A toilet that runs or refills on its own wastes water. See toilet keeps running.

5. Faucet and shower cartridges. Drips, stiff handles and shower temperature swings usually mean worn cartridges. See leaky faucets and shower temperature problems.

6. Pressure-reducing valve. If your home has one where the main line enters, it wears out over time. Pressure that's too high strains everything above. A $10 gauge on an outside spigot tells you where you stand. See water pressure.

7. Polybutylene in the earliest homes. Some of Westchase's first homes, built in the early 1990s, may have gray polybutylene supply pipe. Check at the water heater. See polybutylene pipes.

Drain Cleaning in Westchase

Drain clogs are the most common call we get in Westchase. Kitchen grease and bathroom hair cause most of them. Because Westchase sewer lines are PVC, repeat clogs here are less often roots or broken pipe and more often grease buildup or a sag in the line. If several drains back up at once, the main line needs cleaning, and if the same clog keeps coming back, a camera inspection finds out why. See why your drain keeps clogging.

Permits in Westchase

Westchase is unincorporated Hillsborough County, so plumbing permits go through Hillsborough County. Water heater replacements and repipes typically need one, and when a job needs a permit, we pull it as part of the job.

Plumbing Help in Westchase

Believe Plumbing serves Westchase, West Park Village, The Fords, Radcliffe, Harbor Links, Town 'n' Country and Citrus Park. We're licensed (CFC1429476), and estimates are free. See our Westchase plumbing page, including drain cleaning in Westchase, water heaters and faucets, or contact us.