Plumbing Services in Florida

Most of Florida draws its water from aquifers in limestone rock, and water that passes through limestone picks up calcium and magnesium. That is why so many Florida homes deal with white crust on fixtures, scale in water heaters and water softeners in the garage.

The ground matters too. In coastal areas the water table can be just a few feet down, and sandy soil drains fast but also settles and shifts. Outside the cities, many homes still rely on private wells, and well water in parts of Florida can carry iron, which stains fixtures orange, or sulfur, which gives it a rotten-egg smell.

A large share of Florida homes, especially outside city centers and in older subdivisions, are on a septic system rather than a city sewer. It changes how you read the warning signs:

• One slow drain usually means a clog in that fixture's line.
• Several drains backing up at once points to the main line, or on a septic system, to a tank that is full or a drain field that is struggling.
• Soggy, unusually green patches of lawn or sewage smells outside can mean a septic problem.

Pumping and repairing septic tanks is often done by septic contractors rather than plumbers, and septic systems in Florida are regulated by the state's Department of Environmental Protection. If you are not sure which system you have, your property records or the utility bill usually tell you: a sewer charge on the bill means you are connected to a public sewer.

On a septic system, keep wipes, cooking grease and harsh drain chemicals out of the pipes, and keep cars, trailers and heavy equipment off the drain field, where the weight can crush the buried lines.

Hurricane season runs from June through November, and a little preparation protects your plumbing:

• Find your main water shut-off now, before you need it, and make sure it turns.
• If you evacuate, shut off the main valve and turn off the water heater, so a broken line cannot flood an empty house.
• Keep water stored for drinking, plus extra for flushing toilets if service is interrupted.

Afterwards, follow any boil-water notice from your utility until it is lifted. If floodwater reached the water heater, the well pump or outdoor equipment, have it checked before you use it again. Expect plumbers to be busy for days after a major storm, so describe the most urgent problem first when you call.

Florida's housing ranges from early twentieth century bungalows to subdivisions finished last year, and the pipes follow the age of the house. Older homes may still have galvanized steel supply lines or cast iron drains, both of which corrode from the inside. Many homes from later decades use copper, and newer ones often use plastic piping such as PEX or CPVC.

If you know roughly when your home was built, say so when you call. It helps the plumber guess what they will find behind the walls and under the slab, and whether a repair or a section of new pipe makes more sense.