Waterford, Clemmons, North Carolina
Plumber in Waterford, Clemmons NC: Drains, Pressure and Older Pipes
Slow drains, a shower that has lost pressure or a water heater that has outlived its warranty. In an older Clemmons neighborhood like Waterford, age is the first thing to rule in or out.
Age
Waterford's three sections and the question of how old your plumbing is
Waterford is described by a local neighborhood guide as having sections called Waterford, Waterford Glen and Waterford Village, established in 1985 off Lasater Road, with brick and vinyl houses on level lots. That makes it among the older of the Clemmons neighborhoods that have their own pages here.
A house from the mid-1980s can still have much of its original plumbing, or it may have been repiped in part, or had fixtures and heaters replaced several times. Age alone does not tell you which. If you are unsure whether any repiping was done, ask the previous owners or check permit records with the local inspections office, and pass on what you learn.
Ask the plumber what the supply and drain pipes are made of and what condition they are in. The honest answer comes from looking, and for the drain line that means a camera.
Drains
Slow drains in a house this age: when a cable is not enough
A slow drain in one sink is usually local. Slow drains in several fixtures, or a toilet that gurgles when the washer drains, point to the line shared by the whole house.
In an older house, a recurring slow drain after cable clearing can mean buildup on the pipe wall, roots at a joint or a section that has shifted. A camera shows which. The page on cleaning a pipe wall under pressure explains when scouring helps, and the page on inspecting a sewer line explains what the footage should show.
Whether a Waterford line has roots depends on the individual lot and trees, which this page cannot know, so let the footage decide.
Several drains slow at once? Say so first when you call.
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Pressure
Weak pressure at one fixture or the whole house
Low flow at one tap is usually a clogged aerator, a partly closed stop valve or a worn cartridge. Low flow everywhere is a different problem: a partly closed main shutoff, a failing pressure regulator or a supply pipe with buildup or a leak.
Check each fixture and note which ones are affected, hot or cold. Hot water only points to the water heater and its connections. Tell the dispatcher what you found.
A pressure drop with a rising bill suggests a leak. The meter check on the page about hidden water leaks will show whether water is escaping.
Water heating
A water heater that has outlived its warranty
Water heaters do not last as long as houses. In a 1980s neighborhood, the unit you have now may be the second or third one. The rating plate shows its age.
Replacing like for like in a one- or two-family home is exempt from a permit under G.S. 160D-1110(a)(2) when a licensed plumber does and personally examines the work, with any gas piping leak tested. Changes in fuel, location, capacity or venting fall outside the exemption. See choosing a replacement for the details.
Fixtures
Original toilets and old supply lines in a 1980s house
Federal rules since 1994 limit new toilets to 1.6 gallons per flush. Toilets installed before then commonly used more, so a house that still has its original toilets may be using a good deal more water than it needs to. If yours are original, ask whether replacing them is worth it, and see toilet installation and repair for what to check first.
Flexible supply lines under sinks and behind toilets age too. A braided line that is old, kinked or corroded at the nut can burst under pressure. If you have never replaced them, the fixing worn supply lines page explains what to look for and when to change them.
Buying or selling
Buying or selling in Waterford: what a plumbing check should include
A home inspection does not usually cover the buried sewer line. For a house from this era, a camera inspection before closing shows the pipe's real condition, and a meter check shows whether water is leaking between the meter and the house.
Sellers can use the same findings to head off questions. Buyers can use them to ask for repairs or a price adjustment. Ask for the footage and a written summary, and keep both.
Coverage
Reaching a plumber from Waterford
Waterford's ZIP code is 27012, which is on this dispatch network's current list. Call with your address and the dispatcher will confirm whether it can be reached. The dispatch line routes your call to an independent plumber serving your area.
Ask for the price before you agree. If a sewer backup is involved and you are on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities system, call CityLink at 336-727-8000 before cleanup starts.
Typical price ranges sit on the price ranges for plumbing jobs, and the other Clemmons neighborhoods are on the all the neighborhood pages page.
Questions
Questions from Waterford homeowners
What ZIP code is Waterford in Clemmons?
27012, which is on this dispatch network's current list. Call with your address and the dispatcher will confirm.
Do I need a camera inspection on a 1980s house?
It is worth having before major repairs or before closing a sale. Age does not show what is in the pipe, but footage does.
Why is the pressure low in my whole house?
Common causes are a partly closed main, a failing regulator or a leak. Check each fixture, do the meter check and tell the dispatcher what you found.
Browse the other common questions on one page.
Waterford plumbing problem? Describe what you see.
Give the dispatcher your address and the symptoms, and the call will be routed to a plumber serving Clemmons.
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