Maplewood Plumbing

Choosing between PEX and copper piping is one of the biggest decisions homeowners face during a repipe or new plumbing installation. Both are code-approved, reliable materials, but they differ in cost, durability, and how they hold up under St. Louis’s water and weather conditions. In this guide, we’ll walk through…

We don’t think much about our toilets until something goes wrong. Then suddenly it has our full attention. Maybe you walked in and found a small puddle at the base, or maybe there’s a faint hissing sound that never quite stops. Whatever brought you here, take a breath. Most toilet…

“How long do water heaters actually last?” It’s one of those questions you never think about until you’re standing in a cold shower.  Maybe your hot water doesn’t last as long as it used to. Or maybe you just bought a home and noticed the water heater in the basement…

You’re in another room when the washing machine finishes filling, and suddenly, BANG. It’s loud enough that you think something fell over. A minute later, it happens again. The pipes shake. The floor thuds. You stand there wondering what’s wrong. What you just heard is called water hammer, also known…

It usually starts small. The kitchen sink drains a little slower than it should. Then the shower starts pooling around your ankles. Then you flush a toilet and hear an ominous gurgle from somewhere else in the house. When more than one drain acts up at the same time, the…

Most of us don’t think much about our water heater. It sits quietly in a basement, garage, or utility closet, doing its job every time we turn on a hot tap. Until it doesn’t. Then suddenly you’re standing in a cold shower. Or hearing strange popping sounds from the basement….

You noticed your drains are slow. Maybe your toilet gurgles when you run the bathroom sink, or there’s a faint sewage smell coming from the floor drain in your basement. You’ve snaked it twice in the past year and it keeps coming back. Sound familiar? If your home was built…

The Complete Plumbing Guide to Fat, Oil, and Grease If you have ever poured leftover bacon grease down the kitchen sink or rinsed a greasy pan under hot water, you have contributed to one of the most common plumbing problems in the country.  Fat, oil, and grease, collectively known as…

You probably received a notice in the mail or saw a requirement on your business permit about “annual backflow testing.” Maybe your water utility mentioned something about backflow preventers during a service call. If you’re scratching your head wondering what backflow testing actually is and why anyone cares about it,…

What Exactly Is a P-Trap? A P-trap is that U-shaped pipe bend you see under every sink, shower, and bathtub in your home. When viewed from the side, it looks like the letter P lying on its face (hence the name).  The trap holds a small amount of water in…