The Pandemic’s Effect on Plumbing

by Expert Contributor Rick Bondurant of R.F. Bondurant Plumbing

The pandemic has affected the plumbing industry in many ways. Before the pandemic, most people did not work from home, and most children attended school in person. The pandemic has required many people to work from home and students to attend classes remotely, using online learning platforms and apps. All this greatly increased at-home time has naturally caused more stress on the plumbing system in many homes, resulting in many more service calls to plumbing companies.

Many homeowners are also reevaluating their space at home and taking on remodeling projects. The plumbing industry, just like a lot of other industries, is experiencing shortages in materials. Customers who need to replace an aging water heater, garbage disposal or other plumbing items are advised to seriously consider doing the job now, due to material shortages. Some manufacturers have advised plumbing companies that a lot of those shortages may continue throughout 2021. There also can be major delays in getting parts manufactured in other countries that were hit heavily by the pandemic.

Another area that has been affected is drain cleaning. There has been a definite uptick in “backed-up” drain calls. One of the biggest culprits for such back-ups has been “flushable” wet wipes. Only toilet paper should be flushed down the toilet, and preferably the single-ply type.

Some buying trends have been sparked out of heightened germ awareness. One popular item has been the bidet toilet seat, which offers warm water cleansing, a heated seat and a nightlight. Those seats offer a self-cleaning stainless steel wand that uses UV light for automatic sanitizing.

Another newly popular item is touchless faucets. In commercial applications, the shift to more hygienic and efficient touchless faucets and toilets has been occurring for a while, but now it’s also happening in homes. Many touchless faucets on the market connect directly to a home’s standard power supply, so there’s no batteries to replace, and a manual override option lets you use the faucet during a power failure.

Everyone definitely hopes that things soon get back to normal. Plumbers are, as usual, doing their best to be ready when needed.

Rick Bondurant

R.F. Bondurant Plumbing & Heating

Call 610-566-0288

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