Nobody wants to wake up to a cold shower — especially here in the Texas Hill Country where mornings can already be chilly. The good news is most water heaters give you warning signs before they completely fail. Here's what to watch for.

1. Your Water Isn't as Hot as It Used To Be

If you're cranking the hot water handle further than you used to just to get a warm shower, your water heater's heating element or thermostat may be failing. This is one of the earliest warning signs and worth a call to your plumber before it gets worse.

2. Rusty or Discolored Water

Brown or reddish water coming from your hot tap is a red flag. It usually means the inside of your tank is corroding. Once a tank starts rusting from the inside, replacement is usually the only real fix. Don't ignore this one — a corroded tank can fail suddenly and cause serious water damage.

3. Rumbling or Popping Sounds

Here in the Highland Lakes area we have notoriously hard water — high in minerals. Over time those minerals build up as sediment at the bottom of your tank. When the burner heats through that layer of sediment you hear rumbling, popping, or banging. This makes your heater work harder, use more energy, and wear out faster.

4. Water Around the Base of the Tank

Any moisture or pooling water around the bottom of your water heater is serious. It could be a failing temperature-pressure relief valve, a loose connection, or the tank itself cracking. Don't wait on this one — call immediately.

5. Your Heater is Over 10 Years Old

Most traditional tank water heaters last 8–12 years. If yours is getting up there in age, start budgeting for a replacement before it fails at the worst possible time. Tankless water heaters can last 20+ years and are worth considering when it's time to upgrade.

If you live in Burnet County, Llano County, Marble Falls, or anywhere in the Highland Lakes region of Texas — you have hard water. Period. Our groundwater is loaded with calcium and magnesium minerals, and over time those minerals wreak havoc on your plumbing system.

What Exactly Is Hard Water?

Hard water simply means water with a high mineral content — primarily calcium and magnesium. The Texas Hill Country sits on limestone bedrock, and as water moves through it, it picks up those minerals. Our area consistently ranks among the hardest water in Texas.

What Hard Water Does to Your Plumbing

Over months and years, mineral deposits — called scale — build up inside your pipes, fixtures, and appliances. Here's what that looks like in practice:

• Reduced water flow from mineral buildup inside pipes
• White crusty deposits around faucets and showerheads
• Water heater sediment buildup (that rumbling sound)
• Shorter appliance lifespan — dishwashers, washing machines, ice makers
• Soap that won't lather properly and spotty dishes
• Dry skin and hair after showering

The Real Cost of Hard Water

Studies show that hard water can reduce water heater efficiency by up to 30% and cut appliance lifespan nearly in half. For Highland Lakes homeowners, that adds up to thousands of dollars over the years in higher energy bills and premature equipment replacement.

The Solution: A Water Softener

A professionally installed water softener removes calcium and magnesium before they reach your pipes and appliances. Most homeowners in our area see immediate improvements — better lathering soap, softer skin and hair, cleaner dishes, and most importantly, protected plumbing and appliances.

A burst pipe is one of the most stressful plumbing emergencies a homeowner can face. Water is spraying, damage is happening by the second, and panic sets in fast. Here's exactly what to do in the first 15 minutes — stay calm and follow these steps.

Step 1 — Shut Off the Water Immediately

Find your main water shut-off valve and turn it off right now. Don't know where it is? Most homes have it near the water meter, usually at the front of the house near the street, or where the main line enters the home. Learn where this is BEFORE an emergency happens.

Step 2 — Turn Off the Water Heater

Once the main water is off, turn off your water heater too — either at the breaker (electric) or the gas valve (gas). Running a water heater with no water supply can damage the unit.

Step 3 — Open Faucets to Drain Remaining Water

Open cold water faucets throughout the house to drain the remaining water out of your pipes. This relieves pressure and reduces further water damage.

Step 4 — Locate and Contain the Damage

Find the burst pipe if you can. Put down towels, buckets, or move belongings away from standing water. Take photos for your insurance claim before cleaning up anything.

Step 5 — Call Mark

We provide weekend emergency service throughout Burnet and Llano County. Call us at (830) 613-1089 and we'll get to you as fast as possible to assess and repair the damage.

Texas freezes don't mess around. After the February 2021 winter storm, every homeowner in Burnet and Llano County learned the hard way just how fast pipes can freeze and burst. Here's how to protect yourself before the next one hits.

Know Your Vulnerable Pipes

Pipes most at risk are those in unheated spaces — under the house, in the attic, in exterior walls, and in garages. Outdoor hose bibs are also very vulnerable. These are the ones to focus on first.

Before a Freeze — Your Checklist

• Disconnect and store garden hoses
• Install insulated covers on outdoor hose bibs
• Insulate pipes in unheated areas with foam pipe insulation
• Know where your main shut-off valve is
• Keep cabinet doors under sinks open to allow warm air circulation
• Let faucets drip slightly during hard freezes (especially overnight)
• Keep your home at least 55°F even if you're away

If Your Pipes Do Freeze

If you turn on a faucet and nothing comes out, you likely have a frozen pipe. Do NOT use an open flame to thaw pipes. Use a hair dryer, heating pad, or warm towels. Start from the faucet end and work back toward the wall. If you can't locate or safely thaw the frozen section — call us.

As a licensed Master Plumber I'll be straight with you — there are some plumbing jobs you absolutely can do yourself and save money. But there are others where DIY can turn a $200 repair into a $2,000 disaster. Here's the honest breakdown.

✅ 5 You CAN Do Yourself

1. Replace a showerhead — Unscrew the old one, wrap the threads with plumber's tape, screw on the new one. Done.

2. Fix a running toilet — Usually a worn flapper. A $5 part from the hardware store and 10 minutes.

3. Unclog a slow drain — A drain snake from the hardware store handles most bathroom clogs. Skip the harsh chemicals — they damage pipes over time.

4. Replace a faucet aerator — That little screen at the tip of your faucet clogs with mineral deposits. Unscrew, clean or replace, done.

5. Fix a leaky faucet handle — Usually a worn washer or O-ring. Turn off the water supply valve under the sink, disassemble the handle, replace the washer.

🚫 5 You Should NOT Do Yourself

1. Water heater replacement — Gas lines, venting, pressure relief valves — this requires a licensed plumber. A mistake here can be dangerous.

2. Main water line repair — Digging, proper pipe materials, connection to the meter — this needs a pro with the right equipment.

3. Sewer line issues — Without a camera inspection you're guessing. Wrong repairs here cause serious, expensive problems.

4. Any work requiring permits — In Texas, certain plumbing work requires permits. Unpermitted work can cause problems when you sell your home.

5. Slab leaks — Locating and repairing a slab leak requires specialized equipment and expertise. This is never a DIY job.

Hidden water leaks are sneaky. They can go undetected for months, silently adding hundreds of dollars to your water bill and slowly causing structural damage to your home. Here's how to catch them early.

Check Your Water Meter

This is the easiest test. Turn off every faucet, appliance, and water-using device in your home. Go to your water meter and watch the leak indicator (usually a small triangle or dial). If it's moving with everything off — you have a leak somewhere.

Watch Your Water Bills

Compare your water bills month to month and year to year. An unexplained spike — especially if your usage habits haven't changed — is a red flag. A slow leak can waste thousands of gallons a month.

Look for These Warning Signs

• Wet or soft spots in your yard (main line leak)
• Warm spots on your floor (hot water line slab leak)
• Mold or mildew smell with no visible source
• Walls or ceilings that feel soft, look stained or bubbled
• Sound of running water when everything is off
• Cracks in your foundation (extreme cases)

Don't Wait — Leaks Get Worse

A small leak that costs $50/month to ignore can turn into a $5,000 mold remediation and structural repair bill in six months. The earlier you catch it, the cheaper the fix. If you suspect a leak — call us. We can locate it quickly and give you a straight answer on what it'll take to fix it.

I got called out recently for an estimate on running gas to a kitchen cooktop. What I found when I walked the job is worth writing about — because every piece of this system tells a story about how LP gas work can go wrong one step at a time. Here’s exactly what I saw, starting at the tank and working toward the house.

From the Tank — Partial Credit

The PE yard line from the propane tank did have a sleeve on it — at least for the first part of the run. That’s correct. But roughly halfway to the house the sleeve ended, the line hadn’t been buried yet in that section, and what I could see was shallow. Not close to the 12-inch minimum burial depth required by code, let alone the 18 inches required anywhere vehicles or equipment might travel.

That unburied section is also where someone plans to cut in a tee to feed a dual-fuel generator — around 80,000 BTU load. That’s a meaningful addition to the system. Cutting into a line that’s already shallow and partially unsupported, without correcting the underlying issues first, just compounds every problem that already exists.

The Riser — Not Deep Enough

Following the line toward the house I found a metal riser coming up out of the ground. About three-quarters of the 90-degree bend on that riser was above grade — visibly not buried. The transition from underground to above-grade needs to be at or below the soil surface, properly protected and supported. This one wasn’t. That riser leads to the regulator, which is where the system splits out to the two outdoor tankless water heaters.

The Tee With No Cap

Just past the regulator there’s a tee pointing straight down with a gas valve on it — valve in the off position. Below that valve, what appeared to be CSST (Gastite-style corrugated stainless steel pipe) disappearing into the ground. That’s the line that reportedly goes under the foundation and into the kitchen.

First thing I noticed: no plug, no cap below the valve. A closed valve is not a permanent seal. Valves can be bumped, can fail, can be accidentally opened. Any gas fitting that isn’t actively connected to something needs a listed cap or plug on it. This one had neither.

The Under-Slab Line — Can’t Confirm, Won’t Sign Off

I was told the line going under the foundation was sleeved. I could not confirm that. The inlet end going into the ground was visible — CSST dropping down before going under. The outlet inside the house was walled in and inaccessible.

Here’s the thing: even taking the homeowner’s word that it’s sleeved — it still isn’t right. Under IFGC Section 404.14, any gas line running under a building slab must be in an approved conduit sleeve with the exterior end vented above grade. That vent has to be open to atmosphere so that any gas escaping into the sleeve exits outside the building rather than migrating in. There was no exterior vent. None visible, none reported. That alone makes the installation non-compliant regardless of whether a sleeve is present. I also couldn’t trace the line, couldn’t pressure test it, couldn’t confirm depth or condition under the slab. When I can’t inspect a gas system end to end, I won’t connect to it.

The Right Route

The better solution for this cooktop — one I pointed out on site — is to avoid the under-slab run entirely. Bring the line in from the exterior, run it up through the wall cavity, across the ceiling, and back down the interior wall to the cooktop location. Fully accessible. Fully inspectable. No under-slab penetration, no sleeve required, no venting question. If a through-slab penetration is ever truly unavoidable, it has to be done correctly: proper depth, continuous sleeve, sealed at the interior end, vented above grade at the exterior, and the pipe needs to reach proper depth before going under — not cut in shallow at whatever grade happens to be convenient.

The Tankless Heaters

While I was there I flagged two outdoor tankless water heaters mounted about 9 to 10 feet up on the exterior wall — less than a foot from operable windows on either side of each unit. These were standard power-vented outdoor units with horizontal louvered slits on the face drawing in combustion air and exhausting through the top. Under IFGC 2018 Section 503.8, that type of unit requires a minimum of 4 feet of horizontal clearance from any operable window or door. Less than a foot on either side doesn’t come close. Any time those windows are open, combustion exhaust has a direct path into the living space.

The Bottom Line

Every one of these issues — the sleeve stopping halfway, the shallow burial, the exposed riser, the uncapped valve, the unvented under-slab line, the tankless clearances — is individually a problem. Together they paint a picture of a system installed without a licensed plumber involved at any point. I won’t tie onto work I can’t stand behind. If you’ve got LP gas work at your home that was done by someone unknown or without permits, call me. I’ll walk the system, tell you honestly what I see, and give you a straight answer on what it takes to make it right.