The Villages Plumbing Guide for New Residents

Welcome to The Villages. Whether you bought a newer home south of State Road 44, a villa in one of the established neighborhoods, or a designer home you plan to occupy part of the year, your plumbing has a few local traits worth knowing. This The Villages plumbing guide covers what new residents ask us about most, so you can settle in with confidence.

How Homes Here Are Built

Most homes in The Villages are single-story and built on concrete slabs. That has two practical effects:

• Water lines often run under or through the slab. A leak there shows up as a warm floor, a running-water sound, or a meter that moves with everything off, rather than a drip from the ceiling.
• Drain lines run under the slab too. Recurring clogs in multiple fixtures may need a camera inspection rather than repeated snaking.

The community spans Sumter, Lake and Marion counties and has been built in phases over several decades. Homes in older sections may have original pipe materials and water heaters that are reaching the end of their service lives. If your home was built before 2000, our article on repiping older Villages homes explains what to look for.

Your First-Week Plumbing Checklist

1. Find the main shutoff and the meter box, and label both.
2. Read the water heater label to learn its age, size and fuel type. Many sit in the garage alongside the golf cart.
3. Test each fixture valve under sinks and behind toilets.
4. Run a meter test: turn everything off and watch the low-flow indicator for 15 to 30 minutes.
5. Dye test each toilet for silent leaks.
6. Note the irrigation controller location and run each zone to look for broken heads.

Our printable water shutoff checklist for The Villages is a handy companion for step one.

Hard Water Is the Norm

Water in this region comes from the Floridan aquifer and carries plenty of calcium and magnesium. New residents often notice:

• White crust on faucet aerators and showerheads
• Spots on glassware and shower doors
• Rumbling from a tank water heater as sediment builds up

A softener or filtration system addresses all three. See our guide to water softeners and filtration for Villages homes for the differences between them.

Water Heaters in Garages

Garage water heaters are convenient but sit in a hot, humid space. Keep a few feet clear around the unit, check for moisture at the base every month or so, and make sure the relief valve’s discharge line is intact. When it is time for a new one, consider whether tank, tankless or heat pump models suit your household; we install all brands.

If You Spend Part of the Year Away

Many residents leave for the summer or for extended trips. Before you go:

• Close the main water valve
• Turn the water heater to vacation mode, or turn it off at the breaker or gas valve
• Open a low faucet to relieve pressure in the lines
• Find out whether your irrigation is fed through the house main; if it is, closing the main will stop it, so plan for your landscaping
• Ask a house watcher to run water in each fixture now and then so traps do not dry out and let in sewer odors

When you return, reopen the main slowly, let each faucet run until air clears, and check under sinks for drips.

Signs It Is Time to Call

• A warm spot on tile or the sound of running water
• Water bills climbing without explanation
• Several drains slowing down at once
• Rusty or lukewarm hot water
• Low pressure throughout the home

A Local Plumber Down the Road

K&K Plumbing’s office is right here at 2113 Everglades Lane, The Villages, and we are a family-owned company that has served the area since 2009. We provide repairs, water heater replacement, leak detection, repiping and 24/7 emergency service. Learn more on our plumbing services for The Villages page or our residential plumbing overview.

Welcome to the neighborhood. When you need a hand, call or text 352-810-9472 and a local technician will help.