What this is: 10-page PDF lead magnet titled "The Kansas City Homeowner's Plumbing Survival Guide." Gets emailed to 4,000 past customers. Downloaded via HubSpot form on the blog. Drives calls, membership signups, and positions BSP as THE authority.
Format: 8.5x11", 10 pages, print-ready + digital PDF
Brand: BSP navy (#04194e) + yellow (#ffcd2a) + white. Clean, professional, NOT a sales brochure.
Feel: Consumer Reports meets home inspector report. Data-rich, trustworthy, genuinely useful. The kind of PDF someone saves, prints, and puts on the fridge.
Full-page cover. BSP logo large and centered. "FREE GUIDE" badge/ribbon in top corner (yellow on navy).
Hero image: KC suburban home with green lawn, BSP truck in driveway, or team standing by truck.
Everything Johnson County Homeowners Need to Know About Their Pipes, Sewer, Water Heater, and Water Quality
Your home's plumbing is the one system you never think about, until it fails. This guide is built specifically for Johnson County and the KC metro. Not national averages. Not generic advice. Real data from the homes we service every day in Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, Shawnee, Leawood, and Prairie Village.
Inside:
Bright Side Plumbing | 5th-Generation Plumbing Family | (913) 963-1029 | callbrightside.com | 4.9 Stars | 384+ Reviews
7 numbered circular icons in a row across the top. Navy circles, white icons inside: 1-faucet, 2-flame, 3-gauge, 4-drain, 5-camera, 6-water drop, 7-wrench. Below that, each item is a checkbox-style card.
You do not need a plumber for this. Grab a flashlight and check these 7 things. If you find a problem, call us. If everything looks good, you just saved yourself a $150 service call.
Turn on every outdoor faucet. Watch for dripping, spraying, or no water. A hose bib that froze and cracked over winter can leak inside the wall without you knowing.
KC note: Homes built before 2000 often have standard (not frost-free) hose bibs. Most vulnerable to freeze damage.
✅ DIY, 5 minIf broken: $150-$350Listen for popping or rumbling sounds (sediment boiling). Check for rust-colored hot water. Find the serial number for the age. A flushed heater lasts 12-15 years. Unflushed: 8-10. Replacement: $1,500-$3,500.
Flush: $150-$250🛠 Can DIY but T&P check needs a pro$10 gauge from any hardware store. Screw it on a hose bib. Normal: 40-80 PSI. Below 40 = failing PRV. Above 80 = stresses pipes, can burst lines.
KC note: Southern OP and Leawood often get 90-100+ PSI from WaterOne.
✅ DIY, $10 gauge, 2 minPRV if needed: $800-$1,500Run water in every sink, tub, shower for 30 seconds. Slow drains in spring = hair buildup or tree roots growing into the pipe. Multiple slow drains at once = main line problem.
✅ DIY, 5 minDrain clearing: $150-$450You cannot see this yourself. Camera inspection shows what is underground. Roots accelerate in spring. A crack from October becomes a blockage by June.
KC data: Avg repair $9,714. Avg replacement $13,581. A $150 camera catches what becomes a $19,410 emergency.
Camera: $150-$300 (free with repair)White crusty buildup on faucets = hard water. Spots on glasses = hard water. WaterOne delivers 7-10 gpg hardness. A softener eliminates scale and extends appliance life.
✅ Visual check, 2 minTest: included with BSP inspectionUnder every sink: check braided hoses for moisture, corrosion, bulging. Find your main shut-off valve. Make sure it turns. Replace washing machine hoses older than 5 years.
✅ DIY, 10 minSupply line: $75-$150 per lineHorizontal timeline bar across top: decades 1940-2026. Color-coded sections for each pipe type. Below each section: illustrated cross-section of the pipe (round pipe cutaway showing wall thickness, interior condition).
The age of your home tells you almost everything about what is underground.
Tar-paper pipe. Never meant to last 30 years. Now 60-80 years old. It is collapsing. Replacement is not IF but WHEN.
Cracks at joints. #1 reason for sewer replacement in Johnson County. Roots find every crack. 50-65 years old now.
Corrodes from inside out. Looks fine outside while interior narrows to half diameter. Camera is the only way to know.
Current standard. 50-100 year life. Roots can still penetrate joints. Settling creates bellies. But overall, good shape.
You do not need to dig. A sewer camera inspection ($150-$300) shows exactly what pipe material you have, where the joints are, and what condition they are in. The camera footage is recorded so you can see it yourself.
Red accent sidebar instead of navy on this page. Each numbered item gets a warning/alert icon. "Danger meter" graphic at top: green (OK) to yellow (Watch) to red (Call Now). Urgent, attention-grabbing layout.
If you notice any of these, do not wait. A $150 camera inspection today prevents a $5,000-$19,000 emergency tomorrow.
Snaking fixes it but it comes back within weeks. The pipe itself is the problem. Roots grow back. Cracks get worse. Snaking is a temporary fix for a structural issue.
Kitchen sink and basement floor drain both slow = main line compromised. Individual drain problems affect one fixture. Main line problems affect everything.
Especially near the sewer clean-out (white PVC cap between house and street). The line is cracked or separated. Raw sewage is leaking into the soil.
One section of yard greener than the rest, or soft/soggy when everything else is dry. It is getting fertilized by leaking sewage underground.
A sewer leak under or near your foundation erodes supporting soil. Foundation settles unevenly. Cracks in walls, sticky doors, uneven floors.
Rodents and insects enter through cracked sewer pipes. Sudden rat or cockroach problem? Check your sewer.
35+ years old with no camera inspection means you are guessing. Clay tile, cast iron, and Orangeburg all have lifespans that have passed for homes in this range.
Three visual scales: (1) Hardness scale 0-25 gpg with KC marked at 7-10 with arrow. (2) pH scale 1-14 with KC at 7-8. (3) TDS meter showing 200-400 ppm range. Each section: problem on left, fix on right, two-column layout with icons.
WaterOne supplies water to most of Johnson County. The water is safe. But "safe" and "ideal for your plumbing" are different things.
What it does: Scale buildup inside pipes, on fixtures, in your water heater. White deposits on faucets and showerheads. Spots on dishes. Dry skin and hair.
The fix: Whole-home water softener ($2,500-$4,000 installed). Eliminates scale, extends appliance life.
What it does: WaterOne uses chloramine (chlorine + ammonia). Safe to drink but some taste/smell it. Can irritate sensitive skin.
The fix: Whole-home carbon filter ($1,200-$3,500 installed). Removes chloramine at entry point.
What it does: KC water is generally neutral (pH 7-8). Older copper pipes can experience internal corrosion from slightly acidic water. Blue-green staining = copper corrosion.
The fix: Acid neutralizer ($800-$1,500 installed).
Measures everything dissolved in water, minerals, salts, metals. KC: 200-400 ppm. Under 300 is good. Professional test reveals exact numbers.
Fill a clear glass with cold water. Hold to light. Cloudy? Probably air bubbles (clears in 30 seconds) or particulates (get tested). Smell chlorine? Fridge filter is exhausted. Metallic taste? Pipes may be corroding.
Labeled illustration of a water heater showing: anode rod (top), T&P relief valve (side), drain valve (bottom), burner assembly (bottom), dip tube (internal). "Where to find your serial number" callout with arrow pointing to manufacturer label.
Age timeline bar below: 0-8 green ("You're Fine"), 8-10 yellow ("Watch It"), 10-12 orange ("Borrowed Time"), 12+ red ("Replace Before It Decides For You").
Works 24/7, 365 days a year. Heats 60+ gallons of KC's hard water daily. It is the hardest working appliance in your home.
Check the serial number on the manufacturer's label. First two digits = year of manufacture.
Drains tank, flushes sediment, checks anode rod, tests T&P valve, checks gas and venting. Cost: $150-$250. Time: ~1 hour. ROI: Extends tank life 3-5 years = $1,500-$3,500 in avoided replacement.
Split layout: left column green "DO THIS", right column red "NOT THIS". Top: illustrated emergency kit (flashlight, wrench, tape, bucket, towels, phone with BSP number). Bottom: diagram showing where to find main water shut-off valve (basement, garage, or front of house).
When a pipe bursts at 2 AM, you do not have time to Google. Have this ready.
4 columns side by side matching the membership HTML. Essential=blue, Protection=navy, Premium=yellow "Most Popular" badge, Elite=navy "White Glove" badge. Check marks for features. Clean, SaaS-style pricing feel.
Everything in this guide, the water heater flush, the pressure test, the water quality check, the sewer camera, the visual inspection, we do all of it in one 2-hour visit as part of our maintenance plans.
No contracts. Cancel anytime. Call (913) 963-1029 to join.
BSP logo large and centered. QR code linking to callbrightside.com/contact-us/. Service area map showing OP, Olathe, Lenexa, Shawnee, Leawood, Prairie Village highlighted. Trust badges: 4.9 stars, 394+ reviews, licensed, insured, background-checked.
5th-Generation Plumbing Family
(913) 963-1029
callbrightside.com
[QR CODE: callbrightside.com/contact-us/]
Serving: Overland Park | Olathe | Lenexa | Shawnee | Leawood | Prairie Village | KC Metro
On-Time Guarantee | Flat Rate Pricing | Done Right Promise
Repairs warranted as long as you own your home.
Last updated March 2026. All pricing reflects Kansas City metro rates. Your actual costs depend on your specific situation. Call (913) 963-1029 for a free assessment.