Plumber in Silver Lake

Silver Lake at a glance

Silver Lake is a city in Shawnee County with 1,345 people at the 2020 census. It's the nearest city west of Topeka on US-24, and more of its residents now commute into the capital each day.

What that means for your plumbing

The town was first settled on the northern shore of the Kansas River, but the river has since moved about a quarter mile south. Low ground near a river and its old channels can mean a high water table, which keeps sump pumps busy after heavy rain. See sump pumps.

Founded in 1868

Silver Lake was founded in 1868, named for the lake it was built beside, and incorporated in 1871. Some homes date back many decades and may still have original drain lines. Because Silver Lake is so close to Topeka, many homes have been bought and updated by commuters, and updates often stop at the kitchen and bathroom. The pipes behind the walls and under the basement floor can be much older than the fixtures they feed, so a new faucet on an old line is a common reason for low pressure.

The old highway town

In 1928 a two-lane paved road was finished through Silver Lake; it later carried US-40 and then US-24. Homes along the old highway route range from early houses to postwar ranches, and each era brought its own plumbing. Postwar homes often have galvanized supply pipe that rusts from the inside and slowly loses pressure, while newer houses use copper or plastic. If the water pressure has been dropping for years, see old galvanized pipes.