The pattern usually matters more than the guessed cause, and it is easy to capture even when you are relaying it from a tenant. A diagnosis still requires an on-site inspection; these notes just make the first call useful.
Drains and fixtures
One fixture that drains slowly suggests a different scope than a toilet, shower, and sink reacting at the same time. Water beneath one fixture is different from unexplained moisture in a wall or floor. The drain cleaning and plumbing service pages can help you choose the right category, but the diagnosis still requires inspection.
No hot water
Record whether the loss is complete or intermittent, whether there is visible water near the unit, and whether the equipment shows an error. Do not attempt gas, electrical, or venting work yourself. The water heater service page explains the scope; call with the equipment information you can safely read.
Hard water from three sources
In 2025, about 79% of the water used in Tempe and Guadalupe came from the Salt River Project, which collects it from the Salt and Verde River watersheds, about 14% from groundwater wells and 7% from the Colorado River through the Central Arizona Project, according to the City of Tempe's annual water quality report. The city's water FAQ notes that the blend changes seasonally and from year to year, and that water characteristics fluctuate with it.
The minerals show up as white scale on shower heads, shower doors, coffeepots and anywhere else water evaporates. Hardness is given in grains per gallon, the figure customers use to set dishwashers and water softeners, and the city's FAQ describes home treatment as something people choose for aesthetic reasons such as hardness deposits or chlorine taste. That is how to weigh water treatment for a Tempe home: by the scale and the taste you want gone.
