Your plumbing is one of the most essential systems in your home. Yet plumbing problems aren’t always obvious, and if left unchecked can cause severe damage in a short period of time. Even the smallest leak can filter to many different rooms, damaging flooring, wallboards, paint, and your personal property. It can cause biological growth, which ultimately can impact your indoor air quality.
What’s a homeowner to do?
How do you know if your plumbing is bad? Luckily, plumbing rarely breaks overnight. Instead, it leaves clues along the way.
A dripping faucet
One of the most annoying signs is also one of the most common. That drip, drip, drip in your bathroom or kitchen may seem minor, but it can quickly escalate. A lot of people live with that drip for months, or even years, before repairing it. That drip can cost you more on your utility bill and waste hundreds of gallons of water per year.
This drip is a sign of a problem. It may be a worn out washer, or a valve seat gone bad. The more you leave it unchecked, the bigger the problem can grow.
A clogged drain
You might notice it takes a little longer for the water to go down the drain. You can sometimes fix it with a plunger. If you notice a bad smell coming from the drain as well, it might be a sign of rotting food and other debris stuck in the pipes. A plumbing snake can work to break up those clogs and move them out of the way.
But eventually, it will be more than a plunger or snake can handle. It may be a telltale sign of something deeper in the plumbing. Maybe tree roots have grown into the pipes. Or your septic tank needs to be emptied. If you don’t deal with the problem now, it will continue to resurface and grow.
Low water pressure
Does the water pressure seem to be decreasing? Is it only a trickle coming from your fixtures? Residue can build up in older pipes and lower the water pressure. Your first step is to remove the aerator or showerhead and cleaning up the deposits. If you still have low water pressure, call in a professional immediately. It could be clogged pipes, a leak somewhere in the system, or pipes that no longer fit your demands.
Smells and stains
You might notice leaks far away from your bathrooms or kitchen. Instead, they could be tucked away in a corner or on the ceiling. A stain on the wall could be a sign of a leak buried behind the wallboard. If there’s a problem on the second floor, for instance, the water can trickle down the pipes and leak through the ceiling in a room on the first floor. Don’t ignore these signs. The smaller they are, the easier they are to fix. You can avoid more costly issues down the road.
If you want a professional plumber with 100 percent guarantee on all the work we do, someone who will help find your potential plumbing problems and fix them right the first time, give us a call today.