You may not recognize how significantly plumbing impacts your life on a daily basis until there are issues. Either the noise from the dripping faucets, the wet spots on the ground, or the burden in the water bill can be frustrating and affect the quality of life.
Thus, it is crucial to arm yourself with some basic knowledge about common plumbing problems and appropriate solutions. This article will name the 3 most faced plumbing issues and offer you some suggestions in case you are unfortunately experiencing those.
Table of Contents
1. Clogged Drains And Toilets
Clogged drains or toilets are when the water backs up and even overflows instead of flushing normally.
Clogged drains might result from various stuff such as hair, food, small toys, and dissolvable waste being stuck and blocking the pipe. These solid items can not be flushed away easily, so they stay there, causing a partial or complete block.
If it is possible to DIY, you can consider the below options:
- A plunger: remove the clog, which works on both toilets and drains.
- Air pressure: place the open end of the plunger completely over the drain, then move it up and down to loosen clogs.
- Chemical drain cleaners
Suppose the clog gets worse and occurs frequently, it had better be solved by a professional to avoid any catastrophic damage in the future.
It may even cause serious hygiene problems, thus, prevention is better than cure. Don’t let any dissolvable waste products flush down the toilet. If you have kids, watch them carefully to make sure they don’t flush toys or other large items down the toilet. In case something falls into the toilet, get it out instead of trying to flush it. In showers, use a hair catcher over the drain to prevent loose strands from collecting inside the drain pipe.
2. Impaired Water Heater
On the one hand, other than getting doused by freezing cold water instead of the usual warm flow, water heater issues can also be pointed out by the dripping or puddles of discolored water, and noises coming from the water heater unit. Then, replacement and professional repair are needed.
On the other hand, if the water takes ages to get hot enough, it will keep you waiting for too long. Or if it also causes a burden on the water bill every month, it’s time to consider other solutions.
What is more, standard systems often struggle with bringing hot water to various areas of the home, especially when those are pretty far away from the tank. If those are your concerns, the hot water recirculating pump is worth your consideration. Its efficiency and long-term cost-saving advantage make it an even more appealing choice not only for establishments but private residential households as well.
The recirculating pump creates a loop from the water heater to the faucet and back again to keep hot water moving through your home’s hot water pipes at all times, so when you turn on hot water faucets, hot water will quickly come.
As a result, there is less water waste because you don’t have to wait. Also, not to waste gas and energy since sensors and timers are equipped.
The initial cost, however, is quite pricey, but its sustainable cost-effective advantage and convenience pay off.
3. Low Water Pressure
Low water pressure is when there is a decline in the speed and volume of water coming out from some fixtures like showers and faucets. This phenomenon can come suddenly or slowly get worse over time, depending on the cause.
Whatever the reason, diminishing water pressure will adversely affect the efficiency of your daily routine either when rinsing things, doing laundry, or showering.
Below are a few possible causes:
- A water main break: you can notice this if your neighbors also suddenly experience low water pressure.
- Leaky pipes within your home: homeowners can check for leaks by shutting off all taps, then check your water meter and wait a few hours to see if the water meter changes
- Build-up minerals and sediment in the pipes or plumbing fixtures: restore water pressure by unscrewing the end on the faucet tap for cleaning, and soak the aerator in vinegar overnight to loosen the build-up.
A filtration system installation can keep minerals out of your pipes and avoid future build-up. Furthermore, getting the pipes checked regularly will help tackle the problems in time.
4. Regular General Assessments Are Crucial
It is not until there is something wrong or even hazardous defects occur that most homeowners try to address the problem.
Nevertheless, periodic checks from insight plumbers or you can DIY if there is no severe difficulty will significantly help enhance the lifespan of your fixtures and save you a fortune on tackling catastrophic outcomes.