Understanding Common Plumbing Issues: Expert Advice
Understanding Common Plumbing Issues: Expert Advice
Blog Article
What are the most common plumbing problems?
Clogs
Clogs are arguably the most common type of plumbing problem that homeowners run into. Drains clog all the time. Most of these clogs are pretty minor—you clear out a sink clog by running the disposal, or a toilet clog using the plunger.
But, many other clogs are much tougher to clear out. Some can even be a sign of a sewer line blockage—something that should never be taken lightly!
How to deal with clogs
This is how most homeowners approach a clog. They’ll try to clear it themselves and—should that approach fail—they’ll bring in a plumber.
After all, plumbers have access to specialized clog-clearing tools that most homeowners don’t have under their kitchen or bathroom sink. This includes a variety of snake tools, specialized plungers, augers, and more.
Should you use drain cleaning products?
When confronted with a clog, most homeowners are tempted to run out to the grocery store and grab a drain cleaning product. After all, this is typically cheaper than bringing in a plumber.
However, these drain cleaning chemicals don’t always work as well as they should. In many cases, they only partially clear the clog, which means you’re going to be dealing with a clog again very soon.
Plus, these harsh chemicals can be tough on your pipes. Repeated use can actually weaken and damage them.
Frozen Pipes
Throughout much of the United States—including here in Chicagoland—frozen pipes are a major problem in the winter.
All it takes is a particularly cold night and your heater going down for several hours (which are often related) for your home’s pipes to freeze. If your home has an electric furnace, a power outage could also lead to this problem.
What happens when pipes freeze?
For obvious reasons, pipes in exterior walls are at the greatest immediate risk. As the pipes freeze, the water inside of them expands.
If you’ve ever left a can of soda pop in the freezer overnight, you know what comes next: the expansion of water into ice puts immense pressure on the pipe.
Luckily, your home’s copper or PVC pipes are hardier than an aluminum can, but there’s only so much of this sustained pressure they can take. Your pipes are at risk of bursting at any time.
How should you thaw out frozen pipes?
Thawing these pipes out is trickier than you might think. Most homeowners instinctively reach for the hair dryer, but that can actually bring on a pipe burst, since rapidly heating the pipe’s surface may weaken it.
You’ll really want to bring in a plumber. We have specialized thawing tools designed to safely raise the temperature of the water inside of the pipe, defrosting it without damaging the pipe itself.
Leaks
Water leaks are a big deal—and a common problem. Whether they’re caused by frozen—and then burst—pipes, or just by aging pipes, water leaks can cause thousands of dollars in water damage to your home, relatively quickly.
For this reason, every leak—no matter how small it starts—needs to be treated like a major threat to your home.
Do you need leak detection?
Not all leaks start in convenient, easy-to-access places, either. Some leaks start behind walls, in ceilings, or underneath floors. Finding and accessing the leak actually might be the toughest part of the job.
This is where a professional plumber can really save you a lot of time, money, and headache. Using professional leak detection equipment—such as acoustic leak detectors—the plumber will pinpoint the location of the leak.
From there, they can make precision cuts into your drywall or slab to access and repair it.
Leaks and water damage
If you’ve got a leak, you’ve probably also got water damage and, potentially, mold growth. Once your plumber has fixed the leak, you’ll want to speak to a restoration and mold remediation specialist to make sure there’s no long-term, lingering damage to your home.
5 Typical Household Plumbing Issues and How You Can Fix Them
As a homeowner, you will experience many different plumbing problems that occasionally make a nuisance. Some plumbing concerns are much more usual and also can be conveniently taken care of. Doing the repair work yourselves on these easy plumbing problems can conserve you tons of cash. Have a look at 5 of one of the most usual ones below:
Slow Draining Sink
This is one of the most typical complaint of home owners, with the sink collecting a great deal of hair, grease, debris, and various other crud gradually. The only method to obtain a smooth streaming drainpipe once again is to remove the particles. You can use a plumbing device for fishing out the debris. From there, you can make use of a store-bought drain cleaner to cleanse the lines.
Slow-moving Tub Drain
Just like the sink drainpipe, hair, soap residue, dead skin cells, and various other cruds pool in the drain often. After using the claw, you can put drain cleaner to revitalize the drain lines.
Low Water Pressure
Is somebody from your home grumbling that there's low tide stress from the sink? Check if this problem impacts both the cold as well as warm water lines. If yes, then the issue is the aerator within the sink which might have a great deal of sedimentation leading to low water pressure. This is extremely easy to fix as you simply need to take it out and scrub away the mineral deposits.
Running Toilet
You might have experienced a running toilet, which can be quite aggravating due to the fact that the storage tank will not fill. At the same time, leaving it alone corresponds to wasting water as well as surging up your water bills. For starters, determine what's creating it to run. You might require to replace any of the following toilet devices:
Bathroom fill valve
Dripping flush valve
Commode flapper
Malfunctioning Garbage Disposal System
This bothersome trouble is likewise high on the checklist of typical plumbing issues. If you shed it, you will require an Allen wrench to repair the problem. You have to go under the sink as well as look for the place where you can place the trick.
You might also finish up saving money in the long run because you can relax ensured that your basic plumbing trouble will certainly not intensify. Just make sure you call a trusted company with licenses and certifications due to the fact that you will certainly be welcoming strangers in your residence.
As a home owner, you will experience numerous different plumbing troubles that periodically make an annoyance. Some plumbing issues are more common and also can be quickly repaired. Doing the repair services yourselves on these straightforward plumbing problems can save you loads of money. You can make use of a plumbing device for angling out the particles. You may also end up conserving money in the lengthy run due to the fact that you can relax assured that your easy plumbing problem will certainly not rise.
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