Typical Plumbing Problems Demystified: What You Need to Know
Typical Plumbing Problems Demystified: What You Need to Know
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15 Common Plumbing Problems Every Homeowner Needs to Watch Out For
Dripping Faucet
The most obvious detriment of having a dripping faucet is wasting water. Assuming a faucet drips only once a second, that’s 86,400 drips a day. At 15,140 drips per gallon, that’s a total of 5.7 gallons of wasted water a day. That’s more than 2,000 gallons a year, which is about 8 tons of water literally going right down the drain. These are the numbers for just a single faucet. If the home has more than one leaky faucet, the waste quickly multiplies. Even if you have a slow-drip faucet, you’re wasting a whole lot of water.
That’s in addition to the fact that water and metal surfaces don’t generally go well together. All that excess water can create patches of rust in pipes and other fixtures. This could lead to even more leaks — many of which might be undetectable until it’s too late.
Similarly, water and wood don’t mix well, either. Instead of rust, rot becomes the enemy. Wet, rotting wood can also breed mold, which can cause many health issues. A combination of rot, rust and mold can be disastrous for the structural integrity of your home.
Fixing a dripping faucet — and preventing all these issues — can be as simple as putting in new O-rings, but it also depends on the type of faucet you have.
Running Toilet
A running toilet is an even more wasteful version of the leaky-faucet problem. How bad can it get? Well, a small toilet will waste about 20-30 gallons of water per day. A medium-sized toilet will waste more, while a running bidet will waste a dozen tons of water a month. If your toilet is running and a couple of quick handle jiggles don’t get it to stop, then you should call a plumber.
Of course, the running toilet could be as simple as a leaking flapper. That still wastes water, albeit at a much-reduced rate.
In either case, a plumber will be able to set you right. Sometimes, the toilet will run only for a second or two, intermittently. This is the famous “haunted toilet” that seems to have a ghost flushing it. Most of the time, however, the reason it does this is all too real: a worn-out stopper. It would be a good idea to replace all the inner workings of the toilet when replacing one. That way, you won’t have to have two service calls in quick succession.
Clogged Toilet
Clogged toilets can be annoying. They overflow. They smell bad. They get waste all over the floor. And worse, yet: They can be a symptom of a much more dire situation than you might initially suspect: septic system damage.
Fortunately, clogged toilets aren’t usually a sign of faulty plumbing or impending catastrophe. A few vigorous plunges should clear them. Still, there are times when you need to call a plumber. For instance: If water or sewage backs up in multiple locations within the home, something is seriously wrong.
When these situations occur, the blockage could be anywhere from the septic tank or sewer line to ... well, any pipe in the house. An expert professional plumber might have to use powerful tools to clear the clogs. Sometimes, the clogs happen because people flush stuff that shouldn’t be flushed, such as hair, dental floss and food. You can help keep your toilet, pipes, and sewer and septic tank connections healthy by following the old plumber’s maxim: No. 1, No. 2 and toilet paper only.
Water Heater Not Working
Water heater problems might require the services of a plumber, an expert natural-gas professional, an electrician or any combination of the three. Some common issues include:
Valves giving way, causing the water heater to flood the surrounding area
Corrosion or rust interfering with water circulation in the tank
Bacteria invading the tank and making your water smell terrible
But the most common problem with a water heater is that it doesn’t live up to its name — providing either too little hot water, or none at all.
If it’s the latter, it might be as simple as needing to relight the pilot on a gas heater or replace the heating element on an electric heater. Corrosion, rust, or sediment in the tank — more common in areas with hard water — must be cleaned out for your tank to function properly, and that requires an expert.
A leaking water heater, however, cannot be repaired. It’s done for, and it must be replaced.
Leaky Pipes
Leaky pipes are typically the first thing people think of when it comes to the question of whether to call a plumber. It could be a leaking toilet pipe, a leaking pipe under a sink or just about any other pipe in your home. Leaky pipes, like dripping faucets, create not only enormous water waste but also damage to the home. Water rots wood, causes metal to rust and pools up to form breeding grounds for both bacteria and insects that transmit disease.
Leaky pipes and other fixtures may need replacing. Even the highest-quality items wear out over time. If the culprit is a fixture, it could be so old that finding parts for it will be impossible — at which point it’s better to replace it. Pipes, whether metal or PVC, can be replaced a lot easier than an entire system. A professional plumber will not only be able to advise you on the best course of action, but also to perform the repair or repairs on everything from a leaking pipe under the sink to signs of a near-gusher behind the hallway drywall.
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5 Typical Household Plumbing Issues as well as How You Can Fix Them
As a homeowner, you will certainly experience many various plumbing problems that occasionally make a hassle. Doing the fixings yourselves on these simple plumbing problems can conserve you lots of money.
Slow Draining Sink
You can utilize a plumbing device for fishing out the debris. From there, you can utilize a store-bought drainpipe cleaner to clean the lines.
Slow-moving Tub Drain
Just like the sink drainpipe, hair, soap scum, dead skin cells, as well as various other substances swimming pool in the drain often. After utilizing the claw, you can pour drainpipe cleaner to revitalize the drainpipe lines.
Low Tide Pressure
Is someone from your house grumbling that there's low water pressure from the sink? Inspect if this issue influences both the hot and cool water lines. If yes, after that the trouble is the aerator within the sink which might have a great deal of sedimentation causing low tide pressure. This is really easy to fix as you just need to take it out as well as scrub away the natural resource.
Running Toilet
You may have experienced a running commode, which can be fairly annoying because the storage tank will not fill up. At the same time, leaving it alone relates to throwing away water and also surging up your water bills.
Toilet fill shutoff
Leaking flush valve
Commode flapper
Malfunctioning Garbage Disposal System
This annoying issue is also high up on the list of typical plumbing problems. Your device will certainly feature a nifty key to unjam your device. However if you lose it, you will certainly require an Allen wrench to repair the trouble. You need to go under the sink and also search for the place where you can insert the key. Utilize your wrench to transform the machine to free the electric motor as soon as you detect it. Don't forget to switch off the system as well as cut the circuit breaker when dealing with your garbage disposal system to prevent nasty crashes.
If every one of these audio laborious for you, you can always hire a plumber to get expert support. Seeking expert help means saving time and effort. You might also end up conserving cash over time since you can feel confident that your simple plumbing problem will not escalate. Due to the fact that you will be inviting strangers in your residence, simply make sure you call a reliable company with accreditations as well as licenses. Obviously, you have to make sure that you work with somebody you can trust.
As a homeowner, you will certainly come across many various plumbing problems that sometimes make a nuisance. Some plumbing problems are extra common as well as can be quickly taken care of. Doing the repair work yourselves on these basic plumbing problems can save you bunches of money. You can use a plumbing device for angling out the debris. You might even finish up conserving money in the lengthy run due to the fact that you can relax assured that your easy plumbing trouble will certainly not intensify.
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