Common Plumbing Problems Explained: Key Insights
Common Plumbing Problems Explained: Key Insights
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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.
Exactly How to Fix Common Household Plumbing Issues
Some plumbing issues are a lot more typical and can be easily fixed. Doing the fixings yourselves on these simple plumbing troubles can conserve you tons of money. As a homeowner, you will certainly encounter several plumbing problems that occasionally make a hassle. Have a look at 5 of one of the most common ones listed below:
Low Tide Pressure
Is someone from your family complaining that there's reduced water stress from the sink? If indeed, after that the problem is the aerator within the sink which might have a lot of sedimentation resulting in low water stress.
Running Toilet
You may have experienced a running toilet, which can be fairly aggravating due to the fact that the storage tank won't fill up. At the same time, leaving it alone equates to wasting water as well as spiking up your water expenses. For beginners, figure out what's triggering it to run. You may require to replace any of the complying with toilet systems:
Bathroom fill valve
Leaking flush valve
Commode flapper
Malfunctioning Garbage Disposal System
This bothersome issue is additionally high on the listing of common plumbing concerns. Your system will certainly come with a nifty key to unjam your device. If you shed it, you will need an Allen wrench to repair the issue. You have to go under the sink and search for the spot where you can put the secret. When you identify it, utilize your wrench to turn the machine to free the electric motor. When functioning on your rubbish disposal system to avoid unpleasant accidents, don't forget to transform off the system and reduced the circuit breaker.
Slow Draining Sink
This is one of the most usual problem of homeowners, with the sink gathering a great deal of hair, grease, debris, and also various other substance gradually. The only means to obtain a smooth streaming drain once again is to get rid of the particles. Initially, you can use a plumbing tool for angling out the particles. From there, you can utilize a store-bought drainpipe cleaner to clean the lines.
Sluggish Tub Drain
This is another pesky annoyance because the bathtub is among one of the most secondhand components in your bathroom. Much like the sink drainpipe, hair, soap scum, dead skin cells, as well as other substances pool in the drainpipe commonly. You should stand out open the drain cover and also make use of a tub claw to get rid of the particles. Do this ASAP before the drainpipe clogs up totally. After using the claw, you can put drainpipe cleaner to freshen the drain lines.
You can always call in a plumber to get professional support if all of these audio tiresome for you. Looking for expert aid implies conserving time and effort. You may also wind up conserving money in the long run due to the fact that you can feel confident that your simple plumbing problem will not rise. Simply make sure you call a trusted business with licenses and accreditations because you will be welcoming complete strangers in your home. Of course, you have to ensure that you work with somebody you can trust.
Some plumbing issues are more typical and can be quickly fixed. Doing the repair services yourselves on these basic plumbing issues can conserve you bunches of cash. As a property owner, you will encounter many different plumbing troubles that sometimes make a problem. You can make use of a plumbing tool for fishing out the debris. You might even end up conserving money in the lengthy run since you can rest assured that your straightforward plumbing issue will not rise.
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