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 as well as How You Can Fix Them
As a homeowner, you will certainly experience many different plumbing troubles that periodically make a nuisance. Some plumbing issues are much more common as well as can be easily fixed. Doing the repair services yourselves on these basic plumbing troubles can save you tons of money. Take a look at 5 of one of the most usual ones below:
Slow Draining Sink
You can use a plumbing tool for fishing out the particles. From there, you can utilize a store-bought drainpipe cleaner to cleanse the lines.
Slow-moving Tub Drain
This is an additional pesky hassle because the tub is just one of one of the most previously owned fixtures in your restroom. Similar to the sink drain, hair, soap residue, dead skin cells, and also various other cruds pool in the drainpipe often. You must stand out open the drainpipe cover and also utilize a tub claw to remove the particles. Do this ASAP prior to the drainpipe blocks completely. After making use of the claw, you can pour drain cleaner to rejuvenate the drainpipe lines.
Low Tide Pressure
Is somebody from your family whining that there's low water stress from the sink? Examine if this problem impacts both the hot as well as cold water lines. If of course, then the problem is the aerator within the sink which might have a lot of sedimentation resulting in low tide pressure. This is really simple to repair as you simply require to take it out and also scrub away the mineral deposits.
Running Toilet
You might have experienced a running commode, which can be rather frustrating since the tank will not fill out. At the same time, leaving it alone relates to drainage and spiking up your water expenses. For starters, figure out what's creating it to run. You might require to replace any of the adhering to commode devices:
Toilet fill shutoff
Dripping flush valve
Bathroom flapper
Malfunctioning Garbage Disposal System
This bothersome problem is additionally high up on the listing of usual plumbing issues. Your system will certainly come with a clever trick to unjam your machine. If you shed it, you will certainly need an Allen wrench to fix the trouble. You need to go under the sink and also try to find the place where you can place the trick. Use your wrench to turn the maker to free the electric motor when you spot it. Do not neglect to switch off the system and cut the circuit breaker when working with your waste disposal unit system to avoid nasty mishaps.
If all of these sound tedious for you, you can always call in a plumber to obtain expert support. Seeking professional help implies saving effort and time. You might even end up saving money in the future because you can feel confident that your straightforward plumbing issue will certainly not escalate. Just ensure you call a trusted company with licenses and also qualifications because you will certainly rate strangers in your house. Certainly, you need to make certain that you collaborate with someone you can trust.
As a home owner, you will experience numerous various plumbing issues that sometimes make a problem. Some plumbing concerns are extra common and can be conveniently taken care of. Doing the repairs yourselves on these simple plumbing issues can conserve you tons of money. You can use a plumbing device for fishing out the particles. You may even finish up conserving money in the long run due to the fact that you can rest guaranteed that your simple plumbing trouble will not intensify.
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