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.
Just How to Fix Common Household Plumbing Issues
Some plumbing concerns are more usual and can be conveniently repaired. Doing the repairs yourselves on these easy plumbing issues can conserve you tons of money. As a homeowner, you will come across many different plumbing issues that occasionally make a problem. Have a look at 5 of the most typical ones listed below:
Low Tide Pressure
Is someone from your home complaining that there's low water pressure from the sink? First, inspect if this issue influences both the cold and hot water lines. If indeed, then the problem is the aerator within the sink which may have a great deal of sedimentation causing low tide stress. This is extremely easy to take care of as you simply require to take it out as well as scrub away the natural resource.
Running Toilet
You may have experienced a running bathroom, which can be rather annoying because the container won't fill out. At the same time, leaving it alone corresponds to wasting water as well as surging up your water bills. For beginners, figure out what's creating it to run. You might need to change any of the adhering to commode systems:
Bathroom fill valve
Dripping flush shutoff
Bathroom flapper
Malfunctioning Garbage Disposal System
This annoying issue is likewise high on the checklist of usual plumbing issues. If you lose it, you will certainly need an Allen wrench to deal with the problem. You have to go under the sink as well as look for the area where you can put the trick.
Slow Draining Sink
This is one of the most usual complaint of house owners, with the sink gathering a great deal of hair, grease, debris, as well as various other substance gradually. The only means to obtain a smooth flowing drain again is to remove the particles. You can use 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
Simply like the sink drainpipe, hair, soap residue, dead skin cells, and also various other cruds swimming pool in the drain frequently. After making use of the claw, you can pour drain cleaner to refresh the drain lines.
You may even end up conserving money in the lengthy run because you can relax ensured that your basic plumbing problem will not escalate. Simply make certain you call a reputable firm with licenses and accreditations because you will certainly be welcoming unfamiliar people in your home.
Some plumbing concerns are extra typical and also can be conveniently dealt with. Doing the repairs yourselves on these simple plumbing problems can save you lots of money. As a home owner, you will certainly come across many different plumbing issues that periodically make an annoyance. You can make use of a plumbing device for fishing out the debris. You may even end up saving cash in the lengthy run because you can relax ensured that your straightforward plumbing issue will not escalate.
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