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 concerns are much more usual and can be conveniently fixed. Doing the repair services yourselves on these simple plumbing problems can save you lots of cash. As a house owner, you will certainly experience several plumbing issues that sometimes make a problem. Have a look at 5 of one of the most usual ones listed below:
Low Water Pressure
Is someone from your household whining that there's low water stress from the sink? If indeed, after that the trouble is the aerator within the sink which might have a great deal of sedimentation resulting in reduced water stress.
Running Toilet
You might have experienced a running commode, which can be rather frustrating since the tank will not fill up. At the same time, leaving it alone equates to wasting water and also surging up your water bills. For beginners, determine what's triggering it to run. You may need to replace any one of the complying with commode systems:
Toilet fill shutoff
Leaking flush shutoff
Bathroom flapper
Malfunctioning Garbage Disposal System
This aggravating trouble is likewise high on the listing of common plumbing problems. If you shed it, you will require an Allen wrench to fix the trouble. You have to go under the sink as well as look for the spot where you can place the trick.
Slow Draining Sink
You can utilize a plumbing device for fishing out the debris. From there, you can use a store-bought drainpipe cleaner to cleanse the lines.
Slow Tub Drain
This is one more pesky annoyance because the tub is one of one of the most pre-owned components in your shower room. Much like the sink drain, hair, soap residue, dead skin cells, and also other gunk pool in the drainpipe often. You need to pop open the drainpipe cover and make use of a tub claw to get rid of the debris. Do this ASAP before the drainpipe clogs up entirely. After using the claw, you can put drainpipe cleaner to freshen the drain lines.
You may even end up saving cash in the long run since you can relax ensured that your simple plumbing trouble will not intensify. Simply make certain you call a trustworthy firm with licenses and also qualifications because you will be inviting strangers in your house.
Some plumbing concerns are extra typical and also can be quickly taken care of. Doing the repair services yourselves on these basic plumbing problems can save you heaps of money. As a home owner, you will experience numerous various plumbing issues that sometimes make a nuisance. You can make use of a plumbing device for fishing out the particles. You might also finish up conserving money in the lengthy run since you can rest guaranteed that your easy plumbing issue will certainly not escalate.
Do you enjoy more info about Do It Yourself Plumbing Solutions? Place a remark below. We would be interested to know your feelings about this post. We hope to see you back again later on. If you please take the opportunity to promote this blog posting if you enjoyed reading it. Many thanks for your time. Kindly come visit our site back soon.
Click On This Link