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
Doing the repair services yourselves on these easy plumbing troubles can conserve you tons of cash. As a home owner, you will certainly experience lots of different plumbing problems that occasionally make a hassle.
Low Tide Pressure
Is somebody from your house whining that there's low tide pressure from the sink? Initially, examine if this concern influences both the cool and warm water lines. The issue is the aerator within the sink which may have a great deal of sedimentation resulting in reduced water pressure if indeed. This is very simple to take care of as you simply need to take it out and scrub away the mineral deposits.
Running Toilet
You might have experienced a running commode, which can be quite irritating due to the fact that the tank will not fill up. At the same time, leaving it alone corresponds to drainage as well as spiking up your water bills. For starters, figure out what's creating it to run. You may need to change any one of the adhering to commode devices:
Commode fill valve
Dripping flush shutoff
Commode flapper
Malfunctioning Garbage Disposal System
This annoying trouble is also high up on the checklist of typical plumbing concerns. Your unit will certainly come with a nifty trick to unjam your equipment. If you lose it, you will certainly need an Allen wrench to repair the problem. You need to go under the sink as well as try to find the area where you can insert the trick. Once you spot it, utilize your wrench to turn the device to release the electric motor. Don't neglect to switch off the system and cut the circuit breaker when servicing your waste disposal unit system to prevent horrible crashes.
Slow Draining Sink
This is the most usual grievance of property owners, with the sink gathering a lot of hair, grease, particles, and other substance over time. The only way to get a smooth flowing drainpipe once again is to get rid of the debris. First, you can make use of a plumbing tool for angling out the debris. From there, you can make use of a store-bought drainpipe cleaner to cleanse the lines.
Slow-moving Tub Drain
Just like the sink drain, hair, soap scum, dead skin cells, and also various other substances swimming pool in the drainpipe usually. After utilizing the claw, you can pour drain cleaner to rejuvenate the drainpipe lines.
If all of these audio tiresome for you, you can always hire a plumber to get professional help. Looking for professional aid implies saving time and effort. Since you can relax guaranteed that your straightforward plumbing issue will certainly not rise, you might also finish up conserving money in the long run. Because you will certainly be welcoming complete strangers in your residence, simply make certain you call a reliable firm with certifications as well as licenses. Obviously, you need to see to it that you collaborate with a person you can trust.
Some plumbing concerns are extra usual and can be conveniently fixed. Doing the repair work yourselves on these simple plumbing troubles can save you lots of money. As a property owner, you will certainly come across many various plumbing troubles that periodically make a problem. You can utilize a plumbing device for angling out the particles. You might even finish up conserving cash in the lengthy run due to the fact that you can rest assured that your straightforward plumbing issue will not rise.
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