Five Plumbing Warning Signs That Could Be Risky to Ignore
By Brian Sodoma, for A1 Chesney Service Experts
As we transition into winter, many homeowners often prioritize tuning up their furnaces and any other HVAC systems, sometimes neglecting other important utilities. While supporting your heating is a smart move, your home’s plumbing system will sometimes need some attention too.
You and your family will want to consider a yearly plumbing checkup. After all, plumbing problems are often only discovered after something breaks, but chances are your system may have been trying to alert you to the trouble. To minimize your risk of needing serious repairs, here are a few often overlooked signs that your home’s plumbing needs our attention.
1. Low Water Pressure
If your home’s water pressure decreases suddenly, that’s often because there’s an issue with the main water line. It may be a failure somewhere inside the main line or even a pipe within it, explained BJ Richardson, a A1 Chesney Service Experts plumbing manager.
However, if the drop in pressure is isolated to one room, like the bathroom or kitchen, it may be a fixture problem. It may be a simple fix, like replacing your faucet aerator or addressing a water heater issue. Or it might be something a little more complex, like a supply line leading to that room.
“I always tell people to review their water bill too. If these pressure drops happen at the same time when you’re also faced with a higher bill, there might be a deeper problem,” Richardson said. “It’s smart to check your water meter for changes even when you aren’t using water. That’s also pointing to a leak somewhere.”
In certain situations a sudden change in pressure can be related to the municipal supply – if that’s the problem, that is easily resolved with help from a booster pump.
2. A “Sewer” Smell Somewhere in the Plumbing
“While clogs in the kitchen or bathroom sink can sometimes produce unpleasant odors because of debris, a persistent rotten egg smell suggests a problem. Drains include traps and vents inside them and either one can fail. If the smell lingers, you may have to consider a blocked sewer or even a sewer gas leak. Solving these problems is best left to the professionals, Richardson said.
Be aware that while propane and natural gas have a distinctive smell, such leaks can be confused as a sewer smell. When in doubt, reach out to a professional.”
3. Discolored Pipes
Visible wear and discoloration on exposed pipes represent other signs that are often ignored. If you’re in the basement or near exposed piping, it’s useful to examine exposed pipes. Noticeable wear and discoloration usually suggests a coming leak.
Discoloration commonly occurs in areas where two pieces of piping meet. Ignoring such discoloration is risky when it comes to the main water supply because they are pressurized, Richardson explained. When an exposed pipe breaks, it can start flooding your home very quickly.
Depending on the type of pipe you’re looking at, discoloration can be caused by the different chemicals local authorities have to sanitize and treat the water.
4. Slow Draining Fixtures
We understand it may be tempting for homeowners to fix all clogs with liquid drain cleaner, but those chemicals are usually only a temporary fix and can potentially damage your plumbing system. Even if we’ve all heard of hair clogs, the truth is hair is not the actual culprit. Products like chemical cleaners, toothpaste, hand soaps and even the natural oils from our skin create a layer of scum on the drain walls that grabs onto hair and other small particles, something most liquid drain cleaners won’t eliminate. Employing a drain machine or snake will be the most effective way to tackle this type of entrenched clog. In many instances, if there is considerable debris inside the pipes below the sink, cleaning it usually takes care of the problem. But if that fails, it could indicate a more significant issue.
“The thing you ought to keep an eye on is if multiple drains are constantly clogging, and the problem doesn’t go away itself even after you clean the drain under those sinks,” said Brian McMasters, a A1 Chesney Service Experts division plumbing manager. “The sewer line might also be in need of cleaning, but in some plumbing systems, we also come across tree roots that grow into and crack a sewer line. Fixing this kind of damage is obviously more involved and requires trenching down into the ground until we find the exact location of the leak to repair it.”
5. Wet Spots in Your Front or Back Yard
Regularly inspect around your house, as well as your yard. It’s a good idea to take care of this every week. Many times, a broken underground water or irrigation line leak, or even a sewer main line leak, presents itself gradually, once a significant amount of water has already leaked out. Search for soft, sunken spots in the grass as these could be a sign there’s a hidden issue.
“You also want to notice things including sudden green patches in typically dry or yellow areas of the lawn,” noted McMasters. “In many cases, that’s a sign you’re dealing with a problem that needs an expert’s attention.”
Find out everything you need to know about solving common issues with plumbing systems and receive expert help at A1 Chesney Service Experts.
