Common Plumbing Problems That Might Be Dangerous to Ignore

By Brian Sodoma, for Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing

As we move into winter, many homeowners tend to prioritize maintaining their boilers and other heating equipment, potentially forgetting about other important utilities. While maintaining your heating is a smart move, your home’s plumbing system may need help now and then too.

You may want to consider an annual plumbing maintenance appointment. After all, plumbing issues are often only discovered after something breaks, but it’s likely that your system might have been trying to warn you for weeks. To help you avoid more extensive repairs, here are five often overlooked signs that your home’s plumbing needs our attention.

1. A Drop in Water Pressure

If the water pressure in your entire home decreases suddenly, that’s often because there’s an issue with your water main. It may be a failure somewhere along the main line as well as a pipe within it, explained BJ Richardson, a Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing plumbing manager.

However, if the pressure drop is isolated somewhere, like the bathroom or kitchen, it may be a fixture problem. It might be a simple fix, such as replacing a faucet aerator or addressing a water heater issue. Or it could possibly be something a little more complex, like a supply line leading to that room.

“I always tell people to look at their water bill too. If you notice these drops in pressure come at a time when you’re also faced with a higher bill, there may 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 another way we determine you have a leak somewhere.”

Occasionally a sudden change in pressure is in fact because of a problem with the municipal supply – if so, that is easily resolved with help from a booster pump.

2. A “Sewer” Smell in the Home

“While a clog in a plumbing fixture like your sink can sometimes cause unpleasant odors because of debris, a persistent sulfur or rotten egg smell suggests a serious concern. Drains include traps and vents inside them and either one can fail. If the smell lingers, you could be dealing with a clogged sewer line or even a sewer gas leak. Identifying and addressing these problems should be entrusted to the professionals, Richardson said.

Be aware that while propane and natural gas carry 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 can be other signs that can be easy to overlook. If you’re in a room with exposed plumbing, it’s useful to check all the piping exposed to the open. Discoloration and noticeable wear usually indicates the presence of a leak.

Most discoloration happens in areas where two pipe pieces are joined together. Ignoring such discoloration is risky when it comes to the main water supply because they are pressurized, Richardson explained. If the plumbing breaks, it can release a substantial amount of water into your home very quickly.

For some sections of the piping, discoloration comes from the different chemicals municipalities use to sanitize and treat the water.

4. Poor Drainage

It’s tempting for homeowners to solve this issue with liquid drain cleaner, but this is usually only a temporary solution that might damage your plumbing system. Although we’ve all heard of clogs caused by hair, the reality is hair is not the clog’s culprit. Items such as cleaning supplies, toothpaste, hand soaps and even the natural oils in our skin create a sticky scum on the drain walls that traps hair and other debris, which most liquid drain cleaners won’t clear away. Using a mechanical snake or drain machine will be the most effective approach to address this type of entrenched clog. Usually, if there is considerable debris inside the pipes below the sink, clearing it out usually solves the problem. But if it doesn’t, it could suggest a more significant issue.

“The thing you ought to watch out for is if multiple drains are clogged, and the problem doesn’t resolve itself after cleaning the drain under those sinks,” said Brian McMasters, a Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing division plumbing manager. “The sewer line may also need cleaning, but in some cases, the issue comes from tree roots that grow into and crack a sewer line. Handling this kind of situation is obviously more complex to perform and requires trenching down to the exact location of the leak to repair it.”

5. Wet Spots in the Yard

Regularly inspect around your house, including your yard. It’s a good idea to take care of this every week. Frequently, a broken underground water or irrigation line leak, or even a sewer main line leak, presents itself gradually, when lots of water has already leaked out. Look for soft, sunken spots in the dirt as these could be a sign there’s a hidden issue.

“You also want to be vigilent for things including sudden green patches in typically dry or yellow areas of the lawn,” mentioned McMasters. “In many cases, that’s a sign there’s a problem that needs an expert’s attention.”

Discover more about solving common issues with plumbing systems and receive expert help at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing.

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