Plumbing is one of those things around the house that you don’t tend to think about much until it is too late. Many people tend to know some basic facts about how to use a plunger or a bottle of drain cleaner. However, that’s the only knowledge that common people have when the plumbing issue already went out of hand.
Don’t you think that it would have been better if you knew about the upcoming problem earlier? It is vital to know all about the warning signs of a clogged pipe or drain before it becomes a bigger problem in the future. If you know about the signs, you can call a professional and avoid future hassles. If you don’t, it would cost yourself some extra thousand dollars for repairs and have a lot of mess on your hands as well. gurgling
Read on to know more about the signals that you should not ignore and call your plumber as soon as possible :
1. Gurgling
If you hear a gurgling sound coming from your toilet, laundry or dishwasher, it might be the first sign of a clogged or compromised drain. If you can hear gurgling, even when you are not using water, it means that your system is trying to find air and you need some backup. Call your plumber on the spot.
2. Hearing water in your pipes
You will know that you have leaks in your pipes if you can hear water running even when no one is using it. In order to be sure, you can check for wet or brown spots on your ceilings, walls or floors. If the wet spot is warm, you have to check your hot water line. These pieces of information can be very helpful when you call your plumber.
A professional tip is to check if your water meter is spinning even when water is not in use. If you hear water running in your toilet, it means that you need to replace a worn or damaged flapper but if you hearing hissing noises, it will cost you a bot more as your internal tank components need to be changed.
3. Low water pressure
The decreased water pressure might also be a sign that there is something wrong in your plumbing system. It might, however, be a simple case of gunk buildup in your faucet’s aerator.
In this case, you can just screw off the aerator and clean off all the gunk inside and screw it back and your water pressure will be back to normal. However, if the pressure is not normal, you should call a professional as things might be more serious like a fractured pipe, eroded waterline or water leak in your system.
4. Slow draining
Another sign would be if you notice that your kitchen and bathroom sinks are taking a bit longer than usual to drain, the best option is to call a professional plumber and find out the source of the problem especially after having tried to use over-the-counter drain products and they did not work. Trying too hard to unclog can lead to more pipe damage.
5. Frozen pipes
Don’t wait to send SOS on this one, if you find that your pipes are frozen during winter, you need to call a plumber immediately. Signs that your pipe might have been frozen are odd clanking noises when you turn on the tap, smells of sewage emanating from the faucet or visible frost on exposed pipes. Don’t even try to thaw these pipes yourself as you can cause more damage than cure. To avoid frozen pipes, let your faucets drip cold water when the outdoor temperature is below freezing and leave sink cabinet doors open to allow warm air to circulate.
6. A sulfur or sewage odor
You might want to check for a broken vent or sewer pipe under your house especially if you are suddenly hit with the smell of rotten eggs. Broken vents or pipes which are left unchecked can cause environmental issues and wreak havoc with your foundation. The best advice is to call a professional.
7. Smelling gas
If you ever smell gas at any time whether you are in another room or running the dryer, even if you are outside, never ignore that sign. The scent that is added to natural gas is to alert you that there is a gas leak somewhere.
This time, avoid calling the plumber and call your utility company instead. First of all, open all your windows and do not make use of any appliances as even turning on the light can cause a spark that can ignite a natural gas explosion.
It is very important to take immediate action. If you have a gas leak, the company will first shut off your gas and lock your meter so you won’t be able to use your appliances until the system gets repaired.
Some slow draining has really started ruining our bathrooms lately, and I wondered if this is an issue we can try and solve on our own. Learning about how this might be a piping issue was quite helpful, as it doesn’t sound like something we can simply use chemical cleaning agents to deal with. Once I find a plumbing expert in the area, I’ll get them to help us out with those sinks and bathroom fixtures.