Plumbing Problems To Tackle While At Home

Whether you like it or not, the lockdown has given almost everyone much more time at home. Many home maintenance issues will likely be competing for your attention.

However, with so many people spending time at home, plumbing issues are inevitably going to shoot up to the top of your priorities. If you want to preempt some larger issues, here are some plumbing problems you ought to tackle now.

Toilets

With more people spending more time at home, toilet issues are likely to pop up. Coincidentally, these are also the issues you really don’t want. Unaddressed toilet leaks can significantly raise your water bill. The primary offender is the toilet flapper.

The flapper is the object you pull to flush. When you pull it, water flows from the tank into the bowl. A properly functioning flapper seals the tank, so water doesn’t continuously flow into the bowl. A faulty flapper doesn’t seal the tank properly, so water keeps flowing and your bill keeps rising.

Faucets

Much like leaking toilets, dripping faucets are also a major source of water waste and rising bills. Leaks waste, in the average household, approximately 10,000 gallons of water every year, so they warrant attention.

A faucet’s washer is in charge of making sure water doesn’t keep flowing from the pipes and out of the faucet. However, washers, like most objects, experience wear-and-tear. A degrading washer won’t be able to create the water-tight seal it’s designed to. Consequently, some water might pass through the seal and out of the faucet.

Alternatively, your washer may not be the correct size for your faucet. The slightest bit of wiggle room can, overtime, dislodge the washer, letting water flow even after you close the tap.

Water Pressure

It’s simple enough to tell when there’s a lack of pressure with which the water flows from your faucets and showerheads.

If the flow is closer to dripping than it is to pouring, then you likely have a water pressure problem. The culprit in this scenario is likely a build-up of sediment in your pipes.

Water flowing through pipes carries minerals, which tend to situate themselves on said pipes. As these minerals build up, the space for water to flow decreases, leading to a decrease in pressure.

Clogs

These are a common, and sometimes embarrassing, plumbing problem. If the water in your shower, toilet, sink, etc. is not draining properly, then you have a clog. If the water is not draining at all, then it’s a complete clog. If it’s draining, but slowly, then it’s a partial clog.

Some of the above problems have simple solutions. A clogged drain can usually be unclogged with a plunger, toilet flappers can be replaced, and showerheads and faucets can be cleaned.

However, there’s no guarantee that these solutions will fix your problems. Low water pressure, for example, can be because there’s something wrong with the pipes entering your house.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a viable DIY guide for fixing more complex plumbing issues. It’s much more convenient to hire a professional. If you’re in Fort Worth, TC, contact Pro Serve Plumbing. We’ll repair your leaks and other plumbing needs, even amidst the current pandemic!