The Dangers of Delaying Plumbing Repairs
Water can damage properties quicker than anything else. That’s why it’s crucial to maintain plumbing to avoid costly problems later. Small issues like a drip can quickly add up over time and create bigger damage hidden from plain sight. Water is also the cause of mold and mildew buildup that can be dangerous and expensive to remove. Save yourself money and headache by taking action even if you see a drip starting somewhere it shouldn’t to prevent major water damage. Here are a few common plumbing issues that can turn into major damage if not properly taken care of.
Water Heaters:
Like any equipment, water heaters have a limited lifespan. A better one could last longer, but eventually they all wear out. If you hear a noise coming from your water heater, or if it starts leaking from the top, call a professional plumber immediately. It’s recommended that you flush out your water heater every year to prevent rusting and other problems. This will prevent your water from becoming discolored. If your water heater is leaking from the bottom, it will have to be replaced.
If you do don’t check it once every few months or ignore signs of a developing problem, it could explode and cause injury to people or water damage to your property.
Leaky Faucets:
Most of the time, a worn out washer is the culprit behind a leaky faucet. Washers are inexpensive and are easily replaceable. If you leave it to wear out and don’t replace the washer in time, it will end up costing you more expenses in increased water bills. Eventually, it will wear out completely and you’ll have to replace it anyway. A washer is easily replaceable on your own, or you can call a plumber.
Shower Heads:
Similar to a leaky faucet, a leaky shower head is another common part that will cost you money with higher water bills that will eventually cause serious and expensive problems. A quick trick that anyone can do: to keep your shower head free of blockages, take a plastic bag, fill it with vinegar, and leave it tied around your shower head overnight. This simple fix will unclog all the holes in your shower head, for a better flow of water when you shower.
Drain Stoppages:
Drain stoppages happen because of materials that shouldn’t be down the drain in the first place. For bathroom drains, this means hair and pieces of solid soap. For kitchen drains it’s usually food scraps, pieces of fruits and vegetables and grease. For floor drains, it’s leaves, bit of paper or debris left on the floor when it was washed. The easiest way to prevent these drain blockages is to have a strainer of some sort that covers the mouth of the drain. You can find strainers of various sizes at your local hardware store. They should be screwed down and be cleaned frequently, or the strainer itself will be the cause of the blockage, preventing the flow of water into the drain.
Toilet Stoppages:
The most common cause of toilet stoppages are excess paper like paper towels, and also those wipes and towelettes. These items are not flushable, even the ones that advertise as “flushable” and “safe for toilets”.
Pouring down chemical solutions like Drano, bleach or even carbonated drinks like coke can eat through the clog and wash it away. Plungers work too, but make sure you have a good plunger recommended at the store. Some will not work at all on serious clogs. If you have plastic objects like children’s toys, a toothbrush, etc., simply remove the them first and figure out a solution because plungers won’t pull out items like that and chemicals won’t dissolve objects either.
If you can’t pull out solid objects, plumbers use an auguring or cabling device, more commonly called a “plumber’s snake”. You can buy a hand-powered cabling device at a hardware store. Haddad plumbers and other professionals have electric-powered cabling devices which are far more effective. Whatever the clog is, sitting on it will not solve the problem.
Sewer Stoppages:
If all your sinks and toilets back up at the same time, it’s almost certain that you have a stoppage in your main sewer line. This is a very serious problem that needs urgent servicing. If you leave it alone or attempt to solve it the same way you would for smaller clogs, it will cause dirty sewer water to spill onto your floor, causing water damage and potential health hazards to you and your family not to mention a serious headache. Stoppages on sewer lines are caused by buildup of excess paper – especially paper towels and other non-flushables which people have flushed down the toilet, or the sewer stoppage may be caused by invasive tree roots, which have managed to get into the sewer line through cracks, breaks or holes in your sewer.
Sewer line stoppages can be cleared out with a powerful cabling device, but sometimes these devices only work well by boring a small hole through the obstruction that’s causing the blockage instead of pushing it clear completely. If the obstruction is located more than 100 feet into the line, most cabling devices will not be able to handle the problem.
Have a professional plumber who will use hydro-jet machine to completely remove the blockage. Hydro-jets generate a powerful jet of water at 4000 PSI. With this surge of water pressure, they blast away any obstruction in the line. They will also scour the insides of your pipes, leaving them clean. Think of it as a high pressure wash for your sewer pipe.
To prepare hydro-jetting a line, plumbing servicemen at Haddad inspect the pipe by inserting a video camera to assess the obstruction and identify its exact location. After clearing out the line, we insert the camera again to make sure the blockage is gone and any obstruction is completely removed. Sometimes, the hydrojet needs to run multiple times to completely eliminate everything that’s stuck inside. Our video camera inspection will also show you the condition of your sewage pipes. If the inspection reveals any damage or deterioration, the damaged part must be replaced or it will cost you even more expenses in the future should you have to replace your entire sewer line.
Plumbing systems in a property or facility are overlooked because most pipes are hidden or covered in walls and ceilings. But it’s the most heavily used part of the building with the potential to create significant damage, water or otherwise, if not maintained well. Prevention and regular cleaning will go a long way. Have your maintenance team or servicemen use the right tools and fix it, or call a professional plumbing crew like Haddad Plumbing & Heating and resolve the issue before it becomes a major health hazard, cause injury or property damage, and becomes a major expense.