Clear Plumbing Red Flags That May Be Risky to Ignore
By Brian Sodoma, for Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning
As we head into winter, many homeowners often prioritize tuning up their boilers and other heating equipment, potentially neglecting other important utilities. While protecting your heating is always smart, your home’s plumbing system may need professional service too.
You might want to consider a regular plumbing maintenance appointment. After all, plumbing problems are often only discovered after something breaks, but it’s also probably true that your system might have been trying to warn you for weeks. To help you avoid more extensive repairs, here are several often overlooked signs that the plumbing or fixes could use some professional attention.
1. Restricted Water Flow
If your home’s water pressure falls suddenly, that’s often because there’s an issue with the main water line. It might 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 manager.
However, if the pressure drop is isolated somewhere, like the bathroom or kitchen, it might be a fixture problem. It may be a simple fix, such as replacing a 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 encourage families 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 could be a deeper problem,” Richardson said. “It’s also a good idea 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.”
Sometimes a sudden problem with your water pressure starts at the municipal supply – if that’s the problem, that is easily corrected with a booster pump.
2. A “Sewer” Smell in the Home
“While kitchen or bathroom sink clogs can sometimes cause unpleasant odors in the plumbing, a persistent sulfur or rotten egg smell suggests a serious concern. Drains have a trap and vent inside them and either one can fail. If the smell lingers, you might have a clogged sewer line or even a sewer gas leak. Diagnosing and fixing these problems is best left to the professionals, Richardson said.
Keep in mind that even though propane and natural gas carry a distinctive smell, those leaks are often mistaken as a sewer smell. When in doubt, reach out to a professional.”
3. Discolored Pipes
Discoloration and visible wear on exposed pipes are other signs that can be easy to overlook. If you’re in a room with exposed plumbing, it’s smart to examine exposed pipes. Discoloration and noticeable wear usually indicates the presence of a leak.
The most common discoloration appears in areas where two pipes join. Failing to notice discoloration can be problematic 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.
With certain pipes, discoloration can be caused by the different chemicals local authorities have for water treatment.
4. Slow Drains
It’s tempting for homeowners to fix all clogs with liquid drain cleaner, but those chemicals are usually only a temporary fix that might damage your plumbing system. Although we’ve all heard of hair clogs, the truth is hair is not the main culprit. Products like chemical cleaners, toothpaste, hand soaps and even the natural oils in our skin create an adhesive scum on the drain walls that accumulates hair and other small particles, which most liquid drain cleaners won’t eliminate. Using a mechanical snake or drain machine is our recommendation for the most effective way to address this type of slow drain or clog. Usually, if a clog is right inside the pipes below the sink, flushing it away usually clears up the problem. But if that fails, it could mean you need to look for a more significant issue.
“The thing you should watch out for is if multiple drains are experiencing blockages, and the problem doesn’t go away itself despite cleaning the drain under those sinks,” said Brian McMasters, a Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning division plumbing manager. “The sewer line may need to be cleaned, but in some cases, the issue comes from tree roots that slowly damage and crack a sewer line. Fixing this kind of damage is obviously more complex to perform and requires trenching down where the leak is to repair it.”
5. Standing Water in the Yard
Regularly inspect around your house, as well as your yard. It’s advisable to do so every week. Many times, 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. Keep an eye out for soft, sunken spots in your yard as these may suggest a hidden issue.
“You also want to watch for things including sudden green patches in typically dry or yellow areas of the lawn,” mentioned McMasters. “In our experience, that’s a sign there is a problem that needs an expert’s attention.”
Find out everything you need to know about avoiding common issues with plumbing systems and receive expert help at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning.
