The chances are that at some point soon you will experience problems with the plumbing in your home. It’s simply inevitable. For some reason plumbing systems tend to be rather fickle, breaking down and leaking on a whim. The almost constant flow of water through pipes can make them rather volatile after a prolonged period of time. Furthermore, during the winter months water can freeze if not heated up sufficiently, causing the pipes to burst. This can be real nightmare, causing flooding, costing you a lot of money, and cutting you off from hot water when you need it most. I decided to write this article because, three weeks ago, I was forced to call out a plumber to repair a bathroom tap that was constantly leaking water from the base – not even out of the spout! I was immensely impressed with the plumber, and, after we had spent – perhaps rather sadly – thirty minutes discussing the most commonly encountered plumbing issues, I decided to document them for your benefit.
Water bills are expensive as it is, but occasionally you may find your bills costing way more than you thought they would. This will likely be due to a fault with the plumbing rather than excessive usage of water. If you believe that this is the case then you should look around your house for evidence of damage or leakage. In a busy, noisy home this can sometimes be rather difficult to detect, so be sure to choose a time when your home is relatively quiet such as the early morning or late at night. Listen for dripping sounds coming from shut off taps. You may not think that a few droplets of water will cost you anything but if the dripping happens on a continuous, day by day basis then you can end up losing a whole load of H20. Also be on the lookout for signs of leakage, such as stains on walls that are next to your pipes. Examine the pipes for any cracks or loose fittings. Sometimes the pipe may be damaged on the inside of a wall, in which case you will most definitely need to hire a specialist company to help you fix the problem.
Bath and shower drains can get clogged up with hair and other debris, particularly if used on an everyday basis by a group of people. This can be extremely annoying since the water takes a lot longer to flow down the plug hole. I have experienced drain blockage in a shower cabinet which resulted in the water overflowing onto the bathroom floor and then actually leaking through the kitchen ceiling below. Try boiling some water and pouring it down the drain all at once. Check back after all the water has made its way down. If the pipe is still blocked then you may have to invest in some drain unblocking solution, which you can find in most supermarkets. Pour the suggested amount of liquid into the drain and then wait around two hours before flushing it all out with water. For particularly stubborn blockages you may want to leave the solution to sit overnight.
Don’t let plumbing problems persist as the more you leave them, the worse they are likely to get. And remember that if you aren’t sure how to go about fixing a certain problem remember that you can always rely on experienced plumbers to take over when you feel like you are over your head.
