Signs of bad plumbing in your home

A plumber is kind of like a doctor for your home’s plumbing system. If something seems to be wrong, your qualified plumber will be able to make a diagnosis and implement a treatment plan to resolve the issue. Plumbers can also perform check ups on your home’s plumbing to make sure all is well, along with performing preventative maintenance.

Okay, so we know a plumber can come to the rescue and sort out any plumbing issues in your home but what are some signs that your home has bad plumbing that needs attending to? Read on to learn more.

Low Water Pressure

Low water pressure is an issue that’s commonly experienced, especially in older homes where the plumbing system is ageing. Finding the cause can sometimes be tricky, but often low water pressure is due to there being an undetected leak somewhere. Clogging of the pipes restricting water flow can also result in low water pressure.

To determine the exact cause of the low water pressure problem, give your plumber a call, explain the situation and have them come out to investigate and find a solution.

Strange Noises Coming From the Taps Or Pipes

If you’re experiencing banging water pipes within the walls of your home, this is most often due to something called “water hammer”, also known as hydraulic shock. This phenomenon occurs when water either abruptly changes direction or water flow stops, causing pipes to either bang together or knock against the walls.

One reason for water hammer can be water pressure that’s too high. Loose pipes within the walls can create water hammer when taps are turned on and off.

While the noise made by water hammer is definitely annoying, if the problem goes untreated, it can potentially lead to burst or broken pipes, so it’s important to have your plumber come and take a look at the issue.

Slow Or Blocked Drains

Slow drains can sure be annoying, waiting for the water to flow down the plug hole. Blocked drains are even more of a serious concern, as they can lead to both flooding and the inability to use that drain.

Most commonly, blocked drains occur in bathrooms due to a build up of hair and soap scum. In kitchens, pouring oil down the sink leads to food particles collecting in the pipes and building up until a blockage occurs.

A slow or blocked drain can sometimes be resolved by plunging the drain with a plunger. If this fails, call in your plumber to investigate the block and resolve the problem. If required, your plumber will even run a CCTV camera down the drain to search for the cause of the block, or to ensure the blockage has completely been removed.

Offensive Odours Coming From Drains

Bad odours emanating from drains in the home can also be a common occurrence. If the smell is coming from the kitchen sink, it could be due to a build up of rotting food scraps and particles collecting in the drain.

Most often, bad drain smells are a result of bacteria in the drains and offensive odours can literally occur anywhere in the home where there is plumbing. The odour could also be due to a partially blocked drain.

Sometimes, drain deodorisers can resolve the problem but to be on the safe side, it’s a good idea to get your plumber involved, just in case there is a bigger issue that’s causing the smell.

Leaking Toilets

This isn’t about the toilet bowl’s content leaking out onto the bathroom tiles, although this can sometimes occur. More often than not, a toilet will leak from the system, the water tank. This is usually due to worn parts within the system that prevent it sealing properly once the water tank is full. This leads to water continually trickling into the bowl, wasting water and jacking up the water bill. This issue can also lead to inefficient flushing.

If your toilet is leaking in such a manner and you don’t have the skills or knowledge to replace any worn parts yourself, call in a plumber to repair your leaking toilet system ASAP.

Blocked Toilets

Possibly one of the worst plumbing issues that can occur in the home is that of a blocked toilet. It’s messy, it’s smelly and it’s hugely inconvenient. A blocked toilet isn’t something you can or want to ignore. It needs to be dealt with immediately.

A plunger or a toilet snake can often resolve a minor blockage but if the block is a major one, you’ll want to call in emergency plumbing services to have the issue rectified as soon as possible. It’s not a good situation when you can’t use your toilet.

Toilet blockages are almost always the result of flushing material down the toilet that doesn’t readily dissolve on contact with water. Toilet tissue is designed to quickly break down in the sewerage system, whereas other items are not. You should never flush paper towel, wet wipes of sanitary napkins down the toilet as they will eventually collect in the pipes and cause a block. Never flush anything except toilet tissue and human waste.

Stains and Water Marks On the Walls Or Ceiling

Water stains on the walls and sometimes the ceiling, can be an indicator of a leaking pipe or other plumbing issue. Periodically check the entire home for any signs of a hidden water leak. Warped walls can also indicate a problem with one or more of the pipes hidden inside the walls. The same goes for the floors.

If you detect anything like this that potentially indicates a plumbing issue, call your plumber as soon as you can and have them take a look at it. Don’t wait for serious water damage to occur before doing something about it.

The Takeaway

Be diligent about your home’s plumbing. Keep an eye on things and periodically run a check of the home, searching for signs of water leaks, slow drains and bad smells. If you suspect any plumbing problems, give your plumber a call and have them take a look at it for your own peace of mind.

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