Common Bathroom Plumbing Issues

Saturday, 29 August 2020 18:37
Common Bathroom Plumbing Issues

The Five Most Common Bathroom Plumbing Issues and How You Can Avoid Them

Plumbing issues... they come in all shapes and sizes, and while some require a professional touch, others can be a weekend DIY project. Understanding what you might face in your home can help you better prepare for the problems you might be facing and help you understand exactly what you can do to prevent a problem down the line.

 

Yeah, That Could Happen!

So, what do many other people face in terms of plumbing issues? Take a look:

1. Clogged Drain

Whether it’s a sink or a shower, you’re incredibly likely to face this one in your kitchen or bathroom. In most cases, it’s caused by some kind of blockage. In the kitchen, you’re likely to be dealing with a clog thanks to the remnants of dinner one night. Food has a sneaky way of packing down into drains. 

In the bathroom, though, it’s probably a clog made of hair and soap. This is actually a problem you can catch fairly early on if you’re paying attention. The drain will begin to slowly back up over time. If you don’t solve the problem as soon as you notice the slower drain times, you’ll get a completely blocked drain. 

Prevention Tips: To make certain this doesn’t become an issue in your home, there are a few things you can do. In the kitchen, be sure you don’t put grease down the drain. Also, collect your food waste. Don’t put it in the sink. In the bathroom, install a trap to help catch the hair before it goes down the drain. Finally, flush your drains on a regular basis with a high volume of warm water. 

2. Dripping Faucet

It’s a frustration for many people: you wake up in the middle of the night and you hear the drip, drip, drip of the faucet. You likely hate the sound - and the impact it may have on your water bill. Typically, this is caused when the rubber washers begin to wear out, creating a leak. Luckily, the faucet can typically be repaired by a plumbing professional so you don’t have to replace that fixture just yet!

Prevention Tips: If you tend to have hard water in your home, you may be more likely to notice a leak. Cleaning regularly with white vinegar can help to break up deposits. Additionally, scheduling regular service for your faucets with your plumbing professional can prove helpful, too.

3. Poor Water Pressure

It’s always frustrating if you’re standing in the shower and suddenly the water pressure goes to almost nothing. Low water pressure can be caused by a number of different issues. Mineral deposits can create low water pressure when you change from hot to cold water. Rust can build up in older pipes, too, creating a blockage in some situations that created reduced water flow. 

In every case, though, it’s important to call in a plumbing professional who can check the pressure at the meter and throughout the house to ensure there aren’t any serious problems. If your home has a water well and you suddenly notice changes in water pressure, don’t ignore the change….catching a developing problem early can save you a lot of money and frustration. Call for our help. 

Prevention Tips: Cleaning your fixtures regularly can help if the problem only occurs in one location in your home. If you notice a bigger problem with the hot water, flushing your hot water heater can help too. You may also want to have a plumber regularly check the pressure at the meter to ensure good water flow to your property.

4. Running Toilet

If you’ve heard your toilet run even when it shouldn’t be, you likely have an issue with a leaky valve. This isn’t typically a huge problem, but it can really be a nuisance when it comes to your water bill. Often this is one space where DIY repair thrives as it’s easy to purchase a toilet repair kit at a big box hardware store and replace those valves. If that doesn’t fix it, though, you may have an issue where sediment is affecting your toilet, and in cases like that, you’re going to want to contact a plumbing professional.

Prevention Tips: Pay attention! As soon as you notice you have an issue, fix it immediately or give us a call.

Do the Math:  If your toilet runs continuously, it can leak through as much as 3 gallons a minute, 3 gallons  x 60 minutes = 180 gallons per hour, x 24 hours= 4,320 in just one day and if left to go for a month………...129,600 gallons of water…...down the drain.

5. Leaking Pipes

This is likely the most serious of the common bathroom issues on this list, and for good reason. It can cause serious property damage if you don’t take care of it right away. There are many reasons pipes might leak. They may be corroded. If your water pressure is too high, it can crack your pipes and lead to a leak. Tree roots can grow into your water lines, too, creating leaks. Even clogs can lead to leaks if they’re allowed to get serious enough. In every case, though, you’ll want the help of a professional to deal with a leak.

Prevention Tips: If you want to avoid leaking pipes, you’ll want to keep your water pressure at a reasonable level, avoid clogs, and watch for rapid temperature changes that might cause your pipes to expand and contract.


Bathroom plumbing issues happen, but when they do, we’ll be here to help. Give us a call today for a free estimate!