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Clear Plumbing Red Flags That Could Be Dangerous to Ignore

By Brian Sodoma, for Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing

As we head into winter, many homeowners tend to prioritize checking their furnaces and any other HVAC systems, sometimes forgetting about other important utilities. While maintaining your heating is a smart move, your home’s plumbing system might need professional service too.

You and your family will want to consider a regular plumbing maintenance appointment. After all, plumbing problems are often only found when something breaks, but it’s also probably true that your system could have been trying to warn you for weeks. To help you avoid more extensive repairs, here are a few often overlooked signs that your home’s plumbing needs our attention.

1. Low Water Pressure

If the plumbing’s water pressure decreases suddenly, that’s a clear indicator of an issue with the water supply. 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 plumbing manager.

However, if the pressure drop is isolated somewhere, like the bathroom or kitchen, it may be a fixture problem. It could be a simple fix, like swapping out a broken faucet aerator or addressing a water heater issue. Or it could possibly be something a little more complex, like a supply line leading to that room.

“I always tell people to look at their water bill too. If these pressure drops happen at the same time when you also have to deal with a higher bill, there might be a deeper problem,” Richardson said. “It’s smart to check your water meter to see if it’s running even when no appliances are turned on. That’s another way we determine you have a leak somewhere.”

Sometimes a sudden problem with your water pressure can be related to the municipal supply – if that’s the problem, that is easily fixed by a booster pump.

2. A “Sewer” Smell Somewhere in the Plumbing

“While kitchen or bathroom sink clogs can sometimes produce unpleasant odors because of debris, a persistent rotten egg smell suggests a serious concern. Drains include traps and vents inside them and either component can clog. If the smell lingers, you could be dealing with a clogged sewer line or even a sewer gas leak. Diagnosing and fixing these problems is usually best handled by the professionals, Richardson said.

Remember that although propane and natural gas have a distinctive smell, such leaks can be confused as a sewer smell. When in doubt, reach out to a professional.”

3. Rusted or Discolored Piping

Visible wear and discoloration on exposed pipes can be other signs that can be easy to overlook. If you’re in a room with exposed plumbing, it’s useful to take a closer look at the pipes in plain view. Noticeable wear and discoloration usually indicates a coming leak.

The most common discoloration appears in an area of the plumbing where two pipes join. Ignoring such discoloration is risky when it comes to supply lines because they are pressurized, Richardson explained. When an exposed pipe breaks, it can start flooding your home very quickly.

Depending on the type of pipe you’re looking at, discoloration can be caused by the different chemicals municipalities use for water treatment.

4. Slow Draining Fixtures

We understand it may be tempting for homeowners to solve all clogs with liquid drain cleaner, but this is usually only a temporary solution that could backfire and damage your plumbing system. Even if we’ve all heard of hair clogs, the truth is hair is not the true culprit. Products like chemical cleaners, toothpaste, hand soaps and even the oil or sweat from our skin create a sticky scum on the drain walls that traps hair and other small particles, something most liquid drain cleaners won’t remove. Employing a drain machine or snake will be the most effective method to clear out this type of obstruction. Often, if a clog is right inside the pipes below the sink, flushing it away usually solves the problem. But if it doesn’t, it could suggest a more significant issue.

“The thing you should keep an eye on is if multiple drains are clogged, and the problem doesn’t resolve itself after cleaning the drain under those sinks,” said Brian McMasters, a Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing division plumbing manager. “The sewer line may also need cleaning, but in some cases, we also come across tree roots that grow into and crack a sewer line. Fixing this kind of damage is obviously more involved and requires trenching down into the ground until we find the exact location of the leak to repair it.”

5. Wet Spots in Your Front or Back Yard

Regularly check the exterior of your house, including your yard. It’s a good idea to do so every week. Frequently, 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. Search for soft, sunken spots in the grass as these could be a sign there’s a hidden issue.

“You also want to notice things including sudden green patches in typically dry or yellow areas of the lawn,” noted McMasters. “In many cases, that’s a sign you’re dealing with a problem that needs an expert’s attention.”

Discover more about avoiding common issues with plumbing systems and get expert help at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing.

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