Keeping a careful ear and eye out for plumbing leaks and getting them fixed quickly can save you a great deal of expense and mess later. One small leak, over time, can destroy the subfloor in your bathroom or create a haven for pests under your sink. If you notice standing water under a p-trap or hear dripping when someone uses your bathroom, you need to find and correct the problem.
Toilet Backup
A clogged toilet can cause a huge mess and a lot of problems if you do not keep a close eye on it. Depending on the source of the clog, the solution may be as simple as a single round of plunging. If that clears the problem, you’re probably OK. However, if you need to plunge every couple of days, there may be an issue with your sewer line or your septic tank.
For families with small children, the problem with the toilet may not be organic. Toys and linens can quickly get flushed by curious little ones, so if you are concerned that something obstructive got flushed, contact someone in your area to help get it fixed. If you are in need of emergency services consider searching for a “24 Hours Plumbing Near Me” service to get the obstruction removed before it gets too far down the line.
Running Toilet
There’s a flap at the bottom of your toilet tank that gets lifted by the flushing handle. The weight of the water in the tank helps to move whatever is in the bowl down the septic line, but if the flap in the tank doesn’t seal properly, you may experience a running toilet.
While this may be a minor inconvenience initially, this problem will likely only get worse. You may find that your water bill goes up. Additionally, running cool water into the tank will create condensation on the outside of the tank and can cause a great deal of moisture to build up. This excess moisture in the bathroom can create a haven for pests and eventually cause damage to floor and subfloors. If you notice water running, get the condition of the flushing mechanism checked out.
Clogged Bathtub
Bathtub drains can get clogged by many different things– caps from shampoo bottles, pet or human hair, and tub toys can all make for frustratingly slow drainage. In this instance, preventative maintenance can save a lot of hassle. Make sure to add a mesh filter to the tub drain to capture hair, and keep an eye on kids in the tub and try to make sure that the only toys that go in the tub are too big to go down the drain. If you add any clog busters to the tub drain and wind up having to call a plumber, let them know so they can protect themselves before they go to work on the drain.
Dripping Sink
A slow dripping sink can be an indicator of hard water, which will cause calcification to build up on your plumbing fixtures. Hard water can also be drying to your skin and hair and can grey your clothing, making it hard to get things clean. If you have this problem, consider a water softener, especially if you’re on well water.
Jammed Garbage Disposal
A jammed garbage disposal can be extremely hazardous. If you try to use yours and notice an odd sound or a grinding, turn off the switch. Let the disposal cool down for five minutes, then hit the red reset button on the side. If that doesn’t fix it, call a plumber. You should never put any tools or fingers down a garbage disposal because if the blades are jammed and you clear the jam, they may finish their revolution and cut you.
If you can catch plumbing problems early, you can save yourself a lot of worries. Keep an ear out for drips, carefully monitor toilets for running water, and listen for chatter when you run your garbage disposal. Get help if you have questions.
