Plumbing problems can happen in any home. These can be weak water pressure, excessive water use, slow drainage, and a number of other issues. Fortunately, repairing these issues is not as complicated as it seems. Read on to know what you should do.
Diagnosing plumbing issues
1. Listen for dripping sounds
It may sound like a joke, but in these cases, an important step such as this can determine how much damage the owner has, either with water leakage or with infiltration into the property, which in the short or medium term may lead to another urgent repair.
Even if a single tap is dripping, imagine how much water will be wasted at the end of the day? The best thing to do is to make sure the house is empty and quiet so you can be on the lookout for these noises to solve premature plumbing problems.
2. Look out for leaks in the baseboards and walls
What happens in many cases is that the water in the pipes is under extreme pressure. It could be that the pipes are corroded, or that there is even a gap in certain connections, which will favor water leakage.
What is the best way to diagnose leaks? The appearance of fungi, molds, and even puddles of water showing up on the floor. If you notice these, it is best to make arrangements before the infiltration damages the walls and the main structures of the house.
But remember that in warmer indoor spaces, whenever a pipe is directing cold water, it is normal for transpiration to occur and to see some droplets form on its surface. These also contribute to infiltration without there being any leakage.
3. Look out for mold and fungus in every room
With the help of a flashlight, check for drops of water under spans, sinks, and even small puddles throughout the house.
If something seems off to you, run your hand through nearby pipes to check if they are damp.
4. Regularly spaced out noises
In cases where there is a leakage seal in the toilet, it will slowly drain the water at a steady pace, so water waste becomes inevitable. This is an example of spaced-out noises you may hear, whose intervals can speed up immensely, as the leak grows.
If this happens, first, you need to check that the seal securing the valve stem is shut when compressed enough to close the leakage tracks. If it is not, you will need to rotate the sealing nut around the rod, lightly and clockwise, to check whether the leak remains or decreases.
Therefore, these valves need to be completely open or fully closed. Close the valve by turning the lever clockwise until it stops; open the valve by rotating the lever counterclockwise until it stops.
Occasionally, there will be a very light leak from a rod in case the valve has been partially opened and is completely closed or fully open.
5. Be sure to check the water meter
In all water distribution systems, whenever all taps of the property are closed, the water flow ceases and, in the case of good plumbing, the meters should not register any kind of movement.
However, when there is any type of leak, the numbers continue to be turned by the dial, as if someone continues to use water on the property.
But even if the numbers are still, whenever there is a suspected leak, it’s worth calling a plumber to check it out. After all, very small leaks will not move the meter for a while, making it more difficult to detect them through this method.
Tips on how to fix plumbing issues
- Always be meticulous! Thoroughly examine the plumbing of the house whenever there is a small suspicion. Check the supply system, which provides drinking water to the kitchen, toilets, and laundry, as well as the drain or sewer system, which should remove the dirty water with the debris straight into the sewers.
- It can often take a while until you can have a plumber come over. In these cases, it will be better to stop the water supply to the house immediately by closing the valves. It is important to know where each of these valves is located on the property in order to cut the correct water connection.
- When using any chemicals with the intent of unblocking the pipes, read the instructions on the product’s label carefully as it can corrode the pipes and cause much more damage to the property.
- Never try to repair the plumbing of the house on your own, especially if you do not know how to deal with any of these issues.
After all, if you do not know which type of pipes you have, the types of welds and valves, or even have a basic understanding of how to switch a faucet base, there is always a risk of not fixing anything or worsening the problem. So just call a professional and remember that being cheap might just become expensive later.
