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When the temperature tumbles and golden leaves fall, there’s a good chance your plumbing might start to give you some trouble. To get ahead of any plumbing issues, it’s a good idea to start taking some preventive measures before Old Man Winter knocks at your door.
Since two major elements are already in place—the toilet flange and the water supply—it’s just a matter of switching out the old toilet for the new one. Depending on your type of toilet, you may have to tweak the process slightly, but the following steps will ensure a successful installation.
The most common plumbing problems are clogged drains and toilets, leaky faucets and pipes, water heater issues, low water pressure, and a running toilet. Each of these issues requires a different solution that we will cover below. You don’t realize how much you rely on plumbing until you start having issues. A dripping faucet here, a slow drain there — as your home ages, it’s natural to have some plumbing problems. Some of those issues are simple enough to DIY without much difficulty. Others come with some potential dangers and are better left to the professionals. Being aware of the common plumbing problems and solutions helps you know when to grab your tool belt and when to call the plumber.
You can spot clogged drains when you see water backing up as you empty a sink or take a shower. For a toilet clog, the signs are often more immediate. Instead of flushing normally, the water backs up in the toilet bowl and may even overflow. Clearing the blockage typically restores your drains or toilet back to normal with a little DIY work or a visit from a plumber.
Slow or clogged drains occur when something blocks the drain partially or completely. In sinks and showers, hair is often the culprit, but other items, such as a shampoo lid or small toy, may enter the drain and block the pipe. In toilets, the problem often comes when something other than dissolvable waste enters the toilet and gets flushed. Those solid items cannot move through the pipe, so they stay put, making it difficult or impossible for water to flow past the blockage and down the pipes.
Start with a plunger to help remove the clog. A plunger works on both toilets and on drains. The simple plumbing tool helps loosen clogs using air pressure. Place the open end of the plunger completely over the drain and move it up and down to create suction. If you can draw the blockage close enough, use tweezers or pliers to grab the clump and remove it from the drain. Chemical drain cleaners offer an option if you can’t remove the blockage with a plunger. Home improvement stores also sell plumbing snakes that can dislodge blockages to get the water flowing again.
Prevent toilet clogs by only flushing dissolvable waste products down the toilet. Watch kids closely so they don’t flush toys or other large items down the toilet. If something falls into the toilet, get it out instead of trying to flush it. In showers, use a hair catcher over the drain so loose strands don’t collect inside the drain pipe. Try to keep loose strands of hair out of sinks to prevent clogging.
Common plumbing problems in old houses often revolve around low water pressure, but the issue can happen in new homes as well. Low water pressure can come on suddenly or slowly get worse over time, depending on the cause. Whatever the reason, low water pressure makes it difficult to rinse things and shower, so resolving the issue is a priority to get back to normal water use.
Water heater issues are usually easy to spot. You go to take that nice warm shower but instead get doused by freezing cold water. Dripping water, puddles of water, discolored water and noises coming from the water heater unit are other signs of a problem. In some cases, you can troubleshoot the issues yourself, but a good deal of water heater issues and repairs require professional help due to the complexity and potential for danger.
If the water heater issues cause water puddles on the floor, take a few immediate steps to ensure your safety. Here is what to do:
Leaking faucets and pipes are common plumbing problems in apartments and houses. Dripping faucets are more of a nuisance and a waste of money than a plumbing emergency, but those drips add up quickly — fixing the leaks in your home could save up to 10 percent on your water bill. A faucet leaking one drip per second adds up to over 3,000 gallons every year — the equivalent of 180 showers. Nationwide, plumbing leaks can account for over 1 trillion gallons of water. Leaking faucets are easy to spot since the water physically drips out of the faucet when it is in the off position. You can usually hear the drips even if you aren’t in the room.
Leaking pipes can cause major damage if you don’t catch the problem immediately. You often spot leaking pipes after a period of time when you see a puddle below the pipes or hear dripping.
Toilet plumbing problems come in many forms, but a running toilet is one of the most annoying. The toilet still works, but it constantly runs, wasting water and causing an annoying sound.
Tackling your own plumbing repairs can save you money, but a mistake could cost you a lot more and result in damage in your home. Keep these tips in mind if you plan to fix a plumbing issue on your own: