It’s easy to ignore plumbing problems as they surface, but by the time they reach breaking point it’s potentially too late; the risk of serious water damage turns into a reality right before your very eyes.
Before you fall victim to a seemingly insignificant plumbing issue, read on.
This week, we’ve collated some of the most common plumbing issues that are not taken as seriously as they should be.
Are you guilty of ignoring any of the below?
Dripping tap
You might think that the most a dripping tap can be is “annoying” but did you know that a tap that drips 12 times a minute (that’s once every five seconds – count it out in your head!) equates to:
- 864ml of water wasted every day
- 25 litres of water wasted every month
- And a whopping 315 litres of water wasted every year!
Not only are you wasting water, but you’re unwillingly adding cents and dollars to your water bill.
Further, a dripping tap could indicate a more dire situation behind the scenes! But you’ll never know until you get it checked it.
Slow draining sink
A slow draining sink is often one of the earliest perceptible signs that something is wrong deeper within your drains.
Slow draining is common in both bathrooms and kitchens, where drains are subjected to hair, food waste, shampoo, soap scum, and detergent. Over time, these objects conjoin, build up, and eventually cause a partial blockage that impedes water flow.
Don’t wait for its condition to worsen; tackle the issue now!
Poor water pressure
An annoyance to most, some will simply adapt to poor water pressure and choose to just deal with it. But you don’t have to!
Poor water pressure can be caused for a variety of reasons. Here’s some helpful advice to help you narrow down the cause:
- If poor water pressure is affecting your hot tap ONLY, it’s likely the problem lies within your water heater
- If poor water pressure is isolated to a particular spot in the home (e.g. the bathroom) the likely cause is a clogged aerator or faucet
- If you’re unable to isolate an instance of low pressure, it may be an overall plumbing issue in your home
Beyond trying to match your scenario to one of the above, there isn’t too much you can (or should!) do yourself.
Instead, find a trusted and qualified local plumber to solve your water pressure woes.
Plumbing maintenance and repair is a messy task – we don’t recommend having a go yourself. Avoid the mess and stress, and instead, leave it to the pros.
A running toilet
We previously visited a customer who had a running toilet every time they flushed. They’d have to wait a minute or two to ensure the toilet stopped running, and if they didn’t, they’d give it a quick whack, and the running would stop.
Not the most ideal scenario, but can you believe they dealt with this for months?!
Every time you delay getting this little annoyance addressed, you’re only contributing to a higher water bill, and continuing to use a toilet that might indeed require repair (or at the very least, an inspection by a qualified plumber!)
Water stains
- Spotted water stains in your ceiling or floors?
- Have your carpets taken on a musty scent, and do they feel damp?
- Are you noticing an unusual pool of water around your sink each time you use it?
While none of the above are good signs, you should, at the very least, be grateful that your home is giving you hints that there is indeed a bad plumbing problem brewing!
A water stain signifies a possible leak between walls or behind fixtures.
Prolonged water damage can lead to mould and mildew as well as structural damage to your home, so it’s a plumbing emergency that needs to be addressed quickly.
Need a plumber in Eltham, Doncaster, or surrounds?
Plumbing is one of those things people don’t think about 99% of the time. But during that 1%, when something does indeed go wrong, it’s all they can think about.
But we invite you to change your mindset: keep plumbing in the back of your mind, and take note of even the smallest or seemingly unimportant plumbing signs that may signal disaster. Be proactive rather than reactive!
Treat your plumbing right, look out for the signs, and act fast when it comes to household plumbing problems.
Are you ignoring one of the above signs? Contact H2-Pro now. We’re plumbers helping Eltham, Doncaster, Mitcham, and Warrandyte homeowners just like you at any hour of the day or night! Call Tony and the H2-Pro team today!
