There’s nothing like a plumbing issue to ruin your otherwise normal day. Not only are plumbing problems disgusting to deal with, but they can also cost a fortune to repair correctly. Thankfully, there are ways to help your pipes stay healthy over time. Knowing the common causes of plumbing issues in your home can help you better identify what’s going on. It can also enable you to work against these common problems by being more proactive in handling your pipelines.
Buildup in Your Pipes
Plumbing problems have a nasty way of sneaking up on you. This is because you could contribute to a pipeline problem every day and not even know it. For example, when you put materials down your drain, do you think about where they will end up? Materials like grease and fats can actually stick to the insides of your pipes and harden, building up over time until they completely block them.
Nature Working Against You
One thing you might not expect to be a common cause of plumbing issues in your home is mother nature herself. Things like shrub and tree roots tend to seek out pipelines in your yard and break into them. This can cause serious backups and clogs over time. In addition to trees, the ground itself can damage your lines. As temperature changes cause the earth to expand and contract, the movements can knock your pipes around and cause them to bend into shapes that accumulate buildup.
Flushing Things You Shouldn’t
Our toilets aren’t the trash cans we all wish they could be. The piping connecting to your toilet is more sensitive than you might think at first. Lots of plumbing problems happen because people don’t know what not to put down a toilet drain. One good example is the so-called “flushable wipe.” These wipes may be able to go down the drain, but they don’t break down as toilet paper does. This causes them to become stuck in the pipes and collect over time, creating a nasty problem you’ll have to deal with later.
Pipe Leaks
If you start to notice that your water pressure isn’t what it once was, you might have a leak somewhere in your piping. Leaks can happen for various reasons, including age, rust buildup, pressure breaks, and more. If your water pressure changes unexpectedly one day, you might want to call in a professional plumber to make sure there isn’t a leak somewhere. Leaks can lead to dangerous mold buildups that can harm your health if you don’t take care of them.
