There are many plumbing problems that you might expect to face, but there are also some you might not be aware of until they’re right in front of you. Here are five uncommon plumbing system problems that you didn’t know existed, but should be aware of before they become major issues in your home.
No Hot Water
If you have no hot water, check to make sure there’s a pilot light in your boiler. The pilot light is used to ignite gas and electricity in your boiler. If it’s out, or if there isn’t one in your boiler, contact a professional for service as soon as possible—having no hot water can quickly turn into a much larger problem if left unfixed. If you have hot water but low pressure, replace worn parts like rubber washers. This should take care of your issue!
Broken Pipes
Broken pipes are one of those unexpected plumbing problems that tend to creep up with little or no warning. To ensure you have all your bases covered when it comes to preventing them, check out some of our top tips for identifying and preventing broken pipes. If they do occur, though, be sure to get in touch with a professional as soon as possible; left untreated, a broken pipe can cause significant damage and even major flooding. Check out our tips below for prevention—and what to do if you think your system is suffering from a broken pipe: Broken pipes are, by their very nature, leaky—so it’s easy to mistake leaks caused by something else as something worse. Your first step should always be diagnosing just what kind of problem you actually have before taking any further action. Is your shower head leaking? A dripping faucet? Condensation under your sink? These things aren’t necessarily indicative of a broken pipe and could even hint at larger plumbing problems than most people realize.
Slow Draining Sink
If your sink is slow to drain, it may be clogged. To clear it, use a plunger (available at any hardware store) or plunging tool and pour a mixture of hot water and dish soap down the drain while you plunge. Repeat until all food particles are removed.However, if after you plunge and/or pour boiling water down your sink, there’s still no change in drainage time, then you may have a more serious problem that requires professional attention.
Dry P-taps
If your sink or tub is still draining slowly, it may be a problem with your P-trap. If you notice debris in your trap, there’s a good chance that tree roots have grown into it. To fix dry P-taps and unclog them from within, use a bent coat hanger to remove any blockages you can reach and clear out any clogs with a plunger.
If all else fails, you’ll need to contact an experienced plumber to replace your P-trap so water can drain properly. In rare cases, plumbing pipes and connectors are damaged beyond repair due to corrosion or natural disasters like hurricanes. In these cases, we suggest contacting an emergency plumber for help in restoring normal drainage flow immediately.
Clogged Toilets
Although toilets usually have their problems, clogged toilets are one of those issues that isn’t as common. Toilets can become clogged with anything from toilet paper to toy parts, which is why they occasionally don’t flush correctly. Because you don’t see your toilet working properly every day, it may not occur to you that it could be a problem until after your next trip to use it. If a toilet is clogged, turn off the water going into it and plunge or follow manufacturer instructions on how to unclog your particular model.
If you can clear out only some of the issue, call in a plumber. The amount of damage caused by clogs can vary depending on what is causing them; if there isn’t enough water entering your toilet bowl to keep things moving along smoothly, it can start backing up through even relatively small amounts of waste products.This will eventually cause sewage-like smells in your home and clogs in other plumbing systems as well; something has to give at some point, so waiting for things to reach crisis mode may make a massive mess later on.
Uncommon Plumbing System Problems – Conclusion
Residential plumbing systems are built to last. But sometimes, despite your best efforts to prevent it, even a flawless system may need to be replaced. Fortunately, commercial plumbers can handle any of these plumbing problems! If you have an uncommon problem, don’t hesitate to call in a pro! It’s much better to spend some money upfront than worry about major damage happening later on. No one wants that!
