Warning Signs of Plumbing Problems in Your Home

There are various signals that suggest your plumbing might be experiencing some difficulty. Listen for any abnormal sounds, such as banging or gurgling, that might be emitted by your pipes. Look for any leaks that are more than just a drip and seem to be coming from somewhere that wasn’t designed to hold water. Check to see if the water pressure coming out of your fixtures seems to have less oomph than it used to. And if anything you’re trying to wash seems to take longer to get clean because the water just won’t go down the way it’s supposed to, then you may have a plumbing problem.

The toilet is often the plumbing item that fails most commonly in a residential home.

Begin your plumbing inspection at home by looking for evident leaks around all fixtures, faucets, and pipes. Then focus on the water meter. Look at it before and after a set period during which you don't use any water, and check for leaks that might not be so easy to see. Then examine your water pressure. An easy way to test this is to systematically go through each of your water outlets and monitor the pressure. If you hear any wild noises while doing so, that's another good sign that something's up. If you're feeling adventurous, you could also listen for any weird sounds in the plumbing while someone else runs water at a sink. After the noises, come the colors.

Certainly! Substandard plumbing has the potential to harm a person's health. Plumbing problems like leaks, mold, and sewage backup can degrade the indoor air quality and make people sick. Pathogenic molds and bacteria can trigger asthma and make allergies worse. They also can make otherwise healthy people susceptible to infections and other plumbing-related health problems. That's why it is health-critical to stay on top of plumbing problems and to repair them promptly.

Plumbing problems can range from simple to complex, with leaky faucets serving as a prime example of a not-so-simple problem. At first glance, a leaking faucet seems like an easy fix; however, like many plumbing projects, this one is likely to involve a fair amount of disassembly and reassembly—and possibly even a trip to the hardware store for parts—before it can be considered complete.

When something goes down the wrong pipe, it usually indicates that something—the wrong thing, that is!—has entered the airway rather than the esophagus and is now blocking normal airflow. The body's most immediate and instinctive response to this kind of situation is a strong cough (or several coughs, sometimes in rapid succession). If the blockage isn't cleared by a single loud cough, the body's next step is to try and escalate the situation: to use a series of coughs that are, in effect, a signal flare to anyone close by that help is needed.

Indeed, plumbers frequently assess a charge for diagnostic service calls. These calls take the time and talent necessary to evaluate a plumbing problem and suggest plumbing solutions. The fee can vary quite a bit from plumber to plumber and problem to problem. Some plumbers may also waive the diagnostic fee if you go with them to do the actual repairs that are warranted.

Involving several steps, the process of diagnosing problems in plumbing drains opens with observation. The first sign may be slow drainage or standing water in sinks, tubs, or other places where water is supposed to flow down and away. The next step, if the water is still and showing no signs of movement, is to listen. Plumbing makes a lot of noises, but certain sounds—like gurgling—are a sure sign of blockage. Smell is another good indicator. Odors moving up from the drain often indicate a serious blockage. The last step in surface-level problem diagnosis is the inspection of the visible part of the plumbing for leaks or signs of just having leaked. If unchecked, these problems may lead to mold and structural issues in house walls. If all these signs point to blockage, the next step is to either plunge the drain or call a plumber for a more thorough inspection.

Pipes often encounter the problem of clogging. This can happen when debris, grease, or foreign objects collect in a pipe and restrict water flow, creating a drainage problem.

Plumbing professionals usually bill between 50 and 150 for a service call. Yet, many aspects influence the exact cost, such as where you live, the plumber's skill set and years in the business, and the job's time and trouble demands. Some plumbing outfits might also hit you with an hourly rate over and above the service call fee if your problem requires that much more time.