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How to check for plumbing problems

BY READERS DIGEST

1st Jan 2015 Home & Garden

How to check for plumbing problems

Some plumbing problems might be more obvious than others. If you are buying or selling your home, or doing a regular home maintenance check, it is a good idea to know how to look for the most obvious problems, hidden or visible.

Look for the signs

There are some obvious signs that indicate plumbing problems. You want to keep your eyes and ears open for the following common indicators:

Dripping and leaking

If you see a tap leak or your toilet bowl filling slowly, it could be a sign of a plumbing problem. You can often just fix the issue by tightening the faucets, bolts and screws, but if you leave the problem for too long you might be spending a fortune on water you don’t actually use!

Make sure you check all the faucets and joint parts of visible piping regularly.

Screeching, rattling and gurgling

If your faucets make a screeching sound, it could signal that the air ‘bleed-off’ system isn’t working properly. Furthermore, rattling and pinging noises can indicate that air is trapped inside your pipes.

If your drains gurgle when you run water in them, it is often a sign of a blockage. Simple drain blockage liquid can usually solve the problem.

Low water pressure

Check water pressure, especially if you are buying or renting a new home. Clogged pipes, a leak or incorrect piping can all be a sign of problems in the water pressure and signal the place has a plumbing problem.

In most cases you will be able to manually increase the water pressure yourself, however this is indicative of a bigger problem and should be investigated further.

Drain smells

If you notice any drain smells when you use the sinks, it might be a sign of a blockage. If you’ve not used the specific sink for a while, it can also smell the first time you use it again.

See if it goes away with a simple blockage remover and call for a plumber if the smell remains after a few days.

Rusty pipes

Sometimes your pipes and faucets might not have any visible leak, but look rusty. This could be a sign of water damage and it is a good idea to have a plumber check what is causing the rust or if your pipes need changing.

Turning off your water

If you suspect a leak, it’s a good idea to turn off your water at the mains and see if there’s water still running. If you have a water meter attached and it is still running even when you turn off the main water, this is also an indication that something is wrong.

Remember to turn off your water before you start doing any DIY work. You don’t want to make the plumbing problems worse by causing water damage to your home.

Get a professional to check

Although some plumbing problems are easy to fix yourself, if you don’t feel confident doing it, you should call a professional to have a look. Call a plumber if there’s a lot of visible water damage or if you can’t see the source of the problem. More information about how to handle plumbing problems you can find at local-plumber.london, a reliable online resource. 

It’s also a good idea to have a professional take a look if you are buying a new house. 

 

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