Even thorough plumbing maintenance and regular inspections won’t prevent every plumbing-related issue that could arise in your home. Older homes especially are going to be prone to leaks or occasional clogs.
Here are a few of the most common plumbing problems that could necessitate help from expert plumbing services in Modesto, CA, and the likely solutions that will be employed for those problems.
Faucet drips and leaks
Dripping faucets are, at the very least, a nuisance, but can also result in a much higher water bill, thanks to hundreds of gallons of wasted water per year.
When you turn off your tap, there are washers (made of rubber or silicone) inside the pipes that form a seal, preventing water from pushing through the pipes and up through the faucet. These washers can break down over time, becoming stiff or dislodged, which means water will start to trickle through. If you don’t have the necessary tools, you might find replacing these washers to be a more difficult task than expected.
In addition, if the leak has been present for long enough, the inside of the faucet could become corroded, which might make for a bigger repair job.
Insufficient water pressure
There are few plumbing-related problems more annoying than a lack of water pressure. It can make showers, dishwashing and other water-related tasks in your house much harder than they need to be.
Sometimes a break in the main line could be the issue, but this is uncommon. It is more likely that there is a buildup of sediment or mineral deposits on the aerators in your faucet or showerhead.
The water that comes into your house has certain dissolved minerals that can attach themselves to metal surfaces. If you have a water filtration system, these deposits will stay behind in the filters, which you routinely change out. However, without such a system, it is inevitable that these deposits will collect in showerheads and faucet aerators, which means you’ll need to clean them out occasionally. This should resolve most water pressure issues.
Toilets that constantly run
A running toilet is most frequently caused by problems with some of the pieces inside the tank. Usually this means the flapper valve no longer fits properly—it is either warped or damaged and needs to be replaced. There could also be problems with an imbalanced float or a fill tube that has come loose.
You’ll be able to find kits with all of these toilet parts at most hardware and home improvement stores, and they shouldn’t cost you much money.
There are some circumstances, however, in which a more serious issue is behind a constantly running toilet. There might be a leak somewhere in the system. If you suspect this to be an issue, add a few drops of food coloring into the upper tank. If, after 15 or 20 minutes, the water inside the bowl has any color to it, you know there’s an issue with a leak.
For more information about common plumbing issues, contact a trusted plumber in Modesto, CA.