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Have you ever thought about how often your home’s plumbing system is used each day? Have you ever counted the number of times your family uses the plumbing system in your Dalworthington, TX home? If you have, you will realize just how important your home’s plumbing system is. You turn the water on multiple times a day, your family flushes the toilet often, and your water-based appliances rely on your plumbing system to function.
Because your plumbing system is so essential to your daily life, the last thing you want is for something to prevent the system from doing what it was designed to do. If this happens, it is essential that the repair is made quickly and your plumbing system is up and running again.
Some homeowners will attempt a DIY plumbing repair to save money. There are plenty of do-it-yourself videos online today, which give homeowners the confidence to handle a DIY repair. Unfortunately, DIY repairs aren’t always effective and can cause more damage. Unless you are a professionally trained plumber, you shouldn’t try to handle plumbing repairs yourself.
If your plumbing system is experiencing any of the following issues, it is best to hire a licensed plumbing company. Licensed plumbers are highly trained and skilled and can repair your plumbing system correctly without causing any further damage to the plumbing system.
#1 Leaks
A leak in the plumbing system is one of the most common plumbing service calls. Standing water under the kitchen sink or the bathroom sink can cause significant water damage and mold growth if the leak isn’t repaired right away. Water spots on the walls, ceiling, and damp floors are also signs of a leak somewhere in your home.
A licensed plumbing company can use leak detection equipment such as video inspection tools, ground microphones, and acoustic amplifiers to find the source of the leak so it can be repaired quickly before more water damage can occur. Since you likely don’t have this equipment, it is best to have a plumber find the leak and make the necessary repair.
#2 Drain Clogs
Drain clogs are another common plumbing issue. As careful as you are with what you put down the drains in your Dalworthington, TX home, food and grease will go down the drain when you wash or rinse the dishes. When you shower, your hair and soap will go down the drain. Finally, when you wash the sink or tub, the chemicals will go down the drain. Over time, everything that goes down the drain will create a clog.
Minor clogs can cause the water to drain slowly, which can be a hassle. Every time you run the water, the sink will fill up, then drain very slowly. When you take a shower, you will find yourself standing in several inches of water by the time you are done.
Many people try to remove small clogs using a liquid drain cleaner to remove the clog to save money on the cost of hiring a plumber. Unfortunately, this isn’t the best idea. Just because the water starts flowing down the drain again, it doesn’t mean that the entire clog has been removed. If a small part of the clog remains, the water will start draining slowly again. Also, these products contain harsh chemicals that can cause the pipes to corrode. A licensed plumbing company has the knowledge and equipment necessary to remove the entire clog safely.
If the drain is clogged completely and the sink or tub is full of water, you should call an emergency plumber. A complete clog makes it impossible to use the sink or tub with the clogged drain. Liquid drain cleaners are useless in this situation because if the water doesn’t go down the drain, the drain cleaner won’t either. An emergency plumber can remove the entire clog so you can start using the sink or tub again.
Drain clogs may seem like a minor issue, but it still requires the help of a professional.
#3 Noisy Drains
Do your drains make a gurgling sound when the water goes down? If so, you have a bigger problem than you might think. If you have a septic system, noisy drains can occur if the tank needs to be pumped. This is pretty rare since most homeowners have their septic tanks pumped regularly.
The most common cause of noisy drains is a large clog. Large clogs can prevent the water from going through the drain pipe. The water will need to change direction to get down the drain, and the change in direction creates air in the pipe, which causes the gurgling sound. This is a serious issue and should be checked by a plumbing professional right away. If you allow the problem to persist, it won’t be long before the drain pipe becomes completely clogged, and the water won’t go down at all.
A plumber can use a drain camera to determine the size and location of the clog, so it can be removed safely, quieting the drain.
#4 Dripping Faucet
It is easy to ignore a dripping faucet in your Dalworthington, TX home. After a few hours, you won’t even notice the dripping sound, and you may not be concerned about wasting water because the water is just dripping.
What you may not know is that a dripping faucet is more serious than you think.
The faucet is dripping due to an issue with the mechanics, such as a worn washer or a faulty O ring. The dripping could also occur if the faucet has reached the end of its lifespan and needs to be replaced. A licensed plumbing company can inspect the faucet to determine if it needs a new part or needs to be replaced.
In addition, a dripping faucet wastes more water than you think. In one day, a faucet that drips around one drop per second can waste over 11 gallons a day and over 330 gallons per month. This amount of wasted water can cause a significant increase in your water bills.
When you consider the cost of hiring a plumbing company and the increase in your future water bills, you will see that hiring a professional will cost less in the long run.
#5 Toilet Issues
Problems with a toilet in your Dalworthington, TX home could make it impossible to use the toilet, which can be a nuisance. If you have just one toilet, the issue is more than a frustrating problem because you cannot use the bathroom in your own home.
There are two common toilet issues, and they both will require the help of a licensed plumber.
- Toilet clog: Your toilet can clog when too much waste and toilet paper are flushed. In addition, if you have a small child and they flush something down the toilet, it can cause a clog. In many cases, a plunger can break up the clog, allowing the toilet to flush again, If there is something large clogging the drain, or the clog is located deep in the drainpipe, a plunger will be useless, and you will need a licensed plumber to remove the clog so you can use the toilet again.
- Running toilet: Toilets are designed to run after the toilet is flushed so the tank can refill for the next flush. When the tank is full, the toilet should stop running. If your toilet runs constantly, you should call a licensed plumber.
There are a few issues that can cause a toilet to run constantly, such as a cracked flapper, the float height needs to be adjusted, the refill tube being too long, the tank’s seal is failing, or the toilet has reached the end o its lifespan. You will need a licensed plumbing company to figure out why the toilet is running, so the necessary repair can be made.
- This isn’t an issue that should be ignored because a running toilet wastes a lot of water. If you think a dripping faucet wastes a lot of water, you will be shocked by the amount of water wasted by a running toilet. A running toilet can waste 4.5 gallons of water per minute and up to 6,480 per day. This can cause your water bill to increase by up to $60 a day, resulting in a costly water bill at the end of the month that could be more than you can afford.
The best way to prevent this amount of wasted water is to call a licensed plumber the second you discover the toilet in your Dalworthington, TX home is running.
#6 Water Heater Issues
Although the water heater in your Dalworthington, TX home is technically an appliance, it is still an essential part of your plumbing system. Without a properly functioning water heater, you won’t have hot water, which can cause chaos in the home. You won’t be able to shower, wash the dishes, cook, and clean. In addition, your dishwasher and washing machine cannot do their jobs properly without hot water.
If your water heater is experiencing any of the following issues, you should call a licensed plumbing company right away.
- No hot water
- The water isn’t hot enough
- You run out of hot water frequently
- Discolored hot water
- Foul-smelling hot water
- Banging or popping sounds coming from the unit
- Moisture or leaks around the unit
Water heater repairs should never be a DIY project. These appliances are complex, and DIY repairs could cause more damage to the unit and could put your home and family at risk. In addition, if the water heater is still under warranty, a DIY repair will void the warranty, and all repair costs will be your responsibility.
A plumber will have the knowledge and experience necessary to repair the water heater safely, and your warranty will remain valid.
#7 Discolored Hot Water
When you turn on a faucet or shower, you expect the water to be clean and clear. If the water has a brownish tint, you should call an emergency plumber.
If the cold water is clear and the hot water is discolored, the issue is with the water heater. If the hot and cold water is discolored, it is a plumbing issue.
As your pipes age, they can begin to corrode, and the rust and corrosion can contaminate the water. An issue with the water main can also contaminate the water.
You will need a plumber to determine the cause of the contamination so the necessary repair can be made, so your plumbing system can provide clean water again.
It isn’t safe to use contaminated water; therefore, you should call a licensed plumber immediately. If you really need to use water, it is best to boil it first.
#8 Frozen Pipes
Dalworthington, TX, weather can change quickly, particularly in the winter. A fast-moving cold front can cause the temperature to drop below freezing quickly, which puts your pipes at risk for freezing. This is a very serious issue and requires the help of a licensed plumber.
The outdoor pipes can freeze when the temperature drops. The same is true for the pipes in areas of the home that aren’t insulated. When the pipes freeze, the water inside will freeze and expand, which can cause the pipes to burst.
If you turn the water on when it is very cold outside, and nothing comes out, you should call a plumber immediately to prevent the pipes from bursting. A licensed professional can thaw the pipes quickly and safely, which will keep the pipes from bursting and flooding your home.
Why Choose Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth?
If your plumbing system isn’t functioning properly and you want to work with the best plumbing service around, contact Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth. We are a family-owned and operated full-serving plumbing company that has been serving customers in the area for years.
Our plumbers are professionally trained, knowledgeable, and highly skilled. We can handle any job, whether simple or complex.
We know that the last thing our customers want to do is wait around for a plumber for hours. This is why we don’t schedule appointments with four or five-hour windows as other plumbing companies do. In addition, if the plumber is late, we will pay you $5 for every minute until they arrive. We understand your time is valuable, and we created this policy for your convenience.
To schedule an appointment for plumbing service, give us a call today.