If you own a home in Arlington, TX, then at some point, you will need to call a plumber. Even a brand-new home at some point will have some type of plumbing issue because old age is not the only reason that plumbing issues arise. The good news is that if you keep up with your regular plumbing maintenance and don’t ignore the signs that something is going wrong with your plumbing, you won’t have to worry about dealing with plumbing issues too much.
While a leaky drain or a burst pipe is always a major inconvenience, most major plumbing issues can be avoided if they are treated promptly and attended to by a professional plumber. In fact, most people get into the most trouble when they try to correct issues independently instead of simply consulting with a trained professional plumbing company. Like most things, there is always something to be said for doing a job right the first time around instead of messing around and ending up in more trouble than you started with.
With this in mind, you need to learn what the signs are that you might need a plumber if you hope to avoid major issues in the future. Almost every major plumbing issue from a burst pipe to a flooded basement tends to have small little signs before they happen. While something acute such as your child flushing a toy down the toilet might catch you off-guard (and believe us, we have seen a lot of cute little children pull off some incredible things), most of the major plumbing issues in Arlington, TX, are avoidable with a bit of maintenance and attention.
Of course, the number one way to avoid any plumbing issues at all is with regular plumbing maintenance, which should ideally be scheduled both as needed and annually if you have a home that is older than ten years old. Many people don’t think their home plumbing system needs maintenance service, but if they did, they sure could save a lot of money down the line. It would also save a lot of stress since almost every call to a plumber comes with some level of stress since no one wants to deal with any type of plumbing emergency.
That said, it’s time to take a closer look at how proactive plumbing maintenance can help you and the top ten signs that you need a plumber for your Arlington, TX, home. It is a great idea to bookmark this page so you can return to it later if you have any questions about whether or not you need a plumber. Some people even find it beneficial to print this out and hang it on their kitchen fridge so they have an easy source of reference. Whatever you decide to do, just make sure you commit this list to memory.
Benefits of Regular Plumbing Maintenance
There are a lot of benefits associated with regular plumbing maintenance, the first of course, is the fact that you probably won’t have to deal with as many major plumbing issues if you simply keep up with your home plumbing issues. The second is the fact that you can minimize water damage, which is the true hidden damage of plumbing issues. The plumbing is often not hard to repair; the costly part is actually the water restoration required after water floods out of a drain or from a clog.
During plumbing maintenance, a professional plumber will take a close look at your plumbing system and look for signs of leaks or weak spots. Weak spots that are reinforced or changed preemptively will prevent a leak from occurring in the first place, and identifying small leaks before they can turn into large leaks that flood your home is always beneficial.
The professional plumber will also look closely at your drains and discuss whether you have had any backups lately. Any drain that has been backed up more than once is probably a good candidate for regular drain cleaning. In the same fashion, regular drain cleaning is the best way to ensure you keep a plumber away in the future. This is more commonly something that is needed if your home is older or if you have a large tree in front of your Arlington, TX, home that is contributing to the clogs.
Sinks Are Draining Slowly
One of the biggest signs of something may be wrong with your home plumbing is if you notice that more than one drain is starting to drain slowly. Oftentimes there will be residual pool water left in the sink long after you’ve stopped using it. Many people think that this does not need to be addressed by a plumber since eventually, it will drain, however, what this does indicate is that eventually, you will actually have a clog that will be a much bigger problem.
Therefore this is one thing that you should always think propped up for. If you notice that this is happening with more than one sink then you probably have a clog somewhere in your main sewer line or your main water line. Eventually, that clog will become a complete obstruction and lead to a backup that will likely be messy and unpleasant for everyone involved. With that in mind, it is always smarter to reach out to a plumber the minute you have any reason to suspect that your drains are not working the way they should.
Water Is Back-Flowing
Another sign of something going wrong with your plumbing is if you suddenly notice that the water is flowing back up your pipes while they are not in use. For instance, if you were in your kitchen and you see water coming out the kitchen sink while somebody is taking a shower upstairs this is a sign that there’s something wrong with your plumbing system that needs to be investigated. Usually, this indicates that there must be a partial block somewhere down the line and since all of the water cannot escape, some of it is coming right back up at the nearest pipe valve.
This can turn into quite a disaster quickly because your shower might not be the only thing that starts the backflow into other sinks. If there is a clog that is preventing water from properly flowing out of your bathroom and down the sewage then you may see toilet waste and sink waste coming up your bathroom sink as well. Obviously, the main objective of any homeowner is to call a plumber and get a solution for the problem before you end up getting in this deep of a mess.
No Hot Water
If you have water in your home but none of it is hot then this indicates immediately that there is a problem with your hot water heater. The main objective of your hot water heater is to provide warm water on demand, so if it is not you need to have a plumber come out and take a look at your water heater. Sometimes a simple repair is all it takes to get the water heater working again but sometimes a water heater needs to be replaced. The best way to get to the problem of the situation is by having a plumbing company come take a look.
There is no sense in waiting in the situation because your water heater is not going to suddenly ignite if it’s not working at the moment. It will be off until it is fixed and you cannot live in a home that does not have warm water. Most people are surprised by how dependent they become on their hot water heater which is responsible for heating the water to wash their clothes, wash the dishes, and of course, themselves.
You Suspect Something Foreign Went Down the Toilet
Any homeowner with a kid knows that kids will do anything and that could mean flushing something down the toilet that is not supposed to be there. In this situation, you may have a toilet that stops working completely or you may have a toilet that is flooding all over your bathroom floor. A plumbing service can probably tell you all kinds of stories about what children have done before and what they have seen come out of toilet valves. In most cases, the foreign object is not going to dislodge itself but it is going to cause a very messy situation. A plumber can quickly disassemble the toilet and see what has slipped into your main water line and remove it.
Burst Pipes
A burst pipe is an emergency situation within your Arlington, TX, home and can happen to anyone even though they are more likely to happen at older homes or places where the plumbing might be rusting. While PVC piping is slowly replacing traditional piping there is still plenty of rusty pipes in most homes with the potential to burst. This is one reason why if you notice very high water pressure in your home you should also seek the help of a plumbing company because it could potentially help save you from a burst pipe down the road.
New Appliance Installation
A lot of homeowners think that they can replace their appliances on their own but the smartest thing to do is to always call a plumber to come out and help to help with the installation. Plumbers commonly worked with the gas piping that is associated with a new gas dryer and with the installation of refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, and garbage disposal. Hiring a plumber is the easiest way to make sure you get your new appliance installed without any major issues.
No Water in Your Home
Well, some people are surprised to learn that they have no water in their homes and are not sure who to call. It is always a good thing to start with your neighbors to see if it’s possibly a city issue but if your neighbors all have water then you’re going to need to call a plumber to come to check the main water line. Homeowners are actually responsible for the health of their main water line and if there’s a problem with it that could explain why the water is not properly being delivered into your home.
Floor Drain Backup
The floor drain in your home is usually located on the first floor or in the basement. This is the lowest point of plumbing for your house and also the area where most sewage backups are inclined to start. If you notice sewage pouring out of your floor drain and you need to call a plumbing company right away to get a drain cleaning service started. Drain cleaning is the only way to remove the obstruction so that you don’t have to deal with messy sewage, and the plumbing service can take a look at what might have caused the backup so that you can discuss a drain cleaning service to prevent future backups from occurring again.
Low Water Pressure
Low water pressure is another problem that should not be ignored, but it is an issue that needs to be addressed by a professional plumber because there are dozens of causes. Low water pressure is commonly caused by the water heater, but can also be caused by leaks in your main line, leaks elsewhere, and sometimes poor plumbing in an Arlington, TX, home. There are ways to correct the problem, but you need to talk to a professional to get to the bottom of it.
Odd Sewage Smells
Finally, there is no reason why your home should smell like sewage. If you smell sewage coming out of your drains it is because there is a backup inside of one of your drains or pipes and the methane gasses are being released upwards.
You don’t have to put up with sewage smells or any other plumbing issues in your Arlington, TX, home. Call Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth and we will come out to your home and fix it quickly.