Common Types of Water and Sewer Line Problems | Insight from Your Trusted New Orleans, LA Plumber
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All homeowners experience problems with their water and sewer lines at some point in life. These problems may arise from wear and tear on the plumbing equipment, or how the household members use the systems.
You may not give too much attention to these issues, but with time, they can cause extensive damages to your house, making plumbing services inevitable. Below are some of the critical plumbing problems that professional plumbers in New Orleans, LA can help you handle.
Dripping Faucets
This is a common problem that almost all homeowners have experienced. Apart from causing irritating noises, a lot of water is lost, resulting in high water bills. Dripping faucets are caused by a damaged internal washer or improper installation of the system.
With the correct tools, you can fix the drip by replacing the internal washer. However, if this fails, you have to seek the services of a qualified plumber to help you repair the drip.
Slow Drain
Slow drains are caused by the continued accumulation of soap scum, hair, and other personal products inside pipes. Slow drains can be solved by the use of a plunger, which uses suction pressure to loosen the accumulated debris. You can also remove the pop-off and wash out any form of waste causing the clog. While cleaning, ensure you wear gloves as the waste may have a detrimental effect on your skin.
You can also flush chemicals like vinegar or baking soda down the drain to help with unclogging. Other chemicals should be avoided as they may cause eroding of the pipes’ inner surface. If the following procedures don’t work, it means that the problem is bigger, and you have to contact a qualified professional.
Low Water Pressure
If you notice that water is trickling from the taps instead of gushing out, as usual, there may be a problem with the water pressure. Though it occurs on rare occasions, a reduction in water pressure can be caused by a breakage in the mainline. The leading cause of low water pressure is the continued accumulation of deposits on the faucet aerator.
Water running in pipes contains dissolved minerals, which end up being deposited on the faucet aerators and showerheads, causing clogging and hence low pressure. To avoid such occurrences, ensure that you have an efficient filtration system to sieve the deposits.
Some aerators are removable, while others are not. For easy cleaning, unscrew the removable ones and soak them in a vinegar solution for a night to dissolve the calcium deposits. For those that aren’t easily removable, like the bathroom faucets and the showerheads, a plumber may advise you to fix a plastic bag containing vinegar to soak them.
In case all the above fails, the issue might be more complicated. Therefore, seek the services of a licensed professional in New Orleans, LA.
Constantly Running Toilets
A running toilet can cause a loss of water up to 200 gallons in a day. If the problem isn’t quickly fixed, then it ends up being very costly. A running toilet is caused by a damaged flapper valve, a component whose work is to control the water that runs from the tank to the bowl. Toilet runs can also be caused by sediments that affect flushing and filling.
A running toilet leads you to incur losses by paying high water bills. To detect whether your toilet is running, put food coloring in the tank and wait for some minutes. If you find traces of the color in the bowl, yet you haven’t flushed your toilet, don’t hesitate to seek the services of a plumber.
Water Heater Problems
Easily detectable signs of a damaged water heater include cold water running from the shower, puddles of water, discolored water, and water dripping from the heater unit. Mineral deposits reduce the efficiency of a water heater, hence limiting the supply of hot water in the house. Water contains some sediments which explode and produce strange sounds after heating its heated.
If you realize that your water heater isn’t working, check on the temperature setting to ensure that it isn’t turned down. If your water heater runs on gas, check on the pilot light to see whether it’s on, then turn it off to produce hot water. In case the problem is resulting from mineral deposits, you should drain the water tank to flush them out.
To keep your water heater running efficiently for long, regularly carry out maintenance practices, such as pressure valve checks, and the periodical removal of sediments by flushing the tank. You should also check for drips and leaks, which indicate a bigger problem. Water heaters often suffer complex issues that require the attention of an expert plumber in New Orleans, LA.
Leaky Pipes
Leaks often occur where there is a pipe joint, and can be a costly nuisance. They can be fixed using commercial fitting compounds and joint filers, which are readily available in most hardware stores. However, the two temporarily fix the problem.
Most leak repairs are not that complex but can end up being very messy, requiring plenty of clean up time after the repair is complete. To avoid such an experience, you need a professional plumber to handle the leak.
Before the plumber comes, you can temporarily fix the leak using an easily removable leak tape or the compression clamp and rubber sheet.
Tree Roots
Maybe at the time of your sewer line installation, there was no vegetation around. However, with time, trees and other plants grow close to the system and their roots spread inside the soil. Roots grow relentlessly and are powerful enough to break the pipes, hence causing a severe problem. In case of such an occurrence, you call a plumber to replace the crushed part of the pipe.
You can also carry out preventive measures such as treating the line with poison, which prevents the roots from growing toward it. Using a power drill to clean the line on a regular basis is another alternative.
As your house continues to age, you may experience such plumbing problems. Luckily, this shouldn’t get you worried as you can seek expert plumber services by contacting the experienced contractors at bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of New Orleans, LA.
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