3 Common Plumbing Issues and How To Avoid Them
With the potential for catastrophic damage or even just a hurdle in your daily routine, plumbing issues are one of the most frustrating situations for homeowners. But there’s a way around it. By understanding some of the most common plumbing issues and how to avoid them, you can limit any situation that can derail your daily life or cause unnecessary stress. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Low Water Pressure
Low water pressure can make your morning shower more of a drag than a pick-me-up and can even make your culinary prowess suffer. But as long as low water pressure isn’t from the source, you can still fix the issue.
In most cases, low water pressure is the result of one of the following:
- Drain clogs
- Pipe corrosion
- Water leaks in hidden areas
To avoid low water pressure, always clean your drains (and snake them as necessary), inspect your pipes regularly, and look for water leaks in areas such as the basement, crawlspace, or other areas you don’t normally frequent.
Our team of qualified technicians and plumbers in the Bay Area have helped hundreds of residents resolve low water pressure problems. At Express Plumbing in San Mateo, we take pride in not only treating the problem but finding the cause. So your plumbing issue is handled once and for all.
2. Poorly Functioning Water Heater
Going hand-in-hand with low water pressure, or at least in terms of an eye-opening shower, is your water heater. And when it’s not working properly, your mood and morale can suffer.
The average life span of a water heater is about 10 years, so if your water heater is beyond this, a replacement may be the only answer. If it’s younger than 10 years, the issue is often far simpler to fix than you might think.
To fix a poorly functioning water heater
- Drain it at least once a year to reduce corrosion or sediment within the tank
- Make sure that your water heater is large enough to support the usage in your home
- Check all electrical connections to ensure the tank doesn’t have any loose or broken connections
If you’ve ever considered a tankless water heater, contact our Express Plumbing team for a detailed proposal.
3. Running Toilets
While running toilets may not seem like a problem that’s going to cause catastrophic damage to your home, it can cost you hundreds per year! A running toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water a day, which can wreak havoc on your monthly water bill.
Fortunately, fixing a running toilet isn’t all that difficult, even for a novice DIYer. To fix a running toilet, use these solutions:
- Check the flapper or float
- Look for improperly sized flappers
- Check inside the tank for a corroded or faulty toilet handle
If you find any of these issues, the good news is that most fixes cost about $10 or less, making it one of the least expensive issues to repair out of all of the plumbing in your home.
Know When to Call a Professional
Not every plumbing situation is something you can readily handle on your own. Extreme situations call for extreme measures, but lucky for you, this only means making a quick phone call to our trusted plumbing professionals at Express Plumbing.
For multiple decades, we’ve been providing plumbing services to residents and businesses in the entire Bay Area. Next time you need a plumber, give us a call and count on us for all your service plumbing needs 24/7 including holidays and weekends.
