Common Plumbing Problems
Common plumbing problems are the bane of every homeowner, business owner, or property manager. There are several ways for plumbing to mess up your home or business, which means that there are some common plumbing problems you should watch out for. If you’re ever in doubt and need professional assistance, feel free to reach out to A+ Plumbing & Rootering, Inc, your local, friendly, and professional plumbing service. We’re always happy to consult with you about issues with your plumbing, including repairs, replacements, or installations and send a technician to you for free to diagnose and quote your repairs.
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How to Solve Clogs and Blockages
Clogs and blockages are one of the main plumbing problems that anyone can encounter. These clogs and blockages can be made from a variety of materials. This can include fat, grease, food, hair, skin, soap scum, sediment, corrosion, rust, and erosion (though those things can affect your pipes in other ways, too). Clogs and blockages can cause a myriad of issues, including fractures, leaks, joint leaks, and other complications.
Clogs are challenging in of themselves, since the clog has to be removed in addition to inspecting the pipeline to see if there’s issues with leaks or fractures. If untreated slow or clogged drains can easily escalate to other issues, which requires more money, more time, and more energy to be spent on your plumbing.
Blockages such as fat, grease and food from kitchens can require a new garbage disposal system, or a new sink and plumbing system leading to the main line. Old pipes can cause issues, which is often times the case with kitchen plumbing. Since plumbing is an unseen system, it can easily become neglected.
In terms of bathroom clogs, it can cause issues such as a blocked toilet, slow drains, and dysfunctional toilets, sinks, bathtubs, or showers. It can be difficult to correctly diagnose these issues, which is why you should rely upon a professional’s opinion.
Understanding Tree Root Invasion
Tree root invasions are another kind of blockage. Tree roots naturally seek moisture, which means they’re oftentimes drawn to plumbing systems. These tree roots can easily infiltrate your pipes, creating cracks and fissures along the entirety of your pipeline. This can cause major issues, including leaks, spilled waste, and a nonfunctional plumbing system.
Older pipes are at a higher chance of infiltration than newer systems. Old pipe materials can cause issues plumbing-wide, not just with tree root invasions. Newer pipes are made of new materials that do not corrode as easily.
Problems with Old Pipe Systems
Older pipe systems can cause issues with your entire plumbing, not just in certain areas such as tree root invasions or susceptibility to clogs, blockages, and fractures. It can be difficult to correctly assess if your plumbing is older than it should be, so a general guideline is if your pipes are older than forty years, it’s time for a complete inspection and complete repairs, and replacements.
Old pipe systems are oftentimes constructed out of cast iron, PVC, or clay. These pipe materials are not necessarily the safest to use for plumbing. Cast iron, for example, is likely to fall apart due to corrosion, rust, and erosion. It can also cause clogs and blockages due to the buildup of rust, and sediment. In terms of PVC, it’s like to fall apart because of extreme temperature changes. PVC can crack easily if it experiences cold or heat that it isn’t used to, which can cause issues with spillages and waste leakages. With clay pipes, the material can fall to water pressure, tree root invasions, or general wear and tear.
Pipes older than forty years are more challenging to work with than newer systems. Due to poor construction, wear and tear, and old age, old pipes can be a real hassle. That’s why most plumbing companies suggest repairs and replacements for old systems.
Take Care of Corrosion, Rust and Erosion in Your Pipes
Corrosion, rust, and erosion are huge challenges in any pipe material, especially in cast iron pipes. Corrosion, rust, and erosion can easily wear away at stubborn pipe materials and cause them to collapse completely.
Rust can narrow the pipeline down to a fine point, not allowing any more water, waste, or other processed materials to flow. Corrosion and erosion can make the pipe collapse, as well as making weak points in the pipes to allow tree root invasions to occur.
These issues can cause plumbing-wide complications due to the spillage of waste. Waste spills can make it so that the city comes down on you, challenging your ability to have a safe home. Waste spills can cause sickness, issues with health, and other complications.
Luckily, leak detection services, inspections, and pipe cleaning can help you with resolving these issues. Leak detection services can alert you to presence of weaknesses, while inspections allow a plumbing company to see what’s going on and pipe cleaning can scrub off the rust, clear up space for a repair, or make room for a replacement.
