As a homeowner or property manager, you’re in charge of all maintenance duties. This means that you have to know at least the basics of your home heating and cooling systems, plumbing, and electricals. But there’s another advantage to learning how to maintain your home plumbing, and that is saving on your water bills by preventing and fixing leaks. Another essential skill for a homeowner is to know when you can tackle a plumbing problem yourself and when it is necessary to call in a professional Sacramento area plumber.
Why you need to know the basics of home plumbing
Plumbing systems are complex and have to be maintained properly, to prevent major problems that can be expensive to fix. It’s best to identify problems early on, such as developing leaks. This can save you money and a lot of trouble done the line. Most people don’t realize that even a minor leak can waste a lot of water, but an undetected leak can cost as much as $164.50 over a period of five months.
Leaks may also cause serious structural damage to ceilings, walls floors and basements. If a minor drip develops into a major leak and bursts a pipe, you could have a flooding problem. A leak of 1/8-inch can spew out 250 gallons of water in a single day. However, if you keep any eye open for warning signs, you can avoid such problems by finding and fixing leaks before they get out of hand.
How to identify leaks
You can sometimes see dripping taps, but many leaks remain hidden. That’s because most of your plumbing is hidden too. However, there are some signs to watch out for, such as wet spots or small puddles of water on the floor, or damp spots on the walls and ceiling. You may even see a drip forming in the ceiling. If you have wood floors, sagging floorboards may be a sign that they are taking on moisture. Carpets may develop mold or mildew if they overlie a water leak or are adjacent to a wall with a leaking pipe.
Even if there are no visible signs, a musty smell may indicate a leak somewhere. Likewise a sudden drop in water pressure or an inexplicable increase in your regular water bill may indicate that you have a water leak. Once you’re sure that you have found a water leak, you need to decide if you can fix it yourself or if you should call in a Sacramento area plumber.
What to do if you have a leak
If you know your home’s plumbing system well enough, the first thing to do if you have a leak is to shut off the water supply to that section of plumbing. For a major leak you may need to shut off the entire water supply for the house, but in general, you can just turn off the valves for the water supply to just the one fixture. Once you’ve shut off the water supply to the problem area, it’s best to call in a nearby Sacramento area plumber.
Unless you’re an accomplished do-it-yourselfer and know exactly what you’re doing, it’s best to leave the repairs to your local plumbers. Some homeowners can fix leaky faucets, but leaky pipes should be fixed by a nearby plumbing service. More complicated problems should be handed over to a trained and certified plumber, who has the skills and training to do the job properly.
Homeowners should know the basics of their plumbing system and especially how to locate leaks in the water pipes. Repairs are best left to a professional Sacramento area plumber, before a small problem becomes a large one.
