Updated February 5, 2024
The plumbing in any home is a complex system. Most of the piping is hidden from sight, although that can often make it difficult to properly diagnose when something goes wrong. To help you better understand what your plumbing system may need when it comes to repairs, we’ve listed the five most common problems you might encounter.
In most cases, you’ll need to call on a professional plumber in Des Moines, IA to fix the problem. Plumbing issues are rarely something you can remedy with a tool belt and a DIY guide from the Internet! Contact us to schedule fast and effective plumbing work: we’re confident enough to offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on our services.
One: Leaking Pipes
Pipes can start to leak anywhere inside a home’s plumbing. Even copper pipes can suffer from corrosion leading to leaks. (Copper is corrosion-resistant, not corrosion-proof.) Unless the leaking pipe is under a sink or otherwise exposed, it’s hard to notice at first that anything’s wrong. If you notice high water bills, discolored spots on the walls or ceiling, or the growth of mold and mildew, you may have a leaky pipe. Professional plumbers can use leak detection to find the damaged pipe and repair it.
Two: Broken Sump Pump
Sump pumps perform an important job for us in the Des Moines area: removing excess water that can flood into basements during the spring thaw. Sump pumps are also invaluable in case of a plumbing emergency sending water into the basement. When a sump pump breaks, it’s often a serious emergency. We recommend testing the sump pump in your home before spring each year to see if it needs to be repaired.
Three: Continually Running Toilet
You may have already encountered this problem before—it’s extremely common. Sometimes the issue is as simple as a tangled chain in the tank. But it could also be a decaying stopper, leaky gasket, or other troubles that will require a plumber to fix. Shut off the water flow at the feed valve and call a licensed plumber.
Four: Low Water Pressure
When you first notice a drop in water pressure around your home, check with your neighbors to see if they are experiencing a similar problem. This will tell you if the low pressure is from the municipal system. If the problem appears to be with your plumbing, this might be a warning of major leaks in the freshwater system, even a broken water main.
Five: Water Heater Trouble
Few appliances do as much work in a home as a water heater. The system needs to run 365 days a year, and all that work pressure can cause malfunctions cutting off the hot water supply. But even smaller malfunctions can lead to a drop in hot water volume or water temperatures. Never attempt any repairs to a water heater on your own: let experts look over the system and find out what’s the matter so they can apply the right repair.
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