None of us can live without water. But too much of it in the wrong place — say, your basement floor — can make a big mess and cost a lot of money. Avoid those and other headaches by avoiding plumbing fails that may lead to them.
Plumbing Fail #1: Skipping an Inspection
If you don’t have any current or potential plumbing issues to address, congratulations. It’s a nice feeling, right? Keep it up with an annual plumbing inspection.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that each person in a household uses between 80-100 gallons per day. That’s 29,200 gallons per year or 927 full barrels. In a four-person home, water usage tops 117,000 gallons or more than 3,700 barrels.
That’s a lot of water running through your home’s pipes. If everything is A-OK now, aim to keep it that way with an inspection. Here’s a rundown of the areas you can check. But if you want the sort of assurance that provides peace of mind, you want a professional to do it.
Plumbing Fail #2 : Letting It Go
What no one tells you when you first buy a house is that it comes with all sorts of mysterious noises. Sometimes you hear them during the day, other times you hear them at night.
Most of the time, you probably ignore them. “It’s just the house settling,” you might tell yourself.
Never let a noise go, though, when it occurs after someone starts a shower, washes dishes, or otherwise uses water. Banging pipes, tapping sounds, and periodic quiet hissing noises may be pipes that are ready to burst or already leaking.
Small problems not addressed quickly can sprout into enormous problems overnight.
Plumbing Fail #3: Not Doing Your Plumbing “Home” Work
Has your water bill increased lately? Are all the valves in your home tagged so that you know where they go — and which ones to shut off in an emergency? When was the last time you looked at your sump pump? And speaking of sump pumps: what’s your backup plan in case it fails?
There are ways to tend to your home’s plumbing without picking up a single tool or calling a plumber. All it takes is increased awareness, periodic checks, and the one-time expense of tags such as these or these.
Turning Plumbing Fails Into Straight A’s
WaterWork Plumbing can help you with your plumbing problems 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Simply contact us; we’ll arrange an inspection or repair at a time and date that works for you. You can also reach us at 248-206-3912.
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