UPDATED 1/25/21
A leaky or clogged drain or pipe is any homeowner’s nightmare. It can only lead to worse things, like burst pipes and basement flooding. Some hardy souls will try and fix the damage themselves, and likely make things worse, leading to an emergency. In fact trying to fix some plumbing problems yourself, like water heater repair, is downright dangerous. Fortunately, once you call in the experts, there are very few problems that an experienced plumber can’t fix. Fixing clogged or leaky pipes can most likely save you some money on water bills as well.
Leaky pipes waste water and money
Water leaks cost American households hundreds of dollars each year. Depending on which part of the country you live in, water can be a precious resource that should not be wasted. Sometimes quite major leaks can go undetected for a long time. It is estimated that 5 to 10% of American homes lose 90 gallons of water a day or even more due to leaky pipes.
On average, a household’s leaks can waste more than 10,000 gallons of water each year. That’s the amount of water used for washing 270 loads of laundry. Fixing those leaks could save both water and money. Homeowners can save about 10% on water bills by fixing household water leaks.
Clogged toilets lead to the most residential loss claims
Along with leaky pipes, clogged toilets are one of the most vexing and expensive plumbing problems that homeowners face. After plumbing supply pipe failures, they are the second leading cause of residential water losses.
A review of 1,304 toilet failures that led to residential loss claims found that a third were due to an overflowing or backed up toilet. Problems with supply lines, fill valves and toilet flanges (wax seals) were responsible for 45% of all toilet failures leading to residential loss claims. In many cases, early identification of the problem and professional repairs could have saved money and prevented property damage.
Call in the experts
Problems like clogged drains and leaky pipes are almost impossible to avoid in the course of a adult’s life. It could almost be said that unless you’ve dealt with a flooded basement or a backed up toilet, you haven’t really experienced life. No one said all experiences have to be pleasant ones!
However, you can learn from experience, and know that their are times when you just have to call in the experts. Some of the commonest problems for which people call the plumber are:
- Drain cleaning
- Emergency plumbing
- Toilet repair
- Water heater repair
- Leaking or burst pipes
If you suspect that there is a leaking pipe somewhere in the house, or that you will be in need of water heater repair, it may be a good idea to call in a plumber for a pre-emptive inspection, to prevent problems down the line.
When something doesn’t quite fit down the drain, there is the possibility of the drain becoming clogged. When the drain in the bathroom not draining, there are a few things that you can try to unclog the drain. You can use bathroom sink clog remover to try to remove it, and this will sometimes work. Other times, you need a plunger to loosen the items in the drain and get it flowing again. There are also other ways to fix clogged drains, such as putting a long “snake” tool into the drain to put out the solid material.
If the bathroom shower clogged, a plunger is often the best way to get it unclogged. It may take a few minutes of plunging the drain before it gets unclogged. When the bathroom shower drain clogged, the shower is unusable. If you aren’t able to get it unclogged yourself, you likely will need to get a plumber to come to your home to unclog the drain. This is often a last resort, as most people want to clear the drain themselves instead of paying to get it done. If you don’t want to call a plumber, keep trying to unclog that drain.