Plumbing Problems You Should Watch For

The average home’s plumbing system is pretty sturdy, in order to cope with the large amount of demand put on it from day to day. However, it’s also a pretty large and complex system. Years and years of using the system every day can cause all kinds of issues with the plumbing. Further complicating matters is that many of the problems that can afflict plumbing systems can be quite difficult to detect at first. You need to be vigilant for signs that your plumbing system is having issues, so that you can have them repaired as soon as possible. Faster repairs means more damage prevented, which is always a good thing.

Dropping Water Pressure

The two most common plumbing issues that a system will have to deal with are leaks and clogs. While these two issues can occur suddenly, they very often don’t. Most of the leaks that occur in the average plumbing system are minor pinhole leaks, while clogs are often due to things like lime scale building up over time. If you start to notice the water pressure in your home dropping, whether suddenly or over time, it’s a good idea to have a plumber take a look at the system. You should move especially quickly if you notice the water pressure dropping suddenly, or if it affects the entirety of your home. That often indicates a pipe rupture, or a problem with your water line, respectively.

Rising Water Bills

You should always be keeping an eye on your home’s monthly water bills, just to make sure that everything is being charged properly. If your monthly bills start rising for no apparent reason, it might mean that you have water leaving the plumbing system without you knowing it. In other words: you have a leak. There’s actually a pretty easy way to check if there’s a plumbing leak in your system.

First, make sure that you turn off any plumbing appliances in your home. Then, have a look at your water meter. If the water meter is still running, it almost certainly means that you have a leak somewhere in your system. Make sure that you have a plumber examine the plumbing to determine exactly where it is.

Lime Scale

Lime scale is a slow and insidious problem that afflicts many plumbing systems across the country. It’s the result of hard water, which is water with high levels of calcium and magnesium in it. As the hard water flows through the pipe, it deposits small amounts of these minerals on the pipe walls. Those mineral deposits are lime scale. As the lime scale builds up in the pipes, it will gradually start to restrict the flow of water through them. If it isn’t removed quickly enough, it can harden and require that the affected pipe be replaced. If you notice a white, chalky substance in your shower or around your faucet, you should call a plumber as soon as possible.

Bell Plumbing and Heating offers a full range of plumbing repair services in Littleton, CO. If you have reason to believe your plumbing system is in trouble, contact us today to schedule an appointment.