Leakage Archives - Plumbing Houston

8 July

Kick The Drip – A Common Faucet Problem

July 8, 2022May 16, 2023admin_innaLeakageNo Comments

If you’ve ever dealt with the dripping of a leaky faucet, then you know it can be one of the most pesky annoyances in your home. The constant slap of tiny drops of water against your sink can keep you up at night and be one of the most bothersome problems in all of your homes plumbing.

Although you might overlook this seemingly small problem and just consider it to be an annoyance you can live with, the problems run deeper than just being a bother… So what causes a leaky faucet?

Normal day-to-day use can cause irreparable wear and tear on your faucet.

The bad news is that just constantly turning it on and off can cause the washers and stems in your faucet to wear out.

The good news is that these can usually be replaced by a plumber without requiring you to replace the whole sink or faucet.

Not only is it annoying to have a faucet in your home constantly dripping, it can waste a lot of water. While it might not seem like much, that little drip can add up to gallons of water (or more) wasted. Not only is that hard on the planet, it’s hard on your wallet.

Aside from the annoyance, the water wasted, and the unnecessary expense, a constant drip can cause erosion. It changes more than the performance of your faucet; a leaky faucet will also change the appearance of your sink over time.

Rebuilding when you see the early signs of a leak can really extend the life of your sink. Kick the drip and fix it as early as possible.

15 April

Preventing Drain And Pipe Problems With Camera Inspections

April 15, 2022May 16, 2023admin_innaLeakageNo Comments

Clogs and leaks can be a common plumbing problem, even for the most well-maintained of homes. While most issues may be solved with a plunger or drain cleaning, other problems may be difficult to detect until it’s too late. Sometimes you’ll need to call in for professional help, but the good news is that a plumber has the right tools to not only repair the problem but thoroughly inspect your plumbing.

How a Camera Inspection Keeps Your Plumbing Clean, Clear and Functional

A camera inspection works with a plumber attaching a waterproof camera to a sewer cable which is pushed into your plumbing. While the camera travels through your plumbing, the plumber can look inside your pipes to detect and potential problems. Your plumbing is complicated, and early detection is crucial to preventing most plumbing catastrophes. Nobody wants to deal with a busted pipe or backed up sewage, and luckily with a camera inspection, you don’t have to. Here’s how a camera inspection can help you.

It’s accurate. The best perk of a camera inspection is how precise it is. Since a plumber can now visually inspect your plumbing, they can spot exactly what and where the problem is. It’s a quick way to accurately diagnose the problem without the money-wasting trial and error.
It can prevent future problems. A camera inspection can catch much more than a stubborn clog or leak. Plumbers can catch other issues such as cracks in the piping, pests, and other damages.
It involves less labor. Plumbers used to have to dig to get at the sewer line or cut into the walls to access your pipes. Most sewer inspection cameras are fit to travel through large pipes or the smallest of drains.

When Your Plumbing Needs a Camera Inspection

Your plumbing can be complicated. Some issues happen on the surface, but everything is connected to your main sewer line, and the deeper clogs or leaks will need professional help. The trick is to know when you’ll need to call in a plumber. The good news is that there are plenty of warning signs to watch out for, including the following.

Slow drains. If you’re having trouble with a sink, the issue may be a clog in your home’s plumbing. If it seems that several water fixtures won’t drain properly, then you most likely have a clog somewhere in your sewer line. A thorough drain cleaning with hot water and a mild detergent, or vinegar and baking soda may work, but if flushing each drain does nothing, then it’s time to call a plumber.
Pests. Rats and bugs are never a good thing, but if your home is visited by these unwelcome pests, they may be coming from a crack somewhere in the sewer line. Cockroaches and rats can squeeze through even the smallest of gaps. If you suspect there’s a crack somewhere, it’s crucial to seal it immediately.
Higher water bills. If it seems like your utility bills are higher than usual, the culprit could be a hidden leak. Because leaks can be small, a camera inspection will be able to accurately and quickly detect the source of the leak.
Sewage backup. Sewage should go down your pipes, but if it winds up going the opposite direction, you’ll want to call a plumber immediately. If the sewage only backs up out of one drain, then it’s most likely isolated to that drain. If it seems like sewage backs up every time you flush a toilet or use a sink, then the problem may be much deeper in your sewer line.
Foul odors. You shouldn’t smell sewage in or around your home. If you do, there’s probably a crack somewhere in the sewer line. A camera inspection will be quick to find where foul odors are coming from.
Mold. If you smell something foul and musty, call a plumber immediately. Not only is mold toxic to your health, it needs excessive moisture to grow. If there’s mold growing in your home, there’s usually a leak that’s causing it.
Greener, lusher grass. While your lawn may be looking good, it may be due to a leak in your sewer line or septic tank. Vegetation thrives off of raw sewage. Watch for pools of septic water that can form in your yard from a leaking sewer line.

Be Proactive with Your Plumbing

Keeping your plumbing clean, clear, and functional can be a challenge, but a camera inspection can help make it easier. Detecting problems early ensure your plumbing stays well-maintained and spares you the cost and trouble of much worse plumbing problems. Don’t wait until your pipes burst, call plumbing Houston today to schedule a camera inspection. (832) 404-6144 (24/7)

29 March

3 Common Drain Clogs That Are Completely Avoidable

March 29, 2022May 16, 2023admin_innaLeakageNo Comments

Pipes clogs and “Fun” are never used in the same sentence around here! It can be quite confusing to figure out, and seem to happen at the worse possible time, every time. No matter, It will be an extremely frustrating task to figure out what caused, and the best way to mitigate the problem. The pipes being clogged are generally caused by the same common reasons we see over and over again. We’ve gone through and found the top three common problems, how to fix them, and how to prevent them from happening in the first place.

Why Do Clogs Occur In The First Place?

Most home piping systems are made sort of like the roots of a tree. You have the trunk of the tree, similar to the mainline that runs the length of the home. This is the mainline where water travels and branches off into the other smaller pipes throughout the house. Like as your bathroom, kitchen, hot water heater, etc. Generally speaking, an inspection is needed to isolate where the clog is happening. They generally occur due to poor maintenance, and a lack of understanding of how the pipes work in the first place. Some homes have numerous twists and turns that can cause large globs of toilet paper, hair, and food to get stuck, resulting in a clog.

Hair Clog

Many people think if you have long hair, you’re the primary cause of a clogged drain with hair. That’s a myth. Anyone with hair, long or short can contribute to a drain clog of hair. What happens is the hair builds up along the drain and slowely makes it’s way down the drain. As hair clumps together, the surface area becomes larger making it almost impossible for it to just flow down the drain. If you see a clump of hair sitting on the top of your drain, there is likely 5 – 10x more of it in the drain itself. To visually see how shorter hair can clog a pipe, take a look at your his and her sinks, if your man shaves, his drain probably drains a little slower than yours!

Food Waste

We discussed this briefly in our Do’s And Don’s Of Garbage Disposals

The best way to mitigate food waste and food clogs is to invest in garbage disposal. If you don’t have one, just avoid pushing food down the drain for any reason. Most kitchen sink drains have a small catch drain that will allow you to catch food particles. Next time you’re washing dishes, and you pull the catch drain from the plug, look at how much food is in it. Imagine if this was all in your drain? Garbage disposal will almost certainly prevent this from ever being a problem, now, or in the future.

Toilet Paper And Other Items

This is the most common by far. The best solution to this is a Bidet. Bidets allow you to use significantly less toilet paper or none at all in some cases. It uses high pressured water to clean you rather than using a tissue to do it. The unfortunate truth is everyone is created uniquely differently, and some people simply use way more toilet paper than others. These clogs can be considerably more complicated to unclog as well because toilet paper that’s been getting wet for a while can become extremely hard to the touch when a lot of it is pushed up together. Alternatively, it’s never ever a good idea to flush anything other than tissue down the toilet. A common practice is to also flush paper towels in a pinch. This is a very bad idea as paper towels are extremely thicker, and cause considerably more damage when used.

Need Help? Give Us a Call

No matter the severity of the clogged pipe, or the reason, Plumbing Houston can help you knock it out. When you come across a blocked drain or toilet, pick up the phone and enjoy our same day service appointments at no additional cost. Give us a call today at (832) 404-6144

Category: Leakage