Homeowners often assume that if there is something major wrong with their home or its plumbing, they will know. Often, plumbing problems are obvious. It's hard to ignore a flooding basement or sewage flowing up into your tub, for example. But there are other times when what seems like a minor issue is actually a big, red flag. If any of these problems are occurring in your home, you need to call a plumber ASAP.
Odors coming from multiple drains
If one drain is smelly, there is probably a partial clog in that drain. These can be caused by soap scum, grease, or even hair. While it is a good idea to plunge the drain and get rid of the offending material, this is not really an urgent or overly worrisome situation. When you do need to worry, though, is if many or all of your drains start smelling at the same time. This points to a blockage that is either further down in the larger drain pipes, or in the sewer vent stack. Both problems can lead to sewage backups and overflows if you don't handle them ASAP. So, call a plumber. They can use a special camera to locate the blockage, and then blast it away with a hydrojet or similar instrument.
Peeling wall paint
Is there an area on your wall where the paint seems to keep bubbling and peeling? It's easy to assume that this is a problem with the paint, and in rare cases, it may be. But more often, peeling paint means that the wall is a little bit moist—and that's usually caused by a small plumbing leak behind or within the wall. If you ignore it much longer, you'll end up with mold growth, and perhaps flooding if the leak gets larger. A plumber can use infrared technology to locate the leak. They may need to remove part of the wall to repair the offending pipe, but that's better than having to replace your entire wall (and flooring) because it has suffered such serious water damage. Note that a peeling finish on the floor can mean the same thing. There's probably a small leak beneath the floorboards.
Not all serious plumbing problems seem serious from the get-go. If you notice either of these red flags, don't assume the problem will fix itself. A plumber is almost always necessary to address the situation.
Contact a local plumber to learn more about residential plumbing repairs.
Share4 April 2023
After we realized that we wanted to build our dream home, we didn't waste any time looking for a team of general contractors. We wanted to find experts that really understood what they were doing and who could see our vision, so we talked with dozens of contractors. It was an exhausting search, but by the time we found the right team, we knew that we were in good hands. Within a few short months, our project was underway, and we felt great about the progress. This blog is all about finding great contractors who can help with everything from design decisions to ground preparation.
