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Keeping the plumbing system in your home is important, especially if you want access to fresh cold and hot water on a daily basis. If you’ve got a large family, it’s even more important to make sure all your fixtures and pipes are in good shape at all times. Unfortunately, most Minneapolis, MN, homeowners aren’t experts when it comes to plumbing, so the best they can do is call a plumbing service. If you’ve got a plumbing problem and you’re not sure what you should do, here’s how you can tell when it’s time to call a professional plumber.
Odors
Most of the time, you won’t notice any odd smells or sounds coming from your plumbing system. If you do suddenly smell something weird in a bathroom, basement or crawlspace, there’s a chance you’ve got a leak in your home. Any unexplainable musty or moldy smells should be reported to a plumbing service for inspection.
While a small leak that you haven’t even noticed yet might not seem like a huge deal, leaks can cause a ton of damage in your home. For starters, leaks can cost you a significant amount of money on your monthly water bill, especially bad leaks. On top of that, you have to worry about the water accumulating in your crawlspace, walls or basement and causing structural damage. When all is said and done, a small leak can easily cost you thousands of dollars.
Sounds
It’s not unusual to hear a little bit of water running when you flush your toilet, start a load of laundry or run the dishwasher, but you shouldn’t hear water running all the time. If you’re hearing the sound of running water when you’re not using any of the fixtures or appliances in your home, there’s a good chance you’ve got a leak somewhere in one of your water lines. These leaks can cost you a fortune on your water bill, so make sure you call a plumbing service if you think you hear a leak.
There’s another somewhat common plumbing problem called water hammer, which is a loud hammering noise that occurs when there’s too much water pressure built up in a pipe. While a water hammer isn’t a huge issue and isn’t too difficult to fix, it’s best to call a plumbing service if you’re hearing water hammer in your home.
Slow Drains
When you run water in your bathtub or sink, enough water should go down the drain that it doesn’t pool up. If it’s taking a while for the water to drain out of your sink or tub, it means there’s a clog somewhere in your drain that’s slowing things up. Even if a drain clog doesn’t seem like a huge problem, you should have a plumbing service expert remove clogs before they get worse and cause big problems.
If a drain clog gets too bad, it could lead to further damage in your sewer lines or even a sewage backup. The good news is, drain clogs are fairly easy for an expert to remove, so hiring a drain cleaning service isn’t a huge deal.
As far as keeping your drains clear goes, make sure you’re not using a chemical-based drain cleaner. Most plumbing service experts recommend using an enzyme-based drain cleaner because they’re safe for your pipes and effective at unclogging drains. Chemical-based drain cleaners can react with certain types of pipes and cause them to corrode, which can lead to very expensive damage. If you’re going to use a drain cleaner, make sure it’s not a chemical one.
High Water Bill
You never know how your water bill is going to change from month to month, but it should never change too much. If your water bill does change quite a bit, you should have some sort of explanation for how you changed your habits in a way that might have caused that increase in your bill. If your water bill suddenly shoots up and you have no idea why, it could be the result of a plumbing problem.
A high water bill is a good reason to call a plumbing service company because it’s a sign that you could have a bad leak in your home. If a water line is leaking and you’re wasting a lot of water, you still have to pay for it each month. A plumber can inspect your home for leaks and patch any existing leaks up so you’re not wasting money on your water bill.
No Hot Water
If you’re like most Minneapolis, MN, homeowners, you expect to have access to hot water every day when you wake up to shower. Waking up on a cold morning with no hot water is one of the worst feelings, and it’s also one of the top reasons for plumbing service calls.
Water heaters aren’t designed to last forever, especially if you don’t take good care of them. If your water heater is more than a decade old, there’s a good chance it’s simply nearing the end of its life. You can make your water heater last a little longer by having it flushed of sediment on occasion, but ultimately it’s best to have a plumbing service professional replace your water heater every 10 to 15 years.
The Simple Solution
As difficult as it can be to keep up with home maintenance and repairs, knowing when to call a professional is a good start. If you’ve got any of the problems mentioned in this article, you should call a plumbing service expert right away to have them check things out.
If you’re looking for a plumber in Minneapolis, MN, there’s no better choice than Paul Bunyan Plumbing & Drains. Whether you’ve got a drain you can’t get unclogged or a leak you need us to fix at a moment’s notice, we’re here to help. Whenever you’ve got a plumbing problem, just give us a call at (952) 209-9329.
