The plumbing system consists of pipes that bring water into your home and take away sewage. Yet plumbing is something you don't think about until things start going wrong.
Here are some signs that things are not right with your pipes:
Your tap pressure changes from a pleasant gush to a trickle or nothing.
If the normal pressure in your tap is reduced, that is a definite sign that something is wrong, and you need to fix your plumbing. Reduced pressure may be caused by a blockage lower down the pipe, or the pipe may have a crack in it.
Either way, you will need to call someone to help you fix the problem.
You hear a strange drip, drip sound somewhere in your house.
Sometimes the leak is small, and the tap drips only occasionally.
During the normal busy day at home, it can go undetected, but usually at night, when all is quiet, you will hear the unmistakable sound of a dripping tap.
Don't turn up your music to try to drown out the sound; a tap that leaks slowly or only occasionally has the potential to turn into a Niagara Falls fairly rapidly. Besides being annoying, dripping taps waste water.
Research shows that 10% of United States households have leaks in their plumbing that can waste up to 90 gallons of water per day. Call a plumber as soon as you hear the first drip.
You smell sewage in your house or on your property.
If there is a bad smell in your house or anywhere in your yard, it probably means a broken sewage pipe somewhere.
You need to fix your plumbing immediately to prevent serious damage to your property or start an environmental hazard.
However, this job is best left to the professionals who know how to repair sewage pipes and have the correct equipment. Don't try to repair the sewage pipe yourself.
These are just a few of the more obvious times when professional plumbers should check your system. Pay attention to the funny noises and gurgles you hear in the pipes.
If in doubt, call your plumber sooner rather than later to prevent more extensive damage to your property.
A small problem needs a small fix, but it may cost thousands of dollars to fix your plumbing if you leave it.