You don’t really think about it, and you use it every single day, but if it weren’t working, you’d probably live a very different life. What would you do if you couldn’t just turn a tap and get clean, safe drinking water?
What would you do if, in order to take a hot bath you had to start a fire to warm up the water? What would you do if needing to use the bathroom meant going out into the woods?
Indoor plumbing is one of the great foundation technologies that make the convenience of American life possible. But just because it’s built to last, doesn’t mean that nothing can go wrong. There are four possible problems that you need to keep an eye out for, so you can deal with them quickly.
Leaking Fixtures
Most of the time, we get pretty lucky with this one, and it’s an emergency that’s more inconvenient than anything else. It may happen on a tap or that showerhead in the bathtub or stall, but it’s easy enough to stop the leak by shutting off the flow of water.
Fortunately, fixing it isn’t much more difficult. In most cases, you can do it yourself! The chief cause of leaky fixtures is usually just a worn-out, easily replaceable small part, like a washer or O-ring. A wrench and a quick switch and you’re back in business most of the time.
Drains That Get Blocked
If you are attentive when it comes to the sinks in your home, you’re likely to get plenty of warning for this one. Blocked drains just mean that obstructions have built up somewhere in the drainage pipe, and often this first manifests as a slow draining sink.
Once you notice that things are draining slowly, you can take action. Try mechanical solutions first like a plunger or plumber’s auger. Be careful with off-the-shelf drain cleaners. These are corrosives, so they can damage older pipes, or even warp modern plastic ones if used incorrectly.
The Toilet Overflows
This particular plumbing emergency is the one that presents the most immediate health risk to people in a building.
Toilets, of course, are designed to quickly and efficiently get rid of human waste, because once it is exposed to the environment, there is always the possibility of contagion.
A toilet that overflows has a block somewhere so that it may have similar causes to a blocked drain, but exercise extreme care in dealing with this problem.
Pipes That Burst
Depending on where it happens, and the scope of the damage, a burst pipe can, unfortunately, be one of the most expensive emergencies to deal with.
A burst water pipe means water is constantly leaking out, potentially causing water damage to ceilings and walls. A burst drainage pipe means all that used water—including toilet water may be spilling into the building itself.
This type of fix usually needs experienced, qualified professionals to do the job safely and provide lasting results. When things are working out in your home or business in Katy, TX, enjoy all the convenience that your indoor plumbing brings you. But when things go wrong, try to assess how serious the problem is. Minor issues can be handled by you, but if it’s major, leave it to the professionals.
