If it was not already obvious, pipes are a vital part of your home. An old or outdated pipe structure is always running the risk of breaking, especially if they are under consistently high amounts of stress and have barely been maintained since they were originally installed years ago.
Knowing when to back off and call a repair specialist is important. Too early, and you might have overestimated the problem, but leaving things too late can cause even more damage to your home. So, how can you tell when pipe repairs are necessary?
Bad Smells
Bad odors, especially those coming from your drains or parts of your yard that receive drainage water, can often be a sign that something is wrong with your pipes. The worse the smell, the worse the problem, although there can be a variety of actual causes that will require a pipe inspection to identify.
If you notice bad smells around taps, your shower, your bath, or anywhere else that has direct access to water, then there is a high chance of a fault in your incoming water supply. It is a good idea to get this fixed as soon as possible since it could impact your water quality and potentially make somebody sick.
Backed-Up Drains
If your drains are backed up with sewage, or are otherwise running slowly and not really draining consistently, then there can be a blockage or other issue slowing it all down. This might not directly impact much, but it can increase the chances of the drain getting overloaded and flooded.
A total blockage is much worse since it means that no water can drain away. This tends to result in immediate flooding and can even break or damage appliances that are trying to drain into the blocked pipe. In some cases, it might even overflow your toilet, shower, or sink.
Gurgling Noises
If you can hear gurgling or bubbling coming from appliances like toilets, then there might be some issues with how well your drains are functioning. While the noises themselves might be completely normal, it is important to consider when they are happening.
If you start noticing weird sounds at all the wrong times, then that can be a very obvious sign that there are issues with your drainage system or pipework. For example, hearing a toilet filling up when you have not flushed it can either mean a leak or a problem with the pipe not being able to hold water correctly anymore.
Leaks
The most obvious sign of pipe damage is when you notice leaks. A leak might start small, but the water can gradually wear a wider hole through the pipe until it becomes a significant problem. Looking into pipe repair with NuFlow technology is often the best way to eliminate leaks and protect against future ones.
Whatever signs you notice, it is a good idea to get your pipes fixed as soon as you can. Pipe damage can become an increasingly serious problem if left unchecked, so you want to have it all resolved before it can snowball into a much larger issue.
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