Plumbing 101: Importance, Problems and Hacks

Do you know why plumbing is considered the most essential installation in a house? Any system that conveys fluids is known as plumbing. Its applications can be endless; from waste removal to heating and cooling (HVAC).

Importance of Plumbing

Plumbing is important because of many reasons, such as:

• The primary purpose of plumbing is to harness water and make clean water available to us for heating/cooling our rooms, toilets, shower heads, and other areas of the house.
• Innovations in the plumbing sector have made it possible to install systems that require less amount of water to avoid wastage of this precious resource.
• Water sustainability is often overlooked, which results in wastage of billions of gallons of water. The most significant reason for such an occurrence is inefficient plumbing and a taken-for-granted attitude towards this renewable resource.
• Efficient plumbing will also reduce your electricity consumption, as less water usage equals less water heated or transported.
• Plumbing plays a crucial role in keeping the environment of our rooms comfortable for us. It also prevents meals and fruits & vegetables from going bad by keeping the kitchen climate pleasant.
• Efficient plumbing systems ensure clean water and removal of all the wastewater from the house. This prevents the spread of communicable diseases; improving our lifestyle and life expectancy notably.

Common Plumbing Problems and Easy Hacks to Resolve Them

Plumbing is considered a boon for individuals because not only does it allow us to harness and use clean water but also reduces water wastage in our daily lives.

The primary reason for irregular water consumption is plumbing problems which result in immense amounts of water wastage.

Such problems need to be resolved right away because apart from wasting clean water, they also damage your property. Some plumbing problems and their hacks are mentioned below:

1. Leaking Pipes

Leaking pipes are nasty for the interiors of your house. However, repairing them is easy as well if you don’t have to replace them completely.

The market is filled with sealants which can be used to block the leak-point; problem solved. You must attend immediately to the cause of the issue too.

2. Running Toilets

Do you have a backed-up septic tank in your bathroom?  In simple words, it means that your septic tank is unable to store water & is continuously leaking, or due to some issues, you are experiencing slow flushing.

Figure out the cause of the issue, and then, replace the part which is broken because repairing it without any technical knowledge might increase the problem even more.

Cleaning the tank is another easy way of resolving the issue because slime accumulation is a common cause of running toilets.

3. Clogged Drains

Your drains can get clogged due to many reasons like tangled hair, residue from washing clothes broken plastic, etcetera.

The first step that you can take is to check why is it happening and then accordingly, choose a solution like baking soda and water, chemicals or you can get your hands dirty too if you want.

The crucial reason why you should not avoid it is because it might cause leakage or even spoil the plaster coating of your house.

4. Dripping Faucets

Dripping faucets are not just irritating, but can also stain the floors, as already mentioned above. Mishandling the faucet, clogged drains or overflow are common reasons for such an occurrence.

It is easy to replace a faucet, i.e. remove the handle by unscrewing the nut.

Then, pull out the stem to remove and replace the seat washer. Lastly, screw it back to see if it’s working or not. Pay attention to the cause to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Not all problems can be fixed by you, so in that case, you should call in a plumbing professional immediately. Some of the common plumbing problems that you may not be able to fix due to lack of equipment and/or technical experience are as follows:

• Low water pressure
• Inefficient cooling/heating
• Electrical issues with the plumbing
• System shutdown

Things You Need to Take Care of

You need to make sure that you don’t have faulty plumbing because of the following reasons:

• Water wastage due to excessive consumption.
• Leaks can damage your property, as water accumulation will stain the floors and dripping water will spoil the walls.
• Faulty plumbing can also flood your basement and damage everything that you have stored in.
• You might ignore a small leak, but do you know that it can also damage the entire system?
• What if the water drips to an electrical board? No need to explain, right?
• Have you spent a fortune on the interiors of the house? Accessories, art, paint on the walls, lighting, and sound systems cost a little too much, ain’t it? Why risk spoiling everything by ignoring faulty plumbing? It isn’t worth it.

The negative aspects of faulty plumbing might have made a home in your mind by now, right?

So always keep an eye on the system and pipes to make sure you don’t fall prey to such a situation and bear unnecessary losses in repairs and replacements.

Regular service and checks by experienced professionals are another way of ensuring that you don’t waste water and also, that your systems are working efficiently.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)