Need help preventing pricey plumbing disasters?
In just a moment, your plumbing system could spring a leak…or even worse, burst a pipe. According to the EPA, residential leaks waste nearly 1 trillion gallons of water every year across the country.
The good news? Plumbing emergencies aren’t a mystery to homeowners who want to prevent them. There are some simple and practical tips homeowners can take to help prevent disastrous water damage on their property.
Contents
Table of Contents
- Why Plumbing Emergencies Happen in the First Place
- Plumbing Emergencies You Shouldn’t Ignore
- Preventing Plumbing Emergencies: 6x Tips to Help Save You Time, Money, and Stress
- 4 Plumbing Emergencies You Should Call a Professional
Why Plumbing Emergencies Happen in the First Place
Most homeowners know that the key to preventing plumbing emergencies is through prevention. But in many cases, the underlying reasons why emergencies happen at all are a mystery to most people.
Here are some facts you should know.
Water damage is one of the most common home insurance claims among U.S. families. On average, insurance companies pay out $13,954 per water damage claim. And that’s not even including the stress of dealing with repairs, mold remediation, and temporary living situations.
Cost is only one aspect of the problem. Plumbing emergencies can cause structural damage to a home, destroy personal belongings, and even create long-term health hazards from mold and mildew. That’s precisely why working with expert plumbing services for regular maintenance and inspections makes such a big difference in your home’s overall protection.
Plumbing Prevention
A single drip from a faucet wastes more than 3,000 gallons of water per year. That means a tiny leak you can’t even see going down the drain can waste thousands of gallons of water every year. It also causes excess damage to the area around your plumbing fixtures over time.
Plumbing Emergencies You Shouldn’t Ignore
Before a plumbing emergency has a chance to happen, your home will often give you some warning signs that all is not right with your plumbing.
Here are some of the most common plumbing problem warning signs to keep your eye out for…
- Unexpected increases in your water bill
- Water spots on walls, ceilings, and floors
- Musty odors from cabinets or the basement
- Slow draining sinks, tubs, showers
- Changes in water pressure
- Discolored water coming from your taps
These warning signs might seem small at first. But they all have one thing in common. If they are ignored, they always turn into larger and much more serious plumbing problems.
A slow dripping faucet eventually adds up to thousands of gallons of water. A bad smell behind a cabinet usually means rotting water damage that gets much worse the longer you wait. A sudden increase in water pressure can indicate pipes that are under too much stress.
Over time, this extra strain can lead to weakened pipe walls that eventually burst.
According to the EPA, 10% of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons of water or more every single day. Don’t be one of those homes.
Preventing Plumbing Emergencies: 6x Tips to Help Save You Time, Money, and Stress
Here are the six most effective ways to prevent plumbing emergencies. All six tips come from the prevention strategies used by professional plumbers every day.
Tip #1: Know Your Shut-Off Valves
This one is the most important of all the tips in this list. You must learn where your shut-off valves are located in your home.
If you have a plumbing emergency, shutting off the water as soon as possible can mean the difference between a small and a major problem.
Every plumbing fixture in your home has an individual shut-off valve for that fixture. Your home also has a main water shut-off valve that controls the entire water supply.
Things You Should Look for in Your Home:
- Main water shut-off (located near the water meter)
- Toilet shut-offs (behind the toilet near the floor)
- Sink shut-offs (under the cabinet)
- Washing machine valves (behind the unit)
Check these valves every few months to make sure they still work properly. If they haven’t been used in a long time, some older shut-off valves can freeze in place. You don’t want that to happen in the middle of an emergency.
Tip #2: Inspect Your Water Heater Regularly
Water heaters don’t last forever. Most tank-style water heaters have a useful lifespan of 8-12 years. The older your heater, the more likely it is to fail.
Warning signs of a water heater that needs replacement or maintenance include brown or rusty water, strange noises when the heater turns on, and puddles of water at the base. Annual inspections can prevent a failed heater from becoming an emergency.
Tip #3: Don’t Allow Frozen Pipes
Frozen pipes are one of the most common causes of bursting pipes during the winter months. When a pipe freezes, the water inside expands and creates pressure that can crack the pipe.
To prevent frozen pipes:
- Insulate exposed pipes in unheated areas.
- Keep cabinet doors open during cold snaps.
- Let faucets drip during extreme cold.
- Keep your home’s heating at an appropriate level during winter months.
Tip #4: Clean Your Drains
Clogged drains are more than just a minor inconvenience. Bad clogs can lead to sewage backups and overflow conditions that require emergency plumbing intervention.
Never pour grease, coffee grounds, or fibrous foods down your kitchen sink. Use drain screens in your bathroom sinks and showers to catch hair and debris. Never flush anything but toilet paper and waste down your toilet.
Tip #5: Monitor Your Water Pressure
High water pressure might feel good in the shower, but it is putting enormous stress on your entire plumbing system. High pressure can cause joint failures on pipes, leaks on appliance connections, and premature fixture failures.
Normal household water pressure should range from 40 to 60 PSI. Anything higher should have a pressure regulator installed.
Tip #6: Schedule Regular Maintenance
Most homeowners fail at this one the most. Professional plumbing inspections can catch problems homeowners may never see otherwise.
Certified plumbers can identify corrosion, loose connections, and aging components that may be about to fail. Annual plumbing inspections are a small investment when compared to the price of emergency plumbing repairs.
4 Plumbing Emergencies You Should Call a Professional
Some plumbing emergencies require immediate professional intervention. It is important to know when to call a professional to help avoid making a bad situation even worse.
The following 4 plumbing emergencies all require a professional to handle them right away.
- Signs of sewage backup in your home
- Burst pipes or any major leaks
- Complete lack of water coming from any taps in your home
- Gas odors near the water heater
- Flooding of any kind in your home
Never attempt to deal with any major plumbing emergencies yourself. Water damage can spread quickly throughout your home. Professionals have the necessary tools and expertise to contain the damage as quickly as possible.
Wrapping It All Up
In just a moment, your pipes could burst, a faucet could spring a leak, or you could end up with sewage backup. But plumbing emergencies are no longer a mystery to homeowners who want to prevent them.
Plumbing emergencies are 100% preventable. By being aware of your home’s plumbing system, watching for early warning signs, and taking the time to maintain your plumbing every year, you can help prevent the stress and expense of water damage.
Here are the main points we covered:
- Know the locations of all the shut-off valves in your home.
- Watch for early warning signs of plumbing problems.
- Prevent pipes from freezing during cold snaps.
- Keep your drains clean to avoid clogs and backups.
- Watch your water pressure to make sure it’s not too high.
- Schedule professional plumbing maintenance every year.
The average family throws away nearly 10,000 gallons of water per year from household leaks alone. Imagine how many loads of laundry that is…300 or more going down the drain every year.
Preventive measures today can help protect your home tomorrow. When problems do occur, you’ll be glad you had a professional plumber on speed dial.
