Clear Plumbing Red Flags That May Be Dangerous to Ignore

By Brian Sodoma, for Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning

As we move into winter, many homeowners tend to prioritize maintaining their boilers and any other HVAC systems, often overlooking other important utilities. While protecting your heating is a smart move, your home’s plumbing system will sometimes need help now and then too.

You might want to consider an annual plumbing checkup. After all, plumbing issues are often only discovered after something breaks, but it’s also probably true that your system might have been giving you warning signs for a while. To avoid serious repairs, here are several often overlooked signs that your home’s plumbing needs our attention.

1. Restricted Water Flow

If the plumbing’s water pressure falls suddenly, that’s often because there’s an issue with the water supply. It could be a failure somewhere along the main line as well as a pipe within it, explained BJ Richardson, a Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning plumbing manager.

However, if the drop in pressure is isolated to one room, like the bathroom or kitchen, it might be a fixture problem. It may be a simple fix, like replacing your faucet aerator or addressing a water heater issue. Or it could possibly be something a little more complex, like a supply line leading to that room.

“I always tell people to review their water bill too. If these pressure drops happen at the same time when you also have to deal with a higher bill, there might be a deeper problem,” Richardson said. “It’s also a good idea to check your water meter if the total usage changes abruptly. That’s another way we determine you have a leak somewhere.”

In certain situations a sudden drop in water pressure can be related to the municipal supply – if that’s the problem, that is easily resolved with help from a booster pump.

2. A “Sewer” Odor That Won’t Go Away

“While clogs in the kitchen or bathroom sink can sometimes cause unpleasant odors due to trapped remnants, a persistent sulfur or rotten egg smell suggests a more serious issue. Drains have a trap and vent inside them and either component can fail. If the smell persists, you may have to consider a blocked sewer or even a sewer gas leak. Diagnosing and fixing these problems is usually best handled by the professionals, Richardson said.

Keep in mind that although propane and natural gas have a distinctive smell, those leaks are often mistaken as a sewer smell. When in doubt, call a professional.”

3. Rusted or Discolored Piping

Discoloration and visible wear on exposed pipes are other signs that can be easy to overlook. If you’re in the basement or near exposed piping, it’s useful to examine exposed pipes. Noticeable wear and discoloration usually suggests an impending leak.

Most discoloration happens in sections where two pieces of piping meet. Overlooking discoloration is particularly dangerous when it comes to your main water lines because they are pressurized, Richardson explained. When the pipe breaks, it can lead to serious flooding in your home very quickly.

For some sections of the piping, discoloration can be caused by the different chemicals local authorities have to sanitize and treat the water.

4. Poor Drainage

We understand it may be tempting for homeowners to fix clog-related problems with liquid drain cleaner, but this is usually only a temporary fix and can potentially damage your plumbing system. Although we’ve all heard of hair clogs, the truth is hair is not the actual culprit. Items such as cleaners, toothpaste, hand soaps and even the natural oils in our skin create a sticky scum on the drain walls that traps hair and other small particles, which most liquid drain cleaners won’t clear away. Using a drain machine or snake will be the most effective way to tackle this type of slow drain or clog. In many instances, if there is considerable debris inside the pipes below the sink, cleaning it usually solves the problem. But when this doesn’t work, it could mean you need to look for a more significant issue.

“The thing you should monitor is if multiple drains are constantly clogging, and the problem doesn’t clear up itself after cleaning the drain under those sinks,” said Brian McMasters, a Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning division plumbing manager. “The sewer line might also be in need of cleaning, but in some cases, the issue comes from tree roots that reach and crack a sewer line. Repairing a main sewer line is obviously more involved and requires trenching down where the leak is to repair it.”

5. Damp or Flooded Spots in the Yard

Regularly examine all around your house, as well as your yard. It’s advisable to do so every week. Many times, a broken underground water or irrigation line leak, or even a sewer main line leak, shows itself gradually, once a significant amount of water has already leaked underground. Look for soft, sunken spots in your yard as these may suggest a hidden issue.

“You also want to watch for things such as unusually green patches in typically dry or yellow areas of the lawn,” said McMasters. “Sometimes, that’s a sign there’s a problem that needs an expert’s attention.”

Find out everything you need to know about solving common issues with plumbing systems and receive expert help at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning.