A house has a number of utilities that keep it safe and comfortable to live in. For example, the walls and attic should have proper insulation, and the heating and air conditioning should be in fine working order. The plumbing, meanwhile, should also be in good shape. A clogged drain, slow drainage, or leaking pipes can quickly cause a lot of issues, and water damage can expensive. A homeowner is urged to call a plumbing service for all but the easiest repair jobs, and a plumbing service may not only fix or replace faulty pipes but also replace the water heater if need be. A water heater leak can be a real issue, and over time, water heaters wear out anyway. A plumbing service may swap out an old water heater for a newer, better one, and a plumbing service may also perform drain cleaning as well. How often do American homes suffer from leaks and water damage due to plumbing issues? And can water-efficient toilets or sinks make a difference?
Issues With Plumbing
A damaged plumbing system in a house can waste a lot of water per year, and many American homes have this problem, adding up to a lot of wasted water. On average, a household’s leaks will waste nearly 10,000 gallons of water per year, and this is the water needed for about 270 loads of laundry. And if enough homes are suffering from leaks and other plumbing issues, this adds up to enormous amounts of wasted water. Some estimates say that as many as 10% of all American homes have leaks, and this totals up to over one trillion gallons of water wasted per year. Even leaking faucets can add to this problem. A leaking faucet that drips once per second may waste as much as 3,000 gallons per year. And of course, worn out pipes or those with faulty joints will leak as well.
This adds up fast on the water bill, and a homeowner may get a nasty surprise on his or her next water bill. And that’s not even counting water damage. The unintended presence of water can damage drywall, for example, and these ugly water stains call for costly repair to the drywall. In other cases, leaking pipes can cause a lot of water to pool into the basement, and standing water down there is a real problem. Standing water may erode the walls and floor over time, and all this extra moisture may also foster mold growth. Standing water can also damage a furniture or stored items down in the basement. What can be done about all these plumbing issues?
A Plumbing Service
A homeowner, with the right tools, may be able to fix the smallest plumbing problems alone, such as a leaking faucet or its pipes under the sink. Anything on a larger scale, meanwhile, mandates a plumbing service be hired, and a person can look online for local plumbing repair contractors. Once these professionals arrive at the home, they can carry out all sorts of repairs.
Plumbers can access pipes that the homeowner cannot, and fix, repair, or unclog them. These professionals can access deep sewage pipes, for example, and break up clogs, or they can even dig up pipes to replace them. Plumbers can also fix the joints on pipes or replace eroded pipes to prevent further leaks.
Plumbers may also replace features in the home that use water, if those features are damaged or very old. Old toilets, sinks, and bath tubs can be swapped out for new ones that are in better condition, and these new appliances will also meet water efficiency standards. Low-flow toilets and other features can save on the water bill over time, helping them pay for themselves. Down in the basement, a sump pump may be installed to help draw up standing water in cases of flooding. And finally, the water heater can be replaced. A water heater builds up solid sediment in its tank over time, meaning that it will have reduced capacity for hot water. This results in hot water shortages, so the heater can be replaced with a cleaner, and even bigger, tank when plumbers are hired to help out.
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