Many people wait until a plumbing catastrophe to call in a professional. But if you have to call a plumber out because something went seriously wrong with your plumbing, it makes sense to have them check as much as they can while they're there. So spend a little time checking your faucets (including showerheads) to make sure everything's working like normal.
While the first priority of your plumbing visit may be getting your toilet working again or draining the standing water out of your tub, it can save you some headaches down the road if you get your minor plumbing problems checked out at the same time. And since part of the cost of hiring a plumber is getting them out to your home, you can save yourself some cash as well – especially if your home is in a remote area.
Make A List
To make the most of the plumber's visit, it's helpful to have a list of what you want checked out. Going around your home and testing out your various plumbing fixtures is a good way to do this. If you're the type to be extra prepared, you can even start keeping permanent notes about your plumbing, marking down whenever you notice something wrong or get something fixed. Either way, you don't want to forget about a minor problem and have it grow into a major one.
Look For Leaky Taps
See if any of your faucets are dripping water when turned off. This problem is more than an annoyance – you're wasting water. If you pay for municipal water, you're wasting money as well. And money aside, a leaky faucet can cause minerals from the water to build up in the faucet, reducing water pressure, or in the tub or sink, causing staining.
Check Water Pressure
Turn each faucet in your home on full blast and feel the water pressure. Does it seem abnormal? If it's hard to tell, try turning the faucet to the level you usually use it at. Then see if it seems lower than you're used to. Remember to test both hot and cold water; they don't need to be identical in pressure, but they should be consistent with how the plumbing has always been. What you are on the lookout for is change.
If your water pressure is lower than normal at just one faucet, it could be from a buildup of minerals in the faucet, and you can clean it yourself by soaking it in vinegar and water. If multiple taps have low water pressure, however, this points to a more serious problem, as does low pressure that doesn't respond to cleaning. It's possible that a pipe has become clogged or damaged, slowing the amount of water that can get through. If pressure is getting worse for hot water only, the hot water heater may be to blame.
Watch Drain Speeds
Run each faucet in your home for a few minutes, and see whether the water drains away properly. It's easy to overlook a slow drain when you're not paying attention, but they are the earliest signs of a clog. A single slow drain can often be treated with a chemical drain product, but if multiple drains are slow, the problem is deeper within your plumbing system, and you should definitely let your plumber know.
For more information, contact Rakeman Plumbing or a similar company.
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