What are the common plumbing problems?

Leaky faucets are annoying, wasteful and expensive. The most obvious detriment to having a leaky faucet is wasting water. Assuming that a faucet drips just once per second, that's 86,400 drips per day. At 15,140 drops per gallon, that's a total of 5.7 gallons of water wasted per day.

That equates to more than 2,000 gallons a year, which is equivalent to about 8 tons of water literally going down the drain. These are the numbers of a single faucet. If the house has more than one leaky faucet, waste multiplies quickly. Even if you have a slow drip faucet, you're wasting a lot of water.

Fixing a leaky faucet and avoiding all these problems can be as simple as putting in new o-rings, but it also depends on the type of faucet you have. A functioning toilet is an even more wasteful version of the leaky faucet problem. How bad can it get? Well, a small toilet will waste 20 to 30 gallons of water per day. A medium-sized toilet will waste more, while a functioning bidet will waste a dozen tons of water a month.

If the toilet is running and a couple of quick movements of the handle don't make it stop, then you should call a plumber. Of course, the functioning toilet could be as simple as a leaking lid. This continues to waste water, albeit at a very slow rate. One of the most common problems people call an expert plumbing professional for is slow drains.

Often, these problems occur for reasons similar to those of clogged toilets. God knows what debris gets stuck in your pipes. As with toilets, don't throw objects down the drain that could clog. Unfortunately, it's usually not possible to effectively submerge the kitchen or bathroom sink, and it's not a good idea to try because of how unsanitary it is.

Leaky pipes are often the first thing people think of when it comes to calling a plumber. It could be a toilet pipe that leaks, a pipe that leaks under a sink, or just about any other pipe in your home. Leaky pipes, such as leaky faucets, not only create enormous waste of water, but they also damage the home. Water rots wood, causes metal to rust and builds up to form breeding grounds for both bacteria and insects that transmit diseases.

Leaky pipes and other fittings may need to be replaced. Even the highest quality items wear out over time. If the culprit is an accessory, it could be so old that it would be impossible to find parts for it, at which point it's best to replace it. Pipes, whether made of metal or PVC, can be replaced much more easily than a complete system.

A professional plumber will not only be able to advise you on how best to proceed, but also perform the repair or repairs of everything from a pipe leaking under the sink to signs that it is about to sprout behind the drywall in the hallway. Sudden increases in your water bill can be due to a variety of reasons. One drip per second from a single faucet equals just under 6 gallons per day. Normal use for a family of four is approximately 200 gallons per day.

Over the course of a month, that'll be 6,180 gallons instead of 6,000 and those extra 180 gallons will add up over time. The weather can also affect your bills; dry weather increases water use as you work hard to keep grass from dying. The fact that there are more people living in your home also translates into greater water consumption. When someone complains about low water pressure, it's usually in the sink faucet.

The first thing to check is whether low water pressure is affecting both cold and hot water. If both heat and cold have low pressure, the aerator is most likely the cause. Calcium deposits slowly build up in the faucet's aerator and reduce water pressure. A blocked aerator is a very easy thing to fix.

To clean a faucet aerator, carefully remove it, wipe off any dirt that has accumulated on it, and then put it back on. Another common plumbing problem that many people are familiar with is a functioning toilet. There are several things that may be causing the toilet to work, but they are easy to fix. The first step is to find out what is causing the toilet to work.

Once you know which of the functional parts of the toilet is causing the problem, you can replace or repair it and stop the flow of water. The build-up of calcium and sediment in the aerator is usually the most common reason for low water pressure. But always remember that this plumbing problem can also be a symptom of more complicated problems, such as hidden water leaks in the home, blocked sewer pipes, and corrosion in the pipes. Like leaky faucets, even toilet wastewater that drips up to 200 gallons a day.

This is a common plumbing problem that usually occurs when the flap valve that controls the water that passes from the toilet tank to your bowl is faulty. But the solution to this problem is relatively simple, provided you have access to a toilet repair kit. However, even if the pipes were installed by the best professionals, everyday wear and tear, along with involuntary errors (such as pouring oil and grease down the drain) can cause plumbing problems over time. It can be difficult to self-diagnose plumbing problems or even explain the problem to plumbers.

To avoid looking completely clueless, here are five common plumbing problems, how to learn about them, and what to expect from the service. . .