We all know the obvious signs that there’s a plumbing issue at hand: A pool of water under your sink from a leaky pipe or a clogged toilet. However, there are more subdued signs that a plumbing problem is ongoing or may be on the horizon. Having detected and resolved hundreds of plumbing issues throughout Southwest Michigan, we want to help homeowners be on the lookout for plumbing issues before they become a messy emergency.
Below are 8 overlooked signs that you may have a plumbing issue in your home:
Low Water Pressure
If you are only having low water pressure in one faucet, it can often be easily fixed that by cleaning your faucet aerator. If that’s the case for you, here is a helpful article from The Spruce that shows how to clear a blocked aerator.
If you’re having low water pressure in multiple locations, there is likely a bigger problem at hand. This could be a sign of a leak or clog somewhere in your pipes. Another cause of low water pressure could be an issue with your hot water heater. Hard water can build up over time due to minerals and other sediments accumulating within the hot water heating and connecting pipes. If there is quite a bit of build-up, this could definitely cause lower water pressure, seeing as it blocks water flow.
High Water Bills
If you’re finding your water bill is rising, and you aren’t changing your water usage by doing something like watering your lawn more often, then chances are your home may be experiencing a hindrance in its plumbing somewhere along the line (as in your plumbing lines). Often, this is due to a toilet that is constantly running or a leak somewhere in your pipes, which in both cases, you should give your plumber a call.
Slow Drainage
If you’re continuously frustrated because your tub takes forever to drain, this is another sign of your plumbing not working properly. Commonly, this is the result of hair building up or something else clogging a tub or shower drain. Sometimes it can be a problem farther down the line that may need significant snaking (say that 10x real fast), but either way, these clogs are a pretty easy fix. However, slow draining throughout the entire home may indicate that there is something wrong with your sewer line, which is considered a plumbing emergency that requires a call to the professionals.
Peeling, Bubbling Paint or Wallpaper
If you’re noticing paint or wallpaper peeling or brown spots on the ceiling this is likely due to moisture from a hidden plumbing leak. So before you fix your paint or wallpaper, be sure to call a plumber to find the leak and have that fixed so the same problem doesn’t keep occurring.
Abnormally Green Grass Patch in Your Yard
Normally green grass is the sign of a healthy lawn, but if you’re noticing one patch in particular that is super green, and the grass around it is not in comparison, then you guessed it – you have a plumbing problem. Actually, in this case, it could be the result of a leaking sewer drain, which creates sunken areas in your yard due to the additional fluids. This leak could be caused by material degradation or intrusive tree roots, both of which can damage the exterior portion of your plumbing system.
Murky Water Color
The only color your water should be is, that’s right, no color at all – absolutely clear. So let’s go through the different water colors that warrant a call to your plumber. If your water is brown or yellow, then the probable cause is rust in your pipes somewhere. If you have cloudy water, that can be the result of air in your pipes. Lastly, and less common, if your water has a green tint, this can be caused by substantial erosion in your copper pipes. If this is the case, you should call your plumber immediately because pipes in really bad shape usually mean a leaking problem isn’t far behind.
Rattling Pipes
The only sound you should hear from your pipes besides water running through them, is…absolutely nothing. Just like your water should be crystal clear, your pipes shouldn’t have any sound coming from them. If you hear a rattling sound, especially after you shut off a valve, you may have a water flow problem. When water stops abruptly or goes in a different direction quickly, this creates a shockwave causing loose pipes to rattle or it may even sound like loud banging. The culprits could be high water pressure or possibly air chambers in your plumbing that are flooded, all of which are signs that you need a plumbing inspection.
Bad Smells Coming From the Drain
We actually featured this on our blog last week: 5 Smells in Your Home That Could Be Dangerous. However, it also is something to pay attention to within your plumbing if you are smelling a sewer smell from your drain consistently. This smell could mean a block in your drain or a break in your sewer line. Generally, drain traps create a water barrier to prevent sewer smells from entering into your home, and the vents lead up through the roof so that smell can easily exit.
If your trap is dry and there’s no water blockage to stop this smell from coming back through your drains, then the simple solution is to just run water through that drain, as this can happen if water isn’t run regularly in an unused room. If you have a cracked sewer vent, that requires a call to a professional to help find it and fix it.
Summary
Depending on your knowledge of plumbing, some of these signs you may have an issue within your plumbing system may be obvious, and if so, you probably didn’t make it this far in the blog even. For those of you still here, these all are commonly overlooked signs that cause bigger plumbing issues if not detected right away. Do you have a plumbing problem we didn’t cover in this article? Make sure you leave your question in the comments, and we’ll get back to you with our professional opinion. Thanks for reading!
