Plumbing may seem like a complex mystery, but some common plumbing problems you can investigate yourself before calling in a Gaithersburg plumber.
Drainage Difficulties
Whether it’s a slow drain, a backed up drain, strange gurgling sounds emanating from a drain or unexplained wet spots on the lawn along the path of a drainage pipe, no one wants to deal with a messy drainage debacle.
However, if you are experiencing one of those problems, here are some steps to try in order to get to the bottom of it:
- Explore the extent of the problem. If it is just your kitchen sink that runs slowly or backs up, then you know it is localized, but if all your toilets are backing up, then that is probably a different kind of problem.
- If there is just one offending drain — as in the kitchen sink example — flush it with boiling water and/or white vinegar. If necessary, you can also try a commercial drain clearing product.
- With a more general plumbing problem, it helps to determine the route along which the water is draining. See if you can figure out where the drain pipes run through your home, which can help you determine if the problem is somewhere along the drainage line.
Wasted Water
Has your water bill gone through the roof lately? This could be due to wasted water that you don’t even know about. Below are some causes of wasted water and how to determine them.
- Dripping faucet or running toilet. This can be pretty obvious because they make noise, so listen up! Especially pay attention if the toilet runs sporadically at unexpected times.
- A leaky pipe. This culprit is trickier, so look for signs of water along your base boards, on the floor near plumbing fixtures and underneath sinks.
- If you still can’t find the culprit, check your water meter and note the reading. Then check it again in an hour to see how much was used. This piece of information can at lease clue you in to the extent of the problem.
These techniques aren’t foolproof and won’t help you determine 100% of problems, so don’t be afraid to call a Gaithersburg plumber if you need any assistance. Service Doctors is available 24/7 for all your plumbing repair needs.
