Your home’s plumbing is a critical component that requires regular inspections to ensure its functioning well in all seasons. However, many people neglect its maintenance as long as everything is running smoothly, or there are no significant issues. Here are seven things that could go wrong when your home’s plumbing is neglected.
Leaks That Could Cause Massive Property Damage
Drips and leaks might seem like minor problems, but they can lead to more significant issues such as burst pipes when not dealt with on time. Leaks can occur because of missing washers, rusted joints, cracked pipes, or old faucets.
Leaks can damage ceilings, walls, carpets, hardwood and weaken your home’s foundation. Look for local plumbing repair experts to investigate the problem when you discover stains on ceilings, moisture on walls, or mold growth. Also, regularly clean out any debris that builds up in your drain lines. Failure to do this could result in clogs and other draining issues such as toilets backing up and leaks.
Health Problems
High moisture levels, leaking sewage and mold growth can lead to health problems such as allergies, sinusitis, coughs, wheezing, and overall respiratory health problems. Mold and mildew grow on surfaces exposed to water, especially where water sits for extended periods.
Leaks and poor drainage systems are the leading causes of mold growth. Mold spores can be airborne, migrating far away from their sources. Also, note that not replacing old pipes can lead to bacteria growth. Using galvanized pipes contaminates the water with toxic lead levels. Not to mention that toilets backing up and flooding due to clogged drains can lead to illnesses.
Water Wastage
Neglecting your home’s plumbing quickly leads to water wastage. An average person wastes about 30 gallons of water every day. Leaks, inefficient faucets, and running toilets are the leading causes of water wastage.
Treat water as a scarce resource to ensure you use it properly. Recycle water to water your plants, harvest rainwater, and keep the plumbing system working correctly to prevent unnecessary water usage.
Decreased Efficiency
Leaks, clogs, busted pipes, and old faucets can reduce efficiency leading to plumbing problems. Also, you might experience diminished water supply or reduced pressure. This means that you cannot effectively carry out tasks such as washing dishes, taking a shower, flushing the toilet, or washing your clothes.
High Costs
Your water bill will go up due to leaking pipes and dripping faucets. When you don’t attend to minor issues such as a leak, it becomes a more significant problem that costs more to fix. Water damage to your ceiling, walls, floors, and valuables can also be expensive.
Decreased Home Value
Homebuyers thoroughly inspect a home’s plumbing system before determining its property value. If your home has glaring plumbing issues, you’ll either have to fix them, or you may have to accept a lower selling price for your home. Water damage leaves unsightly marks on the ceiling, walls, and floors and clearly shows evidence of potential mold growth. Overall, plumbing issues make your home less competitive on the market.
Not Meeting Safety Codes
The plumbing codes set in your area are designed to protect you, the homeowner. Even if you don’t have any significant issues with your home’s plumbing, make sure you meet the codes.
Doing so assures you that the water you’re using is safe and the sewage system is functioning correctly. The most common code violations include not installing a backflow prevention device, not using the specified materials for the job, and not having an approved water service line. Violating codes can lead to fines and penalties, and may even render your insurance invalid.
A Well Maintained Plumbing System Is a Worthy Investment
A plumbing system is one of those home additions that are easy to overlook, but could cost you a fortune when issues escalate. Understanding how to maintain the system will prevent frequent problems, guarantee a safe water source and ensure manageable bills. You’ll also have peace of mind knowing that you are less likely to have an expensive and stressful plumbing emergency to deal with down the road.
