While owning a home or managing a commercial facility doesn’t mean you have to be an expert plumber, having a general understanding of the plumbing system can certainly be beneficial! In other words, what this “general understanding” entails is going to involve knowing the purpose of the various plumbing components, having the ability to detect when something isn’t right (i.e. a water heater that’s starting to fail), scheduling or performing routine maintenance, and avoiding procrastination on any needed repairs. Each of these items are important in their own right, and as a whole, will help in keeping your plumbing system up and running!
The final point we mentioned above was “avoiding procrastination on any needed repairs.” No matter if it’s a slow drain, frequent back-ups, a water heater that seems to consistently have issues or anything else, you’ll want to avoid letting plumbing issues sit for extended periods of time without getting them fixed. In some cases, the longer they sit unfixed, the worse they end up getting. One potential plumbing problem that can definitely vary in terms of severity is a leak. You can have a leak in a water line, sewer line, gas line and so on. Throughout this week’s blog post, we’ll discuss why it’s so important to avoid letting any type of leak sit unrepaired for very long.
For any first-time blog visitors, we welcome you to Stine-Nichols Plumbing! We are a residential, commercial and new construction plumbing company based out of North Kansas City, MO. Our team of experienced and trained plumbing professionals are ready to help with resolving a wide variety of plumbing issues. Water heater installation, drain cleaning, sewer line repair, you name it! To request a free estimate, feel free to give us a call at (816) 348-3481.
Never Ignore Gas Leaks
In homes that utilize gas, you’ll notice that gas lines are intertwined throughout several aspects of the house. Whether that be indoors (with the water heater, stove, etc) or outdoors (with a fire pit or outdoor grill), they definitely can serve an important role. Having said that, if you ever experience a gas leak, you’re going to want to act on it immediately. In addition to being a potential fire hazard, a gas leak can also be particularly dangerous for any occupants of the home. Upon noticing a natural gas smell, you’ll want to leave the house right away and call the gas company.
Did you know that we offer gas line services at Stine-Nichols Plumbing? As a plumbing contractor, having the ability to work with gas lines is a MUST. Our team possesses years of experience with them and can help with running new lines for water heaters, outdoor living areas and more!
Water Damage Can Be Costly
When you think of a “plumbing leak,” odds are a water line leak is going to be the first thing that comes to mind. Furthermore, I’m sure you’re also well aware of just how much of a financial toll can be caused by water damage. If it arises as a result of a broken or cracked water line, you’ll obviously need to get that piping repaired to fix the issue, but depending on how long it sits unfixed, the potential financial repercussions can extend much further than that. It can create mold that is challenging to get rid of and also not great for the health of anyone living in the house. It can damage household possessions in the home. Due to water being wasted, you could see an increase in your monthly water bill. By the way, since some water lines aren’t readily visible (such as being in the ceiling or behind the walls), it’s not always easy to notice right away and may require your repairs to entail much more than just fixing a small section of plumbing pipe.
What To Do When You Notice a Leak
As I mentioned above, a “plumbing leak” can mean a number of different things. When you have something like a gas line leak, you’re going to want to leave the house and call the gas company. When you have a major water line leak, the first thing you’ll want to do is turn off the water to the entire house at the main shut-off valve. While you wait for your local plumber to get out there, this is the best way to limit the overall damage. With that being said, make sure everyone living in the house knows where the main shut-off is!
Another area where the word “leak” comes up is in relation to specific plumbing fixtures. Take the toilet, for example. Are you familiar with a running toilet? It’s definitely the perfect example of a small plumbing issue that’s easy to put off fixing. After all, how much damage can actually come from letting this plumbing problem sit? Well…when you realize it can usually be fixed relatively easily and quickly (sometimes just by replacing the flapper), you’ll likely just go ahead and get it repaired! Whether that be in the form of you fixing it yourself or hiring a plumber to complete the repairs with a short service call is up to you, but the main takeaway here is to just get it fixed and avoid letting it waste any more water.
Sewer Line Troubles
With many pieces of your plumbing system, it’s not hard to see how they serve an important purpose in your day-to-day life. One of these that you don’t typically get eyes on, but undoubtedly is something that you need to have working effectively, is the sewer line. Unfortunately, sewer lines can fail for a number of different reasons. Particularly in older homes with large trees in the front yard, tree root infiltration can be troublesome. Another possible cause could be the failure of the existing sewer line due to old age. Sewer lines aren’t built to last forever and some materials are certainly better than others. Nonetheless, having the ability to look out for the potential warning signs of sewer line trouble can help in prompting you to call in a professional sooner rather than later. Grass that’s unusually damp, slow drains, frequent back-ups and bad smells are just a few of the possible signs of a sewer line issue.
In any case, a break in your sewer line is not something you want to mess around with! If you think you may have a sewer line issue on your hands, call in a plumber to check it out and have them camera the line to see what exactly is going on!
Call the Plumbing Experts at Stine-Nichols!
Have you ever dealt with a leak? No matter if you own a home or manage a commercial facility, plumbing leaks can arise due to a number of different reasons. Whether that be an inadequate original installation, gradual failure from consistent wear and tear or any other reason, the one thing that you’ll want to avoid doing is procrastinating on the repairs. Over the course of this week’s blog post, we highlighted a few instances showing why this is the case!
Need plumbing help? As mentioned in the opening section, our team of plumbing experts have years of experience solving a wide range of plumbing projects. From fixing a small leak or installing a new faucet to repairing a damaged sewer line or even roughing in a new bathroom, we’re here to assist with all of your plumbing needs. Fill out the form HERE and a member of our team will be in touch!