Plumbing issues can be a real headache. Small repairs not taken care of early will turn into larger repairs later, causing you to spend more money. Not only will the repairs require more time and effort, but they could also disrupt your daily routine. In this guide, we will examine some of the hidden problems that could arise if you ignore minor plumbing issues.
Higher Repair Costs
Failing to repair a pipe with a minor leak can cause it to completely burst. A slow drain that is only a mild inconvenience can turn into a sewage backup that affects your entire wastewater system. This means that the toilet may have issues flushing, the sinks may not drain properly, and doing laundry may cause overflows. These new issues cost much more to repair than a basic leak.
When you put off or ignore plumbing needs, they often cause emergencies at inconvenient times. If you need to get emergency plumbing repairs in the middle of the night or during a holiday, the cost will be higher than standard repair costs. Not to mention, there may be collateral damage from burst pipes and excess water damage in the home that you will need to repair.
Leaks Lead to High Water Bills
You may not realize how much water a leak wastes, but if the water is dripping continuously over a period, your water bill will increase. In fact, a faucet that drips at a rate of one drip per second uses more than 3,000 gallons per year. A toilet that runs continuously wastes even more water. If you notice that your water bill is high, contact a member of our plumbing team at Plumbing, Cooling & Electrical Nerds to locate the leak and fix it quickly to avoid further money from going “down the drain.”
Appliance Damage
When leaky pipes are near an appliance, the water could cause the unit to malfunction. A few of the appliances that fall into the vulnerable category for receiving extra damage are dishwashers, washing machines, and water heaters. Water leaks can cause the motor to fail or cause the appliance to rust, so you will need to repair more than the leak.
In some cases, appliance repair might not be an option, which means that you may need to purchase an entirely new appliance. If the appliance is old, getting a new one could help you save money because it is more efficient. If your water heater is more than a decade old, call one of our plumbers at Plumbing, Cooling & Electrical Nerds to ask about getting a replacement in your home.
Water Damage
A small drip may not seem like it is damaging your home, but if left alone to drip for months, it will cause water damage to the walls, floors, and ceiling. The area will become discolored, and wooden floors and walls will rot. Once this occurs, it is difficult to repair the damage, and in most cases, the only option that will fix all the issues is a replacement of the whole floor or walls. This is especially true if microbial growth forms in the spaces where the water is dripping.
Structural Damage Risks
When you fail to address small plumbing issues, and they become larger, there is a chance of structural damage occurring in your home. Water damage can cause wooden beams to rot or the drywall crumble. With each piece of material losing integrity, the entire structure could be in danger of collapsing. Full collapses are rare, but when the structure is not stable, the walls can easily shift. In fact, if soil shifts away from the foundation of the home, more costly issues could arise.
Structural damage is not hard to spot in your home, so keep an eye out for things like:
- Walls bowing towards the center
- Cracks in concrete surfaces
- Uneven flooring
- Windows and doors sticking
- Cracks in the drywall near the ceiling
- Chimney separation
- Gaps around exterior doors
- Trim pulling away from windows
Health Risks Could Result
Leaks cause unwanted moisture in your home, and when that occurs, there is a chance that pests will come live in the space. Pest can carry illness and add the cost of an exterminator to your expenses. Standing water is also a danger to your health, as the water could carry bacteria that could contaminate your drinking water. Call us at Plumbing, Cooling & Electrical Nerds if this is a concern. We provide free water quality testing to ensure that your drinking water is safe for your family.
When moisture is present in the air, microbial growth occurs. A plumbing leak is the perfect breeding ground for this, and once growth begins, it is more difficult and costly to remove it. Keeping this type of growth in your living space can cause allergies and other respiratory issues. If any member of your family already has breathing issues like asthma, the spores growing in your home could severely affect their ability to breathe.
Potential Environmental Risks
Health hazards are not the only concern. Damage to your plumbing and sewage system can also affect the environment. Water leaks can also affect your outdoor electrical outlets. If you let a leak go until it is dripping into an outlet, the outlet could get a short in it, and it is even possible for an electrical fire to develop in your home. This would be a bad situation for you and the wildlife that live in the area, especially if the fire spreads.
Ecosystem contamination will extend far beyond the limits of your property. Wastewater leaks can introduce contaminants into nearby water, which local wildlife could potentially drink. These contaminants from your sewage system could also enter the soil, stopping local plants from growing. Wild animals near your home also eat these plants, which means that issues with your plumbing system could compromise their health and well-being.
Schedule Regular Plumbing System Maintenance
One way to avoid unexpected repairs is to have one of our team members do maintenance on your plumbing system. This is typically done once a year, and we tend to perform routine maintenance during the spring.
This helps us identify potential problems in your plumbing system and find a solution before minor issues escalate and become something more. During a maintenance session, we will check the drains for clogs, check the pipes for leaks, and replace gaskets and washers that are weakening due to wear and tear.
Contact a Professional Plumber
At Plumbing, Cooling & Electrical Nerds, we strive to ensure that residents of the Southwest Florida community don’t incur unexpected costs for extensive plumbing repairs. To prevent this, we try to catch small repairs in a quick, dependable fashion. Our team of trusted plumbing services experts serves the community with pride and has since 2007. Our community is like family, and we want to ensure your satisfaction with your plumbing system. We also provide air purification, heating, and cooling services.
Plumbing, Cooling & Electrical Nerds offers one of the best plumbing services in Southwest Florida. If you need a professional to examine your plumbing system, contact us today!
