When you think about plumbing in a modern home, you quickly realize that there is a lot of water coming into the home and a great deal of wastewater leaving. The network of plumbing pipes in a typical home are carrying water all the time, and if the plumbing system isn’t kept in great shape, leaks can occur. Water damage can happen quickly, or it could occur over a long period of time before it’s noticed. This type of damage is difficult and expensive to fix, and prevention is better than the cure. Here are three common sources of water damage than you need to avoid with preventative maintenance from your
local certified plumber.
- The Washing Machine
The modern washing machine is a great time saving device; it’s designed to work alone without any human interaction, and it leaves you free to perform other tasks. Most of the time the washing machine will work as intended, and there will be no problems when you return later to take out your clothes for drying. But, sometimes the washing machine hose fails and you may return to find water and soaps suds all over the laundry room floor. This is usually caused by overloading the machine; follow the manufacturer advice on load sizes in the owner’s manual. If you habitually overload the washing machine, you’re asking for trouble, and the hose could explode at any time.
- An Overflowing Toilet
When the toilet in your home overflows, it’s incredibly unhygienic, and it’s a terrible mess to clean up. When the toilet fails and overflows, it can cause a great deal of water damage in a very short period of time. A repair to the toilet and the surrounding areas could cost more than $5,000 to fix and if the toilet is on an upper floor the water can make its way into the ceilings of lower floors. The only way to avoid a toilet overflowing is to schedule some regular maintenance to ensure that everything is working correctly. The flush valve needs to be visually inspected, and all the systems need to be checked. If you’re not confident about doing this yourself contact a local certified plumber to do it for you.
- A Plumbing Failure
The pipes carrying water throughout your home are running through walls, floors, and ceilings and many of those pipes could be old. As a plumbing pipe ages, it will be more likely to become compromised with pinhole leaks and corrosion. A smaller leak may not be detected for some time, and this can lead to a lot of hidden water damage in your home. A larger leak or a burst pipe will be easier to spot, but the volume of water and the speed of the leak could cause a great deal of damage quickly. If you notice a failure in your plumbing system turn off the water at the mains and contact a local certified plumber to find the leak and fix it. If you have an older home, it’s a great idea to contact a plumber and get them to check your plumbing system. Every homeowner should get an annual inspection to ensure that their plumbing system is working well and this will reduce the chances of a system failure.
By Giovanni Longo President Flood Brothers Plumbing
Giovanni Longo is a 3rd generation master plumber who has been practicing his craft and trade in the greater Los Angeles area for well over a decade and a half. A plumbing and hydraulics-engineering innovator, Giovanni’s particular world-class expertise focuses on dealing with challenging sewer system designs as well as resolving complex commercial and residential draining issues. As a certified Flood Mitigation expert, he is also well versed in a wide variety of water damage and remediation solution.
