It’s easy to forget to maintain the parts of your home you don’t see every day. Your plumbing is one of those areas.
Don’t assume that your plumbing doesn’t have problems because nothing is visibly wrong. An estimated 10% of households have leaks and don’t know about it.
Do you want to learn what the common winter plumbing problems are? Make sure to look for the five common plumbing problems below when winter arrives.
1. Clogged Drains
Winter is holiday time, so you’re probably going to use your kitchen and sink more often. This extra usage leads to a lot of clogged drains.
While a clogged drain may not seem like a big deal, it can turn into more significant issues if left alone. A drain gets clogged because debris gets stuck in your water pipes. When that debris sticks around, it can lead to bad odors, leaks, health risks, and dirty water.
2. Broken Water Heater
The last thing you want to do when you turn on the shower is to be blasted with cold water. Don’t be surprised when this happens with a broken water heater.
Unfortunately, this is a common problem in the winter. Your water heater has to work harder to heat your water in the winter. When this happens, your water heater will strain more and become more prone to breaking.
The type of repair you need will depend on if you have an electric or propane water heater. Contact the right person for the job to get things fixed.
3. Frozen Pipes
Frozen pipes are the number one concern for people who live in cold climates. Unfortunately, frozen pipes can lead to more significant problems. If your pipes don’t unfreeze, it can cause them to burst and cause more damage.
It’s crucial to unfreeze your pipes as soon as you can, so take action yourself or call a plumber to help.
4. Frozen Septic Tank
You have reason to worry if you use a septic tank for your home. If the temperature gets cold enough, your septic tank can end up freezing.
When your septic tank is frozen, your waste removal won’t work in your home. You won’t be able to flush your toilets or drain your sinks. If things get bad enough, you’ll have waste overflow in your yard.
You need to thaw your tank as soon as possible when this happens. If left untreated, your tank and pipes can burst, leaving you with a more expensive repair.
5. Frozen Sump Pump
Your sump pump is there to help keep the lower levels of your home dry. If you aren’t careful, it can freeze during the winter months.
This is a problem if you’re experiencing snow. If your sump pump can’t keep the water from the melting snow out of your home, you’re going to end up with an indoor flood.
Don’t Ignore Plumbing Issues
Don’t wait to deal with any plumbing issues you find. The longer you take to get something fixed, the more of a chance there is for your problem to get worse. If you wait too long, you could end up paying even more money to get things fixed.
Do you want to learn more home repair issues that you need to watch for? Head back to our blog to learn what they are.