Blog

Common Plumbing Problems You Can Avoid

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Melbourne Plumber

Plumbing problems generally come with three things: headaches, wasted time, and a bill. When you take the time to recognize some of the most common plumbing problems and how to avoid them, you will save yourself a headache, wasted time, and money. Here are three of the most common problems and how to avoid them:

Problem 1 – A Backed Up Toilet

A toilet that has backed up can often overflow onto the floor underneath it. Whether you’ve got linoleum, wooden floors, or carpet underneath the toilet, it is never a fun or easy thing to clean up, let alone the smell it can leave behind. A backed up toilet can happen for a variety of reasons, such as too much toilet paper being flushed down, foreign objects being thrown down (such as toys), or things which are too thick being flushed, such as make up pads or cotton balls.

To avoid the toilet backing up, make sure to talk with each member of the family, especially the very little ones. Tell them that the only thing that should ever be flushed is toilet paper, and in minimal amounts. Explain that things such as cotton balls aren’t meant for the toilet and they should be placed in a trash can, which should be conveniently placed near the toilet to help everyone remember. Once you’ve had a backed up toilet, chances are you won’t want one again.

Problem 2 – Broken Pipes

Broken pipes can be the cause of huge headaches to a homeowner. If this happens, immediately shut off the water supply and call a plumber to fix the problem. Unfortunately, broken pipes aren’t always something you can predict, so it’s a good idea to have a licensed plumber’s phone number handy in cases of emergency like this.

Problem 3 – Do it Yourself Damage

Unfortunately, many plumbing problems are caused by overzealous do it yourself homeowners. While saving money is always a good idea, working on difficult plumbing problems is never recommended. If you’re not familiar with working with pipes and fixtures, it can be easy to break something or tighten a connection too tightly, resulting in stripping the connection. When this happens, a qualified, professional plumber can fix it right away.

Although all do it yourself homeowners mean well, it doesn’t always pay to try everything yourself. So unless you’re experienced with pipes and plumbing systems, it’s usually better to leave the plumbing to a professional.