5 Reasons Why You Need To Replace The Plumbing In Your House
The plumbing network is a silent network of soldiers that helps to keep you and your family members fresh and sweet smelling. According to research the ordinary person in homes spend around 60 to 120 minutes on their washroom, toilets, and bathrooms. Man, women, and men spend quite a bit of time in the kitchen washing their utensils and for other purposes including cooking. Hence, it is important to ensure that the plumbing network in your home in the best of condition. However, as our home ages, it is obvious that the plumbing network will also see some damages and wear and tear. While regular repairing, upkeep and maintenance may help prolong the life of the piping and plumbing system, there could be times when the plumbing system may need replacement, either partially or fully.
However, the whole plumbing network of the home will not come crashing down overnight unless there is a big natural disaster like storm, tsunami, or big fire. In this article, we will be looking at those classic signs and symptoms that could be pointing towards a failing and crumbling plumbing system. It would always be advisable to seek the counsel and advice of experienced plumber repair service Chantilly VA professionals. They will be able to offer proactive services that could help preempt costly and expensive replacements of the entire plumbing services. However, it would be interesting to have a look at those early symptoms that could point to the damage of the plumbing network. Usually, the damage starts from one place and it slowly spreads to the entire plumbing network.
We are listing down a few of the signs that could be ominous and could mean that the plumbing system could be falling apart if remedial action is not taken immediately.
1. Old Piping & Plumbing System
You may feel that your plumbing work is quite fine and doing well. However, like all fixtures and fittings, there is no doubt that plumbing networks also have a certain span of life.
Beyond which they will not be able to pull on. Therefore, you must consider the age of the plumbing network and the years in which they were constructed. For example, plumbing pipes constructed before the 1960s used galvanized steel and these tend to clog and corrode with time. Many homes also have used blue and grey polybutylene piping and they are also not free from problems. You can be sure that these types of piping systems are unreliable. Therefore, as a rule of the thumb, it would be better to regularly check plumbing networks that are more than 40 to 50 years old. The best option would be to have these old-style piping systems and plumbing networks replaced by the new ones because of obvious reasons.
2. Frequent Leak
You could also come across situations where you could see that the plumbing networks and pipes develop leaks. While leaks once in five or six years at some isolated place is not a problem, if it keeps happening every year or more than once in a year, then you can be reasonably sure that the particular stretch could be slowly getting damaged. Unless you can identify the location, segregate it and have it replaced with new pipes and plumbing systems, you could end up having a bigger problem. Repairing them repeatedly could be an expensive proposition and beyond a point repairing could turn out to be counterproductive.
3. The Age of the Piping & Plumbing Network
You also should have a clear understanding about the type of pipes you have in your home and the possible and probably lifespan of the same. You should regularly find out the condition of the piping and plumbing systems. It would not be possible for you to do the job and therefore you must take the help and assistance or professionals to do the diagnostic work and also go by the recommendations that they may have to offer. For example, water lines that are made from brass have a lifespan of around 40 to 70 years. Those with galvanized steel last for around 20 to 50 years. Copper water lines may have a life span of roughly around 50 years.
Cast iron and concrete drain lines normally should be good enough for 75 to 100 years. You should try and stay away from Polybutylene and polyvinyl chloride pipelines because they have a lifespan only for around 20 to 30 years. They are also prone to regular damages and regular repairs will also be required.
4. Consider Growth Factors
The growth of trees, plants and undergrowth could also determine the life of your plumbing system. If you have piping and plumbing systems running below your garden and backyard, make sure that they are checked regularly. Roots may cause damages to the same and unless you are regular in checking the same, you could end up facing big damage. It would be a good idea to cut down big trees if they are passing through your piping and plumbing system. A better idea would be to create a separate space for plumbing networks, and it should be away from the garden and backyard where you may have big trees growing and taking root.
5. Staining of Clothes
If you are living in a home with old piping systems using iron and steel, you must be on the lookout for red stains. These are basically corroded pieces of piping systems. If they keep coming out from your faucet on a regular basis, please be sure that there is something wrong with the network and you must have it checked as soon as possible. If needed, do not hesitate in replacing that portion of the plumbing system without which you may end up paying a much bigger price. If you are not sure how to go about it always take the help and assistance of professional plumbers. They have special tools and special ways and means to identify the situation and find the right solution.
We hope that we have been able to give a reasonably good insight into the various aspects of plumbing. The crux of the matter is that it is always better to look for early signs of wear and tear and take proactive action rather than being reactive. If you need any help on plumbing work of any type, please get in touch with us. We are sure we will be able to do what it takes to have the plumbing system inspected, diagnosed and if necessary, we also can replace it.
5 Common Sewer Line Problems
The sewer line is one of the biggest water lines in your home so it would be a big hassle if it gets damaged. Unfortunately, it is quite common for an old house to have a damaged sewer line. This is not something you should take lightly as it would be better to call a Chantilly plumbing professional when you sense something is wrong with your sewer line. After all, you know you would want to get it over with so you can get on with the next task. Here are 5 common sewer line problems:
Tree Roots
The trees in your yard have underground roots and they can grow up to a point where they can damage several sewer lines. It is even possible the tree roots may damage your neighbor’s sewer lines. When that happens, they are going to get so angry. If the tree root has damaged the sewer line in such a way that it would be hard to repair it anymore, it is possible that the plumber would recommend that it would need to be replaced other than being fixed. Better follow a plumber because that person would know what to do next in a time of a crisis like that.
Blockage
Grease or other objects may get in the way of the sewer line. The plumber will gently remove whatever it is that is blocking the water flow. When the sewer line is more than a decade old, it is normal to have something blocking the water flow. It is something you would want to get rid of as soon as possible though so things could get back to normal again. To prevent a blockage from happening in the future, one awesome idea would be to have the sewer line checked by a professional. You can tell that this person would be able to help prevent a blockage from happening in the future.
Broken Pipes
This is often caused by frozen ground. When it is winter, you know a lot of things are going to get wrong underground. When the pipes are broken, they need to be replaced right away. You know they can’t function forever so better get the opinion of the plumber whether they need to be replaced or fixed. When the plumber says you will save more money when they are replaced, then that is the path you must take for your own sake.
Leaking Joints
Putting a pail under the leak is not the solution to this problem. Better call a Chantilly plumbing professional because that person will know what to do with this problem before it becomes something much worse. The joints must be joined correctly so you know that there won’t be anything happening wrong in the future. Another way to prevent this from happening in the future would be to clean the sewer line often. You know it is going to be a lot of hard work, but it needs to be done so that problems won’t arise in the coming years.
Pipe Deterioration
When the pipes were made using low-quality material, then it will only be a matter of time before it deteriorates. You know you must do something to fix that problem so better change the pipes to something that is made from PVC. If you do that, then there is a huge chance that problem won’t happen again in the future. Everyone knows PVC is the best material for pipes so you should not think about getting pipe that is made of other materials as the amount of money you save won’t be worth it.
A good plumbing company would know what to tell you in the event of a sewer line problem. Hence, the next thing to do would be to call Doherty Plumbing as we are a company who has gotten nothing but great reviews during the long time we have been in the industry. We would not have lasted that long if we did not do well with all the tasks given to us. Our customer service team would want nothing more than to help you with your plumbing problem. What’s more, we are already equipped with all the needed materials to get the job done in a few hours.