Your plumbing is essential to living in a healthy and comfortable home, but how can you know when something has gone awry with your pipes? Pipes can be tough to keep an eye on since they are hidden away, but the plumbing experts here at Worley’s want you to know about the signs that the Virginia winter has damaged your sewer lines, water lines, house pipes, and other plumbing essentials.
Do you Hear any Bubbling, Whistling, or Gurgling?
Winter temperature fluctuations here in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, Gloucester, and Yorktown can cause increased wear and tear on your pipes, especially for your sewer lines. Check for any low gurgling, whistling, or even bubbling coming from your toilet or faucets. These sounds come from excess air inside the pipes, usually because a leak has formed due to deterioration or bad plumbing design.
Leaking Pipes
If you don’t hear anything coming from your pipes, but you have noticed a leak (or evidence of a leak, like wet drywall or standing water in your home), the expanding and contracting from temperature fluctuations could have forced a leak in your pipe junctions, or in the pipe itself. Leaking pipes need to be replaced by a professional because without intervention, they will continue to deteriorate at a rapid rate!
Discolorations
Discolorations of many kinds can indicate that there is a leak somewhere in your plumbing. Have you noticed:
- Discoloration on the outside of any visible pipes
- Discoloration in your tap water
- Toilet water that is discolored before use
- Brown or rusty looking water in the shower or bath
When a leak forms on old plumbing, the pipes can rust, and even oxidize. This rust will make its way into your water, and the water leaking out can cause further damage to your already leaking pipe.
Water Pressure Drop
Are your showers taking a little longer thanks to low water pressure? Is it taking a little more time to fill up the coffee pot with water in the morning? A drop in water pressure, even if it is minor, is another sign your plumbing is deteriorating. Worley’s plumbing experts can assess the water pressure throughout your home, and locate the problematic areas for future plumbing maintenance.
Odd Smells
An odd odor in a specific room probably isn’t coming directly from your pipes, but even if the smell is coming from mold growth and mildew, excess moisture could be the reason mold is growing in your home. This can give off a mildewy smell and is hazardous to your health!
If you notice the smell when you are in the shower, or when you turn on a specific faucet, a rusted pipe is likely the cause. While rusty or brown water isn’t an emergency, it is unsettling and should be resolved by a professional if it doesn’t go away after a day or two. In the meantime, we highly recommend not consuming your discolored water.
Rising Water Bills
Did you know, even a small steady drip from a leaking faucet can really add up on your water bill? It may be imperceptible from month to month, but you could be losing hundreds of dollars a year to a tiny slow pipe drip, and will eventually lead to some or all of the symptoms listed above.
Call Worley’s for 24 Hour Plumbing Help
Here at Worley’s, we offer 24-hour plumbing services, because we know a plumbing emergency never happens when you expect it. We can assess your plumbing issues, and get your home back to the way it was ASAP!
