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3 Common Reasons Your Pipes Are Leaking: A Plumbing Service Can Help | Jacksonville, FL

3-Common-Reasons-Your-Pipes-Are-Leaking--A-Plumbing-Service-Can-Help-_-Jacksonville,-FL
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If you own a home, you know that plumbing leaks happen, but what you may not understand is why they happen. There are a good handful of reasons why they occur, and understanding them may help you prevent them in the future. While you will still need to call a plumber when you notice a leak in your Jacksonville, FL home, your aim should be to prevent future leaks.

Plumbing leaks are an odd thing because sometimes they are hidden behind walls, under sinks, and in the basement. To the untrained eye and everyone but the plumbing service, it can seem like leaks come out of thin air. One day you may be sitting in a dry home and the next day you are sitting in one with a notable leak. This is what makes them so annoying to deal with.

Depending on where the leak may be coming from, it can even seem like its sole purpose is to annoy you. No one likes a dripping faucet or a leak that appears to stop and then come back like you are playing some obnoxious version of tag with your plumbing system. This is why you should always call a plumbing service if you suspect a leak because it will not fix itself on its own.

While you may not want to hear it, almost all pipes will leak eventually because at the end of the day they are just metals that corrode and deteriorate like anything else. While piping is usually made of every strong piping that is much less likely to break, it still has a lifespan attached to it. One way you can lengthen that lifespan is by keeping good plumbing habits and having a plumbing service out for an annual inspection. That said, there are a few things that can impact how long it takes for that leak to pop up. Here are just a few.

Clogs

Any plumbing service in Jacksonville, FL will tell you that clogs are one of the number one reasons why pipes leak before their lifespan is up. Both partial and full clogs prevent water from flowing the way it is supposed to lead to an increased amount of water pressure inside of the pipes. Pipes are not designed to deal with sustained extra pressure over time, and eventually, that pressure takes its toll on the pipe walls and in areas where seals are used to help create one long piping system.

Eventually, that pressure is too much for a pipe or seal to handle and a small leak pops out to relieve some of the pressure. The leak is not always noticeable, as even a small leak can relieve enough pressure that the pipe is then able to take the sustained pressure. This is one reason it is very important to call a plumbing service when you have a clog in your home because while you may only be concerned about breaking the clog up, the plumber will know to look for any other damage that clog may have caused in your plumbing system.

It is also important to remember that a small leak can cause a large amount of damage over time. While you may not immediately notice that a pipe is leaking, when your paint starts to bubble or mold starts to grow you will wish you paid more attention to the signs of a leaking pipe. If you have any indication that there may be a small leak hiding in your home, it is important to call a plumbing service.

Broken Seals

Almost every major home appliance has a seal at the point that water from your home plumbing system connects to them. If you have a washing machine, a refrigerator with an ice maker or water fixture, or a water heater in your basement then you have an appliance that may eventually need some attention from a plumber. The seals that are placed on the connection points are not meant to last forever, because that is virtually an impossible task.

If you have not looked at the joint in years, now is a good time to go inspect the seals on each of your major appliances. After years of use, the seals simply wear out or if there is sustained extra pressure they may break. The end result will be a leak at the connection point. While not immediately a concern, you might see the leak reflected in your water bills or notice that the floor behind an appliance is dry rotting because of sustained water damage. Unfortunately, most people don’t notice this because they don’t often move their washing machines or fridges to look behind them. You can prevent this from occurring by making sure you pull out your machine once a year as part of your spring cleaning to spot check. If you have any reason to suspect a problem, make sure to call a plumbing service that can properly reseal the appliance.

Corrosion

Even the best-kept pipes will rust and corrode eventually at which point you may need a plumbing service to reinstall your plumbing. If there is extremely high water pressure in your home this may happen even faster. There are also other things that can lead to corrosion that can be avoided.

For instance, when you have a clog it is best to contact a plumber versus using chemical drain cleaners. A lot of people think that drain cleaner will save them money versus calling a plumbing service, but actually, the opposite turns out to be true. Drain cleaners can’t differentiate between clogs and the sides of your pipes, so over time, they eat away at your pipe walls leading to much more damage. Regular use can actually lead to your pipes corroding faster than they would have.

If you have noticed a leaking pipe in your home, call Bert Norman’s Plumbing of Jacksonville, FL, and we will happily come out to your home to troubleshoot the problem.

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