The pipes in your home play a key role in ensuring that water gets from one part of your house to another in a timely and safe manner. If there are issues with the pipes, you may deal with consistent water leaks, floods, or poor quality drinking water. In extreme cases, you will need to replace all the pipes in your home instead of repairing or replacing specific cracked or damaged items.
What Causes Pipe Damage?
Typically, pipe damage is caused by old age. Over a period of several years or decades, water running through pipes will wear down their walls, which can lead to cracks or other structural issues. Pipes can also be damaged by exposure to humid weather, hard water, or cold temperatures that cause metal to expand and contract.
Look Out for Water Temperature Fluctuations
A key sign that your home needs new pipes are inconsistent water temperature fluctuations. For instance, you may notice that the water flowing through the kitchen sink doesn’t get hotter when you turn the faucet, or that the upstairs shower water gets hot when someone flushes a toilet downstairs.
Water Pressure May Also Be Inconsistent
Issues with water pressure are almost always caused by problems with your home’s plumbing system. Typically, sediment buildup inside of a pipe will make it difficult for enough water to get through them. Ultimately, you may need to flush the toilet multiple times before something happens or wait several minutes before you can take a shower. It may also be difficult to run a washer, dishwasher, or other appliances that require a steady stream of water. Too much pressure puts undue strain on pipes, which means that they may crack or otherwise wear out before they are supposed to.
Pipes May Be Noisier Than Usual
Typically, water will flow quietly through pipes that are free of buildup or structural issues. However, if there are problems with your pipes, you’ll likely hear about it every time you turn on a faucet or flush the toilet. Water hammer may occur when you flush a toilet or turn on a faucet because there is either too much or not enough water pressure.
You May Notice Frequent Leaks
A pipe that has a hole or crack in it won’t be able to hold water properly. Instead, moisture will simply drip or spill out of it depending on how large the breach is. Depending on where the leak is, you might not know about it until you get your next water bill and realize that you’ve used hundreds of gallons in the previous month. You may also hear water dripping behind walls, smell mold, or notice other symptoms of a moisture problem before you find the source of the leak.
Water May Smell or Taste Bad
Water that smells or tastes bad may be tainted by rust inside of the pipe. Of course, you don’t want rusty pipes in your house as they will likely continue to degrade rather quickly. This can lead to problems with leaks and other issues that will cost a lot of money to repair. At that point, you’ll need to repipe to ensure that you can safely live in your house.
Call the Team at Benjamin Franklin for Help
If you are in need of new pipes in your home, the team at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing can help. Give us a call at any time or reach out online to learn more about how plumbing issues might impact your home or your health. We can also talk more about service plans or other products that can help you maintain your home’s plumbing system in a timely and affordable manner.