We twist the faucet handle, press start on the dishwasher or turn on the hose. Presto, water gushes forth. It’s a familiar result that reliably happens dozens of times every day and we don’t think about it very much, if at all. Big plumbing issues, however, often send early, subtle signals that all is not well. The trick is to detect and heed these faint warnings.
“Very few serious issues arise suddenly,” says Kevin Sullivan, President of Paul Davis of Northern Virginia. “Most significant problems give hints that they are brewing. The homeowner’s best defense is to sharpen all five senses and spend a little time paying attention to what they tell you.” “If you catch plumbing and water supply issues before they get worse, repairs are less expensive and damage is minimized,” Sullivan says. “Pay attention to what your senses tell you. Most homeowners don’t need special tools or technology to pick up clues to a developing problem.”
Smell: Does your house reek of rotten eggs, sulfur or excrement? Those aromas may indicate that dangerous sewer gas is seeping into your home. Does the tap water stink? Your water supply pipes could be damaged or allowing contamination to infiltrate your water supply.
Sight: Is the tap water yellow, green or brown? Your pipes may be rusted, corroded and on the verge of failure. Do visible pipes – under the sink, in the basement or crawl space – show green, white or red discoloration? They could be slowly leaking through the seams or tiny pinhole defects.
Taste: Does your water taste bad or notably different than usual? This may be a sign that your pipes are damaged. Sometimes, however, water smells bad temporarily when a municipality performs maintenance or inspection on a public supply system.
Touch: Is the water pressure lessening, making it hard to rinse or fill tubs? Are you stepping on flooring that seems damp to the touch or saggy? Did you fill your shoes with muck by sinking ankle deep into a sudden puddle in the yard even though the weather has been fine? These may indicate a leak somewhere in the supply lines.
Hearing: Do you hear water running – or see your water meter spinning – when all fixtures and appliances are off? You may be hearing water leaking in hidden areas.
“Very few serious issues arise suddenly,” Sullivan says. “Most significant problems give hints that they are brewing. The homeowner’s best defence is to sharpen all five senses and spend a little time paying attention to what they tell you.”