Every building and home in the United States has a plumbing utility in addition to its electric utilities and HVAC hardware, and keeping a home functional and comfortable means knowing when to hire a plumber or get sewer repair done. A home’s plumbing, if compromised, can lead to all sorts of problems, ranging from leaks that damage drywall or short out electrical components all the way to floods in the basement and a high water bill due to the excessive water loss. Finding the right plumber is easier than ever, especially with Internet searches, and replacing a water heater or getting underslab repair done is often just an Internet search and a phone call away. Local plumbers can offer professional sewer repair, and they may be brought to the house for replacing a water heater. An Internet search may consist of “plumbers near me Los Angeles CA” or “crews for replacing a water heater Burlington VT”. Just what might happen to a faulty plumbing utility that mandates hiring a plumber? Are water leaks really that bad?
Problems With the Plumbing
In short, yes, leaking pipes and faulty plumbing and utilities are certainly a problem in the United States, and in fact it is quite common. Enough homes or commercial buildings across the United States today are leaking water so that it adds up to significant amounts, and this can be costly for homeowners who are constantly losing water to leaks. And more water than ever is being used, meaning that more stands to be wasted if plumbing repair is not done. From the year 1950 to 2000, there was a 200% increase in American water usage, and an average family of four today uses 400 gallons of water daily. And the bad news is that some of this water simply goes to waste. Every year across the United States, when all the leaked water from all faulty plumbing systems are added up, nearly one trillion gallons of water is wasted due to leaks or inefficient utilities, a tremendous amount of water lost. How is so much being lost? Around 10% of all American households have leaks that waste nearly 90 gallons of water every day, and across the whole nation for an entire year, all of that wasted water adds up fast. Worse, a household is paying extra on their water bill for the wasted water that is never used, and this too can add up over time.
Sometimes, very old or badly installed pipes are to blame, and they may erode, have faulty connections and joints, or they may have their contents freeze and expand in winter, cracking the pipes. These faulty pipes are dripping constantly, and this wasted water patiently adds up over time, and the side effects can be very harmful and expensive to fix. As mentioned earlier, leaking pipes may damage drywall, which means drywall repair, and such leaks can also short out electrical wiring. Pipes may leak into the basement, and it all pools at the lowest point to form standing water. That extra water can damage furniture or items down in the basement, and the excess moisture can also foster growth of mold, a health hazard for everyone in the home. What can be done about this?
Replacing a Water Heater or Bad Pipes
A problem with the pipes may be quick to diagnose, since water damage on drywall or a too-high water bill can point right to a leak. But most plumbing repair jobs are too advanced for a homeowner to handle, aside from fixing the smaller pipes under a sink. For this reason, a homeowner can call upon local plumbing crews, and they can both find and repair the problem. Workers may repair or replace faulty pipes, and if asked, replacing a water heater can be easily done. Water heaters wear out and fill up on hard sediment over time, necessitating replacement. A new water heater may even be bigger or smaller than the old one, if necessary, and will work perfectly. Aside from that, plumbers may also replace outdated toilets, sinks, or showers with low-flow models, which saves on water in the long run. This can make them a great investment to make.