What Causes Plumbing Leaks?

When plumbing leaks occur, trouble is sure to follow. However, why do pipelines leak in the first place? Oxidation, cracking, and broken pipes only lead to significant water damage. The issue is a majority of your home’s pipes are hidden from view.

So, how can you tell if you have plumbing leaks before you have a major mold problem? There are several typical reasons for plumbing leaks, but you wouldn’t know what to check for if you didn’t know what to look out for.

We have your back. There are different types of plumbing leaks. The most common causes of pipe leaks are listed below. Your plumber is usually the best person to start with if you want to find out what causes pipes to leak.

fixing plumbing leaks

Plumbing Leaks Caused by Broken Water Seals

There are seals around the water connections on every home device linked to the plumbing system. It prevents you from having your indoor pool and keeps the flow of water where you want it.

You may have a damaged water seal if you see a lot of “condensation” (or just literal pools of water) surrounding your dishwasher or refrigerator. This might be why plumbing leaks have happened in your house in this scenario.

High Water Pressure Leading to Pipe Leaks

You want lots of water pressure in your shower, but your pipes can only take so much. A home’s typical pipes can withstand maximum water pressure of 60 psi. Your psi should be between 40-45 psi.

Having high water pressure in the shower might be great, but not at the cost of causing plumbing leaks.

Plumbing Leaks Caused by Pipe Corrosion

Water pipes rust. It’s unavoidable. We tend to disregard “little” problems in our boiler room plumbing, but those “minor” problems quickly become major ones. If you detect any discoloration, leakage, or warping in your copper pipes, it’s time to call a plumber.

Before the minor cause that makes the pipes leak makes everything worse, have a plumber analyze the issue as soon as possible. The water quality is impacted by rusting pipes, which eventually affects your health.

There are methods on how you can avoid home plumbing pipe corrosion.

Plumbing Leaks and Broken Pipe Joints

Pipe joints are necessary to connect pipes from one end of your residential plumbing system to the other. Pipe joints are the most susceptible components of your piping systems. Like your copper pipes, your joints will rust and corrode over time.

It occurs considerably faster since the joints have a significantly smaller surface area. When investigating what causes plumbing leaks, it’s usually a good idea to examine your pipe joints. The only issue is that most of the pipe connections in your home’s plumbing systems are hidden.

Using your ears is the easiest method to check for damaged pipe joints causing plumbing leaks. You may hear a lot of clinking and clanging when you turn on the hot water. This might be due to faulty pipe fittings.

Clogged Water Lines Cause Plumbing Leaks

Clogged drains are annoying and can cause disaster, especially in commercial plumbing systems. Still, they are easily remedied using drain cleaning. Clogged or blocked water lines are responsible for plumbing leaks, water damage, and damaged pipes.

Water constantly backs up when your water pipes are clogged. This significantly increases the water pressure in your plumbing system, which can easily lead to leaks.

Sneaky Tree Roots Can Cause Plumbing Leaks

Other threats to your pipes lie outside of your home. Growing root systems in your yard can strain your pipes, especially in compacted soils. Excessive pressure may easily cause pipes to break and leak.

If you find unusual pools of water on your lawn, you may be dealing with a busted pipe or some plumbing leaks.

Rapid Temperature Change

This is especially problematic during the winter. Rapid temperature variations in the water (or outside temperature) cause your pipes to expand and shrink. This will cause your pipes to break over time as the walls of the pipes become thinner and thinner.

This happens naturally when your pipes age, but significant temperature swings can worsen it. In most plumbing systems, protective layers are put on pipes, especially in industrial plumbing systems, which can help delay this type of damage to the pipes.

Knowing the Causes, the Signs, and the Solution for the plumbing leaks

So you now understand what causes plumbing leaks and the fundamental symptoms. One of the options is trying to do your plumbing repairs by yourself.

Since there are different types of plumbing leaks, there is no need to take any risks. When you need your pipes fixed or changed, always call a professional. Still, it’s a good idea to learn about quick plumbing fixes everyone should know.

Bathroom Sink Plumbing – 5 Essential Parts

Every residential plumbing in Toronto has different parts and sections. One of the areas that play an essential role in your home’s systems is the bathroom sink plumbing and its critical components.

But why do you need to have bathroom sink plumbing occasionally? Every home plumbing fixture, for example, bathroom sinks, has several parts that can become blocked, break or leak.

As soon as you feel you need bathroom sink plumbing, contact professional plumbers in Toronto and let them solve the problem.

However, if you want to avoid frequent problems in your bathroom sink plumbing, it is crucial to know the primary parts of the system to choose and buy the most efficient and highest-quality ones.

Primary Parts of Any Bathroom Sink Plumbing System:

  1. Shutoff Valves
  2. Supply Tubes
  3. Drain Tailpiece
  4. P-Trap
  5. Drain Pipes

Now, let’s get into the details about these essential parts of your bathroom sink plumbing system.

1- You Need Good Shutoff Valves for Your Bathroom Sink Plumbing

Shutoff valves are the first essential part of your bathroom sink plumbing. These small valves are usually made from metal or plastic and are located between the water supply pipes and the supply hoses that connect to the tailpieces on the bathroom sink faucet. Most shutoff valves used in bathroom sinks have an oval handle that you can turn to close and open the valve.

One of the best things about shutoff valves in your bathroom sink plumbing is that you can turn off the water supply at the sink without shutting off the water of your whole home.

You can install most of the shutoff valves onto the water pipes without soldering, which benefits most homeowners who want to replace them with a DIY process.

Shutoff Valves in The Bathroom Sink Plumbing are Seen in Pairs:

  • The first valve is used for controlling hot water.
  • The second valve is for controlling the cold water.

2- Use High-Quality Supply Tubes

All of the bathroom sink plumbing systems have supply tubes that need to be high-quality to avoid frequent plumbing issues. High-quality supply tubes are made of:

  • Braided wire mesh
  • White plastic mesh
  • Gray solid plastic
  • Chromed copper

These bathroom plumbing parts are generally connected to the tailpieces and shutoff valves with attached nuts. If you have issues with your supply, it is recommended to hire a professional plumber to fix them.

bathroom sink and drain system

3- The Drain Tailpiece is Also Crucial for Your Bathroom Sink Plumbing

Drain tailpieces, also known as sink tailpieces, are straight sections of pipes that connect to the bathroom sink drain fitting. If your bathroom sink has a pop-up drain, the lever rod connects to a port on the back of this particular bathroom sink plumbing part.

Usually, a high-quality drain tailpiece is attached to the drain fitting with a slip nut, a threaded ring that you can tighten or loosen by hand, or channel-type pliers. A tapered plastic washer under the slip nut creates a watertight seal for your bathroom sink plumbing system.

Note: Remember to use tailpieces in your bathroom sinks that have slip nut joints since if you ever drop anything into the sink drain, you can easily disassemble the joint and retrieve your item.

4- Every Bathroom Sink Plumbing System Has P-Trap

Your bathroom sink plumbing system has a P-Trap which is made up of two primary parts:

  1. U-Bend
  2. Trap Arm

These two parts of your P-Trap are curved sections that allow your sink to connect to your home’s sewer line. The curved trap is used in the system to provide a safety feature for holding standing water and preventing sewer gasses from rising up and out of your bathroom sink drain.

Every time you run water down the bathroom drains, the old wastewater in the bend is flushed out and replaced with new water. You or your plumber need to assemble the P-Trap parts with slip-nut joints.

5- Be Precise When Choosing Drain Pipes

The last part of your bathroom sink plumbing system is the drain pipe. It is connected to your residential plumbing system from one side, and the other side is connected to the trap arm with another slip nut joint. With slip nut joints, replacing or repairing the pipes will be easier.

Most of the drain pipes used in bathroom sinks are three inches in diameter. However, depending on your fixture, you can choose a smaller or larger one.

How to Know if Your Toronto Home Requires Drain Replacement Service? – 11 Signs

Residential plumbing is one of the essential systems of your Toronto home. Without an efficient and properly functioning home plumbing system, you will not have access to clean water, relaxing hot showers, and even the ability to use the toilet. This article has broken down everything you need to know about finding out if your Toronto home requires drain replacement services.

What are Residential Plumbing Drains?

Residential plumbing drains are integral elements of any plumbing system. Drains are the primary way that wastewater is carried away from your home. Home drains function similar to rivers in nature that lead to the ocean. All of your plumbing drains lead to the sewer system.

The sewer line is connected to Toronto’s public sewage lines.

Many homeowners in Toronto neglect the importance of drains until something goes wrong. Typically, home drain issues sneak up on homeowners, and the signs often do not seem like a severe problem. Many signs can indicate your plumbing system requires a drain replacement service.

Keep reading to discover the signs that will tell you to contact professional plumbers in Toronto.

1: Bad Smells

Do you smell any unpleasant odor that comes out of your sink? Whether it smells like sewage or rotten food, this means that your plumbing system requires drain replacement service or professional cleaning. Two main reasons why bad smalls come from your home plumbing system are:

  • Clogged Kitchen Sink
  • Clogged Main Sewer Line

2: Slow Drains Indicate You Need an ASAP Drain Replacement Service

Sinks, tub showers, and other residential plumbing fixtures that have slow water drain indicate that your plumbing system requires a drain replacement service.

Sometimes slow drain can suggest something more serious, such as backed-up sewer lines. So, it is better to contact professional residential plumbers to solve the problem.

3: Leakage in Your Residential Plumbing System

Whenever you see leakage in your home plumbing fixtures or pipes, you should know that there is a problem with your draining system.

If you want to make sure that your home plumbing system does not have leaking problems, you need to do two simple tasks:

  1. Check underneath your sink and see if there is any dampness or pooling of water.
  2. Check the plumbing pipes in your basement.

4: Corroded Plumbing Pipes

Corroded plumbing pipes can cause severe problems for your home system since they worsen over time. Although tubes are designed to last anywhere around 20 to 100 years, depending on the environment and the material of your plumbing pipes, corrosion will still happen.

If you see any corroded plumbing pipes in your home, you need to contact professional plumbers for drain replacement service.

5: Pooling Water is Another Sign that Drain Replacement Service is Required

If you see water pooling near or in your home, there is a problem with your home plumbing system since water is meant to stay within the plumbing pipes. When you see this problem, call your local Toronto plumber at O Plus Plumbing Inc. to inquire about the drain replacement service.

Common areas where water pooling might occur:

  • Lawn
  • Basement
  • Around the Shower
  • Under the Plumbing Fixtures

home plumbing drain systems

6: Puddles on the Lawn

If the patches of your lawn look lusher than other sections, it means you have some problems with your system, and you may need a drain replacement service.

Another sign that indicates issues in your drainage system is having unusual puddles in your garden.

7: Seeing Pests in Your Yard

Check your sewage line or call professional plumbers for inspection as soon as you see pests, rats, or flies infesting your yard. Having problems near your sewage line is not a good thing. But, the good news is that a drain replacement service with O Plus Plumbing can fit it.

8: You Need Drain Replacement Service if Your Home’s Water Stains

If you notice water stains, it is often a sign of a flood or a leak. Although this may seem a simple problem, it can cause severe damage to your water system if you neglect it.

9: Increased Water Bill

Are you experiencing higher water bills in your Toronto home? If yes, this means your plumbing system has severe problems and could be anything from a leaking line to an issue with the water supply line.

With O Plus Plumbing’s drain replacement service, you will have water bills equivalent to your consumption.

10: Inspecting Any Issues with Your Toilets

Some issues with your toilets can indicate a blocked sewage line which will require drain replacement service or professional cleaning. For example, never ignore the following signs:

  • Gurgling toilet
  • Water Comes Up While Flushing

11: Low Water Pressure

Is your water pressure lower than it has always been? This is another common problem in residential plumbing systems which seems like not a big deal but actually indicates a big issue. The main reason for low water pressure is the clogged drains. When a part of your drain pipes gets blocked, the blockage makes it harder for the water to flow through the lines resulting in lower water pressure.

Schedule One of Our Pro Plumbers in Toronto Today!

If you have noticed even one of the signs we talked about earlier, do not hesitate and call O Plus Plumbing Inc. in Toronto for a drain replacement service. Our professional plumbers will fix your clogged or damaged drain pipes.

You can conventionally book an appointment with O Plus Plumbing Inc. in Toronto online or through our phone number. We will send a professional team with uniforms and equipped with all modern and necessary plumbing tools.

Hire a Plumber for Your Plumbing Services – 5 Essential questions

Your building’s or home’s pipes, heating system, and water system will require residential plumbing services once in a while. Residential plumbing issues can come in all sorts of sizes and shapes, from minor, inexpensive problems to major pipe leaks, which can cause severe structural damage to your property. Thus, you will have to hire a plumber who can offer the best plumbing services for your facility.

Why do You need to Hire a Plumber?

Although there are various residential and commercial plumbing issues in most facilities, some of these problems are more common. You will need to contact a plumbing services contractor to hire a plumber for the following plumbing issues:

  • Dripping Faucets
  • Slow Draining in Your Sinks
  • Clogged Shower Rain or Bath
  • Clogged Toilet
  • Running Toilet
  • Water Heater Dysfunctionality
  • Low Water Pressure
  • Jammed Garbage Disposal
  • Leaky Piping Systems
  • Sewer System Backup
  • Boiler Room Plumbing Issues

professional residential plumbing

Before You Hire a Professional Plumber, Ask These Essential Questions

If you are here to know how you can hire a plumbing services provider for your residential or commercial plumbing services, it means your plumbing system is, unfortunately, having some issues. But the good news is, you don’t have to be stressed about it since there are professional plumbers that can fix your problems. However, before you hire a plumber, we need to give you some essential tips.

  • It is better to hire a licensed plumber since they will guarantee the highest quality commercial and residential plumbing services.
  • Hire a plumber who can deliver proof of insurance.
  • An experienced plumber can deliver better plumbing services than those with little experience. So, before you hire a plumber, ask them to know how long they have been in the plumbing services.
  • Professional plumbers will give you an accurate estimate of the charges for solving your commercial or residential plumbing issues.
  • We recommend asking a plumber about the guarantees included in the price estimates (new parts and materials).
  • Another way to hire a professional plumber with high-quality services is to ask for a list of customers who have been satisfied with their plumbing services.

hire-a-professional-plumber

Now that you know the first essential on how you should hire a plumber for your plumbing services, there are critical questions you should ask them before hiring. Do you consider hiring a plumbing service provider to solve your issues? We have provided some essential questions to ask the plumber you want to hire for your residential plumbing. These questions will help you choose an expert qualified to solve both minor and significant industrial plumbing problems.

What is the Estimated Total Cost of Plumbing Services?

You should be careful about quotes you receive from e-mails or over the phone. Most typical plumbers generally want to identify and analyze your plumbing issues before estimating a total cost for the repairs. However, professional plumbing service providers include the price of any new parts required for the repair process. You can ask for the estimated total cost before you hire a licensed plumber for your commercial plumbing services.

Who Will be Doing the Plumbing Work?

If you want to hire a plumber who uses subcontractors and helpers, ask them about the credentials and experience they have in the industry. You do not wish to risk hiring someone who wants to fix your plumbing issues with less training and experience.

Is the Plumber Qualified or Licensed?

If your city or state requires licensing, hire a plumber who has passed all tests to get a plumbing license. So, it is essential to ask for permit evidence. Although hiring experienced experts is better, newly licensed plumbers can sometimes provide a better rate than those with years of practice and experience.

Hire a Plumber Who is Bonded and Insured

If a plumber answers “yes” to this particular question, it means he/she is prepared to give you bonding and insurance evidence. You should also tell the plumber you don’t want to be responsible for injuries during the job or in your residential plumbing fixing.

Is the Rate Fixed or Hourly?

We recommend clarifying the estimate you receive to avoid surprises after the job is finished. If the plumbing service is hourly rated, you will have to ask how long it should take to fix the issue. Experienced plumbers will give an accurate estimate of the repair time.