As homeowners, it can often be difficult to proactively identify issues with certain core components of your home, from plumbing to electrical, it's easy to overlook many issues and often they're only discovered once there's been a major issue.
Identify the plumbing in your home!
Pex Pipe
Is the newest and most popular plumbing piping to hit the market. This type of pipe is durable, able to withstand high pressure water supplies, but remains flexible enough to weave throughout walls, in ceilings, and through crawlspaces.
Pros of Pex:
Color coded options to signify hot and cold water lines (RED/BLUE)
Highly Flexible
Inexpensive
Easy to Cut and work with
Very adaptable, can connect in to copper lines as well.
Cons of Pex:
Not Recyclable
Long term testing is still to be determined but has been simulated, still, no absolute certainty.
Copper Pipe
Otherwise known as Rigid copper pipe is one of the most common types of plumbing seen in homes throughout Calgary and surrounding areas. Cut with a special tube cutter or a hacksaw, copper is a little more difficult to work with for DIY'ers in comparison to other types of plumbing available in the market today. The major upside with copper is that it does not come with any health risks, it handles heat very well and it's very easy to recycle (you can actually obtain money back if desired from recycling copper) It is however more expensive and can be subject to minor leaks or corrosion on the inside.
ABS Pipe
ABS pipe which stands for acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, this is primarily a type of plumbing line that is utilized for vent and draining purposes. This piping looks similar to PVC pipe, it is stronger, good for underground and cold temperatures, but can warp and deform.
Galvanized Steel Pipe / Cast Iron
Galvanized pipe is in older homes, these types of pipes were utilized for decades for water and gas supply lines, as well as drainage, the ends of these pipes are threaded and are screwed into each other. While cast iron pipe was more so used for sewer and draining purposes, still found in many homes throughout Calgary, but will eventually be phased out as this piping is subject to rusting and corrosion which leads to leaks and blockages.
PVC Pipe
PVC stands for Polyvinyl Chloride this is used for venting and drain purposes. This type of piping is inexpensive, can be used for longer runs like your irrigation, it's easier to work with in comparison to copper or steel.
Sometimes there are no easy fixes when it comes to plumbing issues in your home, if the time comes for repairs, it may result in work that requires taking out drywall or cutting into the ceiling to identify the issue and make necessary fixes.
Here are a few tips or signs that might tip you off that something isn't right with your plumbing.
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No water
One of the more obvious issues, a home without water coming out of the pipes means that there's an issue somewhere in your plumbing. The first thing to check is your main water line, make sure that your main water valve is turned on. This means that you should have water running in all faucets, hoses and showers. A closed main water valve means no water is running through the whole house. If you own the home, and haven't had anyone over, it's unlikely that your main water line would be turned off.
If the water is not running to one pipe / faucet specifically it's likely that there's a clog specific to that line, if you have older plumbing, this could be a corrosion issue. If you have hard water and do not have a water softener, it could also mean that there's a mineral build up somewhere in your plumbing causing a blockage.
Municipal initiated water stoppages are also a possibility for not having any water, this again would be an issue seen where no water is driven to any appliances or faucets in the house. If you see that your main valve is open and you still don’t have water, it is best to call you municipal office to check if they have turned off the water in your area.
Frozen pipes can also cause water to not hit your taps, if you believe this to be the issue, we recommend calling a plumbing professional immediately to provide advice, a frozen line is susceptible to bursting and could cause a lot of damage.
Water stains
Water stains aren't always east to spot, and may not always show, seeing one means there is most likely a leak in your line. This needs to be attended to and addressed immediately as there are other areas that can be affected from the leak, our walls may create moisture that will invite molds that can be dangerous to your health as well.
Flooding
If you believe that there is flooding, whether it is in the basement or outside of your home is also not a good sign. There is a chance that it could be caused by external environmental factors, however, if it is not caused by rain or snow, then most likely, it could be your pipeline. This may not be an easy task but it is something you need to deal with immediately, reaching out to a plumber may be necessary. One thing to check before you call, see if your downspouts are in their proper positions, often we have home owners detect water / moisture in their basements thinking it must be an issue with their plumbing when it simply turns out to be pooling water making its way into your home due to inadequate movement of water away from the home with your drain spouts.
Water Pressure
If you see that the typical water flow has decreased, it is possible that you have a leak within your pipeline. Unfortunately, it is not an easy task to know exactly where the leak is and in order to smoothly find and fix the issue, you may need to reach out to a professional. Water pressure can be affected by supply valves, be sure to check your main, or if its localized to a specific tap/faucet you may just have a supply turn off line bumped into a semi closed off position.
Bottom line
Plumbing should not be taken lightly when you own a home or even if you are about to buy a home. Knowing more about the plumbing and taking action immediately in some instances will save you more money than taking action when the problem is becomes bigger.
Our team has utilized CMAC Mechanical as well as Pete the Plumber for our own homes and we recommend them continuously to our clients due to their fair pricing, excellent service, and incredible attention to detail and commitment to service.
This is awesome, amazing info!
Posted by Justin Morca on Monday, October 19th, 2020 at 7:52pmLeave A Comment