By Brian Sodoma, for聽天美传媒 Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing

As we聽move聽into winter, many homeowners聽tend to聽prioritize聽checking聽their聽furnaces聽and聽any other HVAC systems,聽often聽neglecting聽other important聽utilities. While聽supporting聽your heating is聽a smart move, your home’s聽plumbing system聽might聽need聽professional service聽too.

You聽might聽want to consider聽a yearly聽plumbing聽checkup. After all, plumbing聽issues聽are often only聽noticed once聽something breaks, but聽it's likely that聽your system聽might聽have been聽trying to alert you to the trouble. To聽minimize your risk of needing serious聽repairs, here are聽a few聽often overlooked signs that聽your plumbing system needs immediate聽attention.

1.聽Poor Pressure

If聽the water pressure in your entire home聽drops聽suddenly, that’s聽often because there's聽an issue with聽the main water line. It聽could聽be a failure somewhere聽along聽the main line聽as well as聽a pipe within it, explained BJ Richardson, a聽天美传媒 Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing聽plumbing manager.

However,聽if the drop in pressure is isolated to one room, like the bathroom or kitchen, it聽might聽be a fixture problem. It聽could聽be a simple fix,聽like swapping out a broken聽faucet aerator or addressing a water heater issue. Or it聽could possibly聽be something a little more complex, like a supply line leading to that room.

“I always聽tell people聽to聽keep an eye on聽their water bill too.聽If these pressure drops happen at the same聽time when聽you also have to deal with聽a higher bill, there聽may聽be a deeper problem,” Richardson said. “It’s聽also a good idea聽to check your water meter聽for changes even when you aren't using water. That’s聽another sign there's聽a leak somewhere.”

Occasionally聽a sudden聽drop in water pressure聽is in fact because of a problem with聽the municipal supply Ð聽if so, that is easily聽resolved with help from聽a booster pump.

2. A “Sewer”聽Smell in the Home

“While聽kitchen or bathroom sink clogs聽can sometimes聽cause聽unpleasant odors聽because of debris, a persistent聽sulfur or rotten egg smell聽suggests聽a serious concern. Drains聽have a trap and vent聽inside them and聽either component聽can聽fail. If the smell聽never goes away, you聽may have to consider聽or even a聽sewer gas leak.聽Solving聽these problems聽should be entrusted to聽the professionals, Richardson said.

Don't forget聽that聽while聽propane and natural gas聽carry聽a distinctive smell,聽those leaks are often mistaken聽as a sewer smell. When in doubt,聽reach out to聽a professional.”

3.聽Discolored Pipes

Discoloration and visible wear聽on exposed pipes聽are聽other signs that聽can be easy to overlook. If you’re in聽a room with exposed plumbing, it’s聽useful聽to聽check all聽the pipes in plain view.聽Discoloration and noticeable wear聽usually聽points to聽the presence of a聽leak.

The most common discoloration appears聽in聽an area of the plumbing聽where two聽pipes join.聽Failing to notice discoloration can be problematic聽when it comes to聽the main water supply聽because they are pressurized, Richardson explained.聽When the pipe聽breaks, it can聽release a substantial amount of water into聽your home very quickly.

For some sections of the piping, discoloration聽comes from the聽different chemicals聽municipal services employ聽to sanitize and treat the water.

4.聽Slow Drains

We understand it may be聽tempting for homeowners to聽solve聽clog-related problems聽with liquid drain cleaner, but聽that's聽usually only a temporary聽fix聽that could backfire and聽damage your plumbing system.聽While聽we’ve all heard of聽clogs caused by hair, the聽truth聽is hair is not the聽true聽culprit.聽Items such as聽cleaners, toothpaste, hand soaps and even the聽natural oils聽in聽our skin create聽a sticky聽scum on the drain walls that聽catches聽hair and other聽debris,聽something聽most liquid drain cleaners won’t聽remove.聽Using聽a drain machine or snake聽will be聽the most effective聽method聽to聽tackle聽this type of聽slow drain or clog.聽Often, if聽a clog is right聽inside the pipes below the sink,聽cleaning it聽usually聽solves聽the problem. But聽when this doesn't work, it could聽suggest聽a more significant issue.

“The thing you聽ought to聽monitor聽is if multiple drains are聽constantly clogging, and the problem doesn’t聽resolve聽itself聽after cleaning聽the drain under those sinks,”聽said聽Brian McMasters, a聽天美传媒 Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing聽division plumbing manager. “The sewer line , but in some聽cases,聽we also come across聽tree roots that聽slowly damage聽and crack a sewer line.聽Handling this kind of situation聽is obviously聽more complex to perform聽and requires trenching down聽into the ground until we find the exact location of the leak聽to repair it.”

5.聽Damp or Flooded Spots聽in聽Your Front or Back Yard

Regularly聽check聽all around聽your house,聽including聽your yard.聽It's wise聽to聽take care of this聽every week.聽Frequently, a broken underground water or irrigation line leak, or even a聽sewer main line leak,聽becomes more obvious聽gradually,聽when lots聽of water has already聽leaked underground.聽Look聽for soft, sunken spots聽in your yard聽as these聽can indicate聽a hidden issue.

“You also want to聽be on the lookout for聽things聽including sudden聽green patches in typically dry or yellow areas of the lawn,”聽noted聽McMasters. “In many cases, that’s a sign聽there's聽a problem聽a trained plumber can solve.”

Discover more聽about avoiding聽common issues with plumbing systems and聽look forward to聽expert help at聽天美传媒