A functioning shower is something you take for granted in your home. You often don’t realize the value of an efficient shower until your shower malfunctions, says Income Realty Management experts. A faulty bathroom fixture can mess with your mood and impact your personal hygiene and water bills.
Often, shower issues cause disruptions in the morning routines of millions of Americans. These affect their performance at work or school and force them to spend more money than they should on plumbing maintenance.
Most shower problems in homes originate from the hidden plumbing in the bathroom. If these problems are not addressed they can damage other parts of the house. Also, bathroom plumbing problems are often a sign of bigger plumbing issues in your home.
What are the common plumbing issues that can affect the function of your shower?
Drainage issues
A blocked shower drain is the most recognizable bathroom plumbing issue. If your shower drain is clogged, dirty bathwater will pool around your feet instead of flowing through the drain. Depending on the location of the clog, this is not a hard problem to solve.
Drain clogs in the bathroom are typically caused by loose hair that has mixed with soap, soap scum, and other debris in bathwater. These form slimy masses that lodge near the mouth of the drain. If the clog is visible and within reach, you can remove it with a gloved hand or drain snake.
Pouring a cup of baking soda into the drain opening, followed by a cup of white vinegar, will help to dissolve the rest of the clog. Let the solution sit for fifteen minutes before you flush it with lots of water. If this doesn’t work, call a professional plumber.
Leaking fixtures
Leaks may show up in your bathroom in the form of a dripping showerhead. A leaky showerhead might not seem like much of a problem until you realize that the constant dripping can cost you hundreds of dollars in wasted water.
Fixing this problem is as simple as cleaning the showerhead to remove mineral buildup and replacing the rubber washer between the showerhead and shower arm. If the showerhead shows damage, you may need to replace it altogether.
If the leak is from another location or there are cracked tiles and damaged grout in your bathroom, you may want to hire a professional plumber to find the root cause of the problems before it results in worse damage.
Noisy pipes
Noisy pipes in the bathroom are commonly caused by high water pressure, loose pipes, and trapped air inside the water pipes. If the issue is high water pressure from your water heater or the water company, please call a professional plumber immediately.
Loose pipes may rattle as water flows through them. Locate the loose pipe and secure it to fix this problem. If the noise in your pipes is because of trapped inside your pipes, turn off your main water valve and open the hot and cold water faucets farthest from the valve. Open the faucets closest to these faucets, and on and on, until all faucets in your home are open.
Let the faucets drip until they stop. Close the faucets in reverse order, starting with the ones closest to the main water valve. Open the main water valve afterward. If this doesn’t solve the problem, you should get a professional plumber to take a look.
Low water pressure
Low water pressure is either due to problems in the municipal water supply, leaks in your water pipes, or mineral deposits within your pipes. If all your neighbors have the same problem, the issue is likely from the water company.
If the water in your area is hard, you may assume the presence of mineral deposits inside your pipes and showerhead. To clean the showerhead, fill a plastic bag with vinegar and submerge the entire showerhead inside the solution. Leave it overnight.
If you think a hidden leak is the cause of the water pressure issues in your home, you should get a professional plumber to test the plumbing.
Insufficient hot water
If you don’t get enough hot water in the shower, it could be because your water heater is too small for your home or too far from the shower. The heating element or thermostat could be damaged. It is also possible that the water heater tank has a lot of sediment inside it. Flush your water heater to get rid of the sediments inside the tank.
The other problem that can lead to insufficient hot water in your home is low water pressure. If you suspect this is the cause, please call a professional plumber.
To conclude, it is essential to know that most shower plumbing issues in the home are caused by minor problems that are allowed to linger. These problems eventually grow big enough to cause major issues.
However, you can prevent shower plumbing issues in your home if you have your bathroom plumbing inspected and cared for regularly. A professional plumber can work with you to create a maintenance routine that will minimize or eliminate these problems in your home.