Plumbing is essential to any functioning home. Without plumbing, you wouldn’t have a way to have water coming into your home or to get waste out of it. Plumbing allows us to flush toilets, wash our hands, and keep our homes sanitary. And of course, it gives us water to drink whether we need to filter it first or not. Unfortunately, even the best plumbing can have mishaps and need repairs from time to time. Here are a few signs you need a plumber ASAP.

1. Your Septic System Is Malfunctioning

A septic tank installation is one of the most important parts of your home sanitation. Your septic tank holds all of the wastewater that leaves your house. Imagine what would happen if it were to back up. A backed-up septic tank means you will have backed-up waste in or around your home. Unfortunately, sewer waste doesn’t usually come with good smells. So if your septic tank is malfunctioning, you won’t be able to properly get rid of such waste. Your home could also begin to attract vermin, like rodents and flies, who are often attracted to filth.

If your septic tank is malfunctioning, it may begin to pool water around your drainage field outside. That standing water attracts mosquitoes, who can lay as many as 100 legs at a time, according to the EPA. A malfunctioning septic tank is a health hazard not only for you, but people near your property. If your system leaks, it could seep into the ground and contaminate not only your soil but the surrounding municipality’s water, which can affect other people and wildlife. If there are any signs you need a new septic tank installation, inspection, or pumping, that means you need a plumber ASAP.

2. Your Drains Are Severely Clogged

Has showering begun to take longer than normal because once you’re done washing, you’re sitting there for minutes on end waiting for it to drain out. Are you experiencing slow drains when you wash your hands or wash dishes in the kitchen? Do you hear gurgling sounds for a long time when water is going down the drain? If any of these issues are occurring, you likely have severely clogged drains and need a plumber ASAP. Drains are one of the many ways that wastewater goes back into the sewer system. Your drains may be severely clogged, either because you inadvertently put something down them or there’s a problem on the back end with the septic tank.

If you have any overgrown trees on your property, they may have punctured the sewer line and have created a blockage. Therefore, it’s time to call for professional sewer line repair before things get worse. Unfortunately, severely clogged drains won’t just dissolve on their own. You’ll need a plumber ASAP who has the right tools to identify the source of the clog and can quickly rectify it. Whatever you do, don’t try to handle the problem yourself by using those toxic over-the-counter chemical drain cleaners. While it may appear that those chemical cleaners temporarily fixed the problem. Understand the fix is only temporary and superficial. In addition to the temporary fix, it can damage your pipes even more, as well as wreak havoc on your septic tank.

3. Your Plumbing System Has an Obvious Leak

Do you think your pipes leak? If so, don’t ignore the issue. With any sign of a leak, especially from your pipes, you need to call a plumber ASAP. A leak can start as a tiny crack but eventually dissolve into a big one in which your pipes burst. You have one when you hear water dripping, but all your fixtures are off. You may see water pooling inside or outside your home somewhere, such as behind the toilet or under the sink.

If you can’t spot the leak with your own eyes, check your water meter to see if your home uses a lot of water that’s not being accounted for. You’ll need a professional to handle plumbing leak repair, as they’ll know how to fill in cracks or decide if it’s best to replace the plumbing altogether. A leak won’t go away on its own and will continue to get larger. Regardless of where a leak is coming from in your home, it can cause water damage that will not only waste water but will end up costing you in terms of money, as well as your possible health.

4. You Suspect Your Plumbing System Has an In-Wall Leak

Any type of leak in your home is bad, but if you have an in-wall leak, you have a whole other problem. It’s one thing if you have an obvious leak on an exposed pipe, that can quickly be fixed. However, when you have a leak inside the walls, you’re in a situation in which your home is likely dealing with structural damage and a health issue. In addition to plumbing repair, expect to make structural updates such as repairing your drywall and redoing the paint job.

According to Qipa, it doesn’t take mold any longer than 24 to 72 hours to begin sprouting in a wet environment. So, if you have an interior leak that’s been going on for days, weeks, or months, you likely also have mold behind your walls. Mold is a nasty substance that can help destroy your structure, as well as make you and your family sick. If mold spores get into your and your family’s lungs, it can cause or exacerbate asthma, other lung ailments, and allergic reactions. Your foundation is made of wood, so being soaked in water and mold is going to continue to weaken it. Over time, that structure causes your ceilings or walls to cave in. If your home can likely cave in at any time, you now have a safety hazard on your hands. For the safety of you and your family, you need a plumber ASAP if you suspect an in-wall leak.

5. Your Toilet Is Constantly Running

Are you dealing with a toilet that’s constantly running? Needless to say, that can be very annoying as that can be noisy, especially at night when people are trying to sleep. If your toilet keeps doing this, it may be time for a new toilet installation. The most common reasons for constantly running toilets are a defective fill, valve, leaking flapper, or an improperly sized overflow pipe.

The benefit of upgrading your toilet is you have a chance to get a higher-efficiency toilet that can also help you save water. Since you’ll need a plumber ASAP to stop it from running constantly, you might as well have them install a dual-flush toilet that can ensure that you’ll only use a little more than one gallon per flush instead of the five gallons. Therefore, not only will you no longer have to deal with an annoying running toilet where you have to wait for it to flush again, but you’ll also help the environment and keep money in your pocket.

6. Your Home Needs to Be Repiped

Those plumbing repairs may involve having to repipe your entire system. You know you need to call a plumber ASAP if you have a home that has lead pipes. Luckily, lead is no longer used in standard piping material due to its link to lead poisoning, which can cause mental defects in people. However, some poor communities may still have infrastructures that include lead piping if their buildings were never overhauled. In addition to mental effects, people may also suffer from kidney issues or higher blood pressure. If you suspect someone in your home has had lead poisoning from pipes, don’t mess around with that. You most certainly need a plumber ASAP.

You may also need new pipes if you continue to have leaks regardless of how many plumbing repairs you’ve had done. Discolored water is a sign of rust and corrosion, which makes it undrinkable. If you’re living in an extremely old home that never had new work done, you may be in a situation where those pipes have lead, corrosion, or other problems that can expose you and your family to health issues.

7. Your Water Heater Is Malfunctioning

Can you imagine your home without hot water? Hot water is a must to keep yourself and your home sanitary and clean. There’s a reason people wash their hands in hot water after using the toilet, shower in it, wash dishes, and also clothes to kill germs. So, if you don’t have access to hot water, it’ll be difficult to maintain sanitation. We’re still in a world in which COVID-19 exists. In addition to cold, flu, and other germs that can be spread on surfaces, clothing, and other fabrics, living without hot water can put you at risk for harboring disease and bacteria. You need to call a plumber ASAP if you need water heater repairs.

8. Your Home Has Low Water Pressure

Have your once 5-minute showers now increased to 15 minutes because it’s taking so long to properly lather up and cleanse yourself due to the extremely low water pressure? If low pressure is happening throughout your home, you need a plumber ASAP. Ongoing low pressure usually means a major problem in your fixtures or piping. A plumber can identify the issue and quickly solve it. They may identify the presence of hard water, which results in a buildup of sediment around your fixtures and sometimes in your pipes. It may also build up in your water heater. That hard water sediment can make you feel like you have a film on your skin, hair, or dishes whenever you wash. Those scales will build up around your fixtures and water harder and harder to pass through. You may also have low water pressure due to other types of blockage that your plumber can identify with a thorough inspection.

9. You Hate Your Current Plumbing Fixtures

Maybe you don’t like your current plumbing fixtures. According to Statistica, over 60% of American homes were built before 1980. If you’re living in such a home, you’re plumbing fixtures may reflect that. Maybe you visited friends and family homes and noticed their beautiful fixtures made from various types of metal. Maybe you’ve looked at Pinterest and Home & Garden magazines to see where new plumbing updates are going. Maybe you now realize that a rainfall shower isn’t just something for a spa, but something you could have right in the comfort of your home. You may have loved using a bidet so much on your European vacation that you also want to build one in your house. Your local plumbing service can make this happen. Tell them what you want so they can give you plumbing fixtures that will make your home more functional and beautiful.

10. Your Water Looks or Smells Wrong

As you run water in the sink, take your shower, or flush your toilet, do you notice that your water is beginning to look copper or brown? The smell. Are you noticing A pungent smell that’s telling you your water is no longer clean and fresh? If your water is anything other than clear and smell less, you need a plumber ASAP. Water is something that you need to drink and need to use for cleansing purposes. So, you need a plumber ASAP if you’re unable to have clean water coming into your home. Water that appears and smells dirty is often due to contaminated pipes. The plumbing contractor will quickly know what the problem is and the best way to solve it. Unfortunately, if you have dirty water, your pipes may be severely corroded and need replacement.

These are some reasons you need a plumber ASAP. Your professional plumber is there to keep your home filled with clean water daily. So, if you suspect any of the above problems, you don’t have to put up with it. Make sure your plumbing, fixtures, and sewage tanks are all working so you can have a sanitized, healthy home for years.