When most homeowners think about plumbing repairs, they usually think of problems with the pipes. However, your home's plumbing system contains numerous gaskets, or plumbing seals, that can also cause issues if not properly maintained. These gaskets are located wherever two pipes or other components join. Gaskets create an airtight seal by preventing the pressurized water from leaking at connection points.
When you think of plumbing leaks, your first thought is probably of a leaky faucet. This type of plumbing leak is pretty easy to spot (if nothing else, the sound will drive you crazy)! However, not all leaks are that obvious.
A lot of water can be lost through your pipes without leaving a trace, especially through your exterior pipes. While fixing up persistent drips and monitoring your sprinklers' intensity level can help keep your summer and autumn water use well-regulated, winter pipes need a bit more care to stop cracks, leaks, and bursts. Here's how:
Take a look at your plumbing system. No matter where you look -- under the kitchen sink, in your basement, or around your water heater -- you'll see a system of U-bends, L-bends, and PVC or metal pipes that are connected in a complex pattern. Sometimes these connections use PVC with thick sealant and adhesive in the pipe threads, and other times you might have a rubber gasket helping to hold the connections together. Unfortunately, sometimes these airtight seals can crack and start to leak water which, even if caught quickly, can cause water damage. How can you prevent disaster by proactively stopping plumbing seals from cracking?
With spring in full swing and summer on its way, gray days of icy roads and windy afternoons will be just a memory. In spring and summer, trees cast shade on your neighborhood, and the smell of sweet blossoms is already on its way. But did you know that your trees have been busy all winter long? While you were inside and staying warm, those lovely shade trees outside, bare since fall, have continued growing, adding another ring to their trunks and roots. By the time the ground is thawed, those root systems have been hard at work, finding microscopic cracks in your plumbing and sewer lines. Those cracks lead to water leaks, and potential entry points for tree roots to grow.
