If you’re having a backflow problem, it could be due to a backed up drain that causes dirty water to flow into your home or business from a drain. You could also have an issue where your water or irrigation system is allowing stagnant water to enter your home. Either plumbing backflow issue can impact your water’s safety, as backflow can enter your home’s potable water distribution system. Instead of potentially drinking dirty water, you can prevent these problems by knowing the main warning signs you might have a backflow issue.
When you have a backflow issue, your water might not be safe to drink, and you’ll need to take action fast to solve the problem with backflow prevention services. To ensure you’re prepared to spot a backflow, learn more about the top five signs of a plumbing backflow below:
If you’ve noticed your water doesn’t look as clear as it once was, you could have a backflow issue. Since backflow causes contaminants to get in your drinking water, it will also change your water to a brown, yellow, or pink color, and you might notice visible particles floating in it. While discolored water can be due to another plumbing issue, such as a rusted anode rod, you’ll want to immediately stop using the water. Next, call a plumber for an inspection to see if backflow is causing the discolored water.
Backflow can cause your plumbing system to leak frequently. Like water discoloration, frequent leaks can be signs of other issues in your system, and as soon you notice them, you’ll want to have a plumber inspect your system for signs of damage. Taking action fast on leaks can prevent water damage, conserve water, and stop the cause of the leaks from spiraling out of control.
Another easy-to-spot sign of backflow is water that smells bad. Usually, the water will smell like sulfur or rotten eggs, but any foul smells could indicate backflow. For safety reasons, don’t drink the water until a plumber can confirm it’s safe. You’ll also know you might have a backflow issue if your water tastes strange. After tasting something strange in your water, don’t drink any more until a plumber checks for a backflow problem and fixes it.
If you’ve noticed a drop in water pressure around your home, backflow could be the problem. When you have a backflow issue, it creates a vacuum-like effect in your pipes, stopping proper water flow and slowing down its speed. Over time, this vacuum-like effect raises the risk of your pipes breaking due to increased water pressure in your pipes. A backflow prevention specialist can fix your water flow and restore your water pressure to the correct levels.
When you notice slow-draining water or standing water in your sinks, backflow could be the cause. Since backflow disrupts drainage and prevents water from flowing out of your home properly, it’s something you’ll want a backflow prevention specialist to handle quickly. Slow drainage can also be a sign you have a clog in your pipes that can do serious damage if not removed, but either cause can do major damage if not caught quickly.
If you’re looking for backflow service near you in Sacramento or the surrounding areas, turn to Boyd Plumbing. Our plumbers are trained to help diagnose the cause of backflow and fix it. We can also inspect your home and provide backflow prevention services, such as maintaining air gaps, reducing pressure principle assembly, and using an anti-siphon vacuum breaker. Additionally, you can review our coupons and financing services to ensure any of our services fit your budget.
Learn more about our backflow prevention services today. If you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment, please call us at 916.710.8070 or use our online form.
Plumbers rarely receive calls when a home or commercial property’s plumbing system runs well. Instead, they’re often contacted when a serious emergency may have already caused extensive damage. Some don’t realize that regular plumbing maintenance could have prevented emergency plumbing issues.
Whether it’s a water leak, burst pipe, or clogged drain you’re dealing with, a consistent maintenance schedule can identify and resolve minor issues before they turn into major catastrophes. Here are six ways regular maintenance can be beneficial for your home or business.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a leaky faucet with a drip rate of one per second will waste over 3,000 gallons of water in one year. To put that into perspective, that’s equivalent to the amount of water needed for 180 showers.
All that wasted water is being billed, and a leak is likely why you’ve seen an increase in the water bill. Regular plumbing maintenance and inspections can help you spot leaks, fix them, and keep your utility costs down.
Did you know that the condition of your plumbing system and its pipes affect indoor air quality? Let’s say you have a cracked pipe, water pressure, or valve issue causing a leak. If left unattended, the site of the leak can become a playground for mold, mildew, and bacteria to multiply.
This mold, mildew, and bacteria growth can cause health problems, and breathing mold will aggravate allergies, asthma, emphysema, and other respiratory issues. Mold is also unsafe for those with compromised immune systems. With regular plumbing maintenance, a plumber will search for leaks and mold, ensuring you’re not breathing in dangerous air while you’re at home.
No one likes standing under a trickling showerhead, especially after a good home workout or a long day at the office. You also don’t want to be pummeled by water pellets. As a result, the right amount of water pressure is essential for your comfort. Regular plumbing maintenance will catch issues that reduce water pressure and solve them to restore the water pressure to its appropriate level.
Over time pipes become rusted and corroded, not because you’ve done anything wrong, but because they simply don’t last forever. Since exposed metal parts that have rusted over can add contaminants to your water supply, your water quality could be impacted by corroded pipes. Additionally, any nearby leaks will likely be home to colonies of bacteria, which will also find their way into the water supply.
Regular maintenance will get to the source of the impurities and quash the negative effects contaminated water can have on your household or business.
When you don’t have regular plumbing maintenance visits, your system could break down without you knowing it. For example, if the water pressure is too high, the joints and pipes will strain to keep up and may result in a pipe burst. Leaks are also dangerous for your appliances and can cause damage as water accumulates and sits in the equipment’s base or on your home’s floors. Hiring a plumber to conduct an inspection and perform any maintenance can be a great way to stay on top of your system and keep it running at its best for a long time.
It’s fairly easy to ignore a leaky faucet or a pipe that rattles occasionally. You may view it as a minor home repair, like fixing the door hinge, and decide not to give it the attention it deserves. But, unlike the door hinge, not prioritizing a plumbing issue may lead to multiple avoidable consequences in the future.
You may not know there’s a leak behind the wall until the wall suddenly becomes wet. At that point, water damage could have eaten away at the drywall and insulation, and it could have even reached any electrical wiring in the area as well. Instead of risking a plumbing emergency, schedule annual inspections of your plumbing system to reduce the chances of an emergency happening.
If you’re looking for licensed and insured plumbers near you in Sacramento or the surrounding areas, call Boyd Plumbing for your maintenance needs. We offer free in-home plumbing inspection to ensure you aren’t spending more on the utility bill than necessary. If our inspection reveals any problems, our team can also perform any necessary plumbing maintenance services. We also offer 24/7 emergency plumbing services for times when a repair can’t wait, and we provide several plumbing coupons to keep your costs low.
Learn more about our plumbing services today. If you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment, please fill out our online form or call us at 916-710-8070.