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What Causes These Common Plumbing Problems? [Updated for 2023]

women inspecting her faucet
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What Causes Drains To Block?

Is there anything more frustrating than turning on a tap and quickly realizing that the water is not disappearing down the drain as it should? There is never a good time to find out that you have clogged kitchen drains. This is a common plumbing problem with a number of causes.

Solution: Try your handy-dandy plunger to clear some of the blockages. If that doesn’t work, we recommend using Bio-Clean drain cleaner.

Other drain cleaners use harsh chemicals that can damage your pipes and affect your water. Bio-Clean is a safer, environmentally-friendly option. If the problem persists, or the clogs are happening regularly, that’s why we’re here. We have a wide range of drain and sewer cleaning services.

What Causes A Faucet To Drip?

The constant melody of drip, drip, drip, drip is not only extremely annoying, but it wastes water. You won’t be losing thousands of litres of water, but when left unchecked, you will drive up your water bill. Dripping faucets are a common plumbing problem that most people have gone through. Don’t worry; you aren’t alone.

The most common culprits of a dripping faucet are damaged or broken washers on the tap, which on a good day will form a watertight seal. Over time they can dry out or become damaged, which causes the water to leak through.

Solution: While you can undertake the repair yourself, it can be difficult if you don’t have the proper tools and the right washers. We can get the job done quickly, and give you back that watertight seal and a blissfully silent faucet.

What Is The Most Common Cause Of A Running Toilet?

Your toilet shouldn’t require a choreographed routine of jiggling and tapping to get it to work properly. That can get annoying quickly, and we want your toilet to work properly just as much as you do.

A running toilet happens when water from the tank flows into the bowl continuously. Eventually, this will cause the water level in the tank to drop too low, triggering the float to restart the water and top up the tank. The most common causes of this constant flow would be an improperly sealing flapper valve letting the water through, an unbalanced float or a fill tube that has come loose.

Solution: These things are relatively simple to fix at home with toilet repair kits, but only if you know what you are looking at and how to do it properly. Incorrect installations and repairs could cause new, more severe issues.

However, if you have correctly replaced the offending parts and the toilet is still giving you grief, there might be a more serious issue that a professional should handle. Our experienced team can handle repairs and installations.

Why Is My Pipe Leaking?

Seeing a puddle of water pooling under your kitchen sink signals to most people a severe problem. Depending on how long the pipe has been leaking, it could be a costly repair.

Leaks most often occur around the joints of your pipes and can create a real mess both before and during the repair.

Solution: Sometimes, prevention is the best solution. We offer leak prevention services that ensure yuor home is protected from potential damage, mold, mildew, and rust. If you are past the point of prevention we are here for you. This has potential to be a messy repair, and will require some disassembly of your drain pipes. Depending on the origin of the leak and how old your pipes are, it can become a bigger problem if it isn’t fixed right away. That is why we are available 24/7.

Is Low Water Pressure Dangerous?

Have you ever gotten into the shower and been greeted by a weak dribble of water? Low water pressure is a common plumbing problem that can be frustrating to handle.

Low water pressure can be the result of several causes, including something as simple as a clogged up shower head. While that may not seem like a big deal, many small issues when combined can drastically reduce your overall water pressure.

Having low water pressure could also be due to a leak in the pipes, a much more serious issue which could lead to water damage and expensive repairs in your home. So don’t just ignore a low water pressure situation!

Solution: Fixing low water pressure could be as simple as cleaning out your shower head or tap head, or in some cases replacing it. If you’ve tried that, and are still finding your water pressure on the weak side, to come and fix the problem immediately.

Why Do I Hear Banging In My Pipes When I Shut Off The Water?

When you shut off your water supply, do you hear what sounds like rattling or someone banging a wrench on the pipes? Also known as water hammer, this issue occurs due to built-up water pressure in your pipes. When you abruptly turn off any water source, the excessive water pressure creates a shockwave throughout your pipes.

Why does this happen? Imagine that when you turn on the tap in your washroom, the water that comes out the faucet is being pushed along by all of the water behind it. All the way through every pipe in your house, down to the where the main water line comes into your home.

There could be a hundred feet of pipe and moving water before it connects to that tap. All that water is rushing along the pipe at the same speed carrying with it a lot of inertia. As soon as you shut off the tap, that water wants to keep going, but it has nowhere to go. Resulting in it slamming into the back of the valve, vibrating and shaking the pipes all the way back through the house.

Many homes will have small chambers filled with air tied into the pipes that will take up some of the inertia of the flowing water and allow the shock to dissipate. After many years the air in any open “shock absorbers” will be reabsorbed into the water, completely filling the chamber with water and removing their ability to absorb the shock. Over time, water hammer can also weaken and damage many of your appliances that thrive off the water, from your dishwasher to your hot water heater.

water hammer infographic
Water Hammer

Solution: A simple solution to clear your air chambers is by turning off the main water valve and opening all the faucets. By draining all the water out you should hopefully drain the air cushions of any water. Once the water stops flowing from the taps, close them and turn the main valve back on. Additionally, look and listen for the places that the pipes are knocking on walls, floors or cabinets and try to secure them with clips or ties.

If that doesn’t do the trick, call a Knight Plumbing professional.

Why Does My Bathtub Drain So Slow?

Waiting for a slow draining bathtub can be annoying, especially with the gurgling, sucking-like sound it makes when draining. Well, the culprit of your slow draining bathtub is most often a collection of hair, dirt and debris; no monsters down there.

You may think that a slow bathtub drain isn’t much to be alarmed about. But it acts as a warning sign that your pipes are close to becoming clogged — an issue which isn’t as simple to resolve.

Solution: Now, there are two places your hair, dirt and debris can end up clogging your bathtub drain. The easiest and most common issue to fix is just inside the tub drain. If you remove the tub stopper, there’s a grate where all that gross stuff can accumulate. To fix that issue, it’s as simple as taking needle nose pliers, placing them down the drain and pulling up as much hair and gunk that you can.

Your trap is the second area where hair, dirt and debris can buildup. Many times a product like Bio-Clean can be used to clear up some of this gunk, but if you have already tried that and it didn’t work, contact your Knight Plumbing professional.

Many believe the best solution is purchasing chemicals from your local hardware store. But, these chemicals can have a negative effect, causing corrosion and melting in your pipes. Furthermore, harsh chemicals will often create just a small passage through the gunk that can lead you to believe the problem is fixed. If you’re contacting a plumber and have recently used the chemical, inform them of the situation. These chemicals are dangerous and can injure the plumber if they’re unaware.

Extraordinary Plumbers Fixing Common Problems

Whether it is a common plumbing problem or a unique one, our focus is to make sure that we can fix your problem. If you are unsure about diagnosing a problem or making a plumbing repair on your own, call us at (587) 742-3936. Our team of professionals are here to help you when you need it.

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