Is Your Bathroom Causing Plumbing Woes?

Are you having plumbing issues in your bathroom? Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for this room of the house to have plumbing issues occasionally. Here is a look at two common problems you may be having in your bathroom.

Your bathtub won't drain

If you or family members have long hair, you are more likely to experience regular clogged drains in your bathtub or shower. Even if you use a special strainer to keep long hair out, hair can still get down the drain and build up over time.

Additionally, short-haired people also lose hair, which can more easily find its way through to your drain. Small hairs from shaving, especially if they are coarse, can add to clogged bathtub drains. While commercial drain cleaners are available, these can cause damage to your pipes. They can also be dangerous to a plumber.

It's not just hair that can lead to a clogged bathtub drain. If you routinely hand-wash your sweaters or other articles of clothing in your bathtub, fabric pills and fibres can also lead to a clog eventually. If you suspect your drain is clogged from hair, popular home remedies on the internet likely won't help, and they could do more harm than good. Call a plumber to come and clear the drain for you.

Your toilet keeps running

When your toilet is working properly, it will quit filling with water shortly after each flush. If the water does not stop trying to fill, your toilet is said to be running. You can hear the water trickling when your toilet should be quiet.

This problem is essentially an interior leak. It is usually caused by the internal parts in your toilet tank not working properly. While this is a problem you can easily ignore, you are wasting money and adding to your water bill by not taking care of the problem right away. The rubber valve seal on the bottom of your toilet tank is often the culprit for a running toilet. If you see cracks or other signs of deterioration in this flapper, it's time to replace it. The length of the chain that attaches to the toilet handle can also cause a running toilet problem.

The ball float and float arm are another possibility. Take the lid off of your toilet tank and watch the ball floating on the water as you flush the toilet. If the ball rubs against the side of the toilet tank, the float arm has become bent as it is preventing the toilet from stopping the water trickle. Either replace the innards or call a plumber to solve the problem.  


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