Diagnosing plumbing or drain issues is a necessary first step in making accurate repairs. Few plumbing problems are simple to diagnose, but many times they are quite hard.
Diagnosing plumbing issues correctly would sometimes require more than basic knowledge, tools, and ability.
When a drain is clogged, you have to find where the blockage is to clear it. Leaks, however, can be far difficult to diagnose. Leaks can come from the water supply or drains.
Sometimes a leak can be the sign of a blocked line. That’s why it is important to diagnose it correctly.
Diagnosing Water Supply Problem
- Loss of water pressure could be prompted by minerals or debris in the line, pressure reducer, partly closed valve, or a leak or a broken line. Try removing the faucet aerator from the faucet to see if this is the problem. Make sure to replace it.
- When there is a leak, switch off all of your fixtures and look at the water meter. If you see the red triangle is spinning, then there is a leak in the supply line or leaks in the toilet.
- A running toilet might require an adjustment to the handle chain or float adjuster. If it does not solve the problem, replace the ‘guts’ of the tank.
- If you don’t have hot water, this may be because the pilot is out or a breaker blew. Other problems are harder to determine.
Diagnosing Drain Problems
- When your toilet is clogged, but everything else is fine, you can often fix the problem with a plunger.
- A slow drain could either have a partial blockage or a venting problem.
- When you’re experiencing a floor drain backing up and flooding, the blockage is in the mainline.
- Going through a blockage in one drain, just run water in other drains to see if they back up. This method will determine whether the blockage is local or further down the line.
If you haven’t identified the right cause, you might spend time and money on efforts that will go nowhere. It would help if you never took on full DIY plumbing repairs without the proper tools or renovation know-how.
By doing so, you can instantly end up in plumbing emergencies and even make matters worse.