Although we often take plumbing for granted, one of modern society’s modern marvels is unarguably our plumbing system. All across the United States, homes have in-house, underground networks of metal and PVC pipes that effectively drain human waste into sewers. Those sewers lead to wastewater management plants operated by local governments. From there, wastewater is turned into usable, potable water. Like virtually everything on planet Earth, plumbing systems fail from time to time. Here are some of the most common plumbing problems homeowners run into in today’s homes.

Clogged Drains

All too often, sinks, showers, and other drains fail to drain water as quickly as it comes in. In some cases, drains won’t accept any water. Clogged drains are almost always caused by balls of hair and soap, though they can also result from other objects. These objects include toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, and washcloths. Clogged drains can be dealt with either through allowing lye to burn through blockages or by hiring professional plumbers to use drain snakes. These snakes are long, metal attachments that attach to drills and help professionals pull debris from drains.

Failing Water Pressure

There’s arguably nothing worse than bathing in showers with low water pressure. Some areas’ public water supplies are weak. In such cases, water pressure can only be improved by storing large tanks of water on one’s own land. This method allows homeowners to use water faster than it comes in from public water supplies. In other cases, failing water pressure results from clogged showerheads and faucets.

Running Toilet

Toilets use gallons of water per flush. Most toilets’ reservoirs refill in less than one minute. In a day’s time, running toilets can waste hundreds of gallons of water! Simply replacing the reservoir’s plug is a common fix, though running toilets are often caused by other issues. None of these issues are very urgent, though almost every homeowner experiences at least one plumbing emergency in their lifetime. Rather than taking on such responsibilities yourself, it’s best to leave such work to an emergency plumber katy tx.